Christmas Cakes and Kisses

by Anne Hagan

  “What are you trying to say?”

  Hannah took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. “I’m saying, if you really want to get away from your mom until you can get a place of your own, you can stay with us. I’m sure of it. We have plenty of room and I know they wouldn’t mind. And...and, there’d be no pressure from me. I promise.”

  “I don’t know Hannah. I mean, I liked them too but that’s a lot to ask them. I don’t want charity. I’d have to pay them something.”

  “They don’t need money, Morgan.”

  “That’s not the point. And, right now my mom watches Espy while I’m at work or school.”

  Hannah winced but Morgan missed it.

  “I don’t have anyone else to do that. I’d have to find a sitter...I’d have to do that anyway, but still.” She shivered and ran her hands up and down her arms.

  Hannah moved in close again and pulled her into another hug. “Just think about it, okay? I’ll help you work the babysitting thing out. I know they’d help some. They watch Jef for me a lot anyway. Beth will help. You’ll see.”

  Morgan pulled away, looked Hannah in the eyes and shook her head. She brushed past the other woman, pushed open the cooler door and walked out.

  Hannah followed her out of the cooler and stopped. She watched as Morgan turned to her left and half jogged to the back door and out.

  Chef Tomas walked over to her. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes Chef.”

  Chapter 21

  Monday, December 7th

  Zanesville Technical College and Culinary Institute

  Morgan’s car wasn’t in the parking lot. She wasn’t in the classroom either. Hannah found Sandy standing in her old place, instead of Morgan, when she walked into the room.

  “He’ll have to tell me to move again, if that’s what he wants!” Sandy said.

  Hannah gave her a half smile as she laid her knife kit and her binder down on the workstation.

  “So? How’d it go yesterday?” Sandy quizzed her. “Dish girlfriend!”

  “It was good,” Hannah said. “Everyone really seemed to like the food.”

  Sandy slapped a hand at Hannah’s arm. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. How’d it go with the cakes?”

  “Oh. Good, I guess.” She shrugged. “We were working in the back. We got to see our cake get auctioned but that was it. They were doing the auction during the salad course.”

  Chef Tomas walked into the room and greeted the class then, cutting off their conversation. “We had a very good night last night folks. Very good! Your cakes raised several thousand dollars for the TWIG organization for the things they do for the hospital. They were very pleased with the showing and the school has already been invited back for next year. I’ll be taking some of your suggestions from our last session into account as we come up with a plan for the next time, with next year’s baking class.”

  Fourneir glanced over at Hannah and then continued. “Your fellow students, Ms. Yoder and Ms. Barber did an exemplary job last night as well. We had a lot of food to get out in a very short period of time. We got a lot of compliments and we didn’t miss anyone. Unfortunately, Ms. Barber had a family emergency. She won’t be joining us tonight...”

  Hannah didn’t hear anything else he said until Sandy nudged her and told her to open her binder to breads.

  Sandy cornered Fourneir as they headed to break. Hannah tried to hang around and wait to speak with the chef but Sandy seemed to want a private conversation with him, judging by the looks she got from her. She slunk into the hall and waited until her classmate emerged and then she strode right past her and back into the room.

  Chef Tomas was moving toward the door and almost collided with her. “Ms. Yoder, my apologies. Is there something I can help you with?”

  Until that moment, she hadn’t thought about what she was actually going to say to him. Now she hedged, searching for the right words. “I, uh...Morgan...Ms. Barber, left last night sort of fast...quickly and I was just worried...is everything okay? Is she okay and her daughter?”

  “I’m sorry. I really don’t know very much beyond what I’ve already said and I probably shouldn’t have said that. I can’t tell you anymore.” He waited and watched her closely.

  “Oh. Okay then. I...I was just wondering. I’ll...I’ll try and give her a call.” She excused herself and left the room.

  Fourneir watched her go, concern etching the features of his face.

