Page 57 of Getting Wrapped Up

“What about your cold, black soul?”

Levi shrugged. “I’m thinking it might be kind of an ecru at this point.”

Joe laughed. “I’ve always thought so. You know, deep down underneath. Way deep down.”

Levi grinned and pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Hi, Chris,” he greeted his pilot a moment later. “I’m going to need the helicopter. And a way to keep hot cocoa hot. And the biggest candy cane you can find.”

Chris didn’t hesitate. Requests like this weren’t that uncommon from Levi. “Where am I picking you up?” he asked.

“You have coordinates for Joe’s house?”

“Yep.”

“He’s got a pasture. That should work right?”

“Joe’s got a pasture?” Chris asked.

Levi laughed. “And a barn.”

“Well, this I’ve got to see.”

Layovers sucked.

She had nothing against Denver as a city or even the Denver airport, but she really did hate four hours of sitting around. Because that was four hours where she couldn’t throw herself into work or wallow on her couch with Netflix. Which meant it was four hours of thinking…and feeling.

She was so tired of thinking and feeling. She’d been second-guessing leaving. She’d been missing Levi. She’d been regretting not taking photos of Sapphire Falls.

She sighed, slumped down in her chair in the gate area, tipped her head back and closed her eyes.

“I’ve decided that Sapphire Falls ismorereal than anywhere else on earth, and I thought you should know.”

Her head came up so fast at the familiar voice that she felt her neck muscles cramp.

Now shehadto be dreaming.

Levi stood in front of her in the crowded gate area.

He was carrying a candy cane that was as tall as he was.

“Thatis never going to work,” she said, straightening fully.

He gave her a wicked grin and handed her a hot chocolate. It was in a plain white Styrofoam cup with a plain white plastic lid. No way had he gotten this in the airport. Any store here would have their logo stamped all over it.

“What’s this?”

“A reminder of how simply this all started,” he said.

He’d brought her hot chocolate from Sapphire Falls. Kate swallowed hard and pressed her lips together. When she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to sob, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been thinking about your note.”

She winced. She knew it wasn’t cool to only leave a note behind.

“And,” he went on, “I was watching Joe and Phoebe at home. Feeding their daughter, cleaning up spilled milk, rocking her to sleep, talking about groceries and the formal. And I realized something…Sapphire Falls is as real as it gets. Family, home, love, neighbors, taking care of each other, that’s all real. People wanting to have a formal so badly they’re willing to do it potluck, that’s real. Serving hot chocolate in the town square to raise money for the nursing home residents, that’sreal, Katie.” He moved in closer to her.

Neither of them paid any attention to the people around them.

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