The Spiced Cocoa Café (Maple Falls #2)

Chapter 1

ONE

CASSIDY

“Chocolate. Spice. The magic of Christmas in the air,” Cassidy whispered, her crystal-blue eyes sparkling. “I’m ready.”

She stood in the middle of her new chocolate shop and turned in a slow circle in an oversized sweater, arms outstretched.

It probably looked like she was starring in a one-woman holiday musical, but she didn’t care.

Everyone else in the small town of Maple Falls was fast asleep.

When they woke up on the first day of December, her doors would be open, waiting for them.

Cassidy closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She had been up for… was it twenty hours now? But it was all worth it. Her lifelong dream was finally coming true—if she didn’t screw it all up.

Everything was set up as well as it could be.

The Cocoa Corner was a chocolate lover’s cozy paradise.

It was decorated in warm browns and soft creams, with pops of color—vintage teal and peppermint pink.

A thread of tiny copper twinkle lights lined the shelves, casting a soft glow against the glass jars of dipped caramels and handmade truffles made from dark chocolate, flaky sea salt and bourbon.

Her shop would offer all the chocolates she’d perfected during her years working as a chocolatier in Paris, plus a few old local favorites, thanks to the former owner, who’d generously passed on her recipes.

But the Cocoa Corner’s pièce de résistance was her festive hot cocoa pop-up, the Spiced Cocoa Café.

The signature dark spiced cocoa was the highlight.

It was Cassidy’s French grand-maman, Genevieve, who had gifted her the secret, handwritten recipe, passed down through generations and carried over to the US.

The one she now kept folded in the locket that hung over her heart.

The scent of melted chocolate mingled with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg would wrap around customers like a hug from her grand-maman.

A hand-painted sign above the bar read “Warm Up Here” with tiny snowflakes and stars dotting the corners. A few café tables nestled by the window, spruced up with pine and holly.

The Spiced Cocoa Café bar was stocked with fluffy homemade marshmallows, chocolate curls, crushed peppermint, and red and green sprinkles. For those who preferred a traditional approach, she would serve the cocoa with thick, buttery croissants from the Pumpkin Pie Bakery.

Cassidy’s stomach fluttered as she looked around.

She was practically dead on her feet but somehow still exhilarated.

It was probably the caffeine. She’d drunk countless cups of cocoa while finalizing every last detail.

Crossing her fingers, she silently pleaded for opening day to be a success.

Her only wish was that her grand-maman and her parents were still around to see it.

She walked over to the calendar hidden safely behind the counter, a gift from her new friend, Madison, who recently moved back to town to help run her family’s inn.

Strategically placed ribbons and bows did little to hide a whole lot of holiday spirit from Mr. December.

Cassidy could appreciate a man who knew how to celebrate Christmas.

In the corner of the calendar, Cassidy had pinned a golden piece of paper in the shape of a star.

That star meant the Cocoa Corner was one of four local businesses selected to take part in the annual Light-Up Display Competition, which took place across four evenings in December.

This competition was part of the town’s wider Christmas Countdown of events—Cassidy had learned that this town cherished its seasonal festivities.

Each of the four businesses would decorate their storefront outside and in with a unique festive theme, and locals would gather to watch as they turned the lights on and had their chance to shine. Donations would happen throughout, with voting and the winner being announced on Christmas Eve.

Her slot was the third Friday before Christmas. So, as well as launching the Cocoa Corner and the pop-up café, over the next few weeks Cassidy had to organize the most spectacular light-up event the town had ever seen.

She walked toward the window and let herself dream for a moment.

Soon, this front display would be transformed into something magical.

Maybe she’d build a chocolate sleigh and fill it with handmade truffles.

She imagined music playing softly through the speakers, laughter on the street, and a hush falling over the crowd as her display flickered to life.

It would be cozy. Enchanting. Unforgettable.

She had always loved a bit of competition, even if it was just a board game with her brother, Julian. But this was so much more than just for fun. If she won the contest, the Cocoa Corner would be named Maple Falls Business of the Year.

That would give her fledgling chocolate shop the visibility and community trust it needed to survive.

She’d get to host the town’s New Year’s Eve party, drawing in customers and solidifying her place here so that she’d really, truly feel like she belonged here in Maple Falls.

Best of all, she would get to choose which charity received all the donated money.

And Cassidy knew exactly where she would send it.

There was a children’s hospital just outside Maple Falls that had cared for her when she was a little girl recovering from the accident that took her parents’ lives, long before she moved to Paris.

It had been a safe haven in the hardest chapter of her life.

This event was everything. The culmination of her opening weeks. A chance to give back, and to prove she could really do this. She could build a life here, in her own way, without Jean-Paul, a.k.a. the French Bastard.

She refused to think about her cheating ex. Instead, she looked around the shop—at the gleaming wooden floors, the glass jars lining the counters filled with star-shaped marshmallows (she may have eaten dozens of them), toffee truffles, and chocolate-covered almonds.

“We did it, Grand-maman,” she whispered to the room. If she could see her now, she’d be so proud.

This place was hers. Not Jean-Paul’s. Not her brother’s. Not some half-finished dream she’d left behind in Paris.

She just had to ignore the doubts. Her ex’s voice, whispering, “You’re not good enough. You don’t belong here. Everyone will figure that out sooner or later.” She had to believe. That was what the spirit of Christmas was all about, wasn’t it?

Cassidy had worked so hard to make this place as magical as it was. Now her heart squeezed, knowing that her grand-maman would never see it. And that her fresh start meant that she was very much alone.

Her brother and his husband were hundreds of miles away. There was no one to step in and help her if she needed it. No one she could rely on.

