One Sweet Christmas (novella)

by Fredette, Darlene

  One Sweet Christmas

  Darlene Fredette

  One Sweet Christmas

  Darlene Fredette

  It’s going to take more than a few pieces of chocolate to fill this Scrooge’s heart with Christmas cheer. Luckily Candice Cane has a whole shop full…

  Candice Cane is not proud of the way she acted after her last encounter with Jackson Frost. Sure revenge was fun, but it’s left Jackson standing, angry and looking for answers, on the welcome mat in her chocolate shop. Now he’s after some revenge of his own.

  Jackson returned to his small hometown for one reason and one reason only…so he’s not sure how he’s ended up in a Santa suit in the middle of a chocolate shop, at the behest of its beautiful owner, instead of high-tailing it back to the city as fast as he can.

  Jackson wants nothing to do with his small town past, but Candice shows him what he didn’t even know he’d been missing. Can a bit of Christmas magic heal old wounds and offer up a future neither saw coming?

  About the Author

  An avid reader since childhood, Darlene loved to put a pencil to paper and plot out stories of her own. Following a career path in administration, she excelled in the art of editing and design, which led to a successful position as Director of Administration and Marketing. Thanks to the support of her family, Darlene has been able to fulfil her dream to write full-time. When Darlene isn’t writing, editing, or reading she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and yellow Lab.

  To my daughter, Christine, who loves Christmas as much as her mom.

  This one is for you, baby girl!

  Contents

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…

  Chapter One

  ‘Santa’s not coming this year?’

  A high-pitched voice reverberated against Candi’s eardrums. She glanced down at the little girl gripping her pant leg, tears streaming down the child’s rosy pink cheeks.

  Mindy Hooper’s cry caught the attention of the other children in Cane’s Chocolate Shop. They all stared up at Candi, eyes flooding and bottom lips trembling. The exception was Ralphie, sucking loudly on a chocolate Santa lollipop.

  Candi knelt on one knee, at eye level with Mindy. She wiped the tears from the little girl’s cheeks and tucked a blonde ringlet behind her ear. ‘Of course, Santa is coming.’

  ‘But Virginia said Santa’s sick and couldn’t come. I heard her.’

  Candi glared at Virginia, reprimanding her assistant with a scowl.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Virginia mouthed.

  Candi glanced past the fudge stand. Mindy’s mother was at the front of the shop, eyeing the chocolate sampler tray. Mrs Hooper popped a caramel bomb in her mouth and turned to the group of children huddled near the counter with Candi and Virginia.

  Candi held up a hand and then pointed at the children, hoping to convey she had the situation well under control. Candi smiled at Mindy. ‘It’s true, honey. Santa isn’t feeling well today, but he’ll be here tomorrow.’

  Mindy squinted. ‘Santa’s not coming today?’

  ‘I’m afraid not.’

  ‘But why?’ the little girl whined.

  ‘He’s a bit under the weather. Santa’s going to get lots of rest and he promised to be here tomorrow.’

  The sobs and whimpers ceased. Candi gathered the children and ushered them to the back corner for story time.

  Steve leaned against the red velour chair, a tray of juice packs balanced in one hand, a storybook in the other. ‘Who wants to hear about two mice who braved a snowstorm to be home in time for Christmas?’

  The children cheered and settled on the mats by the oversized chair, lifting their expectant faces.

  Candi showed Steve a ‘thumbs up’ before returning to the front counter. ‘Damn, that was close,’ she whispered to Virginia, and smiled at the moms seated at the across the room.

  Every story time was the same. Each day the mothers would show up at eleven with their children, relax with a cup of complimentary coffee, and enjoy the snacks on the treat tray. Candi wasn’t sure if the mothers came more for their kid’s enjoyment or their own. For a whole hour they could share quilting tips or trade the town’s latest gossip.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Virginia said. ‘I had no idea Mindy was standing behind us.’

