Kimberly Frost - Barely Bewitched (A Southern Witch Novel)

Barely Bewitched

Southern Witch Book 2

By Kimberly Frost

An offer she cant refuse...
I was stunned. Well, listen, I cant pay any fines. Im flat broke. Actually, Im unemployed. I bit my bottom lip thoughtfully. Plus, this Initial Challenge thing sounds time-consuming, and if I cant get my old job back, I have to go job-hunting.
Jordan shook his head. Your nonmagical occupation is subordinate to your magical obligations. In the Initial Challenge, youll face a difficult task that
Hold on. Im not a witch. Im just a pastry chef. I had to use magic before on account of an emergency, but I dont want to join any magical world association or whatever, though Im real honored to be asked. So you can just go back and tell them Im going to stay a private citizen. And reassure them that I wont use magic again. I promise.
He smiled. That isnt quite how things work. If you dont participate in the challenge by the allotted time, youll face the consequences. Imprisonment or death.

Titles by Kimberly Frost
WOULD-BE WITCH
BARELY BEWITCHED

Acknowledgments
I would like to thank...
My incredible family and friends who turned out en masse for my book signings. I think its pretty rare that a debut novelist gets to feel like a rock star at her very first author appearances. (Special thanks to Elizabeth and my parents for hosting Would-Be Witch launch parties.)
The bookselling dream team at Murder By The Book (especially Anne for reading Would-Be Witch in advance, and David and McKenna for all that you do). My friends at Katy Budget Books who were excited about the book when no one else really knew about it. Roxanne, the terrific event marketing manager from Borders, and the members of Lyceum who made my hometown signing in Michigan such a pleasure. Laura and Miles from separate Barnes & Noble stores, who loved the book and hand-sold scores of copies. You guys are wonderful!
My WRW family for all your support and enthusiasm (and occasional story advice on legal matters)! The reviewers and blog communities who let me visit as a guest and helped me spread the word about my books. The Houston RWA chapters and my amazing friends on MySpace.
The Berkley Publishing Group with special thanks to Leis, my editor, to the incredibly talented cover artist, and to everyone who worked on the production, promotion, and sales of the Southern Witch series.
My agent, Elizabeth, for your faith and the things you do on my behalf. My critique partners, David and Bonnie, for seeing what I cant.
And most of all, thank you to my readers. I have been waiting all my life to meet you, and you are everything I hoped you would be and more.

Chapter 1


In the past, the closest connection Id had to criminals was rooting for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid during Duvalls classic movie month. But now thieving was on my mind, and, unlike last week, I wasnt going to be the victim. Normally, Im honest and law-abiding, but you wouldnt believe how much can change in just a few days.
I know it sounds like stealing, but the truth is that those jewels werent mine to sell... so retrieving them is really just putting things right, I explained to Mercutio as I set the bowl of key-lime batter in the fridge.
A fall breeze blew in from the open window, and I smelled freshly mowed grass. I opened the window a little wider before I walked around the counter to the couch. I sat down so we could have an eye-to-eye conversation.
Ill make sure Jenna gets her money back. Ill even find a way to lift that hiccups hex. I leaned over Mercutio where he lay on the couch. He purred and his fur rippled, making his ocelot spots dance. He probably didnt think much of my trying to rob anyone, even if it was one of our nemeses. Before a week ago, Jenna Reitgarten had been just a snooty blond nuisance, but shed been promoted. And Merc, who I didnt even know before last week, had become my trusted friend and sometime action-adventure sidekick. Yeah, you wouldnt believe how much stuff can change in just a few days.
Merc batted a loose strand of my red hair, catching his claws on it and tugging my head forward.
Hey, I complained, pulling the hair loose. Watch those paws. Remember youre not a tabby. With jungle-cat strength comes jungle-cat responsibilities. Now, when do you think would be the best time to burgle a house?
Merc licked his paw thoughtfully, and I reached for a washrag on the counter to wipe a drop of cream cheese frosting off my Longhorns T-shirt. It wasnt that I wanted to start in on a life of crime. Far from it. But the honest approach to jewelry recovery hadnt worked.
If I wait until theyre out of town, Id have to break in and maybe trip the alarm. Or I could sneak in when theyre having their festival party and swipe the stuff and sneak out.
Either way should be exciting, a soft voice said.
Startled, I jumped, and jerked my head to find Edie, the family ghost.
I smiled at her white trousers, navy boatneck sweater, and double strand of jawbreaker-sized pearls. Mostly, Edie sashayed around town in her 1920s flapper dresses, but sometimes she wore trousers, and she could make pants look every bit as elegant. If she were chocolate, shed be a holiday box of Godiva truffles. Me, Im more of an M&MS girl. As you might guess, theres a lot about her that I envy, except for the part about being dead and all.
I thought you were out of the country, I said.
I was traveling, but I got bored. There was no one interesting in Notre Dame, and the Scottish ghosts were off on some mass haunting. Extremely tiresome. Ill come along on the robbery, shall I? To play lookout? Edie asked, fingering her sleek black bob.
That would be great, I said with a smile. These days Edie was usually too busy with her own lifewell, afterlifeto get overly involved in mine. Youd be the perfect accomplice, since its not like you could get arrested and put in jail, right? I said.
The oven timer dinged, signaling that my first batch of cupcakes was done. I hopped up to take out the muffin pans.
Speaking of good-looking men with handcuffs, how is your favorite member of law enforcement? Edie asked.
Zach, I thought with a slight pang. Right as rain, I said, hoping that he was. Truthfully, my normally ever-present ex had dropped out of my life, not returning my calls, even when I left supersweet messages on his machine. Zachs avoidance maybe had to do with the way a certain gorgeous guyand forbidden wizardwas trying to become a fixture in my life. Or maybe it had to do with having to fight a whole mess of werewolves last Thursday night because of me. Generally, when Zachs off duty from being a sheriffs deputy, he likes to have a few beers and watch a game. And battling the supernatural creatures he never knew existed hadnt exactly gone smoothly. I wanted to make things up to him, but first I had to track him down.
Why are you making so many cupcakes? I rather doubt you needed to go to the trouble for our cat. A bowl of cream would have sufficed, or a small rodent.
I wrinkled my nose at the thought of Mercutio eating fuzzy little mice. Im taking these to Miss Cookies place to see if they convince her to rehire me. Du-Fall Fest is kicking off, so shell need the help. With the right confectionary bribes, I think shell realize its a good time to forget about my act of defiance. After all, whoever said the customer is always right was probably just a customer trying to use an expired coupon. I mean, if a man buys a pack of gum and then says, I think you should tap dance, is he right? Ever see a cashier in tap shoes? I paused. I didnt guess so.