Page 59 of Flake It Til You Make It

The floorboards creaked as he walked in, the big rooms full of old floats and display cases full of memorabilia. There was even an old mechanical Santa that Rocco gave a second look to, because he looked alittlecreepy.

“Hello?” Rocco asked, surprised at how empty the place was. Of course it was a Wednesday afternoon, so maybe that was why it felt like crickets echoing through the tall rooms.

“Oh, hey!” a man who had to be Harvey said, walking up to where Rocco was standing. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It’s pretty quiet,” Rocco pointed out.

“We’re usually much busier on the weekends,” the man said and extended a hand. “I’m Harvey Novak.”

Rocco shook it. “Rocco Moretti. I’m new to town. Just bought Jolly Java in the summer.”

“Oh! You’re the one who took pumpkin spice off the menu,” Harvey said.

“Don’t tell me you’re a PSL fan,” Rocco joked weakly.

“Oh, no, no, I just heard some complaining about it. I just like my coffee black. And yours wasdeliciousthe few times I stopped by.” Harvey paused. “But that’s obviously not why you’re here. What can I help you with?”

“I was wondering if you had any old records here? I know you have all this really great stuff, but I’m looking for something more specific. Like old recipes?”

“Recipes?” Harvey looked confused. Hopeful, but confused.

“I’m hoping to make some classic Christmas Falls recipes to add to my regular rotation. Marlene thought you might have some old records, maybe?”

Now, Rocco knew he’d erred with his enthusiasm on removing popular items people were comfortable with, but what he should have done wasadda few things. Create some daily or weekly specials. And if he wantednewstuff, he needed to think about Christmas Falls and how it celebrated nostalgia. Surely he could find some old recipes and maybe punch them up a little? But everyone he’d talked to had blanked—finally Marlene had suggested that he try Harvey at the museum.

“Oh, recipes? Hmmmm, I’m not sure.” Harvey frowned. “But I know we have a lot of old books. Historical texts and some such. I could look back there. See what I can find.”

It had been a shot in the dark, but Rocco was disappointed, anyway.

“Sure, if you have time.” Rocco shrugged. Nearly wondering if he should just tell Harvey to forget it.

“No,no,” Harvey said, “come on. We’ll look together. It’s just back here.” He gestured towards the back of the museum, and Rocco figured it wouldn’t hurt to follow.

The room was small and packed to the gills withstuff. File cabinets on one side and a large bookshelf, rising nearly to the ceiling, on the other. “That’s a lot of books,” Rocco said.

“And I haven’t spent much time cataloging them. There could definitely be something in here.” The optimism and hopein Harvey’s voice was catching, to say nothing of his enthusiasm.

For the next ten minutes or so, Rocco stood next to him and scanned book spines, looking for anything that could possibly deliver some kind of recipe.

He was even willing to settle for any kind of record of food that had been served in the town.

But Harvey had something so much better for him than that.

“Aha! I think I’ve got exactly what you’re looking for!” Harvey sounded excited as he pulled it from the shelf and Rocco looked over at the book in his hand.

It was old, at least twenty or thirty years old, and an amateur kind of production, spiral bound, with a generic font announcing it was the Christmas Falls charity cookbook from 1997.

The laminate on the corners was peeling, but when Rocco took it and started to flip through it, he could see recipe after recipe, and many of them had names associated with them that he recognized.

There were two recipes from a Mabel Clark, who must be Murphy’s grandmother, who Marlene had told him was famous for her pies.

“This is perfect,” Rocco said, holding the book like it was gold. “Is there a copy machine somewhere where I can make a few copies or scans?”

“I can do you one better.” Harvey put a hand on his shoulder. “I think this cookbook should go home with you.”

Rocco looked at him, shocked. “I couldn’t possibly—”

“No,” Harvey interrupted gently. “You should. At least for now. Take it home. Study it. Then when you’re ready, bring it back. But really, no rush. Nobody was looking for this. Nobody even knew it was here.”

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