Hannah nodded. Her mouth was too dry to speak. She wanted to ask him if everything was going to be all right, but perhaps the question was better left unasked for now.

“I’ll be there,” She forced out the words, and then she turned to her mother. “Don’t worry, Mother. You heard Howie. Everything will be settled by the time you get married.”

Delores smiled and motioned for Sally to bring an extra chair for Howie. “Champagne?”

“Just one glass. I have to meet a client at my office.”

“At this time of night?” Doc asked him.

“Yes. It’s an assault and battery charge and this case is complicated.”

“You work too hard, Howie,” Delores said as Dot arrived with a chair for Howie and poured champagne for him.

As the conversation flowed around her, Hannah managed to keep the smile on her face. Howie wanted to have a strategy meeting. What did he mean by that? Was her case even more complicated than the case he was discussing with another client tonight?

Somehow Hannah managed to keep the fixed smile on her face, but she didn’t meet anyone’s eyes, especially not Howie’s. She was afraid she’d burst into tears. Was Howie going to try to convince her to accept a plea bargain? And should she do that if he said it was advisable? If she did, would she be locked in prison so that she couldn’t be a part of her mother’s wedding to Doc?!

BLACKBERRY PIE MARTINI

To make this drink you will need a martini glass, a martini shaker OR a pitcher filled with ice, and a drink strainer.

The Rimming Mixture:

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (use the store-bought kind—it’s ground finer than if you grate it)

¼ cup white (granulated) sugar

The Drink:

2 ounces of Tito’s Handmade Vodka

1 ounce Triple Sec

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

2 ounces Torani Blackberry Syrup (or fresh or frozen blackberry puree)

The Garnish:

blackberry as a garnish