Christmas at Candy Cane Lane Read online

  Christmas at Candy Cane Lane

  The Blizzard Bluff Series

  Book 2

  Laramie Briscoe

  For anyone who loves Christmas and hot men who can bake.

  XOXO

  Laramie

  Contents

  New Release Alerts

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Also By Laramie Briscoe

  Declan - Chapter One

  Shadows - Chapter One

  About the Author

  Report Errors/Reviews

  Connect With Laramie

  Copyright © 2022 Laramie Briscoe

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and storylines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

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  Cover: TE Black Designs

  Formatting: Laramie Briscoe

  Created with Vellum

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  Blurb

  Merry, bright, and ready to go all night...

  Merry Lights

  With a name like mine, everyone assumes Christmas is my favorite time of year.

  Truth is, being the owner of Blizzard Bluff's most popular bakery, this is my busy season, and if it doesn't go well, I won't have anything to live off of for the remaining eleven months of the year. I'm closest to my coworkers since I spend the most time with them.

  But there's one I can't get out of my head, Beckett. A construction worker by trade, he's using his winter break to save money for a new home.

  When a blizzard surprises the town, I'm stuck at the shop with the hottest baker I've ever worked with. Over twenty-four hours, he teaches me things about my body I never knew. As the plows go through to clear the streets, I hope it doesn't end.

  Chapter One

  Merry

  "Merry, can you please make sure Beckett gets this?" Glancing down at the counter, I see a ten-dollar bill extending toward me from ninety-if-she-isn't-a-day Mrs. Anthony. I've waited on her for over five years and made cupcakes for her grandchildren at the very last minute, and she's never given me a tip.

  "Will do, Mrs. Anthony. Thank you for coming in today."

  She gives me a sly grin. "As long as you have him in here, I'll come by every day."

  I keep the smile plastered on my face as she walks out. She's the last customer of the morning.

  "Rush done?" Beckett asks, coming out from the back. "It was a crazy few hours."

  Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I give him a glare. "It's crazy because of you. Before you showed up, it was easily manageable. Now, we've got a line as soon as we open and it doesn't slow down until about now." I look up at the clock. It's going on eleven.

  "Would it be easier if I stayed in the back all day?" He hitches his thumb behind him. "I don't want to make things more difficult for you. I mean, you're letting me work here while construction is slow for the winter. I appreciate it."

  "No." I shake my head. "It's a good thing you're here. My profits have quadrupled since you showed up in your flannel shirt rolled up to your forearms and worn jeans. Keep that five o'clock shadow on your face, and I might be able to afford my new ovens before you go back to Lucas in the spring."

  He chuckles, wiping his hands on a towel. "I'm going to head over to the diner. Do you want anything?"

  "Turkey sandwich with extra mayo on wheat, please. Here, let me get you some money." I rush toward the back to get my purse.

  "It's on me." He waves his hand, holding up the ten-dollar bill. "After all, I'm the one getting tips."

  "I hate to admit that irritates the shit outta me." I laugh.

  "Which is why I don't mind sharing it with you. You might think I don't hear it, but you put up with a lot from the people you wait on."

  The unexpected compliment from him sits in my chest, making my heart pound extra hard. "Thanks, I appreciate you noticing."

  "Be back soon." He waves before heading out the door.

  I wait for the bell to ring, signaling his departure, before I allow my eyes to follow his jean-covered ass walking away from me. It's not like I'm blind. I know why everyone is coming into the bakery. It's not as if I can't see the way Beckett looks. He's hot in that blue-collar kind of way. If you're stranded on the side of the road with a flat, he can get you changed and ready to go in less than fifteen minutes. While I wish I were the type of woman who doesn't find those things attractive, I can't lie. They are.

  The last guy I dated was a businessman from Boulder who thought money was everything. He was never willing to get his hands covered in flour to help me when I desperately needed it, always as if he were too good. It was the resentment that sent me running from him. It was the fact I wouldn't move from Blizzard Bluff for him. I love it here and can't see myself living anywhere else. In the end, both of those things were deal-breakers for us.

  I haven't dated anyone since we broke up. For the longest time, I convinced myself I didn't need anyone, but working around Beckett for the last month has proven to me just how wrong I am.

  The bell over the door rings again, and in walks Holly Fortner, carrying her almost-year-old son, Frankie. "Hey." I wave at them. She's become one of my best friends since she moved to town.

  "Hey." She waves back. "He had his one-year pictures, and I promised we would come in for either a cookie or a cupcake."

