Silence stretched between them. She wished he would say something, anything.

Wished she could think of something to ease the tension that grew more strained with every passing moment.

"I did not mean to frighten you," he said quietly. "I am sorry."

She wanted to deny it, to tell him she hadn't been afraid, but it was a lie and he would know it.

Several minutes passed before he turned to face her. "Forgive me?"

"Of course."

When he offered her his hand, she hesitated a moment before taking it and letting him pull her to her feet.

That brief hesitation did not go unnoticed.

With a slight bow, he released her hand. "I will bid you good night," he said. "Please, stay up as long as you wish. My home is yours."

Before she could say ah, yes, or no, he was gone.

Vicki stared after him, her heart and mind in turmoil. Why had she reacted that way?

She had known Antonio was a vampire, but it hadn't kept her from being afraid. Nor had it kept her from feeling stark fear for her life and her soul.

Curling up in the chair, she stared into the fire, wondering if she might not have been safer staying in her own home.

Chapter 26

Vicki woke with a yawn. She glanced at the high ceiling, the yellow walls, the rosewood armoire, and frowned. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was, and then she recalled falling asleep in Antonio's easy chair the night before.

Throwing back the covers, she sat up. He must have carried her upstairs to bed, though she had no memory of that, either.

Rising, she went into the bathroom. After showering and brushing her teeth, she dressed and went downstairs.

The silence in the house was a bit unnerving. All the drapes were drawn and she went from room to room, opening the heavy draperies, until the rooms were flooded with sunlight.

When her stomach growled, she started to go downstairs to the kitchen, only then remembering that there wasn't any food in the house. She continued on anyway.

Opening the curtains, she was surprised to see several cardboard boxes on the counter. Peeking inside the boxes, she found everything she could possibly want, from the basics, like sugar and salt and pepper, to several kinds of bread and a variety of canned fruits and vegetables. She also found a box of apples, bananas, and oranges.

And several bottles of water.

The last box held pots and pans and a set of expensive silverware, as well as a couple of women's magazines, the local TV Guide, and a cookbook. She grinned. Did he think that, because she was a waitress, she didn't know how to cook?

It touched her that he had gone out shopping for her. And not just for groceries. A new refrigerator and stove gleamed in their respective spaces. She wondered how on earth he had managed to get the appliances delivered in the middle of the night.

Curious, she opened the refrigerator. It was stocked with milk, orange juice, grapefruit juice, butter, two dozen eggs, bacon, four kinds of lunch meat, three kinds of cheese, and a variety of fresh produce. There was also a six-pack of root beer and another of 7UP.

Vicki shook her head. Her refrigerator at home had never held this much food at one time.

Later, after a leisurely breakfast of bacon, French toast, and orange juice, she put the groceries in the pantry, washed and dried her few dishes, and then went upstairs. She put a Tim McGraw CD in the player, then went up to make her bed.

When that was done, she wandered through the house from top to bottom, noting as she did so that there were no mirrors in the house, and no telephones. For the first time, she wished she had a cell phone, but in a little town like Pear Blossom Creek, there was really no need for one. Still, her mother had been after her to get one, for emergencies.

Of course, back in Pear Blossom Creek, if you needed help, all you had to do was stand on the corner and ask. And sometimes you didn't even have to ask!

In the kitchen again, she noticed a small door in the back of the pantry. It opened with a squeak and she peered down a narrow flight of stairs. A flick of a switch turned on a low-watt lightbulb hanging from a cord at the foot of the stairs. Keeping one hand on the wall, she went down the steps, several of which creaked under her weight. At the bottom, she found herself in a large cellar lined with shelves, all of which were empty.

She was about to go back upstairs when she saw the coffin. Looking at it sent an icy shiver down her spine. Was this where Antonio slept during the day? If she lifted the lid, would she find him inside?

She stood staring at it for several minutes, wondering if she dared open it. Would he know if she did so? Would he be angry?

She took a step toward the coffin, and then another. Did she dare?

Compelled by some morbid desire she didn't understand, she moved toward the coffin.

She ran her hand over the wood. It was like no coffin she had ever seen before except in old monster movies. Long and rectangular, it was made of untreated wood.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted the lid and peeked inside.

It was empty.

