CHAPTER 6
Kelly cooked up some scrambled eggs and bacon as Todd made some coffee for the two of them. After the night they had, both of them needed the caffeine. They sat down at the kitchen table across from each other, ready to devour their meals. While it was a traumatic night, the outcome wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Daniel was still with them, just not as alive as he was the day before. The gloom that had hung over their heads had lifted once they knew that Daniel was ultimately okay.
They still had to be careful talking about their budding relationship since the other vampires were still in the house. For all they knew, Todd was still Emma’s and Kelly belonged to Zachariah. Neither of them wanted to be the cause of getting busted in a lie.
“Thank you for comforting me last night,” Kelly started as she nibbled on her bacon. “That was very kind of you.” She picked her words carefully, knowing the other vampires might be able to hear her. Of course, she was referring to Todd crawling into bed with her and holding her.
Todd smiled and sweetly replied, “You’re welcome, love.” His hand flew to his mouth as he realized what he said. He knew he would have to throw the pet name “love” around to everyone so it wasn’t obvious.
Their conversation was limited due to the sonic ears around the premises.
Todd continued, “Do you want to get out of here today? Want to go somewhere or something?” After all of the drama he had been through, a day away from the Manor, away from the vampires, was an extremely welcome thought.
It was a beautiful, crisp autumn day; a perfect day for a first date. They decided to go to Geneva, which was a little, historic town far south from where they were. Todd didn’t mind having to drive about an hour to get there; the further away, the better. Kelly had been there several times before, but it was Todd’s first time, so she was eager to show him all the little shops. Neither of them could wait to get started on their little adventure.
After they were finished eating, they cleaned up their dishes and headed back upstairs to get ready. Both were so glad that they had taken a shower the night before and didn’t have to waste time to do that. Todd got ready much quicker than Kelly did, so he strolled across the hallway and lightly knocked on Emma’s door.
“Hey, Kelly and I are going to take off for the day,” Todd told her after she opened the door. “We’re going to head down to Geneva and spend the day there.”
“Oh,” Emma was surprised. She hoped that the disappointment didn’t ooze into her voice. “Why Geneva?”
“Kelly has been there several times and said it’s really great. A lot of shops and food. It’s a beautiful day out and honestly, I just want to get away for a little bit. After everything that is happened, I just want to clear my head and have no worries. No offense.”
“None taken,” she waved him off as nonchalantly as she could muster. “Hey Todd,” she blurted before he could walk away. “I just want to say thank you for being there last night. It means a lot to me and I know it does to Dan as well.”
“No need to thank me…you all…well, you’re my family,” he felt awkward saying that not knowing if the feeling was reciprocated. Emma, Zachariah, and Daniel had known each other a very long time whereas Todd only came into the picture a year earlier. Nonetheless, he felt like he was part of their family.
“And you’re ours as well,” she squeezed his hand. “We love you, that’s why we fought so hard to find you.”
“I’m forever grateful,” his soft, English voice said. They locked eyes for a moment, almost torturing themselves.
“You two have fun today,” she forced a smile on her face.
“I’ll get you a magnet or something,” he laughed. “Text me if you hear anything about Daniel. I won’t be able to stop thinking about him, no matter how far away I am.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, then a quick kiss on top of it.
She chuckled and thanked him before shutting the door. It sounded like Todd and Kelly were going on their impromptu first date, and it made her feel awkward. She figured that she would wait until they were gone to join Aidan and the others for their meeting.
After Kelly was finally ready, they hopped into Todd’s car with Kelly at the wheel. Todd had asked her to drive because she knew the area better than he did. Plus, he didn’t drive much since he moved to the United States, and was still used to driving on the left side of the road! Their ride down to Geneva was lively; they talked about their taste in music, places they wanted to visit in the world, and shared some silly high school stories. As a rule, they avoided the topic of exes. Mostly because Todd lived under the same roof as his.
