My Greatest Joy (Maplewood Falls #2)

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

LEVI

DAY 6

Waking up with Fallon’s body pressed to mine is sweet torture. Her bodywash and shampoo consumed my senses all night while her ass rubbed against my dick, making me hard. It was nearly impossible to fall asleep.

But I refused to move because her soft snoring made me smile. It was the only time she wasn’t running her mouth or talking shit about Christmas, so I soaked it in until I drifted off.

Not to mention, I’d never pass up the opportunity to hold her.

Getting to know Fallon over the past five days has been a roller coaster of emotions. We constantly go back and forth between annoying each other and growing closer. This thing between us has been brewing since the day she arrived, and now we’re playing a game to see who will snap first. However, she’s the one who initiates sleeping in my bed, so I think I might be winning.

As soon as she woke up this morning, she climbed out of my bed and went to her room as if our night snuggling never happened. She doesn’t mention it, so I don’t push the conversation.

Most women are eager for my attention and nearly beg to spend a night in my bed but not Fallon. No, she acts as if she only wants me for my warmth, but I know better.

She’s constantly fighting this attraction between us. If she’d allow it, I’d prove to her that the feelings are mutual.

After we eat, we hop in the truck for a new day of activities.

“It looks so different with all the surrounding hills covered in snow,” she says, practically pressing her face against the truck window. “Almost magical.”

“Have we captured your heart already? I’ve hardly shown you anything,” I taunt, glancing over at how beautiful she looks today.

“I never doubted the scenery was gorgeous,” she counters. “I’ll decide on the rest once I meet more people and hear some of their stories.”

“Have you figured out what you’ll write about my family’s farm?”

“Not yet, but considering I’ve had an insider’s view and learned some of the history, I’ll probably start there. I plan on integrating the other businesses and farms into the story too.”

“I left a message for the mayor so you can meet him personally before the festival. Until then, I’ll show ya around, and you’ll learn all the things in no time. But first, I want to show you Oakley’s painting hung in the town hall. Then we’ll stop for lunch.”

“So when can I meet Finn and Oakley?” she asks, and I love that she sounds genuinely interested.

“I chatted with Willa this morning. We’re going to stop by on Sunday, and I told them we’d visit after seeing the inn.” That gives us two days.

She nods as I park in front of the diner right in the downtown square.

“Well, I can’t deny it’s giving me Christmas Hallmark vibes with a side of mountain rustic.”

I tug on the strings of her hat and smirk. “Please tell me that’s the name of the article.”

She rolls her eyes, batting my hand away. “You’ll find out once I’m done.”

“I don’t even get a sneak peek?”

“We’ll see…” she taunts, bracing herself for the cold air before I hop out of the truck and open her door.

“Fuck.” She shivers.

“At least the sun is out.” I smirk, resting a palm on the small of her back as I guide her down the sidewalk.

“Well, it must be for show only because it’s not warming up a damn thing,” she groans, and I chuckle at her dramatics.

The town hall building is a few blocks away, and she soaks in the heat as soon as we enter. “Now this is what I’m talking about.”

“When Oakley arrived here last fall, she was hired to paint a canvas of Bennett’s Orchard Farm for the centennial celebration. Once the mayor saw it, he begged her to stay and paint one of the annual fall festival,” I explain as we admire the large canvas proudly displayed on the wall.

“Wow…” Her eyes scan over every inch. “Look at those colors.”

“There’s nothing like seeing Vermont in the fall,” I say. “When we visit, I’ll show you the painting she did for the Bennetts. She nailed the orange and red trees that line the hillside behind the original buildings on the farm.”

“So Oakley ended up staying after her projects were finished?” she asks as we make our way toward the diner.

I chuckle. “No. She left.”

Fallon looks confused, so I continue.

“Her entire life was in LA, but after a couple of weeks, she came back to tell Finn she didn’t want to live without him. They’ve been together ever since.”

“Wow. Sounds like a movie.” Fallon is quiet for a moment. “I bet leaving the city was a huge change for her.”

“I think it was at first, but she’s settled in just fine. Now she does most of her artwork online and gets commissioned for paintings from businesses all over. She sometimes travels on the weekends for special projects but not often. They’re still in that honeymoon phase when they can’t keep their hands off each other. They’re perfect for one another.”

“Hmm…that’s an adorable story the magazine would eat up.”

