Sunset Rising (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 5)

by Jaz Primo

  Bel placed a check at the edge of my table. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “Yeah, about how far away is the main office to rent a cabin at Tar Hollow?”

  “Well, it’s a few miles south of here, but you can’t miss it if you follow highway 56.”

  “A few miles?” I asked.

  “Just a few minutes by car,” she said. “The guy you’ll want to speak to is Garth. I forget his last name, but he’s the only Garth in this area that I’ve ever heard of.”

  It sounded pretty straight forward. Then it occurred to me that walking there was going to be quite a hike.

  “You have a vehicle, right?” she asked.

  “Uh, not exactly,” I said. “It sounds strange to say, but I just got off the bus. Any taxi service around here?”

  She stifled a laugh. “Boy, did you land in the wrong town. I haven’t seen a taxi come through here in months.”

  “Car rental?”

  She shook her head. “Not so much.”

  Despite my practice of cautious budgeting, I quickly calculated a generous tip for her and laid out the cash onto the table.

  “Thanks for everything,” I said. “The food was pretty good…took me right back to 1959.”

  “I’ll bet. As if either of us could legitimately claim to know 1959,” she said.

  “Yeah, well, that’s the history teacher in me talking,” I said, picking up my pack and making my way out of the restaurant. “Thanks again.”

  As I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I sensed the major flaw in my impromptu plan.

  No transportation in a one-horse town.

  Then my eye caught sight of a dark blue moped with a for sale sign on it out in front of the Feed and Seed across the street.

  “Well, beggars can’t be choosers,” I said.

  An hour later, and with a serious dent in my cash reserves, I donned a small skullcap helmet and awkwardly rode down the street on my decidedly used moped.

  Paige would give me so much hell over this right now.

  * * *

  Before venturing south, I made a quick trip to the town’s only discount department store for what few toiletries and supplies I could squeeze into my nearly full backpack.

  By the time I had secured a cabin from Garth at the main office and settled in, it was late afternoon. Realizing that I only had some light snacks for food, I puttered back to town where I purchased another backpack before heading to the local grocery store. At the camping supplies store next door, I procured a relatively inexpensive fishing kit.

  Afterward, I began my drive back to the cabin and felt very appreciative for the moped.

  Approaching the café, I saw Bel getting into a Jeep. We waved at each other as I passed by.

  It was a cool but pleasant early evening by the time I returned to the cabin. I gathered some firewood from a neatly stacked supply on the back outer wall. Only as I carried the wood inside did I realize that I actually felt more relaxed than I had in days.

  Maybe I’ve finally found where I need to be to think things through.

  * * *

  The next morning, I rose early for a quick breakfast and then walked to the nearby lake to do some fishing. I only had a couple of bites and tossed back the few small bass and a crappie that were too little to be worth cleaning.

  As I appreciated the beauty and peacefulness around me, I mulled over my situation and all that had brought me there.

  I couldn’t deny that my existence was likely enviable to most people; that is, if you discounted the occasional attempts on my life or the violence that went along with renegade vampires showing up from time to time. In truth, some of it was sort of exciting. However, it was the life-threatening aspect that got old fast.

  Then there was my situation with Kat.

  I loved her. I really loved her.

  But she was essentially an absent mate, perpetually on missions and building and organizing a veritable army for Alton. Even though she told me that she was doing it for us as much as for Alton, it nevertheless kept me away from being with her.

  Then there was my doctoral program at Yale.

  Yale.

  I’d have never expected the opportunity for that; not in a million years.

  Kat and Alton were spending thousands of dollars toward my education and living expenses, not to mention Paige upheaving her life with Ethan just to help protect me. Of course, Roman was doing his part, as well. He had even turned out to be a pretty competent trainer.

  Granted, he was a bit of a drill sergeant a lot of the time. I could do without some of that, actually.

  So many sacrifices were being made and opportunities being issued on my behalf.

  And, while I realized the importance of each of those, I still couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied at times.

  In the end, I was fully cognizant of everything that Alton and others were doing for me, which only made me feel guilty over feeling the way I did. But it really didn’t alter my view—my visceral emotions—over the situation at hand, either.

  I didn’t care about vampire politics, or building coalitions, or even stemming the tide of mounting aggression against two opposing factions. I didn’t even feel like a failure if I didn’t complete my doctoral program. I only wanted to be with Kat, to have her in my life on a daily basis.

  If we were together, I felt as though there was nothing I couldn’t overcome or endure. My love for her would carry me through.

  And yet, I wasn’t enduring her prolonged absence in my life very well at all. What did that say about my true sense of commitment?

  Or did it really mean anything in the end?

  My fishing line tangled as I cast forward in frustration.

  “Dammit!”

  I threw the small rod and reel to the ground, annoyed that I couldn’t even enjoy a simple fishing excursion without things going to hell.

