Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(67)

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"You're right," Andrea agreed. "Jed's the one who's giving Freddy ideas. And now that Freddy's mother is dead, there's no one to really look out for him. I don't think Mrs. Sawyer approved of Jed. He never came around when she was alive."

"I'll try to talk to Freddy tomorrow," Norman promised, setting his laptop in its carrying case and zipping it up. "Jed has a lot of influence with him, but that's because we let him. We're all too busy with our own lives and we don't take enough time to really get involved."

After Norman had said his good-byes to Andrea and Michelle, Hannah walked him to the door. She followed him out on the landing, closed the door behind them, and gave him a big hug. "You're a good man, Norman."

"Thanks, but I didn't do that much. Looking up things on-line is simple."

"Not that. I was talking about Freddy. It's really good of you to offer to get involved."

"But you're involved. You always take time to talk to Freddy, even when you're busy. There's no reason why I can't find the time to help him, too."

"That's what I mean. You're a good man." Hannah hugged him again.

Norman's arms tightened around her and he started to grin. "Is this your idea of a reward for good behavior?"

"Maybe. What's wrong with that?"

"Absolutely nothing. I just think I need a little bigger reward." Norman tipped her face up and kissed her.

It was a sweet kiss and Hannah didn't want it to end. It felt good to be this close to Norman. It was comforting, and warm, and nice, and exciting, too. And while her bones didn't melt and her legs didn't tremble in the same way they did when Mike kissed her, she didn't have that little doubt in the back of her mind about how many other women he'd kissed in exactly this way.

"Good night, Norman," Hannah said, when their kiss had ended. "Thank you."

"For the kiss?"

Joanne Fluke

"Yes. And for being you."

Norman smiled and started down the stairs, but he stopped halfway and turned to look back at her. "I'm glad I'm me, especially tonight. I really don't like the idea of you kissing somebody that's not me."

Mystery Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees E, with rack in middle position.

!/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

3 1/2 cups white sugar

2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

1 can condensed tomato soup (the regular plain

kind, not "Cream Of Tomato " or "Tomato with Basil" or anything else fancy—/ use Campbell's)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg (if you grind your own, use

1 teaspoon instead of 2) 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons salt

2 cups raisins (either golden or regular) 2 cups chopped walnuts (measure after you

chop them) 4l/2 cups flour (no need to sift)

Microwave the butter in your mixing bowl to melt it. Add the sugar, let it cool a bit, and mix in the beaten eggs. Open a can of condensed tomato soup, add that





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to your mixing bowl, and then mix it all up. Stir in the

cinnamon, nutmeg ,baking soda, and sa\t. Then add the

raisins and the walnuts, and stir. Measure the flour and add it in one-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Let the dough sit for ten minutes or so. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto a greased or Pammed cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (If the dough is too sticky to scoop, you can chill it for a few minutes, or dip your teaspoon into a glass of cold water.)

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or two (no longer or they 'II stick), and then transfer them to a wire rack for complete cooling.

A batch of Mystery Cookies yields about 10 dozen. (I know that's a lot, but they'll be gone before you know it.) They're soft and chewy and a real favorite. (And if you don't tell the kids that they're getting a helping of tomatoes with their cookies, I guarantee they 'II never guess.)





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Chapter Twenty-One

66Tt's eleven-thirty. Aren't you tired?" Hannah asked her

Asisters when she came back into her living room.

"Not me." Michelle shook her head.

"How about you, Andrea?" Hannah turned to her. "You're the one who's sleeping for two."

Andrea laughed. "That's eating for two. There's no such thing as sleeping for two. The baby sleeps whenever he wants to. It doesn't matter whether I'm awake or not."

"Are you sure you're not tired?"

"You sound like Bill. Really, Hannah. I'm not a bit tired."

Michelle looked confused. "But I thought pregnancy was so tiring."

"It is, in the last couple of months. But that's when you're carrying around all that extra weight. I've only gained five pounds so far. My feet get tired if I stand all day, but that's the only part of me that does. I actually have more energy now than I did before I got pregnant."

"I'm a real lightweight when it comes to pulling all-nighters, like when I have to study for a test. Maybe I should get pregnant and then I'd have more energy." Michelle noticed the shocked expression on her sisters' faces and she