“Vermont orchard brings two unlikely people together in a whirlwind romance for the ages…” I say. “Found your title.”

“Geez. You want my job, too?”

Laughing, I shake my head as I open the door to the diner, and we walk in.

“I’ll leave that to the expert,” I tease.

“Oakley painted that one in the shop behind the counter.”

“She did that one too? I couldn’t stop admiring it yesterday.”

“Yeah! She’s great. If I remember correctly, she’s supposed to paint at the Christmas tree lighting during the winter festival this season. Each year, my family donates the massive tree that will be lit to kick off the celebration.”

“Really?” She whips out her phone and starts typing into her notes.

“Yeah, they’ve done that for as long as I can remember. You’ll find that many of the local traditions are supported by the farms or small businesses. We all come together to make it special because this place means so much to us.”

“Well, if it isn’t Levi White ,” Greta singsongs. She’s owned the diner for as long as I can remember.

“Greta, my favorite lady.” I hug her, and she squeezes me in return.

“You brought a guest?” She glances next to me, her brow arched in question.

“Yes, this is Fallon Joy. She’s a journalist from Seattle doing a holiday tourism piece for a magazine. I’m showing her around.”

“Lovely to meet you, Fallon. I’m Greta. Welcome to Maplewood Falls.” She holds out her hand, and Fallon takes it.

“Nice to meet you, too. Your diner is very charming.”

“Thanks.” She beams.

I have to give it to Fallon for how quickly she turns on the charm.

“Let’s get you two to a booth. I’m sure you’re hungry,” Greta tells us, grabbing menus and leading the way. Fallon glances at the Christmas tinsel, mini trees, and ridiculous amount of colorful lights that fill the small place. I know she’s cringing inside.

Once we sit, Greta asks for our beverage order.

“I’ll have a lemonade,” Fallon says.

“Me too.”

Greta nods before walking away.

“She seems nice,” Fallon mutters, focusing on the menu. I already know what I want, so I don’t bother looking.

“She is. She also knows all the town gossip and is in everyone’s business.”

“Really? Even yours?” She drops the menu and smirks.

“ Everyone’s ,” I emphasize.

“Well, I might have a few questions for her, then.”

“Here you kids go.” Greta sets our drinks on the table, takes our order, then leaves again.

“You’re already living in my house and sleeping in my bed. Plus, you’ve already seen me naked. What more could you possibly want to know?” I ask, barely above a whisper.

She swallows hard, her cheeks painted into a beautiful shade of pink. Fallon doesn’t get deep with people or share personal things about herself often, that much I’ve learned.

“Have you ever been married before?” she asks, and I blink in surprise at the random question.

“No. Why?”

She takes a sip of her lemonade. “Just trying to figure out why a thirtysomething man—with a stable job, a nice house, lots of land, and from what I can tell, not a murderer—can still be single. And before you feed me the bullshit of how you haven’t found the one , I have a gut feeling there’s more to it than that. Perhaps Greta can fill in the gaps for me?”

The compliments she rambled off amuse the hell out of me. Even if she threw a couple of jabs in the very next breath.

Shrugging, I grab my lemonade and take a drink. “I’m thirty-five. You act like I’m too old to still get married or something, but I don’t know what to tell ya. I’ve never felt a spark outside the bedroom that has made me want more.”

“I’m only thirty and am already sick of the dating scene because of men who only want hookups. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in five years.” She makes a face as if the thought of dating disgusts her. “Have you ever tried getting to know someone before jumping into bed with them?”

I’m tempted to tell her that she’s the first, but when Greta slides our plates onto the table, I pause.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” she says, and Fallon doesn’t hesitate to stop her.

“Honestly, I was hoping to pick your brain a little.”

Greta smiles wide. “Ask away, sweetie.”

“What kind of guy is Levi White?”

Confusion is written all over her face.

“Well, let me explain. I ended up at his cabin by accident as the blizzard rolled in, which meant I was stuck there. Do you find it odd that this man would let a strange woman live in his house?”

Greta listens intently, and I know she’s adding Fallon’s story to her gossip list.

Although they’re talking about me like I’m not here, I speak up. “Feel free to answer truthfully. I wanna hear this.”

Greta turns her attention back to Fallon as I brace myself. “Well, it’s not surprising he’d help a stranger, especially in the middle of a storm. Levi would give the shirt off his back to someone if they needed it. I’d consider yourself lucky that you ended up at his house instead of someone else’s. On the flip side, I think you’re the first woman who’s ever stayed there for more than one night in a row.”

