My Greatest Joy (Maplewood Falls #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

LEVI

THREE WEEKS LATER

It’s been radio silence from Fallon since she texted to let me know she made it home— three weeks ago .

We never discussed staying in contact. Honestly, it’d only allow the pain from missing her so much to linger. But damn, I wish I could talk to her.

I’m not the only one suffering. Dasher lies exclusively on the side of the couch where she’d sit, and he took over her spot on the bed.

A week ago, I caved and looked her up on social media. She’s posted a few pictures of the Vermont landscapes and even one of Dasher, which I thought was adorable as hell. Then I fixated on the selfies from the past year and how gorgeous she is in every shot. Based on the photographs she’s posted over the years, she’s well traveled. How anyone could break up with her is beyond me.

I’d never consider myself a lovesick puppy type of guy, but apparently, I am for her. At least I can stare at images of her.

“It’s giving me stalker vibes. ” I can almost hear her voice in my head now and smile.

There are a few recent ones of the coffee roasters she’s visited, and she looks happy.

Work is always slow after the holidays, which I would normally appreciate and enjoy, but right now, I need something to keep my mind busy. I’ve even resorted to asking Lucy to let me work with her in the gift shop. She ecstatically agreed.

After two hours of her drilling me about Fallon, I gave up and left.

My mom’s told me half a dozen times to fly to Seattle and surprise her. As soon as Lucy heard about Mom’s idea, she jumped on board and kept saying how romantic it’d be. Immediately, I told them no, but after thinking about it, I booked a flight and hotel.

I plan to call her once I get there since I don’t know her exact address. Hopefully, she’s home, so I can tell her how I’ve fallen in love with her. It’ll either be the beginning of us or the closure we need. I never understood the phrase right person, wrong time until I met Fallon.

If she says she can’t do long distance, then I’ll kiss her one last time and walk away for good.

My phone rings, and I put it on speaker. “What, Lucy?”

“Am I still driving you to the airport tomorrow?”

“Yes,” I confirm. “Six o’clock.”

“Oh my God, that’s so early,” she groans.

“Suck it up. This idea was partly yours,” I remind her, though I’m not mad about it.

“I’m so excited for you. Have you packed?”

“I am right now, Mom .”

“Did you stock the fridge and pantry for me?”

“Of course.”

“Perfect! Dasher and I are gonna have a blast,” she says with a smile in her voice. Since I’ll be gone for seven days, I asked Lucy to house-sit and watch Dasher.

“No being nosy and snooping through my room.” I know my sister too damn well.

“Yeah, yeah. Oh, before I forget. Mom emailed a work thing you’re supposed to read and sign.”

“Okay, I’ll check once I’m done putting my shit in this bag.”

“Alrighty. See ya tomorrow, little brother!”

She hangs up before I can remind her we’re only two minutes apart. Little brat.

I grab my laptop, then walk downstairs with Dasher following. Since I’m not taking it with me, I clear out my mail.

I find the one Lucy’s talking about and read it over. Then I delete all the junk that’s been collecting for the past month.

Just as I’m about to exit out of the window, a new email pops up, and the sender’s name grabs my attention.

Fallon Joy.

The subject is: Finding the Christmas Spirit in Vermont’s North Pole

The smile on my face widens at her choice of title.

I click it open.

Levi White,

This is scheduled to be published next week. I hope it’s to your liking.

-Fallon Joy

I frown at her formal message.

That’s it, huh?

I download the attachment and get comfortable on the couch. This piece will either make or break our special small town.

I’m impressed by how long and in-depth it is. Her opening paragraph has me laughing when she mentions hating the cold, and her descriptions of the blizzard and living without amenities make me smile at those memories. Given the storm’s severity, she highlighted how fast the crews cleared the roads and restored power. She goes on to discuss her time snowed in, and then she introduces me and my family’s tree farm.

