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But it would be a lie. I didn’t love Paul. I never did. I had affection for him. I wanted to be his friend, the kind of friend he didn’t have sex with—and that was it. I wanted to see him at the Piggly Wiggly without feeling awkward.
I closed the box, squeezing his hand. “I really appreciate it, but no. I can’t.”
He frowned, nodding. “Can I ask why?”
“Because you’re right. We could make this work. We could put our noses to the grindstone and make this a marriage. But it shouldn’t be that hard, Paul. And in that whole speech, you didn’t mention loving me.”
He sank back into his chair, looking a little sheepish. “I didn’t, did I?”
“We don’t love each other like married people should.”
He protested, “But we could—”
“No, Paul. That’s my final answer.”
“I’ve really lost you, haven’t I?” He smiled sadly. “To that vampire?”
I nodded. “You’ve lost me, as much as I lost you. I’m sorry, Paul.”
“Well, at least I tried.” He sighed. “But if my mama asks, I made a grand sweeping gesture that you were just barely able to resist, OK?”
“I’ll tell her there was groveling involved,” I promised.
“Thanks. She’s always liked you,” he said.
“Would have been nice to know that when we were dating,” I muttered.
He chuckled and leaned in to kiss me. I ducked away, making him pause.
“No?”
I shook my head. And as he was backing away, we heard a cold voice from the doorway.
“Is there a problem here?” Ophelia was standing in the doorway, wearing a tight white minidress that could be termed a nurse’s uniform, in the porniest sense of the word, complete with a starched white cap.
“No,” I said, yawning. “My friend was just leaving.”
Paul frowned at Ophelia but squeezed my hand and left without a fuss. “Good-bye, Iris.”
“Good-bye.” I sighed. “I’m glad to see you, Ophelia.”
“I see the pain meds are kicking in,” she said, sauntering closer. She looked over her shoulder. “Close the door, would you?”
A lankier vampire followed her, shutting the door behind him.
“Oh, shit!” I yelped, springing out of my languid state. “Ophelia, that’s—”
“Mr. Dodd, I know. I thought the two of you should be formally introduced, since he is about to offer you the rarest of gifts. The vampire apology.”
“I’m sorry?”
“No, that’s his line.”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Dodd muttered.
“For?” Ophelia prompted.
“For being ‘grossly inappropriate’ when I met you at my house, leading you to think that I was a threat to you, when I was supposed to be observing and protecting you.” He said it in a monotone so flat that he could have been reciting a telemarketer’s script.
