Derek had indulged her, a knowing gleam in his eye. And now he was opening the front door, escorting her inside. She had no idea what to expect as she stepped into the living room.
All conversation came to a stop, all eyes swung in her direction.
Sheree’s gaze swept over them in a glance. All the men were dark haired and handsome, the women lovely.
Mara smiled as she came forward to embrace the two of them. “Derek,” she said, “why don’t you make the introductions?”
“Sure, Ma. Sheree, this is Roshan DeLongpre and his wife, Brenna. Brenna is the family’s only practicing witch.”
Brenna was lovely, with waist-length red hair and eyes almost as green as Mara’s. A necklace of amber and jet circled her neck.
“This is Vince and Cara, their twin sons, Rafe and Rane, their wives Kathy and Savannah.”
Sheree smiled at each one in turn, although she doubted she would be able to tell the twins apart. She noted all the men and women seemed to be in their mid-twenties except for Savannah, who appeared to be in her early forties.
“And this,” Derek said, smiling at a lovely young woman with pale blond hair and blue eyes, “is Abbey Marie, Savannah’s daughter. She’s the only mortal left in the family.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Sheree said. The girl looked like a younger version of her mother. Was it strange for her to be the only human among so many vampires?
“How are things going in New York, Abs?” Derek asked.
She shrugged. “Not as well as I’d hoped. I think I’m going to give up my aspirations of being an actress.”
Rane put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Never give up, sweetie.”
“Maybe you’d have better luck here in Hollywood,” Vince suggested. “I’ll bet Logan could put in a good word for you.”
“Maybe, but I’d rather make it on my own.”
“So,” Roshan said, glancing from Sheree to Derek, “I hear there’s a wedding in the wind.”
Derek nodded. “We decided to have another ceremony so the families could be there.”
“Couldn’t wait for the honeymoon, eh?” Vince said, giving Derek a nudge.
“The men in our family aren’t known for their patience.” Rafe slipped his arm around Kathy’s waist. “Are they, wife?”
“No.” Kathy winked at Sheree. “They’re known for other things, though.”
Her comment elicited nods from the other women, all except Abbey, who blushed.
“Speaking of sexy men,” Cara said, smiling at Abbey, “have you found your Mr. Right yet?”
“No, and I’m not looking.”
“She’s got plenty of time for all that,” her father said.
Abbey rolled her eyes. “Honestly, we have this conversation every time I come to town.” She held up her empty wineglass. “I’m going to get a refill.”
As Sheree watched Abbey walk away, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for the man who would one day court Rane Cordova’s daughter. Mortal fathers were protective enough; vampire fathers were sure to be a hundred times worse.
Sheree grew more at ease as the night wore on. Wine and conversation flowed freely. There was an endless supply of chardonnay and humorous stories as the other couples told tales of their courtship. There was no doubt that Roshan and Brenna’s was the most fascinating. Roshan had seen a photo of Brenna in a book, fallen in love with her picture, and traveled back in time to rescue her from being burned at the stake.
Sheree could scarcely credit it. Believing in vampires was one thing, but time travel?
“I can see you don’t believe me,” Roshan said good-naturedly. “Next time we get together, I’ll bring that old book with Brenna’s picture in it.”
Sheree listened with rapt attention as the vampires talked of past wars, of friends and loved ones lost. Pearl’s and Edna’s names were mentioned several times. And then, out of the blue, Vince said, “I hear there’s a hint of werewolf blood in you, Derek.”
A muscle flexed in Derek’s jaw, and then he nodded. “From my father.”
“Is it a problem?” Rane asked.
“No.” Derek glanced at Sheree. “I can handle it.”
Rafe nodded. “Glad to hear it.”
It was near dawn when the party broke up. Two by two, the vampires said their good-byes and departed. Abbey was the last to leave. She hugged Mara and promised to visit again soon, and then, she, too, was gone.
“So,” Derek said, “what did you think of them?”
“If I’d met them before you turned me, I never would have known they were vampires. They seem so normal . . . well, except that they’re all exceptionally gorgeous.”
“So are you.”
Ignoring his compliment, she said, “Who’s Abbey’s father?”
“Nobody knows. Savannah was artificially inseminated.”
“Ah. And she remained human until Abbey grew up, didn’t she? That’s why Savannah looks older than all the others.”
Derek nodded. “Are you ready to go?”
“I guess so.”
“Let us know when you set the date,” Mara said, “and I’ll get in touch with Father Lanzoni.”
“Let’s do it soon and get it over with,” Sheree said.
“I take it you’re still angry,” Mara said dryly.
“You could say that.”
“On that happy note, Ma, we’ll take our leave.”
“Have you ever met Father Lanzoni?” Sheree asked as Derek navigated the winding road that led to the freeway. “Is he a vampire, too?”
“Yep. He’s one of the old ones . He’s officiated at the weddings for just about everyone. Is that going to be a problem?”
“No. In spite of my mother’s insistence on a church wedding, she’s not very religious, and neither is my father.”
“Any particular place where you’d like to get married?” he asked.
