Murder in the Mix Boxed Set 28-30: Cozy Mystery Addison Moore (the reading strategies book .txt) 📖

“No, don’t go.” I pull him in. “Evie needs us both right now.”

He glances back at her door. “Okay. But come hell or high water, it’s going down tomorrow night. I want this nightmare behind us. And from now on, my vote vetoes his.” He shoots Noah a sharp look. “You’ve always needed a big brother who could knock some sense into you. I bet if you didn’t goof things up all those years ago between us, I could have saved you from half of the junk you’ve landed yourself in.”

“I wish I wouldn’t have goofed things up.” Noah looks amused. “And you would have probably helped me avoid the mess I got myself into with Lottie—the two of us would be married by now.”

A rumble of a laugh strums through Everett’s chest. “On second thought, things worked out exactly how they should have.” His lids hood my way, and a dangerous smile flickers on his lips as if to suggest he was about to prove it to me. And I have no doubt he is.

Something tells me this is going to be one very long night.

Last night, after baking cookies with Evie, both Everett and I helped get Noah back across the street, and medicated him into oblivion.

Of course, Everett had to prove his point in the most delicious manner regarding how fate worked everything out in our favor, so I had zilch sleep last night.

I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed when Everett actually had to go to work this morning. I stayed home long enough to comfort Evie and make her a big breakfast of waffles and all the fixings. I told her she should invite Dash over later to talk things through and suggested they take a walk around the neighborhood with Toby. He’s not a digger like the golden retriever down the street, so the whole neighborhood loves him.

Lord knows Keelie and I have hashed out our differences a time or two on a cold winter’s walk.

Lily and I work like mad all afternoon, whipping up batches of waffles in a frenzy. Flo hangs out in the kitchen with me, checking her reflection every chance she gets. Personally, I don’t understand the obsession with looking in the mirror. She’s going to look the same as she did the last time she checked, and there has never been more than a twenty second span that she doesn’t gaze upon herself.

“You know I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection from the window as I walked into the bakery this morning,” I tell her. “And it was like looking through a fun-house mirror. Why hasn’t anyone told me that my bottom has essentially morphed into a baby bump all on its own? It’s as if someone tucked a beach ball under my shirt and in my pants. I look like a freak.”

“You look like someone who’s enjoyed a sweet treat or two,” she says, making a plate of waffles for herself. “Speaking of sweet treats, I need my body returned to the morgue pronto if they’re going to work their magic and get me looking decent for my big reveal.” She takes a bite out of a forkful of waffles dipped in butter and syrup and moans through the experience.

“Not to worry, we’re on it. Everett is going to do the deed tonight.”

Someone scoffs from behind, and I turn to find Lily standing there with her fists tucked on her hips.

“Lottie, are you telling the waffles that you and Everett are going to get freaky later?”

I open my mouth and close it. “Why yes, Lily, I am.”

Goodness. I’ve gotten myself into more deep-fried pickles because of these ghosts than I can count, but confessing to spilling dirty secrets to a stack of waffles is an all-time low.

My phone bleats in my pocket, and I’m forever thankful to whoever it is. Anything is better than the conversation at hand. I’d much rather leave my freaky love life with Everett out of the bakery.

It’s a group text from Evie to Noah, Everett, and me.

Get home fast! Dash and I were walking Toby and he ran to Uncle Noah’s backyard and dug up a weird bag. Dash and I opened it and found a BODY! This is like the coolest day ever. Way to go, Uncle Noah. You really know how to make me feel better. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m pretty sure this is connected to you somehow, too. Most of the dead bodies in this town are. Oh, and don’t panic. Dash and I have already called 911. I can hear the fire department screaming its way down the street. Gotta run!

It turns out, Toby is a digger after all.

And he’s just dug up some serious trouble.

Chapter 18

“Can you believe they found my body in time for the big day? That gold leaf casket was perfection and that red beaded gown was to die for. Get it? To die for!” Flo lets out a laugh reminiscent of a trilling dolphin. “I knew you’d come through for me, Lottie Lemon. If you hadn’t hidden my body, my Aunt Connie and Aunt Cat would have ruined my life.”

My lips cinch shut, lest I remind the deceased she is, in fact, deceased.

Florenza Canelli shimmers as an entire galaxy of stars surround her in every shade of pink. It’s the day of her funeral, the day she’s finally being laid to rest, and a part of me is hoping this case will be laid to rest, too.

“I’m glad you were happy with the way things worked out. The funeral was very touching. Not a dry eye in the house.”

I take a look around the large private room in the back of the steakhouse where the wake is taking place, and it’s wall-to-wall people. There’s a buffet of every savory food you can imagine—ham and every cut of steak you can desire.

The