AllegraBaker. Headstrong. Flirt. You know what word doesn't describe me? Girlfriend. Because my overprotective brother Grady scares off every guy in town. Finding a boyfriend in Mustang Cross is as tricky as stirring up a batch of divinity. I finally land myself a date before Kip Brinkerhoff saunters back into town. My brother's best friend is as brooding as he's always been.

But when we spend more time together, the loner who has been closed-off for years opens up to me. The grump who avoids sugar keeps devouring my sweet confections. The man who doesn't think he's good enough becomes everything I want. And I crave him. How am I supposed to resist a man so sweet? KipScarred. Brooding. Loner. What I've never been called is sweet.

People are best dealt with at arm's length which is why my trips to Mustang Cross are rare. However, returning to my hometown for Christmas this year sounds better than spending the holidays obsessing over my future or dodging my ex-fiancée. When I run into my best friend's little sister, the feisty woman with a love of sweets becomes a distraction. Her attitude and bright smile soothe the hurt inside me. Before long, I'm taking every sugary concoction, every piece of Allegra I can get my hands on. I know better than to fall for her charm. Nobody would ever want to be with someone as damaged as me. But I find myself falling anyway.