Desire After Dark by Amanda Ashley Page A

give Arnie another chance,” Mrs. Heath said, patting her hand. “He’s a fine young man.”
    Vicki rolled her eyes. Was everyone in town determined to see her married to Arnie Hall?
    â€œYou’ll never find a better man.”
    â€œMaybe not,” Vicki said, thinking of Antonio. “Then again, I might.”
    â€œWhy, Victoria Lynn,” Mrs. Heath said, her eyes twinkling, “have you found a beau you’re not telling anyone about?”
    â€œNow, Mrs. Heath, you know if that were true, you’d be the first one to know.”
    Mrs. Heath beamed at her. “You’re such a sweet girl. You should have a family and a man to take care of you.”
    Sharlene had deserved to have a family, too, Vicki thought with a sigh. She had seen Ron at the gas station earlier. He had forced a smile when he waved at her. When she went to pay for her gas, Fred Black had told her that Ron had quit his job and was moving to Amarillo. She couldn’t blame him. There were too many bad memories for him here. She seemed to recall that he had some family in Texas.
    â€œCan I get your some more lemonade, dear?”
    â€œNo, thank you.”
    They chatted for a few more minutes and then Vicki gave Mrs. Heath a quick hug and took her leave.
    Vicki spent the rest of the day dusting and vacuuming and doing her laundry, her mind filled with thoughts of the bounty hunter and Antonio and unblinking yellow eyes.
    She was glad when it was finally time to get ready for work. Hopefully, the diner would have a crowd tonight and she would be too busy to think of grieving parents or howling wolves or dynamite kisses.
    The bounty hunter was having dinner when she arrived. Steak again, she noted in passing. He was a real meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, she thought with a grin. Not bad looking, either. She wondered how long he was going to be in town and who the mysterious man with the yellow eyes was and if the hunter was any closer to finding him. It was still hard to believe that there was a killer on the loose in their sleepy little town.
    She approached Tom Duncan’s table when he pushed his plate away. “Can I get you anything else?”
    He looked up, seeming surprised to see her. “Hi. What happened to Gladys?”
    â€œHer shift ends at six. Can I get you some dessert?”
    â€œI don’t know. You got any apple pie?”
    â€œBest in town.”
    â€œHow about bringing me a big slice and a cup of coffee?”
    â€œSure. You want ice cream with that?”
    â€œWhy not? You only live once, right? Might as well enjoy the good things while you can.”
    Vicki thought about how true that was as she cut him an extra-large slice of pie and added a double scoop of ice cream. Picking up the coffeepot and the plate, she carried both back to table number four.
    He murmured his thanks as she placed the plate in front of him, then refilled his coffee cup.
    He took a bite of pie and smiled his approval. “You’re right, it is good.”
    With a nod, she moved away from the table.
    Tom Duncan glanced around the diner, noting that he was the only one eating alone. Everywhere he looked there were couples on dates or families enjoying a night out together. Even Ramsey had found a mate.
    Well, he was tired of being alone, he thought irritably. Even vampire hunters deserved a night off.
    His gaze settled on Vicki as she cleared a nearby table. She was a pretty thing. He’d checked earlier, noting that she didn’t wear any rings.
    While waiting for her to bring him his bill, he looked around the diner again. It looked like something out of the fifties, with its black and white tile floor. There was a long counter lined with stools covered in red vinyl. There was a jukebox in one corner that played all the old fifties hits. He’d noted that Elvis was a big favorite. There were old movie posters on the walls. Again, Elvis was prominently featured. There were booths along