February has more than one sweet holiday. We all know about Valentine's Day—February is also National Bake For Family Fun Month!
This month-long celebration is all about more than baking tasty treats; it's about the wonderful connections we build while working together in the heart of our homes.
Baking is a fantastic way to bond with family. In the realm of sweet romance, it can also create a backdrop for heartwarming connections between characters.
Imagine a cozy kitchen in Montana. Our main character, Annie, a widow and single mother, is reconnecting with her childhood friend Noah. As the evening grows late and hunger strikes, Annie suggests whipping up a batch of biscuits and gravy.
As Annie and Noah roll dough and reminisce about old times, the kitchen fills with laughter, shared stories, and heartfelt conversations. Suddenly, the bridge between the past and the future doesn't seem so intimidating.
Through the simple act of baking together, Annie and Noah rediscover the warmth of their friendship and the depth of their connection. It's about more than the biscuits baking in the oven; it's about the bonds they're reigniting, one conversation and one sprinkle of flour at a time.
While this scene was from a story I've written to show the characters reconnecting, it also serves as a reminder that amidst life's changes, the comfort of familiar company and cherished traditions can anchor us.
As we celebrate baking this month, be it with bread, cookies, or any of the other sweet treats we love to enjoy, let's remember that it's about having fun with the food we create and the connections we nurture along the way.
I’ll end this month's blog with a sample of Annie and Noah's heartwarming story. Here's an excerpt from For A Visit.
*****
Annie smiled at the change from the Noah she remembered. When they were in high school, he’d tell Jesse and Annie every detail of his dates. There were still a couple of women she couldn’t look in the eye because of some things Noah shared.
"What about you? Have you dated since Jesse?" He paused as though searching for the correct word, then said, “Left?”
Three years had passed since Jesse died. He died doing what he loved, riding the quad. So while she was sad for herself, Annie always thought if it was his time to go, that was the best way for it to happen. “No, I didn’t have it in me to see anyone else.” She admitted. “And J.R. keeps me busy.”
“Jesse said that would happen.” A wrinkle formed in the middle of Noah’s brow.
“What?” Annie had no idea Jesse and Noah talked about her. Although it made sense. Jesse had survived cancer in his twenties. After facing death, he approached life differently. Sometimes when they lay in bed, he’d ask her what she’d do without him. Annie always said she didn’t want to think about life without him. Now she was living it. If he were to come back and ask how she was doing, Annie would have said that she was right. Life without him was too hard.
“You’re too young to stop living.” Just as Noah said it, the timer signaling that the biscuits were finished baking went off.
The sound startled Annie into moving. She pulled the oven mitts out of the drawer and opened the door. After the initial wave of heat passed, Annie inhaled the aroma of warm biscuits, and her mouth watered. She set them on the counter and said, “I need to get your biscuit recipe.”
“Some things are best kept secret,” Noah’s eyes sparkled. “Besides, if I don’t tell, you’ll invite me back.”
Annie wished it were true. That he’d stick around to make biscuits whenever she had a taste for them, but she said nothing because it would be too harsh to remind Noah that he was only in town for a visit.
Link to Buy For A Visit
***
This is where the excerpt ends. To keep the conversation going, I’d like to ask: Do you have a favorite sweet romance novel or movie that features baking or cooking as a central theme? Share in the comments.
Thanks for sharing the excerpt!
ReplyDelete