Wanted(60)

“We give little cookie boxes to our guests when they stay here during the holidays,” Katie explained to the girls. “It’s a popular tradition.”

Again, Mary seemed to enjoy the grown-up job. “Something I make might go to a guest?”

“Yes, indeed,” Katie replied. “It is a very important task, this cookie making is.”

With ease of one who knew exactly what to do with little girls, her mother gave both girls jobs. Hannah’s was to crush pecans with a rolling pin. Mary was put to work rolling out another batch of dough and cutting out stars.

Katie and Anna worked on thumbprint cookies and peanut butter squares, while Mamm supervised them all with the ease of many years’ experience.

All the while, Katie was caught up on the latest happenings with the guests. It seemed the inn had been even busier than usual, with most guest rooms constantly filled. And, to everyone’s pleasure, many of the guests were repeat ones. They greeted the Brennemans like old friends, which, of course, they were.

Katie enjoyed hearing who had gotten married, had more children, or had other special news to share.

“You’re going to have a lot of cookies to box and eat,” Hannah said much later, after Katie’s mother took yet another batch of cookies from the oven and set it on a rack to cool. “More cookies than even all your busy guests could ever eat, I think.” Still staring at the rows and rows of tantalizing baked goods with wide eyes, she said worriedly, “I don’t think everyone at the inn will be able to eat so many.”

Katie grinned. Indeed, cookies of all types decorated every counter both in the kitchen and on the makeshift card table they’d set up in the hearth room. Soon it would be time to begin boxing up the treats or there would be hardly any room to walk around, much less prepare the evening meal.

“You’d be surprised,” Mamm replied. “Many a couple come just to be a part of our Christmas traditions. They know we put our best into those cookie boxes.”

Katie laughed. “Girls, one year, we had a couple who only came for dinner and a cookie box. They didn’t even stay the night!”

“I would never do that,” Hannah exclaimed. “Well, I don’t think I would.”

By now, Katie knew what Hannah was hoping for. “We might need to help out the guests and take some cookies home for us, Hannah.”

“We can do that?”

“Oh, I hope you will,” her Mamm said merrily.

“These cookies are wunderbaar.” Hannah sidled up to Katie and exuberantly gave her a hug. Touched, Katie hugged her back.

“Maam made cookies sometimes, but not like this,” Mary said thoughtfully. “And Winnie isn’t too good in the kitchen.”

“Oh, I almost forgot to ask you about Winnie. How is her visit going? Has she written you any more letters?” Anna asked.

Katie shook her head slightly, giving her mother and friend a silent warning. Aloud, she said differently. “I think she is glad to have gotten to spend so much time with Malcolm and his family. She is learning a lot about them, I think.”

Just as she was learning a lot about Jonathan and his girls.

Though she hadn’t realized it before, now Katie recognized that both she and Winnie had been working on fulfilling the same girlish dreams. And, just so, they’d each realized that their dreams were only that—dreams. Paper-thin replicas of what living was really like.

Anna stretched, breaking the momentary silence. “Mary and Hannah, I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready to get out of this kitchen. What do you two say we take a break for a bit?”

Hannah’s full cheeks puffed out as she peeked into the dining room. “What should we do? Do you have more chores to do?”

“Oh, there are many chores we could do, but I have something much better in mind.”

After exchanging a look with Mary, Hannah said, “What?”

“Go check on Katie’s puppy, Roman, of course,” Anna said. “He’s out in the barn keeping Henry company.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “More likely causing mischief. He chewed up one of my shoes last week.”

Katie grinned. “He would probably love to play ball with some little girls. Would you like to do that?”

The girls needed no more encouragement than that. Hastily they tore off their aprons and ran to the door. After Anna helped them into their black cloaks, they scampered outside. In a flash they were racing each other down the familiar path.

Katie leaned against the counter as she watched the girls through the window. Then she turned to her mother. “I’d say we have quite a task before us. We have cookies to box and dishes to wash. What would you like me to do?”