  "I have the perfect thing." I reach into the case, pulling out a cookies-and-cream cupcake. It's his favorite, and the reason I have these today is because I've just fulfilled her order for tomorrow. "This is just for you, Frankie."

  The smile on his face is thank you enough for me.

  "Do you have our order?" Holly sits him on the counter before pulling her wallet out of her purse.

  "I do. Let me go grab it for you. Do you want to look at it to make sure it's what you want?"

  She grins. "No, you sent me plenty of pictures when you were making it. It's exactly what we want. I can't wait for him to see it." She ducks her head toward Frankie.

  "You'll have to take a video for me. I have to be at my grandparents' tomorrow for our extended family Christmas."

  "I know. This is going to be the hardest thing about him being born when he was. Although we're having the party the week before Christmas, everyone is still so busy." She worries her bottom lip between her teeth.

  "He'll learn to love it," I assure her. "Christmas is a special time to have your birthday. After all, you're sharing it with Jesus."

  She raises an eyebrow. "Somehow, I don't think he's going to think it's as cool as you're trying to make it out to be."

  I shrug, grinning. "I'm doing my best."

  "It's a valiant effort." She looks around. "How's it going with Beckett?" She whispers.

  "I can't thank you enough for recommending him to me. It's so weird that someone with such big hands and calluses on his fingers can do the type of work I need him to do."

  "I tend to watch what the men who work for my husband do. He does a lot of the intricate woodwork. I knew he would be just right for you." She winks.

  "He's a great worker," I remind her. "I'm not looking for anything else."

  "Yeah." She giggles. "Neither was I when I came home. I thought I had everything in Boston. Little did I know Luke would turn my world upside down within twenty-four hours."

  I'm well aware of the story surrounding Luke and Holly's marriage. I think nothing like that will ever happen for me. "Some of us are lucky and some of us aren't."

  She wipes at Frankie's chin as Beckett comes back into the bakery. "And some of us are just too scared to take the chance. He won't be here forever, Merry. Might as well take advantage while you can. He'll be back working with my husband when the weather breaks."

  "Hey Holly," he greets her, leaning down to hug her before chucking Frankie under the chin. "How's it going?"

  "Luke is chomping at the bit to get back to work." She shakes her head. "I'm surprised I convinced him to do a seasonal layoff this year but, after the spring, summer, and fall y'all had, all of you needed it."

  He nods, seeming to agree. "At first I was worried about it, but you're right. We did need it. Our bodies were taking a beating a
nd the long hours were mentally wearing me out."

  "See, sometimes I know what I'm talking about." She grins. "Thanks for the order, Merry. I'll send you the video tomorrow."

  "Please do."

  "Here's your sandwich." Beckett hands me a wrapped package. "I already ate mine on the way over."

  Before I can say anything to him, he nods toward Holly. "Let me help you take that to your SUV."

  "Thank you, I appreciate it."

  As they leave, I have to bite my tongue. If there's one thing hotter than a blue-collar man, it's one with manners. This one, he has it all in spades.

  Chapter Two

  Beckett

  "How's it going, working with Merry?" Holly asks as I help her to her SUV.

  "It's going." I shrug. "What's surprising to me is that all the older women in town are giving me tips. It makes me feel awful. Merry goes above and beyond for almost anyone who asks it of her and they aren't giving her tips. They're asking her if they can get money off their orders. Meanwhile, here I am, getting crazy tips just for being there."

  "I know her and, trust me, she's not keeping tabs."

  "I don't think she is," I assure Holly. "But I wish I could give her a little something of what she's given me. Thanks to the tips and steady paycheck, I'm going to have what I need to finish the down payment for the property and house I wanna buy. If it hadn't been for her letting me do this, I wouldn't be there right now."

  "Maybe just tell her that," she suggests. "Or is there a little more going on here?"

  If there's anything I hate, it's when others can see what I'm trying to hide and Holly is extremely good at doing just that. "I admire her."

  "But do you also find yourself attracted to her? Merry is my friend and she's beautiful. You'd have to be crazy not to see it."

  "I'd have to be blind not to be attracted to her, but she's my boss. It's probably not the best idea."

  Holly crooks her finger, bringing me closer to her. "I say give it a shot. You might be surprised in what Merry has to bring to the table."

  She puts Frankie into the car seat and then gets into the SUV. I wait, watching for the two of them to pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road. When she eases into the small line of traffic, I turn back toward the bakery and quickly walk back in. Merry is starting to break down the cases. "Closing early today?"

