The Undead Next Door

CHAPTER 23

Heather was looking for something to hate about Jean-Luc. His vampire status no longer seemed a good enough reason to reject him. All the Vamps in the house were drinking their meals from bottles. All the male Vamps were well-mannered and considerate. Simone and Inga appeared selfish and vain, but Heather strongly suspected they'd been that way before acquiring fangs.Fidelia confirmed the theory that death didn't change a person's character. She'd seen proof of that through her experience with helping lost spirits. So Heather could no longer avoid the truth. Jean-Luc was just as gorgeous, intelligent, and honorable as he'd been as a mortal.

His sense of honor carried over into the way he conducted business. There were no sweatshops, no employees being abused in the pursuit of wealth. Phil confided in her that Jean-Luc was taking care of Pierre's family. He was a good man. If he had been mortal, Heather knew she wouldn't hesitate to pursue a relationship with him. She wouldn't be constantly denying her feelings for him. So the real question was, could she accept him and love him as he was?

Thursday was a peaceful day until suppertime, when Ian suffered another attack. Fidelia immediately whisked Bethany off to the kitchen, so the little girl wouldn't have to witness Ian's torment. Heather hated seeing him suffer and begged him to take some painkillers, but he stoically refused. After a half hour of twitching and sweating, he finally fell into a peaceful death-sleep.

Heather finished the stole for the first gown and proceeded to the pattern-making stage for the second outfit. As time went by, she found herself looking forward to seeing Jean-Luc again.

He showed up about eight-thirty, as handsome as ever. Her breath caught, just looking at him. I know you love me. God help her, was he right? What else could explain how she was drawn to him even when she knew the truth about him?

He looked over her work while they waited for Ian to wake up. Ian woke and stumbled to his feet to see if he'd grown. Heather handed Robby a measuring tape.

"Congratulations, ye're now six feet tall," Robby announced. "And ye need to shave."

Ian grinned, rubbing the whiskers on his jaw.

"We should have some Blissky to celebrate," Phineas suggested.Ian laughed. "Ye're always looking for a reason to have some Blissky."

"I have a bottle in the security office," Robby said. "Let's go."

The three male Vamps sauntered off, leaving Heather alone with Jean-Luc.

"What's Blissky?" she asked.

"A mixture of synthetic blood and Scottish whisky," Jean-Luc explained. "Roman has made our meals much more interesting with his Vampire Fusion Cuisine."

Heather made a face. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. We now have Chocolood, blood with chocolate, a favorite among the lady Vamps, and Bubbly Blood, blood with champagne for those special vampire occasions."

Heather laughed. "What would that be? Moving into a new, improved coffin?"

The corner of his mouth tilted up. "Now you're mocking me. You know exactly where I sleep, and it's not a coffin."

Her face warmed with the memory of his bed.

"Would you like to see what I've been working on? It's in my office."

She hesitated, not knowing if she was ready to be alone with him behind closed doors.

His smile faded. "I would never harm you, cherie. I would do anything to protect you from harm."

Anything but stop her from falling in love with him. And that might cause her great pain sometime in the future. She sighed. Love never came with a guarantee. It was always a leap of faith. She just wasn't sure she wanted to take that leap.

Was she letting fear rule her life again? Sometimes caution was the wise choice. Then again, too much caution could be really boring and…sad. What if she spent the rest of her life regretting her cautious wisdom?

She took a deep breath. "I can stop by for a few minutes."

"Good." He walked slowly toward the door, waiting for her to accompany him. He made no attempt to touch her, and she was grateful for that. He seemed to understand that she needed time. And she needed answers.

"Why did you come to Texas?" she asked as they started down the hallway.

"I needed to disappear. The media was questioning why I never grew older."

"So you're in hiding?"

He nodded. "For twenty-five years. Then I can return to Paris, posing as my son."

She wanted to ask if he ever considered having a real son, but she lost her nerve. "So you're going to be in Schnitzelberg for a while." How could she go back to her normal life, knowing that a vampire who loved her lived right down the highway?

