ONE
CASSIDY
Sunday, November 30th
“Chocolate. Spice. The magic of Christmas in the air,” Cassidy whispered, her crystal-blue eyes sparkling. “I’m ready.”
She stood in the middle of her new chocolate shop and turned in a slow circle in an oversized sweater, arms outstretched. It probably looked like she was starring in a one-woman holiday musical, but she didn’t care. Everyone else in the small town of Maple Falls was fast asleep. When they woke up on the first day of December, her doors would be open, waiting for them.
Cassidy closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She had been up for… was it twenty hours now? But it was all worth it. Her lifelong dream was finally coming true—if she didn’t screw it all up.
Everything was set up as well as it could be. The Cocoa Corner was a chocolate lover’s cozy paradise. It was decorated in warm browns and soft creams, with pops of color—vintage teal and peppermint pink. A thread of tiny copper twinkle lights lined the shelves, casting a soft glow against the glassjars of dipped caramels and handmade truffles made from dark chocolate, flaky sea salt and bourbon.
Her shop would offer all the chocolates she’d perfected during her years working as a chocolatier in Paris, plus a few old local favorites, thanks to the former owner, who’d generously passed on her recipes.
But the Cocoa Corner’s pièce de résistance was her festive hot cocoa pop-up, the Spiced Cocoa Café. The signature dark spiced cocoa was the highlight. It was Cassidy’s French grand-maman, Genevieve, who had gifted her the secret, handwritten recipe, passed down through generations and carried over to the US. The one she now kept folded in the locket that hung over her heart. The scent of melted chocolate mingled with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg would wrap around customers like a hug from her grand-maman.
A hand-painted sign above the bar read“Warm Up Here” with tiny snowflakes and stars dotting the corners. A few café tables nestled by the window, spruced up with pine and holly.
The Spiced Cocoa Café bar was stocked with fluffy homemade marshmallows, chocolate curls, crushed peppermint, and red and green sprinkles. For those who preferred a traditional approach, she would serve the cocoa with thick, buttery croissants from the Pumpkin Pie Bakery.
Cassidy’s stomach fluttered as she looked around. She was practically dead on her feet but somehow still exhilarated. It was probably the caffeine. She’d drunk countless cups of cocoa while finalizing every last detail. Crossing her fingers, she silently pleaded for opening day to be a success. Her only wish was that her grand-maman and her parents were still around to see it.
She walked over to the calendar hidden safely behind the counter, a gift from her new friend, Madison, who recently moved back to town to help run her family’s inn. Strategically placed ribbons and bows did little to hide a whole lot of holidayspirit from Mr. December. Cassidy could appreciate a man who knew how to celebrate Christmas.
In the corner of the calendar, Cassidy had pinned a golden piece of paper in the shape of a star. That star meant the Cocoa Corner was one of four local businesses selected to take part in the annual Light-Up Display Competition, which took place across four evenings in December. This competition was part of the town’s wider Christmas Countdown of events—Cassidy had learned that this town cherished its seasonal festivities.
Each of the four businesses would decorate their storefront outside and in with a unique festive theme, and locals would gather to watch as they turned the lights on and had their chance to shine. Donations would happen throughout, with voting and the winner being announced on Christmas Eve.
Her slot was the third Friday before Christmas. So, as well as launching the Cocoa Corner and the pop-up café, over the next few weeks Cassidy had to organize the most spectacular light-up event the town hadeverseen.
She walked toward the window and let herself dream for a moment. Soon, this front display would be transformed into something magical. Maybe she’d build a chocolate sleigh and fill it with handmade truffles. She imagined music playing softly through the speakers, laughter on the street, and a hush falling over the crowd as her display flickered to life.
It would be cozy. Enchanting. Unforgettable.
She had always loved a bit of competition, even if it was just a board game with her brother, Julian. But this was so much more than just for fun. If she won the contest, the Cocoa Corner would be named Maple Falls Business of the Year.
That would give her fledgling chocolate shop the visibility and community trust it needed to survive. She’d get to host the town’s New Year’s Eve party, drawing in customers and solidifying her place here so that she’d really, truly feel like shebelonged here in Maple Falls. Best of all, she would get to choose which charity received all the donated money.
And Cassidy knew exactly where she would send it. There was a children’s hospital just outside Maple Falls that had cared for her when she was a little girl recovering from the accident that took her parents’ lives, long before she moved to Paris. It had been a safe haven in the hardest chapter of her life.
This event was everything. The culmination of her opening weeks. A chance to give back, and to prove she could really do this. She could build a life here, in her own way, without Jean-Paul, a.k.a. the French Bastard.
She refused to think about her cheating ex. Instead, she looked around the shop—at the gleaming wooden floors, the glass jars lining the counters filled with star-shaped marshmallows (she may have eaten dozens of them), toffee truffles, and chocolate-covered almonds.
“We did it, Grand-maman,” she whispered to the room. If she could see her now, she’d be so proud.
This place was hers. Not Jean-Paul’s. Not her brother’s. Not some half-finished dream she’d left behind in Paris.
She just had to ignore the doubts. Her ex’s voice, whispering, “You’re not good enough. You don’t belong here. Everyone will figure that out sooner or later.” She had tobelieve. That was what the spirit of Christmas was all about, wasn’t it?
Cassidy had worked so hard to make this place as magical as it was. Now her heart squeezed, knowing that her grand-maman would never see it. And that her fresh start meant that she was very much alone.
Her brother and his husband were hundreds of miles away. There was no one to step in and help her if she needed it. No one she could rely on.
Big, fat snowflakes were tumbling heavily from the sky now, drawing her attention back to the front window. Cassidy couldonly imagine how beautiful everything would look once the town was lit up for the holidays.
She inhaled deeply before blowing her thoughts away with a slow exhale.
