The Accidental Vampire(107)

noticed several women in the line the last couple of times she'd glanced that way.

"Who gets to kiss them?" Elvi asked as she bent to apply the bandage to John Dorsey's

arm, and then gave him a quick peck on the lips, a glass of juice, and a cookie.

"That was my first question too," Mabel said with a laugh. "I gather Victor and DJ are

only doing the selling part, the women have their choice of Edward, Harper, or

Alessandro. And," she added dryly, "apparently they volunteered for it. It seems their

appetite for food isn't the only thing that has been reawakened on this trip. Which is

kind of weird when you think about it… or not," she added mysteriously.

"'What have you heard?" Elvi demanded at once.

"Well, there is some gossip running around," she admitted.

"About?"

"Well… did you notice that Edward kept volunteering to go to the grocery store for you

to get more flour, then more butter, then apples and so on while you guys were

making the pies?"

"Yes," Elvi nodded. The man had taken forever on those trips, but she'd just put it

down to his slow driving.

"Well, it seems every single time he went to Dawn's till, and spent a good deal of time

chatting her up and laughing with her," Mabel announced.

"Laughing? Edward?" She asked with disbelief.

"I knowwwww," Mabel said with a nod. "Maybe she's his lifemate."

"Dawn? No way," Elvi said, but wondered.

"And then there's Alessandro."

"What about Alessandro?" Elvi asked, eyes widening.

"Well, Louise Ascot says he's been over sitting on Mrs. Ricci's front porch every

morning this week while she's out doing her embroidering by sunlight."

"In the morning? While the rest of us are sleeping?" Elvi considered that and supposed

it explained why the man was always the last one up.

"Apparently he sits there until almost noon," Mabel went on. "Just talking to her and

helping her thread her needle and so on. And Louise says this morning they went

inside and he didn't come out for hours… and he was grinning like an idiot when he

did."

"Mrs. Ricci?" Elvi gasped. "She's eighty‐four!"

Mabel snorted. "Well, I'm sixty‐two and that didn't stop DJ."

"Yes, but… DJ is sweet and intelligent, and Alessandro is so immature and…" She

paused to ask, "I don't suppose you've heard anything about Harper?"

She nodded. "Karen says that at the play she and Mike took them to, Harper chose

their seats and he settled down right beside our mailwoman, Jenny, and he spent the

whole play talking to her."

"Well… I guess I can stop worrying about how to let them down easy," she said with a

grin, and then muttered, "I suppose now I just have to worry about dealing with

Victor."

"Yes." Mabel bit her lip, and then said, "Elvi, don't be too hard on him. I don't think he

thinks you're an idiot or any of that stuff. And as for the ' pet' deal…" She sighed

unhappily. "Honey, he's seen and understood more in a week than this whole town has

in five years, including me, your supposed best friend who lives with you." She shook

her head. "I'm sorry I didn't realize how you were feeling. It never occurred to me that

you might feel guilted into doing these things."

"Mabel, it's OK," Elvi said quickly.

"No, it's not. I'm seeing things different now that I'm immortal too. For instance, these

costumes are damned uncomfortable and just plain ridiculous. How the hell have you

stood it these last five—Oh my God, DJ shaved and cut his hair!"

Elvi glanced over her shoulder to see Victor and DJ approaching, both of them must

have visited Irene's booth. The hairdresser was cutting hair at the fair, the donations

all going to the Abused Kid's Shelter as was the money from Elvi's pies.

"I like the shave," Mabel announced, then added, "but I liked his hair longer."

"So did I," Elvi murmured, her gaze on Victor's short, conservative cut. He was still

gorgeous, but there was just something about a man with longer hair. She stared at

him silently until Mabel touched her arm, drawing her attention.

"Listen, Elv—Ellie," Mabel corrected herself, reverting to her old nickname with an

apologetic smile. "Look, just listen to Victor, okay? From everything I've seen and

everything DJ has said, I think Victor really does love you."





"He thinks I'm an idiot," Elvi muttered.

"Don't be ridiculous. Anyone with half a brain could tell you're no idiot," she argued.

"Just let him talk, okay?"