  ‘We got lucky this time. Let’s be more careful in the future.’ Candi checked the register for the morning sales receipts.

  ‘Um…you told them Santa would be here tomorrow.’

  ‘I did, didn’t I?’ Candi grimaced.

  Andrew Haley, Candi’s friend-slash-boyfriend, had played Santa the past four years, filling the role after Candi’s father retired. But Andrew had phoned earlier, whispering his apologies. A bad case of laryngitis would hinder his role for possibly the next few days.

  ‘So what should we do? Who else can we get?’ Virginia drummed her nails on the counter.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Candi shook her head. The staff at Andrew’s diner always covered for him whenever he stepped out for a few hours to play Santa. ‘I can’t ask anyone else in town to commit to every afternoon for the entire week. They have their own businesses to run.’

  ‘What about Steve? He’d love to play Santa.’

  ‘The children would recognize him straight away.’ A lock of chocolate brown hair slipped from Candi’s ponytail and she tucked the wayward coil behind her ear. ‘This town has seen far too many hardships. I will not let the children lose Santa, too.’ She walked past Virginia toward the baking room, and then paused, looking over her shoulder at her friend. ‘Santa will be here tomorrow,’ she whispered. ‘Even if I have to wear that damn suit myself.’

  Candi closed the door behind her and removed the chocolate caramel moulds and lollipop sticks from the fridge. She brought them to her workstation, turned and opened the stock cupboard. She selected red polka dot bags for the caramels and holly leaf-patterned bags for the lollipop sticks. With her supplies spread across the worktable, Candi slipped on her rubber gloves and packaged the goodies.

  Christmas was the busiest holiday for Cane’s Chocolate Shop and this year’s Christmas profits needed to be the best yet. If sales plummeted any farther, a no-show Santa wouldn’t be her only problem. She’d already spent the morning discussing…no, arguing her options with the bank.

  Candi sealed the ties on the lollipop sticks and placed them on the shelf with the other packaged candy. She boxed the chocolate-dipped cake Mrs Potter had ordered, and decorated the jar filled with chocolate pretzel rods for Mr Marley. The next task: slice last night’s fudge, starting with rocky road and vanilla nut.

  Each morning Candi awoke at six to help Violet and Sam Wright prepare breakfast at Redford Falls Inn. As a teen, between classes at school, Candi had helped out at the inn almost as much as she had at the chocolate shop. Violet and Sam became like an aunt and uncle to Candi and her brother, Colin.

  When breakfast was done she cleaned a few rooms at the inn before heading to the shop to package the treats she’d baked the previous night. During Virginia’s lunch break, Candi covered the register and inventoried the shelves. If time allowed before dinner, she usually whipped up a few more treats before the store closed, then headed back to the inn to assist with the evening meal. Unfortunately, the inn only had two couples this holiday season, but at least this allowed Candi to return to the shop before the day grew too late.

  In the evenings
she’d bake up a storm of fudge, cakes, lollipops, cocoa balls, truffles, or whatever inventory the store needed. Whenever she removed one tray from the large convection oven, she inserted another. And while those cooled, Candi would decorate the first batch of chocolate goodies with sprinkles, flavoured drizzle, or a dusting of sugar. Her nights were usually late, not returning to the inn until after eleven, or even midnight if she was prepping for a holiday.

  With shopping for supplies and the business paperwork as well, she rarely found a free moment to call her own. But Candi loved her job and she wouldn’t change a thing.

  She’d been running the family business ever since her father retired four years ago. He used to bake in their small kitchen, and every evening when Candi arrived home from the inn she helped her father add ingredients, stir, remove hot pans from the oven, and decorate their creations. Over the years, he shared all his recipes and taught her his secrets. And, as time passed, she added many of her own special touches.

  Three years earlier, when the jewellery store next door closed, Candi recognized the business opportunity. No more baking from her parents’ tiny kitchen. Most of her savings went into buying the property and hiring a construction crew to build an adjoining entry and professional bakery.

