Page 69 of The Holiday Swap

Eventually, she pulled away. “Speaking of real estate, we need to talk...”

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By the time Cass left Brett, the sun was high in the sky and struggling to shine through the thick blanket of snow clouds gathering over the town. They looked swollen, ready to unload. But Cass had seen enough of these mountain snowstorms to know she still had a bit of time. She headed along Main, then turned onto Cornelia Street, which was where Sharon lived. Cass rang Sharon’s doorbell.

“Cass, what are you doing here?” Sharon said, her tone icy. Cass wondered how many bridges Charlie had burned while she was away.

“Do you mind if I come in for a minute?” she asked.

It didn’t take long to tell the tale of the swap, but Sharon didn’t appear moved.

“I can’t believe you two are still doing stuff like this,” Sharon said. “I wish our high school friends were here to witness this. Some things never change, I guess.”

Cass was sure they never had any friends in common but pushed along to more important things. “We’ve learned our lesson this time. And I’m sorry if there were any misunderstandings while I was gone.But please know, Charlie and I have had a lot going on this past little while. I hear you have, too. That’s kind of why I’m here. Apparently, you’re starting a dog biscuit business? And you’ve got a plan to bake dog biscuits using sourdough? I was over at Brett’s just now, and he told me word on the street is you’ve even got your own starter.”

Sharon’s expression changed from guarded to proud. She jumped up from the table and opened her fridge, revealing trays and trays of dog biscuits. “I am. The company is called Top Dog, and now that I’ve got my own starter going, let me tell you, the biscuits are going to get even better than they already are. I’m sure Jake told you his Bonnie already loves my Turmeric Treats.”

Cass grimaced. “Turmeric treats?”

“Oh right. Jake wouldn’t have told you, he would have told Charlie. You know he and Charlie are a thing, right?” Sharon dropped the tray on the counter and gasped. “Oh my God, does he know that you’re Cass, and Charlie is Charlie, and...oh my God.”

Cass was momentarily speechless. Well, that explained the bizarre interaction she’d had with Jake outside the bakery. But now wasn’t the time to unpack any of this, so she refocused on Sharon. “Sharon, you know how you said earlier that some things never change? How you suggested it was a touch immature of my sister and me to still be swapping places when we’re twenty-eight years old. Well... perhaps the same goes for you.” Uttering difficult truths like this had not been her style—until recently. It felt good. “We’re not in high school anymore, Sharon. Spreading rumors around town might not be the best use of your time—especially if you’re trying to start a business.”

For a moment, she thought Sharon was going to fire back an angry retort. Instead, she returned to the table and sat across from Cass. “You know, you’re right. All I wanted was to fit in when Icame back—and I guess that feeling of needing to fit in really did remind me of high school. So, I started behaving that way again. But it’s not what I want. What I want is to belong here, the way you do. What I want is...” But she shook her head and didn’t finish. Maybe Sharon didn’t have it all sorted out, either—something Cass could definitely relate to.

“I have a favor to ask, which is why I’m here,” Cass said. “There’s something wrong with the starter at Woodburn, and it’s a terrible time of year for this to be happening. It’s too late to get some of the backup starter we keep frozen and in dried strips going because it takes a few days. I know things have been odd between us—well, between you and Charlie. But is there any chance you’d be willing to share some of your starter and help save Christmas in Starlight Peak?”

“Wow,” Sharon said.

She paused dramatically and Cass wondered if she should leave.

“Cass, I can’t believe you’re asking me. I’d love to! I can’t think of any better way to feel like I fit into this town again.” She paused again. “But... as a businesswoman, I have to have a condition, which is that you give public credit to Top Dog, and hopefully send some business my way.”

Cass nodded. “Of course.”

“Andyou start stocking Top Dog biscuits in a special, prominent display at Woodburn Breads.”

“Of... course,” Cass said, with a touch of trepidation.

Sharon smiled. “Okay. And one last thing, Cass. I’m going to take off my businesswoman hat for this one. You need to stop leading Brett on, now that you’re back in town. If you want to be with him, be with him. And if you don’t, make that clear.”

In that moment, Cass knew Sharon’s deeper truth: she hadfeelings for Brett. Cass let that sink in, evaluating how it made her feel. What if Sharon and Brett started dating? How would it feel seeing the man she had been with for more than a decade with another woman?

Thankfully, Cass didn’t feel anything except cautious optimism for both Brett and Sharon. She nodded and said, “Don’t worry. That’s already been taken care of. Brett and I have agreed to be friends, and that’s it.” There was no mistaking the delight in Sharon’s expression now. That confirmed it—Sharondidcare for Brett.

“You have a deal, then. I still need to feed my starter today—I’ve named her Dolly, by the way—and then I’ll bring a big container, as much as I can spare, over to the bakery in about an hour. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect. Thank you, Sharon. I’m really so grateful.”

“You know what?” Sharon said. “Me, too.”

When Cass stepped back outside, she texted Walter to let him know Sharon was going to be bringing by some starter.I still have to run a few errands, but I’ll be back as soon as I can,she wrote.

With the next piece of the puzzle having fallen into place, Cass headed back toward the downtown area of Starlight Peak, the snow crunching underfoot and the chill sharp against her cheeks. It felt so good, she realized as she walked, to behome, breathing in the fresh mountain air rather than the Los Angeles smog. She had been dreading it but realized now it was exactly where she needed to be.

She headed along Main again, stopping in a few shops for Christmas presents as she did. She had to get her shopping done now, because the next twenty-four hours were going to be dedicated to baking as many loaves of holiday sourdough as they possibly could. She found a cashmere wrap for her mom in her favorite color, a soft, buttery yellow, and a ceramic tagine for her dad, whohad been getting into cooking Moroccan cuisine lately. But nothing caught her eye for Charlie. She knew she had to get her sister something—but what? They had never been at odds like this during the holidays before.

The text message notification on her phone chimed, and she glanced down at it, expecting to see a note from Walter. But it was her parents.There’s a chance our flight might be delayed because of the blizzard. We’ll keep you posted—but don’t worry. We WILL be home for Christmas. We’re the Goodwins!

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