The wind picked back up, blowing down the street, carrying the scent of freshly fallen snow and something that felt a little like hope.
“I don’t know if you grant wishes or give second chances,” Liam said quietly. “But I could use both.”
Taking a deep breath, he let the icy air fill his lungs. It was sharp and clean, a brisk kind of cold that made him feel awake, maybe even a little brave.
Then he turned and walked toward the Cocoa Corner.
Her Cocoa & Kisses-themed photo booth was cloaked in heavy black fabric, as were her front windows. She clearly wasn’t taking any chances with last-minute sabotage.
Liam respected that. But… could it really hurt to take a peek?
He crouched down and gently lifted the corner of the cloth, curious. He was proud of her, of everything she’d created. He couldn’t wait to see the final display in all its glowing glory.
That’s when his foot hit a slick patch of ice.
His boot skidded and his arms flailed. He grabbed the first thing his fingers landed on, which was the display.
The brace he’d built cracked, and he went down hard, the heavy fabric going with him. He landed flat on his back with the display on top of him.
Liam groaned, trying to take a breath. The wind had been knocked out of him and his hamstring screamed in protest. His pride didn’t fare much better.
He sat up slowly, wincing, lifting the display off him, thinking maybe Cassidy wasn’t the only one around here prone to clumsy missteps.
Thankfully, the main backdrop wasn’t broken, just the supporting brace. He could fix that.
He was still untangling himself from the fabric when Cassidy ran through the door, fire extinguisher in hand, pointed at his face like she was ready to do some damage.
Liam went to put his hands up in surrender, but doing so meant letting go of the display. It pitched forward. He dropped his hands to keep it from falling.
“Liam? No! It can’t be. You’re the Gingerbread Jerk?”
“What? No, of course not,” he said quickly. “That doesn’t even make any sense. Do you think I’d trash my own display? And I wasn’t even here when that happened.” He tried to keep her backdrop from falling over, but it definitely needed a newbracket. “I was just trying to see how it all turned out. I slipped on some ice.”
“You set off my cameras…”
“Cameras?”
“You didn’t know I had them, did you?” Cassidy’s eyes narrowed, and she leveled the hose of the canister at his face.
He stepped back. “Are you crazy?” That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but he couldn’t believe the way she was looking at him. “I wasn’t trying to destroy anything. I just wanted to look at it. I know how hard you’ve worked.”
“I’m not so sure I believe you,” she said coldly.
That stung. “Seriously? Just because I said I wanted to slow things down doesn’t mean I’m out here sabotaging your shop. You know I’m not like that.”
“Do I?” Her voice cracked slightly. “Do I even know you at all?”
The words hit him like a punch to the chest.
“Never mind,” she said, shaking her head and stepping back. “I’m not having this conversation right now. My brother’s coming into town tomorrow, and I’ve got a hundred things to do. I’m exhausted. I need sleep. So, if you don’t mind, cover it back up and go home. I’ll fix it in the morning.”
She turned without waiting for a response.
Liam stood there a moment longer, the cold sinking through his jeans, the sharp ache of regret crawling deeper. So much for apologizing. So much for making things right.
Things weren’t just bad; they were worse than ever.
FORTY-EIGHT