And there it is . She started out so strong.

“Interesting…” Fallon grins. “Are you surprised he’s never been married?”

“Levi?” Greta bellows out a laugh. “Oh, sweetie, no. Be careful using that word around him, though. You might scare the Christmas spirit out of him.”

“Oh, c’mon,” I groan, picking up my sandwich. “You act like I have a commitment phobia.”

“What would you call it?” Greta asks with a hand on her hip. Fallon smirks at the way she grills me.

“Someone who doesn’t settle for anything less than what he deserves.”

Fallon rolls her eyes, digging into her food. “Pretty sure my ex said the same thing to me when he refused to be exclusive.”

As soon as the words fly out, she quickly covers her mouth. “Shit, I hadn’t meant to say that.”

“And the truth comes out.”

“Forget I mentioned it.”

Unlikely .

Greta is pulled away to help another customer while Fallon and I eat in awkward silence. There’s no denying that her ex is why she’s reluctant to get into a relationship. Not that I’m actively searching, but when the universe drops a brunette bombshell in your bed, you don’t pass up the opportunity to see if she’s the one .

Once we’re done eating, I grab the check, and we head to the register. The door swings open, and Catharina strolls in with one of her friends—whose name I can’t remember.

“Levi!” she squeals, nearly pushing Fallon to give me an unwanted hug. “How are you? It’s been so long.”

“Hi, Catharina.”

“You remember my friend Gabby?”

“Of course,” I say.

“Who’s this?” Catharina asks, giving Fallon a not-so-subtle death glare.

“Fallon Joy. I’m a journalist here on business. Levi’s showing me around,” Fallon explains.

“How wonderful!” Catharina gushes, but I don’t miss Fallon’s clenched jaw. “You’re so lucky to have a strong man like Levi to be your tour guide, especially in this weather.”

“Yeah, I feel so damn lucky,” Fallon states with sarcasm lacing her words. Her serious tone has me holding back a laugh.

“Well, it was great seeing you again. Give me a call sometime!”

Once I tip Greta, I lead Fallon outside and breathe in the cool air.

“Where to next, oh holy guide ?” She rolls her eyes as we stroll down the sidewalk.

I chuckle and take her hand. “Better plaster on that fake smile again. We’re about to meet all the small business owners on this block.”

It takes two hours to introduce Fallon to everyone, from the gift shops to the movie theater and the hotel—they talk her ear off until I literally have to drag her away. When we reach the end of the street, she’s socially exhausted.

“Doing okay?”

“I’ve heard enough about Christmas for one day. I’m at my max.”

“That’s fine. I need to run to the grocery store before we head home. I’m sure the mayor will also take you around when you meet up with him.”

“Great.” There’s zero enthusiasm in her voice as we drive to the store.

As we go inside, I tell her to pick out whatever she wants since her choices have been limited.

Once we get a cart, a woman speaks from the checkout. “Hey, Levi.”

“Hello, Mrs. Shrader,” I greet, waving to her as Fallon leads us down an aisle.

“Levi, hey.” Cassie stops me as I reach for a box of snack cakes. “Haven’t seen you at the pub in a while.”

“Hi, Cass. It’s my busy season,” I explain.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you disappear during the holidays. We’ll have to catch up after New Year’s and shoot some pool. Drinks on me.”

“Great,” I mutter, not wanting to be rude. However, I’m not excited about her offer.

“See ya soon,” she calls out as I catch up with Fallon.

“Finding what you need?” I ask her.

“Came across some gluten-free bread and flour tortillas for chicken wraps. Now I just need some avocados,” she mentions without looking at me.

“Sounds good. I need to run to the back of the store for some things. I’ll meet you in the produce section.”

“Alright.”

We go our separate ways. Hopefully, this will help speed things up. I manage to grab a dozen eggs and some butter, then make my way back to Fallon.

“Levi.” I hear someone say my name, and I stop in my tracks. When I turn, I see Presley with her hands on her hips.

“I haven’t heard from you. Why is that?” She pouts like she’s hurt, but there’s a flirty grin on her face.

We spent one night together two years ago . I told her I wasn’t interested in anything more, but she constantly finds a way to bring it up.

“Been staying busy on the farm,” I say, my go-to response anytime someone complains about me not being around. It’s not a lie, though. I’ve worked every day for the past two months, other than the three when I was snowed in.

