Free Lighting Candles in the Snow by Karen Jones Gowen

pancakes.”
    “I want you, my beautiful Karoline, always you.” He kissed the nape of my neck and made a soft moaning sound, his hands moving under my sweater, sliding up and down my back.
    “Okay, listen, Jeremy.” I pushed him away and made eye contact to make him pay attention. “I wanted to meet your mom and you complied. You’ve been asking to take the next step in our relationship and move in, and I know I’ve been hesitant. My parents are super strict about morals and sex before marriage and well, you know Suz is, too, being a Mormon. Bottom line, I was worried about what my family would think if we lived together.”
    He gazed back at me with those soft brown eyes. His finger traced my lower lip as I talked. I let out another giggle and pushed his hand away. “I’m trying to say something here. Stop being so freakin’ hot right now.”
    “You’re right,” he said, grinning. “I have got to stop that. Especially when you are being so serious and cute and pretty damn hot yourself.”
    “Just let me get this out and we’ll go eat dinner.”
    “Okay, I’ll be good.” He put his hands in his lap and gave me a wide-eyed innocent expression.
    “Thank you. Now, here’s the thing. I needed to know more about your family before you moved in. And you have complied. I won’t press you further since I can tell it makes you uncomfortable. You took me to meet your mom and that means everything. So. Jeremy. Move in with me!”
    I ended with a flourish and opened my arms to him.
    He whooped and we embraced, enjoying a make-out session appropriate for a restaurant parking lot. Afterward, we went into IHOP to celebrate our new status as a serious, living-together couple by having a full-out pancake binge.

Homemade Chocolate-covered Cherries
    (For people, not dogs.)
     
    Makes 48 candy pieces
     
    1 14-ounce bag of chocolate candy wafers—you can use milk or dark chocolate
    2 12-ounce jars Maraschino cherries, drained, stem removed
    1 cup basic fondant (recipe follows)
     
    Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of Maraschino cherry juice to basic fondant and stir well. Fondant should be a medium consistency and slowly drip off the spoon. If it’s too thick, continue to add cherry juice until it becomes the consistency you prefer.
    Pour chocolate candy wafers into the upper portion of the double-boiler pan; melt over medium-low heat; and gently stir until wafers are melted.
    Using a teaspoon, fill each candy mold half-way with melted chocolate. Using a medium artist brush, paint the sides of each mold with the chocolate; making certain the inside of each candy mold is coated all the way to the top.
    Place one Maraschino cherry in each mold. Add approximately ¼ teaspoon of fondant to each cherry.
    Pour approximately ¼ teaspoon melted chocolate over the top of each cherry and using the bottom of the spoon, gently spread chocolate over the top to ensure that there is a seal over each candy mold.
    Place cherries in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
    Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Remove cherries from the freezer and flip molds upside down on top of the wax paper. If the candy does not easily release from the molds, flex the molds a bit until the candy pops out.
    Place each chocolate covered cherry into a paper candy cup or wrap individually in foil, and place into a gift box or airtight container.
    Chocolate covered cherries should be stored at room temperature to retain the liquid center. If you refrigerate or freeze them, allow them to return to room temperature before eating them.
    Basic Fondant Recipe
    Makes 2 cups
     
    2 cups granulated Sugar
    ⅛ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
    1½ cups boiling water
     
    Butter the sides of a 1½ quart saucepan. Combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Allow mixture to cook, without stirring, to a soft ball stage of 238º F. You’ll need a candy thermometer in order to gauge the temperature of the candy.
    Pour the fondant onto a