My Gingerbread Ever After

My Gingerbread Ever After –––––––– ERIN BEDFORD Table of Contents Title Page My Gingerbread Ever After 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 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 My Gingerbread Ever After © 2023 Embrace the Fantasy Publishing, LLC All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Cover Design by Moonstruck Cover Designs www.moonstruckcoverdesigns.com Editing by Makenzie Frazier Also by Erin Bedford The Underground Series Chasing Rabbits Chasing Cats Chasing Princes Chasing Shadows Chasing Hearts The Crimes of Alice The Crimes of Alice Hatter’s Heart Cheshire’s Smile The Mary Wiles Chronicles Marked by Hell Bound by Hell Deceived by Hell Tempted by Hell Betrayed by Hell Fairy Tale Bad Boys Beauty and the Hunter Wendy’s Pirate More Precious Than Gold Mirror Stepbrother Starcrossed Dragons Riding Lightning Grinding Frost Swallowing Fire Pounding Earth Curse of the Fairy Tales Rapunzel Untamed Rapunzel Unveiled Rapunzel Unchained Her Angels Heaven’s Embrace Heaven’s A Beach Heaven’s Most Wanted House of Durand Indebted to the Vampires Wanted by the Vampires Protected by the Vampires Embrace of the Vampires Tempted by the Butler Loved by the Vampires Huntress of the Vampires Judged by the Vampires Imprisoned by the Vampires Academy of Witches Witching On A Star As You Witch Witch You Were Here Just Witch It Summer Witchin’ Children of the Fallen Death In Her Eyes Fire In Her Blood Wicked Crown Little Morning Star When Hell Freezes Over To Hell With It House of Van Helsing Her Cross To Bear Blood Betrayal The Beast of the Fae Court Granting Her Wish Vampire CEO Chapter 1 IT WAS OFFICIAL. I was a shlong candy-making genius! “Come on, baby,” I murmured to the delicate tray, moving at a glacial pace as I lifted the tray from the freezer. I wanted to keep the closest thing to a perfect dick candy in Candipolis. “That’s it. Come to mama.” “This is a new low, even for you, Tara.” I shot a glare over my shoulder at the black cat sitting on the kitchen table with a judgmental look on his feline face. “I don’t know what you mean.” Ignoring my familiar, Jax, I trudged toward the counter. I could not break this one. I didn't want to start over. “I mean, that you have extended from talking to a cat to talking to inanimate objects.” Jax yawned and laid his head back on his paws. Snorting, I took another slow step to the counter. “If I didn’t talk to you, then you would just get pissy and I’d find hairballs in my favorite shoes.” “I did that one time! And that’s because —” The shop door burst open. I jolted, and the cast slipped from my hands. When it cracked, I let out a cry of despair. So many hours. So much work. Wasted. “Uh — hello? Is anyone here?” Someone called from the front of the shop. I stared down at my latest creation and sighed. I stepped over it and walked through the kitchen to the swinging door. The place looked different from when my grandma owned the cottage. I’d added a front shop to the main part of the gingerbread house, expanding the back into a formal bedroom. Sleeping by the kitchen stove might have been good enough for my grandma, but I needed my privacy and a soft mattress. I picked up some stray candy that came out of their container. A pretty blonde stood on the other side of my counter. “What can I do for you?” The blonde-haired woman’s almond-colored eyes scanned the surrounding shelves, taking in the glass containers of candies and suckers, chocolates, and chewing gums. I worked hard to make the place look like a candy land. When she didn’t answer my question, I cleared my throat until she brought her eyes back to me. They slid over my face, no doubt taking in my freckled face and larger-than-life curly brown hair I’d tied up on my head, before moving on to the black dress with hot pink tights and underskirt. I didn’t exactly scream witch or candy maker, but something in between. “Uh...” she started, the displeasure at what she was seeing clear on her face. “Am I in the right place?” I tapped the counter with my long black and green striped nails. “I don’t know, are you?” Glancing behind her quickly as if someone was behind her. Of course, no one was there. The shop deserted at nine at night. No one wanted to come this late. I’d probably get better sales if I moved my shop closer to the village, but this was my grandma’s house. Call me sentimental, but I didn’t want to change it more than I already had. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice, her cupid bow lips pursed. “Are you the... you know... the witch?” My lips ticked up at one side. I leaned forward on the counter until I was eye-to-eye with her. “That depends... are you a hunter?” I