Chapter 1: A Sticky Situation

Candy scooped warm caramel into the lollipop molds, trying to ignore the sound of Chrissy’s flirtatious giggling from the corner. Her younger sister, all wild energy and hormones, was shamelessly toying with Nick, the new guy. At nineteen, Chrissy was a storm of fury and seduction, her long blonde hair and sparkling eyes capable of making anyone weak, and right now, her attention was all on Nick.

“Nick,” Chrissy purred, letting his name roll off her tongue like a piece of decadent chocolate. “You know, I’ve been thinking...”

Nick leaned in slightly, that slow, teasing grin spreading across his face—the one that made Candy’s pulse quicken against her will.

“Yeah, Chrissy?” he asked, his voice low and inviting.

Candy tried to ignore the way her stomach twisted, focusing instead on pouring caramel into the molds. But the shop was small, and every word, every flirtatious note, seeped into the air between them. She and Chrissy had inherited Candy’s Confections after their mother passed, and every day was a fight to keep it alive. Yet here was Chrissy, wasting time as usual—flirting instead of working.

“I was thinking,” Chrissy continued, popping a caramel into her mouth in a way that drew attention to her full, luscious lips, “maybe you could teach me how to make some of these sweets. I think it’d be ... fun.”

Nick rested his arm against the counter, his full attention on her now. “I’d be happy to show you, Chrissy.”

Candy bit down on the inside of her cheek. She had tried teaching Chrissy how to make candy countless times, but her sister never had the patience. Now, all of a sudden, she wanted Nick to teach her?

“That sounds like a great idea,” Candy said, interjecting from across the room, her voice taut with forced cheer. “You can help me pull the taffy.”

Chrissy didn’t even bother looking at her. “What do you say, Nick?” she asked, her tone coy, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Will you show me how to pull your taffy?”

Nick arched an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth lifting in amusement. “Didn’t you ruin a batch two days ago?”

Chrissy pouted, folding her arms beneath her full, round breasts, which strained against her top in a way that made Candy’s eyes roll. “It’s not my fault. Every time I start pulling, it either turns super hard or becomes a sticky, gooey mess.”

Candy bit back a sigh. She’d had enough of this little show. “That’s enough, Chrissy,” she said, trying to sound firm but calm. “Nick and I have got real work to do. If you want to help, you can finish putting up the Halloween decorations.”

With a dramatic huff, Chrissy stuck out her tongue and stomped off, her footsteps echoing through the small shop. She wasn’t going to help—Candy knew that—but at least she’d be out of the way.

Of course, Chrissy’s exit was its own performance, her hips swaying seductively, each step choreographed to draw the eye. Her taught bottom bounced just a little more than necessary, a playful tease that Nick followed with undisguised interest, his expression shifting from amusement to something more predatory.

Candy felt a surge of irritation rise within her. She wanted to scream or throw something, but instead, she closed her eyes, taking a slow, steadying breath. When she finally opened them again, Chrissy was gone, and Nick was watching her with that maddening smirk of his.

She attempted a scowl, hoping to convey her disappointment and annoyance, but the expression faltered the moment he caught her gaze. His grin deepened, radiating confidence and a complete lack of shame as if he felt no guilt at all for having her witness him practically ‘eye-fucking’ her little sister.

“Is she always so...” he began, trailing off, as if savoring the thought.

“My sister can be a little much,” Candy murmured, feeling the warmth his attention brought to her cheeks.

Nick chuckled, the sound deep and warm. “It’s fine. She’s young and curious. It’s ... cute.”

Candy’s stomach twisted at the word cute. She found herself searching his face, trying to decode what cute meant to him. There was a pang of jealousy she couldn’t shake every time Chrissy fluttered around Nick, and it gnawed at her in ways she didn’t fully understand—or maybe didn’t want to.

