Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,27
high-dollar custom paint job. David had outlined the details in black and even added green garland and a wreath to it. “It’s just like Allie’s truck.”
“It sure is.”
“I made one like Elliott’s truck too, Hannah.” He showed her the green truck, and Katie watched Hannah for a reaction.
Hannah pulled her lips together. “I like it.” Her smile suggested more.
Elliott joined them in the kitchen. “Did I just hear my name?”
Hannah looked like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her mouth opened and closed before any words started coming out. “You did. David made a cookie for you.”
“Aw, man. That’s awesome. It’s just like my truck.” Elliott slapped his arm around David. “Great job, man.”
“Thanks!” David raced over to his stool and went back to work.
Nan was painstakingly decorating small ornament-shaped cookies with a fine tip, while Megan worked on 3-D tree cookies that were basically two stacked cookies, then she used a fringe tip to dab lifelike pine needles on them.
Ben lifted a pastry bag and snipped the tip like a pro. Katie was quite impressed when he started dabbing the tip against the cookie with all the skill of those television pastry chefs. She struggled with her Christmas tree in an effort to make it a little prettier, or at least presentable. She dropped a few more sprinkles across it. “More sprinkles is always good, right?”
“Definitely.” Nan lifted two exact duplicate ornament cookies and held them up to the sides of her face like earrings. “What do you think?”
“Those are too pretty to eat,” Katie said.
“No such thing,” Michelle corrected her. “I never met a cookie I couldn’t eat.”
“Me neither,” Henry said. “But if you have any you don’t think are worthy, send them my way so I can prove you wrong. I’ll consider it my favor to you.”
“You’re just too generous,” Michelle said.
Katie placed another chocolate-coated candy on her Christmas tree cookie, finally satisfied that it was pretty enough to consider complete. She glanced down at Ben’s. “Whoa, wow, I am not as good as you are at this.” His cookie, a star shape, was a work of art.
“I know my way around a cookie.” He held up his star. Edged in white, the pretty sky-blue star was piped in a filigree pattern. “Plus, this one is extra special.”
“Really? Are you gloating?”
“Not at all. Watch this.” He raised the cookie above his head and lowered it slowly back to the table. “It’s a falling star. That’s why it’s extra special.”
“Of course it is.”
“Hope you made a wish.”
“I wish I could compete with that,” she teased. Katie held up her less-than-amazing cookie. The only cookies she’d ever made were of the slice-and-bake variety, and she wasn’t sure she could remember the last time she’d done that. Perhaps before her parents’ divorce, when she and her brother had surprised them with homemade cookies. “Mine’s not amazing.”
“You’ll be happy to know there’s no such thing as a bad Christmas cookie.”
She did feel better for that. At least it would taste good. Katie washed her hands and came back to the table. “I think if I’m going to help, I need a lesson. I guess it’s obvious I’m a beginner,” she said to Ben.
“Like, absolutely first-time beginner or—”
“I mean…my mom and I didn’t do a lot of baking or cookie decorating. She was busy. We bought our holiday baked goods at the bakery down on the corner.”
“That’s still good.”
Katie pulled her lips to the side and scanned the table. She brushed flour from the front of her apron. “Not as fun, though, I have to admit.”
“There’s all different types of fun. What kind of traditions do you have?”
“On Christmas Day, Mom and I go to the movies. We volunteer. It’s been just the two of us since my parents’ divorce.” She lifted her shoulders. “It’s nice, though.”
“I’m sure it is.” His smile was gentle.
“I’m seriously considering boxing a few of these up to send to my brother, though. Especially those red truck cookies David decorated. My brother is a total car nut. He’d love them,” Katie said.
“Do it,” Megan said. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but we have plenty. I even have a little priority mailer you can ship them in. Such a good idea.”
“Thanks. I will.” Katie looked around at the room full of people, laughing. I’ve never had a holiday gathering anything like this. She felt like these people were her family tonight. “What about you?” she asked Ben. “It was all—”