All of a sudden the snowflake lit up in Jake’s hands.

“Ah! Look at that,” she said.

“Look at that,” Jake repeated softly, his eyes not leaving hers. He stepped toward her, the warmly lit snowflake glowing in his hand. Charlie held her breath. Then he was in front of her, placing the snowflake in her hands, but he didn’t let go, instead letting his fingers circle around hers. She wasn’t even self-conscious about her messy hair, or the icing smears on her apron, or the fact that she was supposed to be focusing on getting that snowflake on top of the cupcake tower.

Charlie breathed Jake in as he tugged her closer, his hands still circling hers.

“Cass,” he started, closing his eyes momentarily. “I don’t know if I can be just friends.” The last part he practically whispered, but he said it fervently. “Or I should say, I don’t know if I want to.” His voice broke and Charlie knew this was the point of no return.

She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, their hands still clinging to the glowing snowflake between them. Charlie wasn’t sure for how long they were like that, the slow and steady pressure of Jake’s lips on hers, the rest of the world fading away. She didn’t want this to end, because she finally had to admit once and for all that what she felt for Jake wasn’t some furious crush that would burn out.

“Hey . . . Oh, sorry about that, kids.”

Charlie jerked away from Jake, putting a hand to her lips and looking at the door, where Chief Matthews stood.

“So, Greenman, the ceremony’s about to start.”

Jake managed to get a “Thanks, Chief,” out, his eyes still on Charlie.

Chief Matthews replied, “No problem,” and then tapped his hand on the doorframe before leaving. The room was suddenly quiet except for the bars of classical music that now eked into the kitchen from the library’s main room.

“You’d better go,” Charlie said. His fingers lingered as he placed the snowflake in her hands, then he grinned and bit his bottom lip. She felt suddenly shy, like a love-sick teenager, and grinned back.

“We’re not done here.” Jake raised an eyebrow. Charlie could only nod, impatient to learn what that actually meant.

• • •

“I brought you something.” Jake stood in front of her, two glasses of champagne in his hands. “Figured you deserved a bit of good cheer after those amazing cupcakes.” The ceremony and reception were long over, everything having gone smoothly, but Charlie didn’t immediately take the glass he held out to her.

“Thanks, but I shouldn’t really drink on the job,” she said. Then she glanced at the bride and groom, who were dancing in slow circles in the middle of the room surrounded by a dozen or so guests doing a similar sway to the music. “Though, technically I guess I’m off the clock now.”

She took the champagne flute from Jake. “I guess one can’t hurt.” With a smile she clinked her glass to his and took a small sip, the sharp effervescence of the drink tickling her nose.