"I can still go places. I just have to be careful. I can't afford to be spotted by the media."

"How on earth do you travel?" She paused as they entered the showroom. "Don't tell me—you're stashed in a coffin in the cargo bay of a 747."

He winced. "That would be awful. Travel is actually very easy for us. We just teleport."

"Teleport? Nobody teleports, except in sci-fi shows."

"Vampires teleport."

She gazed around the showroom, speechless. She turned back to Jean-Luc, and he vanished.

She gasped. "Jean-Luc?"

"Yes."

She jumped and spun around. He was behind her. "Oh. That was too sneaky."

"It comes in very handy. That's how my guards were able to bring your daughter's toys here."

She narrowed her eyes. "You could teleport into my bedroom whenever you like, even with the door locked?"

"Yes. But don't forget—I'm an honorable man."

She winced with a sudden thought. "Then Louie could teleport here. He could go straight to my bedroom—"

"Heather," he interrupted her, touching her shoulder. "An alarm goes off the second anyone teleports into the building. It went off last night when Simone returned."

"Oh. So that's why you barged into my bedroom."

"Yes."

He really was protecting her. "I appreciate how hard all of you are working to keep us safe."

He smiled. "When this is all over, I think we should go on a date."

"You mean dinner and a movie?" She scoffed. "I'm not volunteering to be dinner."

He chuckled. "No, but I could take you somewhere out of the public eye, like Angus's castle in Scotland or Roman's villa in Tuscany."

What a rascal. He was dangling a carrot that she found hard to resist. She'd always longed to travel.

"I have Vamp friends all over the world who would welcome us," Jean-Luc continued. "We just have to be sure that I'm not recognized. Or that the sun hasn't risen."

"You mean you would take me with you when you teleport?"

"Yes. It's quite simple, really."

She snorted. "That's easy for you to say. You're talking about turning me into some kind of…vapor, then hoping I materialize with my head on straight."

"It's perfectly safe."

"It doesn't sound safe."

He tilted his head, considering her. "I'll show you how it works now, then you won't have to worry about it."

She stepped back. "I'm okay with worrying. I'm really quite good at worrying."

"We'll just go to my office." He pointed to the second-floor window that overlooked the showroom. "And then later, when I take you on a longer trip, you won't be afraid."

Good Lord, he was so enticing. "I might agree to a date sometime in the future. But that doesn't mean I've agreed to that courtship idea of yours."

"Fine. We'll do a practice run now." He moved closer.

Her heart lurched. Oh God, she'd agreed to teleport.

He placed his hands lightly around her waist. "There are a few things you must do for it to work."

"Like what?"

"Put your arms around my neck and hold tight."

She slowly moved her hands up to his neck. "What now?"

He wrapped his arms around her. "Now you kiss me."

She scoffed. "They never did that on Star Trek."

"Their loss."

"What if you're teleporting alone or with a guy?"

He winced. "All right. I lied." He gave her a rueful smile. "But you can't blame me for trying."

She swatted his shoulder.

He chuckled. "You do have to hold me tight, though."

The room began to waver, and Heather grabbed his neck for dear life.

"Trust me." His soft words whispered in her ear just before everything went black.

She felt a floating sensation, then a solid floor beneath her feet. She opened her eyes. She was in a large office. "That was spooky."

"You'll get used to it."

She stepped back, and he released her. She wandered around the office, noting the two leather wingback chairs, the desk, computer, and file cabinets. She stopped by a worktable that was strewn with beautiful fabric in shades of green and blue. A pile of peacock feathers begged to be touched. She stroked the soft fronds.

"I knew you would have to touch," he spoke quietly behind her. "You like texture."

Her skin prickled with goose bumps. "How did you know?"

"I've been watching you." He moved close beside her. "You like the smoothness of silk against your bare skin. You like to touch chenille and velvet." He picked up a peacock feather. "This reminded me of you. It holds all the different shades of green and turquoise that I see in your eyes.

