Yuletide Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  Yuletide Blend

  A Paramour Bay Mystery

  Book Ten

  KENNEDY LAYNE

  YULETIDE BLEND

  Copyright © 2019 by Kennedy Layne

  Kindle Edition

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-943420-93-3

  Print ISBN: 978-1-943420-94-0

  Cover Designer: Sweet ’N Spicy Designs

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Dedication

  Jeffrey—There’s no place like home for the holidays…I love you!

  Cole—Always believe in the spirit of Christmas!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  About Baffling Blend

  Books by Kennedy Layne

  About the Author

  Find out who’s been naughty or nice in the next snowbound whodunit of the Paramour Bay Mysteries by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

  Stockings are hung by the chimney with care and visions of catnip dance in the air this yuletide season in Paramour Bay. The spirit of giving is in full swing, and the residents of this small coastal Connecticut town are finishing up their last minute holiday shopping.

  Raven Marigold takes a break from minding the tea shop to enjoy the winter wonderland the council members have magically created in the middle of town square. The holiday festival has everything from a lighted Christmas tree to singing elves. Even good ol’ St. Nick has shown up to hear the wish lists of excited children, but the jolliness in his ho-ho-ho disappears when one of his reindeer goes missing! Is this a reindeer-napping or has the precious animal just wandered off?

  Grab a plate of sugar cookies and a glass of milk as Raven and the gang attempt to unwrap the next seasonal whodunit in order to save the cheer for a Merry Christmas this year!

  Chapter One

  The fragrant scent of fresh-cut pine from the huge selection of Christmas trees hung in the air as eager families searched for just the perfect yuletide tree to celebrate the holiday. The crowded, crushed limestone lot had its perimeter surrounded by long strands of winking colored lights. Streetlamps provided enough illumination on two sides of the corner lot, and a couple of overhead floodlights pointed toward the back over the tree bundling machine to light up the cashier’s table.

  Selecting the perfect tree from the traditional mom and pop operations was just part of the many fun festivities going on in the busy town square of Paramour Bay. In the summer, the owners ran a small farmers market out of this location that provided many of the townsfolk with fresh produce. Today, they were supplying part of the Christmas joy to all the families awaiting one very special morning.

  Most of the fun activities were all tied around certain events, like the snowman building competition or who could make the most original gingerbread house. There was even a small manmade ice rink for those who wanted to skate. Technically, the round area was the small pond in the center of the park that had frozen over. A local vendor had donated the money to build a portable shack to rent skates and sell hot apple cider to patrons.

  Several children had constructed bunkers for the ultimate snowball battles once there had been enough snowfall. It was up to the parks department to keep the combatants contained to willing participants. A well-controlled nightly bonfire was being monitored by the volunteer fire department. Somebody was on watch from six until ten every weekday night, even earlier on weekends. As a matter of fact, a group of Christmas carolers were currently swaying back and forth around the warm blaze as they belted out yet another familiar song.

  I hadn’t even mentioned the town’s twenty-four-foot Christmas tree that already had a lighting ceremony last weekend. Red and gold silk ribbon had been carefully woven between the many branches, and a star that was brighter than an authentic one had been positioned at the very tiptop. Our local electrician, Ned Gardner, made sure all the colored lights, nativity scene, and our star of Bethlehem were in good working order prior to every season. Almost every resident had come to watch the captivating display transform our small-town park into a Norman Rockwell version of a Christmas winter wonderland.

  Truthfully, the beautiful blue spruce pine was the fullest I’d ever seen in such a large tree. That was saying a lot, considering that I’d lived in New York City most of my life and the Kennedy Center did the whole holiday tree thing to the limit. Anyway, our town’s Christmas tree had even been decorated with the founding families’ ornaments from many years past, putting a special touch on the ceremony as something new from each family was added each year.

  It was Christmastime in our small, coastal Connecticut town, and the council had gone all out this year. They’d somehow created the perfect winter retreat, and I was loving every minute of it.

  Granted, I was a witch. Christian holidays weren’t usually our time to shine, but the winter solstice was just four days prior to Christmas. Of course, I had grown up with the standard Santa stories. I’d learned to appreciate the season for a time of giving and a time of celebration.

  My favorite holiday was Halloween, but Christmas fell right behind at a comfortable distance. There was something very magical about this time of year, and I didn’t mean that to be a pun of any sort.

  I adjusted my scarf a bit to prevent the bitter coastal breeze from hitting my neck directly, mindful of the hot coffee steaming in my left hand. There were no vendor booths selling caffeinated beverages or snacks. There was just hot chocolate for the kids. For those special grownup drinks, the residents needed to head into one of the local stores. This way, the mom and pop shops benefited from any tourists passing through this holiday season. The council members had been wise about only permitting a certain number of electrical access points to maintain a comfortable setting for the children to visit Santa Claus. His area by far was the most magical of all.

