“Okay, now dump it into the bowl and then we crack two eggs on top.”
Dakota picked up the measuring cup with two hands and dumped the flour into a bowl that already had a bunch of sugar inside. She giggled when a plume of white dusted the air. “We’re making a cloud.”
More gentle laughter touched her ears. “Baking isn’t usually the cleanest activity in the world, but you can be sure it’s the yummiest.”
“And yummy is the best.”
“That’s right.”
Her momma handed her an egg, and she wrapped her hand around Dakota’s, guiding her to gently tap it against the edge of the metal bowl. “Okay, real gentle, now.”
It cracked open and the yellow yolk and gooey clear stuff oozed out onto the flour. They did the same with the second, then added chocolate chips, butter, and oil.
“I get to mix it now?” Mixing was her favorite part. Other than eating it at the end, of course.
“Yep. Put the mixer in and start it really slow.”
Concentrating, Dakota put her finger on the button, and she carefully moved it to the right speed like her momma had taught her to do. It whirred to life, and the metal arms clanged against the metal bowl.
“Okay, you can turn it up faster now.”
Dakota did as she was instructed, and she watched the ingredients whip together, becoming a brown dough.
They used a spoon to make little balls, lining them in three rows on the sheet. Then her momma carried it to the oven since Dakota wasn’t allowed to do that part yet. “In they go. Ten minutes, and they’ll be baked to perfection.”
Then her momma shut the door and set the timer on the clock.
“Do you think I did a good job?” Dakota asked, dusting off her hands.
Her momma nudged Dakota’s chin with her index finger, sending her a smile. “I think you did a great job.”
Excitement widened Dakota’s eyes. “Like I’m the best baker in the world?”
A quiet chuckle rolled from her momma, and she ran a tender hand through Dakota’s hair. “Well, I would say you are pretty dang close. Just remember to always do it with love, and you can’t go wrong. It will always be delicious.”
When the timer dinged, her momma used the mitts to pull the cookies out, and she set them on the counter to cool. Once they were, she let Dakota use a spatula to put them on a plate.
They smelled so, so good, and it made Dakota’s tummy rumble.
A minute later, the sliding glass door to the backyard whipped open, and Cody and Ryder came running in from where they’d been kicking the soccer ball on the lawn out back. Shoes banging on the floor and their arms and legs flailing as they fought each other to make it in first.
Ryder was Cody’s best friend, and he was over a whole lot.
“Wild boys,” her momma tsked, like the words might be mad but her voice was too soft for that. “You two settle down while you’re in the house. You’re liable to tear the whole thing down, and you know I don’t have the time to deal with any of that.”
Cody and Ryder both straightened, though Cody gave his friend a shove from the side at the same second Ryder was saying, “Sorry, Ms. Cooper.”
Then Cody’s friend inhaled a big breath and his chest puffed out. “Did someone make chocolate chip cookies?”
He pushed his shaggy black hair from his eyes. Eyes that were the same color as the night went wide when he saw the plate of them.
“Can I have some?” he asked their momma.
“You’ll have to ask Dakota. She’s the one who baked them.” Dakota’s mother’s smile was crooked when she looked between them.
“Can I have one, Dakota? They smell better than anything I’ve ever smelled before.”
Dakota’s chest filled with pride, something like feathers that tickled in her heart and floated in her belly. Her shoulders went up to her ears. “I made ’em for you. You like the chocolates the best.”
He smiled even bigger.
“Well, go on then,” her momma said. “How about some milk to wash it down?”
“Yes, please,” Ryder said right away.
He and Cody grabbed two cookies each.
Cody gobbled his down in a single bite.
Ryder took his to the table and sat down, slowly eating each one, like he wanted the taste of them to last forever.
Dakota couldn’t help but watch.
“Was it good?” she finally asked because they needed to be if she was going to be the best baker in the world.
Ryder grinned with his big red lips. “That was my favorite thing I ever ate.”