After about an hour, they finally rolled in to the quaint little town of Geneva. Kelly turned left onto Third Street, which is where some of her favorite shops were located. They parked in front of The Little Traveler, which was her absolute favorite shop; she never left there empty-handed. Kelly was really into history and often felt like she was born in the wrong era. The shop, which was a historic Victorian mansion-turned-shop in the 1920s, had creaky floors and some tight rooms. Sometimes Kelly liked to imagine what the shop was like when it was someone’s home. She even thought about the fact that if it was haunted by the previous residence, how horrified they would be to see people parading through their home all day long.
She and Todd walked in and were immediately greeted by the kitchen section. Kelly was tempted to lose her mind every single time she looked over all the gadgets and knickknacks. She enjoyed baking and cooking, so the nifty tools on display were calling her name. Todd followed alongside her, looking like a stereotypical guy being dragged into shopping. He would pick up an item and look it over, commenting how cool something was. Then, he would look at the price tag and immediately set it down. They wandered through the shop, which had thirty-six rooms to explore. They found themselves in the candy department, which immediately plucked Todd’s interest.. They continued on to the apparel, where they tried on hats that looked to be from the 1920s.
“I wonder if Emma wore something like this,” Kelly thought out loud.
“Knowing her sense of style, she probably did,” Todd responded. “I know she and Zachariah spent some time in Paris in the 1920s. I have to admit, I’m a little jealous that they got to experience that era there.”
“I wonder if they have any pictures?” Kelly asked, hoping Todd had seen some to talk about.
“I haven’t seen any, except for the random ones that were in the fairly recent decades. We’ll have to ask her when we get home.”
“That has to be weird for you, seeing old pictures of Emma and she looks exactly the same. Just like her portrait that hangs in the hallway from two hundred years ago,” Kelly stated with awe her voice.
After purchasing candy, several kitchen gadgets, candles, and a flapper-style hat, they finally exited Kelly’s favorite shop. They continued to walk down Third Street; the autumn air was in full effect and they stepped on the occasional dried leaf on the sidewalk. The quaint, whimsical shops that they passed just added to the season’s ambience. It’s somewhat reminded Kelly of back home in Canistota, South Dakota; the little Main Street and the assortment of stores. She often missed the farm she grew up on, which was owned by her grandparents.
“What was it like growing up on a farm?” Todd asked as he nonchalantly took her by the hand.
That sent butterflies fluttering around in her stomach as she walked hand-in-hand with him. “It was…quiet, sometimes boring. We literally lived off a gravel road. The cool thing about coming from such a small town is that everyone knows each other. The bad thing is…everyone knows each other,” she laughed.
“I can’t imagine secrets are very easy to keep in such a small town,” he laughed.
“No, not at all! But, we lived on the outskirts of town on a farm where our nearest neighbor was about a half a mile away. I miss the peacefulness of just sitting outside in hearing the breeze amongst the trees and the birds chirping.”
Todd sighed, “That so
unds like bliss. I’d love to go there and visit.”
That comment took her by surprise, and she suggested that he join her when she went to visit in the spring. For a moment, she wished she could take back her words; feeling like she was moving a bit too fast for him. But, he enthusiastically told her that he would love to go. He wondered how that would work since they were living weapons under the protection of the vampire Queen. He had no doubt that they were being followed at that very moment by her guards. After what had happened at the premiere, he had no doubt that he would always be under her watchful eye, some way or another.
Their next stop was the All Chocolate Kitchen, which took Todd by surprise as they walked in. They had a life-size sculpture of one of the Chicago Blackhawks that was made entirely of chocolate. They also had a tree in the middle of the restaurant that was made of chocolate as well. It was a chocolate lover’s paradise! Not only did they have decadent desserts and candies, but they also had real food there, too. They decided to have lunch there because the quiches were making their mouths water. They opted to sit indoors since it was chilly outside, but dined next to the chocolate tree.
