Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Dotty sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s all right, Lucy. I think it’ll be good for Lena. She hasn’t ever done things like this before.”
I frowned. “Ever?”
“No, I’m afraid. The last few nannies were more interested in taking care of Mr. Rush than her.”
If Dotty noticed the red blush that crept up my face she didn’t say anything, and I was grateful. “Then I absolutely promise to clean up after us. How long until you need to start making dinner?”
“There’s two ovens for a reason.”
I looked over at the double ovens and nodded. “Alright. We’ll work at the table, I think it’ll be easier for Lena and that will keep us mostly out of your way.”
Dotty’s smile was kind and patient. “I can work with that.”
“Yay!” I turned and went to Lena’s playroom where she was working on a puzzle, her tongue stuck out as she was deep in construction. “Who wants to make cookies?”
Lena looked up with excited blue eyes. “Me! I do! I do!”
“Sounds good. Let’s do it.” I clapped my hands together and waited while she finished her puzzle and stared at it for a long moment before she turned to me.
“Ready Lucy.” She put her hand in mine and we walked back to the kitchen. “What kind of cookies?”
“What do you like? I like peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, but sometimes I like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.”
She gasped like it was the greatest secret she ever heard. “Yes, please!”
I laughed and guided her to the sink. “First we wash our hands so that we don’t end up eating germs with our cookies.”
“Yuck,” she said and giggled as we washed our hands.
Two hours and dozens of cookies later, I stood back and crossed my arms to stare at our handiwork. Lena took a step back and mimicked my moves as she stared wide-eyed at the cookies. “We did good, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, we did.” She took a step closer and inhaled deeply. “So good.”
I glanced at the timer on my phone as it hit the forty second mark and sighed. “I think it’s time for a taste test, what do you say?”
“I say yes please!” She jumped up and down, her smile grew wider by the second.
“Peanut butter, chocolate chip or Frankenstein?”
She frowned. “What’s Frankenstein?”
I laughed and rolled my eyes because of course Lena is four years old, which meant I had to give her the kiddie version. “It just means that we put different things together to make them one thing. Like a meatloaf sandwich or mac & cheese pizza.”
“Frankenstein, please. It’s two cookies in one.”
“I like the way you think, Lena.” I picked up one for myself and nodded for Lena to do the same. She grabbed one and I tapped mine against hers. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” she replied loudly and took a big bite of her cookie.
“What is this?” Dante’s loud voice boomed in the kitchen over the sound of me and Lena moaning our sugar appreciation. “Are we eating cookies for dinner now?”
“No,” I snorted and shook my head. “We’re doing quality control, which, as you should know, is an important part of any manufacturing process.”
His eyes narrowed to slits and anger radiated off him. “It’s just about time for dinner.” His tone was hard, and I didn’t understand why he was making such a big deal out of one cookie.
“You’re seriously worried that one cookie will make Lena not want to eat whatever delicious meal Dotty whipped up?”
His jaw clenched.
“Okay fine, you take the cookie from her and I’ll see you in the morning.” I shoved the rest of my cookie in my mouth and marched off. Stupid grumpy man who thought schedules were more important than fun and memories.
“Lucy,” he called after me.
I kept marching past him and out of the kitchen. “Enjoy your dinner, Lena!”
“I will! Thank you, Lucy, it was fun,” she called after me and I couldn’t help but smile. The last thing I heard before I closed my door was Lena. “Have a cookie Daddy, they’re so good.”
Chapter 16
Dante
Itook a big, skeptical bite of what Lena had called a Frankenstein cookie, and the minute the peanut butter hit my tongue, my eyes closed and a moan escaped. These cookies were the devil.
“You helped make these?”
Lena’s head nodded in an exaggerated up and down motion. “I helped a lot,” she said and told me all about measuring out butter and sugar. “I got to roll the cookies and smash ’em too Daddy.” She sent me a beaming smile and her eyes glittered with excitement. Clearly she had a fun time today.
Before I came home and ruined it all, apparently. “Great job, sweetheart.”
“Can we have another one?”
I laughed at her hopeful expression. “Yes. But after dinner.”
Her earlier excitement faded quickly and she nodded. “Okay Daddy. We should ask Lucy to eat dinner with us.”