New Orleans Nocturnes 04: Santa Got Run Over by a Vampire by Carrie Pulkinen

Author:Carrie Pulkinen [Pulkinen, Carrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Ethan sat in the driver’s seat of his Ford Taurus, but he didn’t start the ignition. Jane watched him from the corner of her eye as he gripped the steering wheel, the tendons in his neck so taut, they might snap at any second. Forget about cracking a chestnut between his butt cheeks. Right now, he could probably make a diamond.

“Are you ready to go?” She cupped the back of his neck, attempting to rub the tension from his muscles, but he was as tight as a reindeer’s ass in a snowstorm.

“Yeah.” He pressed the start button and reached for the gear shifter.

“Hold on.” Jane put her hand on top of his, not allowing him to shift the car into drive.

“Your father is waiting for us,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Okay, this has gone on long enough.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I get that you’re nervous about meeting him, but there is something else going on with you. Please, for the love of goat cheese, tell me what’s wrong.”

His jaw worked like he was grinding his teeth, and he cut his gaze toward her before staring out the windshield. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously something. You weren’t even strung this tight when we were both facing the stake at the hands of that twit constable back in March. Mr. Broody McBroody Pants needs to take a hike and let my caring, sensitive husband have a conversation with the woman who loves him more than anything in the world.”

He swallowed hard, his posture deflating as he turned toward her. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to find the words, and his nostrils flared as he blew out a breath. “I’ve never gone with a woman to meet her parents before.”

She started to laugh but thought better of it. Surely there was more to it. There had to be. And anyway… “You were engaged. You never met Vanessa’s parents?”

He squared his gaze on her. “They lived in Connecticut. The first time I met them was when they came to New Orleans to take her body home.”

“Oh, I see.” Why the hell didn’t he tell her this before? She’d have tried a little harder to ease his fears if she’d known what a big deal this was to him. Now she felt like a big ole bitch for not taking his anxiety seriously.

“Their daughter was dead, and they blamed me,” he said. “You are undead, and your father will blame me too. Forgive me if that’s a genre of music I’m not ready to face again.”

“He won’t blame you.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you.”

“You wouldn’t have wandered down that side street and gotten run over if you hadn’t sensed me watching you.”

She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “And if I wasn’t the hottest piece of eye candy to ever grace New Orleans with her presence, you wouldn’t have been watching me.”

He chuckled.

“What happened, happened,” she said.

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