Murder Bites

by Addison Moore

  “That’s only because she’s ticked that she’ll be sleeping alone. Apparently, she dumped Leo before the two of you locked lips. Are you really serious about the guy?”

  “I don’t know. He’s hot. I’m all for seeing where it goes. We’re just having a good time.”

  Emmie has had a long list of men she’s had a good time with. I’m hoping she’ll settle soon. Which brings me to my next point.

  Jasper pulls me close as we stand in a circle of our loved ones, and as soon as we’ve gathered their attention, I hold out my left hand.

  “I said yes!”

  The small crowd breaks out into a cheer as congratulations erupt from everyone around us. My mother is the first to pull me in tight.

  “Bizzy!” She leans in and whispers, “Make sure to keep your name. Oh, what the heck, you can hyphenate if you want to.” She pulls back, her eyes sparkling with tears. “I’m so very happy for you. I can’t wait to experience it all, the dress, the wedding, the glorious reception.”

  Georgie topples over me with a firm embrace. “When’s the big day?”

  Macy yanks her to the side. “Are you knocked up?”

  “No.” I wave my sauced-up sister away.

  Juniper Moonbeam makes a face. “Don’t waste any time. He’s a walking specimen. There will be twelve different women after him until the day he bites the big one.”

  Emmie shoves her off before I can figure out a response.

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” She offers me a hearty embrace. “You have so many options. And I want to be a part of it all. I’ll be right there by your side, supporting whatever you choose.”

  Dad comes in and warms me with his strong arms as he encapsulates me with a hug.

  “Bizzy Bizzy.” He pulls back with tears glinting in his eyes. “You’re going to make a grown man cry. You’ll be a beautiful bride. Can’t wait, kiddo.”

  He’s quick to pull Jasper into a warm embrace, too. “Be good to her. She’s solid gold.”

  “I will, Nathan.” Jasper nods. “And I agree. She’s invaluable.”

  Gwyneth steps forward. Her dark hair is neatly pulled back and her dark gown sparkles in the dim light.

  She examines me a moment. “What the heck”—she says as she tosses her hands in the air—“welcome to the family.” She’ll make a fine starter wife. I just hope Nathan and I survive the fallout.

  A breath gets locked in my throat as I pull away, but the music has shifted again to something a little more upbeat and Georgie and Juni are whooping it up.

  Macy pulls my left hand toward her as Emmie huddles in.

  My sister lifts a brow. “Emerald cut, encrusted with smaller diamonds that drip over the band on either side. Nice choice, Detective.” She gives my hand a quick wiggle. “My guess is two point five carats. I guess he’s a keeper.”

  A laugh gets caught in my throat as I look to Jasper.

  He nods to my sister. “I’m glad you approve, Macy.” Jasper shifts his attention my way. “And just for the record, I talked to both your dad and your brother beforehand and asked for their permission.”

  “You did?” My heart melts just hearing it.

  He nods. “Hux sends his congratulations. That is, if you said yes. And he wanted me to tell you right out the gate, he’s drawing up a prenup.”

  “That sounds like my brother.” I mouth a quick sorry.

  His cheek rises on one side and there’s a glazed look taking over his eyes that I wholeheartedly approve of.

  Just as I’m about to wrap my arms around him, Leo Granger pops up.

  He nods to the both of us. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Jasper stiffens a moment. Here we go.

  “Thank you, Leo,” I say and Jasper does the same with a lot less enthusiasm. I know Jasper is still wary of his old best friend, and I don’t want him to be.

  I take up Jasper’s hand and ask Leo to follow us a few feet away from the crowd.

  “Leo, I told Jasper something very private about myself. But you already know that. I think maybe we should all talk about it.” And anything else you want to add, Leo.

  Jasper inches back as he widens his eyes my way. That’s right. You mentioned Leo and Camila knew. A sigh expels from him as he looks back to the man he once regarded as a brother.

  “Bizzy said you figured it out,” Jasper starts out curt. “How’d you do it?”

  Leo exhales as he glances my way.

