falling because you can get away from it.
“It’s tempting,” I told her as we pulled onto the compound road. “And I’ll think about it. But I really think that if I’m going to get out, I’d like to do it on my own. Otherwise, it will just feel like you’re taking care of me, instead of me taking care of myself.”
“I can respect that,” Jolene said, slowing in front of my trailer. “Even if I think it’s dumb.”
I snickered. “Thank you. I think that’s the very definition of love.”
“So can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What’s it like dating a vampire?”
“Same as dating a human?” I guessed. “Except he’s way more polite. Is it weird, how sexy I find politeness?”
“Probably.” She nodded.
“Yup.” I climbed out of the van. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, weirdo!”
I spent a lot of time considering Jolene’s offer. Alex had to spend a few days with insurance adjusters and contractors, repairing his school, replacing the equipment. I continued working at Specialty Books, considering both the murder board and my own work projects. And while I didn’t befriend Jane and her family for mercenary purposes, I ended up expanding my own business considerably. When Jane expressed (loud and profane) frustration with the program they used for the shop’s email promotions and social media, I offered to take a look at it for her. Within an hour, I’d signed a contract to handle all of her online activity except for sales. And when she told her friends how easy I’d made her life, I had contracts with Beeline, Everlasting Health, Libby Stratton’s accounting business, Wade Tucker’s garage, and the local free clinic run by Nola McGavock, a human who also happened to be Dick’s only living descendant. Jane even talked about handing the Council’s regional promotions, if she could get approval from the national office. I was a one-woman public relations empire.
I watched my family in a new light, analyzing every word and gesture from them. Normally, I just got annoyed with them so quickly, I just chalked their behavior up to being meddlesome, but now I wondered—Did Uncle Bill look smug when he was repairing the underpinning on his trailer? Did my cousin Maybelline’s eyes narrow when she asked where I’d been spending all my time lately? Was my family capable of vandalizing Alex’s school? Yes. But if they had done it, I would have expected them to talk about it. They would gloat and try to assure themselves I’d learned my lesson. And if my parents knew that I was dating a vampire, there was no way they would keep quiet about it, they would rail against me for daring to see someone they didn’t approve of, of wasting my time on some guy who didn’t even have a pulse.
Still, I watched, and I waited, and tried to work through everything I would have to do if I wanted to move out—whether it was to Dick’s apartment building or Jolene’s place.
The night of my half-ass blind date with Donnie Ansen came far too soon. While I hadn’t “come by” Braylene’s trailer as instructed, or even told my aunts when the date was scheduled, somehow Braylene, Lurlene, and several of my cousins crowded into my room to argue over what I should wear.
They were turning into some sort of hen party from hell, giggling and chattering, like I was getting ready for a much-anticipated prom date. My head was splitting from all the damn noise and all I wanted to do was toss myself out of the window just to escape. I also seriously considered showing up to Southern Comfort naked, but that seemed counterintuitive.
“You should wear the green dress,” Braylene bellowed, shaking the hanger at me, as if I was some sort of stubborn bull resisting a fight. I guessed she wasn’t too far off.
The green print with the tiny sprigs of white flowers was a classic nice girl Baptist church dress. Mama insisted that I wear it to any special occasion from funerals to first dates. She was hovering near the door, again, not quite taking part of the chaos, though she seemed to want to. I would have gladly traded places with her—and then bolted for the window.
“No, the yellow!” Lurlene insisted, stepping in front of her and displaying the yellow dress with blue flowers.
I only seemed to own dresses with flowers on them. It was a deep personal flaw.
“Not the yellow! It makes her look all sallow and washed out!” Braylene objected.
“No, the green makes her look flat as