The Cupcake Witch Read online

  The Cupcake Witch

  Broomstick Bakery #1

  Laura Greenwood

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Author Note

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About Laura Greenwood

  Follow Laura Greenwood

  © 2022 Laura Greenwood

  * * *

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at "Attention: Permissions Coordinator," at the email address; [email protected].

  Visit Laura Greenwood's website at:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

  Cover by Ammonia Book Covers

  The Cupcake Witch is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  If you find an error, you can report it via my website. Please note that my books are written in British English: https://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/report-error.html

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  Blurb

  If there's one thing Oakley loves more than baking with magic, it's romance, even if she's never found Mr Right.

  * * *

  Justin wants his sister's wedding to be perfect, the only problem is that the cupcakes have magically gone wrong. Luckily, the enchanting baker behind them is willing to fix the problem.

  * * *

  Working together only reveals that there's something more between them, but can Justin and Oakley manage to make it work?

  -

  The Cupcake Witch is a paranormal romance and part of the Broomstick Bakery series. It includes witchy bakers, a wedding, and a standalone m/f romance.

  One

  Oakley

  * * *

  I turn the sound up on the radio and start singing along to the love song blaring across the waves. There's something magical about the fact I can be listening to the same song as someone around the world, it makes me feel connected.

  I pipe the buttercream onto my cupcakes and finish each one off with a rice paper flower, giving them a nice spring feel even if it's raining outside. These cupcakes are the perfect antidote to miserable weather, something I keep telling Rowen we should advertise more, but she doesn't seem to be particularly for it.

  Sometimes older sisters are a drag.

  Though I do wonder if she'd say the same about younger sisters. Especially as she has three whereas I only have one older sister.

  The door to my workroom opens and my twin steps inside with a wide smile on her face. "You're going to love me," Clover says.

  "Hmm?"

  "Oh, are those spring vibe cupcakes?"

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes. She's always so easily distracted, which is ironic when her baking speciality is the thing that takes the longest out of the four of us.

  "They are," I say. "And they're for sale."

  Before I can say anything else, she leans in and swipes one, taking a bite. "Mmm, you've really got the magic right on these ones."

  "I know." They have just the right amount of citrus in the buttercream, mixed with a zap of magic to give it the necessary warmth. I pat my wand to thank it for its service. I don't need to do that or anything, it's just a habit I picked up from someone I went to Grimalkin Academy with.

  "So good." Clover scrunches up the wrapper and tosses it in the bin.

  "What did you come to tell me about?" I ask. "Or was that just a ruse to come and steal my cakes. I don't do that with your baklava."

  "Yes, you do. And do you know why Willow is selling so much more these days? She never did before."

  "Clover," I chide. "Forget about our cousin for a moment. What did you want to tell me?"

  "Oh, right. You have a wedding order." She waves a sheet of paper in front of me.

  I reach out my hand and gesture for her to give it to me. "What are we talking?"

  "There's a short turnaround, which has Rowen happy because it means we can charge them a rush fee."

  "I still think that's ridiculous. I can't make fresh cupcakes until the day before an event anyway."

  Clover shrugs. "It's the principle of the matter, I think."

  "Well, I think it's ridiculous. I don't need a rush fee."

  "You don't get all the money anyway," my twin points out. "We all take a share of the profits, remember?"

  "Maybe I should change that," I mutter.

  "You can try if you want. But I don't think it would work. We all benefit with the way it works. I do more hours in the shop than the three of you combined, you make more per commission but aren't as busy, Hazel and Rowen make the stuff that sells the most in the shop. It's fair and you know it."

  I let out a loud exasperated sigh as if I'm not already well aware of this. We've been running our bakery the same way ever since our grandmother passed it on to us.

  "I sell the most at Willow's coffee shop too."

  "Hmm. True, but there are a lot fewer options there. You're not going to convince me that I should be giving up some of my share to give you more." She's half teasing, but there's also some truth in her statement.

  Not that I really want to change it. I like the way we run the bakery, it makes us all equal even if Rowen is technically in charge.

  "So what's the order like other than short notice?" I ask as I start loading the cupcakes into storage trays.

  "The standard. They want pale colours, pearls, and a spell of newly-wed bliss."

  I sigh dreamily. "That's because it's the best."

  "If you say so." The expression on her face says she doesn't believe me. Which is nothing new. Clover and I have never seen eye to eye on what's romantic. It took me a while to get used to it, especially because she's my twin, but for the most part it doesn't bother me now.

