Addison Moore [Moore - Sugar Cookie Slaughter

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, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owners impending doom.

Love is in the air, and all of Honey Hollow is staring down the barrel of Valentines Day. By some stroke of luck, Im taking part in Vermonts Best Baker competition, and believe me when I say theres more drama than there are ingredients in the room. But when one baker accuses another of ripping off her sugar cookies, things take a turn for the deadly. Add a stalker, an ornery snake, and a fluffy white kitten who has an eye for everything that movesand you have the perfect recipe for murder.

Lottie Lemon has a brand new bakery to tend to, a budding romance with perhaps one too many suitors, and she has the supernatural ability to see dead petswhich 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 youll have more chaos than you know what to do with.

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

M y name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so rarely do I see dead people. Mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, aka dead pets, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owners impending doom. But right about now, Im not seeing a dead anything. Im seeing a very angry Lily Swanson who nearly drops a platter of my heart-shaped sugar cookies all over the floor of the community center.

Its not right. She scoffs as she glares at Naomi Turner, who just so happens to be getting a little too friendly while dripping off of Alex Foxex-Marine turned two-timing love machine.

I make a face at Naomi and Alex. Its just the beginning of February, and even though love is in the air, Cupid and his stupid bow seems to be hitting it off the mark already.

Please ignore them, Lily, I say, pulling her to the left so she doesnt have to see their lust-stricken faces. Lily Swanson is a gorgeous brunette who works for me at my shop, the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery. Besides, its Naomis turn to date Alex, not yours. Yes, Naomi and Lily have both agreed to the ridiculous two-timing terms. Since Alex couldnt decide between the two of them, theyve been switching off with him every month and its been a disaster ever since.

Naomi, the other girl in Alex Foxs life, happens to be my best friend Keelies twin sister. Naomi used to hate me during high school because my then-boyfriend, Bear Fisher, wouldnt cheat on me with heryes, thats right. And now she continues her disdain for yours truly almost a decade later just because she can. Naomi has dyed her blonde locks a jarring jet-black, and shes a stunner through and through in that shocking pink dress shes squeezed herself into tonight.

Alex Fox is a looker himselfand I should very much think so, considering the fact Im dating his older look-alike brother, Noah.

Lily groans as we make our way to the extravagant dessert table set out in the middle of the cavernous room. Its the evening of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the renovations taking place, right here at the community center. And seeing that this same establishment is set to host the Vermonts Best Baker competition in just under a month, Mayor Nash thought it would be a fun idea for all the local bakers to come out and show the fine people of Honey Hollow what theyve got to offer. Side note: Mayor Nash hired Bear Fisher, my aforementioned ex-high school not-so sweetheart, to do the renovation.

I spot a couple of my fellow contestants, Whitney Shields and Patricia Engel, laughing it up with a man between them. His arms rest over each of their shoulders, and it looks as if theyre having a great time. It seems as if Im the only baker truly stressed out about the competition.

I wrinkle my nose as I give a glance around at the tired looking structure. I hope Bear can whip this place into shape in time, I say mostly to myself. My own shop, the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery, happens to have a hat in the ring as far as the baking competition is concerned.

Lottie Kenzie Lemon, a familiar perky voice chirps from behind. Oh ye of little faith.

I turn to find my best friend, Keelie Nell Turner, with her hands on her hips and a contrived pout on her lips just before she breaks out into a fit of giggles.

I wont tell Bear you said so. She pulls me in for a quick embrace and Im momentarily smothered by her blonde curls. Keelie is now engaged to my cheating ex, and basically all of his malfeasances are water under the philandering bridge. Or at least theyd better be. Not only are Keelie and Bear getting hitched next June, theyre expecting a baby next August.

I give her tiny baby bump a gentle pat. Hows my niece or nephew? Okay, it wont technically be my niece or nephewbut along with the fact that Keelie is my lifelong bestie, we found a little over a year ago that were cousins, too.

As an infant, I was abandoned at the local firehouse and then quickly adopted by Joseph and Miranda Lemon, but a year ago my birthmother, Carlotta, sprang out of the woodwork and right into my life. Apparently, before she abandoned me, she left a note pinned to the blanket I was swaddled up in and instructed whoever found me to please name me Carlotta. My new mother, Miranda, quickly complied but nicknamed me Lottie right away, and no one has ever called me by my formal name since.

My baby bear is doing great. Keelie lands her palm lovingly over her tummy. In fact, the little monster is craving one of your sweet treats. She reaches over and snatches up an adorable heart-shaped cookie iced in pastel pink with the words youre cute written on it. I cant help but frown over at the platter of conversation heart cookies.

Lily cackles at the innocent misstep. Thats not Lotties cookie.

Nope, a deep voice strums from behind and I turn to find a handsomeokay, far too handsome judge who looks as if hes driven here straight from the Ashford Courthouse in his dressed-to-kill dark inky suit.

The judge in question, Essex Everett Baxter, also happens to be my legal husband, but our union is for business purposes only. He basically needed a bride to help preserve his inheritance, and I quickly stepped up to the plate, much to my boyfriend Noahs chagrin.

Yes, thats right. I have a boyfriend and a husband, and theyre not one and the same.

Everetts lids hood low. Id know your cookies anywhere, Lemon. His lips curl in the right direction, but Everett is far too stubborn to ever give a proper smile.