As the crowd shifted, Liam moved down the street. He waved at Mr. Alders, then Edith, Madison, and a dozen other familiar faces. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, chatting over cider and stopping to admire the flower display.
Near the town’s Christmas tree, a group of elementary schoolers, Emma included, were lining up, all wearing lopsided Santa hats. Liam stopped to watch. Their teacher clapped her hands and called out a quick countdown. On three, the kids launched into a loud, slightly off-key but completely joyful version of “Deck the Halls.”
He really needed to head back to the shop. There were orders to pack, displays to straighten, and inventory to go through. But something rooted him here.
He listened to the kids sing, and somewhere in the crowd, Mrs. C. waved him over.
“You look like a man with something on his mind,” she said, handing him a warm cup. “Mulled wine. Helps with heartbreak.”
“Thanks, Mrs. C. But I’m not heartbroken.” He paused, then added, “At least not yet.”
The older woman peered up at him knowingly. “You mean Cassidy?”
“Is there anyone else?” Liam took a sip of the mulled wine. It was the first time he’d drunk it in years. It tasted like Christmas in a glass. It was warm, fruity, and just a little bit boozy. Liam had a feeling Mrs. C. had added even more brandy than the recipe called for.
Mrs. C. patted his arm. “She’s special, that one,” she said. “And I’ve lived long enough to know that special doesn’t come around often. Not for everyone.”
Liam stared off, eye catching the icicles that hung on the bookstore across the street, the glow from the holiday lights making them sparkle.
“I’m scared I’m not good enough for her,” he admitted. “She deserves everything, and I… I don’t know if I know how to give it.”
Mrs. C. gave him a sharp look. “You fixed her broken display when she was too sick to stand. You called just to show her the flowers. You show up, Liam. That’s how you give it.”
He didn’t respond right away. The words sat heavy in his chest, like something he needed to absorb one beat at a time.
The crowd applauded as the kids finished their song, their teacher looking relieved no one had fallen off the stage. Zoe was passing out red carnations to each student. They beamed, accepting her gift.
“Thanks, Mrs. C. You have a good night.”
“You too, dear.”
Liam took one last look and then slowly turned back toward the Cocoa Corner.
He walked in silence, hands in his pockets, boots crunching softly against the salted sidewalk. When he reached his shop, he looked across the street at Cassidy’s. The curtain in her windowhad shifted, and for a second, he imagined her silhouette standing there.
Maybe she really was watching.
He paused, letting himself feel it. That connection that tugged at him even from a distance.
He wanted to be the one to make her laugh when she felt like crying. To bring her soup every time she was sick. To see her eyes light up on Christmas morning. He wanted to be the one she trusted enough to let go with.
The fact that she hadn’t yet didn’t make him feel like a failure. It made him feel protective. Not of her body, but of her heart.
Jean-Paul had failed her in every single way. Liam wasn’t going to be that man. He would wait. Learn her rhythms. Earn her trust. And when the moment came, and it would come, he’d make damn sure she felt seen.
THIRTY-THREE
CASSIDY
Sunday, December 14th
Two days later, Cassidy was feeling like herself again. She was only bummed that she’d missed so much—baking cookies with Liam’s family and the Jingle Bell 5k. Not that she had planned to run, but she’d wanted to cheer on Madison, who had come away with gold.
But now, there’d be no more missed festivities.
Whatever had been in Mrs. Bishop’s cold concoction had worked. It tasted like something between spicy ginger beer and Christmas potpourri, with an afterburn that could probably clear sinuses for a mile. She’d barely managed to get the stuff down, but she had to admit it had done the trick. Her fever had broken that night, and by morning, she’d felt human.
She was still in her flannel pajama bottoms and Christmas tree socks when Zoe stopped by.