They change slightly when you're smiling or frowning or…climaxing."

She shot him an annoyed look. "Your eyes change, too."

He smiled and handed her a stack of sketches. "What do you think?"

She looked them over. He was so talented. He managed to draw on centuries of fashion experience and create something both classic and new. "They're beautiful."

"So is my inspiration." He stroked the edge of the feather down the side of her face and down her neck.

She dropped the sketches and paced toward the window. She gazed down at the mannequins, stark white in the dark showroom. "I need to know more about you."

"What do you wish to know?"

She leaned her forehead against the cool glass. "Everything. You know everything about me."

He sighed. "There's not much to tell. I was born a poor peasant, the son of Jean who cleaned out the stable. I don't recall a family name."

She turned to face him. "What about Echarpe?"

"I acquired that name after I was transformed. Some Vamps gave it to me as a jest. After women…encountered me, they would wear a scarf to hide the marks." He shrugged. "Echarpe means 'scarf. "

She winced. "A sad joke."

"Much of my life has been a sad joke. I have…fought to be where I am today."

She could relate to that. "Is it true what you said the other night—that your mother died when you were young?"

Frowning, he sat in one of the wingback chairs. "Both my parents died. I was orphaned by the age of six. The baron allowed me to sleep in the stable and take over my father's duties."

Heather huffed. "Well, that was kind of him."

"It was better than being homeless."

She walked toward him, stopping at the desk. "Go on."

"The baron was a seasoned warrior, and he had several wards living at the chateau with his son. He was training them all for knighthood. I would hide behind barrels to watch. Then I practiced at night in the stable with a staff."

She nodded. "I bet you were good."

"The baron's son was a bully, and he would beat the other boys to a pulp. The baron did nothing, for he was proud of his son. One day, when I was about ten years old, the son had one of the wards down on the ground, and he was pummeling him with a club. I grabbed my staff and shoved him away. We engaged in battle."

Heather winced. As a history teacher, she understood the severe consequences if a peasant attacked one of his superiors.

"The servants were yelling at me to stop and run away," Jean-Luc continued. "The other wards ran to alert the baron. And I continued to fight. I fought like a madman. All my years of frustration and misery erupted with so much anger."

"I can believe that." She'd been so angry at herself for her years of being a doormat. "What did the baron do?"

"He ordered us to stop. I realized then what I had done. I thought I was going to die." Jean-Luc rubbed his brow, frowning. "That was the first time I felt the full extent of being powerless. My fate was entirely in the hands of another man."

"How terrible." Heather moved to the chair next to him.

"To everyone's surprise, the baron walked up to his son and backhanded him across the face so hard, the boy fell to the ground with a cut lip. The baron called it punishment for failing to kill an inferior in battle. Then he said if I wanted to fight, I could. I was astonished, but it seemed much better than mucking out the stables for the rest of my life, so I agreed."

"You trained with the other boys?"

"Yes. The next few years were difficult. I had to be on guard constantly, for the baron's son was always trying to ambush me and beat the hell out of me."

"What a creep."

Jean-Luc smiled. "He was. The king at that time, Louis XII, was trying to take over Italy. He demanded his nobles send him their best knights. The baron was linked to the powerful de Guise family who wanted the king to fail, so the baron was told to send his worst. And so I was quickly knighted. Another sad joke."

Heather winced. "You couldn't have been the worst."

"I had no real battle experience. And no family, so I was expendable. I was given a poor excuse for a horse, and some pathetic old weapons."

"Oh my gosh, they sent you to die."

"Exactly. I remember the baron laughing, saying that his decision to train me had paid off. I was sent instead of his son to die in a war that was doomed to fail." Jean-Luc closed his eyes briefly. "I swore that day that I would never be powerless again. I would never be a pawn again."

Heather touched his arm. "I'm so sorry."

He took her hand in his. "My first battle was in 1500. I survived."