  Business had been good, especially during winter when the ski lift was open. But when large mega malls were developed in the city, the surrounding towns suffered. Redford Falls was no exception. The ski lift declared bankruptcy first and several small businesses soon followed. Tourism took a nosedive. More and more people abandoned the small town charm and serenity for big city noise and distractions. The population of Redford Falls dwindled. Kids left as soon as they graduated from high school to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

  In the beginning Candi ran the shop alone, but baking while tending the front counter resulted in burnt chocolate. Not an appealing aroma for the customers. She hired Virginia and then, after devising a way to hopefully secure a stream of regular customers, she hired Steve. Candi’s plan worked. The children left story time with a bag of free goodies, but not before their mothers generally purchased their favourite selection from the sampler tray.

  Candi knew she’d got lucky. Her employees went above and beyond the call of duty. While she ran back and forth between the shop and the inn, they arrived early, rarely took breaks, and stayed late, all without ever having to be asked. Virginia cared for the customers and tended the front counter, while Steve stocked the shelves, helped with packaging, and managed story time.

  Things ran smoothly for months until Candi’s brother, who also happened to be the bank manager, started with subtle warnings. With two property mortgages and sales at an all-time low, Colin’s warnings soon became demands. His advice that morning? Lay Steve off and reduce Virginia’s hours to part-time. Candi couldn’t do that to them. Steve had returned from the city to care for his ailing grandmother, and Virginia’s husband had recently been laid off from his construction job. With two children to care for, they needed Virginia’s full-time income. Screw Colin for suggesting she get rid of her employees!

  Candi stopped cutting fudge and propped her elbows on the table, dropping her head into her hands. Staff reduction was not an option. But what if she had no other choice? Her heart weighed heavy in her chest. If she could just make enough to cover the winter expenses, Christmas sales might get her through the worst. But then what?

  Candi stood, sighing, and picked up the knife. She had plenty of time to worry about that after the holiday. Right now, she had to find a Santa.

  Jackson’s stomach pulled into a tight, winding knot. He didn’t suffer from anxiety, so what was with the cold sweats? He drove the rental car along the recently ploughed highway, tipping his head side-to-side to relieve the tension in his neck. He left the highway, turning onto the exit ramp toward Redford Falls, and his stomach lurched again. Damn, what’s wrong with me?

  The week before Christmas usually meant warm climates, partying with friends, surfing the high waves, and lounging by the pool with beautiful women. His latest business venture would make him millions. So much, he should be having the time of his life. But instead, he had been driving through a snowstorm on his way to a small backwoods town in the middle of nowhere.

  Seven years since he’d last seen Redford Falls. A fight with his father and they hadn’t spoken since. Nor any communication with his younger brother, now with a wife and three children: a five-year-old niece and twin three-year-old nephews Jackson had yet to meet. The only family contact had been through his mother, and those hollow conversations were few and far between.

  Confronting them after all these years would be stressful, even though Jackson longed to be greeted with open arms. Isn’t that how families were supposed to work? Forgive and forget? Well, so what if they didn’t? He’d done just fine on his own the past seven years. If they didn’t welcome him home, Jackson would turn around and leave town as quickly as the first time.

  The real joke was how this whole journey back to Redford Falls had nothing to do with family drama. No, family wasn’t the reason for his return. She was.

  He gripped the wheel, his knuckles white. The muscles in his neck pinched and pulled tight. Every sensible part of his brain told him to turn the car around, to get on that flight to paradise. He could always come back in the spring when the weather wasn’t so bitterly cold and miserable. He briefly closed his eyes, considering the option. A second later his focus returned, but it was a second too late as a rabbit darted onto the snow-packed road in front of him. Jackson jerked the wheel to the right, to the left, and back to the right, before the front end of the car slammed into a snowbank. Damn! He jammed the gear-shift into park as Thumper stopped to glance at the car and then hopped into the woods. If Jackson didn’t know better, he would have sworn that rabbit just smirked at him. What the heck?