  A gold and silver glittered path had been created throughout what was supposed to be an enchanting walk through the North Pole. An unused snow-making machine had been stationed next to the mechanical displays of automated polar bears, reindeers, and elves. Mother Nature had provided all the snow we’d ever need this year. The animatronics could be seen moving their heads in adorable ways, some of them actually mimicking the act of loading presents in a large sleigh. Young and old alike got a kick out of the holiday exhibits. The mayor had even been permitted a rescue game park to bring in a small petting zoo with real live reindeer. It had been the hit of this year’s Christmas winter wonderland thus far, although nothing beat Santa Claus in the starry-eyed boys and girls lining up to tell him what was on their wish list this year.

  Bah humbug.

  “Just admit it,” I said from behind my scarf. “You miss Skippy and his friends this time of year. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know. They probably miss you, too.”

  I’ll admit no such thing. They can all go choke on
acorns.

  While I was attempting to locate the handsome sheriff of our quaint little town, I should probably introduce myself and my cantankerous feline familiar. If he kept up this attitude, I’d have to start calling him the Grinch…or just give him the present I’d bought for him a couple of weeks early. Christmas was still fifteen days away, and Leo’s Christmas spirit needed some adjusting.

  I won’t say no to the gift, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m open to bribes.

  My familiar’s real name is Leo, and I’m Raven Lattice Marigold. This was my second Christmas in Paramour Bay, thanks to my grandmother. I honestly owed her for everything I had right now, from my magical abilities to my small tea shop business on the main thoroughfare of town. There was even the quaint little cottage she’d bequeathed to me in her will. My home sat on the far edge of town, just a stone’s throw from the bay.

  Why do I suddenly feel like chopped liver? And that is Mr. Leo to the readers, thank you very much.

  I held back a laugh as I searched the crowd, grateful that lights had been strung far and wide around the town square park so that it was easy to navigate. You see, Leo had also been bestowed to me, in a manner of speaking. He used to be Nan’s familiar, but she’d cast a necromancy spell so that he could stay behind and teach me the ways of our craft. The consequences of dark magic were well known. Unfortunately, Leo had taken the brunt of them as a result.

  Even so, Leo handled his idiosyncrasies rather well.

  It’s not like I had a choice, Raven. Besides, my somewhat gruff appearance earns me special treats from several of the elderly residents in town. I think it’s the latest GQ trend and my resemblance to those men with scruff on their faces in all the stylish fashion magazines. Let’s not mess with my good fortune, shall we?

  Leo had been a normal everyday black cat before the necromancy spell. Now? Well, let’s just say he resembled something out of one of those Gremlin movies from back in the 1980s—after those critters got wet. He had tufts of fur standing out every which away, crooked whiskers, and a tail that resembled a bent coat hanger. He had also somehow managed to acquire orange stripes after having miraculously survived Nan’s efforts at casting dark magic. I hadn’t even touched on the fact that his left eye bulged out more than his right, and even more so when he was stressed. Combine that with a somewhat selective memory glitch, and he could have been something out of a sci-fi movie assisting Doctor Frankenstein.

  All the same, Leo was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  I hate when you do that. It’s like putting a fresh coat of paint on an outhouse. You always twist things so that I don’t even know which way is up. It’s like when the good ol’ sheriff tosses me a compliment. I never know what to do with those things. They’re like a subscription to Reader’s Digest. They just keep piling up. It’s not like I have anything nice to say in return. He’s absolutely ordinary in every respect. And don’t use this commercial excuse of a holiday to change my mind, either. The spirit of giving? Bah humbug.

  As I’d mentioned earlier, Leo had been in a bad mood for the last month or so, ever since his nemesis had gone into hibernation. To Leo, that meant he’d lost another annual battle in the squirrelpocalypse to end all wars. That was, until next season.

  Go ahead. Rub my failure in my face. That Skippy is a wily opponent. You shouldn’t underestimate him. That’s how he beats you.

  See what I mean?

  Well, I had a plan to get Leo out of this funk he was in. I wasn’t only bringing Sheriff Liam Drake a cup of coffee in order to steal a kiss, but it was also to distract Leo from his state of melancholy. We were now close enough to the large Christmas tree that my plan should commence in three, two, one…

  Lights! All the shiny lights! Thousands of them, Raven, and they twinkle!

  All the residents were used to Leo accompanying me everywhere, though he did have the ability to become invisible when he wanted. Seeing as the middle of town square was quite cozy with all the propane-fueled standing heaters positioned in discreet areas, the pads of his paws would be kept safe from the harsh reality of the bitter cold sidewalks and streets. This type of setting was literally a carefree playground for cats, as long as they stayed out of the town’s Christmas tree and didn’t break any ornaments.

  Leo’s back end was wiggling in delight as his green, uneven gaze was solely focused on the twinkling lights and shiny trinkets hanging from the branches of the gigantic Christmas tree. It was a good thing the pine was anchored securely so that it couldn’t topple over, as well as the ornaments being large enough so that Leo wouldn’t be able to knock them to the ground without considerable effort.

