Chapter Ten
John and Joann spent the next few months living more together than apart. His happiness grew alongside his sense of belonging. Christmas had been a real family affair, and he smiled every time he visualized their astonished pleasure upon seeing all the gifts he’d put under the tree for them. He wondered if Joann would ever stop giving him grief about spoiling her and Cody.
It might be too soon, he decided, but he was going to take the risk and ask Joann to marry him.
Late that day they took a drive to enjoy the signs of Spring. Missouri Dogwoods were in full bloom along with bright yellow forsythia and dark purple crocus. When their meandering course found them near the Stefka place, they decided to drop in and say, “Hello.”
****
Pleased to see them, Justin donned a light jacket to take them for a stroll around his land. When they passed by a graceful pussy willow, he snapped off a branch loaded with soft, fuzzy buds and held it out to Joann.
“It’s an old superstition,” he explained as she took it. “My mother used to say it brings good luck to have a sprig of pussy willow in your house at Easter time. May you and John always be so blessed, and may I always count you among my friends.”
Joann blushed and then smiled happily. “Thank you, Justin.”
“I’ll always feel blessed”—John dropped to one knee in front of Joann—“If you will do me the honor of marrying me and allowing me to help raise Cody.”
Justin guessed the proposal had been on his old student’s mind, but he doubted John had meant to pick that precise moment. Rather, perhaps, the time had chosen him, and the words simply popped out of his mouth.
In the end, all that mattered was that he could see John meant the words with all his heart.
Fumbling a bit, John pulled a blue velvet ring box from his pocket and opened it to reveal the sparkling diamond inside.
“Oh.” Joann’s face went slack with shock. “But…what about—”
“Human or vampire, it doesn’t matter to me. Either way. All I want is for you and Cody to be in my life for as long as you’ll have me.”
The moment John knelt, Cody tried to scramble up his back. He paused, however, when his mother made an inarticulate sound of surprise and curiously watched them. The moment the tot got a load of the diamond, all of his attention centered on the ring. “Mine,” he firmly announced and stretched out a dirty hand to take it.
Color rushed back into Joann’s face and it made her skin glow with happiness. “Not this time, buster,” she said to her greedy son as she plucked him off John’s back and set him on his feet. Holding out her left hand to her vampire, she unequivocally stated, “We can share John, but this sparkler is all mine.”
After slipping the ring on her finger, John kissed her hand before standing. Turning to his old mentor, he beamed. “Justin, you’ll be my best man?”
“It will be my honor,” Justin instantly replied. The corner of his mouth quirked as he added, “Come inside. I’ve Champagne cooling.”
Jo suspiciously looked between the two vampires. “You knew? Was this planned?”
“I’d no idea when it would happen.” Justin sent one of his rare smiles in her direction. “All I knew was that John loved you and the boy. I’ve had Champagne waiting ever since your first visit here.”
John was hesitantly watching her. “It’s really a yes? You’ll take me on and let me be Cody’s dad?”
“Oh my God! Yes.” Joann threw herself at him, and he caught her up. John wrapped her in his arms while Justin ran interference with Cody by preventing him from ascending John’s leg like a monkey.
Laughingly, he bounced the boy while regarding the couple as they enjoyed a passionate kiss.
“Us tin.” Sounding worried, Cody took Justin’s usually stern face between his perpetually sticky hands and looked intently into the vampire’s calm eyes. “Help. Thon and mama stuck.”
Hearing that, John raised laughing eyes and advised, “Better get used to this, kid, cause I’m going to be kissing your mom a lot.”
But even as he spoke, he reached out an arm to take the boy and kissed him loudly on the cheek. Then nestling him in the crook of his arm, he took Joann’s hand, and they retraced their steps back to the house.
Before they rounded the side of the estate, they heard a belligerent and very young-sounding female screech, “You’re such a butthead, Anthony. There’s no way in hell I’m staying out here. It’s the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Get it out of your head. Right now.”
“You’ll do what I tell you, Gwynnie,” the exasperated male voice countered, only to be cut off by another angry shriek.
Justin stopped so abruptly Joann almost stepped on his heels. John’s joy, Stefka thought, was apparently filling his head and making him slow on the uptake. A second later, however, the other vampire’s footsteps stalled, and the eyes he turned on Justin were loaded with consternation.
All sorts of unspoken messages flashed between them. The one that came through strongest was that Anthony’s arrival was a shock to both of them and neither was pleased with his intrusion.
“Who is it?” Joann whispered, and Cody mimicked a beat later, “Is it?”
“My brother, Anthony,” Justin said as he lifted his shoulders in resignation. “I don’t recognize the female. John, unless you want to renew your acquaintance with your less than honorable sire or meet the truculent shrew he seems to have brought with him, give me a few minutes. I’ll get them inside, and you can leave unseen.”
