Candy Cane Wishes and Peppermint Dreams: A Sweet Sapphic Holiday Romance

Paisley O’Brien is the full-time nanny for a family she adores, unexpectedly finding herself alone during the Christmas holidays when the Dorchester's, her employers, decide to visit relatives in England. Although missing them, the long-divorced femme takes advantage of the break to plan a small Christmas Eve get-together for her friends, reluctantly venturing out to the busy local mall to finish her gift and party shopping.

Mechanic Hayden Cox and her 12-year-old daughter Poppy embark on a holiday shopping spree at the mall and are enjoying the day together when Poppy spots Santa’s workshop and begs to stand in the long line to see him. Since the death of Hayden’s partner and Poppy’s birth mother when her child was eighteen months old, the quiet, gentle butch has walked a fine line between outwardly honoring Moira’s memory for Poppy’s sake while reconciling her ugly memories of the alcohol addiction responsible for stealing Moira’s life in a drunken car crash.

Upon receiving Hayden’s permission to go and see Santa, however, Poppy squeals in excitement when she spots “Miss Paisley” in the crowd, the nanny of two new friends who had just joined her soccer team. When Poppy introduces them, Paisley and Hayden sit on a bench together to wait for her after Paisley discovers Poppy attends the STEM magnet school where the Dorchester's have expressed an interest in sending their children.

School chat eventually leads to deeper conversation until the enchantment of the Christmas season showers its sparkling magic over the two lost and lonely souls. As the love and warmth of candy cane wishes and peppermint dreams nestles in their longing hearts, Paisley and Hayden realize the life they have each always dreamed of hovers just within their reach—if only they can find the courage to reach out and take it.

A chance encounter. The magic of Christmas. Candy cane wishes and peppermint dreams can always come true—just when you least expect it. A butch/femme, starting over, chance encounter holiday romance.