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 RICH GIRL
A SUMMIT SPRINGS NOVEL

JODI PAYNE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of
the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of
either the author or the publisher.

Rich Girl
Copyright © 2024 by Jodi Payne

Edited by Elizabeth Silver

Cover illustration by AJ Corza

http://www.seeingstatic.com/
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a
model.

ISBN: 978-1-951011-98-7

All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or
distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to
criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. No eBook format can
be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the
Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries,
contact Tygerseye Publishing, LLC, www.tygerseyepublishing.com

Electronic edition published by Tygerseye Publishing, LLC,

January, 2024
Printed in the USA
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
About Jodi
Want More?

A Note From The Author

Want more Summit Springs Books?
More Books by Jodi
To my wife, who constantly has to repeat herself because I’m writing
and not listening.
Much love and appreciation.
 1

“S
ummit Mountain Rescue. What’s your emergency?”
“Moose bite. No, flambé gone wrong. Oh, wait! Foot caught
in a snowblower.”
Ella rolled her eyes at Gil, her dispatch shift mate, and shook her
head. EMT humor.
So far today, she had fielded calls for emergencies like a snow
mobiler with minor frost bite, a possible heart attack up at the Silver
Nugget Hotel that turned out to be indigestion, and a cat stuck in a
tree. SMR didn’t technically send anyone to rescue cats in trees, but
the little girl on the phone was a classmate of her son, Theo, so
she’d arranged for a squad car to go see what they could do.
Summit Springs was still a small local community after all, even if it
was also a tourist town.
Emergency services was one of the few professions where a slow
day was actually a very good thing.
“Hi Ella, it’s Mallory. Theo is okay. Well, sort of okay, but⁠—”
Shit. Mallory from the after-school program? That was a never
good thing. “Mallory, I told you not to call me like this about Theo.
You need to use my cell phone.”
 “Right. I’m sorry. But Theo is sick, so I figured it counts right? He
has a fever.”
“That’s not really a nine-one-one kind of emergency, Mallory.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
She sighed and tried not to get frustrated. Mallory was young
and just doing her job. Kids got sick in the winter. But a fever meant
she had to go pick Theo up and her shift wasn’t over yet. A fever
also meant that, barring a miracle, Theo wasn’t going to be going to
school tomorrow.
“Let me call you back on my cell, Mallory.” She hung up and
tapped Gil on the shoulder. “I have to make a call.”
“Everything okay?” Gil really was the kindest man she’d ever met.
“It’s Theo.”
“Oh, damn. If you need to go, I can cover the rest of your shift.”
“Are you sure?” It was only a little over an hour, but Gil was
supposed to rotate off earlier than she was, and she hated to
impose.
“Of course. Go get him. I don’t have any plans.”
“Gil, I owe you one. More. One more.” She’d lost count. Thank
goodness for Gil.
“Get out of here, I’ve got this.” Gil hit a key on the switchboard.
“Summit Mountain Rescue, what’s your emergency?”
She’d bring him cookies or something tomorrow.
Assuming she could make it in tomorrow.
She grabbed her phone, punched out and headed for her car,
dialing while wiggling one arm into her coat.
“Ella?”
“Okay, Mallory, I’m on my way. How bad is the fever?”
“A hundred and two. And he threw up a second ago.”
“Oh god. I’m sorry. I’m coming.” She hung up, tossed her phone
on the passenger seat, and started her car. Her Subaru was solid,
but it was old and, even in an emergency, it needed a couple of
minutes to warm up before she could put it in gear. She started the
defroster and made herself breathe as she shoved her other arm
into her coat and zipped it up. She had some PTO she could use—
she hoarded those days all summer long because she knew how
winter was with Theo. If there was a bug to be caught, he would
catch it.
And then he’d give it to her.
Naturally.
He’d grow out of this. Eventually. Kids did, she was pretty sure.
She couldn’t wait for that day to come.
She finally got moving and drove the short few miles to the
elementary school where Theo was in kindergarten. She parked right
in front, in the No Parking zone. Everyone else did it, and she was
trying to get inside quickly.
Ella knew as soon as she looked at her boy that school wasn’t
happening tomorrow. Maybe not the next day either. Theo looked
awful. Gray. Exhausted. “Hey, buddy.”
Theo didn’t say a word, just leaned against her leg as she signed
him out.
Mallory gave her an apologetic look. “We’re going to need a
doctor’s note before you can bring him back.”
She didn’t bite Mallory’s head off, the poor thing was just the
messenger. But she really wanted to scream and throw something.
“Yeah. I know the rules. Thank you.”
Missed work, a doctor visit, medicine… the numbers were adding
up in ways that made her head ache.
“I want to go home,” Theo said softly, and she picked him up to
carry him to the car.
“I know, buddy. You’re feeling bad, huh?”
Theo nodded, then dropped his head to her shoulder.
“We’ll go home, give you something for your fever and tuck you
in.”
She didn’t get an answer, the poor kid was already half asleep.
She strapped him into his car seat and headed home to their small
but comfortable little house right on the edge of town.
Theo threw up again as they got out of the car and Ella sighed
and buried it with snow. By the time that melted, no one would be
the wiser. When they got inside, she stripped him out of his coat and
boots and all of his clothes as he stood there like a rag doll, put him
in pajamas, brushed his teeth as best she could manage and tucked
him into his bed. She had to wake him up when she got back with
the Tylenol, but he got that down too. She sat with him a while,
stroking his hot little head and watching him sleep. He seemed okay,
so she left him for a bit and went to make herself a glass of wine.
She figured dinner should probably happen too, and laundry, and
a fire in the wood stove, but wine first. She had her priorities.
She took two sips and set the glass down on the kitchen counter.
Okay. Fire. Dinner. Figure out what to do about tomorrow. On the
bright side, she could get a jump on laundry, bring in more wood,
finish shoveling the driveway… maybe if she got the chores done
tomorrow, then Saturday she could have time to sit and read, or
bake something, or take a walk in town.
Could happen.
Probably wouldn’t, but it could.
For now, she’d settle for not freezing to death. She headed for
the living room to fire up the wood stove.
 2