  I took a deep breath and hitched my hands atop my hips. Then I slowly stretched my neck and back muscles to relieve some tension.

  The sun was already on its trek toward the west as I glanced down at my watch. Half the afternoon had already passed.

  Worse yet, I was hungry and I had no fish to show for it.

  I picked up my rod and tackle and walked back to the cabin. I immediately went to the refrigerator to grab something to eat.

  As I started to retrieve the items to make a cold sandwich, my stomach craved the menu at Cooper’s Café.

  I mulled over my finances, which could still endure a few meals before I had to be overly conservative.

  I put everything back into the refrigerator and headed out to my scooter.

  When I walked through the café main doors Bel was delivering some food to a table.

  “Hey,” she said. “Back already?”

  “What can I say? Best food in town.”

  Granted, it qualified as the only legitimate restaurant in town.

  “Pick a place and I’ll be right with you,” she said.

  I selected the same booth that I had on my first visit. It had an excellent view of both the entrance and the street outside; a good tactical location.

  Roman would be proud of me.

  “Already tired of eating all those fish you’ve been catching?” Bel asked.

  I gave her a wan look.

  “I warned you it was the off season,” she said. “Besides, the fish are in their fall pattern, usually deep instead of the shallows.”

  “You fish?” I asked.

  “No, but I’ve cleaned quite a few for my ex,” she said. “And I pick up dozens of good tips each week working here.”

  I glanced at her left hand and noted a telltale faded circular area at the base of her ring finger.

  “Well, I should hope you get good tips,” I quipped. “You’re a really good waitress.”

  She shook her head at me, though she smiled. “Thank you, kind sir. What can I get you today? The fried catfish is pretty good, if you’re suffering fisherman’s remorse.”

 
Suddenly, the thought of fish didn’t entice me very much. “Nah, how about the fried chicken instead.”

  “It’s even better. Iced tea?” she asked.

  “Yes, thanks.”

  “Coming right up.”

  As I sat there, I realized how much I appreciated running into someone like Bel. Somehow, her friendly personality made my situation here in town feel more comfortable.

  As I ate a small salad that she brought to me, my thoughts returned to Kat and our future together. I barely noticed when my entrée was being delivered to my table.

  “Deep in thought?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Thanks. This really looks good.”

  “There’s some good things here,” she said.

  “You know, this whole town seems like something out of a nostalgic old movie,” I said. “It’s almost like an escape from the real world. All that’s missing is James Stewart.”

  “You’d think so as a visitor,” she said. “But people in small towns like ours one have just as many issues as people living in the city. The main difference is that here everyone else knows about everyone else’s problems.”

  I nodded. “Makes sense.”

  “There’s a lot to be said for the anonymity of big cities, if you want my opinion,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  Halfway through my meal, Bel stopped by my table. “I’m getting off-shift in a few minutes, but Candace will take care of you from here. Normally, I’d stay late to finish your table, but I have to pick up my kids on time tonight. My parents have an event to attend.”

  “Oh, that’s just fine,” I said. “But thanks for letting me know.”

  She smiled at me and I watched her as she took off her apron. A nearly teenage-looking young lady wearing a waitress uniform handed a coat and purse to Bel.

  “Thanks, Candace,” she said. “Take good care of table four over there. He’s a first-class customer.”

  “Sure thing, Bel,” the young woman replied.

  Bel winked at me while shrugging into her coat and then left through the front doors.

  I liked her.

  Her parting words echoed in my thoughts as I finished my meal.

  There’s a lot to be said for the anonymity of big cities, if you want my opinion…

  I could appreciate how Bel might feel the way she did about small towns. Still, sometimes it felt like a person could practically drown in their anonymity in a big city. Certainly, New Haven and the Yale campus made me feel practically invisible at times.

  When I thought about it further, so did Atlanta.

  I’m sure that’s something vampires find very appealing.

  It struck me that those were two key words for me, vampires and found.

  Now that I had stopped moving around the country, how much longer might it be before I was found...by a vampire?

  More to the point, what was I going to do then?

  Chapter 13

  Caleb

  After stopping by a convenience store to purchase some beer, which I slipped into an empty back pack I had brought with me, I rode the distance back to the cabin.

  During the ride, I replayed the list of routes I had taken to get to Tar Hollow. I was confident that my circuitous journey permitted me many more days of solitude before Kat, or anyone else for that matter, might come close to locating me.

  That’s when the guilt washed over me; guilt for leaving New Haven so abruptly, as well as for going off the grid once I had.

  Granted, I had taken the time to send multiple messages to reassure everyone that I was fine. But I knew Kat better than most and she was going to be really pissed with me.

  I imagined a dark, oncoming storm in my mind’s eye.

  A shiver ran down my spine and I knew it wasn’t from the gradually cooling evening air that impacted my face.

  I sat quietly before the cabin’s fireplace that evening and drank three beers before finally going to bed.

