Gnome for Halloween: A Freshly Baked Cozy Mystery by Kathleen Suzette

Author:Kathleen Suzette [Suzette, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery
Publisher: Kathleen Suzette
Published: 2022-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“WANT ME TO DISAPPEAR?” Alec asked the following morning.

I shook my head. “We have some balloons and streamers that need putting up, and having someone tall would be a big help.” I kissed him. He was so handsome I sometimes couldn’t believe he was mine.

He grinned. “You got it. Just say where you want them.”

“Sarah, why don’t you help Alec with the decorations that still need to be put up while the rest of us get this food prepared?”

She nodded. “Sure. Let’s go, Alec. We bought a bunch of pink and white balloons at the dollar store yesterday. Plus, there are tons of crepe paper streamers that need hanging. We’re going all out.”

Alec nodded. “Show me the way.”

“That girl is excited,” Mama said as she assembled the finger sandwiches.

“She is, and she has every right to be. I remember waiting for Thad to be born. I didn’t think I was going to be able to stand it. There’s something special about your firstborn.” I glanced at Jennifer standing at the sink washing dishes. “And something special about every baby that comes afterward.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled.

I was putting the finishing touches on the double-layer pumpkin spice cake. We had gone for simple, yet elegant. The cream cheese frosting was decadent, and I had already smoothed it out and was now piping tiny pink baby booties and roses onto the cake. It was adorable. There were some vanilla cupcakes in case someone didn’t care for pumpkin spice, but that would be a travesty, in my opinion.

“That cake smells so good,” Lucy said as she filled hollowed-out hard-boiled egg whites with devilled egg filling. You had to have deviled eggs at any baby or bridal shower in this town, and we were not going to disappoint.

“I hope it tastes as good as it smells,” I said. “I think I’ll make several dozen pumpkin spice cupcakes for the Halloween festival, too.”

“That sounds good,” Jennifer said. “I love pumpkin spice. It’s in my veins this time of year.”

Lucy laughed. “Yours and mine, too.”

“Mom, have you heard anything new about the murder?”

I glanced at Jennifer. “Not much. I hope they catch the killer soon, though.” I finished off a tiny pink rose and stood back. The sooner they found the killer, the sooner I could breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Aunt Loretta. It just couldn’t be. Right? “I think I need a few more baby booties.”

“It looks beautiful, Allie,” Mama said. “I’m real proud of that cake.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Mama. You know I always love to hear you say that.”

The familiar sound of a cane thumping against the floor could be heard right before the kitchen door swung open. Aunt Loretta squinted, glancing around the kitchen. “What’s going on in here? What’s this mess y’all are making?”

“Now, Loretta, we told you a hundred times that we were having that baby shower today. We’re just making the food.” Mama shook her head and shot me a look.

“Aunt Loretta, there’s some scrambled eggs in the refrigerator I can warm up for you if you’d like.

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