Page 70 of Starved Until Sunset

“Cody.” Amelia’s voice was soft, and her touch gentle when she placed a hand in the center of his back. “It’s going to be all right. You’re a part of each other. There’s no way he wants to be away from you for long.”

“He got out of my truck in the parking lot at work and walked off. He took a sick day and I haven’t heard from him all day. Not a text or call, nothing.” He shook his head and fought back the tears. “I was a complete asshole, and I’m afraid I’ve broken things between us.”

“Oh, you soft-hearted giant of a man,” Amelia said, turning him to face her with surprisingly strong shoves and tugs. She hauled him down into a hug, rubbing his back and rocking him slightly. “My nephew is so head over heels in love with you, there’s nothing that will stop him from coming back. You two will set things right.”

Cody sighed and allowed himself to be hugged and comforted. He blinked away a few quiet tears and breathed in the familiar soft scent of Amelia’s perfume. It was comforting, more earthy than flowery, and she’d worn it as long as he’d known her. When he finally pulled away, he did feel a little better. Amelia smiled up at him and placed a hand on his cheek.

“You go sit down again. I’ll make another pot of coffee.”

“Maybe half caff?” Cody suggested. “So I might be able to get a bit of sleep?”

“Yes, okay. Go on and sit down now.”

He returned to the living room and sat across from Eileen. She had her cane in front of her, both hands resting on the handle and her feet planted flat on the floor.

“What’d you do this time?” she asked.

Cody let out a long breath. “Told my husband he had a savior complex and tried to get him to stop obsessing about monsters.”

“You remember where you live, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You remember everything you two have done together, right?”

Cody waved a hand. “Okay, I get it.”

Eileen tapped a finger to her chin and looked up, pretending to be in deep thought. “How’d we meet again?”

“All right, Eileen. I get it. My life is all about monsters now.”

“Is that what you really believe?”

“Well, it’s not a walk in the park,” Cody said, hearing the edge in his voice. “I mean, you could walk in the park, but you’d probably be torn apart by a monster while you did it.”

“So there’s no laughing with Demetrius? No joking? No quiet moments of comfort at all?”

Cody shifted in his seat and looked away. “No. I didn’t say that.”

“No, you didn’t. But all you can see are the monsters, when your husband might be seeing you as the light that wards those monsters off. He told me once, after everything happened with Nicolae, that he thought the scent and memory of you was the only thing that kept him from falling completely under his control.”

The prickling sting at the corner of his eyes made Cody scowl. He glanced back at Eileen and found her looking particularly proud of herself. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“Hell, I’ve been married three times, and now I’m living with a fella. I’ve seen some things.”

Amelia came into the room carrying a tray with three cups of coffee. “I decided it was probably best if we all had full strength. We’re going to be up all night, I’m sure.”

They each took a cup and Cody sipped. The coffee burned a bit as it went down, and it felt good. Like an affirmation he was alive and well and able to kick some vampire ass. He just needed to know where to find them.

“You two have given me a lot to think about,” he said. “And right now, I need to go out and find my husband.”

“That sounds like a grand idea.” Amelia smiled. “Come on, Eileen.”

They both got up. Cody stood as well, suddenly nervous. “I meant me, by myself.”

Amelia looked over her shoulder with a smile. “I know you did. But that’s not how it’s going to be. We travel in groups here in the Pines, and you’re officially a member of the Parson’s Pines Reserves. Let me just get a few things and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Look, not to sound like a complete chauvinist about this, but I really would prefer to go out on my own and not have to worry about your safety as well.”