Filled with a sudden, inexplicable fear, she dropped the lid back into place, ran up the stairs, and slammed the door behind her. Standing in the middle of the pantry, she took several deep, calming breaths, and then frowned. If the coffin was empty, where was Antonio?

She pondered that for several minutes, deciding that the coffin he slept in must be in another part of the house, no doubt behind a locked door.

Maybe she would ask him about it later. Then again, maybe not. He had refused to tell her the last time she had asked.

With a shake of her head, she grabbed a jacket and went outside. She walked around the grounds. There were trees everywhere, their leaves a riot of reds and golds and autumn brown.

She paused at a fountain. It wasn't working, of course, but it was lovely just the same. A mermaid made of blue stone reclined on a large shell in the center of the fountain. King Neptune stood behind her, trident in hand. Had the fountain been working, water would have poured out of the trident's tines and rained down upon the mermaid. Perhaps Antonio would turn it on for her.

She moved on, following an overgrown brick pathway that led to the rear of the house.

Here, she found a number of topiary trees. Though they were in need of trimming, she could see that one was an elephant standing on its hind legs, another a whale, another a bear.

She looked up at the house, noting the turrets and towers, the arched windows, the narrow catwalk that went all the way around the castle. It really was a lovely place.

She stopped at the garage on the way back to the front of the house. It was an obvious addition, though it was built like a small castle, complete with turrets at all four corners.

Curious to see what kind of car Antonio drove, she opened the door and stepped inside.

It was, she saw, a three-car garage. And there were three cars inside. A sleek black Corvette. A black Jaguar that looked ready to pounce. And a gleaming silver Lexus.

One thing was for certain. The man had expensive taste in automobiles!

It took her five minutes to make up her mind. In the end, she picked the Corvette. Just sitting behind the wheel was exhilarating. For some reason, it made her think of Tom Duncan and his beat-up Camaro. Grinning, she turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life.

Driving a Corvette was a heady experience for someone who had never driven a sports car. Comparing it to driving her Honda was like comparing a fine racehorse to a plow horse. Sure, both would get you where you wanted to, but there was a world of difference in the ride.

She drove past the town and just kept going, loving the feel of the car, the purr of the engine, the way it handled. With John Michael Montgomery on the radio singing about letters from home, she thought life was just about perfect.

After cruising for half an hour or so, she turned around and headed back to town. As Antonio had said, it wasn't very big. In fact, the town of Kay 's Crossing didn't look much bigger than Pear Blossom Creek. Still, it had a Starbucks and a McDonald's and a number of department stores, including a Target and a Wal-Mart, as well as some smaller specialty stores. An old-fashioned movie theater was located across from an Applebee's restaurant. Surprisingly, they were showing two movies for the price of one, something she knew had been common years ago. She remembered hearing her parents talk about how theater admission prices had only been twenty-five cents, and for that, you got two movies, a bunch of cartoons, and a newsreel. Now producers and directors worried if their movie ran more than two hours, and ticket prices were pushing ten dollars.

Vicki parked the car, being careful to lock it, and then went window-shopping. Like most small towns, this one was friendly. The people she passed on the street smiled at her; most of them said hello.

She went into a quaint little cafe for lunch, and then went in search of a pay phone. Her first call was to her mother, but no one answered the phone. She left a message saying she was on a short vacation and that she would call back in a day or two. The second call was to Bobbie Sue.

"So, how are you and Duncan getting along?" Vicki asked.

"We're getting married."

"Married? When?"

"Well, we haven't set the date yet, but probably in the spring. He's going to give up hunting and become a teacher at some school that trains vampire hunters, if you can believe that. Anyway, I'm taking him home to meet my folks. We're leaving in a few minutes."

"That's great, Bobbie Sue. I'm happy for you?"

"Thanks. I'm pretty happy about it myself."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Not long. Gus would only give me a couple of days off. We'll be back Thursday night. I have to be at work Friday afternoon. Gladys is out with the flu. We could sure use your help at the diner. Do you think you'll be back soon?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

"So, how are things with you? He hasn't turned you into a vampire or anything, has he?"

Vicki lifted a hand to her throat. "Of course not."

"What's his place like?"

"It's a castle, and I mean a literal castle. You should see it, Bobbie Sue."

"Have you seen the ghost yet?"