“I never doubted that for a moment.”
“Then call Ross and make sure it’s okay if I stay here. Mother says I can use her car so transportation won’t be a problem. And don’t try to talk Ross into it. I don’t want to stay here if he doesn’t want me.”
“I’ll check with him right after I taste one of those chocolate goodies you’re baking,” Hannah promised. “They smell delicious.”
“I hope so. I got the recipe from the mother of a student in my one-act play. She sent a box of them to our dress rehearsal and they were really good! They’re a no-bake dessert so they’re really easy to make.”
Hannah followed Michelle to the kitchen and sighed as Michelle took a pan from the refrigerator. “Are they like brownies?”
“A little. I’d describe them as a cross between brownies and candy. They’re not really firm enough yet, but I can cut one from the edge of the pan.”
A moment later, Hannah took her first bite of the brownie that was like candy. “Decadent!” she pronounced as she sat down at the kitchen table. “Now the only thing I’m missing is . . .”
“No, you’re not,” Michelle interrupted Hannah by setting a mug of black coffee down in front of her.
“Perfect. Thanks, Michelle,” Hannah took a sip and smiled in enjoyment. “This dessert is so rich, I really needed coffee.”
“That’s what I thought the first time I tasted it. And it’s so easy to make.” Michelle gestured toward the slow cooker on the counter. “What are you making? And who’s coming for dinner?”
“It’s a chicken dish I decided I’d try. I’m calling it Chicken Stroganoff and I just hope it’s going to be good.”
“It smells great and I know it’ll be good if you made it.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. If it’s not good, will you run out to the Corner Tavern for burgers? Mike and Norman are joining us for dinner. They said they had a wedding present to give us. And now that you’re here, Mike will probably bring Lonnie, too.”
“Great. If Lonnie comes, that’ll make six. And of course I’ll run out to the Corner Tavern for burgers, except I’m pretty sure we won’t need them. Do you think you have enough of your Chicken Stroganoff for six? Or is that a stupid question?”
“I have enough. I’m going to serve it over egg noodles, and I picked up ingredients for a salad. I’m also making Cheesy Beer Muffins and we’ll have your Brownie Candy for dessert.”
“Beer muffins?” Michelle sounded puzzled. “I’ve never heard of muffins with beer before.”
“Norman sent me the recipe. He got it from a dentist friend of his and I thought I’d try it.”
“Is Norman bringing Cuddles?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Why don’t you call him and make sure he does. I picked up a big bag of salad shrimp and we’ll never use all of them in your salad. And don’t forget to touch base with Ross.”
“I’ll do it now,” Hannah said, heading for the bedroom. Her conversation with Ross had to be private. If he didn’t want Michelle to stay, they could think of some kind of excuse together so that she wouldn’t feel rejected.
As Hannah shut the door and prepared to make her call in private, she crossed her fingers for luck. Then she uncrossed them again, punched in the number for Ross’s cell phone, and crossed them again.
“Hannah!” Ross answered on the second ring. “Do you miss me?”
“Of course,” Hannah said quickly, “but that’s not why I called. Michelle’s here. She took the bus to Lake Eden and I wondered if it was all right if she stayed in our guest room.”
“Of course it is!”
The answer came immediately and Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. “Then you really don’t mind? Michelle thought we might want to be alone.”
“I don’t mind at all, if you don’t.”
Hannah felt a little pang. Ross didn’t mind if they weren’t alone. Was that good? Or was that bad? She just wasn’t sure. Before she could think better of it, she asked, “Don’t you want to be alone with me?”
“Of course I do, Cookie!” Again the answer came immediately. “It’s just that we have the rest of our lives to be alone with each other. Eventually, Michelle will get married and have children. And then she’ll have her own family and she won’t be able to spend as much time with you. I just think that you should enjoy your time with her while you can.”
Hannah wanted to ask Ross if that’s what had happened with his own family, but that was a conversation for another time. All she really knew about Ross’s family was that he said he’d called them and they’d been unable to come to the wedding.
“Okay then,” she said quickly. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’ll tell Michelle that she’s welcome to stay.”
“I don’t mind. As a matter of fact, I like having her stay with us. She takes some of the workload off you at The Cookie Jar and I know you want her to stick around so that she can help you find out who killed the mayor’s sister.”
“That’s true. I could use Michelle’s help. As a matter of fact, there’s a friend of hers who could answer some of my questions. If Michelle goes with me to talk to her, we might learn more than I would alone.”
“How long can Michelle stay in Lake Eden before she has to go back to college?”
“Two weeks and maybe a little more. Michelle’s filling in as the interim director of the Lake Eden Players. She’s currently enrolled in an advanced directing class and her professor is giving her college credit for helping out here.”
“That’s even better. The mayor’s sister was the director, wasn’t she?”
“That’s right. Tori Bascomb directed the Lake Eden Players and she also directed the plays at Jordan High.”