Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(72)

Michelle got up from her stool. “Sit with Mother, Hannah. I’ll put in another batch of cookies and then we can all try them.”

“Thank you, dear,” Delores said to Michelle, and then she turned to Hannah. “I hate to bring this up, dear, but I have a bit of a problem concerning my next book launch party. That’s part of the reason I came to see you this afternoon.”

“What’s the problem?” Hannah asked. Her mother’s book launches had been very successful in Lake Eden. Almost everyone in town had come to purchase books and enjoy the refreshments. The town library had profited nicely from the sales because they’d gotten the books at a special library discount price from the publisher, and Lisa’s mother-in-law, Marge, had made enough profit to stock the town library with a shelf of current best sellers. This, in itself, was good, but Delores’s book launches were also fun. Everyone who came enjoyed the local social event.

“The launch is at the end of this month,” Delores said, still looking concerned. “I was planning to hold it at the community center again, but they had some damage from the blizzard and they’re re-carpeting the entire lower floor.”

Hannah was surprised. “I didn’t know that!”

“Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem,” Delores continued. “But the only time that the cleanup crew and carpet people could come was the week I scheduled my book launch.”

“How about the Red Velvet Lounge?” Hannah suggested the restaurant on the ground floor of her mother’s condo building. “Or the lobby of the Albion Hotel?”

“Both of them are already booked,” Delores told her. “I just got a phone call this afternoon and that’s why I came right over here. Do you think it might be possible to hold my book launch in the clubhouse of your condo complex?”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. “That could work,” she told her mother. “There’s plenty of guest parking, and our clubhouse has a full kitchen. Do you want me to check on availability?”

“That would be wonderful, dear!” Delores began to smile. “When you get home tonight, will you check to see how many tables there are and how many chairs are at each table? I’ll need to know how many people we can seat.”

“Of course,” Hannah said immediately. “I think it’ll work out just fine at the clubhouse, Mother. It’ll be something a little bit different and people will like that. I can even post the event in our condo newsletter, and we could get some of the owners and renters who live there to come.”

“That sounds wonderful, dear!” Delores looked vastly relieved. “I knew I could count on you girls to help me find a suitable place to hold the event. And . . . I probably shouldn’t ask this because I know you’re so busy here for Valentine’s Day, but do you think you could handle the catering for my book launch?”

Hannah exchanged glances with Michelle. Their sisterly telepathy was operating well because Michelle gave a very slight nod and Hannah caught it immediately. “Of course we can, Mother. Don’t worry about a thing. Michelle and I will make sure the refreshments are handled.”

“Thank you!” Delores said, sounding very grateful for their help. “I must get back and tell Carrie. Do you think you could pack up some of those cookies for Carrie and Doc now?”

Michelle jumped to her feet. “I’ll do it. Sit and finish your coffee, Mother. We can discuss what you want us to bake sometime in the week before the launch. Right now, we’re all trying to come up with Valentine recipes.”

“I can help you with that,” Delores offered. “I think you should make things with chocolate. Everyone I know loves chocolate. Do you think you could make some bar cookies with chocolate and butterscotch?”

“I’m sure we could,” Hannah told her.

“Then I know that Doc will order tons of them to give to his nurses at the hospital. They have a Valentine’s party every year. And I’ll tell everyone I know that you’re making them. Most of my friends will come in to order some for their Valentine’s Day parties. Everyone loves chocolate. And everyone loves butterscotch, too.”

Hannah considered that for a moment. “Of course we can do that, Mother. We’ll come up with a recipe and give you a sample to taste. If you like it, we’ll make sure we have them available for your book launch, too.”

“Wonderful!” Delores accepted the plastic-wrapped plate that Michelle had just filled for her. “Thank you, dears. Will you have fresh cookies ready for me to taste for breakfast tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, we will, we always have fresh cookies at The Cookie Jar,” Hannah promised her.

“Oh, good! You girls have a wonderful evening and I’ll check in with you again tomorrow to find out whether there’s enough seating at the clubhouse.”

Hannah made a mental note to herself. Check clubhouse for seating. Then she locked the door behind their mother and turned to Michelle. “Did we just agree to cater Mother’s book launch party and provide the venue for her?”

Michelle laughed. “We certainly did! Now I know why everyone in town thinks Mother is such a dynamo when it comes to organizing things.”

“Why do you think she’s such a dynamo?”

“Because she’s a genius at getting other people to do the work,” Michelle responded. “She got you to check out the seating at the condo clubhouse, didn’t she?”