Murder Gone A-Rye (A Baker's Treat Mystery) Read Free

float and steered her to the oversized chair we had installed for her. “Kip and Lucy’s Jeremy will give them away to people in the crowd.”
    “What kind of cookies?” Grandma Ruth settled into her chair with a sigh.
    “Chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin,” Tasha answered. “We don’t want to give away peanut butter in case anyone has allergies.”
    “That’s fine. More peanut butter cookies for me.” Grandma wiggled her orange eyebrows, then paused. “Unless you want me to ensure Hutch Everett gets the remainder. Or even better, give them to that oversized teenager of his. Get the kid to start eating at your bakery and you’ll always have a job.” Grandma cackled at the idea of Hutch’s son, Harold, eating anything remotely good for him. Her freckled skin jiggled as she laughed.
    “Grandma, don’t be rude,” I chided her.
    “It’s not rude when it’s the truth. Everyone here knows Willy Wonka would have a field day with that teen.” Her blue eyes sparkled with glee. “That’s what you should do with next year’s float.”
    “What?”
    “A Willy Wonka theme. We can invite Hutch’s kid to come drink out of the chocolate fountain. Or better yet, have him stomp around and say, ‘I want it and I want it now!’” Grandma snickered. “That kid’s mother is another one. If her boy wants it, it’s his. If something bad happened, her kid didn’t do it. If they weren’t Hutch Everett’s family, people wouldn’t put up with their nonsense.”
    “Grandma!” I could feel my cheeks heating up as I glanced around. I was pretty sure everyone could hear her. Grandma Ruth had one of those voices that carried. When my mother was small, Grandma used to yodel when it was time for the kids to come home for supper. There wasn’t a place in town where you couldn’t hear her. She had a voice as big as her personality.
    “It’s true. Maybe we should put them both on the Willy Wonka float.”
    “I can’t blame Mrs. Everett for defending her child. Family is family, Grandma. You know as well as I do that blood is thicker than water. There isn’t a member of our family you wouldn’t defend in a heartbeat—is there?”
    “No.” Grandma pouted. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t deliver a good swat when it was needed. Speaking of family, doesn’t Lucy have a float this year?”
    Lucy was my oldest cousin. When you had fifty-two cousins on your mom’s side alone it was sometimes hard to remember who was who, but Lucy and I were close. Lucy owned Grandma’s Diner, two blocks from my bakery on Main Street. She bought out the original owner, “Grandma” Irene Nast, when Mrs. Nast retired to Phoenix to live with her children. Lucy was only two years older than me, but while I was still considering having children, Lucy’d had hers early enough that she was already a grandma. It was a thought that I didn’t want to contemplate too closely.
    The diner usually had a float in the parade, and Lucy’s five kids would hand out treats.
    “Simon has that band trip,” I reminded Grandma Ruth. Simon was Lucy’s second youngest. He played saxophone in the high school band.
    “A band trip? Over Thanksgiving? Who does that?” Grandma groused. Her frown was huge. “He’s going to miss my float debut.”
    “He’s marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.” I handed her a basket trimmed with paper flowers. “It’s a big honor.”
    “He’ll be on television,” Tasha said. “You should be proud.”
    “Wait, my great-grandson is going to be on television and you’re making me sit on a wooden trailer, hand out cookies, and miss his performance?”
    “You won’t miss it, Grandma.” I straightened and put my hands on my hips. “I plan on recording the Macy’s parade and playing it when everyone is over for dinner. You won’t miss a thing. You’ll be fine. Besides, you told me you always wanted to be in the Homer Everett Day parade.”
    “Is Grandma Ruth causing trouble