Cupcakes and Casualties Read online

  "Of course you can," Julia jumped in before he started begging. "I was going to offer anyway."

  "No, no, no!" Dot announced, standing up dramatically, her eyes trained on Alfie. "Jessie is my sort-of-great-granddaughter, which means you're my sort-of-not-quite-great-grandson. I won't have you sleeping on a floor or Julia's lumpy couch when I have two perfectly decent empty bedrooms. They might need some updating, but you're more than welcome to take your pick."

  "Like a lodger?" Alfie asked, folding his leather-clad arms across his chest. "Are you sure about that? I wouldn't be able to pay you anything until I get a job."

  "Then it's a good thing I know how to stretch my pension," Dot said, walking over to loop her arm through Alfie's. "And before you ask, no I won't cook your meals, I won't wash your underwear, and I don't share the remote control for the television."

  "Deal," Alfie said before Dot could change her mind. "Looks like I'm a Peridale resident."

  "An unemployed resident," Dot corrected him as she patted him on the chest. "You'll fit right in. C'mon. I'll show you to your room. You can pick between Julia or Sue's old bedrooms. I hope you like pink. They were both going through a phase when it came to buying the wallpaper, but I managed to get a job lot, so it worked out cheaper in the end."

  "Alfie?" Billy called as he rested the tall stack of cake boxes on the counter. "If you don't completely hate me already, I might have had an idea about work."

  Dot stopped in her tracks and huffed. She swung around, Alfie swinging with her. She rested one hand on her hip, pursed her lips, and waited for Billy to spit out his idea so she could take her 'sort-of-not-quite-great-grandson' home.

  "I got the taste for building, and no offence, Jessie, I don't think delivering cupcakes is really my thing," Billy said with an apologetic smile over his shoulder. "I heard something on that business documentary that said you should fill a gap in a market when you see one. I checked the local listings, and I couldn't find any builders still operating in Peridale. You seemed to know what you were doing, and I'm a fast learner."

  "You want us to start a business?" Alfie asked, a brow arching. "Together?"

  "I thought we worked pretty cool together," Billy said with a shrug, his confidence dipping. "We could call it 'Billy and Alfie' or something. We could start small, doing odd jobs here and there, but if we save up, there's an old builders yard at the bottom of Mulberry Lane that's been sitting empty for the past two years. I reckon we could get a good deal on rent if we haggled. What do you say, mate?"

  "Are you being serious?" Alfie laughed with a shake of his head. "'Billy and Alfie'? If we're going with anything, it's 'Alfie and Billy'. That's got more of a ring to it."

  "You're in?" Billy asked, the shock obvious. "Like, for real?"

  "What have we got to lose?" Alfie replied, wriggling his hand free to hold it out to Billy. "I think we'll make a good team."

  They shook hands, both of them grinning like Cheshire cats.

  "Well, now that that's sorted, I've got a crack going up the wall in my kitchen, and I'm pretty sure if it gets any longer my entire cottage is going to fall down," Dot said as she scooped up Billy and Alfie's arms, one on either side. "No time like the present. I want a family discount."

  With that, they set off across the village green towards Dot's cottage as the sun shone high in the cloudless sky above them.

  "That boy must have really been paying attention to that business documentary," Julia muttered under her breath. "He's cleverer than he looks."

  "Not that clever," Jessie moaned as she hurried around the counter. "He's got the keys for my bike lock in his pocket!"

  Jessie burst out of the café and ran after them across the village green. As she did, Julia caught sight of the first yellow daffodils of the year peeking up through the flower beds lining the village green.

  "Spring is on its way," Julia said, staring at the pretty yellow petals as she rested her head on Barker's. "I think we might have just gained a new family member."

  "A toast to our new normal," Barker said as he lifted his coffee cup in the air. "This is delicious chocolate cake, by the way. Might be your best."

  Julia chuckled before kissing Barker on the top of his head. Leaving him to drink his coffee and finish his cake, she resumed her position behind the counter and looked out over the village green. She had a feeling life was not finished with throwing curveballs at her, but she was ready for whatever else was coming her way.

  The 12th Peridale Cafe book, Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune, is coming soon!

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  I hope you all enjoyed Christmas in Peridale! This was a fun book to write, and I’m loving taking you even further on Julia’s journey with Jessie, Barker, and the rest of her family!

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  The 12th Peridale Cafe book, Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune, is coming soon!

  Also by Agatha Frost

  The Scarlet Cove Seaside Series

  Dead in the Water (Book 1) - OUT NOW

  Castle on the Hill (Book 2) - OUT NOW

  Stroke of Death (Book 3) - OUT NOW

  The Peridale Cafe Series

  Pancakes and Corpses (Book 1) - OUT NOW

  Lemonade and Lies (Book 2) - OUT NOW

  Doughnuts and Deception (Book 3) - OUT NOW

  Chocolate Cake and Chaos (Book 4) - OUT NOW

  Shortbread and Sorrow (Book 5) - OUT NOW!

  Espresso and Evil (Book 6) - OUT NOW

  Macarons and Mayhem (Book 7) - OUT NOW

  Fruit Cake and Fear (Book 8) - OUT NOW

  Birthday Cake and Bodies (Book 9) - OUT NOW

  Gingerbread and Ghosts (Book 10) - OUT NOW

  Cupcakes and Casualties (Book 11) - OUT NOW

  Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune (Book 12) - COMING SOON

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