Peach Cobbler Murder (33 page)

As she sat there wondering how long she could exist without oxygen, Mike got down on one knee and took a small velvet jeweler’s box out of his pocket.

“I wanted to give this to you at Lisa and Herb’s reception, but . . . well . . . you know what happened. I remember when you said you didn’t really like diamonds, that they were colorless.”

“That’s true,” Hannah said, surprised that she’d managed to squeeze any words out of the throat she thought was permanently blocked.

Mike flipped the velvet-covered cask open so that Hannah could see the ring inside. “I bought you an emerald engagement ring, because the green matches your eyes. Will you marry me, Hannah? Please?”

Hannah gazed down at the ring and was rendered speechless yet again. She couldn’t say yes, or nor, or even maybe. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest and race free as Mike took the ring out of the cask and held it out. A proposal at last, from Mike! All she had to do was accept, and she would be Mrs. Michael Kingston.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Norman approaching and the yes that was about to escape her lips caught on the lump in her throat. Norman saw Mike down on his knees in the lobby and he held up his arms in a time-out signal.

Hannah started t grin, even though the moment was fraught with emotion. Norman was wheeling his arms in circles and she couldn’t help herself.

“What?” Mike asked, noticing Hannah’s inattention.

“Nothing,” Hannah said, and Norman beat a hasty retreat. What was Norman doing? Wasn’t he even going to fight for her?

“Hannah? Will you marry me?” Mike asked again, beginning to frown slightly.

“An urgent telephone call for Mike Kingston,” the loudspeaker intoned. “Please report to the front desk immediately.”

“Uh-oh,” Mike said, jumping to his feet. “Hold that thought. This could be important. I’d better take it, okay?”

Hannah didn’t have time to answer before he was gone, but she had the feeling that her whole life would be that way if she married Mike. She would never come first. She was really sorry that Norman hadn’t . . .

“Hannah!” Norman rushed to her side. “Don’t marry Mike! Maybe he loves you, but he’s going to break your heart. Marry me instead. I love you and I promise to make you laugh every day. Our life together will be great, you’ll see.”

Hannah glanced at the phone banks against the far wall. One phone was hanging from its cord and she realized that Norman had placed that urgent phone call to Mike. What a dirty trick! And how delightfully diabolical!

“Hannah?” Norman asked, pushing his luck just a little too far. “Will you marry me and live with me in our dream house?”

Hannah thought about it for a second or two before she realized that she was being railroaded. There was only one thing to do to gain some thinking time.

“I’ll let you know really soon,” Hannah said, leaning down to place a fond kiss on Norman’s lips. “And when Mike comes back, you can tell him the same thing.”

CHOCOLATE OVERLOAD COOKIE BARS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position

FOR THE CRUST: 1 ½ cups flour ¼ cup cocoa powder ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup softened butter (1 ½ sticks)

Mix the dry ingredients together and then cut in the softened butter. (You can also do this in a food processor with a steel blade, using chilled butter that’s been cut into chunks.)

Spread the mixture out in the bottom of a greased 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan and press it down with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. (Don’t shut off the oven — you’ll need it for the second step.)

FOR THE FILLING: 2 eight-ounce packages softened cream cheese (the block type, not the whipped type) 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sugar 4 eggs 2 cups melted chocolate chips (12-ounce bag) 2 teaspoons vanilla

You can do this by hand, but it’s a lot easier with an electric mixer. Soften the cream cheese and beat it with the mayonnaise until it’s smooth. Gradually add the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 3 minutes. (Chocolate chips may retain their shape, so stir them to see if they’re melted.) Let them cool for a minute or two, and then gradually add the chocolate, mixing thoroughly. Then mix in the vanilla. Pour the finished mixture on top of the crust you just baked.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature and then chill for at least 4 hours.

Cut into brownie-size bars. Garnish the bars with strawberries, whipped cream, or powdered sugar if desired. ÿ