Chapter 48
FORTY-EIGHT
CASSIDY
“Wait, you caught him red-handed?” Madison looked unconvinced, eyebrows raised as she curled her hands around her travel mug of coffee. She’d brought it with her on the walk down from the inn, steam still rising from the lid.
Even though it was late, Cassidy had invited Madison, Zoe, and Kit over for emergency hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. After what had happened with Liam, she needed something, anything, to pull her back into a festive headspace.
The snow had started to fall down in thick, puffy flakes.
It wasn’t just flurrying anymore. These flakes were thick and heavy, the kind that stuck to everything they touched.
Cassidy watched as they piled on the rooftops and drifted into soft mounds along the sidewalk.
It was beautiful, sure, but also the kind of snow that could either turn the town into a winter wonderland or keep people curled up inside.
She just hoped it added a little magic to her display—and didn’t scare folks off before tomorrow’s big light-up event.
Madison was wearing soft black leggings, an oversized cable-knit sweater in deep forest green, and cozy wool socks.
Kit had shown up in holiday pajama shorts with gingerbread men on them, even though it was freezing out, and her Team Cassidy sweater.
Zoe had brought her peppermint tea with her, along with her fuzzy slippers in the shape of foxes.
But Cassidy was probably the coziest of all.
She wore her vintage candy-cane-striped pajama pants, a graphic sweatshirt with a reindeer sipping cocoa on the front, and red fuzzy socks.
Muff was curled up beside her like a warm blanket.
“I mean, what else was he doing?” Cassidy asked, still stewing.
“Maybe he was telling the truth,” Zoe offered gently. “Maybe he really was just curious,” she said while casually eating popcorn.
“Or sabotaging it,” Cassidy grumbled.
“Do you think he’d do that?” Zoe’s question was directed at Madison.
“No, and Cassidy doesn’t either.” Madison put her mug on the coffee table and gave Cassidy a level stare. “You know he’d never do something like that. You’re just mad about him running away.”
Cassidy didn’t respond. Madison always had a way of cutting to the truth, and Cassidy hated how much it stung. Yes, she was mad. Mad that Liam had pulled away. Mad that he blamed it on her.
She’d been waiting for him to make the first move. And apparently, that first move had been sneaking around her display at night. It rattled her. She was already on edge with all the vandalism. She couldn’t afford to have her hard work ruined before the light-up.
The movie played on in the background, some cutesy couple decorating a tree with matching flannel pajamas and suspiciously perfect hair. Cassidy stared at the screen but wasn’t really watching.
Alright, so it had been her turn to overreact. She could admit that, if only to herself. And she got that Madison was annoyed with her. She probably should’ve thought it through a bit more before she’d invited Liam’s childhood friends over to complain about him.
Cassidy was about to ask the group what she should do next when an alarm cut through the air.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The security alert on Cassidy’s phone made all four women jump.
Kit spilled her cocoa. Zoe dropped the popcorn bowl. Madison grabbed the remote, fumbling to pause the movie as Cassidy lunged for her phone.
“It’s the camera,” Cassidy said, heart in her throat.
They all rushed to the screen as she pulled up the app.
It felt like forever for the screen to load. For a second, the feed was all shadows and snowfall.
Until…
“Oh, come on,” Kit said, peering over Cassidy’s shoulder. “Is that…?”
“A raccoon,” Madison confirmed.
“Not just one,” Zoe added, counting the number of critters on her screen. “It’s a whole crazy trash panda family.”
On screen, the fuzzy bandits scampered across Cassidy’s front display. Two of them climbed over the edge of her Cocoa & Kisses photo booth, treating it like a jungle gym. Another pawed its way up the side of the window, using the eavestrough like monkey bars.
Muff must have sensed the commotion because a moment later, she started barking like crazy. She ran over and put her paws on the window ledge, barking, pawing at the glass, desperate to chase the intruders away.
Cassidy stared in disbelief as the raccoons tackled her display again.
One launched itself from the wooden backdrop to the window ledge and then scurried up onto the roof.
Another followed close behind, their tiny claws scrabbling as they disappeared out of sight.
In a matter of seconds, they’d unstrung half her lights and almost broken her backdrop.
She shuddered to think what might have happened if Muff hadn’t gone berserk.
“Well,” Madison said, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her gaze didn’t soften as it landed on Cassidy. “Looks like Liam was telling the truth.”
Cassidy winced. “I know. I-I need to apologize.”
“You think?” Madison’s voice sharpened.
Kit sucked in her breath.
Cassidy knew Madison loved Liam like a brother, and she was not happy with Cassidy for hurting her friend. She got that.
Cassidy’s stomach twisted. She didn’t have a defense. Not one that would make sense. Not when Madison was right. She’d let her hurt speak louder than her trust.
“I didn’t mean to,” she said quietly. “I was just… upset.”
Madison’s arms stayed crossed, her voice sharp. “Being upset doesn’t give you the right to hurt people. Especially not someone like Liam.”
“He hurt me too, you know. He pushed me away first. I just reacted.”
That gave Madison pause.
Cassidy’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll make it right. I love him.”
Madison’s expression faltered, softening at the edges. “You love him?” she asked, voice lower now.
Cassidy nodded. “More than I’ve ever loved anyone. That’s why it hurts so much.”
Madison sighed, arms slowly uncrossing. “Liam’s not perfect. He’s stubborn, and when he gets scared, he shuts down. But you’re right. He pushed you away.” She looked Cassidy in the eye. “So go tell him that. Tell him you love him. Tell him you’re not scared. And this time, don’t let him run.”
She would.
But not tonight.
Tonight, Cassidy needed a moment to collect herself, to let her thoughts settle. Her emotions had been a mess lately. That was nothing new when it came to Liam. They’d always had this strange mix of tension and chemistry, equal parts competition and connection.
And now, with part of her display needing to be rebuilt, she just wanted to focus. She needed quiet. Some clarity. Then she’d find Liam and make things right.
Because deep down, she’d never truly believed he was the one behind the sabotage. Madison had seen it too and called her out on it. Cassidy had let her frustration speak louder than her heart. She’d been hurt when he had pulled back from her, confused by his sudden shift.
But she wasn’t scared of what they were becoming. Not anymore.
She needed him to know that.
She liked what they were doing together. She liked how it felt to be with him, how safe he made her feel when things got messy. No one had ever taken the time to learn her the way Liam had. No one had ever made her feel so comfortable in her own skin.
So she hated that Liam had said he was uncomfortable. But deep down she knew it was because he cared about her and he didn’t understand that she was ready for this. That he was the right man for her.
Being with him had felt more natural than anything else in her life.
She didn’t want to hold back. Not now. Not with him.
Liam helped her feel things she’d spent years pushing down. He made her want more, not just passion, but presence. A real connection.
And she needed him to know that she was finally ready for it.