Page 39 of Sleigh My Heart

“The ones on my desk. Yummy.” His dad smiled.

Nick frowned. “Dad, were you eating those cookies before you left for the children’s hospital thing?”

“Uh hmm. So good.” His head slipped to the side and his breathing evened out.

Could it be? Nick gently kissed his father’s cheek then slipped out of the room. He stopped at the nurse’s station. “My father was asking for a snack, but he fell asleep.”

“I’ll check on him, but it’s probably best to let him sleep. He will most likely sleep through the night. We will be giving him a sedative this first night.” He set his paperwork aside.

“The doctor said my father would stay a minimum of a night. Does he have any restrictions on food? Or can I bring him cookies?” Nick would be bringing cookies, but not necessarily the ones on his father’s desk. He’d ask Michelle to have those tested.

“He should be able to have snacks, as long as he’s not diabetic.”

“Thank you.” Nick slipped out. He’d be back in the morning, but now he had to see about some cookies.

***

Renae glanced into the dining room at the kids frosting cookies. “So, this thing with you and Nick is strictly business, yet you brought his daughter to baking day?”

“Shhh.” Michelle dropped her voice. “I told you. His dad is in the hospital and he didn’t have anyone else to watch her.”

“Poor Russ. I’ll take him a casserole when he gets out of the hospital. Have you heard when that will be?” Her mom asked as she mixed a double batch of spritz cookies.

“No.” Michelle glanced at her phone for the tenth time in the last hour. Text already.

“Well, having Ava here is no problem.” Julie smiled. “I wish my kids all listened as well as she does. And the girl has talent. Did you see the Grinch cookie she made? Outstanding.”

Ava really was sweet. And smart. When Michelle pulled up to the pickup line at the school, she watched as Ava pointed to the patrol car then said something to her teacher before they walked over to the vehicle. She hopped in, set her backpack between her feet and buckled in.

Michelle had to remind herself, she was just like one of her nieces. After a fumbled attempt at conversation, Ava asked, “Do you have a taser?”

Michelle smiled. Most kids asked about a gun. “Yup.”

Ava stared out the window for a minute then asked, “Can I use it?”

“Why?” Kids asked all the time about her weapons, but something in Ava’s voice had Michelle thinking there was more to this.

“Timmy Wilson pulled my hair.”

“Did you tell him to stop?”

“Yeah, but he didn’t. I told my teacher, and she asked him to stop, but he did it again.”

Michelle couldn’t blame the girl for wanting to put a stop to the bullying. “Tell you what, I can’t lend you my taser, but I can talk to Timmy and his parents.”

“No, that’s okay. Dad offered to talk to them, too. I don’t think he would talk, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

She looked out the window, then back at Michelle. “The first week here, our neighbor boy kicked dirt at me. Daddy saw it and when he talked to him, the boy peed his pants. I don’t want Timmy to pee himself.”

She was a nicer person than Michelle. If the kid was a bully, he was getting off easy with only a little involuntary bladder movement. Chances are little Timmy would do more than pee is pants if she tased him.

They didn’t say much after that. Once they arrived at Michelle’s parents’ house, Ethan snagged Ava’s hand and pulled her into the living room to play video games until the cookies were ready to frost.

Now, they had dozens and dozens of cookies covering every surface in the house.

Michelle watched as Ethan and Emma shoved cookies into their mouths. Not Ava. She carefully covered the tree-shaped cookie with green frosting then placed sprinkles for ornaments on top. Such a hard worker. Dedicated. If she didn’t already know her father was Army, she’d have guessed it by the way the girl organized her supplies.