  "You should try some before you knock it," I say, pulling the bowl of buttercream towards me and taking out my wand.

  I close my eyes and conjure the warm flutteriness of the emotion. My arm tingles and magic shoots down it, mingling with the cake topping and transforming it into something that will give the consumer a feeling like the one I just conjured. It won't last for long, but it's a feeling like no other.

  I open my eyes and push the bowl towards my twin. "There are spoons over there." I point, not wanting her to dip her fingers into my buttercream.

  She grabs one and sticks it into the mix so she can taste a bit. I'm not sure if she's had my newly-wed bliss buttercream before, but given the expression on her face, I'm guessing not.

  "All right, that's good," Clover says after she's swallowed. "But I still prefer some of your others. Don't underestimate a good spring vibe." She switches back to the cupcake, making quick work of it. Sometimes it surprises me that my twin isn't the size of a house. Of the four of us, she's the one most likely to be eating the produce we're supposed to be selling.

  "Spring vibes are good, but they're not right for weddings," I point out.

  "They'll be right for mine."

  I raise an eyebrow. "You've never talked about what you wanted from a wedding before."

  "Because I know what you're all like. The moment I bring someone home to meet you, you'll be teasing me about the fact I want bare feet and loose hair."

  "I promise I won't utter a word of it when the time comes." Maybe.

  "You can mention it, but only if I tell you that I want to scare the guy off."

  I let out an amused chuckle. "You've got it."

  "Besides, you have enough wedding dreams for all of us, and I'm including Ash in that and he's not old enough to be thinking about getting married."

  "Eighteen is plenty old enough to think seriously about romance." Especially with how serious our younger brother can be.

  "Ah, so your argument is about Ash and not the fact you want a big wedding."

  "I don't want a big wedding, I want a traditional wedding," I correct her.

  "Is there a difference?" Clover doesn't seem convinced.

  "The size of the guest list and how much it costs. I can have a big white dress without breaking the bank, particularly if I make the cake myself."

  "Won't it taste better if someone else makes it?"

  I gesture to the bowl of buttercream. "You tell me."

  She sighs. "You're impossible to argue with."

  "Only because I've had twenty-six years of practice at it."

  Clover shakes her head, but I can tell from her expression that she's amused. I know my twin well.

  "Did Rowen say how big the order is?" I ask.

  Clover shrugs. "It's all on the system." She waves towards the tablet sitting on my work
bench. "You'll find everything on there."

  "Thanks." I pick it up and swipe the screen so it opens and I can pull up the order sheet. I scan everything, marginally disappointed that there isn't anything particularly special about this request beyond the fact it involves my favourite spell. It's no matter, I'll have fun baking regardless of if there are any special requests.

  "I'll leave you to it," Clover says, already heading out the door.

  I turn the radio up and continue with my cakes, feeling lighter than ever.

  Two

  Oakley

  * * *

  Undressed cakes sit on every surface waiting to be covered in the light and airy buttercream I'm preparing. The only thing left to do is add a little bit of glitter to give it a good sheen, and to infuse it with the newly-wed bliss. It's a job that will take up a decent chunk of my time, but it isn't a stressful one.

  I hum along with my playlist as I work, enjoying the upbeat tunes. I should probably switch to my list of romantic songs before I try to infuse the buttercream. I've done it enough times that I don't foresee it being a problem, but it's always best to be in the right frame of mind myself, it gives the magic a little bit of zing.

  I stop the mixer and dip a spoon into the buttercream, checking the consistency and sheen of the frosting.

  "Perfect," I say to no one in particular. None of my sisters are in the kitchen at the moment, and they probably wouldn't be able to hear me even if they were.

  I lift the guard and pull out my wand. It's always better if I do this in a smaller mixer, but that's not possible when I have a wedding order to complete, especially not one this size.

  With a flick of my wand, I change playlists, glad I can do things as simple as that without having to click on buttons and go through the various home screens. I don't know which witch it was who worked out how to make touchscreen technology compatible with magic, but they're a genius.

  The soft croon of a romantic ballad fills the room. I close my eyes and sway back and forth, letting the feeling of bliss sweep through me. I know I don't need to do this, but I love to. It makes me feel connected to the cakes I'm making and the magic I'm performing.

  One of the many reasons Rowen always refers to me as a hopeless romantic.

  As soon as the feeling has overtaken all of my senses, I open my eyes and direct my wand to the big stand mixer, sending a shower of sparks towards it. The magic glitters on top of the frosting for a moment, before sinking in and mixing itself with it.