  “What do you think?” Leo shrugs and I nod over to him. “Fine.” He closes his eyes a moment. “I’m sorry, Jasper. I wanted to tell you sooner. But—I’m actually just like Bizzy. That’s what led me to her. And that’s the only thing that has ever been between us.” He lifts his hands as if it were a stickup. Leo swallows hard. “It’s not just us. My aunt can do it, too.”

  Jasper’s features elongate as he sobers up on a dime.

  Leo continues. “I’m not sure if Bizzy told you, but this gift—it’s something called transmundane. Our quirk is further classified as telesensual. Camila picked up on the fact I could read her mind while we were seeing each other. I confessed. I thought it’d bring us closer. I was wrong. I’m glad things turned out differently for the two of you.” He holds out his hand and Jasper shakes it before pulling Leo into a partial embrace. “Congratulations. I couldn’t have picked a better woman for you, man.”

  “Thank you.” Jasper’s eyes are still set wide as he struggles to digest this new information. “This is going to take a minute to set in.”

  “Take all the time you need, buddy.” Leo slaps him on the back before pulling me into a hug as well. “I’ll see you both around.”

  We watch as he heads over to Emmie and the two of them are quickly swept into the sea of bodies moving to the music.

  Soon, I’m in Jasper’s arms and we’re doing the exact same thing.

  “This is a perfect ending to a perfect night.” He presses a kiss to my temple.

  I pull back and bite down over my lip. “Perfect indeed. But we can always improve upon perfection. Dessert at my place?”

  Jasper’s lids hood low with naughty intent and a devilish smile twitches at his lips.

  “Now that sounds perfect.”

  Jasper and I indulge in a molten hot kiss that’s a preview of the sizzling future.

  It’s going to be a good one.

  I can feel it deep down in my bones.

  In the morning, despite the magical fireworks last night produced, I’m right back at the reception counter with Grady and Nessa, checking out old guests and welcoming in the new.

  Fish and Sherlock are in a prime mood, super excited they’re officially family now. And Cinnamon is in a stellar mood herself, because she just so happens to be in her new mama’s arms.

  Emmie drops a kiss to the cutie’s little red head.

  “I’m so in love with her,” she coos. “And her name is perfect.” She kisses the pup’s furry forehead once again. “And guess who can’t wait to walk her?”

  “Jordy?” I have a feeling her brother was not the right answer, but I don’t dare take a stab at the right one.

  “Stop,” she teases. “It’s Leo. How about we do a double date? Pizza and a movie? It’ll be like high school all over again.”

  “Yeah, but with better boyfriends.” I wiggle my left hand her way. “I’d add that Mackenzie won’t be there to steal them, but I’m not too sure about that. You do realize you’ve got a target on your back.”

  Emmie’s lips twitch. “I know. And from what Leo tells me, you’ve got one, too. Camila is a genuine stalker.”

  “Hey? Maybe we can take out a double restraining order on Camila and Mack?”

  Someone clears their throat from behind and we turn to find Mackenzie herself looking as if someone peed on her cheesecake bites.

  “Mayor Woods,” I say, bellying up to the reception counter. “How can I help you today?”

  She glares over at Emmie and me. “Just wanted to let you
know there’s a baking competition for senior citizens set for the middle of May. The community center is out. It’s booked for a dental convention. I thought I’d see if the inn would be looking to host. The portable ovens will be on loan from the culinary school in Seaview, but it’s Cider Cove’s turn to host the event, and I don’t want to lose out on all the revenue it can generate just because we’re crawling up the wazoo with a bunch of ridiculous dentists.”

  Emmie bites down on her lip. “Don’t disparage the dentists, Mack. There might just be a hot one in the bunch.”

  Mackenzie belts out a genuine growl.

  “Yes,” I say. “The middle of May is perfect.”

  “Good.” Mackenzie spits it out like an expletive. Leave it to Mack to turn a four-letter word into a four-letter word. “We’ll need a panel of ten judges. And I’ll need you to help elect them.”

  “Me?” I point to my chest.