“No. You?”
“You find a dress. I’ll find a place.”
“All right.”
Derek blew out a sigh of exasperation as Sheree turned her head to stare out the side window.
Like it or not, he was beginning to think she was never going to forgive him.
Chapter Forty-Two
Sheree went shopping for a wedding dress Friday night, grateful that the stores were open late. It was her first time out and about on her own since becoming a vampire and she was excited and scared in equal measure.
She had tried dissolving into mist before leaving the house, again without success. But she forgot all about that when she entered the bridal shop. There were so many dresses to choose from, she didn’t know how she would ever decide. It would have been nice to have her best friend along, but Shirley was happily married and living in Delaware. Even if she’d been nearby, Sheree didn’t trust herself to be with Shirley, mostly because she was afraid she would be tempted to tell her friend that she was now a vampire. She was dying—a poor choice of words, she thought—to talk to someone about it, someone who wasn’t a vampire.
Sheree picked out a half-dozen gowns and took them into the dressing room, thinking she should have let Mara help her pick out a dress that day long ago. At least back then, she would have been able to see how she looked. She loved them all—the knee-length one with the round neck and short puffy sleeves; the floor-length one with a fitted bodice and flared skirt; the ball gown that looked like it belonged to Cinderella; the one with the deep V-neck and gored skirt; the one that looked more like a long white nightgown than a dress.
How was she ever going to make up her mind when she couldn’t even see how she looked in any of them! Tears of frustration stung her eyes as she stepped out of the last dress and tossed it aside.
“I like the one with the fitted bodice.”
Startled, Sheree whirled around to find Mara standing near the door.
“I thought you could use some help,” Mara said.
“Really?” Sheree raised a skeptical brow. “Or did
Derek send you to keep an eye on me?”
“That, too. There are still hunters in the area.”
Sheree picked up the gown Mara had mentioned. “I like this one, too, but . . . how do you decide what you want when you can’t see yourself in it?”
“Well,” Mara said with a cocky grin, “if it looks good on the hanger, I just assume it will look fabulous on me.” Reaching for the gown, she said, “I’ll try it on so you can see what it looks like.”
Mara changed out of her jeans and sweater and into the dress in the blink of an eye. “So?”
“It’s beautiful. Would you try on the ball gown?”
“Of course.” In moments, she twirled around wearing the other dress.
Sheree blew out a sigh. “It’s hard to decide. They’re both lovely.”
“Well, in my opinion, the fitted one suits you best.”
“Then I’ll take it. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem.”
“Did someone help you pick out a dress when you got married?”
“Yes, the first time. Cara, Savannah and Kathy went with me. I could see myself in the mirror back then,” she said with a wistful smile. “The second time, I don’t remember what I wore. All I remember is the look in Logan’s eyes.” With a shake of her head, she put the past behind her. “Why didn’t your mother come with you?”
“I didn’t ask her,” Sheree replied, pulling on her jeans. “She doesn’t approve of my marriage to Derek. I doubt if she’d want to help me pick out a dress. Besides, it would have been hard to explain why I no longer have a reflection.”
“True enough,” Mara said, laughing. “Anyone you’d like to invite to the wedding?”
“Just Edna and Pearl. And my parents, of course.”
“Edna and Pearl?” Mara exclaimed. “Why on earth would you want them there?”
Shrugging, Sheree finished dressing and stepped into her sandals. “I think I hurt their feelings when I dumped their serum. I’d like to make amends.” It was only a little lie.
“Well, they wouldn’t have been on my guest list, but it’s your wedding.”
“So, you’ll invite them?”
Mara nodded.
“Thank you.” Grabbing her handbag and the gown, Sheree left the dressing room.
Mara waited while Sheree paid for the dress, which was carefully zipped into an opaque garment bag.
“So the groom doesn’t see it before the wedding,” the saleswoman explained with a smile.
Outside, Mara glanced up and down the street, her expression wary.
“Is something wrong?” Sheree asked.
“I got wind of a hunter earlier.”
Hunters, Sheree thought bleakly. She hadn’t given much thought to the danger they presented to her now that she was a vampire. “How do you know when they’re near?”
“You can smell them,” Mara replied, a note of disgust in her voice.
“Really? What do they smell like?”
“Death. Come on, I’ll see you safely home.”
Derek was waiting for Sheree when she arrived. She had invited Mara in, but the vampire had declined, saying Logan was waiting for her. They were going hunting together.
“I see you found a dress,” Derek remarked, eying the garment bag.
Sheree nodded.
“We’re all set then. I found just the place. It’s an old church in Northern California. I think everyone in the family has been married there except for my mother and Logan, who were married at home.”
“Did you set a date, too?”
“A week from tomorrow night. Mara cleared it with Father Lanzoni.”
Nodding, she placed the garment bag over the back of the sofa. “I’m hungry.”
“Come on, I’ll take you hunting.”
“Your mother said she smelled hunters in town.”
“Then we won’t hunt in town,” he said, taking her hand in his.
Moments later, they were in Texas.