I t wasThea beautiful day.

sky was clear and blue with hardly any wind, and the sun
was beginning to set behind the mountain tops. Absolutely ideal.
Natalie Lennon skied up to the back door of her generational
home as if she had spent all day on the slopes of Pines Peak
enjoying every second of the perfect powder and challenging runs
and was ready for some hot cocoa and a soak in the hot tub.
She smiled as she took of her hat and shook out her blonde hair,
doing her best to appear invigorated by her fake workout and the
very real cold air.
“Welcome to Pines Peak, from our family to yours. Enjoy your
stay!”
She kept smiling.
And smiling.
“Cut!”
Oh, thank god. Her face was starting to hurt. “Is that it?”
“That was perfect, Nat. Just perfect. You’re a natural.”
“No, I’m not. I’ve been doing these stupid promo things since
before I could walk.” She wasn’t a natural, at this point she was a
damn professional. “Are we done?”
 “Oh. Yes. We’re done.” Bryan waved to the crew, who had
cameras set up all around to capture just the right angles. “That’s a
wrap everyone. Thank you!”
She stepped out of her skis and tromped up onto the porch to
unbuckle her ski boots. Bryan thanked her again as she went inside
and she waved, trying to be indulgent. He was a nice man and he
was doing his job. It wasn’t his fault she didn’t like hers.
She dropped her coat, mittens, hat, and ski goggles on the floor
in the mudroom, then stripped out of her snow pants and added
them to the top of the pile before heading into the house in her
socks and black silk long underwear.
It had been a nice day for skiing.
The slopes really were in good shape. Her father would have
been pleased.
But she was bored to tears.
That was how the expression went, but she really wasn’t a tears
girl. She was more of a bored to getting in trouble type.
Not tonight though. Her brother was out doing whatever he did
and she had the media room all to herself.
She jogged up the stairs to her room and started the shower,
then pulled her phone out of the little tummy pocket in her long
johns and checked her texts. There was one from her oldest brother,
Aiden, inviting her to dinner with her sister-in-law and nieces. She
politely declined, because if she wasn’t polite he gave her even more
shit than he would if she just said no.
There was another from Amber, her Best Friend For-Never, whom
she’d broken up with when the “with benefits” bit started coming
with strings attached. They could probably be friends again
eventually, but right now she needed space.
And there was one from Caleb, her favorite brother and the only
on that still lived at home, that just said, “Hi.”
She hearted that and said hi back.
And then her phone rang. Caleb was also the only brother that
called her instead of just texting.
“Hey, big bro.”
“What are you doing?”
 “I just finished my publicity thing with Bryan and I’m about to get
into the shower, make something for dinner and then watch some
porn in the media room.”
“Sounds like some quality alone time.” Caleb was also the only
one of her brothers she couldn’t ever shock, no matter how hard she
tried.
“Right? What are you doing?”
“I’m down in town having dinner with the new boyfriend and
then I’m staying the night.”
“Are you? Does he know yet?” Caleb and Duke were very new.
Caleb chuckled. “No, but he will.”
“Bring him back here. He’ll be impressed and you can seduce him
in the hot tub.”
She could almost hear Caleb roll his eyes. “Boring.”
“So boring. Have a good time.”
“I will. Don’t become a recluse.”
“Too late.” She laughed. “Good night.”
“I know. Night!” Caleb hung up and she dropped her phone on
her bed and climbed into the shower. She took a long one, letting
the hot water beat on her shoulders while she pondered what life
was like for people who actually liked other people.
Once she was dry and in comfy sweats and fuzzy slippers, Natalie
dealt with her hair, then went back downstairs to start dinner. It was
completely dark out now, the short winter days seeming even
shorter with the sun setting behind the mountains so early.
She grabbed a Coke from the fridge and a can of SpaghettiOs
from the pantry. Her brothers weren’t here to tell her she wasn’t
allowed to eat like a toddler, right? Or worse tell her it was time to
grow up.
There were dino nuggets in the freezer too. Her nieces got all the
good stuff.
Yes, there were people in the house she could ask to cook a nice,
healthy meal for her, but she never did because they always looked
at her funny—as if a twenty-eight-year-old heiress to a fortune
shouldn’t be eating anything so beneath her.
 They obviously had no appreciation for the perfection of the meal
that was SpaghettiOs.
Music.
She pulled out her phone and put on her current favorite, too
pretty, one-hit wonder artist of the moment, then found a pot and
set it on the stove.
What reason did she have to grow up anyway? All the supposed
grownups she knew were unhappy. Take Aiden. She was pretty sure
he asked her to come to dinner with his family all the time because
the woman he married was bossy and overly critical, and Ella served
both as a barrier and as someone even more ill-mannered than
Aiden himself so he was off the hook for a couple of hours.
She was giggling to herself as she pulled out the can opener but
frowned at it when she tried to use it. It was sticky. Gross. She
couldn’t even get it open. One of the kids must have used it last.
She wasn’t one to throw anyone smaller than she was under the
bus, so she turned on the hot water and ran the thing under it for a
while, feet dancing to the music. It finally opened but as she
reached for the blade to push the piece of food stuck in it away, she
somehow closed it on her finger.
“Ow! Dammit!” She shook her hand and the thing fell into the
sink, followed by a lot of blood-colored water.
“Fuck.” She glanced around, found a roll of paper towels and
wrapped one around her finger, squeezing it tight. “Ow, ow, god-
fucking-dammit, ow.”
She sighed. She was such an idiot. A quick glance at the cut
turned out to not be a great idea, it was still bleeding. A lot. Like a
lot, a lot.
She grabbed her phone and shut the music off. “Hello? Anybody?
Aaron? Margaret?”
“Coming!” That was Margaret, thank goodness, she was motherly
and not stuck up like Aaron and just what she needed right now. “Is
everything—oh, honey. What did you do to your finger?”
“The stupid can opener.”
“Let me see.” Margaret also removed the paper towel, but only
for a quick second. “Keep pressure on it and hold it up. Like this.”
 “That’s it?”
“No, no. That’s not it. I’m telling Ben to take you to Urgent Care,”
“Oh no. Fuck, no. Can’t you just do something here?”
“That needs stitches.”
Shit. She puffed out a breath. This was not how her alone time
was supposed to go. “But Urgent Care is… ugh. And so many
people.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “You’ll live. Get real shoes on.”
“Okay.” She went back to the mudroom to find her slip-on
sneakers. Someone had already cleaned up in here—her coat and
snow pants were hanging up to dry, her mittens and hat were back
on the shelf with her goggles. It was like magic.
She slid into her sneakers right as Ben showed up. The chauffeur
gave her shoulder a pat. “Come on, Natalie. Let’s get you where you
need to go.”
“This is all so silly. I’m fine. It’ll stop eventually.” She peeked at
the cut again but it was still a mess. “Eventually.”
“Yes. Once you get your stitches.” Ben put an arm around her
shoulders and put her in the back seat of his black town car.
 3