Since she’d hired Nick to help with the October rush, Chrissy had been even less helpful than normal. The girl was shameless in her flirtation, and Nick responded in a way that was unmistakably male. It should have been inconsequential to Candy, but each shared smile between them twisted the knife deeper into Candy’s gut.

Sometimes, Candy wished she could be as bold as her sister, as fearless and unapologetic in the way she handled attention. She’d always been a little fuller, her curves soft and rounded in ways that made her feel like the less attractive sister. Boys—and now men—had never been easy for her to deal with. Candy always felt awkward and unsure of herself.

Not like my slut sister, Candy thought bitterly. Even unspoken, the word slut left a sour taste on her tongue. She hated thinking it, but the resentment simmering inside her had nowhere else to go.

It gnawed at her now, growing stronger every time she saw Chrissy fawn over Nick. She hated that it got under her skin like this, that Chrissy’s antics could spark something so raw inside her. But there was no denying it—watching her sister laugh and flirt with Nick, knowing how easily Chrissy could capture his attention, stirred a dangerous mix of jealousy and something even darker. It was a feeling Candy wasn’t prepared to confront, a simmering tension that made her pulse race and her thoughts blur.

She told herself to get a grip. She had to keep the shop running smoothly, especially with the additional orders for Halloween and the upcoming Autumn Festival. October was a vital month for Candy’s Confections, the little candy shop with the whimsical name that had drawn in customers for years.

The shop’s name had been their mother’s playful choice, a nod to her eldest daughter, Candace Cane. No one in town ever called her Candace; she was simply Candy, a name synonymous with the shop itself. With a last name like Cane, it was only natural that she’d embrace the sweet moniker.

Their mother had always had a penchant for playful names. Chrissy, short for Christmas Cane, was a testament to that same spirit. But that creativity hadn’t translated into savvy business sense. When Candy and her sister inherited the shop, it didn’t take long for Candy to realize the harsh reality: the shop was in tremendous debt. Despite being a beloved local institution, Candy’s Confections teetered on the brink of closure.

Over the past three years, Candy had thrown herself into saving the family legacy, pouring her heart and soul into every aspect of the business. With little assistance from her younger sister, who seemed more interested in boys than helping in the shop, Candy had taken on the bulk of the work. She learned how to negotiate with suppliers, streamline production, and market their offerings online. She’d also expanded their selection of baked goods and started selling coffee in the mornings, adding a dependable and consistent source of revenue. Slowly but surely, she had begun to turn things around.

The weight of those early struggles still pressed on her shoulders, a constant reminder of how far they had come and how much further they still needed to go. However, the financial strains were easing, and this year she had hired Nick, an experienced candy maker, to help with the workload.

He was everything she’d hoped—efficient, hardworking, and knowledgeable. And it didn’t hurt that he was nice to look at. His rugged charm was impossible to ignore, and he quickly became a favorite among female customers.

It would have been perfect, except that he had attracted Chrissy’s interest, which led to a simmering resentment on Candy’s part.

As the shop door chimed, Candy was jolted from her thoughts. Three girls from the nearby high school walked in, their laughter bubbling over like the melting caramel. They were a year or two younger than Chrissy but were just as giggly and flirtatious in Nick’s presence.

As Nick chatted with the girls, they stumbled over their words, trying to sound casual while clearly grappling with their crushes. It was a far cry from Chrissy’s bold insinuations and Candy found herself smiling at their awkwardness.

“Do you have any new flavors?” one of the girls asked, her cheeks flushing as she caught Nick’s gaze.

“Absolutely!” Nick replied, his voice smooth and inviting. “We just created a pumpkin spice caramel that’s perfect for fall. Want to give it a try?”

Candy watched as the girls leaned in, their interest focused on Nick rather than the candy. They blushed and giggled, trying to catch his eye as they leaned over the counter, a world away from the confident flirtation that Chrissy wielded so effortlessly. Nick seemed amused by their awkwardness, his smile widening as he offered further suggestions, making small talk that left the girls giggling even more.