danged morning to be putting Jack Daniels in—”
“Shhhh,”
he said, squinting. “C’mon, now, Inez. I’ve been up all night. Gotta drop my daughter off at school, which is only a cesspool of horny teenage boys—I need a drink. And I’d appreciate it if you kept your voice down so my wife doesn’t start up.” He gave Sarah a meaningful look. “Good morning, darlin’. You know how your aunt Tara is…well, once a vampire, always got a mean streak and can hold a nasty grudge. She doesn’t understand what it’s like for us dads.”
Sarah made the sign of a zipper across her lips. The legends said that Tami’s mom, Val’s dad and her own were the only vampires who had been granted amnesty by the Light for helping humans. But just because they were now mortal and technically human, they still had all their vampire ways and powers, which meant they hated mornings. She often wondered how her mother, her uncle Jack and her aunt Val could deal with their spouses’ morning-vamp bad mood. The last thing she was going to do was tell on her cool uncle Jack.
He gave her an appreciative nod and lifted his coffee mug to her. “Thanks, kiddo. Knew you’d understand after years of dealing with your old man’s morning fangs.”
“Far cabinet to the left, behind the flour,” Inez said, shaking her head. “And don’t be making that girl an accomplice to your bad habits. Sarah doesn’t have to keep any secrets around here. If your wife finds out, it’s your fault, not hers.”
“Bless you, ‘Nez. You’re a saint,” he said, finding the bottle and pouring a healthy shot into his coffee. After taking a long slurp he closed his eyes and sighed, then kissed Sarah on the top of her head as he passed her. “Tami’s looking for you out there. I’ll tell her that instead of back-talking her mom and me, she should be in here helping get breakfast on, like you are.”
Sarah slid off the stool. Her conversation with her aunt had now been officially derailed, and any chance for sneak telepathy was a thing of the past. She and her aunt shared a look.
“It’s gonna be all right, baby. I promise you. I can get the rest of this food out. You go eat. Just don’t be letting them make you feel bad up there at school. You hear me?”
“I won’t. Thanks, Aunt ‘Nez.” Sarah’s shoulders slumped as she grabbed two pitchers of fresh-squeezed orange juice and headed out the swinging door.
There was definitely something comforting in the chaos of compound life. She glanced around as she set down the pitchers at the end of the buffet. The food had clearly already been blessed, because plates were piled high, and the boys were plowing through it as though there was a new famine. The last thing she was prepared for was Val heading in her direction.
She turned her back to him and poured herself some juice.
“Hey, can I get some?” he asked, and she could feel his wide grin.
She handed him a glass and turned away.
“Uh, good morning,” he said, tapping her shoulder playfully.
“Good morning,” she said quickly.
“Are you okay?” He grabbed her arm and turned her around, then stared at her forehead.
Sarah closed her eyes. “Go ahead. Say whatever you’ve gotta say.”
Val offered her a casual shrug when she peeped open one eye. “It’ll go away in a couple of days. So what?”
She opened both eyes.
“I’m just glad that’s all that happened,. It’s good to see you enjoying the sunshine, know what I mean?” He knocked his juice glass against hers with a wink and loped away.
Her gaze followed his retreating form for a moment before she caught herself and began fixing a plate. She glanced around at everyone, hoping no one had seen her looking at Val the way she had been. Yeah, she did know what he meant. Last night she could have been demon bait, which would have meant that this morning—if she’d lived—she’d have a serious aversion to sunlight and pancakes. No one needed to know they’d broken at
“Shhhh,”
he said, squinting. “C’mon, now, Inez. I’ve been up all night. Gotta drop my daughter off at school, which is only a cesspool of horny teenage boys—I need a drink. And I’d appreciate it if you kept your voice down so my wife doesn’t start up.” He gave Sarah a meaningful look. “Good morning, darlin’. You know how your aunt Tara is…well, once a vampire, always got a mean streak and can hold a nasty grudge. She doesn’t understand what it’s like for us dads.”
Sarah made the sign of a zipper across her lips. The legends said that Tami’s mom, Val’s dad and her own were the only vampires who had been granted amnesty by the Light for helping humans. But just because they were now mortal and technically human, they still had all their vampire ways and powers, which meant they hated mornings. She often wondered how her mother, her uncle Jack and her aunt Val could deal with their spouses’ morning-vamp bad mood. The last thing she was going to do was tell on her cool uncle Jack.
He gave her an appreciative nod and lifted his coffee mug to her. “Thanks, kiddo. Knew you’d understand after years of dealing with your old man’s morning fangs.”
“Far cabinet to the left, behind the flour,” Inez said, shaking her head. “And don’t be making that girl an accomplice to your bad habits. Sarah doesn’t have to keep any secrets around here. If your wife finds out, it’s your fault, not hers.”
“Bless you, ‘Nez. You’re a saint,” he said, finding the bottle and pouring a healthy shot into his coffee. After taking a long slurp he closed his eyes and sighed, then kissed Sarah on the top of her head as he passed her. “Tami’s looking for you out there. I’ll tell her that instead of back-talking her mom and me, she should be in here helping get breakfast on, like you are.”
Sarah slid off the stool. Her conversation with her aunt had now been officially derailed, and any chance for sneak telepathy was a thing of the past. She and her aunt shared a look.
“It’s gonna be all right, baby. I promise you. I can get the rest of this food out. You go eat. Just don’t be letting them make you feel bad up there at school. You hear me?”
“I won’t. Thanks, Aunt ‘Nez.” Sarah’s shoulders slumped as she grabbed two pitchers of fresh-squeezed orange juice and headed out the swinging door.
There was definitely something comforting in the chaos of compound life. She glanced around as she set down the pitchers at the end of the buffet. The food had clearly already been blessed, because plates were piled high, and the boys were plowing through it as though there was a new famine. The last thing she was prepared for was Val heading in her direction.
She turned her back to him and poured herself some juice.
“Hey, can I get some?” he asked, and she could feel his wide grin.
She handed him a glass and turned away.
“Uh, good morning,” he said, tapping her shoulder playfully.
“Good morning,” she said quickly.
“Are you okay?” He grabbed her arm and turned her around, then stared at her forehead.
Sarah closed her eyes. “Go ahead. Say whatever you’ve gotta say.”
Val offered her a casual shrug when she peeped open one eye. “It’ll go away in a couple of days. So what?”
She opened both eyes.
“I’m just glad that’s all that happened,. It’s good to see you enjoying the sunshine, know what I mean?” He knocked his juice glass against hers with a wink and loped away.
Her gaze followed his retreating form for a moment before she caught herself and began fixing a plate. She glanced around at everyone, hoping no one had seen her looking at Val the way she had been. Yeah, she did know what he meant. Last night she could have been demon bait, which would have meant that this morning—if she’d lived—she’d have a serious aversion to sunlight and pancakes. No one needed to know they’d broken at
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