A Vampire's Promise (10 page)

“Yeah, if you could,” I called down.

I heard the ring tone stop, Laycee's voice, and then the sound of feet pounding on the staircase, which set off alarm bells. My Barbie doll look-alike friend doesn't run anywhere.

She was grinning from ear to ear. Okaaay, not Suellen then.

“Who?” I mouthed silently as I finished drying my hands.

She jabbed the phone at me, and I watched her grin get even wider, if that was possible. She could have given lessons to the Cheshire cat.

“Hello?” I said, cautiously.

“Rowan? Is everything all right?”

Liquid silk sounded just as good over my cell as it did in person. “Gabriel, I uh, yeah, um, sure, everything's fine.” I shooed Laycee out of the bathroom.

“Have I called at a bad time?”

“Of course not.” I padded across the hallway into my bedroom and checked the clock on my bedside table. Surely that wasn't right? It was past seven? “Why would you think it was a bad time?” I asked.

“Someone else answered your phone.”

“Oh, that was just Laycee.” I didn't mean to be dismissive, and I was grateful to know that if she'd heard me, Laycee wouldn't take offense. I sat down on the edge of my bed.

“Laycee? Your girlfriend from the bar?” The voice in my ear was all curiosity. “The blonde?”

“Yeah, that's right.” He'd noticed her and I felt dismayed. Guys noticed Laycee all the time, only this time it bothered me. Really bothered me.

“Then I will apologize for disturbing you while you have company.” His voice dropped to the low huskiness that made my toes curl and started a chain reaction up my legs. “Should I call back later?”

I don't know whether it was because I was looking at my bed and trying to imagine how much of it he would take up, or because the throb in my cheek spiked wickedly, having one last hurrah before the Tylenol kicked in, but I said the first thing that popped into my head. “I'd rather see you.” And the next thing I knew all I had in my ear was dead air. “Hello? Gabriel, hello?”

Like a moron, I stared at the phone in my hand. The red and black oblong casing that housed the wonder of modern technology lay silently in my palm. Had my battery died? Nope, the icon said the charge was still strong. It took another second or two of confused thinking before it hit me that Gabriel was the one who had broken the connection, not me.

Great. Way to go Rowan. You don't need that backhoe after all.

Despite what had been said last night, I was the one coming on too strong. When he'd suggested that he call back, I was too dense to catch on. Instead, I went right ahead and put my foot in my mouth. It would be the icing on the cake if I'd managed to scare Gabriel off. When I screw up, I go all out.

Filled with a sudden desperate need to justify my pathetic, insecure behavior, I was tempted to call him back, to see if I couldn't repair the damage. But calling him back would probably make me seem anxious and needy.

A sudden wetness pricked behind my eyes. Great! Just what I needed, another crying jag. That would be twice today already. Taking a deep breath, I told myself to get a grip. If Laycee saw me all red-eyed and runny-nosed, it would only lead to more questions, something I really wasn't up to handling right now. Returning to the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face. There was nothing I could do to fix things.

Back in the kitchen, I headed to the freezer for more ice, determined to avoid Laycee until I was sure my leaky eye issue had been resolved. I have never been so glad to have a black eye. I could use it as a cover for my misery, although I needn't have worried. Sitting at the kitchen table, Laycee had her phone pressed to her ear. From the way she was clutching a paper towel in her hand, she had leaky issues of her own to deal with. Her expression was worried, and her eyes shone just a little too brightly with the wrong kind of sparkle.

“Well, I guess that's it, then,” she said, snapping her phone shut a few minutes later.

“What happened?” I got a bottle of water out the fridge, filled with a terrible sense of dread.

“Jake told his kids. No more pretending for appearance's sake.”

She burst into tears, but I could tell they were tears of relief and happiness. It didn't last long, and, as she wiped away what was left of her makeup, she slumped down in the chair as if not quite able to believe it all.

“So?” I asked. “What happened?”

“Can you believe Suellen was burning the clothes he'd left behind in the backyard barbecue pit? The fire department got there the same time Jake did.”

“Jesus Christ!” It was a day of revelations all around. “That woman is full of surprises.”

“Isn't she just?” Laycee agreed with a nod. “Thankfully she hadn't gotten to his work clothes.”

“D'you think she was going to burn them as well?”

