My Greatest Joy (Maplewood Falls #2)

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

FALLON

DAY 14

I wake up with Levi’s cock pressing into my back, and there’s no way I can deny myself of him. We’re greedy, animalistic, and fuck like the world will end tomorrow. If it did, I’d die a happy woman.

We lie in each other’s arms, completely satiated, but we can’t hide in bed all day. After Levi gets up and jumps in the shower, Dasher flies onto the bed and attacks me with licks.

“Oh my God,” I say, trying to push him away, but he’s too heavy. His tail wags, slapping against me, and I can’t stop laughing as he nearly topples me. He plops down, and his cold nose brushes against my arm.

When he looks up at me with his brown eyes, I gently pet him. “Are you glad you get to annoy me for two more weeks?” I ask, with a laugh. I’m not na?ve and know this time will fly by too.

My heart lurches forward when I think about it. Levi’s company during this time of year has been my saving grace, and I can’t imagine spending these two weeks holed up in my tiny apartment alone. That sounds awful. However, it’s what past Fallon wanted. So much has changed.

I swallow hard, thinking about everything between Levi and me. That’s when I realize I’m fiddling with my mom’s necklace. I look down at it, noticing the clasp is facing forward, and smile. Making a wish, I give it a kiss and move it to the back. It’s a silly thing my sister and I used to do when we were kids. She used to tell me that every time it was backward, Mom was sending an I love you and a hello from heaven. The thought of it always comforted me.

After I crawl out of bed to get dressed, Dasher resettles himself in the middle of the mattress. I put on my heaviest sweater, jeans, and boots since we’ll be outside enjoying the festival. The day I’ve been counting down to for weeks.

When Levi walks into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, I bite the corner of my lip. He takes a few steps forward, and I trail my finger down his chest and tug on the material.

“Don’t start something you won’t be able to finish, babe,” he says, and I pout, knowing we have to get going.

“I’m taking a rain check on that cock,” I whisper as he slides his lips across mine.

“I look forward to it.”

As he gets dressed, I take Dasher outside and let him run out some of his energy. Then I give myself a pep talk, trying to turn on the journalist inside me because I’ll have to be on my A game today. Especially now that everyone in Maplewood Falls knows my name and why I’m here, but I also told Levi I’d be his date.

After Dasher is finished, we go inside, and Levi is making coffee.

“I thought we could eat there,” he suggests. “There are lots of options and Lucy told me there is a gluten-free food truck there this year.”

“Really? That’s cool. I usually go for the mystery meat on the stick. It’s the safest option.”

Levi fills a small travel mug, then hands it to me. “Ready to get going?”

“Yep,” I say, grabbing my phone so I can take notes while we walk around. While Levi puts a Santa hat and holiday-themed dog coat on Dasher, I hurry and apply some ruby-red lipstick.

On the way there, I sit right next to Levi in the truck. Dasher is in the back seat, taking advantage of having the whole thing to himself.

As we turn onto the country road that leads to town, Levi glances over at me. I love the heat in his gaze when our eyes meet and how my body instantly responds.

I shoot him a mischievous grin and guide my hand up his thigh. His brow pops up as I brush my palm over his cock that’s steadily growing hard.

“What are you doing?” he asks when I free his thickness. Repositioning myself, I place my hot mouth on the tip and roll my tongue around.

“I’m cashing in my cock rain check. Keep your eyes on the road.”

“Fuck, such a good girl,” he groans out as I slide farther down on him, nearly choking.

“I like praise, but you know I’m your naughty girl,” I admit, licking down the bottom of his shaft.

“Hell yeah, my only regret is not being able to have that pussy right now.” Levi huffs, slightly repositioning the seat to give me more space. The speed of the truck slows to a near crawl. At this rate, we might make it to the festival tomorrow.

Using my hand, I stroke and suck, loving how he throbs in my mouth. Levi wraps my long hair around his fist, guiding my head up and down. I’m so goddamn turned on, my panties are going to be soaked, but I don’t care. His grunts encourage me to keep going.

“Fuck, Fallon.” His breathing is ragged, and my eyes nearly tear up, but I continue slamming him as far back in my throat as I can.

“Eyes on the road,” I remind him, knowing he’s close but is also holding back. “I’m going to suck the Christmas spirit out of you. Maybe it’ll get me through this festival.”

He moans but also chuckles.

“ I’m. Close ,” he says between gritted teeth, holding the steering wheel with a white-knuckle grip. I slow my pace to a painful crawl. “Fallon,” he whispers. His thighs tense, then he releases into my mouth. I drink him down, enjoying how he tastes, and lick up every last drop.

“Delicious. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Anytime. You’re going to get heavily rewarded for that later.”