When his expression darkened, Justin knew John considered it the coward’s way out. “There’s no reason to speak to him,” he said flatly. “Even if Anthony sees you leaving, why the hell should you care what he thinks?”
John glanced down at Joann’s confused and anxious face before nodding. As Stefka predicted, his old student didn’t want to put his woman through any unpleasantness.
Deciding he couldn’t allow his brother to ruin John and Joann’s celebration, he made a mental note to order Champagne to be sent to their place. Then, though he’d rather do anything else, Justin squared his shoulders and walked around the side of his house. It was time to confront his extremely unwelcome company.
When Anthony saw him, he shouted “Justin,” and rushed to meet his older brother. The next words he uttered, however, were in his more usual style and alternated between wheedling and demanding. “You don’t know how glad I am to see you. I’m in way over my head.”
Justin tuned him out. Instead, he was taking in his first glimpse of the bad-tempered female. His first impression was that the slight blonde with a sulky mouth couldn’t be more than a teenager.
“How old, Anthony?” He demanded harshly. “How old is she?”
“Old enough.” Anthony’s mouth turned mulish as he groused, “God, just listen to her.”
Gwynn took exception to his comment, and after that, Justin felt bombarded from both sides. His irresponsible brother resumed his recital of complaints against his neophyte while she never stopped criticizing Anthony long enough to take a breath.
Though Justin was immediately disposed to be on her side, her strident tone made it clear she was unhappy and wanted everyone within earshot to suffer with her.
From what Justin pieced together from the two voices intertwined in discordant harmony, was that Anthony had been up to his old tricks. Once again, he’d turned someone without making sure they completely understood what was happening.
Only this time, he might have met his match by turning an incredibly headstrong girl.
“I’m not taking her,” Justin baldly announced the second he could get a word in edgewise. “For once you need to take responsibility for your actions, Anthony. Train your neophyte, and do right by her.”
Anthony’s color rose. “I wasn’t dumping her—”
Gwyn interrupted him to yell, “That’s not what you said earlier.”
“Shut up,” he rounded on her angrily. “Just shut up for one fucking minute.” Turning back to Justin, he gave what his older brother recognized as his most winsome smile. “I came for advice. That’s all.”
“I’m hungry,” Gwynnie whined, and Justin fought against pressing his palms to his temples. He thought about telling her she’d sound more pathetic if she lowered the pitch of her voice, but feared it would set her off even more. Then he felt ashamed by his lack of sympathy. It was impossible to predict what emotions a newbie would experience after turning. Even those that begged for their changing bite might have initial regrets.
Annoyingly, Anthony was rolling his eyes with contempt. “Hungry again?” Raising his hands in defeat, he informed his brother, “That’s another thing, she constantly needs to be fed.”
“What do you expect? Neos need a lot of blood.” Justin considered the she-vamp for a moment. She was so brand new her vampirism glowed off her like a newly minted penny. “When? Two? Three days ago?
“Four days,” Anthony muttered sulkily. Predictably, he started gesturing with his hands, his expression turning earnest as he tried to work his brother. “I saved her life—dammit. And she wanted it, but since then she’s done nothing but complain.”
“This isn’t feeding me,” Gwynnie pointed out with a stamp of her foot. Dramatically, she pressed a hand to her tummy and howled, “My insides feel so empty it’s like my stomach and backbone are touching.”
“Picturesque,” Justin said dryly. Cutting in front of the squabbling duo, he opened the front door, and motioned for them to enter. “Come along then and get something to eat.”
After showing Anthony and Gwyn the kitchen, he had to bite back an acid comment when his brother also took a couple of blood bags for himself. That was when Justin decided to set down some ground rules. “Tonight I’ll help you lay out a training program for Gwynn,” he informed Anthony. His gaze lit on the blonde as her shiny new fangs were already penetrating the vinyl on her second bag. “You can sleep the day here. However, I expect you both to leave after you rise.”
Unfortunately, he was unable to get either of his guests to cooperate. Anthony couldn’t be bothered to concentrate on forming a training schedule and all Gwynn wanted to do was sleep.
As dawn broke, he gave up. He left Anthony sprawled in front of the T.V. while Gwynn snored softly on the couch. “Use whichever guestroom you like. I usually rise about dusk, and I suggest you get some sleep before you leave.”
Later he would think he might as well have saved his breath. Waking late the next afternoon, he found Gwyn still asleep on the couch, but Anthony was nowhere to be found.
The folded piece of white paper, left on the kitchen counter, held only three lines.
Sorry Lus,
She’s nuts, and I can’t take any more of her.
I need a break, but I swear I’ll come back to get her.