Strictly Business

Strictly Business: Chapter 8

Elizabeth walked into the kitchen to find the three of them with Lucy at the large center island countertop elbow-deep in flour and eggs. The two girls were giggling while attempting to mix the flour, eggs and sugar together with Shane and Lucy holding the large bowls for them. Germaine was less enthusiastic than her older sister and slopped less batter out of the bowl. Shane and the two girls had flour all over their faces.

"Now, now. Keep some of the mixture for your cookies, you have more on the counter than in your bowls!" Lucy chided good-naturedly while the girls slopped more batter out of the bowl as they tried to stir it unsuccessfully.

"What can I do to help?" asked Elizabeth cheerfully as she approached the island counter.

"Oh Miss Elizabeth, thank goodness you're here. Here, hold onto Miss Germaine's bowl while I go get more flour and eggs. At the rate they're going, we'll only have enough batter for one cookie!" Lucy bustled off as Elizabeth took over.

"Come Germaine, let me show you." With one hand steadying the bowl, she guided Germaine's hand with the other, slowly stirring the batter. She smiled at the way the young girl's brows furrowed in concentration.

They stirred in the chocolate chips, dropped the dough in batches onto the baking sheets and popped the trays into the oven. Lucy gave the two girls the mixing spoons to lick while Elizabeth and Shane cleaned up the counter.

"You two are not making cookies again if you're going to waste batter like this. It's everywhere!" Shane scolded them in mock anger.

"And it's also on your face," Elizabeth laughed, wiping a smear of batter off his face with her finger and licking it. Shane's eyes crinkled as he looked at her.

"You can't blame us, we're little!" Loretta gave him an innocent look.

"Little," Germaine repeated, licking her spoon thoroughly.

"We're making oatmeal the next time," Shane decided, mopping up the counter top.

"Noooooooooooo!!" the two girls protested.

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Loretta and Germaine were waiting eagerly, squatting in front of the oven, watching the cookies bake while Shane and Elizabeth kept an eye on them. Lucy poured out glasses of milk for them and set out plates on the breakfast table.

The oven pinged merrily and the girls squealed in delight. Lucy opened the oven door and took out the first tray of cookies. Loretta jumped excitedly around Lucy, clamouring for the first one. Unnoticed by the rest, Germaine stretched out her hand towards the cookies on the tray still in the oven.

"Germaine, no! It's still hot!!" Elizabeth rushed forward to block Germaine's hand from touching the hot oven and cried out in pain as her left hand bumped against the red hot heating rods.

Shane bolted to Elizabeth's side and cradled her hand gently. He turned to Germaine. "Sweetheart, are you hurt? Did you burn yourself?" Lucy immediately examined Germaine carefully, found her to be unhurt and quickly led her away from the oven.

Shane took Elizabeth to the sink and ran cool water over her burn. The back of her hand was red with an angry, raised line from the rod across it. "Luckily, the burn is minor. I'll dress it up later. Just be careful not to scratch your hand and hopefully it won't leave a scar," Shane said worriedly, holding her hand under the faucet. He dried her hand carefully and took the antiseptic cream from the first aid kit Lucy brought over. He then placed a piece of gauze carefully on the wound and bandaged it loosely. Elizabeth watched him.