MERLOT AND DIVORCE AND DEADLY REMORSE

by Jodi Vaughn

  “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

  “I came by to give you an update on those coyote pups.”

  I lowered my glass and swallowed. “Are they okay? Did something happen to them?”

  He gave me an odd look. “No. They are fine. The wolves found a nursing female to care for them.”

  I let out a deep sigh. “Good.” I nodded. “I’m glad.”

  “You are?” He arched a brow. “I didn’t take you for an animal lover.”

  “They are helpless babies. They lost their mother. I can’t imagine my babies being out in the world without me.”

  “Better get used to it,” he murmured.

  “I won’t get used to it. I never will.” I took a step towards him. “You want me to leave my life and come with you. As my Maker, you want me to live like a vampire. But I have children, and I’ve told you before, I’m not leaving them.”

  “You won’t have a choice.” He snorted.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean, you are going through a divorce. Do you think your husband is going to let you have the children to yourself? He has a new life now with a new woman. He’ll ask for full custody and take away the life you have grown accustomed to.”

  “He wouldn’t do that. He would never take my children away.” I glared. “Our divorce is going to be different than what you think.”

  “Why do you think it is going to be different?”

  “Because it will be. We are different. Miles has always been a good dad. He knows I’m a good mom.”

  “How good of a mom do you think he’ll think you are when he finds out you’re a vampire?” Khalan gave me an incredulous look.

  “He’s not going to find out.” I narrowed my eyes. “And you better stay away from him. I don’t need you getting in my business.”

  He held up his arms and laughed. “I want nothing better than to stay away from you and your business. Trust me.” He pushed off the pergola and headed out to the wooded area behind my house. He didn’t look back as he leaped over the fence and disappeared into the woods.

  Chapter 16

  “You girls go on out on the field. I’ll be there in a minute.” I gave Arianna and Gabby a reassuring smile in the rearview mirror. It was after school, and we had arrived at soccer practice. I had managed to sleep the majority of the day. After picking up the girls from school, we’d headed home for them to change, and then we were off to the soccer field.

  They both climbed out of the Volvo and ran over to their different teams. The soccer complex housed four different fields. Thankfully, even though Arianna and Gabby were on different teams, they always had practice on the same day. It kept me from having to constantly drive from one field to another. I would split my time between the girls while they practiced. Whoever started first determined where I sat first. Then, halfway through, I would move my chair and go to watch the other one play.

  I peeked out from behind my sunglasses and looked out over where Arianna’s coach was already ordering them onto the field.

  I scanned the line of chairs occupied by the other soccer moms. I tried to find Judith but couldn’t seem to pick her out. All the moms were huddled together, chairs pushed close, chatting and checking their cell phones.

  “Shit.” I forced my baseball hat down on my head and shoved my sunglasses securely up my nose. I left my long, dark hair down to cover my neck. I wore a long-sleeve, black shirt tucked inside my jeans. I opened up my door and slid out of the car. My jeans were tucked inside my tall, black boots. I studied the ground as I walked around and opened the back of the Volvo to pull out my new folding chair with its canopy. I looped the strap over my shoulder and grabbed the small cooler with the drinks and snacks.

  I opened the second cooler I had put in the back when the kids weren’t looking and pulled out my tumbler filled with blood.

  I shut the back and locked my car. Some of the moms had turned and were looking in my direction.

  I took a deep breath and started making my way over.

  I ended up on Arianna’s field since she was starting practice first.

  “Rachel! So glad you could make it.” Judith stood from her chair and waved me over.

  I forced a smile and placed the cooler on the ground. I quickly glanced around at the other moms, who were suddenly quietly studying their phones.

  “I couldn’t miss, could I? I had to bring the snacks,” I said a little too loudly so everybody could hear. If they were willing to be petty, then I was calling them out on it.

  I sat my tumbler on top of the cooler and pulled my chair out of its bag. It didn’t take me long to set it up and attach the canopy. I had ordered a blue one, but they had shipped me a red one. It didn’t matter. I was already starting to feel the effects of the bright sun shining on my face. I grabbed my tumbler and eased into the chair before I adjusted the canopy.

  I took a deep breath and focused on Arianna on the field. She was moving fast and had control of the ball. She was doing really great, and she even got a goal. A smile stretched across her face.

  My heart lightened a thousand times.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Judith said again.

  “I know. You said that already.” Irritation flared, and I lifted my tumbler to my lips and took a deep drink. The warmed blood slid down my throat, calming and comforting me.

  “Rachel, you are looking great.” Meredith walked up and squatted by my chair. She lifted her sunglasses and looked at me hard. “I mean, you’ve obviously lost weight, and your skin looks fantastic. Whoever did your Botox is a genius.”

  I grinned. If they only knew. Becoming a vampire had reversed my aging. Any fine lines or wrinkles or stretch marks just disappeared. My body looked like a twenty-year old’s.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me?” Meredith narrowed her eyes.

  “Tell you what?” I asked.

  “Who is doing your Botox? Nobody in Charming does it that well. The last Botox I had, I drove all the way to Memphis.” Meredith scowled.

