He chuckled to himself. Holiday cards? Christmas trees?
Who in the hell was he?
He was about to step into the general store for that bottle of wine when he spotted her.
She wore her red wool coat, the one with the oversized buttons and faux fur trim. Her black stocking cap was slightly crooked, the way it always slid when she rushed somewhere. She was gorgeous. And he smiled, knowing he was having dinner that night with the most beautiful woman in Maple Falls.
He lifted a hand, ready to call out to her, to cross the street and surprise her.
But then she stopped.
She hadn’t seen him. She was standing near the town’s Christmas tree, where the warm white lights glowed against the softening blue of early evening. Snow fell in gentle flurries, catching in the streetlights, turning the square into something out of a snow globe.
That’s when Liam saw him.
A man stood in front of her. He had a thick mess of dark hair, tousled in that effortless way Liam had always found infuriating. The kind of guy who looked like he walked out of a magazine shoot without even trying.
The man turned his collar up against the cold, and he was smiling at her. Smiling like he knew her. Like he had a right to stand that close.
Liam’s smile slipped, confusion tightening into something heavier in his gut.
They were talking, and even from across the street, Liam could see Cassidy’s face shift—her eyes wide, mouth parting, herbreath visible in small white clouds. Her hands came out of her pockets, fluttering like she didn’t know what to do with them.
And then, without warning, the man dropped to one knee.
The world around them slowed. People in the square paused, their conversations cutting off mid-sentence, cider cups frozen halfway to lips, eyes widening as they turned to watch. The lights from the tree twinkled above them, the snow falling thicker now, a perfect, cinematic backdrop for what was happening.
Cassidy’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes glistening in the glow of the Christmas lights.
Liam took a single step forward, heart hammering, a dull roar in his ears. He couldn’t hear what the man was saying, but he didn’t need to. The look on Cassidy’s face—shock, confusion, something like disbelief—told him enough.
The man rose, slow, confident, and then he pulled Cassidy into his arms, pressing his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss.
Liam felt the ground tilt.
His chest felt tight, the cold air suddenly sharp in his lungs, burning with every breath.
He didn’t need to get closer. He didn’t need to see any more.
Because there was only one man who would show up out of nowhere, who would kiss her like he owned her, who would look at Cassidy like she was a prize he was claiming.
Jean-Paul. Who else could it be?
All this time, Liam had assumed Cassidy’s vow was about healing. About reclaiming her independence. About moving forward. That’s what she’d said, wasn’t it?
And he’d believed her.
But maybe… maybe it was about waiting.
Waiting for him.
For the man she’d never gotten over.
Liam had seen it with Zach and Madison—the way feelings, when buried, never really went away. Deep down, Madison had always wanted Zach to fight for her. To chase after her.
Maybe Cassidy wasn’t so different.
Maybe she’d been holding out hope all along.