“H
e had Tylenol a few hours ago but his fever just got worse and
then I put him in a cool bath and that didn’t help either so I⁠—”
“What’s his name?” the receptionist asked dryly.
“Theo. Theo Anderson. He’s five.”
“Birth date?”
“You heard me say his fever is a hundred and five, right?” All the
googling she’d done said that a hundred and five was a medical
emergency, so why wasn’t this being treated like one?
“I need his birth date, please.”
Jesus Christ. “April 24.”
“Insurance?”
“Yes, here’s the card.” Her hands were shaking and not just from
the cold.
“And your ID too, please.”
She pulled her wallet back out, shifting Theo to her other hip so
she could take out her driver’s license. “Here.”
“Any chronic illness in your family?”
“No.”
“Allergies?”
 “No.” Except that I’m allergic to people who waste my time. This
was torture. Theo needed a doctor.
The receptionist handed her cards back. “Have a seat, we’ll call
you in a few minutes.”
She opened her mouth to protest but decided better of it and
instead went and took a seat. She cradled Theo in her arms,
marveling at how big he’d grown. He barely fit in her lap anymore,
but he was still so small when he was sick.
“Hi. I uh, I cut my finger.”
She glanced up at the woman at the receptionist desk, whom she
hadn’t even seen walk in.
“Name?”
“Natalie. I’m uh…” The woman’s voice dropped, but not enough
to keep the whole waiting room from hearing. “I’m Natalie Lennon.”
Lennon. Shit. Ella barely recognized Natalie, she’d only met her a
couple of times with Scarlett. She remembered Scarlett’s little sister
as quiet. Shy, even.
Though she hadn’t been up close and personal with any of the
Lennons since before Theo was born.
It was funny when Scarlett seemed to come up, reminding her of
their time together. This awful moment in the emergency room with
their son seemed totally right somehow. Oddly comforting.
The receptionist glanced up at Natalie. “Lennon. Oh. Wow.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Cut finger?”
“Oh, Yes. Um. Birth date?”
It was nice to see that the woman tortured everyone equally,
even famously rich people like Natalie Lennon.
“April 24.”
What? Theo and Natalie had the same birthday, but twenty-some
odd years apart. That was bizarre. Now, you’re playing games with
me, Scarlett.
“Insurance?”
“Seriously? Are you worried I can’t pay?”
“No, I just…”
“I’m kidding. Sorry.” Natalie let go of her wrapped up finger long
enough to pull out her phone. “It’s in the wallet thing on the back
there, if you could…”
“Oh. Sure. I need your ID too.”
“Sure. Don’t worry, there aren’t any condoms or anything.”
The woman blinked at her, then very carefully found the cards
she needed, entered them into her system and put the phone wallet
back together.
“Have a seat, we’ll call you in a few minutes.”
“I’m Natalie Lennon,” Natalie said, incredulous, as if shocked to
not be seen immediately solely on the basis of her name.
“Yep. I got it. We’ll call you.” The receptionist wasn’t even being
flip, she was clueless, and Ella caught herself grinning. It was a
beautiful thing to see.
“I’m hot.” Theo tugged at his pajama shirt and she helped him
take it off, but then draped it over him again to keep him from
getting chilly.
“I know, baby. We’re going to see a doctor soon.”
Natalie sat two seats over from her.
Her late lover’s little sister just sat down two seats away.
“Hi,” Ella said, figuring that being friendly was the best approach
here. After all, Natalie had lost Scarlett too.
“Hey,” Natalie answered, giving her a half-smile before looking
away again.
Oh. Natalie didn’t recognize her. She let out the breath she’d
been holding waiting for Natalie to say whatever awkward thing she
was going to say but hadn’t.
Okay, that was weird. But maybe good weird? Or maybe Natalie
wasn’t allowed to acknowledge her? The agreement Ella had signed
was thorough, but she didn’t recall it being that strict.
“He looks pretty sick.”
She looked down at Theo, who was dozing in her arms. “He is.
His fever is really high and I’m worried about him.” And if you knew
he was your nephew, you’d be worried too.
But Natalie didn’t know. None of the Lennon family knew except
for Willis Lennon and maybe his wife, but she’d died last year of
cancer. They’d dedicated a wing of the big hospital just outside town
to her.
 Theo coughed once and then started to cry.
“Oh, hey. I’ve got you. I’m right here, buddy. We’ll see someone
soon.”
“Is he in pain?”
“I think he has strep maybe? His throat is raw and coughing is⁠—”
Theo coughed again and Natalie was out of her seat like a shot.
“Could someone help this child please? He’s hurting and his fever is
high.”
“We’ll call his name when⁠—”
“Oh, bullshit. We built this stupid building. My name has to be
worth something around here.” Natalie stormed through the
swinging doors and disappeared with the receptionist calling after
her uselessly.
Ella held Theo close and stared, wide-eyed, at the doors as they
stopped swinging and everything went quiet again. She wasn’t sure
what she was supposed to be doing. Seconds later Natalie was back
with a doctor. “She’s over there.”
“Ms. Anderson? Why don’t you bring Theo back with me?”
She sat frozen for a second, until Natalie went to her and nudged
her.
“But your finger,” she stuttered.
Natalie shrugged. “I need like two stitches or something. I’m
fine. He’s just a kid. Go.”
She nodded and stood. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She
stopped before they went through the doors and gave Natalie
another nod, then the doctor escorted them back.

