Chapter 11

Ephie didn't say a word about Remy only getting one room. It didn't matter. He'd be asleep the whole time. And there were two beds. Not to mention he hadn't once made her feel like he expected anything in return.

He'd always been that way. Chivalrous, was the old-fashioned term. Around her, he'd never been anything but.

Besides all of that, he'd paid for the room. She certainly could have paid for her own, but he hadn't woken her up to do that. She set her computer bag on the desk. "I'm happy to pay my half. For the room."

He dropped his duffel on one of the beds. "Don't worry about it. We're good. I used points anyway."

She knew he wasn't going to want money. That was just how he was. How he'd always been. "How about I pay for the gas then? We'll have to fill up soon." She unzipped her hoodie all the way. Jean-Luc hopped out onto the bed and started exploring.

He nodded. "Before we leave tonight. If you want to do that, fine with me. You don't have to, though."

"I want to."

"Up to you." He wheeled her suitcase next to the other bed, where a see-through Jean-Luc was still sniffing around. "If you want to use the bathroom or whatever, I was thinking I'd run downstairs and get us some breakfast. Just let me know what you want, and I'll bring it back."

"We could just go down there and eat. That would be easier."

"Not for me. Not if there's daylight coming through those windows."

"Oh, right." She turned to look at the big window on the outside wall. The horizon line was bright with sun. Any minute the whole sky would be ablaze. She pulled the curtains shut, throwing the room into darkness until her eyes adjusted. But she realized why he'd taken the bed closest to the door now. It was also farthest from the windows. "Maybe I should be the one to go get us some breakfast."

"I can manage it. I should be fine by the hostess stand."

"Remy, you've got to be tired. Daylight is coming, and you've been driving all night. I can do it."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I am tired, but I can stay awake a little longer. How about we go down together then? But bring the food back up here."

"Okay." It wasn't what she wanted to do, but for him, she'd compromise. She got the feeling that he didn't want to be away from her. It was sweet, really. Was he afraid she'd bolt again?

Not very likely, this far from home with no vehicle. She kept her purse with her. He might fuss, but she was buying breakfast, too. Gas and breakfast still probably wouldn't equal her share of the room.

Remy produced a pair of sunglasses from inside his jacket as he looked at Jean-Luc. "Behave yourself, you little monster."

"Hey, he's a good boy."

Remy snorted, stuck the sunglasses on top of his head, and shot her a look. "Oh, he's a very good boy. Other than when he somehow followed me into the lobby when I went to get the room."

"What?"

"Yep. I didn't realize he'd done that, of course, until I caught sight of myself in the mirror and saw him sitting on my head."

"Oh, no!" Ephie slapped her hand over her mouth, unable to suppress her grin.

"Oh, yes."

Ephie burst out laughing. "Jean-Luc, you naughty bebe." She laughed some more. "What can I say? He's really taken a shine to you."

Remy was smiling now, too. "I'm glad he likes me. I hate to think of the alternative."

They made sure they each had a room key, then went back downstairs. A young woman in a hotel uniform was just unlocking the accordion gate that separated the restaurant from the rest of the hotel lobby. "Morning, folks. Come on in."

"Any chance you have a table or booth in a dark corner?" Ephie asked.

"Sure. It's way in the back, if that's all right?"

Ephie looked at Remy. If he didn't want to, she'd let it go. "What do you think?"

He nodded, but he was hard to read.

"If you'd rather take the food to go, we can," Ephie said.

He smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

The young woman grabbed two menus and led them back. Dark was a good description. The booth was not only in an interior space but the last in the row. "I'll be right back with coffee."

"None for me," Remy said. "Just water."

They sat. Ephie leaned forward. "You sure this is okay?"

"Yep. It's better than I thought it would be. A lot better."

"Good. Get whatever you want. I'm buying."

"Eph—"

"Hush. I make good money. If I'm going to be along for the ride, you have to let me contribute."

He grinned. "Okay." He glanced at the menu. "But I'm getting steak and eggs."

She laid her menu on the table. "Fine by me. I'm getting the buffet, and I'll be eating my weight in pancakes and bacon."

He laughed. "I've missed you."

She studied his handsome face, the truth as clear as his smile was bright. "I've missed you, too."

By the time they ate and returned to the room, Remy was obviously flagging. She let him have the bathroom first. He shuffled out in the cloud of steam that lingered after his shower. He was in a T-shirt and boxers, hair damp, the clean scent of soap preceding him.

"Night," he muttered as he pulled back the covers and crawled under them.

"Night."

Jean-Luc jumped from her bed to Remy's, sniffing at Remy for a bit before lying down against his side. Jean-Luc stuck one foot over his head and started licking the back of it.

If Remy noticed, he didn't care. In fact, he was so still she would have thought something was wrong with him if she hadn't known better. Vampires slept like the dead. One of the things she remembered.

She sat at the desk and opened her laptop, ready to get some work done. But it wasn't where her mind was. Remy was all she could think about.

Why, after all these years, had he unexpectedly turned up in her life again? Was it fate? Her grandmother would say so. But then, Mamere was a great believer in such things. She'd probably even say it was auspicious.

Ephie wasn't so sure.

The oddest bit about this whole thing was her mother. What woman who had a deep-seated abhorrence of vampires suddenly decided it was just fine, good, even, for her daughter to take off with the very one who'd broken her heart so many years ago?

Nothing about that smelled right. Ephie would have been less suspicious if her mother wasn't a known schemer. But what kind of scheme could this be? There was no way Leonie could want Ephie and Remy to end up together.

Was there?

Ephie stared at Remy, watching him, even though he was as still as a statue. Did she still love him?

A part of her had never stopped. But loving the memory of someone and being in love with who they were now … those were two very different things, weren't they? Just because he hadn't changed physically didn't mean he hadn't changed in other ways. She guessed she'd find out about that soon enough.

Jean-Luc sure seemed to like Remy, but what did a ghost cat know?

Ephie smiled. She should probably text her mom and let her know she was all right. Just in case her mother'd had a change of heart.

She slipped her phone from her purse. The device was off. Maybe it had run out of battery. She got the phone charger from her computer bag and plugged it in, then stuck the end into her phone, expecting the little battery signal to show up. Nothing.

Weird. She pushed the power button, and the phone came right on. She didn't remember turning it off. Maybe a glitch. She had emails, but she'd deal with those on her laptop. There was a text from her mother, too.

No surprise there. She opened the message up.

Just wanted to see how things are going.

Ephie smirked. So typical. She texted back. Things are going great. This was a fantastic idea you had.

She turned the phone to silent and set it aside, face down. That ought to give her mother something to think about for a while.