  “Yes, you. This is an amateur event. We want local bakers, but one or two should be from somewhere else in New England. The city will comp their weekend stay at the inn. I’ll see you later.” She turns to Emmie, and I can’t help but note a current of danger in the air. “You’ll regret the day you looked at Leo Granger.” And with that, she takes off.

  “Bakers,” I say as I hit the internet hard. “Pick a state in New England, Emmie.”

  “Vermont. That would be a nice place to ship Mack off to, don’t you think?”

  “Only if you don’t mind all of Vermont hating us.”

  I quickly type in bakeries in Vermont.

  “Ha,” I say. “Look at this. The very first one that pops up is an adorable place called the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery. It says, baker Lottie Lemon takes the cake. I think we found our first guest judge. That is, if she agrees to do it. And if she does, that’s one baker down.”

  A large bouquet of at least two-dozen long-stem roses heads this way, cleverly hiding the identity of their owner. The flowers drop a notch, revealing a pair of stunning silver eyes.

  Jasper hands me the bouquet and both Emmie and I swoon.

  His lips curve my way. “Rumor has it that my fiancée runs this place.”

  “With an iron fist,” I tease as I skip around the counter and attack him with my lips.

  “You own my heart, Bizzy. How about we head to the café and have breakfast? I hear we have a wedding to plan.”

  “We’ve got a wedding to plan!” I squeal at the thought as we head off for the café with Fish and Sherlock hot on our tails.

  It feels as if I’m walking on air, on a Valentine.

  Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but I have a feeling the effect of Cupid’s arrow will live on forever in Jasper and me.

  I know it will.

  We have forever.

  And soon, we’ll say I do.

  * * *

  *Thank you for reading! Be sure to pick up Felines and Fatalities (Country Cottage Mysteries 6), a Murder in the Mix crossover, up next!

  Recipe

  RecipeCountry Cottage Café

  Raspberry Cheesecake Bites

  * * *

  Hello there! It’s me, Bizzy Baker! The Country Cottage Café has out done themselves this time. If you’re a fan of cheesecake, you are going to fall in love with this recipe. Emmie can’t stop making them, and I can’t stop eating them. They’re a favorite of Jasper’s too. This one is a keeper!

  * * *

  Ingredients

  * * *

  Crust

  1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

  7 tablespoons butter

  * * *

  Cheesecake

  8 oz. white chocolate chips

  ¼ cup half and half

  1 package cream cheese (8 ounces) softened

  ¼ cup sugar

  2 large eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  * * *

  1 12 0z. package of raspberries (fresh is best)

  * * *

  Instructions

  * * *

  Preheat oven to 325°

  * * *

  Crust

  Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until well blended. Place in bottom of miniature cupcake cups, pressing down until crust is formed.

  * * *

  Cheesecake

  Add white chocolate chips and half and half in a saucepan until white chocolate chips are melted. In a separate mixing bowl combine softened cream cheese and sugar. Mix well until smooth. Beat eggs, then add slowly. Stir in vanilla. Add white chocolate chip mixture (once cooled). Place mixture into cupcake cups, dispersing evenly.

  Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature then cover and set in the refrigerator overnight. Once chilled, top with fresh raspberries.

  * * *

  Enjoy! These will go fast!

  Preview: Cutie Pies and Deadly Lies

  A baker who sees the dead. One too many suitors.

  And a killer. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

  * * *

  A Love your books with humor, sass and murder? You’ll devour the Murder in the Mix Series! HILARIOUS cozy mystery from New York Times bestselling author Addison Moore.

  * * *

  My name is Lottie Lemon and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, aka dead pets.

  * * *

  And for some reason those sweet, fluffy albeit paranormal cuties always seem to act as a not-so-great harbinger of deadly things to come for their previous owner. So when I saw that sweet orange tabby twirling around my landlord’s ankles, I figured Merilee was in for trouble. Personally, I was hoping for a skinned knee—what I got was a top spot in an open homicide investigation. Throw in a hot judge and an ornery detective that oozes testosterone and that pretty much sums up my life right about now. Have I mentioned how cute that detective is?

