Chapter One

Bethany

I rolled down the window of my old Honda Civic and let the crisp autumn air sweep through the car. The scents of cinnamon, apples, and freshly fallen leaves filled the air, carried on the light breeze that rustled the orange and red foliage lining the quaint streets of Sweetberry Hollow. I couldn't help but grin at the decorations scattered throughout the town square—fake cobwebs stretched across storefronts, pumpkin displays stood guard on every porch, and lampposts wore orange bows like they were competing to see which could be the most festive. Halloween was just around the corner, and no one did Halloween quite like Sweetberry Hollow.

"Home sweet home," I murmured to myself, glancing fondly at the tricked-out displays in the shop windows. Skeletons, witches, and black cats all peered out at me with spooky glee, and the realization dawned that I'd been so consumed with trying to get ahead in life lately that I'd forgotten to stop and smell the roses, or the pumpkins so to speak. A sense of community like we had here in Sweetberry Hollow really was something to be treasured. Maybe it had been good for me to spend a little time away in the city just to remember that now. I'd missed the way my small town got into the spirit of things, and my heart warmed just looking at the effort everyone had put into the seasonal decorations.

Flicking on my blinker, I turned into the small parking lot off Main Street. My stomach growled as I thought of the candy shop. I needed a job, and working at Sugar Rush during the fall season definitely sounded like the perfect gig. I crossed my fingers they'd be able to use an extra hand as I looked for an empty spot to park, making a mental note to stop by Gran's house afterward. She'd love to hear all about my plans, and no visit was ever complete without being greeted by her two cats, Twilight and Moonbeam. Moonbeam, a sleek white Siamese, would of course pretend she didn't care whether I was there or not, while Twilight, a gray tabby of generous size, would practically launch himself into my lap the second I'd set foot in the door.

Shaking myself from thoughts of cuddly cats, I parked and stepped out of the car, pulling my jacket tighter against the cool air. The square was bustling with people darting between the various coffee shops and boutiques, but when I reached Sugar Rush, I paused.

The candy shop's window display was...well, sad. A few scattered pumpkins and a single half-hearted skeleton leaned awkwardly in the corner. The selection of treats behind the glass looked tired—outdated, even. There was barely any variation, and definitely not enough festive flair for Halloween. I frowned as I took it all in. The building itself was showing its age too, with paint peeling around the edges. At least the sign was new, but it looked like someone had slapped it up without much thought.

"Yikes," I muttered under my breath. "This is rough."

Still, I pushed open the door, setting off a tired-sounding bell overhead. The inside wasn't much better. The shop was almost deserted, except for a frazzled mom trying to console a crying infant while her toddler whined about not finding her favorite candy. In the far corner, two high school kids huddled around steaming mugs—probably hot chocolate—chatting but clearly not indulging in the candy that should have been the main attraction.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the counter where a woman stood, looking just as worn out as the shop. Her graying hair was escaping from a loose braid, and the dark circles under her eyes told me she hadn't slept well in a while. Still, she managed a faint smile when she noticed me approaching.

"Can I help you, dear?" she asked, though her voice sounded like she wasn't entirely sure anyone needed anything from this place.

"Uh, yeah," I said, offering her my most polite smile. "I was hoping to ask for an application. Are you hiring right now?"

Her eyes widened in shock. "A job application? Oh my goodness, are you serious?" Without warning, she rushed around the counter and grabbed my arm like I was some kind of miracle. "Whoever you are, you're a blessing! We need help so bad in here, I can't even tell you."

I laughed, a little taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm. "Well, happy to be a blessing," I said, trying to hide how startled I was. "But, uh, is everything okay? You seem...stressed?"

"Stressed isn't the half of it, honey," she replied, finally letting go of my arm but gesturing for me to sit down at one of the small tables. "Sit, sit! Want coffee? Chocolate? Anything you want. We don't get many new faces around here these days. I'm Alice, by the way. Alice Henderson."

"I'm Bethany Snow," I replied, sliding into the chair she'd pointed to. "And coffee sounds great, thanks. I...have kind of a complicated relationship with chocolate at the moment." I winced at the memory of yesterday's regrettable encounter with a forbidden chocolate cake. "It's a long story."

Alice nodded like she'd been there. "Chocolate has a way of doing that to people. Anyway, Bethany, let me give you the scoop. I've been working here for over twenty years—since before I got married. It's the classic age-old tale. After giving my husband three beautiful children, he opted to run off with his dental hygienist—guess she was cleaning more than just his teeth." She gave me a sly wink.

I snorted, not expecting that level of humor from someone who looked like they hadn't slept in a week. "Oh, wow. That's...something."

