Page 7 of Broken Pieces

“How did they turn out?” Ivy jumps behind me asking. “Shit, those don’t look right.”

I can’t help but crack up as Ivy tries to pry one off the cookie sheet.

“Ya know this ain’t funny, Rae.”

“I am pretty sure this is funny.”

“No, it ain’t. I tried real hard to make perfect cookies.”

“Have you ever tried to make cookies before? I mean you do have like ten kids.”

She smacks me lightly on the head. “I have four. And learn to respect your elders. Don’t you laugh at them. But no, I ain’t made cookies before, that’s what Chips Ahoy is for.”

The bell to the diner rings as Easton and Harper walk in to collect me. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen you smile, Raely,” Easton says.

I drop my smile quickly. “Is Ivy done babysitting me now that you’re both back from the doctor?”

“She ain’t babysittin’ you,” Easton replies.

“Oh, would you two stop bickering and come taste my cookies?”

Harper’s face contorts. “You made cookies? I thought we decided we were gonna find someone else to bake.”

“I was tryin’ to save us some money as we started out.”

“Well this is how you realize adding a bakery isn’t a good idea,” I say. “Harper, don’t touch them.”

Harper peers into the kitchen at the cookie sheet and giggles. “You would have to pay me to eat those.”

“Well, it ain’t like you could do any better!” Ivy retorts.

Easton cuts in, “I’ll have you know, Harper has gotten much better at cooking, I am sure she could make better cookies than that. I don’t even think those are cookies, Ivy. I wouldn’t even feed them to the birds.”

“Y’all are rude. Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em,” Ivy says as she grabs a cookie and bites into it. Within seconds she’s spitting it out and running for a glass of water.

“You know, Ivy, when Rae was younger, she used to bake all the time. She’s actually really good. Maybe you should have her do it,” Easton suggests.

I glare at him. “That was a long time ago.”

“You started baking when you were four, Raely. Last, I know you were baking up until the day you moved out of White Creek. I highly doubt you’ve lost your touch.”

Ivy starts jumping up and down. “Oh my goodness, this is perfect. I totally forgot I’ve had your pies before. Didn’t you win the pie contest at the county fair?”

I groan. “I was ten.”

“You won seven years in a row,” Easton deadpans.

“I totally remember all this now,” Ivy practically shouts. She reaches over to an apron hanging in the kitchen and hands it to me. “You’re hired.”

“Ugh, I never said I wanted to do this.”

“Come on, Raelynn. This will be good for you,” Harper joins in. “It will help ease your mind.”

I think back to how I did love baking. How I used to do it with my mom. And how I continued to do it after she died because it made me feel like she was still with me. Maybe Harper was right, and this was what I needed.

I look at all three of them and their smiling faces. “Fine. I guess I’ll do it.”