“He’ll be fine.” Focusing on the man, Travis wiped the memory of what had transpired from his mind and sent him on his way.
Sara licked the last traces of blood from her lips as she watched her prey hurry across the parking lot toward the street. Prey. Not a man. Not a human being. Just prey. She shook her head as she gained a new respect for Travis. If not for him, she might have killed the guy. It would have been so easy, so satisfying, to take it all, to feel his heart beating in time with hers. She would have to be more careful in the future.
“You doing okay?” Travis asked.
Sara nodded. She felt elated, jubilant, better than she ever had in her whole life. Travis might not be happy to be a vampire, but it gave her a sense of power, of freedom, that she had never known before. Who wouldn’t want this? “What?” she asked, feeling suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m just a little surprised at how easily you’ve accepted all this. It doesn’t bother you at all, does it?”
The way he looked at her made her feel ashamed, as if she’d done something wrong. “What’s done is done,” she said with a shrug. “There’s no going back.”
He grimaced. Once, he’d said that very thing to her. “I guess it’s time I stopped wishing for my old life and started enjoying the new one,” he muttered. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her. “I think it’ll be a lot easier now that I’ve got you to share it with.”
“We’ll help each other,” she said, smiling. “We’ve got a long time to figure things out.”
“So, what about that wedding?”
“The sooner the better. We should ask Carl and Winona to stand up with us.”
Travis nodded. And then he grinned. “I guess we should invite Ronan and Shannah, too.”
“Of course!”
Pulling out his cell phone, Travis called his sire.
Ronan answered on the first ring. “Don’t tell me you’re in trouble again?”
“No, Dad. I’ve got good news. Sara’s agreed to marry me. I hope you and Mom will come to the wedding.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, son,” Ronan said gruffly. “Just let us know where and when.”
Shannah looked at Ronan, one brow arched, as he put his phone away. “Dad?”
He grunted softly. “His juvenile idea of humor.”
“I’ll need a new dress,” she said. “And you’ll need a new suit.”
Ronan shook his head. Just like every other woman, she jumped at the chance to buy a new gown. Not that he minded. He would gladly buy her a hundred dresses—and shoes to match—just to see her smile.
Overstreet grinned as he tossed his phone on the sofa.
“What’s so funny?” Winona asked.
“Travis and Sara are tying the knot.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.”
“Does it?” Carl smiled at her as he pulled her into his arms. “Maybe we should be thinking about doing the same thing.”
“Do you mean it?” she asked.
“If you’ll have me.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather be with.”
“If Sara doesn’t object, maybe we could tie the knot at the same time?”
“Our guests have accepted,” Travis said. “All we need to do now is find a venue and set the date. Oh, Carl wants to know if you’d mind making it a double wedding?”
“I don’t mind if they don’t.”
“I’ll let him know.”
Sara found an old Gothic church in upstate Vermont that she thought looked perfect for a vampire wedding. Built of white stone, it had a tall spire, ancient oak doors, and the most beautiful stained-glass windows she had ever seen. She made the arrangements with the priest and set the date for October 31st.
“Halloween?” Travis said, grinning. “Perfect. How do you feel about a double wedding?”
“With who?”
“Overstreet and Winona.”
“The more, the merrier!”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? You could invite your parents.”
Sara shook her head. “They’d insist on a big wedding with a sit-down dinner and all their country club friends in attendance. I just can’t handle all that, or trying to explain why it has to be at night, or …” She shook her head again. “I’ll send them a telegram and tell them we eloped.”
“All right, if you’re sure.”
“I am. It’ll be just us and our new family.”
Taking her in his arms, Travis swung her around and around. “I love you, Sara Ann Winters. For now and always!” he exclaimed. “And day after tomorrow, I’ll show you how much!”
Chapter 35
Sara woke abruptly, instantly aware of what day it was and where she was. Sitting up, she brushed a wisp of hair away from her face, wondering if she would ever get used to sleeping without dreaming and emerging from nothingness to wakefulness the minute the sun slid behind the horizon.
And then she smiled. She was getting married in two hours. When she went to bed tonight, she would be—who? Mrs. Travis Black? Or Mrs. Jim Hewitt? She laughed softly. A rose by any other name, she mused, as long as her Mr. Right was there.
She had sent a telegram to her parents the night before, informing them that she was eloping with Travis and that they would visit them as soon as they returned from their honeymoon.
She swung her legs over the side of the mattress, anticipation bubbling inside her like champagne as she went into the bathroom to shower.
Travis had contacted Ronan and Overstreet with the details, and they had all agreed to meet at the church at the appointed time.
If she didn’t hurry, she was going to be late!
Sara and Travis were the last to arrive at the church.
“We thought you’d changed your mind,” Overstreet remarked.
“No chance of that,” Travis said, holding tight to Sara’s hand.
Sara’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the minister enter through a side door and take his place in front of the altar. It was really happening. She was getting married!
“Shall we
