Page 56 of Cowboy’s Christmas Baker

She poured the chocolate in ribbons over the two pretzels and then spooned a nice sprinkle of crushed candy cane on top.

“Pretty,” Katie said.

“It is, isn’t it?” Mal said thoughtfully. “We’d better see how it tastes.”

She peeled the pretzels apart and handed one to Katie.

Katie took a small bite and then a bigger one, closing her eyes.

“Do you like it?” Mal asked.

Katie nodded her head up and down, her mouth too full to answer.

Mal took a bite and was transported. It was a delicious flavor combination, the salty, buttery soft pretzel with the sweetness of the chocolate and the zip of peppermint. She’d had chocolate-dipped hard pretzels before, but this was something very different. It made her think of Christmas and football games and friendly gatherings on cold nights.

“This is soooooo good,” Katie said before going in for another bite. “It’s kind of like the hot cocoa with a candy cane at my grandma’s house.”

“It is a bit like that,” Mal said, smiling.

“You should sell these at the bakery,” Katie said.

Something began to occur to Mal and she grabbed a knife, then cut her pretzel in half.

“Should we give some to Annie?” she asked Katie. “See if she likes it too?”

“Definitely,” Katie said.

Abandoning the gingerbread, the two of them hurried out to the front with half a chocolate peppermint soft pretzel on a plate for Annie.

“Annie, Annie,” Katie yelled.

Annie jumped and then smiled when she saw the little girl.

“Hey, Katie,” she said. “What’s up?”

“We have something new for you to try,” Katie told her.

Mal couldn’t hide her smile. It was so good to see Katie excited like this, and talking freely with Annie.

A couple sitting by the big front window looked over and smiled. It was Gert and Howard Allen, her friend Quinn’s parents.

“Awesome,” Annie said. “What is it?”

“Here,” Mal said.

“It’s a soft pretzel with chocolate and candy cane bits,” Katie told her, holding out the plate.

“Wow,” Annie said. “That’s the most Pennsylvania thing I ever heard.”

Mal laughed, though Annie was right. Soft pretzels and Hershey’s chocolate were synonymous with Pennsylvania. And in this case, the candy canes were local too.

She found herself holding her breath as Annie took a bite, and watching carefully as she chewed, her eyes opening wide in appreciation.

“What do you think?” Katie asked.

“It’s amazing,” Annie said, covering her mouth as she finished chewing. “It makes me think of Christmas, and pretzel day at school, and Sunday football, all at the same time.”

“What’s that?” the lady by the window asked. “Is it for sale?”