Her decision made, she called Vince and told him she was going to visit her parents after work.
“You’re doing the right thing, darlin’,” he said.
She clung to that thought as she pulled out of the library parking lot later that night. Nearing her parents’ home, she was overcome with second thoughts and drove on by. What if Vince was wrong? What if it wasn’t as easy as he seemed to think it would be? She drove aimlessly for almost an hour; then, muttering, “this is ridiculous!” she drove back to her parents’ house.
It was with a sense of trepidation that she climbed the stairs and rang the bell.
A moment later, her father stood in the doorway. She had rarely seen him at a loss for words, but for a moment, he just stood there, staring at her.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Cara!” He swept her into his arms and held her tight.
“Roshan, who’s at the…?”
The sound of her mother’s voice brought tears to Cara’s eyes. Then her mother was hugging her, too, and Cara realized that Vince had been right again. There was no need for words, no need to apologize or explain.
“So, tell us,” her mother said a short time later when they were all seated in the living room. “How have you been? What have you been doing? What’s your new house like? Do you need anything?”
Warmth and belonging flooded Cara’s being. “I’m sure Di Giorgio has kept you up to date,” she said, but there was no censure in her voice. “Mostly, I’ve been working and decorating my place. I’d love for you and Dad to come and see it sometime.”
“Just name the day and we’ll be there.”
“How about Monday night?”
Brenna glanced at her husband, who nodded. “Shall we say ten o’clock?”
“Perfect,” Cara said.
“Di Giorgio tells us you’re spending a lot of time with Cordova,” her father said, his tone carefully neutral.
“Yes.”
“Is he the reason you’re here?”
“What do you mean?” Cara frowned. They couldn’t possibly know that Vince was the one who had convinced her to come here, could they?
“I thought maybe the fact that you’re dating a vampire had made you see your mother and me in a different light.”
“He’s not a vampire,” Cara said emphatically. “He can’t be. I’ve seen him during the day, working at his garage.”
Her mother and father exchanged glances but said nothing.
Cara took a deep breath. “Do you sleep in coffins?” The very idea creeped her out.
“No, dear,” her mother said. “We sleep in a king-size bed.”
“But you drink blood?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re a witch, aren’t you?”
Brenna’s eyes widened in surprise. “Who told you that?”
“No one. But it’s true, isn’t it?”
Needing support, Brenna reached for her husband’s hand. “Yes.”
“Maybe I’d better tell you the whole story,” her father said. “It will save a lot of time and questions.”
Cara listened, fascinated by the tale her father told her. She had thought that after learning her father and mother were vampires, nothing else could surprise her. She had been wrong. Her father was over three hundred years old. He had traveled back in time to save her mother from being burned at the stake by an angry mob. Later, both of her parents had been part of a horrible experiment conducted by a warlock. When her mother was close to death, her father had turned her into a vampire because he couldn’t bear the thought of going on without her. Then one night they had found a teenage girl giving birth in an alley…
It was a remarkable story. Had she heard it from anyone but her father, had she not been the baby born in that alley, she would never have believed a word of it.
“I don’t suppose you’d consider coming back home?” Brenna asked hesitantly.
Cara shook her head. “I don’t think so.” Seeing the hurt and disappointment in her mother’s eyes, Cara said quickly, “It’s not because of you or because of what you are, Mom, it’s just that I really like having my own place.”
“Because of Vince,” her father said.
“Partly,” Cara admitted. “But that’s not the only reason. It’s not that I don’t love the two of you, it’s just that, living here, I still feel like your little girl, and I’m not a little girl any longer.”
“You’ll always be our little girl,” her father said.
“Even when I’m old and gray and you’re not?” Cara laughed softly but without humor. “In a few years, people will think the two of you are my children.”
“Cara, sweetheart…”
“It’s all right, Mom. It just takes a little getting used to, you know?”
Brenna nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Cara had never seen her mother cry before and couldn’t help noticing that her mother’s tears were red. Roshan quickly handed his wife a handkerchief.
“I’d better go,” Cara said, rising.
“We’ll see you Monday night, Princess.”
“Right.” She hugged her father and her mother, kissed their cheeks. Had their skin always been so cool? “See you then.”
Leaving the house, she felt as if she were leaving the weight of the world behind. She could hardly wait to see Vince so she could tell him that he had been right.
She drove quickly to the garage, only to find that it was locked up tight. No lights shone in any of the windows, upstairs or down. She glanced at her watch. It was only eleven-thirty. Surely he wasn’t in bed already?
With a sigh of disappointment, she started to leave, then decided to wait a few minutes in hopes that he would return.
She turned off the headlights. Switching off the engine, she left the radio on, then leaned back in her seat. She closed her eyes and her mind immediately filled with images of Vince bending over her, his dark eyes filled with desire. Images turned to vivid memories—the feel of his hands sliding over her bare skin, the taste of him, the sheer pleasure of his body melding with hers, his tongue dueling with hers, the husky sound of his voice as he whispered love words in her ear…
She spoke his name when the car door opened, a smile of welcome curving her lips as she opened her eyes and looked up.
Only it wasn’t Vince looking back at her.
Chapter 23