Northern Bites (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 2)

by Jefford, Nikki

  “I don’t know how she eats like this and stays skinny,” Mom said, setting the temperature on the oven.

  I stood at the sink, scrubbing the potatoes. “I’m guessing it has something to do with her inability to sit still. She’s probably the only seventy-two-year-old whose metabolism hasn’t slowed down.”

  Mom laughed and then nodded at the potatoes. “You know she doesn’t like skins.”

  “That’s where all the nutrients are.” Plus it meant I didn’t have to peel them. “You can blame it on me if she complains.”

  Mom sighed and got the turkey out of the fridge. Once the potatoes were clean, I got started on a chopped salad with lettuce, celery, apples, and walnuts.

  She surveyed the kitchen. “We’re going to have a lot of food for just the three of us. Maybe you should invite Dante.”

  I didn’t grimace the way I would have before. A smile crept slowly over my lips. “I’m sure Gran would love that.” She was something of a flirt—a charming one, at least, not the embarrassing kind.

  Mom and I looked at each other and started laughing. “I think I’ll save Dante for another night. Who knows what Gran’s got up her sleeve?”

  Mom nodded thoughtfully. “Good point.”

  It was a good thing I didn’t invite Dante. Grandma arrived full of energy and ready to draw up battle plans as I suspected. I tried to stay out of the conversation as much as possible. It was up to Mom to stick up for herself. Gran had surprised us both by urging my mom to sign the divorce papers and move on with her life. Her advice could have swung in either direction, and for some reason I thought it would swing in favor of a fight to win Dad back. Grandma did love herself a battle. But that’s not what she said after passing the salad bowl to me.

  “He’s obviously moved on. It’s high time you did the same.”

  Mom’s jaw dropped. “You think I should give up on twenty-one years of marriage? How can you say that?”

  “Honey,” Gran said, lowering her fork. “Things between you and Bill haven’t been good for a while. The first thing you ought to do is put this house up for sale. It’s much too big for just the two of you, anyway. Soon there will only be you.”

  Mom pushed her food around her plate with her fork. It was a real shame she couldn’t enjoy the fruits of her labor.

  “Aurora, why aren’t you eating any turkey?” Grandma asked suddenly.

  “She doesn’t eat meat,” Mom answered for me. I appreciated the firm tone of her voice, especially since my mom had never been a big fan of my eating choices.

  “Since when?” Gran demanded. She turned back to me, sucking in a dramatic breath. “My dear, I didn’t want to say anything before, but you do look rather sickly since the last time I saw you.”

  “Well, it is the middle of winter,” I said. I’d always been better than my mom at answering Grandma’s jibes. My diet was the same as it had been last summer. Grandma hadn’t noticed anything to complain about then, well not with my looks anyway.

  Thankfully, Grandma let me off the hook. “Yes, winter is dreadful. Don’t remind me.” She turned back to my mom. “It’s simply no good staying in this house. Until you move out, you can’t move on.”

  Mom sat listening with a frown on her face for most of it.

  Before Grandma left for the evening she invited us out for dinner the next evening. More of a summons, if you asked me.

  Noel wasn’t at school Friday. What the hell was going on with her? If she had something she wanted to tell me, it was up to her to make a move. I’d already left several messages and texts while she was out of town and more when she hadn’t showed up to school at the beginning of the week. It was hard not to take personally.

  Rather than make Mom drive to midtown twice, I walked to Gran’s townhouse after school.

  “Aurora!” Gran cried as soon as I made it to her front door after being buzzed inside the building. I stepped into her arms and hugged her then stepped back.

  “Hi, Gran.”

  “Come in! Come in! How was school?”

  I shrugged. “They haven’t kicked me out.”

  She hooted with laughter. Our best bonding moments involved humor. I followed her into the open kitchen. “I made us some snacks.”

  I liked the way Grandma said “made” to describe the store-bought cookies she had arranged on a ceramic platter. Mom hadn’t inherited her love of cooking from Gran, that’s for sure.

