Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta

Author:Marta Acosta [Acosta, Marta]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-01-21T06:00:00+00:00

"Thanks, mujer," I said gratefully. "For everything."

I peered out the door and then made a dash for the café.

"Where have you been?" Edna said, but she didn't wait for an answer as she headed for the car. If I told her that I'd been spotted by one of Sebastian's friends, the vampires would never let me leave the ranch again. Besides, what was the likelihood of being spotted again by someone who knew me? I told Edna that I'd been browsing in a bookstore, but I surreptitiously kept glancing back to see if Kathleen's blue Mercedes was following us. I didn't relax until we returned to the ranch and I saw two sweaty, dirty men sitting on boulders in the garden. Ernie and Oswald had edged the planting beds with rocks carted from the creek.

"Hope you don't mind," said Ernie. "We went ahead and got these rocks. I thought you might like the gray ones." Most of the stones were a foot in width and a dark slate color. "They're perfect," I said. "Thank you."

"Very nice, Ernie," said Edna. "Oswald, don't you have something better to do with your time than help Ernie?" No matter what Oswald did, he riled his grandmother.

Oswald hung his head. "Guess I could get to some paperwork," he said, but I saw him wink at Ernie. What on earth was he doing in that cottage? He couldn't actually be studying veterinary medicine, could he? I watched him as he strolled off. He wore a T-shirt that said "Use an accordion, go to Cotati. It's the law." The fabric hung loosely from his muscular shoulders to his nice, firm—and then I stopped myself. I was transferring my ridiculous dream of a dashing and capable Oswald to the reality of an aimless and nitwitty Oswald.

I realized that Edna and Ernie were watching me. I assumed a neutral expression. "Ernie, can you help me unload the truck?" When we were sliding the trees out, I said casually, "Edna doesn't seem to approve of Oswald." Ernie looked at me as if I was clueless. "He's her favorite."

"But she's always criticizing him."

"Oh, that's her way, like she is with you. You don't take it serious, do you?" I wasn't going to admit that I'd begun to like her barbs and the opportunity to respond. "Nope."

"Oswald don't either. They disagree on some things but there's lots of love there." He leaned against the truck and brushed back his black hair. "They're complicated people, mi amor."

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.