Cupcakes and Killing: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Shoppe Mysteries - Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

was a good friend of Mrs. Barnaby, and she helped tame my wild chestnut hair into presentable waves.
    “Wow, this looks great, Tori,” I exclaimed, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
    “Do me next!” Kaye said, even though her hair already looked lovely, sleek and shiny in a stylish chignon. “Oh, by the way, Anne…is Chris still coming?”
    I nodded. “Yep. He’s giving us all a ride there. He should be here soon. We’ll pick up Daniel along the way, unless he wants to meet us there.”
    In the last week, Chris had gone back to being completely normal. No strange date cancellations or absences, and the incident with Zara Keilson had been completely forgotten. Kaye had been right; I had nothing to worry about. He was being as sweet as ever.
    Half an hour later, he picked us up and glanced at Kaye in the backseat. “We’re collecting Daniel, right?”
    “No, it’s okay, he just texted me saying he’s running a bit late; something about the office. He’ll meet us at the reception.”
    “All right then. Let’s go!”
    Practically half the town turned out to watch the ceremony, and the church pews were packed. Kaye, Tori, Chris and I managed to squeeze ourselves into a back one like sardines, and Chris rubbed my hand and squeezed it after noticing goose bumps spreading across my arms.
    “Everything okay?” he asked.
    “Yeah, sure,” I replied. “I’m just excited.”
    A few moments later, the chatter in the church died down, and music began to play. We all held our breaths in anticipation and turned to face the doors, and a wide smile broke out across my face as I saw Mrs. Barnaby enter the church arm in arm with Mr. Armstrong, their faces radiant with joy. She was wearing an ivory-colored skirt with a matching long-sleeved top, and her hair was pulled back in a chignon. The overall effect was chic and elegant, but not too over-the-top.
    The ceremony ran smoothly, and only minutes later Reverend Barker was declaring them husband and wife. The church erupted in cheers, and several people stood up and threw confetti over the happy couple as they slowly exited the building, held up by well-wishers.
    “Well, time to get down to the park,” Kaye remarked. “I hope there’s some other food there aside from our cupcakes. I’m starving!”
    “Just let me grab my camera from the car,” Tori said. “I want to take some pictures.”
    By the time we arrived at the park, the marquee was already filled with guests and champagne was flowing. Daniel finally arrived, and he and Chris went to get some drinks for us. While we waited, Tori began to snap pictures with her camera, and we made the rounds and said hello to everyone we knew.
    “Anne, these cupcakes are to die for,” Reverend Barker said, sidling up beside me.
    “Thank you, Reverend,” I said, smiling warmly.
    He nodded and moved on to chat with someone else, and Zara Keilson approached us a moment later. “Hello, ladies,” she said. “I see your cupcake tier is going down a treat!”
    “Sure is,” Tori said, holding her camera up to take some more happy snaps. “There’s already hardly any cupcakes left!”
    “I had two,” Zara said with a wink. “But don’t tell anyone.”
    “How are you, anyway?” Kaye asked. “Feeling a little better?”
    Zara moved in a bit closer. “Yes, I am. You know what, you two were absolutely right…no one is even looking at me or talking about me. They’re all too busy gossiping about this wedding!”
    “See? I knew it would all blow over soon,” Kaye replied, patting her on the shoulder. “Ooh, is that smoked salmon pate over there? I’ll be right back.”
    Kaye breezed over to the long table on the right of the tent, where the caterer Mrs. Barnaby had hired had set out trays of cana pés , dips and other small nibbles. Seeing as it was such a casual affair, there weren’t going to be any sit-down meals, and I thought it was nice. It made it seem like a real party rather than a regular stiff,