  “Thanks,” I said, taking one to be nice.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked. “A Red Bull or Mountain Dew?”

  “Uh, water’s good.”

  Gran got a glass out of the cupboard and handed it to me. “I’m going to have a Red Bull,” she said.

  I held my glass under the faucet and filled it with tap water.

  “I’m glad you came over early so just the two of us girls could talk,” Gran said. She opened her Red Bull and drank from the can. “Shall we get cozy in the living room?”

  I nodded and followed her to the white sofa overlooking Westchester Lagoon. That’s where they’d found the pizza delivery boy. If only Gran knew what my life had been like since she last left.

  “Your mother tells me you’re still not driving,” Grandma said.

  I felt my defenses rising. Here we go. “I’m not ready,” I said.

  “You’re not ten anymore, Aurora. You shouldn’t need your mother to drive you around.”

  I forced myself not to glare or sound petulant. Gran was just being Gran—stepping on toes and butting in where she didn’t belong. “She won’t have to for long. I’m going to live on campus as soon as I graduate.”

  Gran jumped on that immediately. “What happened to Notre Dame? I cannot for the life of me understand what made you give that up. You can’t mean to stay in Anchorage and babysit your mother. I can tell you right now it won’t do either of you any good.”

  Grandma sounded pretty fired up, more than usual. My jaw ached from clenching my teeth together. It’s not like I wanted to stick around, not that she had any clue of that.

  “My mind’s made up.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “I just don’t understand it,” Gran said, shaking her head.

  I watched her take a sip of her energy drink. “I’m not staying for Mom,” I said before thinking out my next words. “I’m staying for my boyfriend.”

  Gran’s eyes lit up when she faced me. She’d worried on more than one occasion about what she viewed as my lack of interest in the opposite sex. Apparently a boyfriend held more value than a top-rated college.

  “Tell me about this boy,” she said, her voice rising with excitement. “What’s his name?”

  “Dante,” I said without thinking twice. Maybe his name came so easily because this was the second time I’d used him as a fake boyfriend. That ought to concern me.

  “And his last name?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think he has one.”

  “Everyone has a last name,” Gran said, some of the chiding returning to her voice. “But never mind that. Is he handsome?”

  “Extremely.”

  She let out what sounded like a squeal. If she didn’t have a beverage in her hand, I swear she would have rubbed her palms together. “I insist he come out with us tonight.”

  “I can see if he’s available.”

  “Why don’t you call him right now?”

  “Okay,” I said. “What time and where?” It was better to sound perfectly confident in front of Gran.

  “Five thirty at the Crow’s Nest.”

  Speaking of crows, Gran had the whole early bird eating thing going on. Plus, she hadn’t adjusted to the time difference yet. Five thirty in Anchorage was nine thirty in Florida. No wonder she was chowing down on cookies and chugging an energy drink.

  I pulled my phone out of my coat pocket, smiling inwardly as Gran watched. I bet she thought I was bluffing. I dialed Dante. He answered immediately. “Oh good, we didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation the oth
er night. I think your phone died.”

  “Right,” I said, laughing softly.

  “I believe we were talking about sex in all its forms: written, verbal…physical.”

  I cleared my throat. “Dante, my grandmother is in town, and she’d like to take you, me, and my mom out to dinner. Five thirty at the Crow’s Nest. Can you meet us?”

  “That’s early.”

  “Gran’s on Florida time.” I looked at my grandma. She gave me a big smile.

  Dante chuckled. “Well, you know me. I can always eat.”

  I found myself smiling into the phone. “I know.”

  “Tell your grandmother I would be delighted.”

  I lowered the phone. “Dante says he’d be delighted.”

  If anything, Gran only looked more pleased. I lifted the phone back to my ear. “Right answer.”

  Dante laughed. “Then I’ll see you soon…in the flesh.”

  I shivered slightly. “Yep. See you soon.”

  Grandma set the can aside while I said bye. Now she really did rub her hands together. “Oh, won’t this be fun!”

