Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,28
wreath-making.”
“So you grew up in a Christmas movie?” she teased.
Laughing, Ben had to admit, “It felt that way sometimes.”
“Did your parents love Christmas too?”
“Ah, I really don’t even know. They died before I could even talk.”
“I’m sorry.” How many times was she going to stick her foot into her mouth?
“Nan was the best parent figure I could have ever wished for.” He motioned to where she was showing off another ornament cookie. “She clearly adores the holidays. Not just Christmas, either. All of them.”
Katie nodded; that made sense.
Megan carried another batch of cookies over. “Okay. We need to taste test these. What do we think? Enough cardamom?”
Ben handed Katie a cookie and they tried them at the same time.
Katie’s eyes popped open wide. “Oh, wow. Of all human inventions: the wheel, the printing press…”
“Cookies are right up there, yeah.”
Ben and Katie went back to decorating the cookies. “Let me help you decorate this one.”
She stepped in closer, his breath tickling her neck as he reached around her and assisted her with the pastry bag. She held back a nervous giggle.
“I’ll get you started. Hold the bag like this, and you’re going to gently squeeze.” His arms were warm against hers. His moves were light and adept. “You try it.” He let go of her hands but didn’t move from behind her.
“Like this?” She moved the icing across the cookie. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. She turned her head to the side to see his reaction.
“Yeah. See? You’re a natural. You just needed a little Evergreen magic.”
The private lesson felt like magic, too.
Nan scooted a bowl of translucent glasslike sugar in front of Katie. “This is my secret weapon. Anything with these sprinkles always looks pretty. Plus I love the crunch of it.”
“I see.” Katie dipped her spoon into the sprinkles and dribbled some across the still-damp icing. “Wow, that does jazz it up.”
“Mm-hmm. Who do you think taught Ben?” Nan winked.
“Truth comes out.” Katie wondered how she’d gone this many years and had never decorated Christmas cookies.
Megan held up a decorated gingerbread man with gumdrop buttons. “Isn’t he cute?”
Michelle held one up she’d decorated in a Christmas apron. “Look at mine! They can be friends.”
“We are flying through these,” Megan said. “Thank you so much. I would’ve been working on these all week long to get them done.”
A round of you’re welcomes bounced through the room.
“Ben, will you help me? I made something for us to reward ourselves with.”
“Sounds like food. Count me in.” He raced to her side, and she whispered instructions to him. Ben left and then came back carrying a white milk glass pedestal cake plate. A tall three-layer cake frosted in white had 3-D Christmas trees made from ice cream cones turned upside down and green frosting tips. On the side, perfectly spaced, were more trees.
Ben set the cake in the center of the table. Megan carried the sifter over to the table and bumped it a few times to add a few real snow-like flakes from confectioners’ sugar across it for that final touch.
“Who wants a piece?” Megan carried a stack of red plates to the table.
Everyone raised their hand in the air.
“Cake for everyone.” She began cutting the cake while people cleared off their little workspace.
“Hey, Hannah,” Ben said from across the table. “Can I borrow Allie’s truck to pick up the tree from Henry’s lot for the library tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. “Catch!” She tossed it with no further warning.
Ben snagged the key out of the air. “I’ll give you a lift home when you’re ready to go.”
Hannah shook her head. “No way. I’ll walk home. It’s a perfect night to walk off all the cookies I sampled, not to mention the hunk of cake I’m getting ready to devour.”
Katie felt like she was going to have to walk all day to work off the snacking she’d done tonight.
Megan clapped her hands. “Thank you all for your help. We have more than enough cookies to do the job.” Megan’s eyes sparkled as she handed out the cake. “Is there nothing we can’t do when we come together? My biggest heartfelt thank-yous to you all.”
“We haven’t bumped into anything we couldn’t get done yet,” said Hannah as she took a bite from her piece of cake.
“And we won’t on my watch,” Michelle teased in regard to her new role as mayor. “Y’all better be careful—I’ll be tapping you all for new committees I’m going