The First Love Cookie Club Read Online Free PDF Page A

threaded with pumpkin-colored ribbons held in place with black cat clips. Marva was the highschool principal and the most diplomatic one of the group.
    “But we found out she’s really Sarah Collier,” interrupted pert, zaftig Belinda Murphey, who owned the local matchmaking business and was the mother of five rambunctious kids, all under the age of ten.
    “Mia’s granddaughter?” Dotty Mae asked.
    “That’s right,” said Terri Longoria. Terri was dressed in black leggings, a short black skirt, and a white knit sweater with autumn leaves patterned into it. She owned Hot Legs Gym and was married to the chief of staff at Twilight General Hospital.
    Their honorary member, Christine Noble, said nothing. She sat at the end of the table wearing a Halloween apron featuring smiling skeletons, RIP tombstones, green-skinned Frankenstein monsters, and broomstick witches.
    “Mia’s granddaughter wrote a book under another name?” Dotty Mae looked befuddled.
    “That she did,” Terri assured her, “and when we found out, we invited her to Twilight to meet Jazzy. You know she hasn’t been home since she interrupted Travis’s wedding to Crystal Hunt.”
    “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea.” Dotty Mae smiled. “I’m glad we invited her.” She looked at Raylene. “And Sarah accepted?”
    Raylene nodded. “Yes.”
    “So,” Patsy said, “Sarah’s acceptance begs the question, do we tell Travis who Sadie Cool really is?”
    “No,” everyone said in unison.
    “Why not?”
    “Patsy Cross,” Belinda said, “you are the world’s worst matchmaker.”
    “We’re trying to hook Travis up with Sarah?” Now it was Patsy’s turn to frown in confusion.
    Dotty Mae clucked her tongue. “Don’t you remember that Mia told us Travis was the one Sarah dreamed of in her Christmas Eve kismet cookie dreams? They’re destined.”
    Patsy looked skeptical. “Do we even know if Sarah is single? She could be married or in a serious relationship.”
    “She’s not,” Raylene assured her. “I asked her agent when I e-mailed him.”
    “It seems a bit underhanded to me.”
    “Well, you know how Travis is. He’s sworn he’s never getting married again, but he just needs a shove in the right direction. If we tip our hand, he’ll be dead set against Sarah. But if he sees her first and has no time to steel himself against the idea, the magic of first love will take over,” Belinda said.
    “Then there’s this.” Raylene pulled an angel ornament from her pocket.
    Every year the First Love Cookie Club sponsored the annual Cherub Tree for local children who were disadvantaged in some way. The kids were asked to fill out a wish list for Christmas and then their list was attached to an ornament and hung from the Sweetheart Tree (which in December turned into the Cherub Tree) in Sweetheart Park. Generous benefactors would adopt a cherub from the tree, pluck down their ornament, and make the child’s Christmas wishes come true.
    Whenever they saw what Raylene held in her hand, a sigh of wistful sadness went through the group. They all knew what was written on it. A list of Jazzy Walker’s Christmas wishes. She wantedwhat most little girls wanted. A Barbie. New clothes. An iPod. And then there were the personalized wishes. First, she wanted to meet her favorite author in all the world, Sadie Cool, and there, at the bottom of the list, in a childish scrawl, were the words:
I wish for a mommy so my daddy won’t have to be all alone when I die.
    “That poor kid.” Dotty Mae sniffled into a tissue.
    Marva clutched a hand to the left side of her chest.
    Terri swiped at her eyes.
    Belinda’s lips moved upward in a forced smile.
    Christine sat solemnly.
    Raylene met Patsy’s eyes. “Travis and Sarah are destined. We all know it. The kismet cookie prophecy is never wrong. I dreamed of Earl, Marva dreamed of G.C., Terri dreamed of Ted, Belinda dreamed of Harvey. Mia dreamed of Anthony, and Dotty Mae dreamed of Stuart. And whether you want