Frosty Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 15) Read online

  Frosty Blend

  A Paramour Bay Mystery

  Book Fifteen

  KENNEDY LAYNE

  FROSTY BLEND

  Copyright © 2020 by Kennedy Layne

  Kindle Edition

  Cover Designer: Sweet ’N Spicy Designs

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Dedication

  Jeffrey—I can’t wait for your blueberry muffin tradition come Christmas morning! Yum!

  Cole—Ho-ho-ho! Never stop believing in the spirit of Christmas!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  About Stony Blend

  Books by Kennedy Layne

  About the Author

  Someone is making a list and checking it twice in this festive holiday whodunit by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

  What better time for a wedding when the sleigh bells are ringing and the snow is glistening this frosty season in the quaint coastal town of Paramour Bay, Connecticut?

  Raven Marigold has been busy putting the finishing touches on her mother’s wedding. Everything has been going according to plan, and there are only twelve hours left before the big ceremony. Raven doesn’t see the harm in taking a few minutes to herself to enjoy the merriment of the season and the special occasion, but her frolic through the town square’s winter wonderland has her stumbling headfirst into a snowman…and a brand-new mystery!

  Someone doesn’t want Raven’s mother getting married, and the mysterious individual is going to great lengths to make sure that the ceremony never takes place—even resorting to attempted murder!

  You’ll want to have a lump of coal on hand when you find out who makes the naughty list in this year’s frosty caper!

  Chapter One

  Snow flurries were dancing on the coastal breeze coming in off the bay, while the overcast sky made it seem as if the quaint town of Paramour Bay was encompassed in a delicate glass snow globe. It wasn’t truly a gloomy atmosphere, not by any means. Instead, there was more of a cozy and festive aura that hung over the close-knit community indicating the start of the Christmas season. The harmony of holiday carolers could be heard in the distance, children’s giddy laughter floated through the air, and the faint sound of bells jingling over the ever-present donation bucket was a reminder that this time of year was all about giving to others.

  That last thought had me spinning around on my winter boots and quickly opening the entrance to the teashop. I’d forgotten to remind my part-time help for the day that the mini peppermint candy canes and cinnamon sticks near the cash register were to be handed out with each purchase. Adding those two decorative condiments to a cup of tea or coffee could really enhance the flavor of the beverages.

  “Wilma,” I called out, a shiver taking hold as the warmth of the shop chased away the cold.

  Truth be told, I didn’t feel too comfortable leaving two elderly ladies in charge of my livelihood…even if it was only for one day.

  What on earth had made me think this had been a wise choice?

  “Would you please remember to slip one bundle each of mini candy canes and cinnamon sticks into each of the shopping bags of our customers? The bonus gifts are already wrapped together with red bows, so all you have to do is make sure that—”

  “Raven, Raven, Raven,” Wilma murmured in a not-so-reassuring manner as she closed the distance between us.

  I could already sense that she was trying to distract me from whatever Elsie was doing over at one of the high-top tables. I’d strategically set them up with decanters of hot water so that the customers could sample different flavors of prebagged tea leaves that they could steep themselves in special insulated to-go cups.

  Seeing as that I was a huge coffee lover, I’d made sure another high-top table was set up with a few pump thermoses filled with high-end coffee blends for those who preferred a richer beverage. I was relatively sure that it could serve as nectar to the gods.

  “Don’t you worry about a thing!” Wilma exclaimed giddily with a wave of her hand. “Elsie and I have things covered for the day so that you can finish up the last-minute details for your mother’s wedding. Go on, now. You still have lots to do, judging by that gigantic list of yours that I caught a glimpse of earlier.”

  Wilma wasn’t wrong in her assumption, regardless that she was only trying to get me out the door so that the two of them could try and sell some of their knitted accessories. They had been knitting hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets since spring. Judging from the large box that they’d lugged in upon their arrival, it was probably fair to say that’s all they had been doing throughout the entire year.

  I’d agreed to their terms, but only because I would have had to close the shop up for two days instead of just the one. You see, my mother’s wedding was tomorrow, and I’d had no choice but to ask them to mind the teashop while I finished up the loose ends prior to tomorrow’s big event.

  You just had to remind me, didn’t you? That hideous bowtie you all want me to wear is still at the cleaners. Maybe they lost it.

  Please ignore that exasperating voice coming from the cat bed nestled in the display window. I’ll get to him in a second.

  Where was I?

  Ah, yes!

  I was pointing out the fact that one could usually just print off a wedding to-do list from the internet to check off duties that needed to be performed for a ceremony. The customary forms usually kept things neat and orderly, having its standard categories of your typical event, such as flowers, rings, caterer, and the like. Under normal circumstances, those ordinary tasks would be easy enough to check off, as Wilma had suggested.

