Friday, December 12th
The next morning, Cassidy still felt like trash.
She’d slept on the couch all night, only getting up once to take Muff out. Her poor pup must’ve sensed she wasn’t feeling well; she hadn’t left her side once.
She hated how awful she felt. Tonight was Zoe’s light-up night, and Cassidy was most likely going to miss it.
She knew Zoe had special-ordered dozens of roses, deep-red carnations, frosted white mums, and all kinds of winter greenery. Whatever Zoe had planned for the Cherry Crush, she’d kept it tightly under wraps, but it was going to be stunning. Zoe had a gift for turning flowers into magic. And even though they were competitors, she wanted nothing more than to be out there supporting her friend with the rest of the town.
But instead, she was stuck here.
She glanced down at the thermometer in her hand: 103.2.
Yep. Still a walking furnace.
Even if she could summon enough energy to bundle up and shuffle down the street, she’d just end up coughing on everyone. And no one wanted a mystery virus for Christmas.
The best thing she could do, the only responsible thing, was stay home, drink lemon and ginger tea, and keep her germs to herself.
Still, her heart ached knowing she wouldn’t be there for her friend.
She was feeling pretty low, thinking about how much she wanted to see Zoe’s display, when her phone chimed from the end table.
It was a text from Liam:
Hey, Sugarplum. How you feeling?
She shook her head at the nickname. She knew he’d started using it to tease her, but somehow it had become… endearing.
Cassidy stared at the screen. She didn’t want to lie and say she was fine, but she also didn’t want him to think he had to rush over and take care of her again. He had his own shop to run, his own Christmas display to finish. Still, she knew he’d want to know the truth.
Still a bit rough, Grinch, but your soup and company worked wonders. I owe you one.
She read it over twice, making sure it was honest but warm, letting him know how much she appreciatedhim, not just the soup.
A few moments later, Liam replied:
You don’t owe me a thing. Just get better. And if you need anything just say the word.
She smiled at the message, then curled back up on the couch. Her favorite holiday rom-com was on, the one she’d seen athousand times. The soft music and familiar dialogue lulled her back to sleep in no time.
By the time she woke up, the sun had shifted. It was well into the afternoon, and Muff was pawing gently at her leg.
“Alright, girl, I hear you,” Cassidy murmured.
Still in her pajamas, she threw on her heavy-duty puffer coat, slipped on some boots, and grabbed Muff’s leash. She’d planned on using the back exit, but as she passed the front window, she paused.
Liam was out there with a drill in one hand and a couple of two-by-fours in the other.
“What in the world…?” she muttered.
Muff barked softly and wagged her tail, already heading for the door. Cassidy followed, stepping outside into the crisp air.
“Liam?” she called, her voice hoarse. “What are you doing? Everything okay?”
He looked up, startled to see her. “Hey. Yeah. I’m just finishing something.”
She stepped closer and realized what he was working on: her display backdrop. The one she’d been too tired to finish last night. He’d added brackets to reinforce the base and threaded a length of chain through a cinder block to weigh it down.
