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“I was thinking of baking some Christmas cookies.”

“Do you bake much?”

She shook her head. “But being here in my grandmother’s place, I feel inspired. Plus, when I was looking for an extra bowl in the cabinets, I came across a bagful of cookie cutters.” She eyed him up. “So, how do you feel about baking?”

“Like I wouldn’t have a clue what I was doing.”

“Good. That will make two of us.” She moved to the counter and picked up what looked like an index card. “I also found some of her recipes in a drawer. Actually, there are a lot of recipes.”

“This is your chance to try cooking different things to see what you like.”

“I guess so.” She turned to him with a little smile lifting the corners of her kissable lips. “Want to go grocery shopping with me? I need some flour, butter, and cream cheese.”

“And don’t forget the sugar.”

She nodded. “Good thing you’re going to be my sous chef.”

He felt better now that he had an actual task to do. It would keep his mind from straying to decisions that he wasn’t ready to make. Although he knew he’d have to make up his mind soon.

The kitchen was warm and cozy.

Later that day, the oven was full of cookies. Leah had just rolled out another batch of dough. They’d determined that she was better at making the cookies, and Shaun was better at decorating them.

Shaun painted the cookies with frosting and added some sprinkles here and there. She had to admit he was quite artistic. Maybe he missed his calling by going into construction.

“How many more are you making?” he asked.

She looked at the trays of cookies waiting to go in the oven. “Another couple dozen.”

“That many?”

She worried her bottom lip. She’d doubled the recipe because she wanted to take some cookies over to Paul, Tracy and the boys. Maybe she’d overdone it.

“I won’t bake them all,” she said.

“No. Bake them. But I might need your help decorating some of them.”

She nodded. “I can do that. But don’t expect them to look nearly as good as yours do.”

And so, they continued to work. At one point, she’d joined him at the table to decorate cookies. She loved sharing this experience with him. She loved that he wanted to bake cookies with her. She recalled mentioning making cookies with her ex-boyfriend. His nose had immediately turned up, and he’d suggested if she had a craving for cookies, they could buy some at the store. She’d tried to tell him it just wasn’t the same, but he didn’t get it or didn’t care or maybe both.

Buzz.

Her gaze immediately went to her phone, which was sitting on the table so she could time the last tray of cookies in the oven. It wasn’t her phone.

Shaun pulled his phone from his back pocket. He looked at the screen and immediately stood. “I have to get this.”

She noticed how his forehead wrinkled as he stared at the phone. She couldn’t help but wonder who was on the other end of the call. He left the room.

She reminded herself that it was none of her business. If Shaun wanted her to know who the call was from, he would tell her. It was probably nothing anyway.

She turned her attention back to the cookies. Just as she finished painting the snowflake with white frosting, her timer went off. She moved to the oven and pulled out the tray of cookies. She set them aside to cool.

“That was strange.” Shaun walked back into the kitchen. “It was the garage. They want me to stop in to discuss the SUV. They wouldn’t give me any details on the phone. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“When do they want to see you?”

“They asked if I could stop over now.”