The Winter of Candy Canes (A Sweet Seasons Novel) by Debbie Viguié

about going back to sleep, but she was more alert and feeling a little restless.
    “Anyone want to play a game?” she asked.
    The doorbell rang before either of her parents could answer. A moment later her mom announced, “Candace, you have visitors.”
    Candace struggled and managed to sit up a little straighter as she turned to look. Sue and Becca waved as they came toward her.
    “Hi! What are you two doing here?” Candace asked.
    “Josh is organizing the visiting parties,” Sue said with a smile. “He's staggered it so we're all coming in shifts over the next day and a half.”
    Candace smiled. “We just got off work,” Becca explained.
    “I can only stay a little while,” Sue said.
    “But I'm here until the next shift,” Becca grinned.
    “You don't have to do this,” Candace protested.
    “Yes we do. We're here to entertain the fallen hero,” Sue laughed.
    “Can I offer you ladies some stew?” Candace's mom asked.
    “Yes, please,” they chorused.
    A minute later Sue and Becca were eating and trying to talk at the same time. “You keep this up, and they're going to erect some sort of statue to you,” Becca finally said.
    “What, most injured referee in park history?”
    “Nope, most heroic,” Sue said.
    Candace rolled her eyes. “Please.”
    “First psycho killers and now child mobs,” Becca replied.
    They chatted for a few more minutes before Sue stood up. “I have to get home,” she said.
    “Would you take some stew with you?” Candace's mom asked.
    Sue hesitated for only a moment before nodding vigorously. “Everything went well at the booth, by the way. I sold fifteen hundred dollars worth of merchandise before your replacement showed up,” she said.
    “Wow! I should have you work the booth every day.”
    Sue took a disposable container filled with stew and then turned to Candace. “Feel better soon.”
    “Thanks. I'll try,” Candace answered.
    Once she had gone, Becca leaned forward conspiratorially. “Do you know a guy at your school named Brad Miller?”
    “Yeah. He's in a couple of my classes. Why?”
    “He asked me to go to your Winter Formal with him.”
    “Wow, what did you say?”
    “Yes.”
    “What about Roger?” Candace asked.
    Becca shrugged. “What about him? He's never asked me out.”
    “He wants to,” Candace said.
    “Wanting to and actually doing are two different things. So, do you know much about Brad?”
    “He seems like a nice guy. How do you know him?”
    “He worked in the Exploration Zone over the summer. He came by the Muffin Mansion earlier this week to ask me to the dance.”
    “Well, that'll be fun. We'll see each other there.”
    Becca looked at Candace's leg brace.
    “I'm going with or without this thing,” Candace said.
    “Good. I'm going to need a friend there in case he turns out to be a jerk.”
    Becca left a couple hours later when Kurt showed up. “How are you doing?” he asked, wincing as he looked at her bruised cheek.
    “Okay,” she said.
    “Looks like once again you were in trouble and I wasn't there to rescue you,” he said, his face brooding.
    “Don't worry about it. You're there for me lots of times. Besides, you can't follow me around the park. It's not your job,” she said, smiling in an attempt to get him to smile back.
    It didn't work. He just frowned more deeply. “If it was my job, I'd have been fired by now.”
    “Hey, who's cheering who up?” she asked. Her shoulder was throbbing, and she wasn't in the mood to make him feel better.
    “Sorry. Guess I'm pretty much a loser all the way around.”
    Candace closed her eyes and tried to quash the irritation that was rising within her. This was so not about him. She couldn't think of any way she could salvage the situation, and she was really too tired to try. Fortunately, her mom saved the day.
    “Candace, honey, it's been a big day, and you're looking pretty pale. I think maybe you should try to get some sleep.”
    “Yeah. I'll go so you can do that,”