Page 14 of Christmas at Wolf Creek
Chapter 7
Mia
Istifle a yawn as I push open the door to Sweet Treats Bakery, the little bell jingling cheerfully above my head. It’s barely 8 AM on a Saturday, and I’m questioning all my life choices that led to voluntarily waking up at this ungodly hour. The rich aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread hits me like a warm hug, momentarily making me forget my sleep deprivation.
“You made it!” Ella appears from behind the counter, her red hair tucked under a bandana, flour already dusting herapron. She looks genuinely surprised to see me. “I wasn’t sure if any of you would actually show up this early.”
“I’m questioning that decision myself,” I admit, unwinding my scarf. The bakery is toasty warm compared to the frigid morning air outside. “But I promised Nora, and I don’t break promises to eight-year-olds. That’s how supervillains are created.”
Ella laughs, gesturing toward the back of the shop where tables have been pushed together and covered with plastic sheeting. “We’re setting up in there. Helen has already started mixing the gingerbread dough. It’s going to take dozens of batches. Where is everyone else?” she asks, as I follow her through the bakery. The place is empty of customers, with a “Closed for Special Project” sign hanging on the front door.
“Funny story,” I explain. “I woke up this morning thinking they all left without me. Didn’t realize it until they called and asked me where I was going.”
She laughs. “That’s hilarious.”
Smiling, I nod, then ask, “Where is Nora?”
“She’s in the back with Frank. He’s showing her the blueprints. Come on.”
∞∞∞
The back room of the bakery has been transformed into what looks like a construction zone meetsSanta’s workshop. Large wooden frames lean against the walls—house-shaped structures waiting for their gingerbread covering. A mountain of candy sits in containers on one table, while another is covered with mixing bowls, rolling pins, and industrial-sized bags of flour and sugar.
“Aunt Mia!” Nora spots me from where she’s perched on a stool, studying what appears to be architectural drawings with a balding man in his fifties. She hops down and races over, crashing into me with a hug that nearly knocks me backward. “You came! We’re building a whole village! With a train!”
“So I see,” I laugh, steadying myself. “It looks like quite the operation.”
“It’s going to be epic,” Nora declares with absolute certainty. “Mr. Frank says I can be in charge of the candy placement.”
The man—Frank, I presume—approaches with an outstretched hand. “You must be one of Ella’s sisters,” he leans close and whispers, “Helen told me, so keep that on the down low. Anyway, I’m Frank Henderson, owner of this establishment and mastermind behind what will soon be the most spectacular gingerbread display in Pinecrest history.”
I smile at his enthusiasm. “No, I’m her sister-in-law, Mia O'Brien,” I reply, shaking his hand. “Bakery enthusiast and amateur gingerbread architect.”
“Perfect!” Frank claps his hands together. “We need all the help we can get. This year, we’re finally goingto dethrone Maggie’s Diner as the Winter Wonderland champion.”
“Maggie’s has won three years in a row,” Nora informs me gravely. “Their Santa’s workshop is pretty cool, but our gingerbread village will be way better.”
“Darn right it will,” Frank agrees. “Especially with Ella’s artistic touch. Have you seen what she can do with royal icing? It’s practically witchcraft.”
Ella blushes slightly. “It’s just practice. I used to decorate cakes back in—” She stops herself, then continues smoothly, “—back before Nora was born.”
I catch the slip, filing it away with the growing list of things Ella carefully doesn’t say about her past. For someone who claims to have been hiding in Canada for eight years, she has an awful lot of experience with European baking techniques.
“Well, put me to work,” I say, rolling up my sleeves. “What can I do to help defeat the evil Maggie’s Diner empire?”
Frank hands me an apron. “We need to start rolling out the dough as soon as Helen has the first batch ready. The pieces need to be precise—we’re working from templates.”
“I can handle precision,” I assure him, tying the apron around my waist. “I once assembled an entire IKEA bedroom set without losing a single screw.”
“That’s genuinely impressive,” Ella says, looking at me with new respect.
The bell over the front door jingles, followed by what sounds like a small herd stampeding through the bakery. Moments later, Kat appears in the doorway, followed by Wren, Kori, and Lana.
“The cavalry has arrived!” Kat announces, dramatically flinging her arms wide. She’s wearing what appears to be a Christmas sweater with actual working lights sewn into it. “Point us to the gingerbread, captain!”
Frank looks momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden invasion of MacGallans, but recovers quickly. “Welcome, welcome! The more hands, the better. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.”
“I brought reinforcements,” Kat continues, stepping aside to reveal Kane slouching behind her. “He claims he was just dropping us off, but I think he secretly wants to play with gingerbread.”