  “I see Leo is finally in better spirits,” Liam said, coming up from behind me to wrap his arms around my waist. My scarf fell below my chin as he rested his cold cheek against mine, though that wasn’t surprising since he’d been outside most of the day officially overseeing the town’s festivities. “Did you bring me a coffee, Miss Marigold? If yes, then you deserve a kiss.”

  “Why yes, Sheriff Drake,” I replied with a laugh, finally turning around to claim that kiss he’d just promised. “I did make you a special cup of Columbian Supremo.”

  Liam had already taken the to-go cup from my gloved hand, lifting it to his mouth until he paused in question. He arched an eyebrow before lowering it with just a bit of skepticism.

  “Not that kind of special, Liam. You’re quite safe from the women’s auxiliary.”

  Those women were quite the teetotalers, every single one of them.

  I playfully hit him in the arm, knowing full well that he’d been referring to my holistic tea blends and not alcohol. My Nan had gotten into the business when she’d wanted to use her craft to help the residents of Paramour Bay, and I’d naturally followed in her footsteps. Well, maybe with a few bumps along the way. Witchcraft wasn’t necessarily easy for an accident-prone witch.

  Anyway, those townsfolk who suffered from arthritis now had a few extra skips in their steps, just as those with common colds found they could drink a certain tea and feel better within a fairly short time period. There was nothing more rewarding than to know my gift could help others, and that included most of the members of the women’s auxiliary.

  I guess you could say I was their own personal Mrs. Claus, bestowing the gift of health whenever I could.

  I’d been given a gift, as well—Liam’s acceptance of who and what I was. It was a relief to no longer need to hide my lineage from someone who was important to me.

  “How was your day?” Liam asked, enjoying the rich Columbian coffee I’d made him right before closing up the shop. “Did you have a steady stream of traffic?”

  “Yes, and sales were fantastic,” I replied, very pleased with the holiday sale I’d been running on my seasonal inventory. “Otis even came into the shop today to special order a few accessories that Karen has been wanting to add to her tea collection. Hey, did your sister get back to you about spending the holidays here?”

  Otis and Karen Finley had raised Liam and his sister after they’d lost their mother in the middle of their teenage years. Liam had even followed in Otis’ footsteps, entering the New York City Police Academy. Upon Otis’ retirement as sheriff of Paramour Bay, Liam had returned home to take his position as the town’s only peace officer.

  “My sister has decided that she’s taking that trip to Europe that she’s been putting off for years. Said something about the ticket prices being too good to pass up.” Liam lifted a hand when Monty, who owned the hardware store across the street, called out hello to us. “Are we still on for dinner at the diner? Trixie has shepherd’s pie on the menu for this weekend only as a special holiday treat.”

  You distracted me on purpose, Raven. That wasn’t very nice.

  “Six-thirty sound good?” I asked, wondering why Leo was back so quick. He’d plopped himself down next to me, licking his paw and eyeing me with disgust. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that the Christmas tree was st
ill intact and not on fire. I was pretty certain that he couldn’t do any harm to it, but one could never be sure. I breathed a sigh of relief when every ornament still seemed to be in one piece. “I have some errands I want to—”

  “What could be wrong now?” Liam muttered underneath his breath when there seemed to be a bit of commotion over by the petting zoo. “First, one of the ice sculptures was knocked over, and now this. Little Bobby Hurst better not have fed those reindeer any more candy canes. He already tried to give them a dose of sugar from the sugar cookies, much to the dismay of the owner.”

  I winced when I realized I hadn’t thought this whole distraction thing through with Leo. What if Bobby Hurst hadn’t been the reason everyone seemed to be scattering in every random direction? Had Leo somehow managed to convince the reindeer into stampeding through town?

  I’d gladly take credit where credit is due, but I didn’t have a thing to do with whatever is going on over there. Honestly, I’m offended you would even think such a thing. Reindeer? I’m too busy trying to come up with a new plan for the spring offensive to stop the impending squirrelpocalypse.

  “Really?” I asked Leo, not worrying about other people seeing me talk to my cat since their sole focus was on all the hullabaloo on the opposite side of town square. Liam had already begun making his way through the throngs of residents now vying for a good place to see what all the uproar was about. “You chased Mindy’s tabby rescue all through her boutique until Cupcake had clawed her way through most of the sweater rack.”

  That orange hairball looked at me wrong. What was I supposed to do? You can’t let that kind of thing slide. It just mushrooms from there if you don’t put your paw down!

  “Cupcake is only a year and a half old and twice as small as you,” I countered, hoping that Leo would see that his actions bordered on violent intimidation. I understood that he was simply looking for a distraction to occupy his time now that his yearly battle with the local squirrels had been postponed until the spring, but that didn’t give him the right to terrorize the quite ordinary domestic pets around town. “What we need is a good mystery to keep you occupied.”