“Uh-oh!” Hannah gasped. “I’d better go catch…”

For the second time in a row, she stopped speaking in midsentence, but this time it was from sheer relief. Norman was coming in the back door, and he had Candy by the arm.

“We’ve got to stop meeting this way,” he said, grinning down at her. “Why were you running like that? I thought you and Hannah worked things out.”

“She called the cops!” Candy gasped. “She promised me she wouldn’t but she…”

“No, I didn’t,” Hannah interrupted.

“Well, one just came in the door. And Lisa must have known what you were going to do, because she said ‘Hi’ to him!”

“Bill?” Hannah guessed, turning to Andrea.

“Bill,” Andrea concurred, getting up from her stool. “I’d better go out there before he comes back here.” She turned to Candy. “Nice to meet you, Candy. Bill’s my husband and he won’t bother you. I’m going to tell him that you’re Hannah’s college roommate’s sister.”

“What was that again?” Candy asked, looking perplexed.

“Hannah will explain everything. But I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about a thing. There’s no way we’re going to let you spend Christmas at the county children’s home.”

CHOCOLATE MINT SOFTIES

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

2 one-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate

½ cup (1 stick, ¼ pound) butter at room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

½ teaspoon chocolate extract (if you can’t find it, just use vanilla)

¾ cup sour cream

2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

¾ cup very coarsely chopped pecan pieces (you’ll want some big pieces)

Line your cookie sheets with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Leave little “ears” of foil sticking up on the side, large enough to grab later. (This is so you can slide the cookies and the foil right off the sheet when they’re baked.)

Unwrap the squares of chocolate and break them apart. Put them in a small microwave-safe bowl. (I use a 16-ounce measuring cup.) Melt them for 90 seconds on HIGH. Stir them until they’re smooth and set them aside to cool while you mix up your cookie dough.

Hannah’s 1st Note: Mixing this dough is a lot easier with an electric mixer. You can do it by hand, but it’ll take some muscle.

Combine the butter and sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat them on medium speed until they’re smooth. This should take less than a minute.

Add the baking soda and salt, and resume beating on medium again for another minute, or until they’re incorporated.

Add the egg and beat on medium until the batter is smooth (an additional minute should do it.) Add the peppermint and chocolate extracts, and mix for about 30 seconds.

Shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Then add the melted chocolate and mix again for another minute on medium speed.