“Oh, I can’t wait.” I laugh as Levi waits for his erection to subside. Ten minutes later, he puts my favorite part of him away.

“That’s a first for me,” he admits.

“Really?” I ask. “Me too. I like that we can share things like that.”

“Fuck, me too,” he admits. “Might as well make a sex bucket list and start marking them off.”

I chuckle. “How many do you think we can complete before January second?”

“I dunno, but I’m up for the challenge.”

I like the sound of that.

I finish my coffee during the drive and am happy for the caffeine. When Maplewood Falls comes into view, I’m shocked by how much traffic there is. The parking lots are full, and after we circle the block a few times, I’m concerned we won’t find a spot.

“I can drop you and Dasher off at the entrance, then meet you?”

I nod, popping my hat on my head before he slows and lets us out. Dasher looks adorable in his Christmas gear, and of course, the leash looks like it’s a line of lit tree lights.

As he sniffs around the sidewalk and snow, random people stop and tell me how cute he is. He’s such an attention seeker and gets pets from every person who compliments him.

I stand at the giant archway, trying to take in the ambience of the crowd and the smells of the food that float through the air. Moments later, strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, and I turn, wanting to greet him with a kiss.

As if he reads my hesitation, he leans in and whispers in my ear, “I don’t give a fuck who sees us together, babe. I know what I said yesterday, wanting you to be my date, but I’m letting you call the shots in public.”

I swallow, nodding with a smile, and softly press my lips against his. He moans against my mouth, running his fingers through my hair.

“You’re mine, too, Levi,” I say, wanting him to understand that I want all these women to know he’s with me. At least for now.

When we pull apart, I smirk, then grab his hand.

“I’ll take him,” Levi offers, so I give him the leash.

A few kids dressed as Santa’s elves greet us as we enter, and a photographer captures everyone’s pictures. Levi puts his arm around me and pulls me close as Dasher sits in front of us. Once the photo is taken, I’m handed a ticket and told that we can pick it up at the Chamber of Commerce booth.

As we walk through the crowd, every local greets us both by name. Some notice our hands interlocked, and others don’t, but no one makes a big deal out of it. The pathways are wide, but a lot of people are already here, and it’s early.

“What time is the tree lighting?” I ask Levi when we find the food truck with the gluten-free goodies. I’m tempted to order one of each.

“Six on the dot. My mom is supposed to give a speech, and she said she expected me to support her from the front row,” he explains.

“So we’ll need to find seats early?” I ask, and he nods.

When we make it to the window, I order several pastries. Levi gets a few, too.

“Not bad,” he tells me, biting into a miniature pumpkin pie. “If I didn’t know it wasn’t made with flour, I’m not sure I’d notice.”

“Right!” I agree around a mouthful, gobbling it up like I haven’t eaten in days.

As we walk past some of the craft tables, I spot Oakley with her paints and canvas. Levi sees her at the same time, so we make our way over to her.

“Oh my God!” she squeals, then hugs me. “You’re the first distraction I’ve welcomed all day. How are you two?” She looks back and forth between us, and I’m almost embarrassed about what happened last night. They both knew we fooled around in the bathroom, and after we returned, we basically called it a night. Finn was ready to get home anyway, though.

Levi and I meet each other’s eyes. “Great,” we say in unison.

“Ahh, saying the same things at the same time. That’s a good sign,” she teases.

Levi sees Finn across the way and excuses himself.

“I forgot to chat about you staying longer yesterday. That’s exciting.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to spending New Year’s here. I just rescheduled my flights, and it’s official.”

She gives me a small smile and hesitates. “Now I don’t want to get in your business or anything, and I don’t need any details whatsoever, but when you get home, and if things don’t feel right…listen to your heart.”

I search her face, her tender expression making my stomach dip.

“I almost didn’t and it would’ve turned out to be the worst mistake of my life,” she admits, and I see the engagement ring sparkle in the reflection of the sun.

“I will,” I say. “I promise.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Oakley says, pulling a small package from her oversized purse. She hands it to me.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“Just a small Christmas gift.”

“Thanks, but I didn’t?—”

“Just open it already,” she says. “It’s nothing big.”

I rip off the bright-colored paper and open a box that’s the size of my palm. Inside is a snow globe. I hold it up to get a better look, then gasp. “It’s the Christmas tree farm.”

Oakley grins. “So you can take the farm back with you to Seattle.”

As hard as it is, I push my emotions back and give her a hug. “Thank you.”

She squeezes me tight, and I slide it into my oversized coat pocket.

Before I can say anything else, Oakley pulls me around to show me what she’s painted so far. My eyes widen in shock as I look at a night scene of the gigantic tree that she has a perfect view of.

