“I brought some cookies for you.” Hannah walked in and placed the bag on the table. Then she held out her arms and smiled at Sue. “Let me hold the baby for you. I’ll walk him around while you get the coffee.”

Sue handed over the blanket-wrapped bundle with visible relief. “Thanks, Hannah. He’s been crying all morning and I dropped his bottle of medicine. That’s why Phil had to make a run to the drugstore. Did you get my message about catering next week at Mommy and Me?”

“Yes. Thanks for thinking of me, Sue. I’ve already written it on my calendar.” Hannah jiggled the fussing baby a bit and then she started to pace the floor with him. Michelle had been a colicky baby, and Hannah was no stranger to crying infants. As the eldest sister, almost eleven at the time, Hannah had taken over when Delores had needed a break.

It didn’t take long for the baby to quiet. Hannah paced rhythmically back and forth with a satisfied expression on her face. It was pretty obvious that she hadn’t lost her touch.

Sue came in with two cups of coffee and a plate for the cookies. She set them down on the coffee table and then she stared at Kevin with openmouthed amazement. “How did you do that?”

“It’s easy. You just have to keep your steps slow and a little bouncy. I used to pretend that I was an elephant in a circus parade. I’m going to put him down, Sue.”

Sue watched while Hannah walked over to the cradle and tucked the baby inside. There was an anxious expression on her face, but it faded after several long seconds of silence. “You’re a genius, Hannah.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve just had plenty of practice, that’s all. Michelle had at least four bouts of colic before her first birthday.”

“You should be a mother, Hannah. All that talent going to—” Sue stopped in midthought and looked very uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“That’s okay. Just do me a favor and don’t mention it to my mother. It’ll give her new ammunition.”

“She’s still trying to fix you up with every man in town?” Sue gestured toward the couch and they both sat down.

“You could say that.” Hannah took a sip of her coffee and decided to change the subject. “How’s DelRay doing, Sue? That’s really what I came down to ask you about.”

“Everything’s fine now. Phil said Del is even talking about branching out into the mail order business like Fingerhut did in St. Cloud. But it didn’t look so good a couple of…” Sue’s voice trailed off as she heard a key in the door. “Phil’s coming. He can tell you all about it.”

Phil opened the door, spotted Hannah, and gave her a grin. “Hi, Hannah.”

“Hello, Phil.”

“Hannah put Kevin to sleep for me.” Sue gestured toward the crib. “She just walked like an elephant and it worked.”

Phil gave his wife a glance that suggested she might be losing her marbles, but then he shrugged. “Whatever works. Is there more of that coffee?”