Jingle Bears: A Pacific Northwest Bear Novella: (Shifter Romance) (6 page)

T
he babies
all woke up a short time later, and the gift opening recommenced. The men started in on actually getting the gifts out of their packaging while their mates helped open even more.

“Why the hell does a toy need to be screwed to cardboard?” Wyatt complained. There was a pile of wire cutters, screwdrivers, and box cutters in the middle of the brothers as they tore at cardboard to get to the fun.

“So it doesn’t look crappy after they ship it thousands of miles, dumbass,” Conner shot at him.

“Shouldn’t you be worried the babies are going to choke on a wire or something?” Cage asked. He was trying to pull tiny rubber bands off of a doll’s hair to free her head from the box.

“I’m keeping track, don’t you worry,” Conner assured them.

“Hey, why isn’t dad helping? He let mom buy half this crap,” Wyatt asked, shifting a long claw out to swipe through some twist ties on the back of a tea set.

“That’s cheating,” Cage growled, pissed he hadn’t thought of that himself.

The door to the pantry opened, and Conner looked over his shoulder. “Apparently we were out of sugar again,” he quipped.

Connie and Edward Rochon walked out of the pantry straightening their clothes, and Connie was patting down her hair.

“Seriously, you people need to figure out what a bedroom is,” Dax laughed from the couch. He wasn’t about to start in on those toy boxes. Didn’t look like any fun to him. The pantry on the other hand…

“Mom, when are we going to eat again?” Wyatt whined from the floor.

Connie turned to Lilibeth. “Here is another time-honored Rochon tradition. It’s called left-over Christmas.”

She opened the huge commercial grade fridge and started pulling out everything from yesterday and the morning breakfast that hadn’t been eaten. It was a hodge-podge of cold cuts, half a ham, salads, and breakfast foods.

The group fell on the food like they hadn’t just eaten a few hours ago. Conner, being the last to arrive in the kitchen, made sure every stray potentially sharp object was picked up and put out of reach of the little ones.

The mid-day feast was disrupted only once when the tree started violently shaking, and everyone did a quick head count to find Mallory and Micah missing. Turned out Mallory was halfway up the tree in her shifted form, and Micah’s bear was at the base bellowing and trying to shake her out of it.

Baby prison was re-established, and the adults went back to eating. The food and present opening lull had everyone sleepy. Edward had actually gotten up and gone to take a nap. He got a lot of ribbing from his sons over that.

Dax was in the kitchen with Everett and Stryker going over business at the wineries. The Rochon boys were watching football at this point, giving up on the present opening since the kids just wanted to play with the boxes everything came in anyway.

Dax’s phone rang, and he pulled it out looking at the caller ID. Frowning, he answered. He listened for a minute then turned his back to the group and kept talking low. When he hung up, he leaned to Conner and spoke softly in his ear. Conner took off down the hallway to the room Dax and Effie were staying in. Dax looked at Stryker and said something quiet to him. Stryker pulled out his phone and hit a speed dial number and had it to his ear in seconds.

Seeing the commotion, Effie watched the boys rush around wondering what caused them to all break apart so fast. Dax motioned for her to come over with a head nod.

Effie got up, and her concern grew as she got closer and saw the look on her mate’s face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Her gut twisted and not from baby nausea.

Grabbing both of her hands, he clasped them together and pulled them to his chest. He leaned down close to her, his eyes on her and said, “There’s been an accident.”

“Who? Where?” Effie asked.

“Cassie took your car to a party last night. She was too drunk to drive home, so one of the guys from the shop offered to drive her. He apparently had a few drinks but thought he was okay. He lost control, and they hit a telephone pole. Cassie is hurt bad, baby. She’s in the hospital. Stryker is getting the plane ready, and Conner is packing our stuff. We’ll be out of here in twenty minutes.” Dax waited for his words to process.