  * * *

  Lottie Lemon has a bakery to tend to, a budding romance with perhaps one too many suitors and she has the supernatural ability to see dead pets—which are always harbingers for ominous things to come. Throw in the occasional ghost of the human variety, a string of murders and her insatiable thirst for justice and you’ll have more chaos than you know what to do with.

  * * *

  Living in the small town of Honey Hollow can be murder.

  *Click to keep reading—> Cutie Pies and Deadly Lies (Murder in the Mix 1) Enjoy!

  Snippet

  I see dead people.

  Okay, so I don’t see dead people—at least not on the regular—I see dead pets. Yes, pets. At first, I had no idea what these hologram-like beasts were up to until after an unfortunate run of something akin to trial and error that I concluded each dead pet was some sort of a harbinger for its previous owner, a very, very bad omen if you will. Sometimes I see them floating around willy-nilly in a crowd and it’s hard to decipher exactly who the bad luck is coming for. But on occasion, I see them attached firmly to the side of whomever the incoming disaster is set to strike. I’m not sure why this is my lot in life. In fact, my lot in life hasn’t been so stellar in general. My birth mother thought it was a brilliant idea to leave me on the floor of a firehouse, and that’s where a brave and thankfully curious firefighter spotted me, swaddled up and squirming. It just so happens that I was adopted by that sweet man, Joseph Lemon, and his wife, Miranda, and gifted a book-loving big sister, Lainey, currently Honey Hollow’s lead librarian, as well as a feisty and shenanigan-prone younger sister, Meg, who is also known as Madge the Badge on the Las Vegas female wrestling circuit. And being that Las Vegas and all of its glittery wrestling venues are a good distance from Honey Hollow, Vermont, we don’t see her very often.

  But back to that strange gift of mine, or curse as it more often than not feels—I have zero clue where it came from or why, or even the major significance of it. A part of me has always believed that something alarmingly supernatural occurred around the time of my birth, and that’s exactly why my birth mama decided she so desperately nee
ded to offload a seven-pound chunk of bad luck.

  The very first time I put the furry-dearly-departed and outright chaos together was when I was seven and I saw the flicker of a barely-there turtle swimming next to Otis Fisher’s ear. Later that day, Otis fell from a tree and broke his arm. At the time, I wasn’t too sorry about it either. That boy had a mad hankering for pulling on my pigtails. And as fate would have it, the boy who lived to tease me, one day admitted to having a mad crush on yours truly. And post that amorous admission we dated on and off for about three years. If I thought that boy was annoying in elementary school, he outdid himself in high school. In fact, Otis—or Bear as he’s affectionately known around these parts for having once chased off a black bear before it could invade and devour an entire herd of innocent tourists who were on a leaf peeping tour—is one of the reasons I left Honey Hollow to begin with. No sooner did my high school diploma cool off than I hightailed it to New York—Columbia University to be exact—where I’ve had the displeasure to ogle other people’s dead pets.

  I’m quick to push what I’ve affectionately dubbed the New York Disaster out of my mind as I take a step outside of my apartment. It’s a duplex, actually, and my landlords, the Simonson sisters, live upstairs. They’re the primary reason I’m headed out on this unforgivably crisp September morning wearing my Sunday best, even though it’s smack in the middle of the week, Wednesday. Usually, I’d be happily snug in my favorite jeans, sporting my comfiest sweatshirt with my hair in a ponytail, and on my way to the Honey Pot Diner where I’m currently employed as the chief baker, not that there’s anyone baking underneath me but, hey, I like the title. Instead, I’m stuffed in a pencil skirt, two sizes too small, and a blouse that looks as if I swiped it off a mannequin at Goodwill, partially because I did. Okay, so I don’t own many Sunday clothes per se, but only because the local church is all about casual attire. They’re far more concerned with keeping your soul free from the flames than they are about your accruements, but I digress. I’m not headed to work or any holy house in the great state of Vermont. I’m headed to court—small claims court to be exact—all the way over in Ashford County.