“Things are going well over there, though?” Liam asked.
“Better than ever since the Halloween reopening.”
Zach wandered to a display of handmade goods, his eye catching on a pair of green fleece-lined mittens. A matching scarf hung above. It took him all of ten seconds to decide they were perfect for Madison.
“Look at you, picking out more Christmas presents,” Liam ribbed his buddy back.
“When you love a woman, buying for her is easy. You’ll see.”
Cassidy flashed through Liam’s mind again. He brushed it off quickly.
He’d just met her. And as had been the case with every woman in the last four years, there was no love in their future. At most there’d be a bit of flirting, a kiss that burned hot and fast, a few nights tangled in sheets.
That was the kind of thing he knew how to handle. Something easy and uncomplicated, just enough to take the edge off the holidays.
But that was as far as it could go. He wasn’t going to allow himself to care for someone, go deeper, be vulnerable. He’d built up walls to protect himself from that, for very good reason.
The thing was, something about Cassidy didn’t feel like fun for now.
Which was exactly why his brain knew he needed to keep his distance.
If only his body didn’t crave the taste of chocolate and spice on his tongue.
FIVE
CASSIDY
Monday, December 1st
Later that afternoon, Cassidy had just ordered a neon sign for the Spiced Cocoa Café featuring a steaming mug and marshmallows when Emily from the bakery, a few shops down, rushed through the door. She did a full three-sixty, cataloging the shop.
“Please tell me everything down here is okay,” Emily said without preamble, brushing snowflakes off her coat sleeves. Her cheeks were flushed, either from the wind or fury—or both.
“Yeah, I’m all good. First day’s going well. What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s broken? Missing?”
“Not unless you count my sanity.”
Emily didn’t laugh. “I’m serious, Cassidy. Someone destroyed my decorations.”
“Your Christmas decorations? Why?”
“God knows. And I only have until Friday to redo it all.” Emily groaned.
Cassidy thought back to Emily’s display, which was all ready for her slot on Friday, the first one of the year. She’d created themost adorable tree outside her shop, made of stacked upside-down pie tins and twinkle lights. Cassidy had loved it instantly.
“What about your tree? Tell me it survived!”
“Afraid not. I found parts of it behind the bakery dumpster!”
Cassidy gasped.
“I know. It was so cute! What am I going to do? It took me a week to make that thing.”
“I’m so sorry, Emily.”
“And my inflatable gingerbread man? Slashed. Just lying there in the snow, deflated, like a sad crime scene.”