  In the hallway, Hannah pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Morgan and waited. No response. Remembering their previous interactions, she texted instead:

  “Don’t give up on your dreams.”

  Morgan texted back, “I don’t want to but I have to do what’s best for Espy.”

  Hannah put her phone away with a shaking hand and started to cry.

  Sandy turned the corner at the end of the hall and spotted her. She walked up to the younger woman and pulled her into a motherly hug until Hannah stopped crying and pulled away.

  She dabbed at her eyes with a finger. “Sorry...I...I”

  “Shhh,” Sandy said. “No need to explain child. I just want you to know, I’m always here if you need me...to talk, whatever.”

  “Thanks Sandy.”

  “Sure baby.” Sandy reached out and brushed a lock of hair back on Hannah’s forehead. “Now, are you going to be able to compose yourself and be okay for the rest of the class?”

  “I...I think so,” Hannah said, nodding.

  Chapter 22

  Late Thursday Morning, December 24th

  Hannah’s Bakery

  Morelville, Ohio

  “Thank you, Mrs. Sharpe and Merry Christmas,” Hannah said to the old antique shop owner.

  “And Merry Christmas to you dear. I feel so badly coming in like this but my great grandchildren expect a few treats in the house during their holiday visits and my baking days are over.”

  “Don’t feel bad at all. I’m only open until noon today and then I’m taking a few days off. I won’t open back up until Monday morning.”

  “That’s good dear. You enjoy your break and the holiday. Oh, and kiss that baby for me.”

  “I will,” Hannah said and smiled.

  As Lucy Sharpe turned to go, Hannah’s expression changed to one mixed with touches of both exhaustion and sadness. It had been a rough couple of weeks leading up to the holiday. The shop was busy with orders for parties and events and the only thing Hannah had looked forward to was the chance to see Morgan at school but the other woman hadn’t returned to class before the holiday break. Her calls and texts to her went unanswered until, finally, she stopped trying.

  She shook her head to clear it and looked into the display case. Not much remained for general sale. As she arranged things a little closer together, she tried to shift her thoughts to other things, besides Morgan.

  The bell over the door jangled, bringing her out of her reverie. Joe Treadway, one of Mel’s patrol Sergeants, came in bringing a genuine smile to her face. As he walked to the counter, a woman also entered.

  “Joe,” she said, shaking her head, “I can’t believe you came all the way down here for a couple of dozen sugar cookies.” She pulled the box that was already packed for him off the back counter and set it down in front of him. “I could have just sent them to work with Mel.”

  “Oh no, no,” he waved his hands back and forth, “We can’t have the Sheriff making baked goods deliveries. Besides, those vultures would clean me out. I’d have to start all over.”

  The doorbell jingled again while Hannah was ringing Joe out. She didn’t even glance up to see who it was. When she bid the deputy goodbye, the woman who had come in after him stepped up to the counter.

  Hannah gave the unfamiliar older woman the best smile she could muster and asked, “How can I help you? Are you here to pick up an order?”

  “No, but I sure hope you can help.” The woman pointed at the display case. “Are these things orders or for sale?”

  �
��That’s all I have left for sale ma’am, I’m sorry to say. What were you looking for?”

  The woman heaved a sigh of what Hannah could only take as relief. “Some of this will do just fine. I’ll take two loafs of the banana bread, that last loaf of nut bread and as many of the cookies as you’ll sell me. Mix them up...all kinds.”

  “Um, okay. Give me just a moment to put together a couple of boxes.”

  “Sure. You’re really saving me here. I drove down here from Duncan Falls, just hoping you’d have anything left at all. My little sister and her brood are enroute and I just wasn’t expecting them. Her, her new boyfriend and seven kids between them, decided to come, last minute. Can you imagine?”

  Hannah’s eyes grew wide but she didn’t respond. She was used to large gatherings with lots of drop ins from her upbringing and certainly since she’d been associated with the Cranes and the Rossi’s.

