Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
CASSIDY
Cassidy still couldn’t believe Liam was being such a good sport about everything.
Sure, he’d agreed to the tree lighting ceremony, the Christmas wish tags. But was it because he actually wanted to hang out with her? Or because he felt sorry for her because she was new?
That part she wasn’t sure about, and it was driving her just a little bit crazy.
There were moments, though, quick, quiet ones, when she caught his eye and it felt like something shifted.
Like a flicker of understanding passed between them.
Not just attraction—though there was still plenty of that—but something else.
It felt like he understood her. There was just this sense of a growing attraction between them that she could neither explain nor deny.
She had never felt so intensely, so quickly, for someone else before.
But then he’d step back. Or keep his voice even. Or walk a little farther away than he had to.
And Cassidy hated to say it, but it kind of felt like Liam had quietly friend-zoned her.
If he’d been into her, wouldn’t he be flirting more? Walking closer? Maybe brushing her hand by accident, or not by accident? But no. He wasn’t doing any of that.
Cassidy told herself that was a good thing. She was off men until the start of next year. She was focusing on her fledgling business and the upcoming Christmas Light-Up Display Competition. That’s where her attention should be. She didn’t want to screw things up.
These were the thoughts swirling in her head as they walked side by side from the Christmas wish station back toward the sleigh while kids beelined in front of them to visit the Santa House.
As they crossed the square, Cassidy noticed how everyone seemed to know Liam. People waved from all directions. There were older couples, teens, parents juggling toddlers. He high-fived kids, exchanged cheerful hellos with parents, and even got a greeting from a minister.
“Liam, good to see you. Heard you made a Christmas wish this year,” Pastor Rodgers said, giving him a pat on the back.
Liam seemed to tense under the touch.
The clergy member didn’t seem to notice.
But Cassidy did. Just like the way she noticed his forced smile and fake laugh when Mrs. Humphrey said she was surprised to see him out and about this time of year, and Mrs. Bishop asked Cassidy how much she’d had to pay him to take a stroll with her down Christmas Lane.
Yeah, this was not going to work.
“We don’t have to do the sleigh thing,” Cassidy said quietly. “Actually… would you rather skip all this and go for a walk? There’s that path behind the shops that loops around the lake?”
“You’d give up your Christmas cheer for me?”
“Just pressing pause. It’ll all still be here later.”
His shoulders lowered a fraction, just enough for her to know how much he appreciated the out.
“Then yeah,” he said, nodding once. “A walk sounds good.”
They detoured toward the side street, weaving past glowing shop windows and vendors handing out gingerbread and cider. Cassidy snagged two steaming cups of hot cider from a stand, offering one to Liam with a smile.
“It’s not as good as my cocoa, obviously,” she said, “but it’ll do in a pinch.”
Liam grinned and took the cup, their fingers brushing just briefly. Cassidy felt the spark move up her arm and straight to her heart, warming her quicker than any cider or cocoa ever could.
They fell into step, the noise and color of the square slowly fading behind them as they turned onto the winding path that curved around Bear Lake. Solar lanterns lit the way, casting a halo of light that reflected the icy snowflakes that drifted gently down.
“I meant what I said back there,” she said after a quiet minute. “You don’t have to force a smile for me. I can tell this time of year’s hard for you, even if I don’t know why.”
Liam was quiet for a beat, watching his boots leave tracks in the snow. “Thanks. I’m trying. It’s just… some years are easier than others.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything. I just didn’t want to drag you into a sleigh photo shoot with fake reindeer and a glitter-sprinkled Santa if your heart wasn’t in it.”
He smiled. “Honestly, the glitter might’ve been my breaking point.”
She burst out laughing and they walked a few more steps in companionable silence, the snow crunching under their boots, steam curling from their cider.
“How’s the shop going?” he asked. “It looks busy from my side of the street.”
She tilted her head side to side. “It’s good—I love it. But yeah, it’s been a lot. I’m pretty much running on empty at this point.”
“Sounds familiar,” he said. “The shop. The farm. The llama sanctuary we’re setting up. The paperwork. There’s just not enough hours in the day.”
They shared a look—exhausted but proud.
“Is it weird that I love it?” she asked. “Even when I’m so tired I accidentally put chili powder in the cocoa?”
Liam raised a brow. “Was it at least good?”
