Gingerbread and Ghosts Read online

  “Yes, Barker,” Julia said, dropping down to kiss him. “I’ll marry you.”

  She rested her forehead against Barker’s, never surer of anything in her life. Barker picked up her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger; it fit as though it was made for her hand.

  “Thank God you said yes,” he whispered with a chuckle. “I don’t think my knees could take dropping down for a third time.”

  They helped each other up off the ground, the ring feeling perfect on Julia’s hand. With Barker’s arm around her shoulder, she looked down at Jessie, who looked like she was attempting to smile, but could not quite muster it.

  “Congrats,” she mumbled. “I’m happy for you both.”

  “Just us?” Barker replied as he dragged her up to her feet to pull her into the hug. “I spoke to your social worker, Kim. She wasn’t too happy to hear that I wanted to get married, but when I asked her if I could jump in on the adoption, she didn’t think there would be a problem, especially now that Dot is out on bail. I want us to be a family, Jessie. I couldn’t imagine a life without your eye rolls and teenage tantrums. Even if Julia and I are here one day like Sue and Neil, you’ll still always be important to me – to us. Of course, only if you want that too. You can say no.”

  “Shut up, Barker,” Jessie whispered before burying her face in his chest. “I don’t want anything else.”

  Julia chuckled as she wrapped her arms around both of them. She was sure she heard Jessie sniffling into Barker’s shirt, but neither of them said anything.

  “Well, since you’re all hugging, I might as well join in,” Dot exclaimed before casting her arms around them. “And before you ask, I’m not crying, I’m just allergic to the cleaner they use on the floor.”

  Nothing had ever felt so right and perfect before in Julia’s life, but as she looked over Barker’s shoulder into the delivery room, her whole family around her, she could not imagine her life having taken her anywhere else.

  “What a lovely end to a terrible month!” Dot exclaimed. “Merry Christmas!”

  The 11th Peridale Cafe book, Cupcakes and Casualties, is coming early 2018! Sign up to Agatha’s FREE newsletter to be notified of its release!

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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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  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

  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) - COMING EARLY 2018

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