into a Grinch. But only if she let it.
She drew in a deep breath, straightened, and returned to the group. “Somehow we’ve got to get gifts to the foster kids by Christmas.”
Mia looked up at her with those big blue eyes and asked, “There’s still hope?”
Andi wiped a stray tear away, gave into a quick smile, and nodded. “Yes. There’s always hope. Meantime, we’ll put out a reward—a dozen peppermint hot chocolate cupcakes to whoever helps us catch the Grinch.”
M ONDAY MORNING, R ACHEL arranged for their employees to watch over the shop while she, Andi, and Kim tried on dresses for the final fitting.
“We tried them on last week, and they were fine, Mom,” Rachel said with a smile. “But you know how I like looking at myself in the mirror.”
“ ‘Cinderella’ is conceited,” Kim teased.
Rachel laughed. “Yeah, but you know it’s true. Just wait until you get married someday.”
Kim pressed her lips together. “Yeah, can’t wait.”
Rachel slid the mass of white satin and lace over her head, but when she looked in the mirror, her eyes were drawn to something dark smudged on the skirt of her dress. She sucked in her breath. “What’s that?”
“What?” Sarah asked with a frown.
“I do look like Cinderella, and not in a good way! What is that on my gown?”
Andi bent down to take a peek, and when she rose, her face had paled, and her eyes warned of trouble. “Rachel—”
“Andi, what is it?”
“Cranberry walnut cupcake with creamy dark fudge.”
Rachel gasped as she picked up the material and drew it closer. “How did cupcake get on my gown?”
“It’s on my gown, too,” Andi told her, “and Kim’s.”
“This is a disaster!” Rachel shouted. “The most important day of my life, and our dresses are soiled by cupcakes?”
She shot a look at her mother. “It must be Stacey. Ever since she arrived, there’s been trouble. First the gifts were stolen out of the truck, now this. ”
“You can’t blame your cousin,” Sarah scolded. “It could have been your grandfather. You know how he loves cupcakes.”
“And Stacey wasn’t here when the cupcake shop was vandalized,” Kim reminded her.
“This could still be her doing,” Rachel protested.
Sarah threw her hands up in the air. “It was your idea to have a party here this weekend to try to raise money to buy new gifts for the foster kids. You know we have a tiny house. You should have had the party at the cupcake shop.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment event, and you shouldn’t have had the wedding gowns hanging on the rack in the hallway.”
“Are you blaming me for this?”
Rachel burst into tears and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “No, I’m so sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean it. But—look at me! The wedding is next week. Can we clean the dresses in time?”
Sarah looked as if she were trying not to cry. “I’ll do my best. I just hope it doesn’t stain.”
K IM TOOK HER paints and brushes up the hill to Astor Elementary, where Mia and Taylor went to school. The cartoon murals on the side of the building had been originally painted by local artists for the filming of the movie Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today, she’d promised the woman in charge of its upkeep that she’d refresh the paint before more snow moved into the area.
When she rounded the corner, she discovered a boy of about eleven or twelve on a ladder painting over the brown spots on the bright, yellow giraffe.
“Looks good,” Kim said, admiring his work. “You must be Max Holloway.”
The boy turned his head to look at her and nodded.
“I’m Kimberly Burke. I was recruited to help you—although I was told you’re one of the best painters in the sixth grade.” She watched his brushstrokes and frowned, the front window of Creative Cupcakes flitting through her mind. “Do you know how to paint the Grinch?”
“I don’t paint much,” the boy said, dabbing paint on another brown dot. “I
She drew in a deep breath, straightened, and returned to the group. “Somehow we’ve got to get gifts to the foster kids by Christmas.”
Mia looked up at her with those big blue eyes and asked, “There’s still hope?”
Andi wiped a stray tear away, gave into a quick smile, and nodded. “Yes. There’s always hope. Meantime, we’ll put out a reward—a dozen peppermint hot chocolate cupcakes to whoever helps us catch the Grinch.”
M ONDAY MORNING, R ACHEL arranged for their employees to watch over the shop while she, Andi, and Kim tried on dresses for the final fitting.
“We tried them on last week, and they were fine, Mom,” Rachel said with a smile. “But you know how I like looking at myself in the mirror.”
“ ‘Cinderella’ is conceited,” Kim teased.
Rachel laughed. “Yeah, but you know it’s true. Just wait until you get married someday.”
Kim pressed her lips together. “Yeah, can’t wait.”
Rachel slid the mass of white satin and lace over her head, but when she looked in the mirror, her eyes were drawn to something dark smudged on the skirt of her dress. She sucked in her breath. “What’s that?”
“What?” Sarah asked with a frown.
“I do look like Cinderella, and not in a good way! What is that on my gown?”
Andi bent down to take a peek, and when she rose, her face had paled, and her eyes warned of trouble. “Rachel—”
“Andi, what is it?”
“Cranberry walnut cupcake with creamy dark fudge.”
Rachel gasped as she picked up the material and drew it closer. “How did cupcake get on my gown?”
“It’s on my gown, too,” Andi told her, “and Kim’s.”
“This is a disaster!” Rachel shouted. “The most important day of my life, and our dresses are soiled by cupcakes?”
She shot a look at her mother. “It must be Stacey. Ever since she arrived, there’s been trouble. First the gifts were stolen out of the truck, now this. ”
“You can’t blame your cousin,” Sarah scolded. “It could have been your grandfather. You know how he loves cupcakes.”
“And Stacey wasn’t here when the cupcake shop was vandalized,” Kim reminded her.
“This could still be her doing,” Rachel protested.
Sarah threw her hands up in the air. “It was your idea to have a party here this weekend to try to raise money to buy new gifts for the foster kids. You know we have a tiny house. You should have had the party at the cupcake shop.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment event, and you shouldn’t have had the wedding gowns hanging on the rack in the hallway.”
“Are you blaming me for this?”
Rachel burst into tears and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “No, I’m so sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean it. But—look at me! The wedding is next week. Can we clean the dresses in time?”
Sarah looked as if she were trying not to cry. “I’ll do my best. I just hope it doesn’t stain.”
K IM TOOK HER paints and brushes up the hill to Astor Elementary, where Mia and Taylor went to school. The cartoon murals on the side of the building had been originally painted by local artists for the filming of the movie Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today, she’d promised the woman in charge of its upkeep that she’d refresh the paint before more snow moved into the area.
When she rounded the corner, she discovered a boy of about eleven or twelve on a ladder painting over the brown spots on the bright, yellow giraffe.
“Looks good,” Kim said, admiring his work. “You must be Max Holloway.”
The boy turned his head to look at her and nodded.
“I’m Kimberly Burke. I was recruited to help you—although I was told you’re one of the best painters in the sixth grade.” She watched his brushstrokes and frowned, the front window of Creative Cupcakes flitting through her mind. “Do you know how to paint the Grinch?”
“I don’t paint much,” the boy said, dabbing paint on another brown dot. “I
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