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“It’s for the Lake Eden Combined Charities.”
    â€œThat’s very nice,” Hannah said, still waiting for the second shoe to drop. Stephanie wanted something from them and she hadn’t asked for it yet.
    â€œThis is going to be a spectacular party.” Stephanie looked from Hannah to Lisa and then back again. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you today, before you got too busy. I’m going to need over a thousand sugar cookies.”
    â€œ
When
do you need them?” Hannah asked, knowing that Stephanie’s answer would dictate theirs. June was their busy month with bridal showers, weddings, graduation parties, family reunions, and barbecues galore. Everyone wanted cookies, and Hannah and Lisa provided them. It was also a busy month for non-work obligations. Both Hannah and Lisa were invited to a series of parties and barbecues to celebrate the beginning of summer.
    â€œThe luncheon is on Wednesday afternoon. We’re having raspberry sorbet for dessert and we were planning to serve it with a chocolate leaf garnish. Isn’t that clever?”
    â€œChocolate and raspberry go well together,” Hannah said, wondering what was so clever about the combination that had been around for years.
    â€œI’m talking about the leaf design. The theme of my charity event is
Turn Over a New Leaf
. I want everyone who attends to turn over a new leaf and pledge twice the amount they pledged last year.”
    â€œOh. Of course,” Hannah said, although she hadn’t known about the theme. She wasn’t about to admit thatshe’d received information about Stephanie’s charity event and it was still sitting on her desk at home, waiting to be opened.
    â€œI contracted with the little chocolate shop I frequent when I’m in Minneapolis. They assured me that they could make the leaves, but the owner called this morning to say they couldn’t fill the order. It was something about not being able to get supplies. And that’s why I’m here. I need twelve hundred sugar cookies by noon on Wednesday for the luncheon. You can decorate them with a leaf made out of chocolate frosting, can’t you? I know it’s late in the day, but just an outline of a leaf would be all right.”
    Hannah began to frown. The cookies themselves were no problem, but Lisa would have to decorate each cookie and that would take time. It was time they didn’t have, not with all their other orders. And Stephanie probably expected them to donate the cookies for free!
    She must have sensed Hannah’s reluctance because Stephanie held up her hand. “I know you probably won’t charge me since it’s for such a worthy cause, but I insist on paying you for the ingredients. That way you won’t have any out of pocket expenses.”
    But you won’t pay us for our time, and that’s the most expensive variable in the equation. Any time we spend on your order is less time we can spend on the customers who actually pay!
Hannah didn’t voice her thoughts. It wasn’t politic to alienate the female half of Lake Eden’s first couple. But before she could tell Stephanie that they couldn’t possibly take on a project that large with such short notice, Lisa spoke up.
    â€œWe can’t fill your order, Mrs. Bascomb. There just isn’t enough time to decorate all those cookies. It’s very labor intensive. But we can give you chocolate sugar cookies to go with your raspberry sorbet.”
    â€œI’ve never heard of chocolate sugar cookies,” Mayor Bascomb commented.
    Neither have I
, Hannah added silently, hoping that Lisa had a recipe for the treat she’d just promised to bake.
    â€œAnd I have another dessert idea for you,” Lisa continued. “It’s something that fits right in with your theme,
Turn Over a New Leaf
. Hannah and I could bake apple turnovers for you to sell during the events. Everyone loves apple