“What in the world?” Cassidy murmured as she saw the trees Liam had set up in front of his shop knocked over. Ornaments were shattered across the sidewalk from the force of the fall. Liam had spent so much time making sure her storefront was secure that he hadn’t protected his own.
She looked up and down the street. It wasn’t windy. Not in the least bit. Snow was falling, sure, but it wasn’t a blizzard out. This was more of a lazy snow shower, just passing through.
Liam had been creating an enchanted forest in the green space beside his shop, using real trees potted in rustic wooden containers. Each tree had a small “For Sale” sign. Some were live potted evergreens, ready to be replanted after the holidays, while others the town would donate to be repurposed as mulch for the community gardens come spring.
It was Zoe’s idea—she’d rallied the crafting club and the local schools, encouraging families to give their Christmas trees a second life instead of tossing them to the curb. Cassidy loved it. She’d never liked the idea of cutting down trees just to throw them away after a couple of weeks, even if it was for Christmas. This way was better. It felt hopeful, like a promise of new roots and second chances—something she found herself craving more and more lately.
As Cassidy approached, she realized it was worse than she’d thought. Not only had the Christmas trees been knocked over,but someone had cut the lights. The wires were mangled and torn—not just snipped, but unraveled, as if whoever had done it wanted to make repairs impossible. The lights had been disconnected in several places. It would be easier to toss the whole thing than to try and fix it.
She felt as guilty as she was appalled. Would this have happened if Liam had been around? She knew it wasn’t her fault Jean-Paul had shown up and proposed, but she shouldn’t have let him kiss her. She should’ve pushed him away sooner. But the truth was, she’d been too stunned to react. One minute she was on her way to pick up a bottle of wine from Gourmet Goodies, and the next, Jean-Paul was in front of her, down on one knee. It had been like a nightmare, and in that split second of silence, he’d taken her hesitation as agreement.
If that hadn’t happened, maybe it would’ve been Liam punching Jean-Paul in the face, not Madison. Although Cassidy had to admit, Madison had done a hell of a job.
Cassidy created a new group chat so Liam wouldn’t see it.
Cassidy: Anyone free to help? Looks like the Gingerbread Jerk targeted Liam’s shop. Front display ruined. I’m going to try and fix it.
Within seconds, the chat lit up:
Madison: What time do you need us there?
Kit: What the hell??
Emily: Not his shop too!
Zach: I’ll swing by the farm and grab new trees.
Soon, they had a plan. Everyone would meet at Liam’s shop in thirty minutes.
While she waited for her friends to arrive, Cassidy quickly pulled out her phone and searched for farm-inspired holiday décor. One of the first ideas that popped up was a set of reindeer made from birch logs.
“Perfect,” she murmured, taking a screenshot of the directions and calling Zach. “Any chance you know where we can get some birch logs?”
“Probably at the farm. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” She clicked off with Zach and figured she could grab the rest of the supplies at the hardware store.
Without a moment to lose, she beelined for the shop and almost walked straight into Mr. Alders.
“Well, if it isn’t the girl who scared off poor Liam,” the gruff older man muttered.
Cassidy tensed. “It was just a misunderstanding. Jean-Paul is an ex who had a hard time accepting no. Nothing else.” She glanced across the street. “You didn’t happen to see what happened to Liam’s display, did you?”
Mr. Alders looked away. “Might’ve seen something.”
She tried to bite her tongue and failed. “What do you mean by that?”
“All I’m saying is I saw it was tipped over. Looks like it was wrecked. Like young Emily’s. Ha.” He gave a smug little snort, as if he might’ve added a bow to the wreckage himself. It was a shame she didn’t have any evidence. She couldn’t go around accusing people based on a hunch.
One thing was for sure: Mr. Alders didn’t exactly radiate Christmas cheer. She brushed past him and entered the hardware store, quickly collecting what she needed.
On her way out, she bumped into Mayor Bloomfield. He was just the man she was looking for.
“Oh! Hello there, Cassidy,” he said, adjusting his green sport coat. His red tie and white shirt gave him a festive, holly-jolly look, like a Christmas elf in retirement.
“Hi, Mayor. Did you see what happened to Liam’s display?”
His smile faded. “No. Don’t tell me—it’s been messed with?”