“I liked it, but it was definitely spicy,” she said, eyes twinkling. “Not recommended for kids.”
He laughed again, and Cassidy noticed he looked more like himself out here, away from the lights and music and well-meaning but intrusive questions.
“What made you want to open the farm shop?” she asked. “I mean, you’ve got the whole farm already. What made you want to add to it?”
Liam took a sip of cider, thinking. “I knew Jackson would come back to the farm and both of us wouldn’t be needed, and I guess I wanted to create something of my own that felt… lasting. Not just selling our produce, and my own crafts, at market but building something that belonged to the town.”
She nodded, not pushing.
“What about you?” he asked. “Paris to Maple Falls is kind of a leap.”
Cassidy smiled, looking out over the lake, where the light reflected off the ice.
“It is. But I needed a change. And I missed my grand-maman. She raised me in a town just like this, and it felt like she was calling me home. She passed away two years ago, and she made the most incredible spiced cocoa—it’s her recipe I’m using now. ”
“She sounds like she was special.”
“She was. She wore red lipstick every day and told everyone chocolate was the cure for most of life’s problems. She believed in magic.
Not in the wand-waving way, but in small things.
The kind of magic you find in shared traditions.
Like cocoa. Or decorating sugar cookies.
Or standing out in the snow with someone who makes your heart feel weird and fluttery. ”
Liam’s eyes darkened just slightly, and she quickly added, “Not that I mean you do that—I mean, I’m just saying in general—”
He stopped walking.
She nearly bumped into him, her cheeks flushing.
“I know what you meant,” he said, voice low.
The words sank into the silence between them, warm and weighty. Her heart thudded so loudly it was a wonder the whole town couldn’t hear it.
She looked down at her now-empty cup and forced herself to breathe.
“I should probably get back,” she said softly. “I need to make another batch of cocoa for tomorrow. And prep some chocolates. I’ve been selling out.”
“Want some help?” he asked, not missing a beat. “I mean… if you don’t mind.”
“You want to help me make cocoa?”
“I want to see this magical recipe in action.”
She grinned. “In that case… let’s go.”
Cassidy unlocked the side door to the shop and gestured him inside. The warmth hit them immediately—soft and rich, laced with cocoa, vanilla, and the faintest trace of cinnamon and orange zest.
“I still can’t believe this is yours,” he said, pausing in the middle of the kitchen space. “It looks like something out of a Christmas story.”
Cassidy smirked as she pulled her coat off and tossed it over a stool. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He followed, shrugging out of his puffer jacket. “It is one. It’s… cozy. Thoughtful. Smells like actual heaven.”
Cassidy grinned, then got to work. “Alright. First, spiced cocoa prep. If I’m going to keep up with demand, I need at least three batches ready by morning.”
She handed him a small apron—pink, with candy canes on it.
He eyed it. “You’re serious?”
“You want in on the magic-making or not?”
He slid it on. “I feel ridiculous.”
“You look festive.”
He shot her a look, but there was a smile tugging at his lips.
Cassidy pulled out a bowl of pre-chopped dark chocolate and set it on the counter. “Start chopping the next batch while I prep the spice mix. Don’t rush it—smaller chunks melt more smoothly.”
“Yes, chef.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him, surprised. “You watch cooking shows?”
He shrugged as he carefully began chopping. “My brother and I used to watch The Great British Bake Off to annoy our dad. Then we got weirdly into it.”
Cassidy laughed. “That’s so wholesome.”
“Don’t let it get around.”
She turned back to her spice rack and began mixing cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and just the tiniest pinch of cayenne into a bowl. The scent rose instantly—warm, nostalgic, with just enough bite to make it irresistible.
“So,” he said, still focused on chopping, “what exactly makes this cocoa recipe so special? Besides being slightly dangerous if you add too much chili?”
She measured the blend into a pot of warming milk. “It’s about layering. The right kind of chocolate. The balance of spice. And the energy you put into it in the moment. Grand-maman always said cocoa tastes better when someone made it with love.”
Liam looked up, and their eyes met over the rim of the pot. Cassidy felt the air shift again. She turned away to stir, her cheeks heating.
“What would your grand-maman think if she saw all this?” he asked after a moment.
Cassidy smiled softly. “She’d be proud. And also slightly horrified that I’ve started using orange zest in her sacred recipe.”
“She’d forgive you.”
