Addison Moore [Moore - Pancake Panic

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.

Its the morning of the big all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and everything that can go wrong has. Im burning breakfast for the entire town, Ive run out of syrup, the ghosts from my mothers B&B have shown up to stage a protest, and my ex has arrived with another woman dripping off his arm. Some days I wish I had stayed in bed, curled up with my cats. And to make matters worse, I find a body facedown in a plate full of my light and fluffy pancakes. The new year is off to a terrifying start at best.

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 now, Im not seeing a dead anything. Im seeing a stack of pancakes that seems to be touching the ceiling, as I help replenish the supply of the never-ending treats for everyone who came out for the fire departments all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast.

I happen to be in charge of feeding the masses and, believe me when I say everything that can go wrong has. My staff from the bakery had to push me aside and take over flipping the countless number of flapjacks because I happened to be charring them to death.

I confess, my mind is on other things.

Im running short on both supplies and patience, the syrup is quickly dwindling, and weve run out of plates and seats, not to mention the stove has threatened to go out on us twice. That would be the last thing we need. You cant cook an endless supply of pancakes on a tiny little hotplate. And the fine residents of Honey Hollow have come out in full-force with every bit of their appetites intact.

Lily Swanson, the girl who works the register at my bakery, hands me a platter full of golden delicious pancakes that are practically bouncing as if they were on springs. Theyre that light and fluffy.

Why dont you leave the kitchen for a bit, Lottie? Lily swings her chocolate-colored ponytail as she moves. Lily is Barbie beautiful with large doe eyes and bee stung lips. She spent a majority of our formative years hating me by proxy because her best friend did, but thats a story for another day. Youve been here since four in the morning, and youre about to burn down the firehouse. Clearly, youve hit your pancake-loving limit.

Oh, I hit that yesterday just preparing for the event, I say, glancing to the opened door in the back. Its been wide open all morning even though its practically a blizzard out there, but its far too warm in the kitchen to complain. Theres no way I can leave. Im seeing this hotcake catastrophe right through to the syrupy end.

Lily winces. And speaking of that, we may have completely run out of maple syrup.

I squeeze my eyes shut tight.

And the strawberry syrupshe continuesand the blueberry syrup, and your special chocolate sauce. Lily lifts a finger while taking off her apron. And thats exactly why Im on my way to the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery to pick up more of everything. Dont worry, Lottie. Ill be right back. Alex has offered his muscles to assist with the endeavor. She gives a cheeky wink as she takes off for Alex Fox pastures. Alex Fox is an ex-Marine turned investment banker who has opened up shop right here in Honey Hollow. Something tells me shes far more interested in Alex than she is in replenishing the supplies at hand. Heres hoping I see her again anytime soon.

I take the stack of pancakes from her and make my way into the expansive garage of the fire department where the trucks have been removed and most of the tables for the event have been set up. The mess hall is full as well and so is the foyer of the structure. Suffice it to say, the good people of Honey Hollow have come out in droves in a show of support, as well as every fireman assigned to the house. The Ashford Sheriffs Department has had a significant presence here, too, sans one handsome homicide detective whose heart I may have accidentally brokenand in turn hes broken mine.

Mom claps her hands as if trying to garner everyones attention. Her shoulder-length vanilla waves bounce around her shoulders and shes stylishly dressed in an auburn sweater dress with matching suede boots. My mother never fails to stun, not even in the middle of a snowstorm in January. She has never looked her ageor acted like it, but thats all a part of Miranda Lemons charm.

Rememberher cheery voice booms across the firehouse with its green garland still strung up around the periphery, leftover from the holidaysall proceeds go directly to refurbishing the community center! Call your friends, call your family to come and join the delicious festivities!

A murmur of delight circles the blooming crowd. Its wall-to-wall bodies, and almost every one of them is a familiar face.

As of late, crowds make me anxious. It seems its always at one of these hyper-populated events that I seem to stumble upon something nefariouslike a body. And believe me, Ive stumbled upon my fair share. I guess you could say Im feeling a bit cursed these days.

For just a moment before I left the house, I thought of bringing that trusty Glock Noah and Everett teamed up to gift me a few months back. Its small and sleek, and I nicknamed her Ethel out of the blue one day because she just so happened to look like one. But considering I knew this place would be brimming with firefighters and sheriffs deputies, I didnt feel the need to bring Ethel along for the ride.

Keelie steps up. Lottie, these really are delicious. Her lips twitch as if contesting the idea.

Keelie Nell Turner and I have been best friends since preschool, and just last year we discovered we were cousins. But blood-related or not, Keelie has always felt like family to me. Her blonde mane is swept up into a messy bun and she looks adorably toasty in a white scarf and bright red vest. Keelie has that fresh-faced girl next door look about her. And these days she glows like the morning star.