Big, fat snowflakes were tumbling heavily from the sky now, drawing her attention back to the front window. Cassidy could only imagine how beautiful everything would look once the town was lit up for the holidays.

She inhaled deeply before blowing her thoughts away with a slow exhale.

It was pitch-dark outside, but the snow called to her. She turned, filled her mug up with the rich spiced cocoa, and stepped outside to look up at the beautiful starry sky.

Snow had been falling off and on since she’d moved to Maple Falls, but tonight felt different. It was the kind of snow she’d loved since she was a little girl, when she would press her face to the frosty window of her childhood home, waiting for the first flakes to fall.

She tipped her face up now, letting the big, fluffy flakes land on her lashes and cling to her hair.

The chilly wind tickled her face. It was a cold that woke her up from the inside, reminding her she was here, alive, chasing a dream she’d carried in her heart since she was old enough to hold a cup of cocoa with both hands.

Sure, it snowed in Paris, but not like this. There was nothing like the hush of a small town wrapped in Christmas lights, where the world seemed to hold its breath and time slowed.

Moments like this were why she was here in Maple Falls, cocoa in hand, heart wide open. Christmas. Snow. Magic. It was everything she wanted her life to be.

Her heart had been broken last Christmas and she had sworn this year would be different. No more people-pleasing. No more rolling over for others. She had even made a vow: No men for an entire year. She needed to focus on herself, and so far, it had worked out perfectly.

Her dog, Muffin Marie, or Muff for short, had trotted outside with her and seemed to love the snow just as much as she did. The energetic goldendoodle bounded a few steps forward, then crouched low, ready to pounce on a fresh pile of snow.

“Whatcha see, girl?” she asked her pup.

Muff took that as her cue, spinning in wild circles along the sidewalk, nose buried in the snow one second then springing up the next with a playful bark, a full-blown case of the zoomies taking over as her curly white coat turned into a blur.

Cassidy couldn’t help but look up at the stars and smile. In that moment, the snow felt like a sign. “Okay, universe. I see you. I feel you. You’re giving soft Hallmark energy, and I am here for it.”

Aside from Muff, the street was silent. Wisps of smoke curled from chimneys and soft lights flickered behind shop windows.

Across the street, the darkened window of the Hot Honey Farm Shop reflected the glow of the streetlights, a wreath hanging on the door, and a few pine garlands draped over the entry.

Next door, the Maple Leaf Café had a single string of lights, while the Pumpkin Pie Bakery boasted a swaying inflatable gingerbread man.

Here and there, hints of Christmas had already arrived.

But soon, the whole street would come alive with garlands and glowing lights, like the town itself was stepping into its own fairy tale.

Suddenly Cassidy realized she was barefoot in the snow. Her feet were turning into popsicles, and she was rather fond of her toes.

“C’mon, Muff. Let’s head back in.” She turned back to the door, when a quick twist of the knob had her frantically shaking her head.

She jiggled the handle. Nothing.

Tried again. Still locked.

“Oh no. No, no, no…”

She peered through the frosty glass out of habit. She lived alone now—there’d be no one to rescue her—and her keys were safely in her purse inside.

“How? Why?” she asked the stars. Muff replied with a playful woof.

Cassidy stepped back and placed both hands on her hips. “I am a grown woman. I have lived in another country and started my own business. I will not be defeated by a door.”

Muff barked supportively from the snowbank.

She turned to her. “Thank you. That’s one vote of confidence.”

The cold seeped into her bare toes, and she shivered. “Great. First day, and I’m going to lose a toe.”

She glanced up at the dark second-story apartment window. “Should I climb up?” she asked Muff.

Muff barked softly, wagging her tail in encouragement.

“You going to catch me if I fall?” she asked the pup.

“She won’t. But I will,” came a warm, deep voice.

Cassidy froze, as if she had forgotten how her legs worked. Which definitely wasn’t a good thing, in case this man turned out to be a complete psycho. It was the middle of the night, after all.

Muff barked and pranced over to greet the probable psycho and she turned to call her pup back. Her voice caught in her throat.

Psycho or not, this guy was tall, broad-shouldered, and dusted in snowflakes as if Santa Claus himself had conjured him.

His flannel shirt peeked out beneath a heavy coat, his dark hair was tousled, and a pair of worn boots crunched the snow, packing it into the earth as he strode toward her confidently.

He had that rugged, just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-still-unreasonably-hot thing going on. He had a rough voice that warmed her faster than cocoa ever could.

Cassidy hadn’t missed guys at all this past year. No dates, no kisses. In fact, she’d found her relationship with herself far more… satisfying… than it had been with Jean-Paul. But my God, this guy was something.

“Liam Hawthorne. I own the Hot Honey Farm Shop, across the street.” He outstretched his hand.

Of course. She knew who he was, and he was competing in the light-up contest too. Somehow, in a town this small, she hadn’t officially met him yet, but she’d heard he was absolutely determined to win.

So right now, he was Christmas Enemy Number One. Figured he was gorgeous.

“Oh.” She forced a smile. “Cassidy St. Clair. The Cocoa Corner.” She slipped her hand into his and desperately tried to ignore the warm buzzing sensation that traveled up her arm.

But there was only room in her thoughts for the feel of his strong, warm hand cradled in hers.

Cassidy forced herself to break the spell, pulling her hand back.

“I know who you are.” Liam slid both hands into his coat pockets.

She squared her shoulders, reminding herself she had a new life and a cocoa empire to build, kicking off with winning the Light-Up Display Competition.

Then their eyes met. His were not full of festive cheer, not at all. Her sunshine hit his storm cloud, and for a breath, everything stilled.

And she knew right then, her vow was in trouble.