  I took another sip and tried to ignore her.

  “Arianna’s doing great out there,” I said, trying to change the subject.

  Meredith turned and looked at the field. “She always does great. She’s one of the best players we have.” She looked back at me.

  I smiled. It was true, Arianna was great.

  I started to relax as I watched practice. It felt right.

  I smelled her before I saw her walk into my line of vision. The scent was cold and empty. I know cold and empty don’t actually have smells, but when you’re a vampire, they most certainly do.

  And that scent belonged to my arch nemesis.

  Veronica Counts.

  The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. I could hear her heavy footsteps on the ground with every step she took. Even the birds in the trees seemed to stop chirping.

  I dug my fingers into the armrest of the chair and braced for impact.

  “Rachel Jones. I’m certainly surprised to see you here,” Veronica squawked loudly. I didn’t bother looking in her direction.

  All the moms grew quiet. They were waiting to see what would transpire between us.

  Veronica did not have friends. She had allies who tried to stay on her good side and attempted to stay out of her warpath.

  She gossiped about everyone and spread her lies until they caught on like wildfire. She lived to destroy lives and families with just her words.

  I’d never met anyone so hellbent on being such a bitch. Until Veronica.

  I think some people are just born evil. Deep down inside, evil resides there, and that’s their only purpose in life—to spread it.

  To me, that’s who Veronica was.

  “Hello, Veronica,” I said slowly. I took another sip out of my tumbler and kept my gaze trained on the field.

  “So, how are things at home? I just know the girls are destroyed over the fact that their father cheated on their m
other. With her best friend, no less.” She cackled.

  Anger flared in my gut, but I forced my expression to remain stoic. She wanted me to react. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.

  I lifted the tumbler to my lips again and took another sip of the warm liquid. It wasn’t as satisfying as human blood, but it did raise my spirits a little.

  “Whatever are you going to do?” Veronica stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the players on the field.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  “I’m going to watch my girls practice soccer. That’s what I’m going to do, Veronica. Now, if you don’t mind, could you please move? I can’t see through three hundred pounds of mud, dear.” I waved my fingers, signaling her to step aside.

  Her gleeful expression turned into a hatred-filled stare. Veronica wasn’t fat, but she certainly wasn’t thin by any means. Normally, I wouldn’t have talked about anyone’s weight, but she had pushed too many of my buttons.

  “Well, I don’t know about all that, but I have to say that you are looking fabulous, Rachel.” Liz stepped in front of Veronica and moved her chair next to mine. “I mean, your body is to die for. I can’t wait to see you in a bikini this summer.” She sat down and glared at Veronica, who finally gave up trying to provoke me into giving her something to use against me. She trotted to the end of the chair line and sat down next to Stephanie Miller. Stephanie was never unkind to anyone and saw beyond everyone’s faults. Including Veronica. In my heart, I knew she’d get burned. We all did.

  “Thanks.” I gave Liz a smile I didn’t feel. Could I ever go out that exposed now that I was a vampire? Surely not. All of my summer vacations and trips to the beach and the Bahamas were likely over.

  “Sorry to butt in, but I couldn’t bear to see Veronica speaking to you like that.” Liz leaned in and lowered her voice. “That woman just burns my biscuits.”

  I let out a laugh.

  “What?” She gave me an innocent look.

  “Thank you for that. I desperately needed a laugh.” I reached over and squeezed her hand. “Are you here watching your niece?”

  “Yes. But her game doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.”

  “So, really, Rachel. What do you need me to do?” Liz kept her voice quiet and peeked at me over her sunglasses.

  “Just be my friend. That’s all I need right now,” I said with emotion in my throat. “And I don’t want to cry. I’m sick and tired of crying.”

  “You got it.” She nodded and then looked back at the field.

  Slowly, the other moms came up to me as practice continued. Oddly enough, they didn’t seem to be icing me out. They didn’t mention the divorce, just commented on my weight loss and how great I looked. They all wanted to know my secret.

  If they knew my secret, they’d run for the hills.

  The timer on my phone buzzed.

  “I need to go over to Gabby’s field.” I stood and gathered my chair and cooler, along with my tumbler.

  “I’ll see you ladies this weekend,” I said as I walked over to the next field.

  I didn’t have as many friends among these moms as I had with Arianna’s team. At least they wouldn’t be asking a whole lot of questions, and Veronica wouldn’t be on this side of the field.

  I called that a win-win.

  I spotted Lori’s mom, Sheila and headed in that direction.

  “Rachel, hi.” Sheila smiled and scooted her chair over to make room for me. “Gabby’s doing great out there.”

  “Good. I’m glad she’s a little more focused this season.” I set up my chair, fixed my canopy, and sat with my tumbler in hand. I was already exhausted, and I still had to watch Gabby’s practice. I took another sip out of my travel mug and tried to conserve my energy.

  “How’s Lori? I know Gabby’s been wanting her to come over for a playdate.”

  “Yes, she’s been asking.” She cut her eyes at me. “I didn’t know if it was the right time or not. I know how it is, you know.”

  I took a deep breath. Sheila’s husband had left her for someone else.