"Isn't it, though? So, I've been raising our three kids on this salary ever since. The old owners of this place treated me like family, but when they retired and moved to Florida, a corporate franchise, Sugar Rush, bought the shop. Things started going downhill after that." Alice poured two mugs of coffee, setting one in front of me. "The new manager they hired, River Moss, well...let's just say he's not your average candy store manager."

I raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Oh, you'll meet him soon enough," Alice said, taking a long sip of her coffee. "He's into all that new age, self-discovery stuff. One day he went on a hike—one of his many ‘spiritual journeys'—and claims he had a transcendental experience after eating a mushroom he found in the forest."

I almost spat out my coffee, holding back a laugh. "A mushroom?"

"Yep, a mushroom. It must have been a pretty magical one too, because he says he saw an angel. From that moment on, he decided to get healthy and went keto. Without telling anyone, he replaced all the sugar in our candies with prune juice. Guess he thought the town needed a cleanse."

I couldn't help it…I laughed out loud. "No!"

"Oh yeah. Of course, corporate found out and gave him the boot. He was already planning to resign anyway—something about living off the grid and starting a goat farm. The company's sending in a new manager, but until then, we're just trying to keep the place running."

Just as Alice finished speaking, the door to the back swung open, and a man who could only be River stepped into the store. He wore a faded Grateful Dead T-shirt, Birkenstocks, and his long hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. He looked like he had walked straight out of a 1970s time capsule.

"Alice! Who's this?" he asked, clapping his hands like he'd just walked into the best news of the day.

"This is Bethany," Alice said. "She's here for a job."

"Groovy! You're hired!" River declared without hesitation, flashing me a huge grin.

I blinked, surprised by how fast this was all happening. "Just like that?"

"The universe has spoken! Why mess with the flow?" River said cheerfully. "I'm out of here in a couple of days anyway, so the more, the merrier."

"Well...okay, then," I said, still processing the fact that I'd apparently just landed a job. "Nice to meet you…I guess?"

River beamed and gestured toward the back. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Noah. He's our onsite candy maker."

I shot Alice a glance, and she rolled her eyes. Following River to the back, I entered a small kitchen where a man in a brightly colored apron was hunched over, carefully sculpting what looked like tiny sugar pumpkins. I had to admit, they were adorable and hoped they didn't contain any prune juice. Noah was a larger guy with an expertly coiffed blonde bouffant, and his hands worked with precision as he shaped the candy.

"Noah, this is Bethany. She's going to help us out," River said.

Noah's face lit up like he'd just heard the best news of the century. "Oh, thank goodness! I've been dying for some fresh creative input around here. Corporate has me making all their bland recipes but take a look at these." He whipped out his phone and flipped through photos of elaborate desserts, sugar sculptures, and chocolate creations.

I stared at the pictures, genuinely impressed. "You made all of these?"

"Every last one," Noah said proudly. "Corporate won't allow me to experiment like I used to, but once they do, watch out—this place will be a whole new world of sweet art."

I smiled, warming to his enthusiasm. "I believe it. First things first, though. We need to spruce this place up."

"That," Noah said, nodding seriously, "is music to my ears."

After my whirlwind introduction to Sugar Rush, I stepped out of the shop feeling a weird mix of excitement and exhaustion. There was so much work to be done, but for the first time in a long while, I was genuinely excited about something. I could see the potential, even if the shop looked like it hadn't seen a broom in months.

My next stop was Gran's house, a cozy little cottage at the edge of town. Her garden was still in full fall bloom, bursting with colorful mums and marigolds. I knocked on the door and was greeted by the sight of Twilight, Gran's big gray storm cloud of a cat, peeking at me through the window. A second later, the door swung open, and Gran pulled me into a warm hug.

"Bethany! It's so good to see you, sweetheart. How was your morning? Have you eaten yet? I just put on some tomato soup and was about to fix grilled cheese to go with it. Want to join me for an early lunch?"

"Busy, no, and yes," I said, laughing as Twilight looked up at me and gave me a plaintive meow as if desperate for attention. I bent down and lifted him into my arms while Moonbeam, as expected, made a show of ignoring me. "Lunch sounds great, as I missed breakfast. I'll help you prepare the sandwiches. And guess what? I got a job at Sugar Rush, the candy shop downtown."

Gran's face lit up. "Oh, how wonderful! That place could sure use a bit of your flair to drum up business again after the prune juice fiasco last summer."

I smiled, loving how supportive she always was. "I think so too. Plus, the manager asked me to help cater a Halloween party on Saturday night at that old Victorian mansion…"

Gran raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one everything thinks is haunted?"