Effie was thinking what he said couldn’t be true. She was happy, everything was perfect. Her family was together; her baby protected in her belly. Even her evil mother-in-law had found the Christmas spirit. She couldn’t lose Cass, she was her first love. She needed her.

“No…” Effie sobbed. She buried her head into his chest and let the tears fall. “What’s wrong with her?” she asked jerking away. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.

Dax shook his head. “It wasn’t good, sweets. It took over an hour for them to get her out of the car. Broken bones, head trauma, she almost bled out in the car. We need to go now. The doctors couldn’t tell me anything other than she is critical.”

Effie sucked in a breath. The image of her vibrant Cassie broken and bleeding tore her heart out.

“We have to go. We have to get to her!” Effie almost screamed.

“I’m on it. Let me make sure everything is getting organized so we can get there as fast as we can, yeah?” Dax gave her a kiss on her forehead and then passed her to Layla, who hovered near them. Effie collapsed into her arms, tears pouring out of her eyes. She was wrapped from the other side by Libby. The three women held each other for support.

“Anything I can do?” Cash asked quietly from the side.

“No. Thanks, man. We just need to get there quick. It doesn’t sound good,” he said quietly. He hoped Effie wouldn’t hear him over her tears.

“Just let me know, I’m here for you,” Cash reminded him.

“I know, it’s appreciated,” Dax said, clapping him on the shoulder. He went to his parents, and before he could say anything, Lilibeth spoke.

“Our driver is five minutes out; he’ll be here and take us all to the airport.” She already had her coat on and her purse in hand.

“Us?” Dax asked.

“Yes, us. This is family business, Dax. Effie is going to need support. Her friend sounds like she is going to need it too. Your father and I can keep an eye on anything that needs to be done at your winery so you can focus on Effie,” his mother said with a clear no discussion necessary tone.

“Thanks, Mom,” Dax said. He could use the support right now. His wife was fragile, not just with the pregnancy. Cassie had kept Effie going and fighting before he met her. He owed her the world for keeping his mate safe for him all those years.

Dax turned to the group who looked on with worried expressions.

“Sorry, we have to leave,” Dax started.

“Don’t even think about it. Go, let us know if you need anything. And I mean anything,” Cage said, giving his friend a hug. Dax took it. He needed it.

The rest of the group helped make sure Dax and Effie were ready to go. Connie made arrangements with Libby and Stryker to pack their things and ship them to Dax’s.

Effie had stopped crying and now had a shocked, numb look on her face. “Thank you, everyone, we’ll let you know,” she offered in a sad monotone.

Dax led her outside, and his parents followed. They were down the road and in the air on their way to Cassie.

T
he mood
inside the house was muted. The laughter had died down, and the merriment extinguished.

“I should have gone with them,” Cash said, his brow furrowed in frustration.

“They need to get to her fast and find out how bad it is. They will let us know if they want us there for anything, son,” Edward said, slapping him on the back.

“I didn’t meet her friend last time. But Effie seemed to need her, really need her,” Cash said.

Stryker came over carrying Harley. “That girl is nuts, but she’d take a bullet for Effie,” he said thoughtfully. Crazy-girl was high maintenance, but she was loyal. Loyalty was something that Cash and Stryker both held dear.

“Well, we will do what we always do with family. We will be there for them no matter what happens,” Connie said from the kitchen. She was stressed now and had started scrubbing the spotless sink.

“This isn’t good for Effie either. I mean, I know poor Cassie is hurt, but this is going to strain her pregnancy,” Layla said. She knew it sounded like she was more worried about Effie than Cassie, but even if Cassie was okay, she’d never forgive herself if something happened to her friend.

“She’s tough. You boys’ mom being there actually might help. Effie needs the support of a cougar female through her pregnancy,” Edward said sagely.

Everett and Stryker held their mates. Both were sad and upset at their sister-in-law’s pain. This accident was going to affect them all.

Cash looked around the room. These people were torn up over a human that wasn’t related to any of them. She must be really important to upset the balance of the ever-growing family. Cash wondered… who was this Cassie person?