  Once she had the breads packed, she asked the woman, “How many cookies do you think the children will eat?”

  “Those kids? They’re all eleven and older. Better give me at least three dozen of the sugar. Throw in another dozen or two of the fancier for the adults and, tell me, what’s that thing back behind the thumbprints?”

  “It’s a nut roll. Mrs. Rossi, that runs the store...it’s her recipe.”

  “Give me that too.”

  The man waiting behind the woman winced.

  She must have felt his discomfort. She turned and smiled at him. “Sorry if you were wanting a bunch of stuff. I’m taking most of it.”

  He just winked at her.

  She turned back around smiling and continued to smile even when Hannah gave her, her total.

  “That will be $90.67, ma’am.”

  “Whew! Didn’t even break $100.00! Here,” the woman said as she handed Hannah five twenty-dollar bills, “you keep the change as my thanks for saving me. Merry Christmas!”

  “Thank you, ma’am and Merry Christmas, to you too.”

  The man turned when the woman did and scrambled to the door to hold it for her as she made her way through it laden with white boxes full of baked goods.

  “Do you need help to your car?” he asked her.

  Hannah nearly bumped her head on the display case as she pulled back from rearranging it one last time and peered out over it to see the man; Chef Tomas.

  “That would be great,” the woman told him.

  They were out the door before Hannah could speak. She did her best to compose herself before he returned but her mind streamed dozens of reasons why he might be there; most of them, in her imagining, not good reasons.

  “YOU LOOK SURPRISED to see me, Ms. Yoder.”

  “Still?” Hannah’s cheeks felt hot.

  The chef chuckled. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong. I’m just here to see what my star baker has done for herself and, I have to say, I’m impressed.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “About your bakery?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ve always known,” he told her and then he chuckled again at her look of surprise. “Oh, it wasn’t on your application but word gets around. And, in all honesty, I’ve been a frequent customer of Adornetto’s over the years. Their verbal recommendation of you as a student after your apprenticeship with them preceded the written one you turned in. They might have let it slip that you had your own place, so to speak.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to that so, instead, she invited him behind the counter to see her kitchen.

  As they passed through the swinging door that divided the baking area from the storefront, he said, “You handled that woman and her needs very well.”

  “Thank you, Chef.”

  “You’re going to do very well for yourself if you treat all of your customers with the same sort of empathy.”

  “Pardon?”

  “You were sympathetic to her needs and you helped her as best you could.”

  “What I meant was, I don’t understand Chef. That’s the way I am with everyone.”

  “And that’s a very good thing. Just keep doing what comes naturally to you and you’ll go very far...if you want to.” He stopped short of the work tables and gazed around Hannah’s kitchen. “You’re pretty well set up,” he said, “but I’m surprised to see only one convection oven.”

  “I have the room and the power available to put another one in but they’re expensive Chef and...well, the volume of business down here doesn’t justify it. Not right now. I have my regulars and I do all the bread and rolls for the store, but that’s about it.”

  “When word about your cake making skills spreads, you’ll likely have more business than you can handle. The school has been receiving calls with requests for your team and for Ms. Teeter’s.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.” He reached into his coat pocket and drew out a several memo slips. Flipping through them, he called off, “50th Anniversary Party, Wedding, Quinceanera...and a few more. I spoke briefly with Ms. Teeter. The two of you should put your heads together soon and contact some of these potential clients before they find other bakers.” He handed the little pile of notes to her. “You’d be a good all-around Chef, Ms. Yoder but, pastry is your calling. Your flavors, your designs...”

  She cut in, “I didn’t design the TWIG cake, Chef. Morgan...Ms. Barber did. She did most of the sculpting too.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve seen your work. You can do it. And, maybe she can help you with that part of it, where the client requires it.”

  Hannah’s eyes lit up. “You’ve heard from her? Will she be back in class after the break?”