  Unfortunately, a wedding where an exceptionally gifted witch was about to marry a centuries-old vampire came with its own set of extraordinary complications.

  That’s right—I, too, was a witch.

  My name?

  Raven Lattice Marigold, at your service.

  I’m not going to say that I was always on board with such a union between the two of them. Quite to the contrary. My reluctance of the two pursuing a relationship had nothing to do with the fact that Beetle was a vampire.

  It was actually the other way around.

  I had been afraid that my mother—Regina Lattice Marigold—would break the mild-mannered vampire’s sensitive, little undead heart.

  Give the Mistress of the Dark time to complete her objective, Raven. It’s still early, given that they haven’t even exchanged vows. I’m almost certain that she has some long-term objectives planned out. How else could she slowly prey on the very life’s blood from his lifeless body? Did I mention that I feel like I’m coming down with something? Maybe a sniffle. I’m sure that by tomorrow it�
��ll be a full-fledged case of pneumonia. We wouldn’t want me hacking up hairballs all through the ceremony, would we? The old bat might turn me into a toad, and you know I have a phobia of them.

  Again, ignore the voice.

  Did I happen to mention that Beetle was my actual part-time employee?

  I was fairly certain that he would return to his duties at the teashop after the wedding ceremony and subsequent honeymoon. We hadn’t really discussed it yet, though. His hiring had all happened long before I knew that he was a vampire or destined to become part of the family.

  Regrettably, Beetle wasn’t currently available to mind the shop while I ran around town to pay the caterers, the florist, and secretly meet with the manager of a live band that my mother used to see play when she lived in the city. It was my wedding present to the happy couple, and I couldn’t wait to see their faces when the band was finally introduced at the reception.

  As for Beetle, he was busy himself with picking up his gift to my mother. He really was a sweetheart and head over heels in love with Mom. He also just so happened to have off the rest of the year, but that was a problem for next week.

  I already had enough to deal with at the moment.

  “I shouldn’t be too long, Wilma,” I reassured her, though my faith in my quick return might have only been wishful thinking on my part. I still wasn’t able to wrap my mind around the insane idea that I’d hired Elsie and Wilma for the day. I must have inhaled one of my magical tea blends without knowing. I did have an ace up my sleeve to make sure that the place wasn’t burned down by the time I finished running my errands, though. “Leo will keep you company while I’m—”

  Mr. Leo, please. Not that you finally using my preferred title will convince me to stay behind with these two old biddies. Not happening, Raven. I’m liable to end up outfitted in some bright knitted bowtie and vest combo for the wedding that I won’t be attending tomorrow.

  True to my familiar’s word, he hopped down—albeit ungracefully—from his fluffy new cat bed and loudly meowed his intention to run errands with me. All of the townsfolk were used to seeing Leo by my side, though they had no idea that he had indeed once been the same feline that used to accompany my great-grandmother on her daily chores to and fro about town.

  Long story short, Leo had once been Nan’s familiar.

  She’d left me everything else in her estate, as well.

  In all honesty, it had probably been her last act of defiance.

  My inheritance had included the teashop aptly named Tea, Leaves, & Eves, a charming yet eerie cottage on the edge of town that had a modern interior to die for, and even a wax golem as a companion of sorts. I’d actually consider him more an excellent gardener and humble yet trustworthy assistant in gathering my magical components needed to cast spells. Seeing as I’d been kept in the dark about our lineage until after Nan’s death, you can imagine my surprise when I’d received a phone call from out of the blue that turned my life completely upside down.

  Your life? I went from a sleek black familiar with the mental acuity of a medical doctor and the courage of a lion to being a forgetful familiar with a bulging left eye, tufts of orange hair sticking out every which away, a radically bent tail, and crooked whiskers. As I keep saying, it’s a good thing that the grunge look is back in style. I’m sure there’s more, but I currently can’t recall the other horrid consequences that came with that wayward necromancy spell.

  I wouldn’t want anyone to think that Nan had dabbled in black magic just for fun of it. She had only ever used it twice, at least that we were aware of.

  As it turned out, those tea blends that I had mentioned just a bit ago were actually magical blends that the residents somehow misconstrued as holistic remedies for their ailments. Nan had done her best to give back to a community that had no true understanding of her special abilities, and I carried on her work without anyone being the wiser.

  Well, besides the sheriff of Paramour Bay.

  Sheriff Liam Drake was also the man who I was head over heels in love with and accepted me for me.

  Aren’t you forgetting someone?

  That’s right. I should also include the fact that I had brought my best friend into my confidence, as well.

  Heidi Connolly’s first reaction to me being a witch had been with the standard shock and awe response. It didn’t take her long to join the bandwagon, though. It hadn’t been long before she was eager to learn everything she could regarding witchcraft, and my mother was honored to be teaching her how to be a hedge witch.