T heo got amazing care . Between the intravenous antibiotics he was

given, the Tylenol and all the fluids, his fever was down to a hundred
and one and he was comfortably sound asleep by the time they left
the ER.
Ella looked around for Natalie as they were leaving, not really
expecting to find her, but she wished she could say thank you again.
Of course, it had been several hours, it was middle of the night, and
Natalie was gone.
It was weird to feel grateful to someone in that family, but she
was. Natalie didn’t have to do that, she didn’t have to care at all.
Most people wouldn’t have helped, let alone use their name and
their influence for someone else ahead of themselves. It was kind.
And Natalie didn’t even know who Ella was. Or who Theo was. They
were basically total strangers.
She’d find a way to say thank you. She could bake extra cookies
and send some up the mountain or something. She’d think about it
tomorrow when she’d hopefully have at least half of a functioning
brain again.
They got home in the pre-dawn darkness, the coldest part of the
day, but her house wasn’t too bad. She’d forgotten to bank the fire
in the wood stove when she left and it had burned itself out, but it
must have stayed hot for a long while.
She tucked Theo in and put some water by the bed for him.
Completely on autopilot, she started up another fire, cleaned up the
kitchen, and took a hot shower.
As the sun was coming up, she texted Gil and her supervisor,
Colt, to tell them what happened. Colt got back to her in seconds.
COLT
Don’t worry about a thing. Get some rest and take care of
Theo. We’ll see you in a couple of days when he’s better.
ELLA
I should probably make it in on Friday
GIL
I’ll take your Friday shift

Gil jumped right in.

COLT
Thank you. Gil. We’ll see you next week Ella. Sleep. Be a
mom.

Ella wanted to argue; she needed the money, but she also had
some PTO saved up that she could use. She didn’t bother to fight
the exhausted tears.
 ELLA
Thank you both.

She leaned against the couch to send a quick email from her
phone to Theo’s teacher and then dragged her ass to Theo’s room
and climbed into bed with him.
 4

