Runaway Vampire (Argeneau, #23)

The lie came out so smoothly you would have thought she’d planned it out. She hadn’t though; it just came to her on the spot, but she was grateful for it.

“That’s nice,” Dave said, smiling as he led her to the golf cart he’d driven from the office. “I could tell you found it a bit much driving down on your own when you stopped here in the fall.”

“Yes,” Mary said quietly as she got in next to him. “It was a bit more than I expected. It’s much nicer when you have someone to share the driving.”

“I can imagine,” Dave assured her as he headed the golf cart back the way he’d come. “I sure wouldn’t want to run this place without Carol helping.”

Mary smiled, and then found herself glancing over her shoulder back toward the RV. She hadn’t turned on the lights or let the sides out or anything. She should have done that, she supposed. It would make things easier for Dante. While there were hookups for water, sewer, and 50 amp power supplies, there were no night-lights around the RVs to give him light. He’d be feeling his way around inside.

Clucking her tongue with irritation at her thoughtlessness, she turned to face forward again and listened to Dave’s cheerful chatter about how busy the winter had been for them with all the snowbirds coming and going.

“But when you called last week and asked if you could move your booking forward, Carol worked her magic and managed to rearrange our other bookings for you,” Dave informed her.

“I appreciate that,” Mary said quietly. “But I told her I’d take anything you had available. I didn’t want to put you out.”

“You didn’t. She was happy to do it. You know Carol,” he added affectionately.

“Yes,” Mary said with a smile. It would be hard to find a woman with a bigger heart than Carol had. She’d become a dear friend over the years. They both had. Which was why Mary had booked two nights here this time. She’d already decided she wasn’t doing this again. The trip just wasn’t the same alone. Knowing this would be the last time she made the trek back and forth, she’d wanted to have a nice last visit with this couple who had been so good to her and Joe over the years. But with Dante to worry about, Mary now wasn’t sure she should stay the extra night.

“Good God, woman, what did you do? Drive thirty all the way from Padre Island?”

Mary smiled at that greeting from Carol as the petite bottle blonde pulled her into a hug the moment Dave ushered her inside the office.

“I’m sorry,” Mary said as she hugged her back. “I know it’s late. You probably wanted to close shop and go relax hours ago.”

“Nonsense. We keep the store open late,” Carol said at once, stepping back to scowl at her. “We were worried about you is all. Started thinking we maybe should call the sheriff’s department and see if there was an accident on the highway or something.”

Mary grimaced at the word accident, but just shook her head. “I’m fine. Just slow.”

“Hmm, well you come sign in and we’ll get you a nice drink to soothe your nerves from driving,” Carol said, leading her to the registration counter. “Dave, fetch her a rum and coke on ice.”

“Oh, no,” Mary protested at once. “Thank you, but I still have to hook up and put out the slide-outs and stuff.”

“Let your nephew take care of that. That’s what he’s here for,” Dave said lightly, moving into the office to fetch glasses.

“He doesn’t know how to do any of that . . . yet,” she added when both Carol and Dave turned to peer at her in surprise. “This is his first day in the RV.”

“Oh,” Dave smiled wryly. “How’s he liking it so far?”

Mary merely shrugged helplessly and turned her attention to the clipboard waiting on the countertop. It was her registration, already mostly filled out by Carol for her. Mary merely had to sign it. She did so, then pulled out her credit card and offered it, but Carol waved it away.

“You can do that when you leave, Mary. We trust you.”

Mary hesitated, but then decided it might be best to pay up front. She wasn’t sure what would happen in the morning and didn’t want to have to make explanations if they did leave early. This way, she was covered. Smiling, she shook her head and held the card out insistently, saying lightly, “I’m used to doing it at the start and I’m not getting any younger, my memory isn’t as good as it used to be. Best do it now.”

Shrugging, Carol took the credit card and rang it up.

“Well, if you won’t have a drink with us now, promise you’ll come by for breakfast in the morning,” Dave demanded, then added, “On the house.”

“That would be nice,” Mary said and meant it. At least that way if anything happened to force her to leave early she’d have gotten in a bit of a visit with them first.

“Good,” Carol said firmly as she handed her back her credit card. “We’ll hold you to that. Dave will come fetch you and your nephew if you aren’t both here by eight.”

“Understood,” Mary said with a tired smile.