Spiced Latte Killer: Book 10 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  SPICED LATTE KILLER

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  Spiced Latte

  Killer

  Book Ten in

  The INNcredibly Sweet Series

  By

  Summer Prescott

  Copyright 2016 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying, or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Author’s note: I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on—reader feedback is very important to me. My contact information, along with some other helpful links, is listed below. If you’d like to be on my list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc.… just shoot me an email and let me know. Thanks for reading!

  Also…

  … if you’re looking for more great reads, I am proud to announce that Summer Prescott Books publishes a popular series by new cozy author Patti Benning. Check out my book catalog http://summerprescottbooks.com/book-catalog/ for her delicious stories.

  Contact Info for Summer Prescott:

  Twitter: @summerprescott1

  Blog and Book Catalog: http://summerprescottbooks.com

  Email: [email protected]

  Please note: If you receive any correspondence from addresses other than those listed here, it is not from me, even if it claims to be.

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  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  This book was a difficult journey for me. I began writing it just before I went to visit my mother, who is waging war against cancer. For the two weeks that I soaked in the California sunshine, while helping to care for the woman who has spent her life caring for me, I set aside everything else in my life – writing, business, everything – and I don’t regret it for a moment.

  Returning home, it was difficult to get back into the swing of things, but with a tremendous amount of effort and encouragement, I was finally able to immerse myself in the sweet and mysterious world of Missy and Chas. There are several times while writing this book, that I laughed and cried with the characters, and the losses that they felt at times resonated with me in a way that seemed to transcend the connection between an author and her characters.

  It was powerful for me, and I hope that it will, at the very least, be entertaining for you. If it touches your heart, I’m thankful, because in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that what life is all about? Giving ourselves over to the things that move us is what makes us human, and what makes us connect with the things that are so important – love, relationships, the pain of loss, and the triumph of rebuilding.

  Hug the ones you love, and live life to the fullest while you have breath in your lungs and love in your heart, because we never know what tomorrow may bring.

  This book is dedicated to one of the most loving, giving and courageous people I know…my beautiful mother.

  SPICED LATTE

  KILLER

  Book Ten in The INNcredibly Sweet Series

  CHAPTER 1

  Melissa Gladstone-Beckett slid the last batch of pumpkin spice latte cupcakes into the oven. The small commercial kitchen at Cupcakes in Paradise smelled amazing, reminding her of many beautiful autumns that she’d spent in her hometown of LaChance, Louisiana. She was in Florida now—with Detective Chas Beckett, her handsome and clever husband—but she still felt pangs of homesickness every now and again. The happy couple had moved to the sleepy beachside community of Calgon, Florida, after they’d gotten married just over a year ago, and had purchased a bed and breakfast inn on the beach, turning the cozy little cottage next door into a cupcake shop a few months later.

  Missy had owned two cupcake shops when she lived in Louisiana, one in LaChance, and the other in a neighboring town, Dellville. For the last few months, she’d been planning the wedding of one of her former managers who was like a son to her; suddenly, his bride-to-be had come up missing. Missy had a long-standing habit of baking whenever she was stressed out, and the pumpkin cupcakes that she had just finished up were the last in a long line of baked goods that her cozy kitchen had generated that morning.

  Missy was worried about Sarah, the lovely young fiancée of her former manager Grayson, but was waiting with great hope for the good news that she’d been found. The couple’s wedding was a week away, and Grayson’s bride had simply disappeared. It wasn’t like her to go away without saying anything, particularly this close to the happiest day of her life. Grayson was a pale, dark-haired, quiet young man, who’d found his soulmate in Sarah’s sweet honesty, and the two of them had been ecstatic to announce their engagement.

  The chimes over the front door jangled, jarring the petite blonde cupcake shop owner out of her reverie. She hoped that it signaled the arrival of her free-spirited, fiery-haired friend, Echo Kellerman. Echo was recently married, and pregnant with her first child, which sometimes made for a very cranky bestie, but Missy indulged her moods, knowing that this too would pass.

  As expected, Echo had flopped into a chair at their favorite bistro table in the eating area, as was customary on most mornings. The two of them started most days with conversation, coffee and cupcakes before venturing out into the real world. On occasion, Echo’s new husband, Phillip “Kel” Kellerman, would join them, bringing them up to speed on local events and juicy gossip. Kel had been born and raised in Calgon and seemed to know everyone and everything of consequence in the town. He took it upon himself to share his knowledge with Missy and Echo, the relative newcomers, and regaled them with tales of life, relationships, deaths, and divorce, as well as mergers and other business matters taking place within the comfortable confines of Calgon.

  “How ya feelin’, darlin?” Missy asked, planting a kiss on the top of her best friend’s head before sitting down across from her.

