Red Velvet Cupcakes to Die For (A Liana Campbell Cozy Mystery Book 1)

by Alaine Allister

“I am,” Barbara replied. “I thought the police were never going to return it! I called the station three times a day to ask about it. They kept telling me the necklace was evidence! So I started calling five times a day. Sam Swanson personally returned the necklace to me yesterday.”

  “He’s a good looking boy,” Patricia remarked.

  “Yes, but he’s marrying a hairdresser,” Barbara said disdainfully.

  Liana felt her blood boil, but she bit her lip and said nothing. She knew it wasn’t her place.

  “Why is it that hairdressers are usually such gossips?” Patricia asked.

  “Oh, I know. I detest gossips!” Barbara declared in her usual, uppity manner.

  “Talking about people behind their backs is so tacky!” Patricia complained.

  Liana waited for the two women to start laughing and announce they were joking. But that didn’t happen. She realized they were both completely, utterly serious. The irony of the situation was almost laughable.

  “Hubby got so tired of listening to me wail about my missing necklace that he went out and bought me a new one,” Barbara bragged. “It’s even more expensive than the one that was stolen. Now that I have my old necklace back, I have a real dilemma.”

  “What’s that?” Patricia asked with concern.

  “I have two beautiful pearl necklaces and only one neck!” Barbara announced loudly, so that everyone in the coffee shop had no choice but to hear. “Thankfully, I’ve come up with the perfect solution.” She paused dramatically before squealing, “I’m wearing them both at once!”

  The table erupted in gales of laughter.

  Liana rolled her eyes and walked away. She could only tolerate those women in small doses. At least they tipped well. Sure, they only did it to flaunt their wealth in front of their friends...but who cared? Money was money.

  Just then, the bell above the door jingled.

  Liana glanced over and saw Luke walking in.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  Their eyes locked as he made a beeline straight for her.

  “Hi!” Liana exclaimed, glad to see him. “I thought you had skipped town,” she joked.

  “I kind of did,” Luke replied, making sure to take off his Star Wars hat before Fluffy spotted him. “I had to go to San Francisco for a work conference. I just got back into town last night.”

  “San Francisco, huh? That sounds nice right about now. I bet you didn’t want to come back!”

  “Why wouldn’t I want to come back?” Luke asked.

  “The weather,” Liana explained.

  “Ah, right,” he nodded. “It was a lot warmer in California. But to tell you the truth, I didn’t get a chance to spend much time outdoors. I was basically at the conference hall or my hotel the entire time. And besides, I’m always happy to come home. Even in the wintertime.”

  “Do you go to conferences often?” Liana asked.

  “A few times a year,” Luke replied. “Sometimes more...it depends on what’s going on in the world of technology. Anytime there’s some really groundbreaking development or a particularly critical threat, I’m expected to drop everything and educate myself on the matter.”

  “Wow, it sounds like important work. I don’t even know exactly what you do for a living,” Liana told him as they walked, side-by-side, toward the counter. “It’s something to do with security, isn’t it?”

  “That’s right,” Luke nodded as he removed his jacket and took his usual spot at the counter. “It’s what I went to college for. It was a pretty nerdy major, but I always knew it was what I wanted to do. I’ve been working for the same Seattle-based company for nearly a decade.”

  “I had no idea. Do you enjoy it?” Liana asked as she returned to her position behind the counter.

  “It’s one of those jobs that’s difficult to explain to people. Plus I’m not always allowed to talk about the projects I’m working on. Because of that, I tend not to talk about my work much at all. But yes, I really love what I do.”

  “That’s good,” Liana told him. Then her eyes widened. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I nearly forgot, I have something for you! Wait here!” She quickly ran into the kitchen to retrieve it.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Luke asked when she emerged carrying a plate.

  She grinned. “You mentioned once that you liked my mother’s red velvet cupcakes as a kid. So last week I got the recipe from her and tried to recreate them. I hope I did the recipe justice,” she said, setting the plate down in front of Luke.

  He eagerly took a big bite. “Mmm,” he murmured appreciatively. “Wow. These are even better than I remember. Don’t tell your mother I said that,” he cautioned.

  “I won’t,” Liana smiled, secretly pleased by the compliment. “So they’re menu-worthy?”

  “Oh yes,” Luke nodded. “You mean they’re not on the menu yet?”

  “Not yet,” she replied. “I kind of just made them for you.”

  A small smile tugged at the corners of Luke’s mouth. “You made them especially for me? That was a really nice thing to do,,” he told her earnestly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve off-menu cupcakes, but thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Suddenly Luke set his cupcake down and raised an eyebrow. “Wait a second. You said you got the recipe from your mother last week. But this definitely doesn’t taste like a week-old cupcake. Don’t tell me you’ve been making a new batch every day?”

  Liana blushed. “I have,” she confessed. “I was just waiting for you to come in. On the bright side, it gave me a chance to perfect my technique. And Clarissa was pretty happy to get all those free cupcakes every evening.”

  “I hope she won’t hate me for finally turning up,” Luke joked.

  “No one could ever hate you,” Liana assured him, her cheeks still feeling warm and tingly. “You’re the nicest person I know.”

  The two fell silent then, their eyes locked. Liana could feel her heart pounding.

  “What’s on your mind?” Luke finally asked, breaking the silence.

  “I, uh...actually, can I ask you something?”

  “What?”

