You’ll Understand When You’re Dead: Broken Heart Vampires Book 12 by Michele Bardsley

establishments in the entire town. We can’t hide here forever.”
    “True. But we need nourishment if we’re going to fend off Bettie and her battalion.” He eased back, finally giving her some room. “Doesn’t she remind you of rabid terrier?”
    Natalie laughed. She shifted, grimacing when the vinyl stuck to her legs. Her short dress was useless protection against the seat.
    “Hello, Natalie.”
    She looked up and sighed. “Jerry.”
    Without invitation, the ghost slid into the booth. His hound-dog features looked pastier in the bad light of the diner.
    “Still getting married?”
    “Yes,” Matt said with a possessive edge.
    Surprised, Natalie glanced at Matt. He put his arm around her shoulders, fiddling with the spaghetti strap of her dress. The warm, lazy strokes tingled her skin.
    Jerry’s expression drooped.
    “Well, here’s the happy couple.” Dottie the Ghost, a regular fixture in Broken Heart, pouted her bright pink lips in mocking accusation. She usually hung around Patsy, gave the vampire queen advice she didn’t want, and caused trouble whenever she could. Dottie was determined to have a fun afterlife since her earthly life had been so crummy. After all, she’d been killed by her truck driver boyfriend.
    “Please tell me Bettie isn’t behind you,” said Natalie.
    “Don’t worry, sweetie. They got distracted by the skeletons.”
    Natalie and Mattie stared at the ghost.
    Dottie lit a phantom cigarette and blew out the smoke. It amazed Natalie how many habits spirits kept after they left their corporeal forms. “I’m guessing they came from the graveyard. There’s not a lot meat left on ‘em to be zombies.” The voluptuous redhead slid into the booth next to Jerry. “What’s shaking?” she asked the sullen suitor.
    Jerry blushed.
    Matt continued the soft touches, slipping a forefinger under her dress strap. Natalie felt a prickle zip down to her girly parts.
    “So,” said Dottie, her gaze taking in Matt’s wandering fingers. “Are you waiting for the big day to do the nasty?”
    Natalie nearly choked on her spit. “Dottie!”
    “Well, you haven’t bonded. I can always tell when vampires are mated.” Dottie studied Jerry as the amorous ghost took in the redhead’s beauty. She smiled winsomely.
    “This is Jerry,” said Natalie. “He’s visiting.”
    “Well, that’s just fine,” purred Dottie. “You want me to show you the sights, honey?” She winked at him.
    “Yes,” said Jerry. “Definitely.”
    “Have fun, lovers,” said Dottie. She put her hand on Jerry’s rumpled jacket, and the two ghosts faded away.
    “Poor Jerry doesn’t stand a chance,” Matt murmured.
    The intent look in Matt’s eyes belied the teasing tone of his voice. Natalie felt as if she’d been swimming in a strong current, and now the undertow was dragging her down.
    Thankfully the food arrived, and Natalie concentrated on her chicken fried steak instead of Matt’s disconcerting presence. Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes dripping with homemade gravy, and thick, steamy biscuits were weaknesses of hers. Now that she was a vampire, there was no such thing as calories or bad-for-you food.
    Without ceremony, Matt dug into his meatloaf.
    They ate in silence, which held a thread of tension she didn’t understand. Some time between hiding from Bettie and the conversation with Dottie, something between she and Matt had changed. She shoveled a particularly huge, dripping bite into her mouth.
    “You look like a chipmunk,” he said.
    She chewed, barely able to swallow the meat. It finally went down, and she cut a smaller bite. “Shut up.”
    Matt laughed.
    Natalie bit into a biscuit, sighing at its hot, fresh taste. “This is the best part of living in Broken Heart.”
    “Nat!”
    Natalie looked up, her mouth full of biscuit and saw Jessica and Eva chugging toward them.
    “You look like a chipmunk,” said Jessica.
    “Are you two getting married?” asked Eva. “Bettie Smith couldn’t tell