Ghost Town Page 0,17

there now, but Claire was sure of what she'd seen, even in that brief flash.

Shane's father, Frank Collins, had been watching them. That was unsettling, creepy. She hadn't seen Frank in a while--not since he'd saved her life. She'd heard that he'd been around, but seeing him was an entirely different thing.

Frank Collins was the world's most reluctant vampire, and besides that, she was sure that he was the person Shane least wanted to see.

"Nothing," she said, and focused her attention back on Shane with a smile that she hoped was happy. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"So, how do we celebrate my okayness? It's my day off. Let's go crazy. Glow-in-the-dark bowling?"

"No."

"I'll let you use the kiddie ball."

"Shut up. I do not need the kiddie ball."

"The way you bowl, I think you might." He grabbed her in an exaggerated formal dance pose and whirled her around, backpack and all, which didn't make her any more graceful. "Ballroom dancing?"

"Are you insane?"

"Hey, girls who tango are hot."

"You think I'm not hot because I don't tango?"

He dropped the act. Shane was a smart boy. "I think you are too hot for ballroom or bowling. So you tell me. What do you want to do? And don't say study."

Well, she hadn't been going to. Although she'd considered it. "How about the movies?"

"How about borrowing Eve's car and going to the drive-in movie?"

"Morganville still has a drive-in theater? What is this, 1960?"

"I know, goofy, but it's kind of cool. Somebody bought it a few years ago and fixed it up. It's the hot place to take a hot date. Well, hotter than the bowling alley, because . . . privacy."

It sounded weird, but Claire thought that in fairness, it did seem more romantic than the bowling alley, and less old-folks than ballroom dancing. "What's showing?"

Shane gave her a sidelong look. "Why? You planning on watching the movie?"

She laughed. He tickled her. She shrieked and ran on ahead, but he caught her and tackled her down to the grass of the park on the corner, and for a couple of seconds she kept laughing and struggling, but then he kissed her, and the sensation of his warm, soft lips moving on hers took all the fight right out of her. It felt wonderful, lying here on the grass, with the sun shining on them, and for a few minutes she was floating in a soft, warm cloud of delight, as if nothing in the world could ever ruin this feeling.

Until a police siren let out a sharp burst of noise, and Shane yelped and rolled off of her and up to his feet, ready for . . . what? Fighting? He knew better. Besides, as Claire struggled up to her elbows, she saw that the police car that had pulled up to the curb was--once again--Chief Hannah Moses. She was laughing, her teeth very white against her dark skin.

"Relax, Shane; I just didn't want you scaring the little old ladies," Hannah said. "I'm not hauling you in. Unless you've got something to confess."

"Hey, Chief. Didn't know kissing was against the code."

"There's probably something about public displays of affection, but I'm not so much bothered by that." She pointed at the western horizon, where the sun was brushing the edge. "Time to be getting home."

Shane looked where she pointed, and nodded, suddenly sobered. "Thanks. Lost track of time."

"Well, I can see how." She waved and pulled away, off to deliver helpful encouragement to other wandering potential victims. It was different from the way Monica's brother, Richard Morrell, used to do things, and before him the old police chief, but Claire kind of liked it. It seemed . . . more caring.

Shane held out his hand and pulled her to her feet, and helped her dust the grass off, which was mainly just an excuse to be handsy. Which she didn't mind at all. "Did you see my ninja move? That was fast, right?"

"You are not a ninja, Shane."

"I've watched all the movies. I just haven't gotten the certificate from the correspondence course yet."

She smiled; she couldn't help it. Her lips were still tingling, and she wanted him to kiss her again, but Hannah was right--sundown was a bad time to make out in public. "I've thought about the drive-in."

"And?"

She fell in beside him as they walked toward home. "I don't care what's playing after all."

His eyebrows rose. "Sweet."

Michael wasn't home when they got there, but Eve was, buzzing around upstairs. Claire could immediately tell, because either it