“Hi, Barbara.” Hannah grabbed the steno notebook she kept on the kitchen table. Barbara was the head secretary at the sheriff’s station and she always ordered cookies for the staff meetings she held on Monday afternoons. “Do you want cookies for this afternoon?”

“Yes. Give me three dozen Black and Whites. I’ll send one of the girls in to pick them up. On second thought, better make it four dozen. They’re our favorites. But that’s not the reason I called. I need a favor.”

“What’s that?” Hannah asked, wise enough not to agree before she heard what Barbara wanted.

“I’m begging you to put an end to this whole thing today.”

Hannah was 95 percent certain she knew what Barbara meant, but she went for the remaining 5 percent. “What whole thing is that?”

“The whole thing with Mike. He’s driving us all nuts. I had to assign three different secretaries to him in the past week.”

“Why so many?”

“Because after a day with him, they come to my office and ask for reassignment. It’s just too stressful working for a boss that’s walking around whistling one minute and chewing his fingernails the next. Of course I hope you choose Mike, but that’s up to you. I just want you to make a decision today and put my secretaries out of their misery.”

“I’ll try,” Hannah promised and signed off. She’d no sooner hung up the phone than it rang again. “Okay, okay,” she plucked the receiver from its cradle. “Hello?”

“It’s Doc Bennett, Hannah.”

In one fluid motion, Hannah stretched out the phone cord, poured herself another mug of coffee, and sat back down in her chair. “What’s up, Doc?”

“Wery funny,” Doc Bennett responded in his Elmer Fudd voice, the same voice that had taken the fear out of going to the dentist for so many Lake Eden children. “Seriously, Hannah, what’s up is Norman.”

“What do you mean?”

“That poor boy isn’t getting any sleep and he called to ask me to fill in for him again today. It’s a real pity, Hannah. I don’t know how much more of this Norman can take. So far, he hasn’t made any dental mistakes that I know of, but it’s only a matter of time before he fills the wrong tooth, or something even worse. What’s taking you so long, anyway? If you love Norman as much as I think you do, you should accept his proposal today and let him get some sleep!”

Hannah was stymied. She didn’t know what to say. “I

I’m

”

“I know it’s an important decision, but you’ve taken long enough. Will you try to decide today?”

“I’ll try,” Hannah agreed, doubting that she’d be successful.

“Good. I’ve got to go. Mrs. Wahlstrom is here for a cleaning.”