“She’d scold me in French first.”
They worked in comfortable silence for a while on the cocoa prep and adding to her supply of chocolates. He moved beside her, steady and present, helping where he could—chopping chocolate, filling molds, watching her temper the mixture with reverence.
“You’re really good at this,” he said quietly.
She glanced up. “It’s the one thing I’ve never questioned about myself. Even when everything else fell apart… this always made sense.”
Liam didn’t ask what had fallen apart. Cassidy appreciated that.
Instead, he set down his spatula and gently brushed a smear of chocolate from her cheek with his thumb.
She stilled, her breath catching.
His hand lingered for just a second too long. Long enough to turn something simple into something else entirely.
I could fall in love with this man. The thought rushed in unbidden and had her taking a step back.
Liam did the same. “Well… I should probably leave you to it, then,” he started to say just as Cassidy heard her name.
It was Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. C., standing in front of her chocolate shop, talking loudly to a young family.
She tensed, not sure what to expect.
“I’m telling you, best hot cocoa I’ve ever had. Hands down!” Mrs. C.’s voice rang out, full of praise.
Mrs. Bishop nodded in agreement, pointing at her front door. “You must try it. I’m sure she’ll be back open in the morning.”
“I will be,” Cassidy said, opening the door with a smile.
“Perfect! We’ve decided your cocoa could bring about world peace, or at the very least get my son-in-law to do the dishes,” Mrs. C. added.
“Thank you so much. I’ll be sure to have plenty of cocoa tomorrow. Stop in anytime before five.”
“We’ll be sure to do that,” the dad said.
She glanced back at Liam, who had just joined them.
Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. C. gave one another a knowing look.
“Liam, didn’t expect to see you here tonight,” a woman with a bright red wool coat said behind the older ladies.
“Mom, Dad,” Liam said, caught off guard.
Cassidy stepped forward to meet Liam’s parents, a twist of nerves in her stomach.
“Hi, I’m Cassidy,” she said with an awkward wave.
“I’m Beth,” the woman said, giving Cassidy a warm hug before she had time to process it. “And this grump beside me is my husband, Tom.”
“I’m not a grump, just cold,” Tom replied with a smile.
“Do you want me to open back up? I can make you some cocoa.”
“Nonsense, dear. Tom should’ve listened to me when I told him to wear his heavy coat,” Beth replied with a head nod.
“Now, I’m happy I ran into you,” Beth started saying to Liam. “I assume you told Cassidy here about our family baking night on the thirteenth?”
“I… uh…” Liam stammered. “You know I don’t usually go to that.”
“We just met,” Cassidy explained, shooting him a sympathetic look.
“Even better. We welcome new friends and old,” Beth continued. “Isn’t that right, dear?” She turned to her husband, who was already talking to another local. Beth waved a dismissive hand. “Trust me, the more the merrier.”
Cassidy knew Liam must hate being put on the spot, and she didn’t want to impose. She was about to come up with some excuse, any excuse, why she couldn’t make it when Liam spoke up. “It would be great if you could come,” he said casually.
“Really?” Cassidy didn’t hide her surprise.
Beth ran with it. “Oh, sure. The whole gang will be there. I don’t think you’ve met our Jackson yet, but he’s home, and there’s Zach and Madison, I think Emily and Kit are coming, maybe some of the crafting club too.”
“That sounds fun.” Cassidy smiled.
Beth beamed back. “Perfect! I’ll text Madison so she can loop you in. Six o’clock sharp!” She gave Cassidy another hug before pulling Tom off toward the hot buttered rum stand.
“Sorry, if you don’t want me there that’s totally okay…” Cassidy let her words trail off.
“No, you’ll love it, and better yet, so will my mom. Truly. She loves this sort of thing.”
Cassidy smiled softly. “It’s a date then. Well, not a date date. You know what I mean.”
He didn’t say anything, just held her gaze for a beat, the air between them charged, the glow of the Christmas lights catching in his eyes.
She cleared her throat and stepped back, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She needed to end the night before she did something she’d regret.
Like close the small space between them and kiss him.
Because the only thing that would top tonight would be Liam in her bed, his hands on her, his mouth on her neck, and that thought alone was tempting enough.
If she let that happen, she might never want him to leave. Her heart would be exposed to being broken all over again.
And that was the last thing her carefully rebuilt life could handle.