“So, when do you think you’re going to officially move in?” Todd asked as he cut his quiche, accidentally scratching the fork along his plate.
Kelly shivered at the sound, but replied, “I suppose within the next couple of days. I haven’t told my parents yet that I’m moving out, they’re going to be quite surprised as to where.”
“Are you still going to work at your same job? I hear it’s pretty far away.”
She finished chewing before answering, “That’s going to be tough since it is so far to drive. Maybe I can look into getting a job in the town of Davenport, that would be kind of cool. I wonder what kind of rent Emma is going to charge me.”
“She’s not going to charge you rent,” Todd replied with a perplexed look.
“I can’t live there rent-free!”
“You’re under her protection, she’s not going to charge you. If anything, you’ll just have to pay for your own necessities. But, when it comes to the roof over your head, that’s provided.”
It was hard for Kelly to understand being able to live in Davenport Manor for free. However, she knew she would have to get a job closer to there, and hoped she would be able to find something in the town of Davenport. She couldn’t just sit around all day doing nothing anyway. Todd wasn’t always guaranteed to be there since he would have to go on movie shoots.
“Oh! What’s going to happen with the movie you were supposed to be shooting in Chicago?” She asked, remembering that he had a role lined up. But, he missed the table reading, which was how Emma discovered that he was truly missing.
“I’m sure they’ve gone ahead and fired me by now. But, I have no doubt Emma will be able to change that,” he winked, knowing she would charm them into giving him his job back. He didn’t want to miss out on yet another movie role, even though he was contracted for more films in the Ticking Through Time franchise.
“Can I come watch you on a shoot sometime?” She asked him as she took the napkin off of her lap to dab the corners of her mouth.
“Absolutely! There’s often a lot of downtime and sitting around, which can be boring. But, I think you’ll find it interesting.”
As they finished their meal they realized they were too full to eat dessert there, so they opted to pick up a bunch of pastries and candies to take home. As they were picking out their order, Todd had a thought to pick some up for Daniel as well, since they were always the only two humans in the house. However, it hit him like a brick in the face that Daniel was no longer human. He realized it was the first time he had thought about it since they left the house, which was refreshing to clear his mind for the afternoon.
He enjoyed being with Kelly; it was easy and relaxed, just like when they had first met at the premiere. It was as if they knew each other for years. There was no drama, no vampire politics, no fear of being bitten and accidentally killing someone. While being in a relationship with Emma was exciting and unique, Kelly was like a ray of sunshine. Not that Emma wasn’t either, but she was an entirely different species that was part of a world far darker than he could imagine. He knew she protected him from seeing all of it as much as she could. He gave her credit though; she was always extremely protective of the humans she cared about, specifically him and Daniel.
They walked out of the shop with two more bags to carry and continued on to explore Geneva. Instead of holding his hand, Kelly wrapped her arm around his. She felt comfortable enough with him now to be so bold. It took him by surprise for a moment, and he slowed his walk and stopped on the sidewalk. They were standing under a tree, and a cool breeze was blowing the orange leaves on ground around them. Kelly stopped with him, and looked up at him with confusion.
“Why are you stopping? What’s wrong?”
He set his bags down on the ground, took her face in his hands, and softly replied, “This…” He leaned down with his eyes closed, and gently kissed her rosy lips. She wrapped her arms around him, bags still dangling in her hands, and kissed him back. Their lips were cold from being outside, but as they slightly open their mouths, their warm tongues tenderly flicked one another.
This setting couldn’t have been more perfect for Kelly; autumn leaves falling all around them on the sidewalk of the quaint town, and kissing Todd Foster. She never dreamed that this would actually happen, so she savored the moment. He ran her fingers through her wavy, red hair, pulling her deeper into his kiss.
