Cassidy stared at her brother-in-law, stunned. She’d had no idea he had an Instagram page. But then again, she never spent much time on social media. She knew she had to step up her social posting for the Cocoa Corner, but her focus had been on laying down the roots of her business in the real world, here in Maple Falls.
“I started it after you left,” Miles explained. “No face shots—just my hands and the chocolate. It’s done amazing things for our business.”
“It sounds like it,” Cassidy said. If Elsie knew about it in Maple Falls, Miles had done an amazing job of promoting their shop. “You’ll have to show me,” she added.
Miles was already taking out his phone and bringing his profile up.
“I think you might need to do a social media workshop while you’re here,” Elsie urged him. “And maybe talk to my uncle a bit? I’m still fighting to get him on board.”
Mayor Bloomfield, dressed in a baby-blue suit embroidered with silver snowflakes and a matching satin cummerbund, turned to the crowd.
“I do like his style,” Miles murmured, and he wasn’t joking. He and Cassidy shared a flair for dramatic fashion, and he was now proudly sporting his Team Cassidy sweater.
He wasn’t the only one. As Cassidy scanned the crowd, she couldn’t count how many locals were sporting the bright red sweaters. She beamed looking at them all.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, gather round! It’s time for our third Christmas light-up event!” the mayor called, and the crowd cheered. “Cassidy, would you like to say a few words about your display?”
Cassidy froze. The other shop owners had only shared their chosen charities. She hadn’t expected to speak.
The crowd quieted as Mayor Bloomfield passed Cassidy the microphone.
She could paint a mural across a storefront window, decorate an entire chocolate shop and charm customers one-on-one all day long. But this? Standing in front of a whole crowd with every eye on her?
Nope. No thank you.
She swallowed hard. Her mind, which had been buzzing with ideas just minutes ago, suddenly emptied. Like someone had hit a mute button in her brain.
Elsie stood in front of her, just off to the side, still livestreaming the whole event.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Say something. Anything.
She opened her mouth, but no words came. The silence stretched a second too long.
Then her eyes caught on something. Someone.
Liam.
He was standing near the back, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t smiling, not exactly, but his gaze was steady. Sure. Safe.
Like he saw her. Not just the woman fumbling with a microphone, but her.
He gave a small nod, almost imperceptible. Encouraging.
She smiled.
Cassidy lifted the mic, her voice still wobbly but finding its footing.
“Oh-kay,” she said with a soft laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to give a speech tonight. I’m way better with cocoa than crowds.”
The crowd laughed.
“But… when I started planning this display, I kept thinking about old-fashioned chocolate shops. The kind where you’d step inside, and everything just… slowed down. Where you weren’t in a rush, and you could savor each flavor like a memory. That’s what I wanted to bring to Maple Falls. A little bit of sweetness. A little bit of nostalgia.”
She glanced at Liam again. Relaxed.
“And hopefully, a reminder that Christmas isn’t about how fast we move, but about how deeply we feel. I hope this display gives you a moment to pause and just enjoy.”
