“Well, hello to you too,” I replied to them all. “So, you remember I exist?”
Aunt Kate’s eyes narrowed.
Mom looked guilty.
Aunt Millicent glanced away.
Aunt Nadia bit her lip.
Lucien gave me a shoulder squeeze and murmured, “Leah.”
“Sorry but I was expelled from Vampire Studies and I did happen to find myself living with a vampire and my family does happen to be the premier family of vampire concubines so forgive me for expecting a little guidance and support!” I fired off.
The collective of Buchanan women’s eyes moved to Lucien. Once they did, so did my own. Lucien let me go and shrugged off his suit jacket.
He dropped it on the arm of the couch and suggested, “Perhaps we should all have a drink.”
I didn’t think this was good.
Aunt Kate disagreed. “Capital idea!” she announced.
“Lucien?” I called.
Drink, he said in my head. I’ll explain in a minute.
He’ll explain? What did this have to do with Lucien?
Then it hit me. The aunties visit a month ago when I didn’t get the chance to talk to them.
I was right, this wasn’t good.
I crossed my arms, jutted my hip, threw out a leg and tapped my toe. If any of my past boyfriends saw me in this stance, they would ask no questions. They wouldn’t utter a noise. They would cut and run straight for the hills.
Lucien glanced at me as he headed for the drinks cabinet. When his eyes hit me, they traveled from chest-to-toe then straight to my face. Then I saw him bite back a smile.
Big, fat, vampire jerk!
I immediately changed my mind regarding our later activities. If he thought we were “joining” tonight, he had another think coming.
“I’ll make more stuffing and potatoes and warm up more rolls.” Edwina was fussing in the kitchen. “Maybe whip up a pie.”
I was about to offer my help when I was interrupted.
“You were expelled from Vampire Studies?” Avery asked, his amused stare locked on me.
“I was caught texting, passing notes, throwing spitballs and writing my Last Will and Testament,” I declared.
Avery burst out laughing.
“Spitballs?” Lucien voice came at me from behind.
I turned and saw he had a bottle of vodka in his hand, his brows were up and he didn’t look amused.
“Spitballs,” I snapped rebelliously.
“Oh, can we please not talk about that? It took some palm greasing to get that instructor to keep his mouth shut,” Aunt Kate lamented and sent me her look that since I was four and even now that I was forty never failed to pin me to the spot. “Anyone else learns of this and it’s sure to taint the Buchanan name.”
“I still think it’s kind of funny, Katie,” Aunt Nadia whispered, giving me a wink.