  “Well, I can finally eat without fear of throwing up every time,” Echo replied dryly. Morning sickness had not been kind to her, but it seemed to be ebbing.

  “That’s good news. I made a vegan version of the pumpkin spice cupcakes, would you like to try one?”

  “Can I have coffee with it?” her friend asked hopefully.

  “What would your doctor say?” Missy gave her a pointed look.

  “My doctor is overly cautious.”

  “Your doctor is doing what’s best for you and your baby. I’ll bring you a cupcake and a nice cup of herbal tea, how about that?”

  Echo sighed melodramatically. “Fine. You’re all in cahoots.”

  “You betcha,” Missy chuckled, heading to the cases for cupcakes. “Is Kel joining us this morning?”

  “
No, he’s at my house, meeting with the realtor.”

  “He finally convinced you to sell?”

  “Well, we’re married now, it only makes sense. Besides, his house has a wonderful first floor workshop for me to make my candles in.”

  Echo owned a candle shop and bookstore which shared an eclectic space in a vintage downtown building. She had started out making candles which smelled like Missy’s cupcakes and sold them in the inn and the cupcake shop. They had soon become so popular among tourists and locals alike that she needed to open up her own shop in order to keep up with the demand. When her elderly friend who owned the bookstore next door passed away, she willed the quaint shop to Echo, who opened up the wall between the two spaces, hired a sassy new assistant, and now ran both shops.

  “Oh, that’s great,” Missy exclaimed. “You’ll be able to work on your candles while Kel works on his art. How is Scott doing?”

  Scott Hammond, a bright fifteen-year-old, was the son that Kel never knew he had until a few weeks ago, when the teenager’s mother went missing and was later found murdered. He’d come to live with Kel after his mother disappeared, and was now a delightful addition to the household.

  “He’s doing well. He misses his mom of course, but he’s back in school now and seems to really like it. He’s very easy to get along with and is so helpful around the house. I’ll miss my cozy little cottage when it sells though,” Echo mused.

  “How are things going with Petaluma?” Missy asked.

  Grayson’s alcoholic mother, Petaluma, had come to Florida a week before anyone expected, and had been staying with Echo, who tried to keep the ill-mannered woman out of trouble long enough to see her son get married and return to Louisiana.

  “She’s utterly infatuated with my neighbor, Steve,” Echo sighed, dropping her chin into her hand while she chewed her cupcake.

  “Loud Steve?” Missy’s eyebrows rose.

  The gals had nicknamed Echo’s neighbor Steve “Loud Steve” because he had a habit of blasting the music in his pint-sized pickup truck so loudly that one could hear him coming from blocks away. He attempted to flirt with Echo every time he saw her, and was known to sit for hours on end, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer on his front porch while watching Echo’s house. The fact that Petaluma had hooked up with the loud, crude neighbor could only mean trouble.

  “The one and only,” she nodded.

  “Oh dear,” Missy frowned with worry.

  “Yeah, the two of them have been acting like teenagers since Petaluma got here,” Echo shook her head. “On the plus side, she seems to have lost all interest in meddling with the details of the wedding.”

  “Well, that has been nice, but letting her hang out with your neighbor is like throwing her to the wolves. We should try to involve her at least a little bit in the wedding planning. I’m sure Grayson would appreciate it.”

  “Grayson wasn’t even sure that she’d make it to the wedding,” Echo pointed out.

  “I know, but he only gets married once. Don’t you think he’d want us to involve Petaluma? Besides, it’s just the right thing to do.”

  Echo made a face. “I really don’t think he’d care, but I suppose you’re right. Maybe we can let her tag along when we go to the florist this afternoon.”

  “Is Joyce going to watch the bookstore and candle shop so that you can leave early?” Missy asked, taking a large sip of piping hot coffee.

  “Of course. That girl is a saint, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  Joyce Rutledge was a well-educated bookworm who presided over Echo’s shops with an eagle eye and an iron will. She knew the answer to every possible literary question that a customer could ask, and was a huge fan of scented candles, making her the perfect employee. She and Echo had become great friends, and Echo had come to rely heavily on the strong, steady presence of the younger woman.

  “Great. I’ll come by after I close up here. I’ll pick you up, then we can swing by your cottage to get Petaluma. We’ll wrestle her from Steve’s grasp if we have to,” Missy’s mouth was set in a determined line.

  “I’ll wait in the car,” Echo grumbled. Her phone rang just then. “It’s Kel,” she explained, answering the call.

  Missy discreetly headed toward the kitchen to give the newlyweds privacy for their call, carrying empty plates and mugs with her.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Echo appeared in the doorway to the kitchen as Missy was loading their dishes into the dishwasher.

  “What?” Missy was vaguely alarmed.

  “When Kel met the realtor at my cottage a few minutes ago, Petaluma and Steve were… inside,” she grimaced. “Apparently they’d been drinking all morning, and were…” she trailed off, shaking her head.