“I’ve got most of it done. I need to fill in the lights on the tree, the crowd, and other small details, and then it’ll be finished,” she explains.

“You amaze me.” I laugh, almost envisioning what the scene tonight will look like. “The best I can do is an uneven stick figure.”

Moments later, Finn walks up with a holiday cup and hands it to Oakley.

“What were you two talking about?” he asks, placing a sweet kiss on Oakley’s lips.

“Painting.” Oakley shoots me a wink, and I appreciate her kindness.

“Well,” Levi says. “Lucy has a booth around here somewhere. I need to go say hello.”

“She’s on the far side, right in the middle of all the commotion,” Oakley says.

“Good seeing you again, Fallon,” Finn offers. “Keep him out of trouble.”

“One can only try,” I say.

“If you get bored, I’ll be here all night,” Oakley tells us, and we wave goodbye.

Levi falls in line beside me with Dasher in tow. “What did she say?”

I chuckle, but her words aren’t ones I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. “Nothing. Nothing at all. But she did get me a gift.”

“Yeah?” he asks.

I pull it from my pocket and show him.

“It’s perfect.” He laughs, and I quickly steal a kiss.

Eventually, we find Lucy, who’s selling hand-carved ornaments from the shop and boxes of White’s famous gingersnaps by the dozens. She’s busy as hell, so we wait in line for our turn to chat with her.

“It’s those cookies,” I say, seeing how many people are buying. “Is it really a secret recipe?”

“Yep.” He smirks.

“And you’re not going to tell me?”

He leans in and whispers in my ear, “Not until there’s a ring on that finger.”

My heart flutters at the idea of marrying this man. But I know it’s a fantasy, and I’m getting way ahead of myself.

“You’re a tease. But I did notice your wise choice of words. You said until instead of unless .”

“Always so observant.” He winks.

I swallow when it’s our turn to order. Lucy squeals when she sees us holding hands. “Oh my God, it’s my favorite non-couple.”

Levi leans across the table and gives her a hug. She forces me to do the same, but I don’t mind it. “Are you guys having fun?”

I nod as Levi places some cash in her tip jar. “Just wanted to say hey and tell you that you’re a badass.”

“Thanks, Levi. You’re my favorite hype squad. But I’m closing this baby down once I sell out of everything.”

“Then I guess we better leave you to it,” he tells her.

After walking around for a few more hours, we find an empty park bench and sit. I pull out my phone and type away, writing down all my thoughts.

“You’re so fast,” Levi says, sitting back.

“There’s so much to write,” I say, going back to my phone. He doesn’t rush me or ask any questions, and after an hour of nonstop typing in my phone, my wrists and fingers ache. I lock it and look over at him, and he’s completely relaxed, happy even.

“You’re done?”

“For now, I think. I’m hungry.”

Levi checks the time and chuckles. “Oh yeah, it’s time for lunch. I’ll drop Dasher off with Lucy if you’d like to go to the deli. She brought cans of dog food for me, so I’ll feed him too.”

“That lemonade sounds good.”

“And being inside will give you a chance to warm up,” he offers.

See, that’s the thing about Levi—he’s always putting me first.

After we feed and drop Dasher off with Lucy, we head toward the diner.

When we enter, Greta smiles wide and leads us to the same booth we sat in the first time. It feels like déjà vu because we order the same things, but I’m grateful the conversation is different.

“So are you leaving?” Greta asks, refilling my lemonade. It’s freshly squeezed, and if I could take a gallon home with me, I would. Levi glances up at me, and I give her a smile.

“After the new year,” I proudly say, hoping she spreads the word.

“Ahh, well, that’s great news.” Greta winks at Levi.

When she walks away, he smirks.

“You know she’s going to tell everyone.”

I grin. “That was the point.”

“Mm. I like possessive Fallon. She’s strategic.” He leans forward. “And sexy as fuck.”

Levi and I finish eating and soak up the heat until the restaurant gets busy. Once a line forms outside, he pays, then we return to the festival.

Levi gets a text and laughs.

“What?”

“Lucy asked if she could keep Dasher all day because he’s helping her sell more items in his costume.”

“That’s hilarious,” I tell him. “But he did draw a lot of attention when I was waiting for you earlier.”

Levi quickly texts Lucy back and tells her that’s fine.

“Do you want to ice skate?” he asks as we pass a small rink that looks like it was brought here just for the event.

“That would be a big no. I’m not great on regular skates or ice, so that sounds like a nightmare. I need my arms, hands, and wrists.”

He chuckles. “Fair enough.”

We continue walking around the festival, and I’m amazed by how they packed so much into such a small space. Before long, Levi lets me know that we should probably get situated for the Christmas tree lighting. We find seats right up front, but a crowd’s already forming.