"You were only fifteen."

He nodded. "I continued to do well. I was noticed and given a better horse and equipment. I was working my way up the ranks until 1513 and the Battle of the Spurs."

"That's when you…"

"Died. The English invaded France at Guinegate, and my comrades fled in battle. I was so angry that I stood my ground and slashed the first Englishman who approached me. A stupid mistake, for soon I was surrounded and stabbed many times. They left me to die."

Heather shuddered, and he tightened his grip on her hand.

"That night, Roman found me. I didn't want to die."

"Of course not. You were so young."

"Yes, but it was more than that. I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny. I was sick of being powerless. I wanted power, even power over death."

Heather swallowed hard. "I guess you got it."

He smiled wryly. "I can still die. And the final joke to my short life as a mortal—the following morning, my body was gone, so the Battle of the Spurs has gone down in the history books as a bloodless battle. I was the one forgotten casualty."

"I'm sorry."

He squeezed her hand. "Only a few know my story. I hate to even remember how pathetic I was."

"I felt pathetic, too, that I let everyone boss me around. But you know, we're not pathetic at all. We're conquerors. We have both struggled to change our lives for the better." She winced inwardly. She'd just admitted his life as a vampire was an improvement.

"I won't lie to you, cherie. The vampire world is just as violent as the mortal one. The Malcontents are growing an army, and another war could break out. That would be a disaster for us all. Such a war could not escape notice. The media would be all over it."

She took a deep breath. "Your secret would be out."

He nodded. "Exactly."

And there would be people determined to hunt down all vampires and kill them. "That would be a disaster." She withdrew her hand and leaned back in her chair. The vampire world was a dangerous one. How could she drag her daughter into it?

He stood and wandered to the window overlooking the showroom. "I need to warn you about the runway show a week from Saturday. I thought about canceling it, since it gives Lui an opportunity to attack you. But we decided to go ahead with it."

She gulped. "So I'm going to be a sitting duck?"

He turned to face her. "I will be by your side the entire evening. We will be well prepared. It is better this way. Better to draw him here where we can control the situation. And better for it to happen at night when all the Vamps are awake and able to protect you."

She nodded slowly. "Better to get it over with, too." She didn't want to live with the threat of Louie any longer than necessary. "But we have to keep my daughter and Fidelia safe. I won't let you put them in danger."

"Agreed." He paced over to his worktable. "Now you know what I fear the most. I hate being powerless. Being a vampire has given me many powers, super strength and speed, and so on, but it also has one terrible weakness. I am totally powerless during the day."

She rose to her feet. "You have your guards to keep you safe."

He shook his head and picked up a swatch of green silk. "It is not my safety that worries me.

Every morning at sunrise, when I slip into my death-sleep, I am gripped with a terrible fear that something will happen to you while I lie there powerless to help you." He crushed the fabric in his fist. "I could not bear it."

"It'll be all right." She rushed to the table. "I have Phil and Ian, and Fidelia with her guns. And I'm not totally helpless myself." She touched his arm. "We all have fears that plague us."

"And are you still afraid of me? Of what I am?" He dropped the fabric on the table. "How can I convince you that it changes nothing? I will still love you no matter what. I will always love you."

Tears stung her eyes, and she turned away. "It's not that I don't—I think you're a wonderful man."

He picked up a peacock feather and dragged the soft fronds up her bare arm. "I'm trying so hard not to touch you."

Her arm tingled. Her heart ached with a need to comfort him. He so needed to be loved. He deserved all the love that a good life should have, the love he'd never had.

With a small cry, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "You're a good man, Jean-Luc. A beautiful man."

"Heather." He held her lightly as if trying to retain control. "I want you so." His hand skimmed up and down her back, inciting delicious little tingles.

She needed to back away, but he was so solid. So easy to lean on. She felt his chin rub against her hair. His lips brushed against her brow. The familiar tug of desire spread through her.