N atalie had no idea how much she needed her left pointer finger
until she couldn’t use it. She’d gotten four stitches and some of
that surgical super glue stuff, her finger wrapped loosely in gauze
and tucked into a finger splint.
It was hard to type, it was hard to carry things, the shower was a
pain in the ass. She’d even tried the can opener again—she really
wanted those damn SpaghettiOs—and finally had to ask Margaret to
open it for her.
The splint was especially challenging when she was getting
dressed. She couldn’t tie her shoes. Pulling on socks was a chore.
And it kept catching as she tried to get her hand through the sleeve
of her sweater, which then tugged on her finger and made it ache.
She’d finally given up and had been wearing the only hoodie she
owned that had wide enough sleeves so that the splint wasn’t a
problem.
This was day three in her big gray hoodie and she was getting
annoyed, so Natalie headed into town to buy two more, hopefully in
better colors too.
It was one finger, damn it. How was everything so hard?
 Yeah, yeah. Whine, whine, whine. First world problems and all of
that. But she was grumpy.
Ben dropped her off at Caffeine Ivy’s, which had the best coffee
in town and she was determined to start her day off right. The place
was busy with a line that went out the door and onto the sidewalk.
That was not at all unusual for a Saturday morning in the winter
when the tourists were everywhere. She pulled out her phone while
she waited in line and looked at the menu, knowing she would
probably end up with her usual anyway. White mocha, vanilla latte,
oooh… a dirty chai. Hm.
She’d never had that, but taking a risk on something new first
thing in the morning seemed dangerous. She was already grumpy.
Next time.
The line moved along quickly and she was indoors in no time.
She loved all the nostalgia on the walls—a couple of the old street
signs from before they’d all been replaced so they matched and
were easier to read at night, a black and white picture of the resort
before the condo village was built, ancient wooden skis. There was
even a picture of her parents cutting the ribbon on the ground
where the hospital was built.
They gave lots of money to the hospital; probably a good
investment since they owned a sports resort where people got hurt a
lot.
Ironic that Mom had died there, and Scarlett was gone before
her ambulance had made it.
Natalie blinked and shook her head. That was a mental path she
hadn’t meant to take. She just liked that picture of her parents.
“Can I take your order?”
The line had really moved along while she was off in la-la land.
“Yes, please. I’d like a huge caramel macchiato and⁠—”
“Excuse me. Sorry. Thank you. Excuse me?”
Natalie heard the voice first, and then the woman appeared at
her elbow.
“This is on me. Hi. Sorry, I just needed to say thank you.”
“Oh. Hey.” It was the woman from the ER the other night. “You
don’t have to do that.”
 “Yes. Yes, I do. Finish ordering, please.”
The woman had a nice smile. All Natalie had seen in the ER was
a worried frown. “Okay, um. Yeah, so a caramel macchiato and a
cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese.”
“Also a small plain latte and a slice of your lemon cake, please.”
“Lemon!”
She looked down at the little boy who’d been so pale and limp
the other night. He looked great today, all smiles and pink cheeks.
“Wow. He’s better, huh?”
“He’s still on meds, but no fever and his appetite is back. They
were so good with him. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Coffee is a life saver for me, so we’ll call it even.” This poor
woman didn’t owe her anything, she was just glad to see the kid
was okay. Natalie liked kids, maybe because she wasn’t much more
than a big kid herself.
The woman paid and then they moved to the other end of the
counter where they waited in awkward silence for their coffees.
“Um. I’m going to grab a table. For Theo. He needs to sit and
eat, you know? Or most of it ends up on the sidewalk.”
“Oh, sure. I can grab our stuff.” Did that mean she was supposed
to sit with them? That was weirdly social. Natalie wasn’t usually that
chummy with people she didn’t know.
“Yeah? Great. Thank you.”
The wait wasn’t long at all. Things always ran so smoothly here,
especially when they were busy. She tucked the bags of food into
the crook of her arm and managed to carry the coffees over despite
her injured hand.
“Oh, wow. They stitched you up, huh?”
She glanced at her finger and flipped her hand over and back
once she’d set the coffee down.
“Yeah. Stitches and this fashionable splint. Chrome and blue
foam is all the rage, you know.” She rolled her eyes and handed out
the food.
“Very trendy. Everyone with injured fingers is wearing one.”
That made her laugh and she sat down without thinking about it.
 “Lemon cake!” Theo reached for his snack, picked it up with both
hands and took an enormous bite.
“Whoa. That was impressive.”
“You should see him eat chocolate.”
The table got quiet for a second and she glanced around. “I’m
sorry, I just invited myself to sit.”
“You’re fine. Really. Theo’s not a big talker when he’s eating.”
There was that smile again, lighting up green eyes.
“You look…” So pretty. “Better than you did the other night. You
both do.”
“Thanks. That was a rough one.”
“I’m sorry, what’s your name? I’m Natalie, by the way.”
The woman huffed out a soft laugh. “Yes, I know who you are.”
“Yeah, I guess everyone in the ER knew, huh? I don’t hide it very
well.” She really didn’t try very hard to either. Not like her brothers
did. They were always trying to blend in.
“You really don’t know who I am, do you?”
She frowned and looked closer, studying the woman’s face. “No.
Have we met before this? I’m so sorry. I’m drawing a blank.”
“Ella Anderson. I was engaged to Scarlett when she died.”
Whoa. What? Engaged?
She swallowed against whatever emotion suddenly erupted in
her chest and couldn’t name what she was feeling. Extreme
embarrassment, maybe? Shame? Grief? Blood roared in her ears and
her heart was pounding. “Ella. My god, I’m so sorry. I must look like
a total asshole. I actually am a total asshole. Ella, of course.” She
barely remembered, to be honest. She couldn’t have picked Ella out
of a lineup even if she’d known who she was looking for.
Theo stared at her. “You said a grown up word.”
A grown up word. Shit. There was a kid at the table. “Sorry. I’m
sorry.”
Ella reached across the table and touched her good hand. “Hey,
it’s okay. It’s not like we spent any time together and it’s been a long
time.”
“No, that’s not an excuse. I loved Scarlett and she would be
ashamed of me right now.” Their father hadn’t been happy about the
relationship at the time. Actually, that was being kind. He had been a
homophobic prick, and never accepted Scarlett’s orientation while
she was alive. He’d forbidden them all to speak to Ella, and none of
them had the courage to defy him.
But she hadn’t known Scarlett and Ella were engaged.
She glanced up to find Ella’s fingers still resting on her arm.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just…” She shook her head. “You’re right, I had no idea
who you were and I’m really embarrassed. I’m sorry.”
Ella squeezed her wrist and then pulled her hand back. “What
you did for Theo the other night was very kind. And if you didn’t
know who I was, it was even more generous because in that case, I
was a complete stranger. I’m not questioning your character. I know
how your father is.”
“Was.” That seemed important to say, even if it was much too
late for Scarlett and Ella. “How he was. Caleb and I came out at the
same time last summer and it was okay. He’s different now.” She
wasn’t sure exactly why. Maybe it was losing Scarlett. Maybe it was
because Mom had died too. She didn’t know.
Ella shrugged. “Maybe.”
She understood the skepticism. Dad being more open minded
now wasn’t going to make things better for Ella.
“Anyway, you’re not a complete stranger and it’s nice to re-meet
you.”
Ella nodded and sipped her coffee. “I was thinking the other
night—I know it’s strange, I know—but I was very worried and when
you showed up it made me think of Scarlett and I felt like, like she
was there somehow. Like sending you was her way of being there
for me.”
“Yeah, that’s a little out there.” She chuckled. It was a heck of a
coincidence though, she had to admit. “I just looked at Theo and
thought, he’s so sick, I have to help. And I knew I could.”
Theo stuffed the last bite of his lemon cake into his mouth and
grinned at her with crumbs in his teeth.
“Such a charmer, huh? Close your mouth, Theo.” Ella wiped his
face and hands with a napkin.
 “You’re married now, I guess? I’m sure Theo makes you and your
partner happy. He seems like a great kid.”
“Not married, and I’m—yes. He makes me happy.”
Geez. She’d stepped in it again, hadn’t she? “Sorry, I shouldn’t
have assumed you were married. Lots of people choose to be single
parents.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t my choice either.” Ella cleared her throat.
“Wow. I didn’t realize how late it was getting. We have to run.” Ella
stood abruptly. “Sorry about that.”
“Oh.” That was weird. She said something wrong again.
Obviously. “Wait.” She grabbed a napkin, pulled a pen out of her
purse, and wrote her cell number down. “Call me. I’d like to talk
more. Maybe about Scarlett? I don’t know. Just take my number.
Okay?”
“Sure. Okay.” Ella took the napkin and shoved it into her pocket.
“Thank you for the coffee.”
“Least I could do. Have a good… Bye.” Ella hustled Theo out of
the coffee shop leaving her sitting there.
Natalie sighed and sipped her coffee. That was why she didn’t do
people. People were quirky and she always managed to put her foot
in her mouth. Plus, people were complicated. Especially people like
Ella.
Engaged, and no one knew? Disappeared as soon as Scarlett’s
funeral was over? Maybe that was her father’s fault, but still.
Complicated.
With pretty eyes and a great smile. She must have made Scarlett
happy.
Ella wasn’t going to call her, she knew that much. She’d totally
blown it. But she was determined to figure out what she’d said that
made Ella basically run away.
And once she had, she’d fix it. That’s what Scarlett would want,
she was sure of it. She’d make things right and then Ella could
disappear again if she wanted to. At least Natalie would know she’d
done everything she could.
She was going to start by finding out everything she could about
Ella.
 5

