Part 1

Ty

“I was invited to do a piece on a cupcake shop that just opened in a teeny tiny town in Michigan this weekend. Wanna come?”

There were so many things wrong with that invitation, I wasn’t sure where to begin. “This weekend?”

My adorable redheaded boyfriend nodded. “Yep.”

“In Michigan?”

“Yes, in the tippity-top part where it’s supposedly gloriously pretty in summertime…and winter. If you don’t mind subzero temperatures,” he added. “I did hear something about mosquitos in summer…baseball-sized ones.”

Walker pinched his fingers to something roughly the size of a golf ball.

“A baseball is more like this.” I adjusted his fingers, pursing my lips to avoid laughing aloud as his eyes widened theatrically.

“Oh. That’s big. But is it really even summer without bugs? I think not.” He flashed a sunny grin, planting his hands on his hips. “So what do you think?”

I cocked my head as if considering. “What kind of cupcakes?”

“Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry?” he hedged.

“Sounds like you’re not sure, Red,” I singsonged. “A real cupcake joint would have some fancy names and knowing how much you love research, I’d think that’s something you’d notice.”

“Yes, yes, of course. They have a key lime option and…coconut too.”

I made a face. “Gross.”

“You don’t like coconut?”

“On a cupcake? No way. If I’m eating cake in any form, I’m dedicating those calories to something that counts. Like chocolate.”

“Coconut counts,” he countered in what I was pretty sure was a classic stall technique.

My man was up to something.

“On a scale of one to ten, coconut gets a solid two…and only if it’s dipped in chocolate. Since you can’t do that to a cake without making a mess, I give it a one. In cupcake form…zero.”

Walker snickered. “That’s a very harsh rating, but that’s okay. I respect your coconut prejudice because in a twist, I seem to recall that they have Oreo and Snickerdoodle flavors too.”

“Oh! Now we’re talking!”

“Right? I think there’re a few more that will meet your exacting specifications. Let me check the website.” He pulled his cell out and scrolled for a long moment, his red locks falling like a curtain over his pretty hazel eyes. “Here it is. How do you feel about cookies and cream or peanut butter chocolate?”

“I feel very good.”

“Or raspberry amaretto?”

I shuddered for dramatic effect. “Meh.”

He bent his head again. “Peach cobbler?”

“Peach cupcake? Yuck.”

“Never fear. There’s more.”

“Let me see.” I held a hand out expectantly.

Walker spun out of reach. “No, I’ve got it. How about cookie butter or very berry chocolate or pumpkin?”

“Maybe, gross, and super gross. C’mon…let me see their website.”

“Oh, shoot. I just lost the connection. Our WiFi must be wonky today. I’ll show you later.”

“Red…what are you up to?”

“Five ten on a good day,” he quipped.

I furrowed my brow. “Uh-huh. Something ain’t right. What’s really going on?”

He opened and closed his mouth twice. “Well…it’s…uh.”

I wiggled my fingers, then plucked his phone from between his fingers and tapped on the screen.

“Hey, this place looks all right. It says it’s ideal for people with dietary restrictions and—what the fuck?”

Walker fluttered his lashes innocently. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s vegan! All vegan. Every cupcake on the menu. And glutton free and…” I gaped at my boyfriend. “You want me to taste test a vegan bakery.”

“Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?” His tone was so unconvincing it was almost funny.

“You’re gonna owe me like twenty BJs, Red. At least twenty.”

Part 2

Walker

Sweet Bites was located in Cedar Bridge, a cute little town on Lake Huron that had a view of Ontario to the north and Mackinac Island to the south. The day couldn’t have been any more beautiful. Seventy-six degrees, blue skies, and a yummy summer breeze.

Our hosts were best friends who’d recently graduated from business school at Michigan State and had been eager to pair their new degrees with their passion for all things vegan.

“We’re committed to eating ethically without sacrificing flavor or fun,” Cresta enthused, grinning into Robin’s camera. “As you can see, we have a great selection.”

Cresta and Megan could have been twin sisters. They were bubbly blonds with long eyelashes, pink puffy lips, and tiny waists. They had the upbeat, smile-ready aura of influencers who knew their best angles and how to capture an online audience with a little wit and charm. Not gonna lie, I was sold.

My team had arrived an hour ago to set up our equipment, test the lighting, and sign the usual pesky legal mumbo jumbo. I had my spiel ready to roll now—college friends living the dream in a lakeside village, adorable shop, amazing displays.

The only thing missing was my guest star slash boyfriend.

I sneaked a peek at the time and darted a quick glance out the window where a posse of fans waved and snapped photos. I swear I wasn’t bragging, but What’s New, Walker? was even more popular than my college show had been. Which I was fully aware had a lot to do with dating a hunky pro hockey player who graciously volunteered to pop in for occasional hosting gigs.