  To be closer to me, Heidi had purchased Beetle’s professional, independent accounting firm before he had decided to summarily hire himself here at the teashop to give him something else to do during his retirement years. It wasn’t even as if I had a choice in the matter. He just sort of showed up one day and hired himself on the spot.

  Just don’t go adding to that list of people you’ve taken into your confidence, Raven. We might not belong to the local coven, but I really don’t want to chance being turned into a toad because you can’t keep a secret.

  “It looks as if Leo is going to accompany you on your walk to the inn,” Wilma stated with a large smile. She even stepped to her right just a smidge so that I couldn’t see what else that Elsie was putting on display. “We’ll be just fine, dear. Go on. Enjoy your day.”

  I reluctantly turned with a half-smile and wave, walking back to the door that I’d strung green holiday garland around in order to set the shoppers in a festive mood. It had actually been a gift from the local druid. She’d strung holly leaves and red berries throughout the greenery to bless my endeavors at my little teashop, and here I was leaving it in the hands of Wilma and Elsie.

  Truthfully, the stress of not having someone I completely trusted to mind the shop today had definitely erased my jovial state, but maybe a walk through the winter wonderland in the town square would brighten up my day.

  The mayor always made sure that the festival was fully assembled and well underway by the first of December. He put in every effort to get it put together during the week after Thanksgiving. There was even a huge man-made pile of snow that the children could sled down in tubes, bunkers for snowball battles, an area for building snowmen, and numerous other winter activities that adults and kids alike could enjoy.

  What is there to be jovial about again? The squirrelpocalypse has been put on hiatus until the spring, my VVBFF is getting married to your treacherous mother of all people, and I’m completely out of blueberry-filled edibles. Just in case you forgot, VVBFF means Vampire Very Best Friend Forever. And yes, I blame your mother for all of it.

  “Leo, I haven’t forgotten, and you always get a bit glum after Skippy and the other neighborhood squirrels go into hibernation.” I readjusted my scarf so that no one saw me talking to Leo. Everyone thought that he was a rescue kitty that I’d brought here with me from New York City a couple of years ago. “Mom and Beetle are happy together. You know that, and you shouldn’t take your bad mood out on her.”

  You clearly didn’t witness the scene at the bakery yesterday when the Mistress of the Dark—your mother—almost dumped her coffee overtop the head of Cora Barnes, stuck a pin in the seamstress where the sun doesn’t shine, or when the caterer brought out a sample of lemon meringue instead of chocolate mousse. I’m almost inclined to think that your mother is having second thoughts, which puts me in quite the dilemma. I don’t want my VVBFF to be saddled with the Mistress of the Dark until his actual dying breath—not that he breathes—but I also don’t want to have his little undead heart broken. He technically loses either way. You know what? I think I’m talking myself into—

  “You are not interfering with this wedding, Leo,” I warned as we passed by the boutique. I realized that stopping into Mindy’s shop was also on my list, but I would pick up the pearl comb that my mother ordered to wear in her hair for tomorrow on my walk back to the teashop. “I agree that Mom has been acting odd this past week, but I’m chalking it up to prewedding
jitters. She’s never had a real full-blown wedding before, and it is quite a daunting task.”

  Leo had the ability to become invisible at will, but he remained visible by my side as we continued to walk down the sidewalk. I had hoped that he would remain back at the teashop to make sure that Elsie and Wilma didn’t scare any of the customers away, but I also didn’t blame him for his fear of ending up in a knitted outfit that resembled one of Santa’s little helpers.

  See? Even you knew the odds weren’t in my favor.

  “I went over the list of things that still need to be done. The caterer and his team from the city that Mom insisted on are staying at the inn. I just need to drop a payment off to them before meeting the manager of the band at the diner to go over the list of songs they’ll be singing at the wedding reception.”

  If you had that old heap of junk you call a vehicle, we wouldn’t need to be walking around outside in this cold weather. We should have borrowed my soulmate’s car. I then could have taken my morning nap on those luxuriously heated seats while you galivanted around town as if your mother wasn’t having seconds thoughts about the wedding.

  You should know that Leo considered Heidi to be his soulmate. He’d practically fallen in love with upon first sight. There was nothing that she could do wrong in his eyes, with the exception of her dating a state police detective.

  Don’t even get me started on that oaf of a detective. You aren’t helping my mood any, Raven.

  I stepped off the curb and into the cobblestone intersection before deciding to cut through town square. There wasn’t anything wrong with a little me-time while taking care of all the errands today. Besides, it always lifted my spirits to see the wreaths hung and the twinkling, colorful lights strung on the old-fashioned style lampposts.

  Granted, it was hard to keep my spirits up every time that Leo mentioned Mom’s recent compilation of moods. I still chalked up her irritation to a simple case of prewedding jitters. I mean, what else could it be?