  Missy gulped. “They were… ?” her eyes widened.

  “Yep, ‘fraid so,” Echo confirmed, looking disgusted.

  “Oh my,” Missy covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.

  “Not funny,” Echo frowned, trying to stifle her own laughter. “I’m going to have to burn that couch,” she finally cracked up.

  CHAPTER 2

  Missy was glad for the powerful scent of flowers when she, Echo, and Petaluma entered the floral shop to select arrangements for Grayson and Sarah’s wedding. After being found in an unwashed and illicit state by Kel and the realtor, Petaluma had spent the afternoon drinking coffee, but still smelled a bit like a distillery. Riding in the car with her had been a rather unpleasant experience that had prompted Echo to lower her window and inhale the warm tropical air, in the interest of holding onto the lunch that she’d consumed hours before.

  “Hi, you must be Missy,” the lovely young woman behind the counter beamed when they came in.

  “And you must be Nari,” Missy replied, shaking the pale, slim hand that was offered across the counter.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she nodded.

  Missy introduced Echo and Petaluma, and when Nari found out that Petaluma was the mother of the groom, she gave her a lovely peach-colored rose in full bloom. Echo wondered later if it hadn’t been so that the strongly perfumed flower would cover up the scent of stale beer. The three sat down at a round table filled with books of floral arrangements, and Nari began making recommendations based upon conversations that she’d had with Missy.

  Acting bored, Petaluma twirled the lovely peach rose round and round, picking the petals off.

  “He loves me, he loves me not,” she murmured, pulling petal after petal while the other three women stared at her.

  “What?” she demanded. “What can I say, I’m in love.”

  Grayson’s mother then finished plucking the remaining petals from the rose, repeating, “he loves me, he loves me not,” in a singsong voice, either oblivious to or unconcerned with the looks of alarm from Missy and Echo, and the bemused speculation of Nari.

  The young woman’s almond-shaped chocolate eyes were warm when Echo mouthed ‘sorry’ at her, and she waved a hand with an understanding smile.

  “Oooh, that one is lovely for the bouquet, and Sarah said that she wanted white roses,” Missy exclaimed, determined to move forward with the process, no matter how bizarre Petaluma’s behavior might be.

  Echo nodded, looking at the page in the book that Nari had marked with a sticky note. “I agree, that is beautiful. Maybe we could add something small and pink, since pink is her wedding party color.”

  Nari reached into a box behind her chair.

  “What do you think of these?” she asked, presenting delicate sprays of tiny pale pink pearls on stems which could be inserted into the bouquet.

  “Yes!” Missy and Echo exclaimed together.

  “Oh, that’ll be elegant,” Missy nodded.

  Petaluma tossed the stem from her plucked rose aside, muttering, “it don’t matter, he loves me anyhow, I know it,” and shoved her chair in between Missy and Echo, leaning over to peer at the book.

  “Criminy,” she breathed, making a face and exhaling something that smelled vaguel
y like bus fumes. “Did you see how much that thing costs? I could pay rent with that much money. Man, I want a cigarette,” she sighed. “So, yeah, there’s no way we can do that one,” she wrinkled her nose, sat back in her chair and crossed her arms after her pronouncement.

  Echo started to open her mouth and Missy reached around Petaluma to squeeze her shoulder, speaking first, before things got ugly.

  “Petaluma, honey,” Missy began, her southern drawl deepening as it always did when she was stressed. “You don’t need to worry about what any of this costs. The wedding is part of our gift to Grayson and Sarah. We’ll take care of buying the flowers, and we’ll get whatever we think will work. Sarah told me what she wants, and that’s all we need to know,” she said in a placating voice.

  “That’s ridiculous. If the bride’s family can’t pay for stuff, the bride and groom are supposed to do it, and I know that Gray can’t afford anything like this,” Petaluma scoffed.

  Echo saw the look on her friend’s face and knew that Missy’s blood was beginning to boil, so instead of speaking her mind, which would be her usual choice, she sat back and watched, waiting for Missy’s rare temper to show itself.

  “What Grayson and Sarah can or cannot afford is not the issue here, and is also not a matter that is up for debate. We’re here to select floral arrangements and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Missy insisted with a strained smile. Her eyes were tight around the corners, which Echo recognized as a sign of impending doom. She wished she had popcorn.

  “Well, who died and made you the Big Kahuna, Miss Thang?” Petaluma challenged, her hangover making her too miserable to hold back. “I say we’re gonna get something affordable and I’m Gray’s mother, so that’s that,” she leaned into Missy’s face, defiant.

  While Missy might have looked outwardly calm to Nari and Petaluma, Echo knew that there might as well be wisps of smoke curling out of the petite blonde’s ears. She was gearing up for a whole lot of heavily accented honesty.