Was I shamelessly pandering to lure a larger audience? You bet your booty I was. Within reason, of course.

Ty was a busy man, and technically hockey season was underway for him. He’d been in Rochester all week for preseason training and making a special trip to the far reaches of Michigan was asking a lot of my boyfriend. Maybe too much.

But Cresta and Megan weren’t your average influencer who’d decided to open a cupcakery. Cresta’s mom was a Michelin star chef and Megan’s aunt was Stylin’ Stella, a self-made knitwear maven with a huge celebrity following. If I could get big numbers for this episode, I might be able to convince those elite women to give us an hour of their time. Ty was my ace.

Yes, I knew I had the chops to handle this interview on my own, but Ty added zing and pizzaz. He was just so…handsome, so charismatic, so much larger than life with all those muscles and tattoos and that face. Gah! He turned heads with his looks and charm and—okay, stop me. I could gush on and on.

My boyfriend was a hot commodity. My fans eagerly awaited Ty sightings, and they’d gone absolutely bonkers when I’d confirmed that he’d be part of today’s fun.

Let the records show that I’d thanked him profusely in advance and intended to show more appreciation—sans clothing—at the adorable lakeside cottage I’d rented for us this weekend.

But where the heck was he?

“Will Ty be here soon?” Megan asked, rolling her lips and fluffing her golden curls. “We’re ready.”

A whoop of cheering from the sidewalk echoed throughout the shop.

Thank God.

Two seconds later, the door swung open and Ty Czerniak strode inside wearing a snug black tee and a pair of khaki shorts that hugged his ass just right. I was sure I heard the owners and their staff sigh, and I couldn’t blame them. But that wide grin and the twinkle in his eyes were only for me.

“Hey, Red. Sorry I’m late.” He kissed my cheek then turned to greet Crista and Megan. “Nice to meet you. This guy has been raving about your vegan cupcakes for days and I gotta try one. No, I gotta try ten.”

Crista giggled and fluttered her feather-duster eyelashes. “What can I tempt you with first?”

Ty perused the selection they’d set up earlier. “Chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate—”

“I sense a theme,” I cut in, strategically inserting myself into the frame. “Let’s try the coconut too.”

Ty wrinkled his nose. “Coconut?”

Megan held up a delicious-looking coconut treat with drizzled chocolate. “Oh, Ty, you’re going to love this one. We added chocolate just for you.”

Okay, tone it down, Megan.

I smiled at our host and winked at my skeptical co-host. “Go on. I dare you.”

Ty’s answering grin was pure sex. He thanked Megan, raised the cupcake to the camera. “Here goes nothing.”

After a series of interesting facial ticks, ending with a wide-eyed grunt of approval, Ty professed that chocolate drizzled coconut was his new jam. The girls preened and high-fived each other, then set out to wow us with a dozen more flavors. Well, they were more interested in wowing Ty, but that was okay by me. This episode was going viral. I could already feel it.

And on the upside, vegan cupcakes were actually pretty darn tasty.

“Controversial, but I gotta say, I really loved the chocolate avocado,” I admitted as I drove east, adjusting my sunglasses against the sun’s glare off of Lake Huron. “The chocolate berry was a solid second. I knew Robin would be all about the cookie batter cupcake. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but it wasn’t bad. The coconut was a winner too and—”

“No more, baby.” Ty groaned from the passenger seat. “Let’s not talk about cupcakes. Please.”

I shot a worried glance his way. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m…fine. I’m…oh, fuck. Pull over. I’m gonna be sick.”

Part 3

Ty

Sunlight streamed through blinds, creating a rainbow prism against the antique mirror as I sat up slowly to get a better look at my surroundings. Emphasis on slow. My stomach was still off.

The room was cabin chic in shades of navy with nautical details like photographs of sailboats and lakeside scenes. I eased the curtains back cautiously, in deference to my dull headache, but wow, the view was incredible—just as Walker promised it would be.

Fuck. Poor Walker.

He’d been a wreck on the drive here and I couldn’t blame him. One minute I’d been fine and the next…not so much. In fact, I’d been miserable for a good hour, but had mercifully passed out soon after we’d arrived at the cottage. What the hell had happened?

It had been like the flu without a fever and more sudden. And now…I felt pretty good.

I moved to my duffel bag to grab a T-shirt, my gaze halting at my reflection.

Uh…hold up. What the actual fuck?

“Walker?”

“You’re awake!” My boyfriend sailed into the room, a hopeful smile in place. “How do you—oh!”

“Look at me! This is— Am I…”

“A tattooed strawberry?” he supplied, pulling a yikes face.

I gestured to the angry splotches on my chest. “Why am I red?”

He worried his bottom lip. “I don’t know. You weren’t quite so colorful an hour ago. In fact, you were pasty white with a tinge of green. I want to say this is a small improvement but I think I’m the only shade of red that looks good on you.”