  “It would appear so. She has some catching up to do but I think I’ve convinced her not to give up.”

  That was news to Hannah. She hadn’t heard from the other woman since they’d exchanged texts nearly two weeks before.

  WHEN CHEF TOMAS WAS gone, Hannah started to close up shop. She boxed up what was left in the case to take out to the Crane Farm on Christmas Day. She smiled thinking about how many of the decorated sugar cookies still remaining that Kris’s son Cole, Mel’s nephew would eat. The teenager had a sweet tooth that appeared to know no bounds.

  She planned to go through the kitchen storeroom and into the store the bakery was behind to see if the Rossi’s needed help closing up shop. She placed the box of goodies on the counter and moved toward the front door to lock it. As she reached up to flip the light switch, a car pulled into the little lot, right in front of the door.

  “Sandy?” Hannah said aloud.

  Sure enough, Sandy Teeter emerged, waving at her.

  Hannah threw open the door.

  “First Chef Tomas, now you! I can’t believe it.”

  Sandy pulled the younger woman into a quick hug. “It’s good to see you so happy,” she said.

  Hannah pulled a mock frown. “I’m always happy.”

  “Girl,” Sandy shook a finger at her, “don’t lie to me. We need to talk.”

  “About the cakes? I know. Chef told me.”

  “That can wait a couple of days. This is about you.”

  Chapter 23

  Hannah stood aside and let Sandy enter the shop then closed and locked the door behind her. “Is something wrong?” she asked as she turned back to her friend.

  “Why don’t you tell me?”

  “I’m fine Sandy, really. I mean, I...” She trailed off, not sure what to say or how.

  “Let’s sit for a minute,” Sandy said.

  The two women took seats at one of Hannah’s little guest tables but then Hannah started to get up. “Can I get you anything? My coffee is gone but the store...”

  Sandy waved her back down. “I didn’t drive all the way down here for coffee, trust me. Look, Chef Tomas called me yesterday; told me about the cakes. He mentioned he’d be getting in touch with you too but he left it up to me whether I wanted to say anything to John.”

  “He sort of did the same thing with me and Mo
rgan.”

  “That’s why I’m here. Morgan.”

  Hannah let out a small sigh but didn’t say anything.

  “I’m just gonna come right out and ask,” Sandy said. “Are you two a couple, or were you?”

  The younger woman leaned back a little in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her hands along them as she tried to frame an answer in her mind. “I...we...I don’t know.” She studied Sandy’s face. The inquisitive look on her face didn’t change.

  Hannah blew out a heavy breath as relief washed through her. “You’re okay with the idea that we might have been?”

  Sandy waved a hand around. “Girl! My baby brother is gay. I love him and his husband to the moon and back and you too.”

  Hannah dropped her arms and laughed out loud.

  “That’s more like it,” Sandy said. “So, what happened? You can tell me anything. I promise, it’ll just be between me and you.”

  “That’s just it, nothing much happened. We went out one time, to the festival actually, to see the trees. She...she said she wanted to go out again. We sort of made plans to go out again after the cake auction, but she has stuff going on and...I don’t know. She’s just...she’s just very confused right now.”

  “Have you talked to her at all?”

  Hannah shook her head.

  “Well, I have.”

  “You have?” Hannah was taken by surprise.

  “Yep. Chef Tomas called me yesterday about the cakes. I was on my way to Kroger at the time. What a zoo that was,” Sandy digressed. “Anyway, she was in Kroger, buying groceries too. So was half of Zanesville, I swear. Never go to the grocery store right before a major holiday!”

  “Sandy,” Hannah said in a half begging tone, “Did she say anything?”

  “She had her daughter with her. Adorable!”

  At Hannah’s pleading look, she went on. “I asked her if she was coming back to class. She said she’d had some things she had to take care of but that she’d talked to the Chef and he was going to work with her to catch her back up. Said she moved.”