The Chocolate Falcon Fraud (23 page)

Then Joe spoke. “And now we've got to head for the airport.”

We ran for the cars. Rich had called early that morning, reporting that he'd borrowed a business jet from a friend. He, Dina, Buck, and Tess' mom, Marie, would be arriving in Grand Rapids in about an hour.

It was hard to get a room in Warner Pier when the film festival was on. Buck, Marie, and Tess were going to stay with us, and Jeff, Rich, and Dina with Aunt Nettie and Hogan. My tactful Aunt Nettie had arranged all that. I wasn't quite ready to have Rich staying in my house, and I didn't think Joe was either.

Tess had already changed the sheets on the upstairs beds. I gave her two sets, but she brought down only one, saying, “I don't mind sleeping on Jeff's sheets.” I didn't say anything, but she blushed anyway.

After all Tess' talk about how tough her dad was, I was amazed and amused when he got off the Learjet.

The rough, tough, manly Buck Riley was five feet two inches
tall and weighed about a hundred pounds. My Texas grandmother would have called him a “banty rooster.” My Michigan grandmother might have called him that, too.

But as soon as he shook hands with Hogan he said, “I reckon you're a pretty smart lawman. Believe me, Marie and I will never forget what all y'all hev done for our little girl.”

“She did a lot for herself, Buck,” Hogan said. “She's not one to sit on her hands and let people push her around.”

“She'd better not be!” Buck said. “I tried to teach all those kids to stand up for the'selves. But what you did saved me a prison term. Because believe me, I woulda killed anybody who hurt her.”

Marie stepped up at that. “Now, Buck,” she said, managing to give his name two syllables. “Don't start tellin' people how you'd run things till you've been here a day or two. And it won't hurt you to tip the luggage fellow.”

I loved Buck. He was just like a trip home. I like Michigan fine, but there's nowhere like Texas.

Rich had arranged to be met by a rental car, and Tess said her parents could use hers.

So Joe and I drove back to Warner Pier alone.

“Whew!” he said. “Is the end of the Texas invasion in sight?”

“Nope. Even if all this bunch goes home, I'm staying.”

“Good enough. I couldn't get along without you. So git out yore hat!” He patted my knee and pointed to my orthopedic boot. “You've already got a boot!”

“I guess that turned out to be a good thing.”

“I never thought I'd be glad you sprained an ankle. And I sure didn't visualize a crutch as a defensive weapon.”

Chocolate Chat

Another interesting fudge recipe comes from Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Chocolate Fudge

3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 14-ounce can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk or Eagle Brand Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

dash salt

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Line 8- or 9-inch pan with waxed paper. Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Chill two hours, or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of waxed paper, then peeling off paper. Cut into
squares.

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