The Accidental Vampire(37)

cupboards and refrigerators bursting with food.

"Elvi, you and the men pour yourselves some wine and take it out to sit by the fire,"

Mabel suggested once they were done. "I'll fix up some cheese and crackers and bring

them out."

"I can help," Elvi protested.

"You can help most by going out and sitting with the men and leaving me some room

to work," Mabel said firmly, her expression pointed. It was only then that Elvi recalled

that she was supposed to be getting to know these men and possibly picking a mate.

She'd been so wrapped up in food for the last little bit, she'd quite forgotten that

embarrassing little tidbit.

"Here." DJ moved to the wine rack, selected three bottles, and handed them to the

men, then fetched wineglasses and a corkscrew as if he'd lived in the house for a week

already. Passing out the various items, he waved them to the door. "Go sit by the fire

and get acquainted. I'll help Mabel with the tray."

"I don't need any help," Mabel growled.

Ignoring her, DJ began to herd them toward the door. "Go on."

An odd smile tugging at his lips, Victor took Elvi's arm and steered her to the door.

"Shout if you need help."

DJ just grinned as he watched them leave.

"This is nice," Harper commented moments later as they were finally settled around

the metal fire pit in the backyard. The fire had been dying out by the time they'd

collected chairs from the garage and set them up around the fire. Harper and

Alessandro had brought it back to flaming life while Edward, Elvi, and Victor had

tended to opening the wine and pouring the glasses.

"Yes," Elvi murmured, staring at the fire through the red wine in her glass.

Mabel and DJ came out moments later with a tray piled with every one of the six

cheeses Elvi and the men had picked at the grocery store and at least as many types of

crackers piled on a tray. There were also small paper plates for each of them. The

group tried the various offerings, commenting on what was good and what was not

and various other things.

When the tray was empty, Mabel picked it up and stood.

"I'll get that, Mabel. Sit down," Elvi said as she turned away.

"That's okay. I'm heading off to bed anyway," Mabel said. "You should probably too,

soon."

Elvi frowned and glanced at her watch. It was after five A.M. The sun would soon be

up, she realized with some surprise, and then acknowledged that she shouldn't be. The

restaurant didn't close until two A.M. because of the bar, and then there'd been the

house tour, the collecting of cars, and the hour at the grocery store before they'd

settled around the fire. The time had seemed to fly by.

Sighing with regret that the first interesting night she'd had in a long time was coming

to a close, Elvi collected her wineglass and moved to the fire to dampen it down.

"I'll get that," DJ offered, urging her out of the way.

"Thank you," Elvi murmured, then glanced at the other men to offer a goodnight

before slipping away to follow Mabel.

"Well?" the other woman asked as she entered the kitchen.

"They seem nice," she admitted wryly, then laughed and said, "but what did you do,

pick the wealthiest and best‐looking only?"

"Only the best for my Elvi," Mabel proclaimed.

"What would I do without you?" Elvi asked with a laugh and gave her a hug. "Now, go

to bed. It's well past your bedtime."

Nodding, Mabel started out of the room, then paused suddenly and turned back. "I

didn't get the chance to tell you…"

"What?" Elvi prompted as she opened the dishwasher and bent to place her wineglass

inside.

"'When we were at the restaurant, that Argeneau fellow touched my cross," Mabel

said quietly. "And nothing happened."

"He did?" she asked with amazement. She hadn't dared enter a church or touch

anything religious since her turning for fear of bursting into flames or some such thing

like in the movies.

Mabel nodded. "You might want to ask him about that tomorrow."

"Yes," Elvi murmured as Mabel continued out of the room.

Closing the dishwasher door, she made her way upstairs. It was late, or early as the

case may be, and she knew she should go to bed, but instead found herself wandering

through her room to the attached sunroom. Leaving the lights out, she moved to the

window and peered down at the half‐circle of men around the dying flames. Their

voices drifted up to her through the night as Elvi stood watching them. One of them

might be a mate for her, she thought with disbelief, and still wasn't sure she was ready

for another relationship. It had hurt so much to lose her husband and daughter…