"Yep, that's the one. And I have to go in costume."

She chuckled. "And what are you going to dress as, pray tell?"

"An angel, maybe," I said, half-joking. At least that way I could pretend I'd have my wings back.

Gran's eyes twinkled mischievously. "An angel? That's an interesting choice."

I laughed, but as I thought about the party, a shiver ran down my spine. Something about this Halloween felt different—like it might just be a turning point somehow. The problem was, my spidey-sense couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

As we made our way through the living room to the kitchen, I viewed the familiar furnishings—Gran's favorite armchair, the soft couch with the worn-out springs that brought back memories of all the times I'd sat there, wrapped in one of her hand-knit blankets, sipping tea or hot cocoa while we talked about anything and everything. I stopped to put Twilight, purring like a motorboat now, down on the Oriental rug, and gave him a scratch behind his ears. Moonbeam, ever the aloof diva, strutted by, flicking her tail in disinterest but still keeping a watchful eye on me from the corner of the room.

Gran bustled ahead of me to the kitchen, her gait a little slower than it used to be, but still full of purpose. The tomato soup was just coming to a boil, and we set about making the grilled cheese sandwiches. A few minutes later, we settled ourselves at the dining room table with our lunches and dug in to the meal, pausing between bites to continue catching up.

"Now, tell me more about this new job of yours, " Gran said, shaking a bit of pepper over her bowl of soup.

I grinned, swallowing my bite of sandwich. "I think it's going to be fun, but the place really is in pretty rough shape. The current manager, River, is on his way out. Apparently, the corporate office is sending someone to replace him, but in the meantime, I'm just happy to help however I can. It could be a really charming place, you know? It's got potential."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Gran said, patting my hand. "You've always had a knack for adding a little magic to whatever you touch. That shop's lucky to have you."

I felt my cheeks flush with warmth at her words. Gran had always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. "Thanks, Gran. I just hope I don't mess it up."

"Mess it up?" Gran scoffed, leaning back in her chair with a dramatic sigh. "Oh, child, you could never mess up anything. And even if you did, what's the worst that could happen? You pick yourself back up and try again. That's how life works. Besides, you've got that spark, Bethany. You just need to see it for yourself."

I smiled, feeling a knot of tension loosen in my chest. Gran always had a way of making everything seem so simple. "I'm trying, Gran. Really, I am."

"And you're doing just fine," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You know, I always knew you'd make your way back here and find your footing. Sweetberry Hollow is in your blood. It's where you belong."

There was a truth to her words that I couldn't deny. As much as I'd wanted to prove myself by going off to college and trying to fit myself into the same box as everyone else, maybe I didn't have to do that after all. Was it possible I could find a way to belong just by being me? Doubt niggled my insides.

Gran took a bite of the steaming soup, savoring it for a moment before speaking again. "So, you said something about a Halloween party at the old Monroe mansion. Tell me more about that. Who's throwing the event? I didn't think anyone lived there anymore."

I shrugged, still a little unsure of the details myself. "I'm not really sure. Someone's hired Sugar Rush to handle the catering, in any case. It sounds like it's going to be a big deal though."

Gran raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Interesting," she mused thoughtfully as she munched her grilled cheese.

There was something in her tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Gran always had a way of knowing things before they happened, like she was tuned into some cosmic radio frequency the rest of us couldn't hear. I tried to shrug it off, but the unease lingered.

"Well, I hope it turns out okay," I said, trying to change the subject. "It should be fun, at least. I just hope the mansion isn't actually haunted."

Gran chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. If there are any ghosts, they're probably just as excited for a good party as the rest of us. Besides, Halloween is the perfect time for a little mystery and mayhem, don't you think?"

"I guess so," I said, giving a half-hearted laugh, not sure any more mayhem was quite what I needed.

Gran reached out and squeezed my hand, her expression softening. "Whatever happens, Bethany, just trust yourself. You've got more strength and courage in you than you realize. And if that haunted mansion has any surprises in store, well... I have a feeling you'll handle it just fine."

I smiled, feeling a swell of affection for her. Gran always knew how to say exactly what I needed to hear. "Thanks, Gran. I'll try not to let any ghosts spook me too much."

She winked at me, then leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile on her face. "That's my girl."

As we finished our lunches, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter, the weight of my uncertainties lifting with every word of encouragement from Gran. No matter what happened—whether the candy shop turned out to be a disaster or the Halloween party was filled with ghosts—everything would be okay. Because, as Gran had reminded me, I had a second chance at a future, and I wasn't facing it alone. Maybe this Halloween would be the start of a whole new adventure I'd been waiting for all along.