That was kinda sweet, but I wasn’t in the mood for distractions. I was the color of a damn pomegranate, for fuck’s sake. 

“Ha. Ha,” I deadpanned. “There’s gotta be a reason. Help me figure this out. I got sick out of the blue, passed out, and—”

“It’s a rash. You’ve had an allergic reaction to something.”

“Cupcakes,” we said at the same time.

“But which one? It had to be that fucking coconut. I don’t eat coconut like…ever. Now what? I can’t go out like this. Shit! I have practice the day after tomorrow. I can’t—”

“Calm down,” he intercepted. “You need an antihistamine. Lucky for both of us, I travel with a small pharmacy in my carryon. Hang tight.”

I growled at my reflection. “Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.”

I stalked to the nightstand to retrieve my cell and googled “skin rash, allergies, cupcakes, cure.” If the Internet was to be trusted, my sudden condition could have been due an allergy to eggs, milk, nuts, wheat, food dye, or a cross-contamination of some unknown allergen.

Great.

I thanked Walker for the tablets and the water bottle, thrusting my phone at him meaningfully.

He read the Web MD entry and winced. “Well…we’re not doctors, so we really shouldn’t hypothesize. Let’s find a nearby clinic and—”

“I’m not going anywhere. What if someone recognizes me? I know it’s a long shot, but it would be embarrassing and—”

“So what? Your health is more important than hockey practice. Your team will understand.”

“Maybe.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “But what if it’s something dumb like if you eat too many carrots you turn orange. Or if you eat too many grapes you turn purple. What if it was dye from the red velvet cupcake?” 

“We’ll ask the doctor,” he said, gently pulling me into the living area. “C’mon.”

“No, let’s just give it a few minutes and see if the Benadryl helps. I don’t feel bad anymore. I don’t have other allergy symptoms. My throat doesn’t hurt, I can breathe normally, and my stomach has settled down. I’m just red.”

“That’s probably better than being blue,” Walker joked tepidly.

“Funny.”

“Sorry. Too soon. Hey, we can use the online clinic service instead. If the tele doctor thinks we need to find a clinic, we will.”

We set the laptop between us on the kitchen table, and within fifteen minutes I’d been diagnosed with a probable allergic reaction and advised to take an antihistamine and make an appointment with an allergist. According to the physician, the rash would most likely fade within twenty-four hours. He suggested adhering to a bland diet, avoiding coconut and anything with red food dye…just in case.

“It could be anything really. It’s common for allergies to develop seemingly out of nowhere in adults,” he informed us. “The only way to be certain is through testing with a professional. Not on your own.”

“As if I’m ever going to eat coconut or anything red again,” I groused as we disconnected the call. I examined my arms cautiously. “I think I’m pink now. That’s a good sign, right?” 

Walker drew his lips in a tight line, blinking furiously. “Y-yes.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” he sobbed, covering his face with his hands. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you to come here this weekend. It was selfish and terrible of me. All this trouble for stupid cupcakes and a networking opportunity. They weren’t even that good. Okay…the chocolate peanut butter was amazing, but it wasn’t worth your health and I—”

“Whoa! Don’t do that.” I lifted Walker’s chin and waited for him to meet my eyes. “This is not your fault.”

“It might as well be. I coerced you with cupcakes and the promise of a good time and delivered an allergic reaction to an unknown skin reddening caper,” he lamented. “And let’s be real, I’m a sure thing. We could have been having sex all weekend in the comfort of our own home instead of stranded in the wilds of Northern Michigan.”

Dramatic much?

I pulled Walker close and kissed his brow. “Believe it or not, there’s no place I’d rather be.”

“Liar.”

I chuckled softly. “I’m serious. I mean…I’d rather not look like a lobster, but the rest is pretty great. This is a nice cabin, beautiful view…”

“And minimal mosquitoes as far as I can tell,” he piped in.

“Mmhmm. And best of all, I’m with my favorite person in the universe.”

“In spite of the cupcake quandary?”

“There’s no quandary here, Red. I love you and I want to be wherever you are. Always.”

“I love you too. So much.” Our mouths fused in a sweet, tender connection. Walker rested his forehead against mine and smiled. “Maybe I should call you Red now. Thoughts?”

I tickled Walker’s sides and hauled him to his feet. “Very funny, smart ass. If you want to make it up to me, you can get naked and feed me grapes in bed all day.”

“You want grapes?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “I just want you. Naked.”  

“You got it.” He nipped my bottom lip and kissed it better, then laced our fingers and led me to the bedroom.

In my current condition, I doubted we’d do anything too sexy, but that was okay by me.

Walker was all I needed, all I wanted…in sickness and health.

Yes, I was going to marry this man someday. And I could guarantee there’d be no coconut or red velvet cake at our wedding.