“Oh yeah. Not a doubt in my mind.”

I sipped my water. “So, what's Jake going to do now?”

“Pack up the rest of his stuff, then come get me so we can hit Wal-mart and replace whatever he needs.” She reached for my hand and went all boa constrictor on it. “Is it really bad of me to say that even though I'm so sorry about your face, I'm also eternally grateful?”

I knew exactly what she meant. “No, it's not bad of you, it's fucking despicable, and I want you to know I will never, ever sacrifice my reputation for you again—I don't care how much you beg me to!”

I had her for a moment. She blinked owlishly at me in total shock before exploding in spontaneous laughter. I grinned, ridiculously pleased that everything was now out in the open. It hadn't happened the way I would have planned it, but now there was no going back, and Jake apparently intended to stay with Laycee. God knows, one of us deserved to be happy, and Laycee certainly was that one right now. Perhaps I needed to rethink my preconceptions about dating married men.

“What's wrong?” I asked, seeing the look on her face suddenly wavering between joy and misery.

It took a couple of swallows before she was able to get the words out. “It's a little overwhelming, that's all.”

“Kinda makes it all real now, doesn't it?”

“Yeah. Guess I'd better get used to it.” She nodded and blinked a couple of times, and wiped her nose with the paper towel she held in her hand. Her platinum ponytail bobbed as she got up and took our coffee mugs to the sink. “So,” she said, turning around and giving me a bright smile. “Was that
him
?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, repositioning my bag of ice and hoping she would assume my face was the reason for not returning her smile.

“Well? What did he say?”

“He's gonna call me back later,” I lied. I didn't really have it in me to say the potential love of my life had already bolted. Now was not the time.

T
he pizza arrived in record time, delivered by Bobby Wilkins.

“My luck just keeps getting better by the minute,” I muttered under my breath as I watched him come up the front porch steps.

The lanky, acne-riddled teenager didn't say a word, but stared at my face with the type of rude fascination only a seventeen-year-old boy can get away with. I guess he was trying to picture how a little thing like Suellen DuPree had been able to pop me this good. I was tempted to ask if he'd volunteered to do the delivery so he could give his mama a full report of my injuries. Roberta Wilkins was Suellen's closest friend, after all. The situation went from mildly annoying to downright hysterical a few moments later when Jake's cruiser came up the long driveway to my house. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the horrified expression on Bobby's face when he saw Jake walking up to my front door, carrying a case of beer.

“You get that taillight fixed yet, Bobby?” Jake asked conversationally as the teenager brushed past him on the steps.

“N-no sir, Sheriff, sir, I was planning to get it taken care of tomorrow.” Like most boys his age, he seemed guilty of something.

“Well, make sure you do, son.” Jake told him genially, as he watched him almost trip over his own feet in his haste to get back to his vehicle.

Holding up the beer, Jake said, “Figured if you were springing for dinner, I could at least provide liquid refreshment.”

It's a well-known fact that, when faced with an unexpected and momentous upheaval in your life, pizza and beer is the best way to deal with it. And surrounding yourself with people who care. Jake DuPree handled his decisive, life-changing moment with grace, and a good dose of humor. I had the feeling Laycee was going to be a very welcome change for him.

“You have to look on the bright side,” he said, helping himself to the last slice of pizza after Laycee and I both refused it. “I'll never have to wear another shirt with some pansy-assed logo on the pocket again.” He shuddered dramatically. “She really did me a favor by pitching them in the barbecue pit.”

“What sort of clothes do you like?” I asked, probing his fashion sense.

“Shorts and Hawaiian print shirts,” Laycee interjected. “The louder the better!”

I cracked up, trying to picture Jake in a hot neon shirt with parrots printed on it. On a more serious note, he told me that his wife was aware of her mistake in confronting me.

“I didn't much care about her cussing and carrying on about me in front of the fire department, but when she started on you . . .” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Well, it just wasn't right.”

I resisted the temptation to ask if Suellen had gotten more creative now she'd had time to calm down a little. “Dragging Laycee's name through the mud isn't right either,” I pointed out.

“Trust me, Rowan, I can handle it.” Laycee kissed Jake on the cheek.

I was still worried. “You don't think she'll try giving Laycee some of this, do you?” I pointed at my eye.