“Texas?” she asked. “Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
She shrugged, wondering what the odds were of running into Pearl and Edna.
“Slim and none,” he said. “It’s a big state, and we won’t be here very long.”
She nodded agreeably, but, in spite of what Derek had said to the contrary, she was determined to try Pearl’s serum. If he read that rebellious thought, he didn’t remark on it.
It was still early and the streets of San Antonio were crowded with shoppers and tourists.
“Don’t you have to ask the head vampire’s permission to be here?” Sheree asked.
“No.”
“Why not? Your mother said master vampires are very possessive of their territory.”
“Well, that’s true enough, but Mara pretty much outranks every other vampire on the planet. And as her son . . .” He shrugged. “I guess you could say I have diplomatic immunity.”
She grunted softly. “Must be nice.”
Sheree had never been to Texas, although she’d once had a friend who was born there. According to Beth Ann, everything in Texas was bigger, better, and less expensive. Sheree didn’t know if any of that was true or not, but she was surprised to see men, and even a few women, wearing gun belts in plain sight.
A short time later, they turned onto the River Walk. It was a lovely place, with quiet walkways, tinkling waterfalls, and placid pools. Surprisingly, it was located one block below street level. They strolled past elegant Victorian mansions that were built on what had once been farmland belonging to the Alamo. Walking on, they passed the Pioneer Flour Mill, as well as hotels, restaurants, outdoor patios, and a number of shops.
They eventually ended up at the Alamo. Sheree knew little about the Alamo’s history, except for what she had seen in old movies. It was a lovely old place, and the first mission built in the city.
“Too bad it’s closed,” she remarked. “Maybe we could . . .” She paused, nostrils flaring at an unfamiliar scent carried by a vagrant breeze. “What is that awful smell?”
“Hunters. Three of them.”
“How do they know we’re here?” She glanced anxiously at the drifting shadows, but saw nothing.
“I don’t know, but we’re not waiting around to find out.” Grabbing her hand, he said, “Come on, we’re getting out of here.”
Moments later, they were in another part of the city. Derek quickly found a young couple walking down a quiet, tree-lined street. He mesmerized them with a look. “Which one do you want?”
“The man.” Sheree fed quickly, carefully. She had never realized how fragile mortals were until she became a vampire.
When she finished, Derek sent the couple on their way.
At home again, he settled into his favorite chair, his legs stretched in front of him, his gaze on his wife. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”
“I don’t know.” There were aspects of being a vampire that appealed to her—staying forever young, never getting sick, her increased strength. Even the blood part wasn’t nearly as bad as she had expected. But there was a whole part of her life that was forever lost to her. She missed her morning coffee. She missed all her favorite foods. She missed jogging in the morning, sunbathing in the backyard, going to lunch at the mall. She could no longer see her reflection in a mirror, or wear her favorite silver jewelry.
But those were superficial things. There would come a time when she would either have to stop visiting her parents or tell them the truth. How else could she explain the fact that her body didn’t age? Or why she couldn’t give them grandchildren . . . Children, she thought, blinking back tears. She would never have a daughter of her own, never know the joy of holding her child in her arms. . . .
Derek’s jaw clenched and she knew he was reading her thoughts again. She let her mind brush his, but it was closed to her. How did he do that?
Uncomfortable with the tension between them, she bid him good night and went to bed.
Derek sat there far into the nig
ht, thinking about Sheree. After reading her thoughts earlier, he couldn’t blame her for hating him. He had known he would never have children. When he’d turned Sheree, he hadn’t thought about what she would be giving up. He had thought only of what he would be losing, had known, in that instant, that he would rather live with her hatred than exist without her. In spite of her anger, he knew that, deep down, she still loved him. He had assumed she would forgive him sooner or later. Sometimes he thought she was softening; at other times he was certain she was going to stay mad for a century or two.
Then again, women were pushovers at weddings. Maybe a repeat of their vows would remind her of how much she had once loved him.
It was a slim hope, at best, he mused, but at the moment, it was the only hope he had.
Chapter Forty-Three
“The wedding’s set for a week from tonight,” Sheree told her father. “You and Mom will be there, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Brian Westerbrooke said. “I wouldn’t dare miss such a special occasion twice. Just give me the address and the time and we’ll be there with bells on.”
“Bells optional,” Sheree said, smiling, “tux required for walking the bride down the aisle. I don’t have the address for the church, so just meet me in front of the Marchand Hotel at eight o’clock Saturday night. Derek and I will pick you up.”
“Why all the mystery?” Brian asked.
“There’s no mystery. The church is in an out-of-the-way location. It’ll be easier for us to take you there. Derek’s already made reservations for you at the hotel.”
“Very well. I guess a little cloak-and-dagger journey is good now and then.” He chuckled softly. “We’ll see you Saturday night, pumpkin.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“Love you, too.” He hesitated a moment, then said, “Sheree, I know you’re still upset with your mother, but how about doing your old man a favor and letting it go?”
“All right, Dad.”
“Great! She’s right here, anxious to talk to you.”
Sheree ran a hand through her hair as she waited for her mother to come on the line.
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