Chapter 7

Ephie didn't believe for a moment that all her mother wanted was for her to be happy. Not with Remy, anyway. It was far more likely that Remy had come here looking for Ephie, and her mother had decided to try some reverse psychology by inviting him in and then pretending she was fine with the two of them getting back into each other's lives.

It was just like Leonie to try something like that. Just like her to think she could control the outcome by taking charge of the situation and making it seem like her idea.

Ephie knew all of her mother's games. She'd been subjected to them for nearly thirty-two years now. If that didn't make her an expert, nothing would.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she had no clue what was actually going on, but Remy was here, Alphonso had made his famous shrimp and grits, and if nothing else, the evening was proving to be very entertaining.

She'd go along and see just how much her mother had actually changed her mind about vampires.

As she took her seat, she smiled at Remy, which wasn't hard to do. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He moved around the table like he was going to help Leonie with her chair, but Leonie was already settled.

She spread her napkin over her lap. "This is nice, isn't it? Been a while since I've used this room."

Ephie nodded. "You should have invited Mamere."

Leonie shook her head. "Your grandmother doesn't like eating late."

"It's only eight o'clock," Ephie said. But her grandmother didn't like vampires, either, something Leonie had conspicuously left out.

"She's an old woman, set in her ways." Leonie looked up as Alphonso came in carrying dishes.

He put one in front of Leonie first, then Ephie, before returning to the kitchen for Remy's dish.

Ephie inhaled the delicious scent. "It's been too long since I've had this." The plate was actually a shallow bowl, filled with Alphonso's creamy grits, topped with four fat shrimp that had been sauteed in a blend of seasonings and butter, then drizzled with red-eye gravy flecked with parsley.

Alphonso returned with Remy's dish and a basket of sliced bread. He set Remy's dish before him, then added the basket of bread to the table, setting it right beside the butter that was already there. "Bon appetit."

He looked at Leonie. "Anything else I can get for you, Ms. Moreau?"

She shook her head. "We're good, Alphonso. Thank you for this. It looks wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am." He took his leave.

Ephie forked up a taste of the grits and gravy. It was as delicious as she remembered it. Even if tonight went totally bust, the meal was worth the effort of showing up and dealing with her mother's game-playing.

Well, seeing Remy was a pretty sweet reward, too.

"This is amazing," Remy said, food still in his mouth. "It's so good. I literally don't think I've had better anywhere in this city."

Leonie looked genuinely pleased with that. "You won't, either. I hired Alphonso from Brennan's. He is unparalleled when it comes to the classic dishes this town is known for."

"I wish he was still here so I could tell him how great this is," Remy said. "You'll pass on my compliments, won't you?"

"Of course."

Ephie glanced at him. "You make it sound like you're leaving soon."

"I am," Remy answered. "I have to get back to work."

"You work?" He was full of surprises. "What do you do?" She half expected him to say he was just kidding.

"I work for the sheriff's department. I'm a deputy."

She almost dropped her fork. "You're in law enforcement?"

He smiled like he understood her surprise. "I am."

"You wear a uniform and everything?"

He nodded, clearly amused by her reaction. "I even have the power to arrest people."

"Well, I'll be."

Leonie, who'd been quiet, suddenly chimed in. "That's admirable, Remy. A wonderful occupation."

"Thank you, Ms. Moreau."

Ephie couldn't quite get over it, though. "You obviously can't work the day shift. How did you explain that to them?"

A mischievous light twinkled in Remy's eyes. He shrugged as he got another bite of food. "I just told them I was a vampire."

"You did not," Ephie countered.

"I did. The sheriff's a werewolf, so he gets it."

"What?" She frowned at him. "Now you're just teasing me."

"No, I'm not. The whole town is full of shifters, witches, vampires. There are all sorts. In that regard, it's a lot like New Orleans."

"Oh, come on," she said.

"It is. Except in Nocturne Falls, everyone can pretty much be themselves. Within reason," he said. "There's an expectation that no one's going to do anything blatant unless they're on the clock."

"On the clock?" Leonie asked.

He nodded. "The town celebrates Halloween three hundred and sixty-five days a year. They hire supernaturals to play supernaturals. So if you're the vampire on duty and you decide to drink a pint of blood while you're standing around getting your picture taken, the tourists are just going to think it's part of the act."

Ephie sat back. "Why would the town do that?"

"Because it's all part of the shtick. They employ people to be witches, vampires, werewolves, and what have you. There's even a guy who can shift into a unicorn who occasionally gallops through the streets with a Greek goddess on his back. It's something to see."

Ephie really didn't know whether or not to believe him. Remy loved a good joke and had always loved to tease her. "Are you serious?"

"As I live and don't breathe, I swear it to you. Look it up. Nocturne Falls. It's a real place. Created by a vampire family so they could have a safe place to live. The town's water has even been enchanted so that tourists are even more likely to look the other way if they see something a little too hard to believe."

She'd left her phone in her purse, which was still on the couch in the sitting room, but if he'd made a claim that could be that easily verified or disproven, she had to believe him. "That's amazing."

She looked at her mom. "Have you heard of this place?"

"Heard of it but never really knew that much about it. Sounds interesting. Sounds like a great place to visit."

Remy nodded. "Brings in all kinds of human tourists but a lot of the supernatural variety, too. I've always loved New Orleans, but Nocturne Falls is its own kind of special." He shifted his attention back to Ephie. "You should really come see it sometime. I think you'd love it. It's much more of a small town than New Orleans."

"It does make a person curious," Leonie said.

Was her mother actually suggesting that a visit would be a good idea? Ephie couldn't tell if she was trying to get Ephie to go or to stay. Ephie's first reaction was generally to balk at anything her mother thought was a good idea.

So … Leonie didn't want her there. For whatever reason.

Ephie nodded. "It does. Very curious." She picked up her fork and pierced a shrimp, then held it in place so she could cut it in half. From beneath her lashes, she watched her mother's face. "Maybe I should go back with you. See it for myself."

Leonie gave nothing away.

But Remy grinned. "Yeah? You want to come with me, you're welcome to. I was planning on leaving after dinner. It's a two-day drive, so I really need to get on the road. I'm sure you understand."

Ephie ate the piece of shrimp she'd cut, chewing slowly to give herself time to think and observe. Her mother had suddenly become unreadable. What in the devil was going on? She swallowed and acted like they were all discussing the weather. Not a trip to another state with the vampire who'd broken her heart twelve years ago.

Ephie swallowed. "Of course. You can only travel at night. Do you have an apartment or a house there?"

"House," Remy answered. "With a guest room. You're welcome to it."

Her mother's brows rose the tiniest fraction. Leonie didn't want her to go. Or she didn't want her to go with Remy. Either way, it was the answer Ephie had been looking for.

She took a sip of her water, then set the glass down and smiled at Remy. "I can pack fast."