Read Online Getting In the Spirit: a Sapphire Falls novella by Erin Nicholas - Free Book Online
Authors: Erin Nicholas
Ads: Link
different. Better. Special.”
“It will be fine,” Joe insisted. He really hoped that was true.
“And meanwhile,” Tucker said. “I’m now without a date to the formal. What do you think, Hails? You and me?”
“No.” Hailey didn’t even hesitate.
“Why not?” Tucker sounded amused.
“I don’t date guys from Sapphire Falls. And don’t call me Hails.”
“Ty calls you Hails,” Tucker pointed out.
“That’s…different,” Hailey said tightly.
“Uh, huh,” Tucker said. “Why don’t I buy you a hot chocolate and you tell me all about that.”
“Yes to the hot chocolate, no to the spilling my guts.”
“So there is something to spill,” Tucker said.
There was something going on with Hailey and Tyler Bennett. Everyone suspected it, speculated about it, but no one seemed to know anything for sure.
“Hailey—” Phoebe started.
But Joe grabbed both phones, shaking his head. “Gotta go guys.”
He disconnected both phones and looked at his wife. There was no time to get into anything with Hailey right now. Hailey Conner could talk about herself for hours.
And Joe didn’t want to hear it. He worked with politicians for a living—he had enough drama in his life.
Phoebe was chewing on her bottom lip.
“Should we call or text Levi and Kate?” she asked. “Make sure they’re okay?”
“She’s on his lap, kissing in the square,” Joe said, setting the phones both on his bedside table, out of Phoebe’s reach. “They’re more than okay.”
“Yeah, and they have to have figured out who they are by now right?” Phoebe asked.
“There is no way they still think they are with Tucker and Hailey,” Joe said, certain about at least that one thing.
Phoebe nodded and let him pull her down and flip the comforter over both of them. She was quiet for several seconds, but Joe knew she wasn’t completely done meddling.
As he reached to turn the light off, she finally spoke. “I’ll call Adrianne in the morning to go over and check on them.”
Chapter Four
Hailey slid from Levi’s lap and he took her hand, making himself walk at a reasonable speed for high heels. Which was tough considering he wanted to run. Of course, he could throw her over his shoulder and still get a pretty good jog going.
“By the way,” she said as they passed the hot chocolate stand and crossed the street on their way back to the bar.
“Yeah?”
“This is already the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”
There was another thud near his heart. The poor thing hadn’t been used in so long every hard beat was a little painful. But it was a good pain. Like stretching a tight muscle before a hard workout.
Because he wanted to give it a hard workout with this woman.
And not only in the pounding-hard-during-hot-sex way. In the way that might stretch his heart muscle further than it had ever gone before.
Levi gave her what he hoped was a casual smile. No sense in scaring her off with a wanna-fall-in-love-this-weekend? He’d told Joe he was considering staying for a year. Nothing so far had made him want to shorten that time frame.
“You know, a smart man would be grateful that it would be almost impossible to make this Christmas worse than your others,” he said. “But no one ever accused me of being particularly bright.” He stopped next to his brother’s truck and turned to face her. “I don’t want this to be the best you’ve had so far. Hell, all I have to do is put up a tree and make you cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning to do that.”
She gasped softly. “Your mom made cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning?”
Well, their cook had. He took her hands. “I want to do even more than that. I want this to be everything you ever wanted Christmas to be.”
And he meant it. Maybe there was hope for him yet. So far the cheesy Christmas sentiments were rolling out of him.
Take that, Christmas ghosts.
“You said you don’t have a tree yet. Will you let me help with it?” she asked. The lighter,
“It will be fine,” Joe insisted. He really hoped that was true.
“And meanwhile,” Tucker said. “I’m now without a date to the formal. What do you think, Hails? You and me?”
“No.” Hailey didn’t even hesitate.
“Why not?” Tucker sounded amused.
“I don’t date guys from Sapphire Falls. And don’t call me Hails.”
“Ty calls you Hails,” Tucker pointed out.
“That’s…different,” Hailey said tightly.
“Uh, huh,” Tucker said. “Why don’t I buy you a hot chocolate and you tell me all about that.”
“Yes to the hot chocolate, no to the spilling my guts.”
“So there is something to spill,” Tucker said.
There was something going on with Hailey and Tyler Bennett. Everyone suspected it, speculated about it, but no one seemed to know anything for sure.
“Hailey—” Phoebe started.
But Joe grabbed both phones, shaking his head. “Gotta go guys.”
He disconnected both phones and looked at his wife. There was no time to get into anything with Hailey right now. Hailey Conner could talk about herself for hours.
And Joe didn’t want to hear it. He worked with politicians for a living—he had enough drama in his life.
Phoebe was chewing on her bottom lip.
“Should we call or text Levi and Kate?” she asked. “Make sure they’re okay?”
“She’s on his lap, kissing in the square,” Joe said, setting the phones both on his bedside table, out of Phoebe’s reach. “They’re more than okay.”
“Yeah, and they have to have figured out who they are by now right?” Phoebe asked.
“There is no way they still think they are with Tucker and Hailey,” Joe said, certain about at least that one thing.
Phoebe nodded and let him pull her down and flip the comforter over both of them. She was quiet for several seconds, but Joe knew she wasn’t completely done meddling.
As he reached to turn the light off, she finally spoke. “I’ll call Adrianne in the morning to go over and check on them.”
Chapter Four
Hailey slid from Levi’s lap and he took her hand, making himself walk at a reasonable speed for high heels. Which was tough considering he wanted to run. Of course, he could throw her over his shoulder and still get a pretty good jog going.
“By the way,” she said as they passed the hot chocolate stand and crossed the street on their way back to the bar.
“Yeah?”
“This is already the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”
There was another thud near his heart. The poor thing hadn’t been used in so long every hard beat was a little painful. But it was a good pain. Like stretching a tight muscle before a hard workout.
Because he wanted to give it a hard workout with this woman.
And not only in the pounding-hard-during-hot-sex way. In the way that might stretch his heart muscle further than it had ever gone before.
Levi gave her what he hoped was a casual smile. No sense in scaring her off with a wanna-fall-in-love-this-weekend? He’d told Joe he was considering staying for a year. Nothing so far had made him want to shorten that time frame.
“You know, a smart man would be grateful that it would be almost impossible to make this Christmas worse than your others,” he said. “But no one ever accused me of being particularly bright.” He stopped next to his brother’s truck and turned to face her. “I don’t want this to be the best you’ve had so far. Hell, all I have to do is put up a tree and make you cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning to do that.”
She gasped softly. “Your mom made cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning?”
Well, their cook had. He took her hands. “I want to do even more than that. I want this to be everything you ever wanted Christmas to be.”
And he meant it. Maybe there was hope for him yet. So far the cheesy Christmas sentiments were rolling out of him.
Take that, Christmas ghosts.
“You said you don’t have a tree yet. Will you let me help with it?” she asked. The lighter,
Similar Books
