After settling in her suite, and decides to see what this Christmas town is all about when she comes across a cemetery and spots Liam placing a single rose on someone's gravestone. She keeps her distance cause it looks like he is having a conversation with someone, but no one is there.'' I brought you a rose since that's what I got you on our first date, and it didn't even bother you that every other girl had a bouquet of roses. And all you had was one single rose since that's all that I could afford at the time. You taught me that it didn't matter about how many flowers were there; it was the thought that mattered ''says Liam after she gets the courage to go up to him. 'Hey''says Hazel, who is standing next to him and sees the name Zoey L Brown 1973-2009, loving daughter, wife, and mommy on the woman's stone.
''Oh hi, did you make it to the inn okay?'' asks Liam trying to brush off his sadness.
''Yes, I did; thank you so much for the directions; it is a beautiful inn, and is that your wife?'' asks Hazel curiously since she never caught his last name.''Yeah, she passed a year ago today ''says Liam trying to brush it off where everything is fine, especially around his little boy. To make it that his dad is no longer sad.'If you don't mind me asking, what even happened?'' asks Hazel as she sees the year she was born to now and she was so young, only thirty-seven.
''It was a car accident, ''says Liam as he stays a few more minutes and then leaves. Which makes her wonder what his deal is or what happened to make him closed off. I mean, she knows that, yes, he lost his spouse. Could he be worried that he may be betraying Zoey by moving on, and that's why he was barely even looking at her? Or possibly something else? After he walks away, she gets all of these crazy feelings for a man she barely knows.
Once she finishes checking out, the town realizes every shop and, or building, it's somehow related to Christmas but mostly Peppermint. Then she walks into a Candy Cane Cafe when she looks for a seat when all of the seats are pretty much taken at the counter, most of the booths. Luckily she comes across a booth with only one person sitting there, and it's nevertheless Liam, as she thinks to herself, why is it. I am always coming across this man. Ever since I spotted him, I have been continuously running into him.''Mind if I sit here?'' asks Hazel wondering what his response will be on a stranger that he barely even knows.
''Yeah, of course, ''says Liam looking up at her taking a sip of his coffee.
''Thank you so much, since this way the only seat available in this entire cafe, ''says Hazel as she sits on the other side of the booth.
''So if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?'' asks Liam.
'' I am a magazine editor for a fashion magazine, ''says Hazel.
''Oh cool, so you said that you were heading back to New York, right?'' asks Liam.
'' Yes, I am and been the editor the last four years, ''says Hazel.
'' That's amazing now. Are you from New York?'' asks Liam.
''No, I was born and raised in San Francisco, then I went to the Academy of Arts University as a Fashion Designer major, which is what drew me to New York after I graduated. I wanted a change of scenery after being raised there and going from Kindergarten to graduating college ''says Hazel.
'' That's cool, and I have not yet been to either of those places, ''says Liam.
'' Have you ever lived /visited somewhere out of Peppermint ?'' asks Hazel.
'' Besides going to Castleton VT to study at Castleton University, oh we did take Thomas to Disney when he was six ''says Liam.
''Let me guess raised In Peppermint, and is Thomas, your son?'' asks Hazel curiously but can tell that he is a small-town guy.
''Born and raised, and yes, he is nine who was born here as well; his mom and I wanted him around family, and I don't know why I am telling you all of this''says Liam as he stands up from the booth and walks away.
''Are you forgetting something you know paying'' says Hazel.
'' I don't need to, ''says Liam.
When a waitress comes up to her,'' hi, welcome to the Candy Cane Cafe, and you must be the woman who is staying at our Reindeer Inn '' asks Abby.''Yeah, I am, but how did you know that?'' asks Hazel, confused since she has barely talked to anyone besides Liam''In this town when there is someone new, everyone knows about it, so I see you have met Liam Brown, the sheriff in town ''says Abby.
''Guess so, and yes, I saw him this morning when I was trying to get home, but the roads were closed. Then he referred me to this town and the Reindeer Inn since I needed a place to stay for the night. I also noticed that he didn't pay; I wasn't sure if I should tell anyone and mostly don't want him to get in trouble. Even though he is the sheriff ''says Hazel.
As she laughs in amusement, ''his family owns the cafe, ''says Abby smiling.''Oh my god, I'm so embarrassed now if I knew that. I wouldn't have called him out on it. Now I'm curious about this place's name; what's the story on the Candy Cane Cafe?'' asks Hazel. As she sees that everything in this cafe is red and white, there is even a coat rack shaped like a candy cane.'' Liam's grandma Grace loved candy canes ever since she was a little girl, so she figured why not name her place after her favorite candy, ''says Abby.'' That's unique. Do his grandparents still own the cafe?'' asks Hazel''No unfortunately, they both passed away; Liam's little sister owns the place now. So what can I get you to eat?'' asks Abby.
''Lattee please''says Hazel, since that is her usual drink of choice whenever she is out or at the office. ''I can get you a cup of coffee with cream and sugar or one of our holiday drinks?'' asks Abby with her notepad in hand. While wearing a red apron with white lines from all the way across, ''Just coffee with cream & sugar is fine, and what's good to eat here?'' asks Hazel curiously what's on the menu since they don't lattes, but they do have special drinks? The most popular item on our menu right now is our Cinnamon Maple Waffles with homemade Cinnamon butter ''says Abby.'' That sounds great, ''says Hazel.''Coming right up, as she writes down her order. Excellent choice, and if you love our maple after trying our maple syrup, then you should check out our Maple festival tomorrow ''says Abby.
''A Maple Festival''says Hazel very interested since she has never heard of those before and wonders what it is about. She loves maple but can't wait to taste Vermont's maple since it tastes nothing like the kind she has had before and to see what this festival entitles. ''Yes, there is one every year, for the last 90 years, there is a baking contest that this cafe wins every year for our maple tarts; they have won the last nine years in a row,'' says Abby. '' Do you sell them here?'' asks Hazel wanting to taste them for herself as her mouth is watering just thinking about it.
''Yes, we do, and you are in luck cause we only sell them from November to January''says, Abby.''Then I will take one to go, ''says Hazel.''You won't be disappointed, and we make the maple that goes into maple syrup &, of course, our famous maple tarts. That everyone waits all year round for ''says Abby.
''Is it similar to the maple you get at a grocery store?'' asks. This makes Abby chuckle ''you are not from around here, are you?'' asks Abby.
''Not even close. I am currently living in New York, but I wasn't born there, so about this maple festival, who even runs it?'' asks Hazel.
''Well, this year Liam is for the first time, but he knows all the details by helping Zoey the last almost 12 years. Zoey has been helping her parents and grandparents with this festival for years, ''says Abby knowing Liam has some pretty big shoes to fill with past generations on his wife's side, not to mention including his wife.
''Oh wow, this is incredible; what else can you tell me about Zoey? I tried asking him about it earlier, but all he told me was how she died in a car accident.