“None of it would’ve happened without this beautiful, magical woman,” he said.
A soft “aww” rolled through the crowd, but she hardly noticed.
“You made me believe in Christmas again, Cassidy,” Liam continued. “And not just with your spiced cocoa and whatever magic potion I’m convinced you add to it. With the way you give. With how you show up, not just for me, but for this whole town. You reminded me that it’s okay to want more. To want love. To want you.”
A tear slid down her cheek. Liam brushed it away with his thumb.
“I know I’m not perfect. And I know I’ve been scared,” he said. “I worried I wasn’t enough for someone like you. And I wasn’t ready to open up my heart again. But you’ve made me feel more me than I ever have before.”
She wanted to say something, but her heart was too full.
He smiled softly. “Remember that first day I walked into your shop?”
“Yes?” Cassidy said hesitantly, not sure where Liam was going with this.
“She gave me a chocolate,” he said to the crowd, then turned fully to face her. “Told me she could guess anyone’s favorite.”
“No…” she said softly.
“Yes.” His smile deepened. “That chocolate you handed me that very first day? It was absolutely my favorite. It was perfect. You got it right.”
“Are you kidding me!” She laughed and playfully pushed his shoulder. “I thought I’d lost my touch.”
“Not even close. You’ve been right since day one. About the chocolate. About everything.”
He took both of her hands in his. “I want you to know that I love you, Cassidy. And I’ll keep showing up, every day, in every way I can. If you’ll let me.”
Cassidy stepped into him. “I love you too, but…”
“But?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“ButDie Hardwill never be a Christmas movie.”
And right there, in front of the glittering Christmas tree and the entire town, Liam kissed her.
The town cheered as snowflakes began to fall.
And in that perfect, glittering moment, it felt like the whole world had shown up just for their love.
EPILOGUE
Christmas Day
Liam stood near the fireplace and scanned his parents’ living room. His mom had stacked an impressive number of presents underneath the Christmas tree. The gifts were wrapped in mismatched paper, topped with shiny bows and tags written in varying levels of legibility, thanks to his dad’s help. The stockings were so stuffed, they couldn’t even hang on the mantel. They were propped under the tree as well.
Even Muff had a stocking. Hers overflowed with treats, a new sweater, and a chew toy. He’d helped Cassidy wrap everything last night. The pup didn’t seem to notice the stocking as she was too busy sitting like a good girl next to the kitchen table, watching Beth finish prepping the holiday meal and taste-testing whatever scraps Liam’s mom slipped her from time to time.
Everyone was home for the first time in six years. Lily had surprised them all, flying in last night from Honduras. And Jackson was spending his first Christmas home since returning from Syria.
Cassidy stood beside Lily, both of them bent over a tray of iced sugar cookies they were decorating like it was a seriousart form. Cassidy wore a vintage green sweater dress with red buttons shaped like holly berries, and red tights with tiny gingerbread men on them. She’d opted for a side braid and pinned her bangs in place with a glittering snowflake barrette. It was a look that only Cassidy could pull off.
She glanced over at Liam just then, caught him staring, and gave him a wink before turning back to her conversation with Lily. They were already thick as thieves.
Liam smiled, letting the warmth spread in his chest. His parents’ house had never felt this full. This alive. And that was before Jackson had announced that Zoe would be stopping by later to hang out. They were first going to head out in a little bit to release the raccoon family she’d managed to catch. Then they’d spend some time at the farmhouse with the rest of the family.There’s something there, he thought, remembering seeing Jackson and Zoe two nights ago. He’d have to talk to Cassidy and see what she thought.
The dining table in the next room was laid out with all the traditional Christmas Day staples: a perfectly browned turkey at the center, buttery mashed potatoes, stuffing with herbs and sausage, green bean casserole with crispy onion topping, roasted carrots glazed with maple syrup, and two types of pie, pumpkin and pecan. His mom had made the cranberry sauce from scratch, and the bread rolls were still warm. It smelled like home. Like childhood. Like the kind of future he hadn’t dared to hope for until recently.
He’d done it. When December 1st had rolled around, he had only been trying to survive. But he’d done a lot more than that this year. His business had done a lot more, too.
