Page 12 of Wrapped in You

"And these biscuits are crazy good," Beck gushed. He then bowed his head and looked at Sophie more intensely. "Who's that guy that keeps bothering you, by the way?"

Sophie wrinkled her nose. She knew he meant Jeremy. "He's just a guy from Willow Creek. I've known him forever."

"Is there a history between you two?" Mike asked.

Sophie raised her shoulders. "There's history between everyone in Willow Creek. We're in each other's business all the time! It's a blessing and a curse."

They peered at her curiously. Sophie decided to change the subject.

"I think you guys will like these!" Sophie hurried to the side to haul a large container onto the table, peeling the plastic top off to reveal stacks and stacks of Christmas cookies. She'd used her mother's recipe and decorated them with icing—

Santa Claus and Christmas trees and reindeer and stars and holly. It was the first week of December and finally time to indulge!

Mike clapped his hands. Beck took one immediately, biting into Santa Claus's head. He closed his eyes and moaned. "Are you kidding me right now, Sophie?"

"What's all this?" a voice rang out, and a minute later, Derek Brownlee's boots crunched through the snow. He stood at the catering table with his hands on his hips, peering down at the stacks of Christmas cookies. A strange expression crept acrosshis face. Silence hung heavily over them. It was difficult to know what he was thinking.

But it was clear it wasn't good.

"I don't think my crew needs sugar for breakfast," he snapped at Sophie. "They'll crash by ten."

"I was just showing them what I made," Sophie explained. She wouldn't be taken down a peg by this arrogant monster. "They're meant for later."

Hurriedly, Beck swallowed the rest of his cookie, trying to conceal the crumbs. Isaac stifled his laughter.

Derek splayed both hands in front of him and inspected the Christmassy decor of the catering table. "It's so cheesy," he mumbled. "So stupid. Aren't we supposed to be professionals?"

Sophie felt the words like a smack. Derek gave her a dismissive smile, one that meant,Who is this silly girl working on a film set? She doesn't belong here!

"Let's set up, people," Derek called out. "Natalie? I need you on your mark."

As soon as Derek turned around, Natalie reached across the table to squeeze Sophie's wrist. It was an act of tenderness Sophie hadn't expected.

"Keep going, Christmas Fairy!" Isaac whispered as he breezed past en route to his spot. "We need you!"

Due to the early morning call time,Silver Bellsfinished filming that afternoon by four. Sophie and three of her catering staff members—Fiona, Randy, and a newbie, Stacy—had stayed for all twelve hours, serving breakfast, lunch, and snacks and chatting with crew members eager to warm up with some delicious grub. Sophie and her crew were often frigid during the day, takingturns next to the space heater Sophie had borrowed from her father's garage.

When Derek called the end of the day, the sun had begun its descent in the sky, casting long shadows across the cobblestones of downtown. Sophie and her crew packed the leftovers in big metal containers and loaded them onto the catering van.

Suddenly, Natalie and the leading actor, a model-handsome guy named Brent, hurried forward. They were still wearing layers and layers of makeup from their most recent scene. Their eyes were sharp with hunger.

"Wait!" Natalie cried. "We need Christmas cookies, Sophie!"

Brent rubbed his hands together like an expectant child. "I'm seriously starving. Derek ran us ragged today."

Sophie laughed. "One sec." She hurried back to the van to fetch two Christmas cookies for the actors. When she handed them over, Natalie and Brent ate them in three bites and asked for seconds.

"I've been dieting for months for this role," Natalie said with a laugh.

"I've been dieting my entire life," Brent declared. "I can't take it anymore! I need cookies!"

As Sophie hurried to grab another few cookies, she made eye contact with a woman she'd seen occasionally on set. She was tall—nearly six feet—with a chestnut bob and a headset. She wore all black and was far too thin to be anything but Hollywood-adjacent.

Sophie decided to smile.I'm the cheerful caterer from Willow Creek. You can't get me down!

"Hi," the woman said. She sounded friendlier than she looked. "You're the caterer. Sophie Masters?"

"That's me," Sophie said. "Want a cookie?"