“Well, hopefully I’ll see you at the festival. I’ll buy you an eggnog.” She smiles wide and lifts a brow. More like spiked eggnog.

“I’ll be there,” I tell her. The whole damn town will be.

When I finally meet up with Fallon, she’s comparing two zucchinis.

“The left one has more length if you’re into that. But the right one has more girth. Tough decision,” I taunt, standing behind her.

“Too bad a girl can never find the right size…”

I meet her eyes and she smirks.

“You know, one with length and girth. It’s a rare find,” she continues.

Now I know she’s messing with me because she’s seen and felt my dick on more than one occasion.

“Anytime I’ve found one that’s long and thick, it always turns out terrible.” She lifts a brow. “No flavor.”

“That’s an odd observation.”

She tosses both in the cart. Then she gives me her signature death glare. “What took you so long? Get stopped by another fan club member?”

Her jealous tone makes the corner of my lips curl up. “It’s a small town. I told you, everyone knows everyone.”

“I guess I hadn’t realized you meant it literally .”

“Why don’t you just ask me what you want to know? Stop beating around the bush and say it.”

“Nah, I’m good.” She moves over to the fruit.

I wait in silence as she picks out apples and oranges, then I follow her to the yogurt section. Once she’s finished, we make our way to the cashier.

“Hi, Levi,” Sierra greets sweetly as I put things on the belt. I glance over at Fallon, who’s rolling her eyes.

Great . I’m sure she thinks I’ve hooked up with Sierra too, and that has never happened.

“Hey. How’s your fiancé?” I ask. The douchebag got out of jail last month for assault.

“He’s fine, thanks for asking. How’s your mom?”

We go back and forth until the cart is empty, and I introduce her to Fallon. Once I’ve paid and our groceries are bagged, we leave.

“You can sit in the truck and get warm while I load these,” I tell her, cranking the heat.

She nods. I don’t push her to talk, though, because she told me she was exhausted, and I want to respect her boundaries. I’ve always been a chatty guy—kinda comes with the territory—but I understand wanting peace and quiet.

We listen to soft non-holiday music as I drive home. She stares out the window, and I’m sure she fell asleep by how her head bobs.

“Fallon.” I pat her thigh when I’ve parked in front of the cabin. “We’re home.”

She blinks over at me and rubs her eyes.

“Go ahead, and I’ll bring in the bags.”

Fallon jumps out and pulls up her hood as she walks across the snow. I follow her so I can unlock the door and take out Dasher. She slips on her first step, but I catch her before she busts her ass on the ice.

“Jesus. You okay?” I hold her tight as she finds her footing.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Sorry, I need to salt again.”

I keep a tight hold on her, not wanting to let go. “Are you sure you didn’t twist or pull anything?”

She looks up at me and licks her lips as if she wants to say something but is holding back.

“No, I’m fine,” she bites out, grabbing the rail and moving toward the door.

Once it’s unlocked, Dasher flies toward us, and he comes outside with me.

I refuse to make more than one trip, so I haul all ten bags inside. It’s a miracle I don’t fall or drop anything. As soon as I set them on the counter, Fallon helps me unload them.

“So what do you want me to make with those zucchini?”

“Zucchini noodles. They’re good with tomatoes and garlic topped with parmesan cheese,” she tells me, which explains the weird food we bought.

“I can make it tonight for you if you want? In fact, why don’t you go lie down, and I’ll finish here.”

“You know how to make it?” she asks, yawning.

“No, but I know how to Google a recipe,” I counter.

“Fine. But it’s still cold in my room.”

Jasper hasn’t given me an update yet, so I assume he’s still backed up.

“Sleep in mine. I’ll build a fire for you, and you’ll stay toasty warm.”

“Thanks.”

She heads upstairs, and I grab a few logs from the living room before meeting her.

Dasher follows and lies next to her on the bed.

“Alright, you should be good for a few hours. I’ll wake you for dinner,” I tell her, then snap my fingers for Dasher to come.

“He can stay,” she murmurs, pulling the covers to her neck.

I arch a brow in surprise. “Okay.”

By the time I finish putting away the groceries, my head is spinning. Fallon quickly shut down after talking to so many people, and I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault. We’ve been in our own little bubble for five days, so I didn’t realize she wasn’t overly social.

Perhaps a nap and a hot meal will help her recharge and put her in a good mood.

Well…one can hope .