Chapter 49
FORTY-NINE
CASSIDY
Cassidy was lucky. The raccoons hadn’t caused any permanent damage, and it only took her about thirty minutes to fix everything.
Thankfully, she’d had the foresight to cover her front window with a heavy drape, saving her hand-painted mural.
And she had plenty of extra light clips on hand to replace the ones those little bandits had broken.
Even the weather seemed to be on her side—the snowstorm had passed by morning, and Julian and Miles arrived right on time.
“Cass, this is amazing,” her brother-in-law said, pulling her into a tight hug the moment she opened the door to the Cocoa Corner.
He was dressed in a bright red sports jacket that matched the frames of his glasses and a pair of slim-fit jeans.
Julian followed close behind in black dress pants and matching wool coat.
He didn’t say anything at first. He just looked around the shop in quiet awe, his eyes wide.
She hadn’t realized how much his opinion mattered to her until that very moment. She wanted him to see the dream she’d been chasing, to understand why she’d taken such a leap to do this on her own.
“This is amazing, Cass. You’re incredible,” Julian finally said, grinning at her. And just like that, the knot in her stomach loosened.
Julian and Miles took a delighted Muff for a walk through the snow-dusted streets of downtown while Cassidy worked on her display. The pup absolutely loved it of course, and when they got back, the little fluffball curled up on a cushion behind the counter, paws twitching in a dream.
She was adjusting the lights on her window when the bell over the door jingled and Julian stepped back inside after another wander round town. He shivered, his nose red from the cold.
“We went to the most amazing farm shop,” he said, taking his stocking cap off. “It’s right across the street. Have you been in there?”
Before she could answer, Miles barreled in behind him, holding a brown paper bag like it was a precious artifact. “Cass, that place is incredible. It’s got everything. And it’s all local. I mean, look at this!”
He started pulling out goodies like he was doing a show-and-tell.
“Hot honey infused with chili flakes. It smells insane,” he said, holding up a small glass jar with a rustic black-and-gold label. “And look, cranberry orange jam. He makes it in-house. The hot guy behind the counter said it sells out every weekend.”
He reached in again. “Oh! And these. Peppermint-dusted chocolate bark? Handmade. I already had a piece.”
Julian shot him a mock glare. “You opened it without me?”
“I was hungry,” Miles said, unapologetic. “Also? I got this balsam fir soy candle that smells like an actual Christmas tree, and one of those beeswax lip balms with the cinnamon oil. My lips have never felt this hydrated.”
Cassidy wanted to say that she knew all about Liam’s shop. That she’d been in there dozens of times, but that wasn’t true. She’d only stepped foot in there—once. And she hadn’t stayed more than five minutes.
How was that possible?
Her own shop was such a big part of her; surely his was the same. And she still hadn’t apologized to him. But she would. Tonight. She promised herself that no matter what happened, she’d make things right. Maybe he wouldn’t forgive her, but at least everything would be out in the open.
Two hours later, it was showtime.
Outside, Mayor Bloomfield was setting up with his microphone, and Elsie was livestreaming the event.
“Have you seen how many likes and followers we’ve picked up?” Elsie asked Cassidy excitedly.
“No…” Cassidy looked over at the screen. A hundred people were watching, with the number steadily climbing by the second.
She turned the camera onto Cassidy.
Cassidy played along and waved. Miles joined her.
“What page is this?” he asked Elsie once the camera was off of him.
“I’m TheMidwesternGirl—but I’m streaming this one from the Maple Falls town page.”
Miles smiled. “I think I’ve seen some of your content. Pretty sure I’ve commented on a few.”
Elsie tilted her head. “Yeah? What’s your handle?”
“NYCChocolate,” Miles said casually.
Elsie’s jaw dropped. “Wait—you’re the NYCChocolate?”
Miles looked pleased. “You’ve heard of me?”
“You’re like… famous!” she said, wide-eyed. “I love your behind-the-scenes chocolate videos. Everything you post looks amazing.”
Cassidy stared at her brother-in-law, stunned.
She’d had no idea he had an Instagram page.
But then again, she never spent much time on social media.
She knew she had to step up her social posting for the Cocoa Corner, but her focus had been on laying down the roots of her business in the real world, here in Maple Falls.
“I started it after you left,” Miles explained. “No face shots—just my hands and the chocolate. It’s done amazing things for our business.”
“It sounds like it,” Cassidy said. If Elsie knew about it in Maple Falls, Miles had done an amazing job of promoting their shop. “You’ll have to show me,” she added.
Miles was already taking out his phone and bringing his profile up.
“I think you might need to do a social media workshop while you’re here,” Elsie urged him. “And maybe talk to my uncle a bit? I’m still fighting to get him on board.”
Mayor Bloomfield, dressed in a baby-blue suit embroidered with silver snowflakes and a matching satin cummerbund, turned to the crowd.
“I do like his style,” Miles murmured, and he wasn’t joking. He and Cassidy shared a flair for dramatic fashion, and he was now proudly sporting his Team Cassidy sweater.
He wasn’t the only one. As Cassidy scanned the crowd, she couldn’t count how many locals were sporting the bright red sweaters. She beamed looking at them all.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, gather round! It’s time for our third Christmas light-up event!” the mayor called, and the crowd cheered. “Cassidy, would you like to say a few words about your display?”
Cassidy froze. The other shop owners had only shared their chosen charities. She hadn’t expected to speak.
