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“It’s a bit closer to home this time, from the Hollow to New Orleans and back. Jane has a vampire author coming into the shop for a book signing, and she prefers to see a bit of the country when she travels.”
“I don’t know if I can face another motel for a while,” I told him.
“She specifically mentioned the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Luxurious accommodations and a minibar you can ransack to your heart’s content.”
“Memphis?” I squealed. “I’ve never taken pictures of Mud Island. Oh, I can get kicked out of Graceland!”
Mom sighed. “Oh, Miranda, not again.”
“That security guard had no sense of humor, Mom.”
“Well, you wouldn’t be alone,” Collin said. “I’ve requested that you drive me back to Washington … at some point … which I haven’t determined yet.”
“Let me guess.” I snorted. “Return date wasn’t mentioned in that sixteen-page contract rider.”
“No. I expected to return immediately. But I’ve found that Half-Moon Hollow has certain … attractions I did not anticipate.”
“I thought you were the master of anticipation.”
He slipped his arms around my waist. “Well, some things are even better than anything my paltry gift could conjure up.”
“You are too much,” I told him.
“And by the way, Iris has a new policy. All client-requirement riders are to be a maximum of three pages. Her exact words were, ‘You will never have to put up with anything like that again.’”
“Will wonders never cease?” I said, smirking at him. “So we have a few days before I have to report back to work. We can get into a lot of trouble in a few days. If only we had vampire-safe transportation.”
“And I just happen to have vampire-safe transportation available,” he said, pulling the curtain aside to reveal a dark SUV.
“How did you rent a car without ID?” I asked.
“Did you know that the Council can issue valid vampire identification without a waiting period? And negotiate money transfers with Swiss banks? And replace vampire-safe vehicles destroyed in the course of Council business?”
“I did not know that.”
“And they managed to wrangle a replacement for the credit card that motel clerk cut up.”
I asked, “Do I want to know how they knew my account numbers?”
He shook his head. “No.”
Because the housekeeper had finished the laundry, my traveling clothes were already clean and neatly folded. I stuffed them into my battered bag and slipped into jeans and one of Collin’s shirts. He would get it back … eventually.
I tromped down the stairs and could hear Mom tittering about the romance of a spontaneous weekend trip and how she and Daddy used to do that all the time together. I’m not sure which marriage she’s remembering, but I certainly didn’t recall Daddy whisking Mom anywhere that didn’t involve a deposition.
Collin was shooting a pleading look at the stairs just as Mom said, “I’m so sorry Lyle wasn’t home tonight to meet you. He’d planned to be here, but he got held up at work, which is typical. But I suppose Miranda won’t have to worry about that with you, will she? She mentioned that you work from home. How fortunate for her …”
Was I mistaken, or was my mother sort of flirting with my vampire almost-boyfriend?
“Ready?” I asked, snickering.
“Yes, please.”
“Be careful, sweetheart. Do let Collin drive every once in a while.”
“Actually, Mrs. Puckett, we tend to fare better when Miranda is driving.”
“Really?” Mom lifted her brows. She rubbed her sternum, just over her heart. “I think I just stopped worrying, just the tiniest bit. What a refreshing change of pace.”
