Chapter 4
FOUR
LIAM
Liam’s hamstring was killing him. And it wasn’t the only part of his body that was throbbing. Ever since he’d left Cassidy’s shop two hours ago, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. She’d been angry—no, furious—when he’d dismissed her chocolate. If only she knew the truth…
Outside, snowflakes brushed softly against the wide front windows of the Hot Honey Farm Shop. The scent of pine from the crates of fresh wreaths near the door mixed with the faint sweetness of apples and cinnamon courtesy of the wax melter his mother had plugged in as a new business gift.
“You want the shop to smell comforting, like home,” she’d said, dropping off the wax melts and the porcelain heater.
Liam knew she was right. If there was anything Beth Hawthorne knew, it was how to make a place feel like home with her weekly family meals, the way she slipped fresh flowers into Mason jars for the table, or how she could turn a plain room into something warm just by being there.
Liam leaned on the counter, shifting his weight off his bad leg, the reclaimed wood cool and solid beneath his palms. He scrolled through Christmas display ideas on his laptop, a well-worn sketch pad open beside it, filled with scribbled measurements and rough pencil drawings of window displays and light arrangements he wasn’t sure he’d actually build.
Three weeks. That was all he had until it was his light-up night. Three weeks of pretending his new farm shop was the holly-jolliest place this side of the North Pole.
Three weeks of faking the Christmas spirit he couldn’t quite bring himself to feel anymore.
Some people have way too much time on their hands, he thought, grumbling over every over-the-top Pinterest suggestion. There were houses with displays set to music, thousands of lights timed to flashing snowflake beats, all color-coordinated to perfection.
Some even went full monochrome. All white.
Sterile, Liam thought, like a hospital. Cassidy would never go for anything so plain. No, he had a feeling she loved color bursts of red and gold lights, and loads of greenery. And there’d be glitter, no doubt about it.
He needed something with a more down-to-earth feel.
Still eye-catching, still beautiful, but true to who he was, like this shop.
Liam’s family’s farm business had been booming these past few years, but now, with his brother finally home, he could focus on bringing the farm’s goods closer to town.
When he’d bought the space, he’d renovated it to look like a rustic barn with wooden beams overhead, lantern-style lights, and shelves made from reclaimed barn wood.
The shelves showcased jars of honey, homemade jams, and locally crafted alpaca scarves and mittens, which hung from black wrought-iron hooks below.
Out front, he had a red tin roof overhang that he planned to string up lights around.
The space already told a story. He just had to add a bit of holiday charm to it.
He could do that, couldn’t he?
His competitive spirit said, Hell yeah, I can.
He had to win. It was the perfect way to raise funds for the llama sanctuary that he, Jackson, and Madison’s dad, George, were developing on the family farm.
Liam wasn’t the type to stress under pressure. Usually, he was a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. But since Jackson had returned, everything had shifted. He’d seen what war had done to his brother. The way he flinched at loud sounds. The way he didn’t meet anyone’s eye for long.
So, now, more than ever, Liam wanted this to work—not just for the shop, not just to win the competition for the sake of it, but for the llama sanctuary. A place where Jackson could heal, a place where the animals Jackson loved could do what no one else could.
He didn’t want Jackson feeling like a burden, like the way Liam had after the accident four years ago.
His family would never see it that way, but he had.
Liam had been useless for months. Everyone had dropped everything to check on him, make sure he was okay.
They’d upended their lives like he needed a caregiver and all he’d felt was hollow inside.
He knew Jackson needed a purpose, something to occupy him, and the llama sanctuary was the perfect project. So Liam shook thoughts of those dark days away and forced himself to focus on the present. The llama sanctuary, the farm shop, the Light-Up Display Competition.
He tried to picture his window display: festive garlands with red and gold accents, velvet ribbons, oversized bulbs suspended from the ceiling in the front window. Could there be llamas? Liam was wondering if the llamas would eat a Christmas tree when the bell over the door jingled.
Zach strolled in, bringing a swirl of cold air and snowflakes that clung to the shoulders of his flannel jacket. His sandy-blonde hair was wind-tousled, and his hazel eyes scanned the shop with easy curiosity before landing on Liam with a crooked grin.
And wouldn’t you know it, the man was carrying a gift bag from the Cocoa Corner.
The chocolate shop’s logo stared back at him, smug as hell.
Liam tried not to scowl. He couldn’t stop replaying the look on Cassidy’s face when she had tried to guess his favorite chocolate, standing there with that fresh confidence, all bright eyes and sass.
So sure she had him figured out. Holding out that tiny square of chocolate like it was the holy grail, waiting for his approval.
Thinking she could bribe him into loving Christmas with one little chocolatey treat.
And then the way her mouth had fallen open, eyes flashing with outrage when he’d told her it was “fine.” The way she’d planted her hands on her hips, fire in her eyes, telling him that piece had won her an award in Paris and how dare he compare it to a Snickers.
She was infuriating. But he’d nearly kissed her then, just to get a taste of that fire.
And right now? She was across the street, a temptation wrapped in chocolate and peppermint, laughing with customers while she fixed a wreath that kept falling down inside on her window. He’d watched her try to pin it back up three times already, golden hair falling across her cheek.
It was a problem. She was a problem.
