Page 15 of Candy Cane Dreams
Thoughts of Kate's own cold childhood tried to push into her mind, but she shoved them aside. That was part of the reason she became a counselor, because she had so longed for a gentle touch, a warm hug, a caring smile from her parents, but they never seemed to have time.
They had taken care of her, that was for sure. Provided her with everything a child could want, except love and attention.They'd been too busy working to pay for all the things they had given her, and anytime she tried to talk to them about it, especially as she got older, they gave her a guilt trip for not being grateful for what they had provided and always wanting more. She hadn't wanted more; she had just wanted... the human connection. The love a child deserves from their parents.
But her parents had done the best they could, and looking back, Kate could hardly fault them. They thought they were providing for her in the very best way possible. And they truly did think she wasn't being grateful when she asked for something different.
Regardless, it had shaped her entire life and landed her here, at Mistletoe Meadows Candy Canes and Jack Henderson's doorstep.
It was a shop, so she didn't have to knock before she pulled the door open and stepped inside.
It was like stepping back in time into an old-fashioned movie, only the smell was minty and somehow old, yet not musty or dirty.
She breathed in deeply, the sugary, sweet candy scent seeming to fill up her soul, like the hug that she'd longed for as a child.
The old-fashioned display in the window, with the mechanical toys that made little clicking and buzzing noises as they moved along, made her smile as she walked along the hardwood floor. They were small, narrow planks, and she guessed the floor hadn't been replaced since the building had been built in the early 1900s.
It probably wasn't on the national historic register, but a part of her felt it should be. She supposed it provided tons of beautiful memories to all the kids who had grown up over the years in Mistletoe Meadows.
How many kids had stood in front of the penny candy display, clutching a nickel or a dime and trying to decide which candy they would choose?
She smiled at the thought.
And somehow the thought made her long for a child of her own to hold her hand and stand and make decisions about what she really wanted. Of course, as a child, her parents probably would have encouraged her to save her money and not spend it frivolously on candy.
"Hey there," Jack spoke, startling her.
"My goodness, I didn't see you back there." He stood behind the mixer, which was silent and still.
"I need to get these candy canes shaped before they cool too much to work with."
"That looks so interesting. Would it be too much to ask for me to be able to watch you?"
"I think that's why we have the store part open to the kitchen. So that people can come in and watch." He looked up with a welcoming smile. "Of course you're welcome to come over and take a look."
Movement caught her gaze, and she realized Lilly stood directly beside her dad, her hands on the counter, shaping candy canes.
"Lilly. I didn't see you there. Looks like you're helping your dad."
Lilly's eyes, bright and shining, looked up as she nodded happily.
The little girl had been well-behaved in school, but obviously here in the shop her entire body seemed to come alive.
“Lilly loves to help.”
“I bet she’s a great helper.” Lilly beamed. Kate’s gaze went to the pot on the burner. “So you cook the... it's not called batter?"
"No. We refer to it as syrup. We cook the candy syrup to a specific temperature, and then we put it in strips on a tray to let it cool. Then, before it's completely cold, you have to form those strips into the shape that you want. Obviously, because of the name of the shop, we make a lot of candy canes, but we do have different kinds of candy too."
"You do?" Kate asked, looking around the shelves. There were blue candy canes and green ones, the traditional red and white stripes, as well as solid red and solid white. She could read the different tags with the different flavors underneath. A banana candy cane caught her eye.
"Yeah. I don't make a whole lot of chocolate, but it's probably my favorite thing."
"Your favorite thing to eat, or your favorite thing to make?"
Jack exchanged an amused smile with Lilly. "Both," he said, his brows raised, and he looked at Lilly rather than Kate as he spoke.
The little girl laughed, and a small sound escaped her mouth, but she quickly put her hand over it, stifling her laughter.
Jack didn't seem to notice that his daughter had made a sound, and Kate wondered if that was normal. Perhaps she did often laugh.