  I take a clean spoon and dip it into the mix, before allowing myself a taste. The smooth texture is perfect in that regard, and the lemon flavouring is perfectly balanced, it will go well with the sweetness of the cake.

  I focus on the feeling that should be welling up inside me. "Hmm. Not enough," I murmur, setting the spoon down. It just needs a little extra, but then it will be perfect.

  I point my wand back at the mixer. I start the process all over again, summoning my magic and readying it to do its thing. The sparks pour forward.

  "Hello, Oakley."

  A thundercloud of emotion forms in me the moment I hear his voice, and the magic stops.

  I turn around and glare at my ex-boyfriend. "What do you want, Craig?" I ask.

  "I thought I'd come see you."

  "I can see that," I mutter. "But what are you doing here?"

  "I said. To come see you."

  My good mood turns sour just from the way he's standing. "You can leave now."

  He steps forward.

  I lift my wand, not that I'll use any magic on him, which is unfortunately something he's already aware of.

  "Leave, Craig." My voice shakes.

  "I just want to talk." He holds up his hands.

  "I have nothing to say to you," I say firmly, moving to put the workbench containing a copious number of cupcakes between us.

  "Oakley..."

  "No."

  "I want you back," he says.

  "And I've said no countless times. That's not going to change." I glance towards the door, hoping one of my sisters will walk in and save me from the real-life version of my recurring nightmare.

  "I'll be better this time," he insists.

  "You cheated on me," I remind him.

  "Only twice."

  "Oh, well that's okay then," I bit out. "And our definitions of twice are different."

  "There were only two women."

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "You can't say that you only cheated twice when they were affairs lasting for months. It's over, Craig. We are never ever going to happen again." Anger seethes beneath the surface, the hurt of what he did to me having faded months ago after a cleansing ritual with Clover. Now I just want him out of my life forever.

  A slamming door and the creak of someone coming down the stairs cut through the tension in the room and relief crashes through me.

  "Hey, Oak, have you..." Rowen starts before stopping in her tracks. "I thought I told you not to come back here," she says to Craig in a threatening tone that only a big sister can use.

  "All right, I'm leaving. But I'll convince you, Oakley." The way Craig looks at me makes me certain he's going to try.

  And even more certain that he's going to fail.

  "Don't step foot in my bakery again," Rowen warns.

  Neither of us says anything as we watch him leave. I'm simply relieved he's going of his own free will and I don't need to charm him out of the door.

  My shoulders slump and I let out a shaky breath. "Thanks for saving me," I tell my sister.

  "Anytime, I wish I'd known he was here sooner."

  "I wish he hadn't come at all," I mutter, turning my attention back to the buttercream.

  "What did he want?"

  "The usual."

  "Ah. He's still trying to get you to forgive him," she says, picking up a cupcake and examining it.

  "I've already forgiven him. It's the wanting me to take him back bit that's a problem for me," I mutter as I dump in a healthy dose of glitter and switch the machine back on.

  "Do you want to?" Rowen asks.

  I let out a derisive snort that's audible even over the sound of the mixer. "Not even if he was the last man on Earth."

  "Good, I never liked him anyway."

  "I know. You didn't do a good job of hiding it."

  "I wasn't trying to. You can do so much better than Craig."

  "I can." I shut off the machine, satisfied with the way the buttercream has come out. "I promise I'm not going to go back to Craig."

  "Good. Are you nearly done with the wedding order?" Rowen asks.

  "It'll be ten minutes, max," I promise. "I just have to frost them."

  I wave my wand at the cupcakes, making them dance around the room on a magical conveyor belt. Once they're moving at a steady pace, I turn my attention to the buttercream, lifting it from the mixer and swirling it around in the air. With a few more flicks of my wand, I have it swirling on top of each of the cupcakes.

  "I'm always impressed when you do that," Rowen admits. "I can never get the magic right."

  "That's because you're trying to do something too complicated," I respond as I direct the cupcakes into the trays waiting on the counter. "And you prefer to do it by hand anyway."

  "So do you."

  "For small batches, yes. When I have two hundred cupcakes, I'm more than happy to take a couple of shortcuts." Especially when one of the most important things to most of the brides I've worked with is that everything looks as perfect as possible.

  "Good point. Let me know when you're done and I'll help you clean up."

  "Thanks, Rowen. And for scaring Craig off. I appreciate it."

  "What are sisters for?"

  "If you're to be believed, they're for embarrassing one another and making sure that mistakes are never forgotten," I quip.