Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“I do,” he replied with a smile. “I’ve always enjoyed cooking; especially when it’s for people I care about.” Daddy winked at me and my stomach warmed. I knew he cared about me; I could feel it in his touch and see it in his actions, but it was nice to hear it. “I’m just making something quick for now, because I want to get your belly full. I can make you something fancier for dinner.”
In no time at all, he scooped a sandwich off of the pan and onto a plate, which he placed in front of me. It was grilled cheese, which I loved, but it looked even better than what I was used to. It was thick, browned perfectly, and had gooey cheese spilling over the sides. But there was something else inside it too.
I reached for the top piece of bread to peel it back for a peek, but Daddy stopped me by gently grabbing my hand. “Careful, baby; it’s hot. I don’t want you to burn your precious little fingers.” He kissed my fingertips and made my stomach feel swoopy.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see what all was inside.”
He grabbed a butter knife from the drawer and cut my sandwich into two triangles. “That will help it cool faster, and let you see the goodies inside. There’s two layers of cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, and barbecue potato chips. It’s my specialty sandwich.”
Just hearing the ingredients made my mouth water. “This looks very fancy to me.” Daddy laughed even though I was being serious. “I only know how to cook eggs.”
“I happen to love eggs,” he told me with a smile as he sat down next to me with a plate of his own. “But if you’d like, and if you promise to be very careful around the oven, I will teach you how to cook lots of things.”
“That sounds like fun.” It also sounded like I’d be spending lots more time with him, which was the best part of all.
Once Daddy told me my sandwich was cool enough, I took a big bite and hummed as its savory flavors burst across my tastebuds. “Mm, this is so good!” I knew it was rude to talk with my mouth full, but I had to tell him how delicious it was.
His eyes sparkled right along with his smile. “I’m so glad you like it.” He didn’t look like he thought I was rude at all.
When I lifted my sandwich to take another big bite, I noticed the small blue floral pattern on my plate. A million memories rushed into my brain and warmed my heart. “My grandma had plates just like this. She raised me,” I added, realizing I hadn’t told him that yet. “She and my grandpa. She loved cooking too, and made almost all of our meals. We’d sit around her big oak table and eat on her blue flowery plates.”
Daddy’s warm hand traced circles onto my back. “That sounds really nice. I bet she was a great cook; grandmas always are.”
I nodded as I took another bite. “I wish I would have asked her to teach me. I guess I didn’t think about it because she enjoyed preparing the meals so much. She loved spoiling Grandpa and me.”
“Grandmas are good at that, too,” Daddy chuckled.
“She was good at lots of things; cooking, baking, singing, and she could sew anything. She made really pretty quilts. I thought they were pretty enough to wear. Sometimes, when she was busy, I would wrap the quilts around my waist and pretend they were ball gowns. One day, she caught me.”
Daddy’s hand stopped circling against me, and his eyes filled with concern. “I thought she would be mad at me, and she was, a little, but not for the reason I was afraid of; she was just irritated that I was dragging her nice quilt across the floor. She said if I wanted her to make me an actual dress to play in, all I had to do was ask.” He smiled brightly again and went back to drawing circles.
“So I asked nicely, and she made me a pretty purple dress. I loved it from the moment I put it on; how it felt, how it crinkled, and especially how it puffed out when I twirled. She was happy that I was happy, but Grandpa was less than thrilled when he found out. He asked her if she was trying to turn me into a sissy. She said no, but that she’d turn him into a starving man by refusing to cook if he kept running his mouth.”
Daddy tipped his head back and laughed. “I think I would have liked her.”
“You would have loved her.” She was the sweetest woman to ever live, but she also had a sassy streak, which I must have inherited. “After that threat, Grandpa never mentioned anything about my wardrobe again. Grandma sewed the dresses, I wore the dresses, and Grandpa stayed quiet and ate his biscuits and gravy.” Daddy laughed again, and I was quickly becoming addicted to the booming, gravely sound. It was pure joy, and warmed me to my core. “Grandpa also taught me how to play cards.”