Ruby Shadows (Born to Darkness #3)(3)
“Vampires live a long time and you’re tied to him,” I pointed out. “You might change your mind after a few hundred years.”
Addison shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “Maybe. Until then, I’ll be happy just to be the cool aunt.”
“Well, the main thing is that your baby is healthy,” I reminded Taylor. “And that was the first thing Grams said when she told you that you were pregnant.”
“And she’s always right about that kind of thing?” Taylor had an anxious look in her deep blue eyes.
“Always,” I reassured her. “She’s got one hundred percent accuracy when it comes to anything baby-related.” Which made it a shame that she didn’t have any grandkids to chase after. But since I had to be so careful not to get mixed up with the wrong man—meaning any man not willing to wait until I was absolutely sure of him to have sex—Gram’s house was sadly without the pitter-patter of little feet.
Hey, you try telling a guy he doesn’t get any nookie until you’re sure he wants to stay with you for life. It’s kind of a first date killer. Or a fifth or a fifteenth for that matter.
The creaking of the front door pulled me out of my gloomy thoughts and Grams walked into the room with her massive handbag over one arm.
“Gwendolyn, you didn’t tell me you were having company tonight,” she said.
“Oh, sorry! We didn’t mean to stay so late,” Addison said and she and Taylor jumped up.
Taylor came over to greet my Grams. “Your ears must be burning, we were just talking about you—you know, about the way you first told me I was pregnant and said my baby girl was healthy?” She looked at Grams beseechingly.
Grams smiled—she really had taken a shine to Taylor.
“Just need a little more reassurance, do you, child?”
“Well, it’s still too early for an ultrasound and I don’t know what they’re going to see when they do finally do one—” Taylor began.
“What they’re going to see is a healthy baby girl. Just like the one you dreamed about.” Grams pressed her fingers lightly to Taylor’s abdomen. “And don’t you worry about her taking after you or your man. She’s going to be her own special person with her own special talents. You’ll see.”
“Oh, thank you!” Taylor’s eyes were shining as she gave my Grams a spontaneous hug.
Grams laughed and hugged her back. “Just you be sure to bring her over for me to see her when she comes out,” she said. “I love children and I’ll be happy to say a blessing over her for you.”
“I will,” Taylor promised. She looked at Addison. “Well, we’d probably better get going. It’s late and Victor will be worried.”
“Not before we help clean up, though,” Addison said, gesturing to the two empty wine bottles (I’m ashamed to admit I killed an entire bottle myself), the sparkling water bottle, and all the pedicure paraphernalia lying around my Grams’ faded floral couch.
“Don’t be silly,” I told them. “I’ve got this.” I could tell Grams was tired and ready for bed but she can never rest completely easy when there are guests in the house. She always feels like she needs to be offering them a big glass of sweet tea or cooking them her special gumbo or something like that.
True to form, she opened her mouth and asked if either of the girls wanted anything before they left.
“I’ve had enough. More than enough.” Addison giggled and pointed to one of the empty wine bottles. “Corbin will probably get tipsy if he even takes a sip from me tonight.”
“Good thing you’ve got a designated driver, then,” Taylor said. She turned to my Grams. “I don’t want anything to drink but would it be possible to get one of those delicious homemade dill pickles of yours?”
“More than one,” Grams said smiling. She didn’t let Taylor leave until she’d packed her up with a whole bag of her homemade pickles. The mason jars she always uses for canning clinked together as she handed the bag over.
“Oh, thank you!” Taylor was ecstatic—she can’t get enough of my Grams’ pickles. They were one of the very first things she ate after the prophesy allowed her to start consuming human food again and ever since, she’s hooked.
I hugged both girls and we made promises to see each other again soon. But before they left, Taylor whispered in my ear,
“All clear so far?”
I knew what she meant. She’d overheard my last conversation with Laish. The one where he was yelling at me and warning me that if I hadn’t closed that door into the Abyss, I was going to have trouble. Taylor felt personally responsible because she was the one I’d gone to save. I’d broken all kinds of Celestial rules when I snatched her from the edge of the pit and supposedly, I was going to have to pay the price. But so far, other than the bad dreams about the thing with no head and long, yellow teeth, I was fine.
“All clear,” I told her, not mentioning the dreams. No point in freaking her out over something that was probably just a product of my own guilty conscience, right?
Taylor looked relieved. “Good. Let me know if that changes.”
“I will,” I promised although there was nothing she could do if it did change. “Now you two had better get going—it smells like it’s going to rain.” I glanced anxiously at the murky black sky revealed outside Grams’ trim front door. The scent of ozone was heavy in the humid night breeze, making me shiver.