Page 39 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

“Great,” Jillian told her. “Let’s get Moose’s treat in there. We’ll roll the dough out to chill once that’s done.”

She watched as Josie grabbed a treat, put it on a bit of wax paper and set it on the tray. She looked up expectantly at Jillian when she was finished.

“Would you like to put it in?” Jillian asked her.

She could feel Brad’s eyes on her, but she knew Josie could handle it.

“I use a potholder,” Josie said.

“Always,” Jillian agreed. “Even when you don’t think you need it. And you make sure your clothing and your hair aren’t going to touch the inside of the oven too.”

Josie put a hand on her head, but her blonde hair was already pulled back. And she was wearing her gingerbread man pajamas, which fit closely.

“What do you think?” Jillian asked her. “Are you good?”

“I’m good,” Josie replied excitedly.

“Okay,” Jillian said. “Let’s see you do it.”

She watched proudly as the girl carefully opened the oven, lifted the tray with a potholder, and placed it on the rack before closing the door.

“I did it,” she said, popping back up with sparkling eyes.

Jillian could hear Brad chuckling softly behind her, and the girl’s energy made her want to laugh too. But she just smiled and nodded.

“You sure did,” she told her. “Now set the time for two minutes.”

“How?” Josie asked.

Jillian came over to the oven with her and walked her through it.

“After this, can we decorate the gingerbread house?” Josie asked hopefully when she was finished.

“Absolutely,” Jillian told her.

“Yes,” Josie said.

Josie had been disappointed when Jillian shared that she had already made one batch of gingerbread for the gingerbread house walls and roof while Josie was at school. But Jillian had known the process of making dough, chilling it, baking it, and letting it cool before they could get started would be too much even for the weekend. Now she was glad she had done it. They would be able to use the dough they were making tonight for cookies while they got a start on the house.

The timer went off and Josie bent to open the oven, then stopped and grabbed the potholder.

“Excellent,” Jillian told her. “Be very careful to hold the tray level, just like before.”

She stepped back and watched as Josie executed everything perfectly.

“I’m going to get it onto a plate for you,” she told Josie, grabbing a spatula.

When the hot biscuit was safely on a plate, Josie ran and got the peanut butter and a butter knife. Moose leapt up excitedly and seated himself right next to Josie again, watching rapturously while she painted a little peanut butter onto his treat.

“Can I give it to him?” Josie asked.

“Is it still hot?” Jillian asked her.

She watched as Josie lifted the biscuit and felt it, her head tilting to one side as she considered, in a way that made her oddly resemble the dog.

Jillian glanced over at Brad to see if he noticed it too.

Brad was smiling fondly at his daughter, but his eyes flashed over to Jillian and his smile deepened, as if they had a secret.

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