  “I hope you like him.”

  “I know I will. He obviously has good taste to go out with you.”

  I felt my cheeks warm. “Gran…”

  “What? It’s true.” She got up and headed back to the kitchen. “Do you want another cookie before I put them away?”

  “I still have mine, thanks.” It sat uneaten on a coaster on the end table by the couch. “Need help?”

  “No, dear, I’ll have this cleared in a jiffy.”

  While Gran put the cookies back inside their boxes, I sent Dante a text.

  One more thing. My grandma thinks you’re my boyfriend.

  Dante texted back a moment later.

  No problem, kitten, but this time it’s going to cost you.

  ? I sent back.

  You know what.

  I sucked in a breath as I stared at the screen on my phone. I waited to see if he’d say anything else, but he didn’t. I quickly put my phone away when my grandmother rejoined me in the living room. I could feel my cheeks heating again, as though I’d been caught looking at a dirty magazine in my grandmother’s living room.

  “I cannot wait to meet this Dante fellow,” Gran said. “He sounds like quite the gentleman.”

  I nearly snorted, but recovered quick enough to nod. “He makes me laugh.”

  Gran took a seat in the recliner and leaned back. “Humor goes a long way, my dear.”

  22

  Always Leave Them Wanting More

  Gran wasn’t the only one pleased about my newfound boyfriend. As soon as she’d been buzzed in, Mom went right along with it when Grandma asked why she’d never mentioned Dante before.

  “They just started going out,” Mom answered, giving me a quick questioning look.

  Gran did the squeal thing again. “Oh, isn’t it wonderful I came home early? Now tell me everything there is to know about Dante.”

  “He’s a freshman at UAA,” I said.

  “Already in college,” Grandmother noted, raising a brow. “Well done, my dear.”

  “You’ll love him,” my mom said. “He’s entertaining, well-mannered, and extremely good looking.”

  “Mom!”

  She smiled. “What? It’s true.”

  And so the conversation went the entire drive downtown. Dante won extra points for, as my Mom put it, having a hearty appetite the one time she asked him to stay for dinner. Of course, what we both left out is the reason behind that first visit. Dante had arrived on our doorstep to introduce himself as my vampire hunting mentor then haul me off to Fairbanks for my first mission in the field with no warning.

  “Is that him?” my grandmother asked suddenly when my mom drove down a side street beside the Captain Cook Hotel looking for a parking spot.

  And there stood Dante, waiting in front of the hotel’s double doors, dashing grin upon his face. He looked like a young, clean-cut Brad Pitt, only better.

  Dante wasn’t just winning points with my mom and Grandma. From the moment I landed eyes on him I liked what I saw, but there was more to it than that. Dante made me smile. He made me laugh. Wasn’t that better than a guy who made me cry?

  And he was reliable. No question. He came out tonight because I asked him, and here he stood, waiting at the entrance with a big welcoming smile.

  I felt a pitter-patter inside my chest. Oh yeah, there was a definite attraction going on between us. Our first face-to-face since the whole sexting thing in Sitka had my nerves deep-fried and sizzling.

  As we got out of the car, Dante approached, his cheeks dimpling as he smiled even bigger. “Mrs. Sky, it’s been too long.” He walked right up to my mom and hugged her.

  “Hello, Dante. It’s good to see you again.” Mom was all grins. I swear this was her dream come true for me. She took a step back and looked at Gran. “Dante, this is my mother, Abigail Williams.”

  “Mrs. Williams, I am delighted to meet you.”

  “Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Gran said. Dante reached out his hand, but Grandma took him in her arms. “Let’s have none of that. You’re family now.”

  Luckily no one saw my face. I felt ready to burst into laughter and give us away. I doubt Gran would be thrilled to watch me erupt into hysterics. I bit my tongue. Hard.

  “And there’s my girl,” Dante said energetically, honing in on me. His lips quirked upwards. He’d seen the laughter on my face.

  “Hey,” I said casually, trying not to look too amused by the situation. I had to admit it was much more entertaining than awkward. That is until Dante stepped up to me, dipped me back, and kissed me full on the lips.

