“Almost everyone in town will be coming to the competition,” Mayor Bascomb said, turning toward the camera that was trained on him. “Chef Sally Laughlin put the tickets up for sale right after KCOW-TV aired their coverage and she told me that they were sold out within 10 minutes!” He turned to Hannah. “Everyone in town wants to see you win, Hannah. Can you give us a clue about what you’ll be baking for your first entry?”
Ross and Michelle had prepared her for this question, and Hannah fielded it just the way they wanted her to. “It’s a surprise, Mayor Bascomb, but I can tell you this . . .” Hannah paused for the required silent count of three, and then she continued. “It’s something that Ross and I will be serving at our wedding reception.”
“But that could be anything, Hannah.”
Hannah gave the slightly impish smile that she’d practiced in front of the mirror in the ladies’ room closest to the gate. “I know. And you’ll know too . . . along with everyone else at the competition.”
The Jordan High band was there and they played something that Hannah didn’t recognize. Later, after they were in the limo on the way back to her condo, she’d ask Michelle if she knew what song it was. Then Mayor Bascomb gave a short speech which, in Hannah’s opinion, could have been even shorter, to welcome them home.
All four of them, Hannah, Ross, Michelle, and P.K., gave collective sighs of relief as they climbed into the limo and the driver pulled away from the airport. That was when a most unwelcome thought occurred to Hannah and she turned to Ross with a question.
“You don’t think there’ll be another welcoming committee waiting for us at my condo . . . do you?”
Ross shook his head. “No one except Norman, Cuddles, Moishe, Mike, and Lonnie.”
“I knew Norman would be there with Moishe and Cuddles. But why will Mike and Lonnie be there?”
“Because I called and asked them to keep out anyone who doesn’t live in your complex. I didn’t think you’d want to deal with another official welcoming committee.” Ross paused and frowned slightly. “Was I wrong, Hannah?”
“Oh, no! You were absolutely right!” Hannah gave a big sigh of relief. It was wonderful to have the man she loved looking out for her. “Thank you, Ross,” she added quickly. “That was very thoughtful of you.”
Ross looked slightly embarrassed by her praise. “Actually, it wasn’t my idea. Norman thought you wouldn’t want to deal with any more obligations once you got home. He told me he thought you’d want to relax and get some sleep before tomorrow’s practice session. As a matter of fact, he said he’d bring Chinese takeout for dinner.”
“That’s nice of him,” Hannah said, hoping the takeout meal wouldn’t turn into a dinner party.
“I can only stay long enough to help with your luggage,” Ross told her. “P.K. and I have to go back to the station to start editing our footage from New York. KCOW is going to run my interviews with the contestants and judges right before the competition begins. Then we’ll go to a live feed of the actual program from the Lake Eden Inn.”
“Oh. Okay,” Hannah responded, giving him a smile even though she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved that she wouldn’t be spending another late evening with Ross.
“You, or me?” Michelle asked as Hannah unlocked the door to her condo.
“Or me?” Ross added. “I’ll drop these suitcases if you want me to do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Hannah said, stepping back a foot or two. “I’m his mommy.”
Michelle stood to the side and opened the door as Hannah braced herself. The moment the door opened, a ball of orange and white fur hurtled out to land squarely in Hannah’s arms.
“Oof!” she said, involuntarily. And then she leaned down to rub her nose against Moishe’s soft fur. “Were you a good boy while I was gone?”
“Rrrrow!”
Moishe looked up at her expectantly as she carried him to his favorite perch on the back of the living room couch, and she turned to head for the kitchen to get a few of his favorite salmon-flavored, fish-shaped kitty treats.
“He was very good,” Norman said, handing her the canister before she could take a step. “And so was Cuddles.”
Hannah glanced down at the middle couch cushion, the one that no one ever used unless they had a crowd of visitors. Cuddles was there, stretched out in comfort. Norman’s cat was looking up at her expectantly and she was purring loudly.
Hannah shook some treats out of the canister and doled them out to the two cats. Then she turned back to Ross, who was standing in the doorway with the suitcases. “Just put them down anywhere, Ross. Michelle and I will move them later. Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to stay for something to eat?”