The crowd quieted as Mayor Bloomfield passed Cassidy the microphone.
She could paint a mural across a storefront window, decorate an entire chocolate shop and charm customers one-on-one all day long. But this? Standing in front of a whole crowd with every eye on her?
Nope. No thank you.
She swallowed hard. Her mind, which had been buzzing with ideas just minutes ago, suddenly emptied. Like someone had hit a mute button in her brain.
Elsie stood in front of her, just off to the side, still livestreaming the whole event.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Say something. Anything.
She opened her mouth, but no words came. The silence stretched a second too long.
Then her eyes caught on something. Someone.
Liam.
He was standing near the back, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t smiling, not exactly, but his gaze was steady. Sure. Safe.
Like he saw her. Not just the woman fumbling with a microphone, but her.
He gave a small nod, almost imperceptible. Encouraging.
She smiled.
Cassidy lifted the mic, her voice still wobbly but finding its footing.
“Oh-kay,” she said with a soft laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to give a speech tonight. I’m way better with cocoa than crowds.”
The crowd laughed.
“But… when I started planning this display, I kept thinking about old-fashioned chocolate shops. The kind where you’d step inside, and everything just…
slowed down. Where you weren’t in a rush, and you could savor each flavor like a memory.
That’s what I wanted to bring to Maple Falls.
A little bit of sweetness. A little bit of nostalgia. ”
She glanced at Liam again. Relaxed.
“And hopefully, a reminder that Christmas isn’t about how fast we move, but about how deeply we feel. I hope this display gives you a moment to pause and just enjoy.”
She exhaled, her shoulders finally lowering from her ears as she handed the mic back to the mayor.
“Oh, before I forget,” Mayor Bloomfield said. “What is your charity of choice?”
Cassidy cleared her throat. “For my charity, I chose the children’s hospital in Mount Holly. I spent a Christmas there as a kid after my parents died, and I’ve always wanted to pay the kindness I felt there forward.”
A soft murmur passed through the crowd. Some seemed surprised, others, touched.
Cassidy wasn’t sure how many people knew that she had lost her parents at Christmastime. She had told Liam and a few people around town, but she didn’t think it was public knowledge. Then again, news traveled fast in a small town.
Mayor Bloomfield stepped up. “A beautiful sentiment. Without further ado, Cassidy, please reveal your lovely chocolatey Christmas display.”
She took a steadying breath and nodded to Julian and Miles.
The crowd hushed.
A moment later, the curtain began to lower—and just as it fell away, the display behind the window lit up in an instant.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Behind her painted front glass window was a miniature chocolate wonderland framed in warm white twinkle lights. The window display looked like something out of a storybook with handmade buildings, marshmallow trees, and gumdrop forests. It was Maple Falls come to life in cocoa and sugar.
A hand-painted village scene stretched across the back wall, snowy rooftops glittering with sugar-dusted shimmer.
The shops of Oak Way were there, hand-sculpted out of chocolate.
There was the Cinnamon Spice Inn, the Pumpkin Pie Bakery, the Hot Honey Farm Shop, the Little Lantern Bookshop, the Cherry Crush Flower Shop.
Soft warm lights glowed from within each shop, casting flickering shadows that made the whole village feel alive.
Each one was decorated for Christmas with miniature decorations—three-inch Christmas trees with real working lights, tiny, multicolored bulbs along the roof line.
Even the chocolate streetlamps glowed onto the sugary snow.
But at the center stood Cassidy’s crown jewel, the idea she’d finally settled on after wavering over the train set idea for a while.
It was a charming, old-world chocolate shop, complete with a golden sign that read “The Cocoa Corner.” She had a tealight inside of it, so it glowed from within.
Icicles strung from above sparkled in the light, catching the movement of the softly falling snowflakes drifting down from the hidden blower above.
The smell of chocolate wafted through the air from the hidden scent diffuser Cassidy had hidden nearby. It worked like a charm.
On the outside of the window stood a photo station.
She had found an antique wooden sleigh and draped it in cozy tartan blankets.
Nestled beside it was a sign that read “Cocoa & Kisses.” A bucket of candy canes sat to the side, and another sign encouraged visitors to snap a photo and donate to the Mount Holly Children’s Hospital.
For a long moment, no one said a word.
Cassidy couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
Then Tyler’s daughter, Emma, whispered, “It’s magic.”
Julian let out a low whistle. “Cass… this is insane. Like, next-level chocolate shop fantasy.”
Miles stepped forward, crouching to get a better look at the tiny truffles in the window. “Are these handmade?”
She nodded, wordlessly.
“I can’t believe it. Even the brushstrokes… Wow, Cass, this is art,” Miles continued.
Someone behind them clapped. Then another. And suddenly the street was filled with warm applause, as if the whole town had just exhaled all at once.
This. This was what made it all worth it. The stress. The hours spent pouring chocolate into molds. The late nights.
The townspeople were smiling. People were pointing, whispering to one another, taking photos in front of her display. Children tugged at their parents’ sleeves, asking for cocoa, for a picture, for just one more look.
And Liam was there too. He was standing a few feet back, smiling, really smiling. Hands tucked in his coat pockets, like he didn’t have anywhere else he’d rather be.
He held her gaze for a moment. Nodded, once.
Then he turned to walk away.
Cassidy didn’t even hesitate in following him. Her heart was already moving before her feet.