“No, I told her I hadn't been able to convince you not to press charges—yet.” He didn't look all that ashamed at the fib, and I felt a little better.

I began stacking our dirty plates in the sink. It's an odd quirk of mine, but I can't stand paper plates, even for pizza. Laycee helped me with the dishes, making some dumb comment that had me laughing aloud. I was telling her to stop it because it hurt my face to laugh when a knock came at the front door.

“Want me to get it?” Jake offered, noticing my hesitation. I didn't think his wife would be paying me another visit tonight, but who could tell? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that crap.

“Thanks, Jake, if you wouldn't mind.” He went to the door and returned a few minutes later. Alone. “Who was it?” I asked, stacking the last plate to drain.

“Some guy with a bitchin' sweet ride.”

The expression on his face was pure envy, laced with a good dose of unabashed adoration. Laycee frowned and I could tell she was wondering if her boyfriend had completely lost his mind.

“What kind of sweet ride?” she asked, drying her hands off on the dish towel and handing it to me.

“A Fairlane,” Jake answered reverently. “A goddamn fifty-seven Ford Fairlane.”

“Oh shit!” I threw the dish towel at him before running down the hall.

“Oh yeah, and he says he's your boyfriend!” Jake's voice called after me, the word “boyfriend” coinciding with my wrenching the door open.

Gabriel stood on the porch, tall and gorgeous, his long blond hair falling straight back like a white cape draped over his shoulders. I felt breathless and giddy just looking at him, and that oxyacetylene torch immediately burst into life. If this was going to happen every time I saw him, then flammable gas and I were going to have to come to some sort of an understanding.

“You're here!” I blurted out.

He looked slightly confused. “I'm sorry, I thought you—” I saw two deep grooves appear between his eyebrows. “What the hell happened to your face?”

His expression twisted into something fierce as he grabbed my hands and pulled me over the threshold so he could get a better look beneath the porch light. Taking hold of my chin, he gently turned my head, first one way and then the other, examining the bruising.

“Ah, yeah well, it was actually a big misunderstanding,” I said, licking my lips, unnerved by the anger I could feel simmering just below the surface. “And you'll probably think it's really funny when I tell you.”

“That's a black eye, Rowan, not a misunderstanding.” He stared down at me, his blue eyes hard. “And I'd say it looks painful, not funny.”

He stroked his fingers down the side of my face. It felt wonderfully soothing, but did little to disperse his anger. I guess he didn't like seeing women smacked around, which was a good thing. I just hadn't been prepared for the depth of his feeling. Lowering his head, he put his lips close to my ear.

“Is that why the sheriff is here?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly.”

Straightening up, he flicked his eyes at Jake's cruiser before coming back to me. “So, who hit you? And don't try telling me you walked into a door.” The vertical lines between his eyes had almost completely disappeared, but his mouth remained a grim line.

“Why? Can you tell the difference?”

He nodded, “Of course.” The sound of Jake's deep, beefy laugh floated down the hall. Gabriel's eyes narrowed. “And if the sheriff isn't here in an official capacity, then why is he here?”

“Because it was his wife who hit me.” I sighed. Better to get it out now.

“His wife?” Gabriel was incredulous, as if the idea of one woman belting another had never occurred to him. “Why would she—”

“She thinks I've been having an affair with her husband.” I figured I might as well get the rest of it out as well.

His eyes opened a little wider, and I saw him look briefly over my shoulder as Laycee's girlish laugh now joined in with Jake's deep rumble.

“She got the wrong girl,” he said quietly. Emphatically.

“Yeah.” I nodded, thrilled at the absolute certainty in his voice. “I told you it was all a misunderstanding.”

He cupped my chin with his fingers and leaned down, briefly touching my lips with his. A slight pressure, a whisper of warmth, and I felt wonderfully giddy.

“I'm sorry you were hurt.” His long fingers gave one final stroke down the length of my jaw before he released his hold on my face.

“I feel better now you're here.”

He must have heard something in my tone that I hadn't intended because he gave me a look I couldn't read. “Didn't you want me to come?”

“Of course,” I said quickly, “but I wasn't sure you would. You hung up on me.”

“Ah, that.” Now he looked decidedly sheepish. “I didn't want you to change your mind.”

“Oh . . . I see.”

“Have you?”

