“That’s right. She ran away the day before I got to Des Moines.”

“Has she ever seen a picture of you?”

“I don’t think so. And if she has, it’s an old one. I didn’t like my school pictures this year, and they were even worse last year. When I got them, I tore them up and didn’t give them out to anybody, not even Dad.”

“Perfect.” Hannah turned to Larry. Can you stay over until Saturday morning?”

“Of course we can. We’ll stay as long as it takes to convince Candy to come back to Des Moines with us.”

“I want to see my daughter,” Deana said, and Hannah could tell she was on the verge of tears.

“I know you do, but it’s not going to work if you just walk in on her. She might bolt and then none of us would ever find her again. I’ve got a plan, but you’ll have to be a little patient while I arrange some things.”

“How long do I have to be patient?”

“Twenty-four hours. Tomorrow night is Sally’s big Christmas party. She has one every year. Everybody who’s staying at the inn is invited, and so are a lot of locals from Lake Eden. I’m bringing Candy.” Hannah leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Now here’s what I think we should do…”

Candy loved to shop and she couldn’t seem to stop smiling. They’d gone out the front door of The Cookie Jar and into the next building over. There were party dresses on the mannequins in the window, and Hannah had said they were going to buy something for her to wear to the party tomorrow night.

Mom would love this place! Candy thought, looking around at the thick carpet, the soft lighting, and the closets filled with clothing. There were no racks crowded together and stuffed with clothes that were half off their hangers. Everything was in its own closet, and each closet was marked with a little gold number that told you the size. And instead of just going through the closets by yourself, you told the owner what you needed and asked her to help you choose it.

There were chairs in a conversational grouping in the center of the room, and Candy supposed they were for husbands or friends who wanted to wait while you tried on something and then walked out to model it. Candy was sitting in a pink satin chair while Hannah sat across from her in a pale green chair. The owner was standing at one of the closets, making a selection, and as Candy watched, she chose a dress and carried it over to them.

“This should be nice on you, Candy.” The owner was holding the most beautiful dress Candy had ever seen. “I think wine is your color. You need a deep, rich color with your skin and hair, don’t you think?”

“Oh, yes,” Candy breathed. One glance at the dress and she was in love. She would have agreed that the world was flat as long as she got the chance to try it on.