Broken Heart Town 04 - Wait Till Your Vampires Get Home Part 27

"That's a very fine a.s.s," whispered Her Royal Highness Patricia Marchand. "A definite ten."

More like an eleven. My gaze had been roving the object of our mutual a.s.sessment for the last five minutes, which was how Queen Patsy caught me. But after taking a gander at the jeans-clad b.u.t.tocks of Braddock Hayes, she seemed to understand why my gaze was Superglued to the view.

"Simone Sweet," said Patsy under her breath, "you have a naughty streak."

I only smiled. I might be dead, but my eyes-not to mention various other parts-still worked. Granted, certain parts hadn't been in use longer than others, but that was okay by me. Vampires had to be finicky about that sort of stuff anyway. Having s.e.x meant saying "I do" for a hundred years.

No, thank you.

Patsy and I returned to watching the scenery. She was married to a very hot man named Gabriel and in fact probably shouldn't have been ogling Brady. Not that I was gonna to tell her to stop.

Even though it had been dark for at least an hour, it was still ten degrees hotter than h.e.l.l. Winter had stretched on and on, clawing greedily into April. Spring had lasted all of ten seconds. The heat had rolled in, sucking all the joy out of the smallest breeze. Now, it was the second week of June, and we'd been afflicted by the roasting heat that usually tormented us in August. Since I was a vampire, I wasn't sweating buckets. I didn't have to breathe in the liquefied air, but I could still feel it rattling in my useless lungs.

Brady, however, was very much human and p.r.o.ne to sweating. He stopped wrangling with the equipment, and stood up, whipping off his T-shirt.

"Oh, my G.o.d," Patsy and I breathed together. We looked at each other, then at the glistening muscles of a half-naked Brady. I'd seen this view before, but I never tired of it. Brady was a hard worker, and smarter than everyone here-even Doc Michaels. But he wasn't the sort to shoot the s.h.i.t.

He had a linebacker build-big, broad, muscled. His tanned skin was scarred with slashes and pock-marked with holes. Knives and bullets, I was sure-though I'd never asked. According to the rumor mill, he was a man who'd literally survived the slings and arrows of life, a life I could only guess at. But I knew a thing or two about surviving, and maybe that's why I admired Brady. And maybe, too, it was why he sorta scared me. I had a few scars myself, inside and out. Even though he'd never given me a reason to fear him-well, I had the kind of terrified in me that never went away.

We stepped back as Brady maneuvered the fifty-sixth pole into place. One hundred and thirteen of the five-feet-tall, six-inch-wide metallic poles would be installed around Broken Heart's perimeter. Calculations for where the poles needed to go had taken nearly as long to complete as making the darned things. I should know, since I was the one who had built the outer casings. All the whirligigs on the inside had been created by Brady and Doc Michaels. I didn't understand the technology, but I knew how to work with anything made of metal, and I could fix just about any mechanical device.

Part of my job was helping get the bugs out of the individual components; every single pole would have to play nice with the others to get the Invisishield up and running. Once it was operational, it would be as if Broken Heart had disappeared from Oklahoma's map.

"I've done my official freaking duty. My feet are killing me," said Patsy, rubbing her very pregnant belly. "I'm gonna be a cliche and go home to eat ice cream and pickles."

I laughed. Patsy was nearly eight months along with triplets. Having babies was a perk of being vampire and werewolf-you were kinda alive. She and Gabriel were the only loups de sang in the whole wide world-at least until their children were born.

Up until June of last year, Patsy had been Broken Heart's only beautician and I'd been the town's only mechanic. My role hadn't changed much, but Patsy had become queen of not only the undead but also the furry. Well, she wasn't quite official on that score.

Even though the original seven Ancients had turned over their undead Families to Patsy's rule (not all willingly, mind you), the lycanthropes were a more traditional bunch. Broken Heart had been chosen to host the annual Moon G.o.ddess festival, where Patsy would receive the official blessing of the priestesses. Then she'd have the additional headache of bossing around werewolves.

"Hey, there's my ride," said Patsy.

A white Mercedes glided over the field, stopping when it was next to Patsy. In the driver's seat was Gabriel. His moon white hair was drawn into a long ponytail framing his handsome face. He had the most amazing gold eyes, eyes that were only for Patsy as she maneuvered herself into the car.

"How are the shocks?" I asked, leaning in as Patsy strapped on her seat belt.

"It rides smooth as silk," said Gabriel. "Even off the road. It was amazing work, Simone." He grinned. "Too bad it's not dragonproof." In February, their last Mercedes had been blown up by a p.i.s.sed-off dragon. Now we had one living in Broken Heart-a woman named Libby. She was married a vampire named Ralph, who was daddy to the cutest twin toddlers. Libby and Ralph were gonna have the first dragon born in five hundred years. Needless to say, they'd been busy fireproofing their new house and everything in it.

I patted the side of the car and chuckled. "I'm working on it, Gabriel. One miracle at a time."

My gaze was drawn to Patsy's belly-three miracles in there, and almost ready to come out, too. I looked at Patsy and grinned. I was thrilled for her. She deserved some happiness.

"If the shield works, we won't need to worry about fireb.a.l.l.s blowing s.h.i.t up," said Patsy. "You take care, hon."

"You, too." I shut the door and off they went.

I watched the Mercedes wheel around and head toward the dirt road. Even though I wasn't exactly part of the town, at least not the way most folks were, I really did like the people here. But I'd also learned the value of getting too close to others-and I couldn't shake the habit of keeping to myself.

