“We can do that,” Hannah said. “Is there anything we can do to help you arrange things?”

“All you have to do is pack a suitcase for Lori on the day we leave and bring it out to me at the hospital. Then we’ll be all set.” Doc looked around at their shocked, but delighted faces. “So what do you think of my solution?”

“It’s brilliant,” Hannah spoke for all of them and there were nods all around the table. “We’ll be grateful forever, Doc. You saved us a lot of grie . . .” She stopped speaking as she glanced at the door to the dining room. “Uh-oh! Here she comes!”

All eyes swiveled toward Dot Larson, who was leading Delores into the dining room. Sally got up to go back to the kitchen, stopping to greet Delores on the way, and Delores gave a little wave around the table as she sat down in the vacant chair next to Doc. Then she zeroed in on Hannah. “Are you all right, Hannah?”

“I’m fine, Mother. Why?”

“There was a rumor floating around at the hospital when I left. Mike and Bill brought in a woman in handcuffs, and she had a head injury. Jenny was on, and Mike told her that the woman tried to kill you!”

“That’s true,” Hannah admitted.

“Jenny also said that Mike told her Norman held a gun on the woman until he arrived to cuff her.”

“That’s true, too.”

“Oh, my!” Delores put her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “I’m so glad you’re all right! Mike told Jenny and Marlene that you were, but I was still worried. Tell me, dear . . . is it true that Norman didn’t even know how to shoot that gun?”

“That’s what he said after Mike arrived.”

“Well, for heaven’s sakes! What was Norman planning to do with it?”

“He was planning to figure it out before he had to shoot, Mother.”

Andrea started to laugh. “Did that last sentence of yours have a comma in it, Hannah?”

For one brief second, Hannah didn’t get it, but when she did, she was delighted. Andrea had made her first joke about grammar. Perhaps all the nights she’d spent helping Andrea with her grade school grammar lessons had borne fruit after all!

“It has a comma,” Hannah told her. “Norman wasn’t planning to shoot Mother.”

There was laughter around the table for several minutes and then Sally arrived with a split of champagne. “Delores?” she said, pouring it for Delores and giving her a glass. “I know you’ve already eaten so I brought you a sweet treat to go with your champagne.”

Delores looked down at the gold box on the table. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes,” Sally said. “The last time you were here with Doc, you mentioned that you loved chocolate, so I made some fruit truffles for you.”