  He pounded his fist on the dash. Nine months he’d spent putting this business deal together. A deal that stood to make him more money than he ever imagined. Now everything hinged on one woman and a piece of paper.

  He slipped his hand inside his breast pocket, pulled out the document, and unfolded it along the dash. The words seemed straightforward, and his lawyer had confirmed the authenticity.

  The windshield wipers swished, smearing streaks of moisture and clearing white flakes off the window. He lifted his head and searched the snow-masked landscape. If he didn’t move soon he’d be stuck. Jackson shifted the car into reverse and willed the tires to grip, smiling when they did. He backed away from the snowbank and pulled onto the road, double-checking to make sure Thumper was no longer on the road. That darn rabbit was a nuisance, but not as much as this return trip home. He tucked the document back into his pocket. Driving would require his complete focus. The stress and anxiety wearing his muscles, and thoughts, would be gone soon enough.

  Twenty minutes later, Jackson slid the sedan into an angled parking spot in front of the chocolate shop. A walnut sign in the shape of a chocolate bar hung above the door. He flipped up the collar of his coat and stepped onto the pavement. The snow had stopped, but a north wind stung his bare face. He tucked his chin deeper into his coat collar and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Just as Jackson entered, a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair flipped the sign in the window. ‘We’re closing, but feel free to browse, and if you see anything you like, let me know.’

  Jackson definitely saw something he liked. A steamy visual crossed his mind of her, scantily clad on the beach. However, the gold wedding band on her finger derailed his wandering thoughts. So she was married. That didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt.

  ‘Thank you.’ He raked his gaze down the length of her. ‘I’m actually looking for Candice Cane. If memory serves, she used to practically live here.’

  The cute woman blushed. ‘She’s in the bakery. I’ll get her.’

  Jackson smiled at her backside, swaying as she walked to a room about halfway down the aisle. He brushed the snow from his shoulders a
nd flipped his collar down.

  The blonde returned, leading a tall slender woman through the door. She wiped a brown substance off her hands onto a red and green striped apron. Her smile evaporated the minute her eyes landed on him.

  Jackson stepped back. This wasn’t the girl he remembered. That young girl had short, jet-black hair and wore large glasses that slipped down her nose. Ordinary would have best described her. This girl…this woman who stood before him was far from a plain Jane. He soaked in her chocolate brown hair, the cobalt blue eyes, sleek nose, and her pink full lips. The dirty apron pulled tight around her slender waist highlighted the cleavage between her firm, creamy breasts and a set of long legs that went on for miles.

  The sight of her took his breath away.

  The knot in his stomach twisted. Jackson sputtered and choked. ‘Candice Cane.’

  ‘Well, if it isn’t Jackson Frost.’ She eyed the length of him, one hand resting on her hip. ‘What on earth brings you back home?’

  Chapter Two

  Jackson’s eyebrow rose. ‘You know perfectly well why I’m here.’

  A breath escaped her lips. Of course she knew why he was here. She’d anticipated this moment for years, even rehearsed a speech for just this event. But where was that damn speech now? Her mind blanked and the words were lost from her lips.

  Jackson Frost was back!

  She expected surprise, but not this turbulent flood of emotions. Embarrassment heated her cheeks from the memory of their last encounter. Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach when she remembered his betrayal. Satisfaction caused the corner of her lips to lift to a smug grin over her act of revenge.

  Candi’s vengeance was the reason Jackson stood on the welcome mat in her shop…all six foot five of him. He looked great, but then she’d always found Jackson irresistible. That’s where the problem started. Her obsession with Jackson went beyond a silly crush on her brother’s best friend. Candi had fallen in love with Jackson the moment he arrived on their doorstep, waiting for Colin to fetch his football cleats.