His arms tightened. "Let me court you." He nuzzled her neck, then whispered in her ear, "Let me love you."

She glanced at his face, and her breath stuck in her throat. The light blue irises in his eyes were changing. "Your eyes are turning red."

He smoothed her hair back from her brow. "It's a problem I keep having whenever I'm around you."

"Why? Do I make you hungry?"

"You make me ache with desire. My eyes are merely a reflection of the passion burning inside me."

"You mean they turn red when you're…turned on?"

"Yes." He smiled slowly. "You could help me alleviate the problem. But I'm afraid it would continue to arise, over and over again."

Oh God, would that be such a bad way to spend the rest of her life? A seed of panic rose in her stomach. She wasn't ready to commit to such a different life for her and her daughter. "I–I need to go." She stepped back.

He released her. "As you wish, cherie."

She left and slipped inside her dark bedroom. Good Lord, what should she do? She had no doubt that Phineas was correct, and being a vampire didn't change a person's character. Jean-Luc was just as noble and honorable as he'd been when alive. Maybe even more so. His additional years of existence had given him a wisdom and maturity that Heather found very appealing. And of course, he was very sexy. He was wonderful with Bethany, kind and generous to Fidelia. He was perfect in every way but one. He was a vampire.

But being a vampire hadn't changed Jean-Luc, and it wasn't changing how she felt about him.

Now that she was over the initial shock, she realized she was still attracted to him, still in love with him. And that scared her more than his pointed teeth ever had. For she was seriously considering a relationship with him.

Part of her told her that was crazy. She'd known Jean-Luc a week now. How could she make a decision that would affect her entire life? And Bethany's, too. How could she explain to her daughter that Mommy's new boyfriend was dead during the day? How could she burden a young child with such secrets? But the alternative, keeping the truth from her daughter, would make Heather feel dishonest and guilty.

Overall, it was a difficult situation. She would age, and Jean-Luc wouldn't. She would be dragging her daughter into a bizarre world. On the other hand, she might be giving her daughter a wonderful and loving stepfather.

But he would be dead during the day. Heather's mind flipped back and forth between the pros and cons. It was enough to give her a major headache. She fumbled across the room in the dark to the bathroom, then she closed the door and turned on the light.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Fidelia had told her to follow her heart. Her heart longed for Jean-Luc, but her head urged caution. If Jean-Luc became part of her family and it didn't work out, she wouldn't be the only one with a broken heart. Bethany would suffer, too.

Heather sighed. She was at war with fear, but in this particular battle, fear was winning. The safest course of action was retreat. She should pull back before her love for Jean-Luc overwhelmed her.

Heather worked hard Friday, trying not to think about Jean-Luc. That night, he asked if she'd like to talk in his office, and she declined. The sad look in his eyes pierced her heart, and she hurried to her bedroom. Fidelia asked what was wrong, but she could only shake her head with a lump in her throat.

During lunch on Saturday, she discovered another super power that vampires possessed. Great hearing. In the kitchen, Ian heard a car coming up the driveway. Heather accompanied the two guards to the foyer of the showroom.

Phil peered outside the window. "It's a pickup truck, pulling a flat trailer."

Heather peeked out the window to see who was exiting the truck. "Oh no, it's Coach Gunter."

"Is he a threat?" Ian asked.

"Only to every woman on earth," Heather muttered. She noted the big black boxes in the back of the truck and piled on the flat trailer. "He's brought the runway." And that had to mean he was Liz Schumann's new boyfriend. Good Lord, Liz had to be out of her mind.

Coach strode to the front door, ignored the doorbell, and pounded on the door with his fist.

Heather winced. "You'll have to let him in. I'll fetch Alberto." She rushed down the hall to Alberto's office. Even from there, she could here Coach's booming voice as he entered the foyer.

"The runway's here," she told Alberto. "And I promised Liz three tickets to the show."

Alberto reluctantly handed over three tickets. "I barely have enough for the school board and big shots in town."