Because even though her Christmas spirit drove him up the wall, he wanted more. Cassidy St. Clair wasn’t the kind of woman he could flirt with for fun and forget about by New Year’s Day. And Liam wasn’t the kind of man who could give her what she deserved.
Even as he greeted Zach, Liam couldn’t help it—his eyes drifted back to Cassidy, who was now waving goodbye to customers, her laughter drifting across the street when the door opened.
“Duuude,” Zach said, dragging out the word. “You’ve got it bad.”
“I don’t have anything,” Liam shot back, grabbing the broom and sweeping up pine needles near the entrance. “She’s not my type. And she’s downright annoying.”
Zach snorted. “Sure. That’s why you’ve been staring at her shop all morning.”
“I’m not staring. I’m keeping an eye on the competition,” Liam growled.
“Uh-huh,” Zach said. “You know, Madison thinks the two of you are perfect for each other. She’s hoping you’ll get together at the Santa House opening tonight.”
“Great. Tell Madison to focus on her own love life,” Liam muttered.
Zach grinned. “Oh, she is. Our love life is going just fine, breaking in every room in the new house…”
Liam didn’t want to think about his best friend having sex all over his house. Madison ran the Cinnamon Spice Inn, but she’d recently moved into Zach’s place. A handyman by trade, Zach had built them the home of their dreams.
Liam glanced toward Cassidy’s shop again. She was still at the window, adjusting the wreath that had fallen—again. She stood on her tiptoes, cheeks flushed, lips parted, eyes flashing with frustration and determination.
Liam swallowed hard.
Nope. He couldn’t go to the Santa House opening.
Because Madison was right, he might end up inviting Cassidy back here afterwards, to his farm shop.
It didn’t take much for his mind to wander—to picture her exactly where he’d want her: perched on the edge of his shop counter.
She’d tilt her head in that mischievous way.
He’d step between her legs, hands sliding under her hips, tugging her to the edge.
And then—
She’d wrap her legs around him. Tight. Hungry.
Her breath would catch when he kissed her, the way it had earlier, like she hadn’t expected to be caught off guard. His mouth would trail down her throat. Her hands in his hair.
He could see it so clearly, it made him groan under his breath.
Liam shifted, adjusting himself, heat crawling up his neck.
“Yeah, you’re real subtle,” Zach said, laughing.
“Shut up,” Liam commanded unconvincingly, his eyes drifting once again across the street.
Just as Cassidy managed to get the wreath back up, it fell again, pulling down a strand of lights with it. She stomped her foot, then glanced up—catching him watching her.
For a moment, their eyes locked through the glass.
Cassidy’s lips parted. She cocked her head, challenging him.
Liam lifted his chin, smirked, and pointed to the wreath, silently offering her a hand.
She rolled her eyes, flipped her braid over her shoulder, and turned her back to him.
Zach let out a bark of laughter. “Right. Nothing going on there at all.”
“Go home,” Liam said, unable to hide his grin as he turned back to the honey display.
But inside, he was buzzing.
He’d only met the woman twice, and already Cassidy annoyed the hell out of him. She distracted him, frustrated him.
And I want her so damn badly.
Zach motioned to Liam’s sketch pad and the computer. “You sure you’ve got this under control, man?”
Liam glanced over, drumming a pencil lightly against the edge of the counter.
Zach turned serious. “Look, I know how you feel about Christmas. You want some help with all this?”
“Thanks. I’m probably going to need it.”
“Alright, then. You got it.”
“Thanks, man.”
“When do you want to start?”
“Sooner the better,” Liam said, crossing his arms, eyes flicking toward the window across the street. “I really want to win.”
Zach wandered over to the honey tasting table, ignoring the spoons and dipping toast bites straight into the samples, because of course he did.
“How’s Jackson doing now that he’s back home?” Zach asked, brushing crumbs from his hands.
“Better,” Liam said. “Keeps to himself mostly, but he’s good with the animals. The llama sanctuary’s helping.” Liam glanced up. “Thanks for getting George involved.”
“There wasn’t much convincing needed. Madison’s dad has a soft spot for animals. And having your family farm as another rescue site will help a lot. The inn’s already got more than enough animals.”
“Things are going well over there, though?” Liam asked.
“Better than ever since the Halloween reopening.”
Zach wandered to a display of handmade goods, his eye catching on a pair of green fleece-lined mittens. A matching scarf hung above. It took him all of ten seconds to decide they were perfect for Madison.
“Look at you, picking out more Christmas presents,” Liam ribbed his buddy back.
“When you love a woman, buying for her is easy. You’ll see.”
Cassidy flashed through Liam’s mind again. He brushed it off quickly.
He’d just met her. And as had been the case with every woman in the last four years, there was no love in their future. At most there’d be a bit of flirting, a kiss that burned hot and fast, a few nights tangled in sheets.
That was the kind of thing he knew how to handle. Something easy and uncomplicated, just enough to take the edge off the holidays.
But that was as far as it could go. He wasn’t going to allow himself to care for someone, go deeper, be vulnerable. He’d built up walls to protect himself from that, for very good reason.
The thing was, something about Cassidy didn’t feel like fun for now.
Which was exactly why his brain knew he needed to keep his distance.
If only his body didn’t crave the taste of chocolate and spice on his tongue.