“What?”

“Changed your mind?”

“No.” My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I almost forgot how to breathe. “Of course not.”

“Good, I'm glad.” He grinned, his perfect mouth lifting in a way that made me want to suck the life out of his lip. Either one would do; both would be better.

Turning, I stepped back into my house and was halfway down the hall when I realized he wasn't following. I looked back. He was still standing outside, his hands braced on either side of the doorframe. “What's wrong?”

“You haven't invited me in.”

I thought for a moment he was kidding, but his face looked serious enough. Wasn't the fact that I hadn't closed the door in his face enough of an invitation? I suddenly thought of Aleksei, the big Russian, and figured that maybe this was similar to kissing the back of my hand. Some type of old-fashioned manners. It might even be a Norwegian custom. I shrugged and shook my head in amusement. “Okay, would you like to come in?”

“Yes, thank you. I would like that very much.”

After he stepped over the threshold and I closed the door behind him, I couldn't help thinking the smile Gabriel wore was one of relief.

I have never known Laycee to be stunned into silence by a guy. It was quite a revelation to see her sitting next to Jake, holding on to his arm for dear life, completely tongue-tied. I made the introductions, handing Gabriel a beer along with my apologies that there was no pizza left.

“It's okay,” he said, grinning. “I can eat later.”

He looked at me as if there was only one item on the menu. Me. I turned away, hoping the flush I could feel stealing into my face wouldn't be noticeable. I picked up my glass of beer. Another weird quirk of mine. I hate drinking out of aluminum cans. As I raised the glass to my lips, a bell suddenly began clanging loudly in my head. One that had nothing to do with my injury. Narrowing my eyes a little, I looked at Gabriel and asked, “How did you know where I live?”

“When you dropped your purse, your driver's license fell out, and I glanced at it. I have a good memory. GPS did the rest.”

“Uh-huh.” I'll give him credit; he looked me right in the eye and didn't flinch. Had my license fallen out? I couldn't remember. Perhaps it had.

“You're lucky; not many people find the turnoff.” Jake's voice sounded all cop. And a hundred percent suspicious.

“Well, I did miss it the first time,” Gabriel admitted, not at all put out by Jake's tone. Carefully, he put his beer can down on the counter behind him and folded his arms across his chest. His biceps flexed, and I watched, fascinated, as his sleeves stretched with the movement. “So, which one of you is going to tell me how Rowan got a black eye?”

The question was addressed directly to Jake and only to Jake. I saw a look pass between them, some mysterious posturing having to do with one alpha male acknowledging the presence of another, and agreeing not to piss on already claimed territory. Yeah right, whatever.

Ten minutes later the incident was told, only it wasn't as funny as I had thought it might be. Both Jake and I did the telling, me for the actual confrontation, and Jake for what happened with his wife afterward. Gabriel seemed pleased that the sheriff had “manned up” and told his wife about her mistake, and his reasons for doing so. But I still voiced my opinion that he could have waited. Taking hold of my hands, Gabriel pulled me to my feet, dropping one hand to my waist as he pulled me closer. Since he had told Jake he was my boyfriend, it was nice to see he didn't have a problem with open displays of affection.

“I know your concern is for Laycee,” he said, staring down at me, “but what would people think if they saw me coming out of your house, and believed the sheriff was your paramour?”

Paramour? He actually used the word
paramour
. Good job I read romance novels or else I wouldn't have a clue what he was talking about.

“Well, I think it's unlikely anyone would see—”

“Someone saw the sheriff at your house,” Gabriel said, effectively squashing my protest.

Yeah, except the more I thought about it, the more I wondered just how much discretion Jake had used for his daytime trysts at my house with Laycee. It was safe to assume he hadn't been off duty for all of them, and a police cruiser is hardly inconspicuous. Perhaps he didn't care if anyone saw him turning into my driveway.

“Besides, Rowan, you don't need your reputation to be trashed more than it already is,” Laycee said, finding her voice.

Gee, thanks.

Placing a finger beneath my chin, Gabriel tilted my head up, frowning as he glanced at my face in the glow from the overhead ceiling light. “Do you have a better light?”

Why? Was he going to interrogate me?

“The bathroom upstairs.”

It was the most unflattering light in the house, which made it perfectly unforgiving when I was putting on makeup.