second or two later, brewed coffee dripped into the carafe. That was when Hannah did something the instructions did not recommend. With a coffee mug in one hand, she grabbed the carafe with the other, pulled it out quickly, and replaced it with her coffee mug. Once the machine had filled her mug, she quickly removed it with one hand and slid the carafe back in place with the other hand. All this had taken a bit of juggling, but once Hannah had taken her first sip of freshly brewed coffee, she was convinced it had been well worth it.
“Ahhhh!” She breathed, feeling euphoric as she carried the full mug to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. There was nothing like a bracing cup of strong coffee first thing in the morning!
“Can you sneak one out for me, too?” a male voice asked, and Hannah turned to see Norman standing in the doorway.
“I’m so sorry, Norman!” Hannah apologized. “I didn’t mean to wake you!”
“You didn’t. I woke up to my favorite morning scent, freshly brewed coffee. Can you sneak out another mug, Hannah?”
“Of course I can,” Hannah replied immediately, taking another coffee mug from the cupboard and beginning to execute a similar procedure for Norman. Once she’d successfully completed the maneuver, she carried his coffee to the table and sat down next to him.
“Watching you do that without spilling a drop makes me think I ought to teach you some of my magic tricks,” Norman commented.
“Not unless you promise to be my assistant and you’re willing to wear that awful purple gown.”
“Never mind. I’m drawing the line at that!”
Hannah chuckled and so did Norman. They sat there, silent for a time, sipping their coffee and enjoying the feeling of being awake when everyone else was sleeping. Then Norman reached out to pat her shoulder. “Are you nervous about today, Hannah?”
Hannah knew exactly what he meant. It was Monday and Ross was scheduled to come back to Lake Eden to sign the withdrawal slip so that she could get his money from Doug at the bank. “I’m a little nervous,” she admitted.
“A little? Or more than a little?”
Hannah thought about that for a moment. “Maybe a bit more nervous than I’d like to be. I wish I knew whether Ross was coming or not. And I wish I knew what he’ll do when Doug says he couldn’t get that much money on such short notice.”
“Don’t worry. After you went to bed last night, I called Mike and we talked about that. Mike and I are going to stay with you at The Cookie Jar, and Lonnie and Rick are going to back Doug up at the bank. You don’t have to worry, Hannah. We won’t leave your side until we get the word that Ross has left town.”
“But . . . how about your dental appointments at the clinic?”
“No problem. I talked to Doc Bennett and he’s happy to fill in for me and make a little extra cash. He’s planning to go on another cruise with the widow he met on the last one.”
Hannah gave a huge sigh of relief. She hadn’t known she was that nervous about what Ross might do, but with Norman, Mike, Lonnie, and Rick looking out for her, she felt as if a tremendous weight had slid off her shoulders.
“Feel better?” Norman asked, smiling at her.
“A lot better. I guess I was more worried than I thought I was.”
“What are you making?” Norman asked, gesturing toward the ingredients that were lined up on the counter.
“Sally’s Chocolate Cream Pie. She gave me the recipe the last time I saw her and I wanted to try it this morning.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Hannah thought about that for a moment and then she began to smile. “You can help me whisk the chocolate pudding when I make it. Sally’s recipe calls for a lot of whisking.”
“Then I’m your man. I can wield a whisk with the best of them,” Norman promised. “Let’s finish our coffee and try that pie.”
It didn’t take long to make the pie with both of them working. Once the pudding had cooled a bit, Hannah poured it into the prepared pie shell, covered the top of the pudding with plastic wrap, and stuck the pie in the refrigerator. “It has to chill before I can put on the whipped cream topping,” she told Norman.
“Something smells like chocolate in here,” Michelle said, coming into the kitchen. “What