“I
can go back to school on Monday?” Theo was sitting in the
bathtub playing while Ella sat on the toilet and folded laundry.
“Yep. Back to school. Do you miss your friends?”
“I miss the slide.”
Some kids missed their friends or their teachers, but her kid? He
missed the playground.
That tracked.
“You can slide all during recess on Monday.”
“I miss snack time too.”
She laughed. “You don’t like my snacks?”
“We get cupcakes for snack a lot.”
“You do?”
“Uh-huh. When it’s somebody’s birthday. It’s always somebody’s
birthday.”
She laughed. “I bet. That’s cool.”
“I like your apple slices though, Mommy. And your granola bars.
Don’t worry. You have good snacks too, I promise.”
She smiled at her boy. He was so sweet. “Thank you, buddy. Are
you about done in there? I bet the water is getting cold.”
 “Yeah.” Theo stood right up. She dumped the laundry that was
left on her lap into the basket and grabbed his towel.
“Come on.” She helped him out and wrapped him up, giving him
a big hug before drying him off. “The ice sculptures were cool to see
in town today, huh?”
“Uh-huh. I liked the unicorn the best.”
“That was a neat one. I liked the polar bear.” There were some
huge ones too—an archway you could walk through and a huge King
Tut head.
“And I got lemon cake. Who was that lady?”
She’s your aunt. That was a story and a half. She promised
herself that one day she would tell Theo the whole story, but she
wasn’t going there with a five-year-old. She couldn’t legally yet
anyway. Right now, all Theo knew was that he had another mom
and that she had died. “She was a friend of your Mom’s.”
“Was she sad when Mom died too?”
“She was. Lots of people were.”
“You were sad.”
“I was very sad.” She was still very sad sometimes.
“But you’re not sad now because you got me!”
“That’s right. I got you and you make me so happy.”
Theo threw his arms around her neck. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you more, buddy.”
After a little bit of struggle over taking his medicine, they agreed
on his Minions pajamas and yet another dramatic reading of Harold
and the Purple Crayon before Ella was able to tuck him in.
Theo protested, but it was pretty useless. “It’s too early for bed,
Mommy.”
“Not when you’re sick, buddy. You need extra rest and we were
out in the cold today.” It might be earlier than usual, but she knew a
tired five-year-old when she saw him.
“I feel fine.” Theo yawned though, a big long one, and hunkered
down under his Star Wars comforter.
“Good. Then tomorrow we’ll bake cookies and maybe get out the
Play-Doh. Sound good?”
“Okay, Mommy.” Theo’s eyes were already closed.
 She kissed him on the forehead, so grateful that it wasn’t burning
up anymore, and turned out his light. “Goodnight, buddy. Sleep
tight.”
She smiled when she didn’t get an answer and closed his door.
Okay. It was time.
After a deep breath, she grabbed her phone and settled into her
couch. She had a call to make, but it wasn’t to Natalie, even though
that napkin was sitting on her coffee table, mocking her.
“Hey, Ella. It’s been a while, how are you?”
“Hi, Chloe. I’m fine. This isn’t a social call, I’m afraid. Can you
make some time to talk in the next few days?”
“Oh, sure. Now is okay. I’m watching terrible TV, let me turn it
off.”
Thank goodness. She really didn’t want to wait. “I’m sorry to just
call. I could have emailed but I’m freaking out a little.”
“Okay. TV is off. Lawyer mode activated. What’s up?”
“Natalie Lennon,” she said simply, knowing that would be enough
for Chloe to understand the urgency.
“Uh oh. What happened?”
“It was a total coincidence. I ran into her in the ER.” She
launched into the whole story in full detail and color, including what
Natalie had done for Theo and how Natalie had no idea who she was
until today. Chloe listened silently, and stayed silent, even after Ella
stopped talking. “You still there?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking.”
“Sure.” She sighed.
“You can’t tell her, obviously. I need to reread the agreement you
signed with her father to be sure, but you definitely can’t tell her
who Theo is.”
“She already knows he’s my son.”
“But she doesn’t know he was Scarlett’s too.”
“No.” She shook her head. Willis Lennon didn’t know Theo was
biologically Scarlett’s either, just that Ella was pregnant when
Scarlett died. They’d never discussed whose egg Theo had come
from—that was a detail Willis hadn’t considered and she didn’t plan
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
RUSSIAN TEA CAKES Crunchy, sugared, nut-filled snowballs.
This favorite with men came to us from a man. Carl Burkland, a radio executive of
New York City, made them himself for me one Christmas season.
Mix together thoroughly ...

