Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
“Andi, are you sure we can’t bring the magic sprinkles? No one would even have to know!”
From across the warm kitchen, Andrea laughed as she finished packing up tubes of icing and sprinkles. “We’ve been over this, Em. That would be cheating. But when we get back from the contest, I promise I’ll teach you an enchanting spell that will make these reindeer cookies come to life!”
She glanced up in time to see Emma do a happy dance across the kitchen. Andrea laughed and put the last supplies in the bag. After their second-place finish the year before, the now eleven-year-old was determined to walk away as the Maple Crossing gingerbread champion.
She and Wes and Andrea had stayed up late into the night, preparing the base and deciding which decorations to use this time around.
Across the house, the front door opened, sending Crumpet into a fit as he scrambled up from his place by the back door and scrabbled across the house in order to greet the intruder.
Though Crumpet and Andrea hadn’t officially moved in with Wes and Emma—she had a furnished condo on a month-to-month lease across town—they spent enough time in the charming Craftsman for Crumpet’s territorial tendencies to take over whenever they visited.
Moments later, Wes and the wagging beastie appeared in the kitchen archway, the former’s arms loaded with grocery bags. Crumpet wagged his tail and stared up at Wes expectantly.
“What’s he after?” Andrea asked, gesturing at the dog.
Wes gave her a sheepish smile. “I may have promised him a T-R-E-A-T.”
Crumpet’s tail wagged harder and Emma laughed. “Uh-oh. Looks like he’s learned how to spell!”
Wes chuckled and handed Emma a package of chicken liver treats to offer the terrier. “Eww. Liver?” the girl said, her nose scrunched. “You’re gross,” she told Crumpet.
His tongue lolled out as he offered his best doggy grin.
Wes set down the bags and came over to kiss Andrea. Emma quickly declared this was also gross, but she couldn’t help laughing as she said it, so neither Wes nor Andrea put much stock into it.
“We’re just about set to go here,” Andrea told him when they broke apart. “But I do need to stop at Rooster’s on the way and drop off these pastries.” She gestured toward a sizable cardboard box filled with individually wrapped cakes, each bearing a turquoise and ivory logo: Cake Witch Creations.
The logo also featured a black cat, modeled after the infamous Phantom, and a healthy amount of glitter—which had been Emma’s idea.
Sunset Sweets was still operational in Hecate’s Kitchen, under Tyler’s careful watch.
Andrea traveled back when needed, but her visits were few and far between these days.
Instead, she spent her time coming up with new recipe ideas and working on her next cookbook.
Her life had slowed down since taking a step back from her business, but somehow the days felt even more full.
She smiled at Wes as he put away the groceries and he smiled back, still managing to send her heart into a frenzy.
Emma slipped Crumpet an extra treat before racing to put the bag in the pantry, promising him more later.
When she emerged, she looked at Andrea. “You’re sure about the sprinkles?”
Andrea laughed and shook her head, then cast a spell at the gingerbread house, levitating the whole, undecorated structure off the counter. “We don’t need magic sprinkles,” she told Emma. “We’ve got this competition in the bag!”
Emma pumped her fist in the air and went to open the door.
Andrea laughed as the girl took the gingerbread house down from the tendrils of magic and carried it outside in the so-called boring way, so as to avoid the eye of any neighbors. Wes cocked an eyebrow in Andrea’s direction as he crossed the kitchen to join her. “Magic sprinkles?” he asked.
“They shoot off into sugar fireworks after three minutes,” Andrea explained with a shrug. “Just a little something we’ve been working on.”
Wes gave a wary nod and Andrea laughed. “Don’t worry. I searched the bag after she packed it, to make sure she didn’t slip some in with the other decorations.”
Wes kissed her and wrapped an arm comfortably around her shoulders as they made their way to the door. “Just one of the many, many reasons I love you.”
Andrea smiled. “I love you, too. Now, let’s go kick some gingerbread man butt.”
Wes laughed. “I’m just glad I’m on your guys’ team.”
“Always and forever,” Andrea replied.