“Me.” She flashed him a grin that was pure challenge.
Liam laughed, low and warm. “Okay, Sugarplum. You talk a big game, but can you actually deliver?”
Cassidy leaned in, close enough that he could smell the peppermint on her breath, her eyes glittering with mischief. “Oh, I can deliver, alright. Because you want to know what else I’ve got?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “A sprinkle of holiday magic. A secret recipe passed down through generations. And cocoa bombs that explode with glittery marshmallows when you pour milk over them.”
She stepped back, flipping her braid over her shoulder as she looked him dead in the eye. “So don’t get too comfortable over there with your twinkle lights, Lumberjack. Because when I’m through, you’ll be begging for mercy.”
SEVENTEEN
CASSIDY
Saturday, December 6th
Cassidy was sketching ideas for her own Christmas light-up display between customers. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous Emily’s display had been, and that wasaftershe’d been sabotagedtwice.
She’d just had the idea of doing Twelve Days of Cocoa for her pop-up café, with a different themed cocoa every day leading up to her switch-on, alongside her signature dark spiced classic. She was making a list of all the different flavors: cinnamon swirl, peppermint bark, French lavender, white chocolate, gingerbread spice, and raspberry truffle.
Hopefully, locals would stop by each day to see and try the new flavor.
Then for her light-up event, she was thinking of running a Cocoa & Kisses-themed photo booth. She’d have tons of props, like oversized mugs, sparkly berets, mustaches, candy canes, Santa hats, and mistletoe. In the window, she could make a four-foot-tall snowman out of white chocolate, and in the other, an edible Christmas village. It would take a ton of work, but she could do it. She knew she could.
Just as she was beginning to feel the churn of anxiety, Zoe pushed open the door and walked over to the counter. “Wow, this is ambitious,” Zoe said, peeking over at her designs. “Way more than I’m doing…”
“Do you think so? Will people in Maple Falls love it?” Cassidy chewed on her pencil. “We’re up against Liam too, and he seems to be the poster child for the town. Is there anyone around here who doesn’t love him? I mean, do I even have a shot?”
Zoe laughed. “I’ll admit, it’s going to be tough to beat him. But if anyone can do it, it’s you. Who doesn’t love chocolate and Christmas? The two are practically made for each other.”
“Speaking of the competition…” Cassidy’s fingers traced the rim of her cocoa mug, her brows knitting. “I really hope the Gingerbread Jerk doesn’t strike again. I can’t believe we haven’t caught whoever it is yet.”
Zoe nodded. “I know, right? Mayor Bloomfield thinks it’s a bunch of teenagers being dumb.”
“Maybe.” Cassidy glanced out the window, watching snow swirl around the lampposts on Oak Way. “I hope you’re right. It’s just… this competition means so much to me. If someone trashed my display, I’d be livid, and not just because I want to win Business of the Year.” She paused. “I really want to help the children’s hospital this Christmas. It means so much to me.”
Zoe reached over and squeezed her hand. “I know.” She lowered her voice, a teasing smile playing at her lips. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any gingerbread jerks lurking around.”
Cassidy cracked a small smile, but the worry in her eyes didn’t fully fade as she turned back to the window, watching the lights across the street flicker, wondering if someone out there wanted to see her fail.
“I wanted to ask you about the hospital you want to donate the prize money to. How long were you there for, when you were a kid?”
“It was a lifetime ago… Honestly, I don’t really remember,” Cassidy said with a soft shrug. “I was just a little girl. But it was when I was in the hospital after the accident, after my parents died, that I fell in love with chocolate.”
Zoe’s expression softened as she waited for her to continue.
“My grand-maman used to sneak me these little flasks of thick, velvety, spiced hot cocoa using her special family recipe. She’d pass them to me like they were medicine.” Cassidy smiled faintly at the memory. “And in a way, they were. That cocoa… it warmed me up from the inside out. Made me feel like maybe the world wasn’t completely broken.”
She looked down at her hands, then back at Zoe. “That’s when I realized chocolate could be truly magical. I was so lucky to have Grand-maman, but I remember what it’s like to spend Christmas in the hospital. If I can do anything to make those kiddos’ Christmas a little bit merrier? Then you betcha I’m gonna do it.”
Zoe remained silent, and Cassidy wondered what she was thinking.
“Sorry, probably a total bummer topic.” Cassidy had learned that people don’t necessarily like it when you talk about becoming an orphan at Christmastime. She picked up her pen and looked back at her sketch.
“It’s not that,” Zoe said gently. “I was just thinking about how grief transforms people differently. And how… well, it might not be my place to say anything, but I saw you and Liam together last night at Emily’s light-up.”
Cassidy stopped mid-doodling. “What does that have to do with anything? We’re just friends,” she said a little too quickly.
Honestly, she didn’t know what they were. There were feelings, and some serious chemistry, but where was it all going?
“First of all,” Zoe said, holding up a finger, “I’m pretty sure you two are going to be more than friends. I can see it. Everyonecan see it. And it’s not just because you were straddling him in the middle of Oak Way.”