Levi White and his family’s Christmas tree farm is a Maplewood Falls staple, and it’s no surprise why. Whether you want to chop down your own tree or choose one that’s ready to go, the experience will be filled with family-friendly fun. While you wait for your tree with a homemade hot cocoa in hand, you can enjoy numerous other activities, such as horse-drawn sleigh rides, a gift shop with a wrapping station, and the best gingersnap cookies I’ve ever tasted. Whether you enjoy visiting old friends or meeting new ones, there’s plenty of room for everyone. With festive music playing around the farm, you’ll never be without the Christmas spirit. Take it from someone who hasn’t celebrated the holidays in over a decade, White’s Christmas Tree Farm is a holiday tradition you won’t want to miss!

Every word I read has me smiling wider.

She really wrote each word with heart and non-biases.

I continue reading with pride at how highly she speaks of Maplewood Falls, the locals, and the community. Then she spotlights the small businesses that work hard to offer quality items. The section on the ski resort will be wonderful for their business.

The feature on Bennett’s Orchard Farms is amazing. Finn and his family will be pleased, and I hope it brings in even more tourists during the fall season. She speaks nothing but praise and talks about the history along with last year’s centennial celebration. Although she wasn’t here for it, they had tons of photos to show her.

She even mentions Oakley and how her artwork is featured throughout Maplewood Falls. I chuckle, knowing how much she’ll love that.

Mayor Myers gets his own mention as she ties in some of the history he shared with her.

By the end, she’s giving the town her highest recommendation. She encourages families to visit during the winter so they can spend quality time together and hypes it as the perfect romantic getaway for couples.

Then I read the last paragraph.

I’ll leave you with my final thoughts.

Find someone who makes you become a better version of yourself and if you’re lucky enough to find that person, never let them go. I arrived in Vermont wanting nothing to do with Christmas and all that comes with it. By the end, I’d left a piece of my heart there. They managed to take someone who’s nicknamed The Grinch and make her fall in love again—with Christmas and everything that revolves around it.

I’m hardly breathing by the time I finish.

On top of it being beautifully written, this only validates my decision to see her.

I can’t wait to thank her in person.

Another email pops up, but it’s from her personal account, with the subject line: Read After

Levi,

I hope you enjoyed the article and wanted you to know that I meant every single word. While I was there, I met a lot of special people who I’ll never forget. But by far, you’re the most important person I’ve met, not only during this trip but in my entire life. You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever realize.

You helped me see that it’s okay to enjoy Christmas again, the way my mother would’ve wanted me to.

You helped me understand that not everyone has bad intentions when it comes to love and dating, and showed me what I truly deserve.

You helped me find myself again after feeling lost for longer than I want to admit.

And most importantly, you helped me realize that a rare kind of love like ours is worth fighting for.

Sorry for dropping the L-bomb in an email, but I couldn’t wait to tell you. Every day we spent together, I fell harder for you. Leaving you and Dasher was more painful than I realized it would be. I wish I could’ve stayed with you, but I made a commitment to my boss, and I wanted to fulfill that.

It wasn’t until two weeks later that I realized my job would never make me as happy as you do.

So after my coffee roasters article, I sent in my resignation letter.

My boss was as shocked as I was, but I don’t regret it. In fact, I feel elated and free. Like I can go anywhere and do anything. Travel and see the world without a journalist’s eye and just…live.

I was drowning in guilt and lived in the past, but with your help, I’ve realized it’s time to take charge of my life again.

And I need to thank you for teaching me that even as an adult, it’s okay to have snowball fights, make snow angels, ski down bunny hills, and laugh until I cry.

Levi White, you’ve changed my life, and I’ll love you forever because of that.

-Fallon

PS—I sent something to your house. It should be there now.

It takes a few moments to wipe my face and clear my vision. She has no idea how much I needed that, and now I get to tell her tomorrow in person that I love her too.

Dasher lays his head on my arm as if he knows Fallon wrote us.

“Don’t worry, she mentioned you too.” I pet him, but he starts whining. “What’s wrong?”

He barks and jumps off the couch, spinning around. He’s losing his damn mind pacing and yelping.

“Okay, relax! Dasher! Chill out. Let’s go outside.”

At that mention, he bolts toward the door, and when I open it, my jaw drops.