Heather winced. "I guess with only twenty guests, we won't be raising much money."

Alberto snorted. "These local people don't have any money. Jean-Luc's giving the donation. Twenty thousand."

"Dollars?" Heather gulped. "That's awfully generous."

"He has his reasons." Alberto waved a dismissive hand. "Not that he isn't generous. Jean-Luc gives a lot to charity. But in this case, he's paying for silence. When the store closes after the show, Jean-Luc wants this place to be forgotten. I believe your job will be over."

She remembered that he'd hired her for only two weeks. "You mean no one will come here at all?"

"Hopefully not. If they do, there'll be a guard here to turn them away. I'll be returning to Paris with the models, and Jean-Luc will go into hiding."

It sounded so lonely. Heather recalled the first card Fidelia had turned over for Jean-Luc. The Hermit. He would be so lonesome. But she could change that if she agreed to let him court her.

"Well, I should take a look at this runway." Alberto strolled from the office.

Heather took her time returning to the foyer. Phil and Coach had set several runway sections in the showroom, and Alberto was examining them.

"Hey, Heather!" Coach yelled as he headed outside for another section of runway. He pointed at Ian, who stood in the shadows looking embarrassed. "That kid's no help at all. You should fire his lazy ass."

Heather gave Ian a sympathetic look. She knew he had to stay out of the sunlight, but apparently Coach was giving him hell. After twenty more minutes, the runway was completely unloaded. She gave Coach his tickets.

"You know I'm dating Liz Schumann now." He paused by the front door.

Heather nodded. "I figured that."

"Yep." He flexed his biceps. "She's one lucky little lady. You don't know what you're missing."

"I'm devastated. Please tell Liz to drop by on Friday so I can make sure her gown fits." Heather had already arranged for two other teacher friends to model.

"How fancy is this shindig?" Coach asked. "Do I have to dress up?"

Her gaze drifted over his tank top and gym shorts. "You might consider wearing pants. And leaving your whistle at home."

"Oh, really fancy, huh?" He marched out the door. "See ya next Saturday."

Heather went back to the design studio to work on her second outfit. Alberto left to hand-deliver the rest of the tickets.

About six P.M., Ian collapsed again. Heather was relieved her daughter was having supper in the kitchen and didn't see it. Still, Ian was starting to look older, and she was at a loss how to explain that to her daughter.

She was walking to the kitchen with Phil when the doorbell rang.

Phil peeked out the window. "It's the sheriff."

Heather opened the door and let him in.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right." Billy looked her over while he stuck a toothpick in his mouth.

She shut the door. "We're fine. Any news?"

"Nope. I can't find this Louie guy." Billy strode into the showroom and looked around. "We got some fingerprints from the museum, but they're not in any system. And we don't know his real name, so we're at a dead end."

"I see." Heather followed him into the showroom.

"Did you find anything useful from Heather's truck?" Phil asked.

"Nope." Billy wandered around the runway sections. "So you're getting ready for the show Saturday?"

"Yes," Heather replied. "Since I'm going to be at the show, Jean-Luc thinks Louie will come."

Billy wheeled around to face her. "He's using you as bait?"

Heather shrugged. "He's bait, too. Louie wants to kill us both."

Billy chewed on his toothpick, frowning. "I'll need to be there, along with my two deputies."

"We'll be glad to have your help," Heather assured him. Ian had told her that if the mortals saw anything they shouldn't, the Vamps would erase their memories.

Billy strolled back to the front door. "Cody's acting weird again. He was at Schmitty's Bar last night. Got drunk and started raising a stink about you. Then, all of a sudden, he says he's a cockroach and scrambles all over the pool tables, messing up everybody's games."

Heather sighed. One more problem to deal with.

"I had to lock him up for the night." Billy opened the door and paused on the front porch. "He was fine this morning, but I'm telling you, the guy's psycho."

"I understand. Thanks for stopping by." She closed the door and locked it.

It was a strange world when the vampires appeared more normal than the mortals.