As Twilight Falls

The women exchanged glances.

“He’s here,” Rosemary said curtly.

“We’ve been thinking that maybe since he’s come back, we should leave,” Shirley remarked.

“He’s here?” Kadie asked. “You’re sure?”

Donna nodded. “Rosemary saw him outside her house late last night.”

Kadie blew out a sigh of relief. This morning, she had waited until her father left the house and her mother went to her yoga class, then booked a flight to Cody. She had rented a car at the airport and driven here, so tense she had stopped only to grab a bite to eat.

“I can’t believe you’re still with him.” Rosemary’s voice carried a familiar bitterness.

“Why did he come back without you?” Donna asked.

Kadie shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

Shirley leaned back in her chair. “Well, let’s hear it.”

“When we left here, he took me home. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my father is a vampire hunter.”

“What?” Donna’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re kidding,” Shirley said, and burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny, and I’m not kidding. Anyway, two of my dad’s acquaintances, who are also hunters, attacked Saintcrow. He killed one of them, which naturally didn’t sit well with my dad. Rylan and I made plans to go away together, but he left without me.” She paused, swallowing hard. “He didn’t even tell me good-bye.”

“You’re better off without him,” Shirley said, “even if you don’t think so.”

“You’re in love with him,” Rosemary said, disbelief evident in her voice.

Kadie nodded. “I know you all think he’s a monster, but he isn’t, not with me. He’s kind and thoughtful and”—she bit down on her lower lip—“I don’t want to live without him.”

“Is he in love with you?” Shirley asked.

“I don’t know. He’s never said so, but then, I never told him how I feel, either. If he doesn’t love me, I’ll have to live with it. But, one way or another, I have to know.” She glanced out the window. One of the mansion’s turrets was barely visible in the distance. “I have to know.”

The conversation turned to other things, and Kadie learned that tourists had wandered into town on several occasions, hoping to find something to eat. She was even more surprised to learn that her friends had actually made a few dollars serving food and that on a couple of occasions they had rented vacant houses to travelers looking for a place to spend the night.

“We’re thinking of painting the inside of the restaurant white or beige, and making new curtains and tablecloths,” Shirley said with a grin. “I was thinking a red-and-white check would look nice.”

Kadie nodded, remembering the red-and-white checkered tablecloths at the Italian restaurant where she and Saintcrow had gone to dinner.

“Of course, Donna likes yellow, and Rosemary wants blue. Who knows, if we can decide on the décor, we might just make this place a success.”

“I was thinking we could turn the old hotel into a bed and breakfast,” Donna said. “I went in there the other day. It’s full of dust and cobwebs, but a little paint would go a long way to making it presentable. With a little work, we could make a nice living here.”

Ever the pessimist, Rosemary said, “Of course, all these plans will come to naught if the vampires decide to come back.”

The sun was setting when Kadie took her leave, promising Rosemary and the other two women that she would see them again tomorrow.

Eager as she was to see Saintcrow, Kadie drove slowly up the narrow road that led to the big gray stone mansion. She had no idea what she would do if he didn’t want her there. If he didn’t, she would just have to live with it. But one way or another, she wanted to know why he had left without a word.

She parked the car, then sat there, drumming her fingertips on the steering wheel as she realized she had no way to get into the house if he was still at rest. One thing was for certain: if any of the other vampires were here, Kadie didn’t want to be caught out in the open after dark, alone.

Grabbing her handbag, she got out of the car and hurried up to the front door. She was about to knock when it opened.

Saintcrow stood there clad in a pair of faded jeans and nothing else.

“Kadie, when I caught your scent, I thought I was dreaming, but of course, that’s impossible, since vampires don’t dream. What are you doing here?”

“Since you don’t seem very happy to see me, I guess I’m making a big mistake.”

“Not happy?” He shook his head. “Happy doesn’t begin to describe it.” Taking her by the hand, he pulled her gently into the house and closed the door. “How did you find me?”

“I just knew you’d be here.” She gazed up into his eyes. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

“Of course.” Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her as if it had been years since he’d last held her instead of only weeks.

When he broke the kiss, he led her to the sofa and drew her down beside him. “I never thought you’d come back here of your own free will.”

“I never thought you’d leave me without so much as a good-bye.”

“All things considered, I thought it was for the best.”

“Oh? Best for who?”

“For you, of course. You once told me I had no right to keep you or the others here against their will. After spending time with you and your family, I realized that you were right. I thoughtlessly ruined lives, broke up families, deprived children of their parents. And if my conscience ever bothered me, I excused myself because I’m a vampire, a hunter, and humans are my prey.” He held up his hand when she started to speak. “Then I watched you with your family. I’ve been a vampire for so long, I’d forgotten what it was like to be a part of one. You love them. They love you. I can’t give you a normal life. I can’t give you children. And your father will never accept me.”

“I don’t care about all that.” She took a deep breath. “All that matters is that I love you. And if you love me . . .”

“If ? Kadie, you must know how I feel.”

“You never said it.”

“Neither have you. I love you, Kadie. All I want is for you to be happy.”

“You make me happy.”