  My eyes widened. Dante made sure to get what he could out of the kiss before lifting me back up. He smirked the moment he took in the dazed look on my face. Before I could think of anything to say, he offered his arm to my grandmother and launched into a conversational tone. “Aurora tells me you came in from Florida, Mrs. Williams. How long are you visiting?”

  “Call me Abby, dear. I have a place in midtown where I stay six months out of the year.”

  “Ah, so you’re a snowbird. Can’t say I wouldn’t mind taking off south myself when the big freeze comes in.”

  Gran squeezed Dante’s arm. “You and Aurora must visit me next winter.”

  “We’d love to.”

  Mom and I fell into step behind Dante and Grandma. Mom raised a brow at me and I shook my head. She answered with a smile.

  Our small group tromped through the lobby up to the elevator. Inside the elevator Dante pressed the button for the restaurant on the top floor, then took a place beside me.

  When we reached the top floor he held the elevator door open. My grandmother stepped out first. Before following Mom out, I leaned back and whispered to Dante, “Thank you for doing this.”

  “Anytime. Shall we?” Dante reached for my hand. When our fingers laced together, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. We walked down the corridor toward the restaurant’s lobby. Mom glanced back at us and smiled.

  I should have known Grandma wouldn’t let Dante off the hook completely. “What’s this I hear about you keeping my granddaughter behind to attend an in-state college?” she asked after we’d been seated.

  Dante didn’t miss a beat. He smiled slyly. “Couldn’t let her run off east and fall in love with another man.”

  Gran looked Dante over closely. “Aurora must think highly of you to stick around Anchorage.”

  He chuckled. “You know what they say. Who needs a dream college when you’ve got your dream man?”

  I smacked Dante playfully on the shoulder. “And so humble.”

  Gran looked between the two of us and smiled. “I can’t say I was too happy when Aurora told me she no longer planned on attending Notre Dame, but at least now I can begin to understand why.”

  Dante may have gotten the Abigail Williams stamp of approval, but that didn’t absolve him from the background check. Gran
asked about his family, education, and upbringing in Fairbanks.

  Dante and I didn’t get much chance to talk, and maybe that was a good thing. I did try to ask him about Noel at the end of dinner as my mom and Grandma gathered their hats, gloves, and jackets.

  “Did something happen in Fairbanks that upset Noel?” I asked.

  “Harper? No, why?”

  “She’s been acting withdrawn at school.”

  Dante looked up in thought. “Nope, can’t think of anything. She seemed fine to me. Way peppier than I’ve ever seen her.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Why don’t you just ask her what’s up?”

  “Because that’s not how women do it,” I said, exasperated.

  Dante squinted at me. “Why not? Seems a heck of a lot easier.”

  “Come on,” I said, grabbing his arm. My mom and grandmother are waiting.”

  Dante put a hand on top of mine. “Why don’t I drive you home?”

  Alone with Dante. I’d done it plenty of times before and felt perfectly safe but that was before the sexting and his starring role in my erotic fantasy, and the pretend but oh-so-real-feeling relationship and date out with my family.

  I felt the tremble even in my fingertips. I hoped Dante didn’t.

  I cleared my throat. “My grandmother just got into town and is expecting Mom and me to come over for a while. Not to mention she’s going to want to have me around so she can gush over you.”

  Dante straightened up and smiled. “Well, in that case.” He chuckled. “You know, Aurora,” he said slowly, “if your grandma’s going to believe the whole us being an item story, it would be much easier if it were true.”

  I gave him a hard stare.

  “Am I not good boyfriend material?” he asked when I didn’t answer.

  “You’re great boyfriend material,” I said quickly. “But we work together.”

  Dante grinned. “That’s what I call a bonus. Come on, Sky. Let me take you out on a date. A real date.”

  “A date,” I repeated slowly. The guy I’d been fantasizing about was asking me on a date.

  “Sky,” Dante said, low and seductive.