  “I know. But I think it would be good for the girls. She could come over this weekend, and they could do mani-pedis and play.”

  “What time were you thinking?” She looked at me. “After their game?”

  My gut tightened. “I think we have to be somewhere right after the game. But bring her over that night. Around seven.” I would be crashing following the game after being out in the sun all day. I would need some sleep and way more blood than I had on hand to get me through.

  “Sounds good.” Sheila nodded and then looked back at the girls.

  The rest of practice seemed to drag on. I hung in there pretty well with the shade from my canopy, my hat and sunglasses, and the blood in my tumbler.

  Once practice was over, and all the girls had snacks, I managed to get my chair, my cooler, and myself to the car. I waited patiently while the girls made their way over and slid into the backseat.

  My blood was long gone, and I was freaking exhausted. I rested my head on the steering wheel and closed my eyes. My stomach began to cramp.

  “Mom, what’s wrong?” Arianna asked from the backseat. “Are you feeling okay?

  “Yes, honey, I’m fine. I just have a bit of a migraine,” I lied. It was better than telling them that I was a vampire in desperate need of blood.

  “Well, is it going to take long?” Arianna asked impatiently.

  I lifted my head to give her a piece of my mind. The scent washed over me.

  A warm, coppery scent that made my mouth water.

  Blood.

  Chapter 17

  My stomach cramped. I hissed and grabbed my midsection.

  “Gabby’s knee is bleeding, and if you don’t want it on your leather, you need to get a bandage on it.” Arianna sighed impatiently.

  I lifted my head and blinked. I swallowed and tried very hard to ignore the aroma of the blood filling the interior of my Volvo.

  I laid my head back on the steering wheel and took several deep breaths.

  The desire for blood was so overwhelming, it scared me.

  A hard knock on my window had me lifting up my head.

  “Are you okay, Rachel?” Veronica screeched out and narrowed her eyes at me through my window. “You look like you’re having an episode,” she said loudly.

  The other moms who were busy loading their minivans and SUVs turned to look at me.

  I lifted my chin in the air, determined not to let Veronica get to me.

  I shoved open the door, forcing Veronica to step back.

  Ignoring her, I went around to the back of my Volvo. I opened up the back and dug around in the side pocket for some tissue.

  “Why do you have two coolers?” Veronica pointed at the second one I had stashed in the back to keep my blood in.

  I snatched it up and stuck it behind my chair. I didn’t have to look at Veronica to know she was sneering. I could feel the venomous hate rolling off the woman in waves.

  I dug around in the bag I normally kept in the back of my vehicle. Since having kids, I always carried a roll of toilet paper, wet wipes, Band-Aids, and some Kleenex.

  I grabbed the Kleenex and a Band-Aid and shut the hatch of the Volvo. I walked to Gabby’s side of the car and opened the door. I gave her a tight smile. “Okay, sweetie, let me see that knee.” I miraculously kept my voice from wavering.

  “Why were you resting your head on the steering wheel, Rachel?” Veronica asked a little too loudly.

  “It’s because she has a migraine,” Arianna spoke up.

  “A migraine. Is that true? Or is it from all that wine you put in your tumbler?” she snarked.

  I spun around, quickly forgetting the scent of blood on my daughter’s knee. I gave Veronica a look of incredulity. “What wine?”

  “The wine that’s in your cup you’ve been sipping on all afternoon.” She smirked and looked around, pleased that the other moms were now giving us their full attention.


  “You are crazy, Veronica. I’m not drinking wine, you crazy old bat.”

  “Then prove it. Show me.” She narrowed her eyes.

  I narrowed mine in return. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. Go away and leave my family alone.” I leaned into her personal space and lowered my voice. “Or you will regret it.”

  I turned away and focused on Gabby’s skinned knee. I tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but my anger towards Veronica didn’t make it easy. Though it took my mind off wanting to lean in and lick the trickle of blood off my daughter’s knee.

  By the time I was finished, Veronica had slunk back to whatever rock she’d crawled out from under, and we were the only ones left in the parking lot.

  I drove home slower than usual. Despite subsisting on the cow’s blood, I felt as if I had stayed too long in the sun, and I was absolutely drained. Once we got home, I managed to warm up some leftovers for the girls before heading to my bed for some well-deserved rest.

  The last thought that ran through my head was that Veronica was now the biggest threat to people finding out my secret.

  That I was a vampire.

  Chapter 18

  I managed to satisfy my cravings with the cow’s blood. It would soon run out, though. I needed to revisit Happy Acres to get some more. If I could keep this up, I would never have to depend on taking blood from humans.

  I was sitting in the car line, waiting for the girls to get out of school when my phone rang.

  I looked at the incoming call and frowned. The screen was cracked and I couldn’t tell who was calling.

  “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Jones. This is Ben Dover, your attorney.”

  I cringed at the sound of his name. “Yes, I know, Mr. Dover. How are you?” I flipped my car visor and slunk down in the seat.

  “I’m good. Thank you. I’m calling because I’ve received a call from your husband’s attorney, Mr. Harold Lang.”