"h.e.l.lo, my friends," shouted a German-accented voice. The man jogging toward us was Reiner Blutwolf. He was an old friend of our resident lycanthrope security detail, three gorgeous triplets that I really didn't have much to do with. Truth be told, they were even scarier than Brady, especially Damian. That guy almost never smiled. The closest he ever came was when he was around the jovial Reiner, who oozed charm.

I was probably the only one in Broken Heart who didn't buy his act.

"h.e.l.lo, Simone," he said, flashing a blindingly white smile. What did he brush his teeth with? Bleach? Maybe he chewed on Greenies or something. Oh, now . . . that was mean.

I grinned broadly. n.o.body could outjolly me. I had perfected the art of hiding behind bright smiles and perky att.i.tudes. I could make Pollyanna look like the Grinch. "h.e.l.lo, Reiner. You doin' all right?"

"I am, now that I've seen your smile."

Oh, puh-lease. His bright blue eyes were on mine and I looked away. I suppose some might call him handsome. To me, he looked like the ugly older brother of Brad Pitt. Finally I nodded my thanks for his lame-a.s.sed compliment, then pretended I wanted to get a better look at the pole Brady was wrestling into place. With my vampire strength, I could help easily enough, but so could the three other vamps standing around and watching him struggle.

"Would you like some help, Brady?" Reiner rounded the other side of the pole, stepping into my personal s.p.a.ce. I didn't appreciate the subtle intimidation, and I scooted away.

Ugh. Reiner always picked me out of the crowd first, unless Damian was around. He reminded me of Roogie Roo, the old terrier owned by my friend William. I was allergic to dogs and Roogie Roo knew it, which was why he loved me. I couldn't resist letting that silly dog sit on my lap, even though I'd spend a full day sneezing and wheezing. In the same way, Reiner seemed to know I wasn't keen on him, so he tried extra hard to get my approval. Hah. I'd be d.a.m.ned if I let him onto my lap.

I brushed against Brady and stopped, startled that I'd gotten so close. His sweatslicked arm slid along mine, and if I'd had a heart, it would've skipped a few beats. I felt safer by him than I did Reiner, which was not a comforting thought. I glanced up at Brady, whose chocolate-brown gaze was on mine. His eyes narrowed; then he stepped between me and Reiner, clapping the man on the shoulder.

"I have a date," he said. "Maybe you and the bloodsuckers can finish up this one. I'll be back in a couple of hours to help with the others."

"I didn't realize you and Simone were . . . together," said Reiner.

I expected Brady to protest that I wasn't his date, but he merely smiled, picking up his shirt to wipe off his face. "Well, now you do."

I looked at the ground so that my shocked expression wouldn't give away Brady's little white lie. I'd much rather Reiner believed I was dating Brady-maybe he'd back off a little. Why was he so set on impressing me anyway? I was just a single mom who made her living working at a garage. I was n.o.body-and I liked it that way.

"C'mon, sweetheart," said Brady, tugging my hand into his. He threw the shirt over his shoulder and walked me to his truck. If I'd had the ability to blush, my cheeks would've been on fire. As it was, I couldn't look at anyone we pa.s.sed. A few weeks ago, Brady had just up and offered to take me to the build sites and home again. I really liked his Ford Dually, which was as red as blood and rode like a wet dream. I'd caved, and now everyone would think it was because we were an item. Gah.

Brady opened the pa.s.senger-side door and helped me into the seat. Then he rounded the hood and got in. He pulled a clean T- shirt out of the glove box and tugged it on. Then he started the engine, flipped the air-conditioning on high, and backed the truck toward the road.

Most of the time we rode home in companionable silence, listening to country-western songs. We were both suckers for Hank Williams, Sr., and Patsy Cline. But he didn't turn on the CD player, leaving only the silence to thicken between us.

"What was that all about?" I blurted.

"What was what?" "Announcing to Reiner-not to mention the rest of Broken Heart-that we are dating."

"Why? You got a boyfriend who might protest?"

He knew that I didn't, but that wasn't the point. I ached to ask him whether he wanted to date me, but I couldn't form the question. Who was I kidding? Say what you will about Brady; he was the protective type. I'm sure my reaction to Reiner made Brady put on his white-knight armor. How could he be interested in me? n.o.body noticed me, not unless they needed something fixed.

"Look, Brady. I don't think we should tell people we're dating when we're not."

"Good point," said Brady. "How about I take you out tomorrow night?"

I turned to stare at him. My mouth opened, but no words came out. The truck hit a rut and we both bounced up. My head nearly grazed the roof. I grabbed hold of the door, and Brady chuckled.

"Relax. It's not like I can kill you."

An angry retort died on my lips. Everyone knew I didn't do anger. I was the most forgiving, sweet, kind soul you'd ever met in this life or the next. At least that was what I let people believe. Even before I'd been Turned into a vampire, I was second-chance personified. Not a day went by that I didn't remember or try to honor those sacrifices that had freed me from my old life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Michele Bardsley lives in Oklahoma with her family. She escapes the drudgery of housework by writing stories about vampire moms, demon hunters, interfering G.o.ddesses, cursed wizards, and numerous other characters living in worlds of magic and mayhem. She loves to hear from her fans! Visit her Web site at www.MicheleBardsley.com or drop by the Broken Heart Web site at www.BrokenHeartOK.com.

SIGNET ECLIPSE Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Sh.o.r.e 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 St.u.r.dee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, November 2008