  "We may as well. That breakfast rush almost wiped us out. I'll take what's left over to the after-school program for them to have snacks. If you wanna go ahead and clock out, I'll finish closing up."

  These are the moments when it's as if I'm dismissed. Where we could get to know one another better if we could speak freely, but we don't. Neither one of us ever asks the questions. The ones that would help us get to know one another better. The hard ones. Not like what our favorite colors are, but why we're both here.

  Neither one of us is from Blizzard Bluff and, from what I've heard, her story isn't one of happiness, nor is mine. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to other than Holly and Luke, who have the love story of the century. "Can I help?"

  Her dark eyes look back at me over her shoulder. A fantasy flows through my mind. One where I'm behind her, burying myself deep inside, watching as she's overcome with ecstasy and I'm the one giving it to her. It's the dirtiest secret I've been harboring since I began working here. The scene has taken different forms, this one being the steamiest.

  "You okay?" She questions. "You're flushed."

  "It's kinda hot in here." I reach for my shirt, pulling it out from my chest and pretending to fan my body when what I really need is to wrap a hand around my hard cock for a session.

  "Yeah, I turned off the fans since we're closing early. You can help me take all this out to my SUV."

  "I can help you unload it too, if you want." Dude, shut your mouth. You sound fuckin' desperate. The truth is, I am. I don't have many friends in town and most of the workers have moved on to better weather for the season. The winter months are extremely lonely for men like me. I need a cat or something.

  "Okay." She grins. "If you really want to, I'd appreciate it. Let's get this loaded and I'll close up. You know where the after-school program is?"

  "No, I've never been over there."

  "You can follow me. It's not far."

  Given a task to do, I feel better than I have in a while. "You lead the way."

  She has a taillight out. I wonder if anyone's told her. All I can see when she stops at red lights and four ways in front of me is the non-existent light. It's dumb, but all I can imagine in my mind is someone not seeing her stopping (although there's one light working perfectly fine) and rear-ending her. Who would come to her aid?

  These are the types of questions that keep me up at night, because I couldn't keep someone in my life safe when they needed it the most. Those nightmares prevent me from sleeping too, but no one knows about them. I don't share and never have with anyone here in Blizzard Bluff. They're my little secret.

  Coming to a stop at the light in front of the elementary school, I look around this place I've started to call home. In the background, the mountains rise up over the horizon. They're snow-capped and dark against the blue sky. Ugly snow is stacked up alongside the road where the plows have come through. I much prefer the pristine, untouched walkway.

  When the light turns green, I pull into the school behind Merry. She parks over to the side and I take the spot beside her.

  "I called on my way over," she says. "They're opening the cafeteria door for us so we can take it in. They're in boxes and bags so they should be easy to carry."

  She opens the back of her SUV. Together, we empty the back and I follow her to the doors. There's a worker coming toward us, waving.

  "Hey Merry," the guy greets her. "Thanks for bringing this stuff over."

  "It's no problem, John." She smiles back at him.

  Part of me wishes I was on the other end of her smile. She's never given me this type of smile. Let's be honest. She normally just grins at me. The pit in my stomach widens slightly and I don't know where this jealousy came from so easily.

  "I don't know if you heard, but our budget for the after-school program got cut in half. We're barely affording to keep the school open late enough for the kids to be here. If it weren't for what you're doing right now, we wouldn't have snacks to give them."

  "I hate to hear that, John. I had no idea it was so bad."

  I didn't either, but I don't know this man or these kids to be able to comment on it.

  "It is. We appreciate this more than you know. Here." He motions. "You can put the other stuff right on the table."

  Finally able to get rid of what's in my hands, I do as he's asked.

  "Well, anytime we have some extra food, I'll bring it over," she promises.

  "You do and we'll get you information so that you can write it off as a charity donation. With some of these kids, this is the only time they get to eat and they're going to get some very special treats with what you've brought over today."

  We talk to him for a few minutes before we head out. Once we're outside, she turns to me. "I wish there was something else I could do to help these kids."

  "You're doing way more than you have to and more than most of these kids have probably seen before. You and I both know none of their parents can afford to come to the bakery and buy anything they want. This is a great treat to them, especially with Christmas coming up," I remind her.

  "You're right. It's a small thing, but at least I can do something." She sighs.

  "Merry, trust me when I say this. Nothing you do is small."