1 cup soft butter

½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and stir in ...

2¼ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour

¼ tsp. salt

Mix in ...

¾ cup finely chopped nuts

Chill dough. Roll into 1″ balls. Place 2½″ apart on ungreased baking
sheet. Bake until set, but not brown. While still warm, roll in
confectioners’ sugar. Cool. Roll in sugar again.
temperature: 400° (mod. hot oven).
time: Bake 10 to 12 min.
amount: About 4 doz. 1½″ cookies.

MANDEL KAGER (Almond Cookies)

These little cakes of intriguing flavor are always on hand for Norway’s holiday
festivities.

Mix together thoroughly ...

1 cup soft shortening (part butter)

½ cup sugar
1 egg

Sift together and stir in ...

 1⅔ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon (3 tsp.)
1 to 1½ tsp. ground cardamom

Mix in ...

½ cup chopped toasted almonds

Chill dough. Roll into 1″ balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Flatten slightly. Brush tops with egg glaze (1 slightly beaten egg yolk
mixed with 1 tbsp. water). Top each with a blanched almond half.
Bake until golden brown.
temperature: 375° (quick mod. oven).
time: Bake 10 to 12 min.
amount: About 3½ doz. 1½″ cookies.
BERLINER KRANSER (Berlin Wreaths)
Delicious and buttery, these gay little
wreaths are made each holiday
season in Norway.
Mix together thoroughly ...

1½ cups soft shortening

(half butter)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. grated orange rind
2 eggs

Stir in ... Life-size candid camera shot of a

Berliner Krans.
4 cups sifted GOLD
MEDAL Flour

Chill dough. Break off small pieces and roll to pencil size about 6″
long and ¼″ thick. Form each piece into a circle, bringing one end
over and through in a single knot. (See sketch above.) Leave ½″ end
on each side. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with
meringue (made by beating 1 egg white until stiff, gradually beating
in 2 tbsp. sugar). Press bits of red candied cherries on center of knot
for holly berries. Add little jagged leaves cut out of green citron. Bake
until set ... but not brown.
temperature: 400° (mod. hot oven).
time: Bake 10 to 12 min.
amount: About 6 doz. 2″ cookies.

to shape a Berliner Krans: Forma

circle and bring one end over and
through.
If rich dough splits apart or seems
crumbly, let it get slightly warm or
work in a few drops of liquid until the
dough sticks together.
PRESS COOKIES Buttery morsels
in intriguing shapes.

HOW TO MAKE
COOKIES WITH A
PRESS
Force dough through a
cooky press (or pastry
tube). Follow directions
accompanying cooky
press. Hold the press
upright, and force out the
dough until it appears at
the edge of the mold ...
then lift the press away.
SPRITZ ( Recipe) (“Spurted out of a press”)
Crisp, fragile, buttery-tasting curlicues.
Mix together thoroughly ...

1 cup soft butter

⅔ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. flavoring (almond or vanilla) or 4 tbsp. grated almonds.

Work in with the hands ...

2½ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour

Chill dough. Force through cooky press onto ungreased baking

sheet in letter S’s, rosettes, fluted bars, or other desired shapes.
Bake until set ... but not brown.
temperature: 400° (mod. hot oven).
time: Bake 7 to 10 min.
amount: About 6 doz. cookies.

CHOCOLATE SPRITZ
Follow recipe above—but blend into the shortening mixture 4 sq.
unsweetened chocolate (4 oz.), melted.

Have baking sheet cold before forcing cooky dough through press onto it. If sheet
is not cold, the fat in the dough will melt and the cookies will pull away from the
sheet when the press is lifted.

BUTTER COOKIES
Follow recipe for Butter Cookies on p. 31. Force chilled dough
through cooky press onto ungreased baking sheet in form of flowers,
wreaths, or any desired shapes.

★ ALMOND WREATHS
Beautiful almond-topped
garlands.
Mix together thoroughly ...

1 cup soft shortening

(mostly butter)
Dough for press cookies may be rolled
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
out and cut into desired shapes. For
2 egg yolks wreaths, cut with scalloped cooky cutter
1 egg white ... then cut out center with a smaller
1 tsp. vanilla sized cutter.
¼ tsp. salt

Sift together and work in with the hands ...

