open. Of course not. “Geez,” I murmured, stunned at the royalty in my yard.
“So remember how stupid he is, and how impulsive . . . don’t spend time alone with him, and don’t ever call him anything but Bubba. Also, he likes pets, as he told you, and a diet of their blood hasn’t made him any the more reliable. Now, as to why I brought him here . . .”
I stood with my arms across my chest, waiting for Bill’s explanation with some interest.
“Sweetheart, I have to go out of town for a while,” Bill said.
The unexpectedness of this completely disconcerted me.
“What . . . why? No, wait. I don’t need to know.” I waved my hands in front of me, shooing away any implication that Bill was obligated to tell me his business.
“I’ll tell you when I get back,” he said firmly.
“So where does your friend—Bubba—come in?” Though I had a nasty feeling I already knew.
“Bubba is going to watch you while I’m gone,” Bill said stiffly.
I raised my eyebrows.
“All right. He’s not long on . . .” Bill cast around. “. . . anything,” he finally admitted. “But he’s strong, and he’ll do what I tell him, and he’ll make sure no one breaks into your house.”
“He’ll stay out in the woods?”
“Oh, yes,” Bill said emphatically. “He’s not even supposed to come up and speak to you. At dark, he’ll just find a place from which he can see the house, and he’ll watch all night.”
I’d have to remember to close my blinds. The idea of the dim vampire peering in my windows was not edifying.
“You really think this is necessary?” I asked helplessly. “You know, I don’t remember you asking me.”
Bill sort of heaved, his version of taking a deep breath. “Sweetheart,” he began in an overly patient voice, “I am trying very hard to get used to the way women want to be treated now. But it isn’t natural to me, especially when I fear you are in danger. I’m trying to give myself peace of mind while I’m gone. I wish I didn’t have to go, and it isn’t what I want to do, but what I have to do, for us.”
I eyed him. “I hear you,” I said finally. “I’m not crazy about this, but I am afraid at night, and I guess . . . well, okay.”
Frankly, I don’t think it mattered a damn whether I consented or not. After all, how could I make Bubba leave if he didn’t want to go? Even the law enforcement people in our little town didn’t have the equipment to deal with vampires, and if they were faced with this particular vampire, they’d just stand and gape for long enough for him to tear them apart. I appreciated Bill’s concern, and I figured I better have the good grace to thank him. I gave him a little hug.
“Well, if you have to go off, you just be careful while you’re gone,” I said, trying not to sound forlorn. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“Yes. I’ll be in New Orleans. There was a room open at the Blood in the Quarter.”
I’d read an article about this hotel, the first in the world that catered exclusively to vampires. It promised complete security, and so far it had delivered. It was right smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter, too. And at dusk it was absolutely surrounded by fang-bangers and tourists waiting for the vampires to come out.
I began to feel envious. Trying not to look like a wistful puppy who’s being pushed back in the door when its owners leave, I yanked my smile back into place. “Well, you have a good time,” I said brightly. “Got your packing done? The drive should take a few hours, and it’s already dark.”
“The car is ready.” I understood for the first time that he had delayed leaving to spend time with me and Arlene’s kids. “I had better leave.” He hesitated, seemed to be searching for the right words. Then he held out his hands to me. I took them, and he pulled a little, just exerted a tiny pressure. I moved into his embrace. I rubbed my face against his shirt. My arms circled him, pressed him into me.
“I’ll miss you,” he said. His voice was just a breath in the air, but I heard him. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and then he stepped away from me and out the