T
iffani’s Snowball Cookies

1 cup butter softened

¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

3 tablespoons Milk

1 package Hershey kisses

Powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until blended. Stir in milk. Then add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Blend thoroughly. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls around a Hershey kiss. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 F. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely and then roll in powdered sugar.

A
nnie’s Potato Candy

1/3 cup mashed potato (from 1 potato)

2 tablespoons half and half or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

4-6 cups confectioner’s sugar 

Peanut butter

Directions:

Boil or microwave potato until it is soft. Remove and discard skin, mash (do not add anything) and cool completely. When cool, measure potato and add to a mixing bowl.

Add half and half or milk, vanilla, dash of salt, and 2 cups confectioner’s sugar. Mix well using an electric mixer on low speed. Add 2 more cups confectioner’s sugar, mixing well. It should resemble dough. 

Add more sugar by tablespoonfuls if dough seems too wet or sticky. (I ended up using 1 pound plus ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar in mine. Split dough into quarters so it is easier to work with.

Dust a board with confectioner’s sugar and roll out a piece of potato-sugar dough until it is roughly square or rectangular, and about ¼-inch thick. Spread one side with peanut butter. Roll up dough like a jelly roll. Repeat with others, or make flavor variations as described below.

Refrigerate rolls, tightly covered, for about 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and slice roll into pinwheels. Serve immediately, or return slices to refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. Cover tightly because they can dry out.

J
oleen’s Ice Carrot Cranberry Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 large egg

1 4-oz. jar pureed carrot baby food (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup cranberries (I used craisins)

Icing:

2 tablespoons orange juice 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

(I like to add more orange zest to the icing too)

Prep: 16 Minutes

Bake: 15 Minutes

Stand: 15 Minutes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of parchment.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar and zest until light, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed; beat in egg and carrot puree. Scrape down sides of bowl. (Mixture will look curdled.) Stir in flour mixture and currants.

3. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, switching sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely.

4. Make icing: Mix juice and butter. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Transfer to a ziplock bag. Snip off a corner; drizzle icing over cooled cookies. Let stand until icing hardens, about 15 minutes.

F
ran’s
German Chocolate-Pecan Pie Bars

1 ¾ cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 

¾ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup butter, melted

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup flaked coconut

3 cups broken pecans, toasted

D
irections
:

1 
Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with heavy-duty foil, extending foil 2 to 3 inches over 2 opposite sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.

2
 In food processor, place flour, powdered sugar, 3/4 cup butter and the cocoa. Cover; process with quick on-and-off pulses until consistency of coarse meal. Press in bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan.

3
 Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 30 minutes.

4
 In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and the eggs with whisk until smooth. Stir in coconut and pecans. Spoon over crust. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and set. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Refrigerate 1 hour. Use foil to lift out of pan onto cutting board. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

R
oxie’s Bomb-Ass Gingersnaps

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup blackstrap molasses

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

At least 1 tsp ground ginger (see note)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped into little bits (optional)

cinnamon-sugar for rolling - 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

By hand or in a mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix until the egg is completely combined. Stir in the molasses.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Whisk these dry ingredients to make sure everything is evenly distributed, then pour it on top of the wet ingredients. Use a folding motion to gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. Continue until no more flour is visible.

Turn on the oven to 375° and refrigerate the gingersnap dough while the oven is preheating.

When the oven is hot, measure out rounded teaspoons of dough. Roll the dough between your hands to shape balls, and then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Position the balls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies have puffed and collapsed back on themselves.

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

NOTE: I really, really love ginger, so I grate fresh ginger and use that (a microplane works the best for this), and also firmly believe the correct amount of ginger is "However much ginger I have in the house right now." I routinely use 2-3 TBSP of fresh ginger for these, but I've got a very high spice tolerance. I also usually use more nutmeg and cinnamon than this.