Witches and Wedding Cake (A Magical Bakery Mystery)

Witches and Wedding Cake (A Magical Bakery Mystery)

Baker Katie Lightfoot is crafting her own magical wedding cake  and  tracking down a malicious murderer in the newest installment of this  New York Times  bestselling series. Katie will be marrying firefighter Declan McCarthy in less than a week, and she's still finding time to run the Honeybee Bakery, where she infuses sweets and treats with special spells and cheerful charms. But her hope of getting hitched without a hitch is short-lived. When Declan's family shows up early to enjoy a few extra days in Savannah, his youngest sister finds an unsavory surprise: her ex-husband, dead in a hotel room hours after they argued. The ex was scam artist with a lot of enemies, but the argument puts Declan's sister under suspicion. Between dress fittings and dough-kneading, Katie—along with her witchy friends in the spellbook club—will really have to work some magic to figure out who killed the con man...or there may not be a wedding. Praise for the Magical Bakery Mysteries “As a fan of magic and witches in my cozies, Cates’s series remains a favorite.”—Fresh Fiction “Ms. Cates has most assuredly found the right ingredients...a series that is a finely sifted blend of drama, suspense, romance, and otherworldly elements.”—Once Upon a Romance “Cates is a smooth, accomplished writer who combines a compelling plot with a cast of interesting characters.”— Kirkus Reviews "Fun and exciting reading."— USA Today “If you enjoy...Ellery Adams’s Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series, and Heather Blake’s Wishcraft Mystery series, you are destined to enjoy the Magical Bakery Mystery series.”—MyShelf.com "An entertaining read with plenty of twists and turns around each corner."—The Genre Minx Bailey Cates believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Bakery Mysteries. Writing as Bailey Cattrell, she is also the author of the Enchanted Garden Mysteries. Chapter 1   "Anytime the afternoon of the sixteenth will work," I said into my cell phone. "Just shoot me a quick text when you're on your way, so I can make sure someone is there to meet you." The Honeybee Bakery's landline rang on the desk. I quickly reached over to lower the volume, knowing Aunt Lucy or Uncle Ben would answer the call out front. "And you'll return to pick up everything on Monday, then? Okay. Oh, I wanted to make sure you're supplying an extra-long table for the caterers as well. And the tablecloth for that, too? Perfect. Thank you so much!"   I ended the call and spun the office chair to face Mungo. My Cairn terrier-and witch's familiar-had been listening to my end of the conversation with interest. "Well, that's the last detail, little guy! Stick a fork in it-the wedding planning is officially done." I grinned, almost giddy with relief.   It had been a whirlwind three months after Declan and I had finally set the date. But now the carriage house renovations were finished-well, except for the interior of the garage, but that could wait. The new sofa and chairs had been delivered the previous afternoon, so our guests wouldn't be wandering around an empty living room during the reception, which was doubling as a housewarming party. The ceremony would take place in the evening, and the weather was predicted to be on the cooler side for August in Savannah, with highs in the eighties. Add in plenty of awnings and cooling drinks, and most of the party would be in the backyard. Finally, I'd just reconfirmed the delivery of the outdoor furniture and linens from Vintage Event Rentals.   Briskly, I brushed my hands together. "Done, done, done. And Mama said I couldn't possibly get it all organized in three months. Ha! Everything's going off without a hitch."   Yip! Mungo agreed softly, then gave me a brown-eyed look of affectionate approval before settling into his club chair for his third nap of the day.   Never mind that my father had to travel from my hometown in Ohio to work with the contractors on the carriage house. Never mind that one of the bakery's customers had been murdered a month ago. Never mind that I'd come close to permanently losing the thing that was most precious to me as a result.   No, that's not true. Declan is the most precious thing to me.   Still, July had been a pretty darn bad month.   But that was over now. I rose and retied my tartan plaid chef's apron, reflecting on the last two and a half years. I'd left a broken engagement and my low-paying job at a bakery in Akron to move south and start up the Honeybee Bakery with Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben. I'd made wonderful friends, found the man I was truly supposed to spend the rest of my life with, and had embarked on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.   Unexpected and, at first, definitely unwanted. When Lucy had calmly informed me that I was a witch, specifically a kitchen witch with an affinity for accessing the magical powers inherent in herbs and plants in cooking, just as she and my mother and all the women in ou