2 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour

Chill dough. Force through cooky press onto ungreased baking

sheet in shape of wreaths. Brush wreaths with slightly beaten egg
white. Sprinkle with mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼
cup very finely chopped blanched almonds. Bake until set ... but not
brown.
TO DECORATE
Press bits of red or green candied cherry into top of wreaths to
simulate a bow.
temperature: 350° (mod. oven).
time: Bake 8 to 10 min.
amount: About 6 doz. cookies.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX
General Methods, pages 14 and 15

Almond Crescents, 41
Almond Macaroons, 21
Almond Paste, 21
Almond Wreaths, 43
Animal Cookies, 37
Applesauce Cookies, 17

Bar Cookies, 26
Bell Cookies, 37
Berliner Kranser, 42
Boy and Girl Cookies, 37
Brazil or Pecan Jumbles, 20
Brown Sugar Drops, 16
Brownies, 26
Burnt Butter Icing, 18
Busy-Day Coconut Drops, 16
Busy-Day Nut Drops, 16
Butter Cookies, 31 and 43
Butter Fingers, 41
Butterscotch Cookies, 18

Caraway Cookies, 30
Cherry and Hatchet Cookies, 31
Cherry-Coconut Macaroons, 21
Chocolate Chip Cookies, 20
Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons, 21
Chocolate Cream Drops, 18
Chocolate-Frosted Brownies, 26
Chocolate Icing, 18
Chocolate Pinwheels, 30
Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies, 22
Chocolate Spritz, 43
Christmas Tree Cookies, 37
Coconut Cream Drops, 18
Coconut Jumbles, 20
Coconut-Lemon Bars, 28
Coconut Macaroons, 21
Coffee-and-Spice Drops, 17
Cookies with Faces, 31

Dainty Tea Brownies, 26

Date-and-Nut Squares, 27
Date-Apricot Bars, 29
Date Bars or Matrimonial Cake, 29
Date-Nut Refrigerator Cookies, 22
Date-Oatmeal Cookies, 40
Decorating Icing, 31
Drop Cookies, 16
English Tea Cakes, 41

Fig Bars, 32
Filled Bar Cookies, 29
Filled Cookies, 32
Filled Cookies in Fancy Shapes, 32
Finska Kakor, 39
Flower Cookies, 31
Frosted Gingies, 34
Fruit-and-Nut Drops, 18

Ginger Creams, 19
Ginger Refrigerator Cookies, 23
Gingerbread Boys, 34
Gingies, 34
Glazed Orange Jumbles, 20
Glazing Icing, 38
Gold Cookies, 25

Hazelnut Bars, 29
Heart Cookies, 31
Hermits, 17
His Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies, 33
Holiday Fruit Cookies, 16
Honey Peanut Butter Cookies, 40

Jell-Meringue-Filbert Bars, 28
Jewelled Cookies, 27
Lebkuchen, 38
Lemon Icing, 26
Lemon Snowdrops, 41
Lemon Sugar Cookies, 30
Little Sugar Hats, 38

Macaroons, 21
Mandel Kager, 42
Marie’s Chocolate Icing, 26
Merry Christmas Cookies, 37
Mincemeat Cookies, 17
Miscellaneous Cookies, 25
Molasses Crinkles, 25
Molded Cookies, 40
Monkey-Faced Cookies, 19

New Northland Cookies, 23

Nurnberger, 38
Nut Refrigerator Cookies, 22
Nut Sugar Cookies, 30

Oatmeal Drop Cookies, 19

Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies, 24
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Drops, 18
Old-Time Cinnamon Jumbles, 20
Orange-Almond Refrigerator Cookies, 22
Orange-Chocolate Chip Cookies, 20

Peanut Butter Cookies, 40

Peanut Macaroons, 21
Petticoat Tails, 24
Pineapple Filling, 33
Place Cards or Favors, 31
Plantation Fruit Bars, 26
Poinsettias, 32
Press Cookies, 43
Prune Filling, 33
Prune-Orange Bars, 29

Quick Cream Icing, 19

Raisin, Fig and Date Filling, 33

Raisin, Fig or Date Filling, 33
Refrigerator Cookies, 22
Rich Sugar Cookies, 30
Rolled Cookies, 30
Russian Tea Cakes, 42

Salted Peanut Cookies, 16

Sandbakelser, 39
Scotch Shortbread, 39
Simple White Icing, 34
Snickerdoodles, 25
Spiced Prune Drops, 17
Spritz, 43
Star Cookies, 37
Stocking Cookies, 37
Stone Jar Molasses Cookies, 34
Sugar Cookies, 30
Sugar Jumbles, 20

3-in-1 Jumbles, 20
Thumbprint Cookies, 41
Toffee-Nut Bars, 28
Toy Cookies, 37
Tutti-Frutti Surprises, 27

Walnut Squares, 27
Washboards, 25
Wheaties-Coconut Macaroons, 21
Wheaties Drop Cookies, 17
Wreath Cookies, 37

Zucker Hütchen, 38
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Attention has been paid to replicating the layout of the original where possible.
Images may have been shifted slightly and sections have been moved to correct
content spread across two pages in the original. Cases where significant
changes have been made are noted below.

Disruptive blemishes on illustrations have been touched up, but there remain
some discolorations accumulated over time. Back cover has intentionally been
left unretouched in homage to the well loved condition in which most copies of
this book are found.

Illustrations without captions have had alt-text description added, this is denoted
with parentheses.

The indexes were not checked for proper alphabetization or correct page
references.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after
careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of
external sources. Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some
added, when a predominant preference was found in the original book.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and
inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

Pp 22,23: Steps 3 and 4 of REFRIGERATOR COOKIES have been moved from

page 23 to be with 1 and 2 on page 22.
Pg 26,27: Recipe for Lemon Icing moved from Pg 27 to be with Plantation Fruit
Bars Pg 26
Pg 26: "next page" changed to "below" to reflect move of Lemon Icing
Pp 31; “opposite page” replaced with “above page”
Pp 32: “opposite page” replaced with “below”
Index: “Bar Bookies” replaced with “Bar Cookies”
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