I stare up at the gigantic Christmas tree with amazement.

“It’s sixty feet tall.” Levi leans in and tells me. “Twenty feet shorter than the Rockefeller Center tree in New York.”

“Wow,” I say, taking my time to study it.

“Yep. It’s probably seventy-five years old, and there are around fifty thousand lights on it.”

“I have so many questions.”

He looks excited to hear that. “A whole crew volunteers to string it every year. Takes a month to get it ready for this event.”

I pull my phone out and write down as many details as I can while Levi continues giving me more history. Several people stop by and chat with Levi and offer friendly hellos.

When I hear tons of chatter, I turn around, and there are people as far as I can see. I take a quick picture, shocked by how crowded it got.

Soon, the mayor steps on the tiny stage in his Santa suit and welcomes everyone.

“Wow, big crowd,” he says, and laughter follows.

“I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for supporting this festival. I have a long list of people to thank, but I know that if I start listing them, then I’ll forget someone and regret it. This event takes place every year because of the locals who donate their time and money and love this town more than anything. The spirit of Christmas will always thrive here as long as it continues in the same capacity as it has since the turn of the century. But, with that being said, this lighting wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Whites, whose Christmas tree farm donates the tree every year, no matter what. So I’d like to ask Mrs. White to say a few words before the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”

Levi’s mom steps up, and she looks adorable in her heavy coat. She’s wearing reindeer antlers and meets my eyes as she moves to the microphone.

“Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for the kind introduction. I want to say a few words before we light this beast,” she tells us, laughter erupting.

“It takes an army to do this every year, and the reality is thousands of other farms could donate something this size or bigger. But every year, we ask and offer to be the ones who provide this tree. Why? Some of you might ask. It’s because sometimes the world is dark. Bad things happen to good people. The holidays may not hold happy memories but horrible ones. Everyone is different and has their own reason for not liking the holidays. But when this tree lights up every year, it swallows all of that up. And even if the darkness disappears in their lives for only a moment, then I think it’s worth it. My goal is to bring a glimmer of light and plant a seed of hope into the hearts of every person who sees it shine. I know it brings happiness to many people, and that’s why we donate a tree every year. And we will do it as long as Maplewood Falls will allow us to. Thank you, it’s an honor.”

The crowd erupts into applause, and they stand as I wipe tears from my cheeks. Levi’s mom steps away, and he notices me caught up in my emotions and places his arm around me. It’s the comfort I need.

She’s right, and as the festival goes completely dark, the countdown begins. The anticipation is almost too much, and as the crowd bursts out into “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” the tree beams to life, casting warm light over the crowd.

Levi laughs, and I hoot and holler, admiring it in all its glory. I stare up at it, and the beauty of the lights twinkling in the darkness leaves me speechless.

“You okay?” he asks, and I nod, then kiss his cheek.

“Just a little emotional.”

As everyone stands around and takes pictures with the tree, we meet up with Levi’s mom and dad.

“Your speech was beautiful,” I offer. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. Now”—she yawns—“I’m ready for bed.”

“You two be careful driving home,” Levi tells them with a kiss and a hug.

When we’re alone, he turns to me. “There’s one more thing I want to do.”

“Okay, I’m game.”

I follow him to the carnival rides, and we wait in line for the Ferris wheel. When we load up into the cart, Levi opens his arms for me to snuggle into.

“Are you getting cold?” he whispers.

“A little,” I say as the cart begins to move. We go around a few times, then stop at the very top. Seeing the festival and all the lights from above is absolutely breathtaking. I can’t stop staring at the tree from a bird’s-eye view. The yellow star on top shines bright and twinkles in the night.

I glance over at Levi, and he’s watching me.

“What?” I ask.

He chuckles, moving closer. “You had the same look on your face as I did when I was a kid and would come to this festival. Utter awe.”

I try to hold back a smile because he’s right. “I think I understand the importance of it all now,” I admit. A burst of goose bumps trails over my body as the realization hits me, and I’ve never been more ready to write than I am now.

“I’m proud of you,” Levi tells me, painting his lips across mine.

On the way out, we stop by Lucy’s booth and grab Dasher.

“Might have to borrow him more often,” she tells Levi.

“Or you can get your own dog.”

“It’s easier to take yours,” she says with a laugh, and we say our goodbyes.

As our feet hit the sidewalk, I grab Levi’s hand and interlock my fingers with his. Before we leave, he stops at the Chamber of Commerce booth. He slides a twenty across the table, and they hand him an envelope. He offers it to me and I open it, pulling out the photo of me, him, and Dasher from earlier today.

“Just so you’ll never forget today.”

I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck, and pull him in for a passionate kiss. “That’s not happening, Levi. It’s been a night to remember.”