Page 34 of Getting Wrapped Up

“Hey, Adrianne,” Levi asked. “I don’t suppose you know where Tucker Bennett lives?”

He moved his gaze from Kate to Adrianne and Kate could breathe again. She took another bite of cookie. Sugar and fat never failed her. She loved them and they were true.

“I do,” Adrianne said with a grin. “About three miles south of here.”

“I don’t suppose you know if he has his tree up yet?” Levi asked.

“Actually, I know that too. Yes, he does. He’s also decorated two outside in his yard.”

“And does he have any of these cookies of yours?” Levi pulled another cookie from the tray, a wreath with thick green frosting and red candy balls, and handed it to Kate.

Well, who was she to argue? She took it and bit into it.

Adrianne laughed. “No, not yet.”

“I’ll pay you a thousand dollarsnotto take any cookies to Tucker,” Levi said.

Adrianne looked from him to Kate. Kate somehow tore her attention from him to meet Adrianne’s curious, amused eyes.

“Tucker prefers my peanut-butter balls anyway,” Adrianne said.

“How about you, Kate? You like peanut butter balls?” Levi asked.

“Not as much as cookies,” Kate admitted around the bite of the one she’d just taken.

“Well, there you go,” he told her. “You can go meet Tucker, who has already decorated his tree and has no cookies, or you can stay here with me, help me pick, cut down and decorate a treeandhave cookies. Your choice.”

Kate felt her eyes widen. She had a choice? As in, if she picked him, they would still hang out and he’d forget about Hailey? “What about your date to the formal?”

“I haven’t asked her yet, but I’m hoping she’s standing right here with me now.”

Kate’s heart tripped.Yes, yes, yes!But she didn’t let on that he could have whatever he wanted from her.

“You’re going to go cut down a tree for us?” she asked.

She noticed that he noticed the us.

“Yep.”

“Do you…” She had to be careful here and not tromp on his male ego. Even if it was a city-boy’s ego.

“Do you know how to cut a tree down?” Adrianne asked. Her grin said that she knew it might bruise his ego but that she had to ask.

“Chainsaw,” Levi said.

Adrianne nodded. “Can I make a suggestion then?”

“Sure.”

“There’s a Christmas tree farm not too far away. Take the highway eight miles east. There will be signs.”

“Got it. Perfect.” Levi turned to Kate. “You coming?”

The chance to not only decorate a tree but to actually pick it out, cut it down and drag it home. Hell, yes. But maybe she shouldn’t let on how much she wanted to do this. And that it had as much to do with him as it did with the tree.

He moved in a little closer, fully facing her now, holding the plate of cookies out of the way so he could press her up against the doorframe. “Hey, Adrianne?” Levi asked, his eyes still locked on Kate’s.

“Yeah?”

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