“That’s so sweet!” Claire gushed.
“And this is from me.” Delores bent down to kiss the top of Hannah’s head. “I love you, Hannah. If your sisters weren’t here, I’d tell you that you were always my favorite.”
All three Swensen sisters burst into laughter. Delores laughed too, but Claire looked completely puzzled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Mother told each of us that we were her favorite,” Hannah explained. “She knew we’d end up comparing notes and we’d get a good laugh out of it.”
“That’s true,” Delores admitted. “But when I said it to each of you, I meant it. All three of you are my favorites.” She stopped, grabbed a tissue from the box on Claire’s dresser, and dabbed at her eyes. “I’d better get back to the church before I ruin my makeup. Weddings always make me cry.”
As Hannah took Doc Knight’s arm and walked down the aisle, a phenomenon happened, something that had never occurred in the one-hundred and twenty-six-year history of the Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church. Heads swiveled to look at the bride, smiles appeared on every face, and the congregation broke into spontaneous applause.
Hannah smiled at everyone there, and then her eyes swept up to the altar, where her sisters, the bridesmaids, were standing on the bride’s side, and Ross, Norman, and Mike were standing on the groom’s side. She was here, she was ready, and as the traditional wedding march swelled in volume from the organ, she basked in the warmth of Ross’s smile. He loved her. She loved him. This was the perfect day for her perfect wedding.
The church and everyone in it were covered with a golden glow of happiness for Hannah as Doc Knight escorted her down the aisle and presented her to her groom. Hannah and Ross took their places in the center, and Reverend Bob began the wedding service.
The service was short and sweet, just as Reverend Bob had promised, and much sooner than usual, the bridal couple was ready to speak their vows.
“Do you, Ross Jeffrey Barton, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?”
“I do,” Ross said, smiling at Hannah.
“And do you, Hannah Louise Swensen, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?”
Hannah felt a chill run through her body. It had almost happened. Death had almost parted them. She’d almost died before their wedding!
Images ran through Hannah’s mind at the speed of light. If the bowl of oil hadn’t been under the counter in Sally’s kitchen, and if Rodney hadn’t slipped on the oil and fallen, and if the driver hadn’t been right there loading the Dumpsters, and if she hadn’t hoisted herself up and tumbled in, she would be dead right now and parted from Ross forever.
And then her eyes found Mike and she realized that he’d guessed what was running through her head. He was giving her the okay sign with his thumb and his index finger curled together in a circle. And then he winked and she winked back. They exchanged a look that meant complete understanding. Hannah turned and looked up at the man she loved and gave him a radiant smile.
“I do,” she said, in a loud, clear voice.
Wedding Cake Murder Recipe Index
Easy Lemon Pie 9
Hannah’s Whipped Crème Fraiche 12
Chips Galore Whippersnapper Cookies 33
Chocolate Almond Crisps 44
Green Tomatillo Stew 67
Cheesy Chili Corn Muffins 72
Soft Chewy Milk Chocolate Cookies 96
Magic White Chocolate Soufflé 116
Vanilla Nutmeg Sauce 120
Milk Chocolate Sauce 122
Double Rainbow Swirl Cake (Hannah’s Wedding Cake) 139
White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting 145
Breakfast Puffs 156
Butterscotch Sugar Cookies 180
White Chocolate Mocha 192
Chocolate Coffee Cake 209
Lunchbox Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies 224
Peanut Butter Potato Chip Cookies 241
Angel Crunch Cookies 269
Honey Drop Cookies 279
Blue Banana Muffins 307
Baking Conversion Chart
These conversions are approximate, but they’ll work just fine for Hannah Swensen’s recipes.
VOLUME
U.S. Metric
? teaspoon 2 milliliters
1 teaspoon 5 milliliters
1 tablespoon 15 milliliters
? cup 50 milliliters
cup 75 milliliters
? cup 125 milliliters
? cup 175 milliliters
1 cup ? liter
WEIGHT
U.S. Metric
1 ounce 28 grams
1 pound 454 grams
OVEN TEMPERATURE
Degrees Degrees British (Regulo)
Fahrenheit Centigrade Gas Mark
325 degrees F. 165 degrees C. 3
350 degrees F. 175 degrees C. 4
375 degrees F. 190 degrees C. 5
Note: Hannah’s rectangular sheet cake pan, 9 inches by 13 inches, is approximately 23 centimeters by 32.5 centimeters.
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of
Joanne Fluke’s next suspense novel
EYES
coming in May 2016 wherever print and e-books are sold!
Dear Reader,