Read Dead Before The Wedding: A Carly Keene Cozy Mystery (Carly Keene Cozy Mysteries Book 1) for Free Online

school.
     
    Sure enough, Shell had the display cases filled, the daily specials board proudly announcing the fact that macarons were on the menu, at least for this week, and the bakery was sparkling clean. Carly felt a little bad about cluttering up the counter with the cups of coffee, but before she’d even sat them down, Shell had produced two plates and a platter of muffins.
     
    “Bout time you got here...I’m starving to death!” Shell grinned, and gestured to the muffins. “I want to try these for myself before I sell them. It’s a new recipe I came up with, blueberry and pomegranate muffins. Tell me what you think.”
     
    Carly took a seat on one of the two bar stools that were kept behind the counter, and grabbed a muffin. It smelled divine, and tasted even better. Somehow, the combination of super-sweet blueberries and slightly tart pomegranate just worked together perfectly. She could even taste a tiny hint of lemon in there, and knew immediately that these would be a big hit with the breakfast crowd.
     
    Almost as if on cue, the doorbell jingled, and Tiffany Lewis, a teller from the bank, walked through the door. “Morning, y’all. They just sent me over here to grab some breakfast. I hope you’ve got fresh muffins!”
     
    Shell smiled back at Tiffany, and offered her a muffin from the plate in front of us. “Here, take one of these, on the house. They’re new, so I don’t have many, but if you like them, I’ll whip you up a batch and send them over later. We’ve also got our regular ones, if you prefer them.”
     
    Tiffany took the muffin and broke a piece off, sniffing it heartily before popping it in her mouth. “Mmmm...my goodness...you’ve outdone yourself this time, Shell! This is just the best muffin I’ve ever tasted… How long did you say it would be before the next batch is ready?” Tiffany must have been hungry, Carly thought, because the muffin was practically gone.
     
    Shell reached underneath the counter and pulled out a cardboard muffin box. “I’ll have you a batch over within the hour, but take some of these lemon and poppyseed ones for your boss. I know he loves these, and that way you all can have some left over for afternoon snacking.”
     
    Tiffany handed Shell her credit card, and Shell processed the payment, then handed over the card and the receipt. “Well, I will get those over to y’all in a jiffy!” Shell was beaming with pride as Tiffany walked out the door. “I am just thrilled that those are proving to be so popular! You’ll never guess what my secret ingredient is…”
     
    Carly winced. She’d been fooled into eating all kinds of strange things over the years, thanks to Shell’s adventurous nature in the kitchen. Granted, not all of them were bad, but sometimes, when Shell announced her ‘secret ingredient,’ Carly felt a little queasy. She still remembered the strange concoctions she’d tasted over the years as Shell had used her as a ‘guinea pig’ for her culinary creations.
     
    Shell seemed to be waiting for an actual guess, so Carly tried. “Is it carrot?”
     
    “Nope. I meant it, you’ll never guess. Oh, I’ll tell you...it’s kale.” Carly crinkled up her eyebrows.
     
    “Kale? You mean like the green stuff? I didn’t taste it at all.” Carly was genuinely, pleasantly surprised.
     
    “You’re not supposed to, silly. I’m creating a range of ‘sneaky’ treats, so people can get a few extra vitamins in their treats. I’m thinking of calling them ‘Shell’s Sneaky Treats.’ What do you think?”
     
    Carly thought it was a great idea, and told her friend, “I think it’s an awesome idea. I know a lot of parents who would love that idea. Kids already love your cakes and muffins, just don’t tell them that they’re healthy.” Carly laughed.
     
    “Well, I guess I’d better scoot on back in the kitchen and get that batch done for the gals at the bank.” Shell practically bounced off the stool and into the back of