  Liana cleared her throat. Then, almost apologetically, she asked, “Why did I keep running into you in the forest out by Clarissa’s house? And why did you act so strangely? It’s been bugging me a lot.”

  Luke grimaced. “I was working,” he explained. “I can’t get into the specifics due to a nondisclosure agreement I signed...but I was developing a drone to be used for military surveillance. I was testing it in a clearing in the forest.”

  “Oh.” Liana thought about that for a moment. Then she scratched her head. “I understand you couldn’t tell me what you were doing, but why didn’t you just say it was a work thing? Why did you act so suspicious?”

  Luke looked sheepish. “Honestly? I thought the truth would make me sound really lame and nerdy. It’s dumb, I know. But after being labeled a nerd all through high school, I kind of just wanted to shed that image, you know?”

  Liana nodded. “That makes sense, I guess. But for the record, your Star Wars hat doesn’t exactly help you shed the nerd label,” she teased.

  “Really, we’re going there? First your cat gets on my case about my hat and now you,” Luke complained good-naturedly. “I can’t win, can I?”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Liana said as Fluffy emerged from some hiding spot or other and jumped onto Luke’s lap. “I’d say the cat has taken quite a liking to you, no?”

  “It seems like it,” Luke agreed, his words muffled by the cat’s incessant headbutting of his chin.

  “And just for the record, there’s nothing wrong with nerds,” Liana informed him. Feeling uncharacteristically shy, she admitted, “I happen to like them a lot.”

  “Good to know,” Luke replied.

  Liana could practically feel the chemistry between them. Her entire body was buzzing and her head was spinning. She had never imagined she’d find herself flirting with Luke Graha
m of all people. But now she couldn’t imagine herself not flirting with him.

  She opened her mouth to say something incredibly witty. She wasn’t sure yet what it was, but she was confident the words would come to her. Well, either that or she would embarrass herself horribly. But given the way Luke was looking at her, Liana didn’t think he’d mind.

  Suddenly she heard a familiar tap-tap on the floor.

  Liana grimaced and prayed she was imagining it.

  An indignant screech interrupted her prayer.

  “That’s a red velvet cupcake!” Mrs. Meddler announced shrilly, pointing at Luke’s plate with a long, bony finger. “You told me you don’t sell red velvet cupcakes here!” she reminded Liana, her tone accusatory. “You lied to me!”

  “Hello, Mrs. Meddler,” Liana said calmly. “I actually didn’t lie. You see -”

  “Liar!” the old woman screamed shrilly, waving her cane around for emphasis. “I’ll sue you!”

  “Mrs. Meddler, I have some more red velvet cupcakes in the back. Would you like one?”

  “Yes,” the high-strung curmudgeon said, immediately stopping her theatrics.

  Luke sat there silently while Liana retrieved a cupcake and carefully wrapped it up. Then he jumped up and got the door for Mrs. Meddler, who glared at him and began to mutter under her breath. With her boxed cupcake tucked under her arm, she shuffled out of the coffee shop.

  “Mrs. Meddler terrifies me,” Luke whispered as he returned to the counter.

  “Me too!” Liana chuckled as she poured him a cup of coffee. “That woman is something else. But you’re really good with her,” she added as she got Luke two creams and one sugar. “You’re very patient.”

  “So are you,” he replied as he took another bite of red velvet cupcake. Then he glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “Did you ever get that window repaired?” he asked.

  “Not yet,” Liana replied. “I heard Max Daniels does that sort of work, but I haven’t been able to reach him. I tried putting rolled up towels around the window to keep the cold air out, but they don’t seem to be helping much. I guess I will just have to prepare for an outrageous heating bill this month.”

  “I’ll take a look,” Luke offered. He pushed his empty plate aide and hopped over the counter.

  “Thank you,” Liana said gratefully, following him into the back room.

  “Ah yes, I see the problem,” Luke said after a moment’s examination.

  “Is it serious?” she asked.

  “No,” he assured her. “It’s a fairly easy fix. It’s a good thing you noticed it when you did, though. Had it been left like this for much longer, you could have been dealing with moisture coming in and mold forming. You’re lucky you caught it early.”

  “Yes,” Liana smiled, her gaze focused solely on Luke. “I am lucky.”

  Recipe

  Red Velvet Cupcakes

  Ingredients for cupcakes:

  All-purpose flour, 2⅓ cups

  Cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons

  Baking powder, 1 teaspoon

  Baking soda, 1 teaspoon

  Buttermilk, 1 cup

  Sugar, 1½ cups

  Olive oil, ¾ cup

  Eggs, 2

  Red food coloring, 3 teaspoons

  White vinegar, 2 teaspoons

  Instructions for cupcakes:

  Preheat oven to 350°F.

  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl.

  Set aside.

  In another large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs and vinegar.

  Add in red food coloring a few drops at a time until desired hue is achieved.

  Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients. Do not overstir.

  Divide the batter into lined muffin pans.

  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centres comes out clean.

  Makes 18 cupcakes.

  Ingredients for icing:

  Cream cheese (room temperature), 1½ lbs

  Butter (room temperature), 1 lb

  Powdered sugar, 2 lbs

  Vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon

  Instructions:

  Whip cream cheese and butter until fluffy.

  Stir in powdered sugar a little at a time.

  Add vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.

  If icing requires thickening, cool in the refrigerator.

  Wait until cupcakes are completely cooled to ice them.

  Dig in and enjoy!

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