  I slept restlessly.

  The next day began with a cool morning breeze and a mostly clear sky. I rose early for a light breakfast and then sat outside with a mug of hot tea to appreciate the sunrise. Additionally, I busied myself unraveling the snarl of fishing line on my reel that I had acquired the previous day.

  Later that morning, I set out for a relaxing walk through the woods. I’d always enjoyed the outdoors, and it was particularly beautiful here as the waning fall gave way to the precursors of winter.

  It occurred to me that Thanksgiving was just a couple of weeks away. My thoughts gravitated to last year and my first Thanksgiving with Kat. It was hard to believe that we had been together for more than a year.

  In fact, it had almost been that long since our life or death fight with the renegade vampire, Chimalma.

  Kat and I had been through so much together in the short time we’d been together.

  Had all of that been too taxing for us? Was our relationship threatened by too much drama?

  There were no easy answers, and I considered those questions at length.

  After a time, I arrived at an honest answer. No, to both.

  I wished that Kat were there to share the beautiful, relaxing surroundings with me. Maybe between the two of us we’d be able to set everything right again.

  But then the problem wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend my life with Kat. On the contrary, it was that I didn’t think I could go on as we were, essentially without her regular presence in my life.

  How did previous generations do it during times of wars and conflict abroad, when lovers were apart for years at a time?

  I made my way back to the cabin by midday and decided that I once again craved a meal from Cooper’s Café versus a cold sandwich.

  Within the hour I was seated at my usual booth as Bel waited on me.

  “Don’t you ever get a day off?” I asked.

  “I wish,” she replied. “But when you have an ex who only pays alimony and child support when the mood strikes him, you work more than you play.”

  “Can’t you take him to court?”

  “Sure, if I had the money to pay an attorney,” she said. “And until he stops paying entirely, a judge really isn’t going to take much notice.”

  While that might have been true, it certainly didn’t seem fair.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, not really sure what I should say to that.

  “Hey, we all have our burdens, right?” she said.

  She said a real mouthful there.

  “So, let’s review for a moment. You’ve had the chicken-fried steak and then the fried chicken,” she said. “What will it be today, I wonder?”

  “Guess,” I said.

  “I’m guessing something fried,” she said.

  “Ha! Too easy,” I said.

  Her eyes narrowed as she thoughtfully tapped the end of her chin with her ink pen. “Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy?”

  I shook my head. “Cheeseburger, well done, and fries.”

  “You got me there. Still, the fries are deep fried, so I was close,” she said. “Iced tea?”

  “Coke,” I replied.

  “Well, you’re just full of surprises today, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged. “I can be.”

  “I bet,” she said. “I’ll get this started for you.”

  I didn’t have to wait long for my meal, which was good because my stomach was already growling.

  After checking on a handful of other customers, Bel returned to my table.

  “How is it?”

  “Great,” I replied.

  “Are you enjoying your stay at the cabin?”

  I considered how to answer that.

  “What? Are the fish being really mean to you?” she asked with a feisty expression.

  “Yeah, but it’s really relaxing, too,” I replied. “I’d like to come back again during the spring or summer sometime.”

  “I know it’s not really my place, but I have to ask about something. Candac
e, Jim, and I have been trying to guess what brought you to Tar Hollow,” she said.

  “Oh? Is there an office pool for it?” I asked.

  “No,” she replied. “Jim says he’s not much on gambling. Although I say that’s strange because he loves bingo night at the Baptist church in town.”

  “Ah,” I said, nodding my head. “So, what’s been guessed so far?”

  Bel sat on the end of the booth seat across from me and leaned across the table. “Well, Jim thinks you’re on the run from the law, but then he watches too many legal dramas on television, which is where he gets most of his ideas.”

  I chuckled at that.

  “As for Candace, she thinks you’re an introverted author who’s traveling the country seeking inspiration as you work on your next big novel,” she said.

  “That’s actually an enticing thought,” I said. “What about you?”

  She smiled. “I think it’s a little bit of both.”

  “Oh, really?” I asked with a penetrating look. “Do tell.”

  “I don’t know why, but I get the impression that you didn’t plan to come here,” she said.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Well, you expected to rent a cabin,” she said. “But you didn’t seem all that knowledgeable of the area, and you didn’t arrive with any luggage to speak of, much less any means of transportation. If you had been planning this for some time then you’re either highly disorganized or a really bad planner.”

  “What if I simply enjoy living life spontaneously?”

  “Maybe,” she conceded. “But I’m not convinced.”

  “Bel, order up!” called Jim from the kitchen area.

  “Great timing, as always,” she muttered. “Hold that thought.”

  She quickly made her way to the small window behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the front part of the diner.

  I realized that I had better come up with a plausible answer before she returned to the topic. It would seem overly suspicious if I tried to remain elusive about my reasons for being in Tar Hollow. Sometimes simple truths are the most believable.