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He looked sheepish. “I’m sorry. It took a while to get all of the details wrapped up.”
“And obviously, you were in a remote location where phone signals could not reach.”
“Until recently, I wasn’t sure that you would be willing to see me,” he said. “I thought you’d moved on.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I came to the hospital the night you woke up,” he said. “I had finally managed to satisfy Ophelia’s demands for basic information about Waco’s killing. During her debriefing, the only thing that kept me sane was that she was receiving regular updates on your condition from Jane. I came to your room and found Paul there. He was touching you, and you were smiling. You told him you loved him.”
“I thought it was you!” I exclaimed. “I was drugged out of my mind and woke up to someone stroking my face. I assumed it was you.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. And when I heard you say those words to someone else, even if it was a mistake, it broke my heart. I didn’t know it could break. I don’t want to be away from you ever again. I don’t want to be anywhere without you. Or Gigi. If she’ll have me.”
I sat up, leaning against the cabinets. My lips twitched, but I bit back the smile while he continued.
“I panicked. I put you in danger. I put Gigi in danger. I was so sure you were going to decide that being with me wasn’t worth it that I ran at the first sign of rejection. I should have talked to you instead of running away. If Gigi hadn’t tracked me down to knock some sense into me—”
“Gigi? Really?”
“Well, Gigi and her sweetheart. Did you know Ben can track cell-phone signals from up to ten miles away? Gigi came to see me at my new Council housing and told me that I was, quote, ‘a total dumbass’ if I didn’t see how much we loved each other.”
I loved my sister. I really did.
“And you didn’t call me after my baby sister kicked your butt because?”
“I couldn’t call,” he said. “The Council can be very persuasive when they’re trying to convince you not to retire. You see, I’ve learned a lot about my vampire brethren over the years, things that would make life uncomfortable for the vampire hierarchy if released to the general public. I had to make arrangements for certain packets of information to be left in key locations so that if I or anyone I cared about came to harm, that information would be distributed.”
“How does your local Council supervisor feel about this?” I asked, thinking of the bloody revenge Ophelia could be planning at this very minute.
“Who do you think helped me set it up?” he asked. “She likes the idea of having her own freelance consultant in her backyard. And she likes you. She wants you to help plan the wedding when Jane finally gives her permission to marry Jamie. Jane says hello, by the way, and that you’re still on for Girls’ Night at River Oaks next week. I believe Gabriel, Dick, Jamie, and I are expected to do some sort of manly bonding activity involving gaming equipment.”
That seemed awfully settled. For someone who spent so much of his time fighting attachments, Cal was practically drawing up a potluck rotation with my friends.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re staying nearby?”
He grinned, pulling me into his lap. “I was thinking very close by. It’s a very convenient location. Beautiful gardens, spacious underground accommodations, and it’s Iris-adjacent.”
I snorted. “Surely you don’t think I would bring a vampire into my home. Do I look particularly stupid to you?”
He chuckled, recalling our very first conversation. “No, I make a habit of only loving brilliant women. Besides, I already know where you live.”
“Don’t you threaten me! There are a lot of handy, breakable wooden objects in this room. As I have mentioned before, I’m not above living out one of my fonder Buffy fantasies.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Considering what Buffy did with Angel and Spike over the course of seven seasons, I think I’d be OK with that.”
“How do I know that you’re not going to walk out on me again the next time things get rough?”
“I don’t do that. Not anymore.”
“Considering that you just did it, I have a hard time believing that,” I shot back with a little more vitriol than I’d intended. I blew out a long breath, ruffling the bangs curling into my line of vision. “You hurt me.”
“I’m sorry. But you can trust me never to do it again. Open my wallet.”
I sighed. “If you offer me an obscene amount of money right now, I think you should know that I am capable of hurting you. You’re bigger than creepy John, so it may take me a while, but I will take a chunk out of you.”
I flipped open the expensive-looking leather contraption, and an engagement ring slid out into my open palm. He slid the ring onto my finger. I took a moment to admire the respectable square-cut diamond, offset by little flowers engraved in the platinum band. He kissed my hand and tucked it against his chest. “I’m thinking a Halloween wedding. Gigi would appreciate it. And think of the many ways you could use trick-or-treat candies as part of the theme. Candy corn and chocolate kisses as far as the eye could see.”
I laughed, pleased at how well he knew me. “I’ve already got two weddings booked for that night. Newly made vampires just love getting married on Halloween,” I replied. “How about next spring? It would give me more time to plan.”