They slowly pulled apart, looking into each other’s eyes. She was so darling to him; her cheeks that turned rosy from the cold air, and the warmth of her mouth was a welcome change from the norm. It reminded him that she was alive. Human. A living weapon, just like him. She smiled bashfully, which was endearing to him. A year ago, it would’ve been him smiling sheepishly, but he had become more dominant since dating Emma. He had to in order to keep her for as long as he did. Now, he was able to use his new-found confidence on a human girl.
“That’s all,” Todd said.
Kelly was smiling from ear to ear; she couldn’t wipe the dumbstruck grin off of her face. She was so happy in that moment! She couldn’t believe that she just stood on a sidewalk in Geneva, Illinois and kissed Todd foster. Or rather, he kissed her. It felt as though she was dreaming and didn’t want to wake up.
He picked up his bags back with one hand, and threw his other arm around Kelly’s shoulder. They continued walking on, basking in the post-kiss euphoria. Todd had forgotten what it was like to kiss a human girl and realized that he missed it. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt for moving on so quickly after Emma, especially with all that she was dealing with. But, he quickly pushed her away from his brain.
They made one quick stop to Graham’s Chocolate and Ice Cream shop before going back to the car. One could not have too many sweets to take home! They picked up some caramel apples and other little assortments; they were bound to be diabetic by the end of the week! Kelly had hoped that there was a treadmill at Davenport Manor, otherwise she would be doing laps around the property.
They walked back to the car, and Kelly had to set down her bags down to fish the keys out of her purse. Her wallet was still weeping from her spending excursion, but it was all worth it. Not just for the purchases that she was bringing home, but also because she had such a spectacular day with Todd. She couldn’t have asked for a better first date with him. It was easy, relaxed, with zero pressure on either of them. She felt like she had known him for years, and she was certain that he felt the same way.
She found her keys and unlocked the car to begin the long drive back to the Manor. They held hands almost the whole way, except for when Kelly needed to use both hands for driving. She had to admit that she was a little nervous about returning back to the Manor; she was paranoid that Emma would know about their afternoon. That they had a magical time together and shared the perfect kiss on the sidewalk. Would she be able to smell
Todd on her, or her on him. She was unsure if vampires were jealous or possessive of their exes. However, from what she had seen, Todd and Emma remained good friends and she hoped that was it.
As they began driving down Third Street, Todd’s phone dinged with a new text. Emma had let him know that Daniel and Zachariah were on the way home and that Brianna was in tow. She also was glad to tell him that Daniel was no longer rabidly craving human blood, and that he and Kelly should be all clear to be around him. Todd relayed the message back to Kelly to let her know everything that was going on.
“Back to vampire business,” Todd sighed, not looking forward to going back. Of course, he had easy days with Emma over the past year, but not like this. It was always in the back of his head of how dangerous she actually was…and how dangerous he was to her. That’s what always worried him the most; they could easily kill each other, even by accident.
“It’ll be fine,” Kelly reassured. “I’m actually looking forward to everything just settling down after all that has happened. I hope no new drama pops up anytime soon.”
Todd chortled, “You can always expect new drama to pop up with vampires.”
They remained silent for a few minutes before Kelly spoke up, “Do you think this is going to be weird for us and for Emma? You know, since you guys live under the same roof?”
Todd inhaled deeply, thinking over his answer, “It might be a tiny bit weird, but we both agreed it was for the best. Also, vampires are different from humans when it comes to relationships. I don’t even know if they feel jealousy like we do.”
“That’s a relief. I was hoping it wouldn’t cause uncomfortable living conditions.”
Their ride home was far less enthusiastic than when they left. Todd never imagined a day where he would dread going to Davenport Manor; he didn’t think it was possible. Yet, there he was somewhat dreading it, like it was a dark cloud looming before him. This was the first time that he ever thought about no longer living there. But, he knew that wasn’t an option because of the danger of being kidnapped once again. He had no doubt that other vampires outside of their inner circle knew about him; Declan was sure to have told more than just his followers.
Revolutions (Davenport Manor Book 3) Page 8