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away, she tried to explain the reason for her visit. “Gabe wanted to check out his robot again. After that, we’re going to my office and then Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree … but we decided to come here first.” The words tumbled out so quickly she wondered if he’d understood a thing she’d said.

      He glanced at the cookies.

      “These are for you,” she said, shoving the plate in his direction. “Sugar cookies. In appreciation for my latte.”

      “Homemade sugar cookies,” he murmured as if he’d never seen anything like them before.

      He continued to stare at the plate for an awkward moment. Holly was afraid she’d committed a social faux pas.

      “My mother used to bake sugar cookies every Christmas,” Jake finally said. His eyes narrowed, and the memory seemed to bring him pain.

      Holly had the absurd notion that she should apologize.

      “I remember the star and the bell.” He spoke in a low voice, as though transported through the years. “Oh, and look, that one’s a reindeer, and of course the Christmas tree with the little cinnamon candies as ornaments.”

      “Gabe actually decorated that one,” she said.

      He looked up and his smile banished all doubt. “Thank you, Holly.”

      “You’re welcome, Jake.”

      “Excuse me.” A woman spoke from behind Holly. “Is there someone here who could show me the electronic games?”

      Jake seemed reluctant to leave her, and Holly was loath to see him go. “I’ll be happy to help you,” he said. He set the cookies behind the counter and escorted the woman to another section of the department.

      Holly moved to the area where Gabe and Mrs. Miracle were demonstrating Intellytron. A small crowd had gathered, and Gabe’s face shone with happiness as he put the robot through its paces. In all the weeks her nephew had lived with her, she’d never seen him so excited, so fully engaged. She knew Gabe wanted this toy for Christmas; what Holly hadn’t understood until this very second was just how much it meant to him.

      Regardless of the cost, Holly intended to get her nephew that robot.

       Holiday Sugar Cookies

       (from Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook)

       This foolproof sugar cookie recipe makes a sturdy, sweet treat that’s a perfect gift or a great addition to a holiday cookie platter.

      2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

      2 cups brown sugar

      2 large eggs

      2 teaspoons vanilla extract or grated lemon peel

      6 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

      2 teaspoons baking powder

      1 teaspoon salt

      1. In a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined.

      2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low; beat in flour mixture just until combined. Shape dough into two disks; wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

      3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator. Cut disk in half; cover remaining half. On a lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough ¼-inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings for rerolling.

      4. Place cookies on prepared sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (depending on the size of cookies) until pale gold. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and rerolled scraps.

      TIP: Decorate baked cookies with prepared frosting or sprinkle unbaked cookies with colored sugars before putting them in the oven.

      Makes about 48 cookies.

      Chapter Five

       People are like tea bags—you have to drop them in hot water before you know how strong they are. —Mrs. Miracle

      “Sugar cookies,” Jake said to himself. A rush of memories warmed him. Memories of his mother and sister at Christmas. Spicy scents in the air—cinnamon and ginger and cloves. Those sensory memories had been so deeply buried, he’d all but forgotten them.

      “We sold three of the SuperRobots this afternoon,” Mrs. Miracle said, breaking into his thoughts.

      Just three? Jake felt a sense of dread. He’d need to sell a lot more than three a day to unload the five hundred robots he’d ordered. He checked the computer, which instantly gave him the total number sold since Black Friday. When he saw the screen, his heart sank down to his shoes. This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Jake had made a bold decision, hoping to prove himself to his father, and he was about to fall flat on his face.

      “I’ll be leaving for the night,” Mrs. Miracle announced. “Karen—” the other sales associate “—is already gone.”

      He glanced at his watch. Five after nine. “By all means. You’ve put in a full day.”

      “So have you.”

      As the owner’s son, Jake was expected to stay late. He wouldn’t ask anything of his staff that he wasn’t willing to do himself. That had been drilled into him by his father, who lived by the same rules.

      “It’s a lovely night for a walk in the park, don’t you think?” the older woman said wistfully.

      Jake lived directly across from Central Park. He often jogged through the grounds during the summer months, but winter was a different story.

      Mrs. Miracle patted him on the back. “I appreciate that you let me stay here in the toy department,” she said.

      Jake turned to look at her. He hadn’t said anything to the older woman about getting her transferred. He couldn’t imagine HR had, either. He wondered how she’d found out about his sudden decision to keep her with him. Actually, it’d been Holly’s comment about having a grandmotherly figure around that had influenced him. That, and Emily’s obvious rapport with children.

      “Good night, Mrs. Miracle,” he said.

      “Good night, Mr. Finley. Oh, and I don’t think you need to worry about that robot,” she said. “It’s going to do very well. Mark my words.”

      Now it appeared the woman was a mind reader, too.

      “I hope you’re right,” he murmured.

      “I am,” she said, reaching for her purse. “And remember, this is a lovely evening for a stroll through the park. It’s an excellent way to clear your head of worries.”

      Again, she’d caught him unawares. Jake had no idea he could be so easily read. Good thing he didn’t play high-stakes poker. That thought amused him as he finished up for the day and left the store.

      He was grateful not to run into his father because J.R. would certainly question him about those robots. No doubt his father already knew the dismal truth; the click of a computer key would show him everything.

      When Jake reached his apartment, he was hungry and restless. He unwrapped the plate of cookies and quickly ate two. If this wasn’t his mother’s recipe, then it was a very similar one. They tasted the same as the cookies he recalled from his childhood.

      Standing by the picture window that overlooked the park, he remembered the Christmas his mother and sister had been killed. The shock and pain of it seemed as fresh now as it’d been all those years ago. No wonder his father still refused to celebrate the holiday. Jake

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