The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,23

their phone can do so, but it will be on the fridge if anyone needs it."

Nodding, Mirabeau slid away from Tiny, took the pen she offered, and then pulled a cell phone out of her back pocket.

"Both our numbers are new. We lost our phones in New York, so Lucian sent us new ones," she admi ed on a grimace and began to punch buttons, presumably in search of her phone number.

"My phone's in my back pocket, Beau," Tiny rumbled as he began to slide cookies off the metal cookie sheet and onto a plate.

Mirabeau immediately moved over to slide her hand in and dig out his phone. Drina turned away to hide a smile when she saw that while Mirabeau was retrieving the phone with one hand, she hadn't been able to resist gliding her other hand under the top of his apron and over his bare chest.

"What smells so good?" Harper asked, coming into the kitchen from the pantry.

"Chocolate chip pecan cookies," Tiny announced, his voice gruff as Mirabeau retrieved her hands and his phone and turned back to the refrigerator.

"That sounds interes ng," Harper decided, and moved forward to peruse the li le discs. "Can I have one?"

Tiny paused and glanced at Harper with surprise, "Well, yeah sure, that's why I made them."

Nodding, Harper took one and li ed it to his mouth to try a bite. Eyes widening as he swallowed, he pronounced, "Mmmm. Good."

Tiny stared at him silently. When his gaze then slid to her, Drina promptly turned away to begin collec ng the Wal-Mart bags from where Stephanie had set them. But she heard him say, "Have another." And she glanced over her shoulder to see Tiny watching the man closely.

"Thanks." Harper took a second cookie, and glanced to where Stephanie was hovering over her cups of cocoa. "Can I help you with that?"

"Well, it's ready except for the water, but if you'll pour the water in when the ke le boils, I could help Drina carry the bags up to our room."

"Okay," he said agreeably.

"Thanks." Stephanie grinned at him and rushed around the counter to Drina's side.

"I'll help with the bags while you boys oversee the food and drink," Mirabeau announced, as Drina straightened and headed for the stairs. She had just started up when she heard Tiny murmur, "So you're eating again, Harper?"

"Oh, yeah, I started a year and a half ago when I first came to Port Henry and met Jenny."

"Your life mate?" Tiny asked.

"Yes, mee ng a life mate reawakens old appe tes, of course, and I guess they don't just die if the life mate does. They'll go away again eventually, but it will take a while I suppose."

"But I didn't think you'd been eating since Jenny died," Tiny said mildly. Drina paused on the stairs, wai ng un l Harper answered with, "I guess I was too depressed to be bothered, but going out with the girls today perked me up some, and my appetites are back."

"Hmmm," Tiny murmured, and Drina con nued up the stairs just as Stephanie and Mirabeau came out of the dining room and started up the stairs behind her.

"Okay, spill," Mirabeau said firmly as soon as they were in the room Drina and Stephanie were sharing.

"Yes, Drina, show her what you got," Stephanie said lightly, dropping her bags and hurrying to close the door behind Mirabeau.

"I didn't mean - " Mirabeau began.

"She knows," Drina pointed out on a sigh. The kid seemed to know everything. There probably wasn't a thought in this house the girl didn't hear.

"I just wanted to close the door so the guys don't hear," Stephanie said in a hushed voice as she moved past Mirabeau to Drina's bed. Sprawling on the twin bed, she smiled at Mirabeau, and said, "Marguerite picked Drina for Lucian to send just as she suggested Tiny and you bring me here."

Mirabeau's eyebrows rose as she recognized the significance of that. "Harper's your life mate?"

"It would seem so," Drina said wearily, dumping the nearest bag on the bed and beginning to sort through the clothes that spilled out.

"Christ. That means we have another distracted hunter guarding Stephanie," Mirabeau mu ered with disgust. "What was Lucian thinking sending you here if - "

"Because he doesn't care if I'm distracted."

"What?" Mirabeau asked with surprise.

"He planned to send someone named Bricker down here to replace me the moment Harper and I acknowledged we were life mates, but it turns out there's been a sigh ng of Leonius in