You’ll Understand When You’re Dead: Broken Heart Vampires Book 12 (5 page)

T
HE DOORBELL RANG
, and Natalie burrowed under the covers. She wasn’t leaving bed today, she thought. She wasn’t leaving bed ever again. The doorbell dinged two more times and Natalie groaned. She almost called out to have Kimmie answer it when she remembered her daughter had spent another night, well, day at Tilda’s. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Kimmie was avoiding her.

Bing Bong. Bing Bong. Bing Bong.

“All right!” Natalie huffed as she scrambled out of bed. She slipped into her pink house shoes, put on a robe, stomped up the basement stairs.

She shuffled to the door and flung it open. If it was Jerry, she was going to punch him in his doughy face. A short man with gray hair and a pencil thin moustache smiled at her. He held roses in one hand and box of candy in another.

And yeah, he was glowing.

“Natalie Haltom,” he said in a timid voice. “I’m Kenny Rogers.”

“You don’t look anything like Kenny Rogers.”

“Not the singer.” He sighed. “It’s unfortunate. I’ve spent my entire life and afterlife with that name. It’s not easy living in that guy’s shadow.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” She started to close the door, but Kenny shoved the roses into the gap.

“Mother so wants to meet you. She’s waiting for us.”

He brought his mother from the afterlife to go on a date? Was he crazy? Something inside Natalie broke. She stepped onto the porch, forcing the ghost the backwards, and shut the door behind her.
No ghosts allowed.
She didn’t want Kenny or his mother showing up at her door again. So she latched on to the lie that worked so well before. “I’m engaged. My fiancé’s name is Matt Dennison. And he’s big. Huge. And jealous.”

“Mother will be very disappointed.” His gaze darted around as he scurried off the porch. “And really, you shouldn’t be dating if you’re engaged.”

Duh.

Kenny disappeared, and Natalie slumped against the door.

“Hello, dearie!”

“Hi, Bettie.”

The little old fae’s eyes glinted gold. “Oh my dear. I couldn’t help but hear you toss that ghostly gentlemen on his ear, poor soul.” Bettie held up a spade and gardening gloves. “I was working on the rose bushes, and I just couldn’t help ... Matt Dennison! You lucky thing! Now, have you talked to Lilly Halperger about your dress? She’s the best seamstress in town, you know. And for the chapel, we’ll have to do orchids. I love orchids. When did you say the date was?”

Natalie’s thoughts whirled. “The date of what?”

Bettie beamed. “Why your wedding, of course!”

M
ATT HEARD THE
phone ring as he exited the shower. The machine kicked on, then Natalie’s voice filtered into the living room.

“I’m being kidnapped,” she whispered. “By a crazed fairy in a wedding-planning frenzy. Please help me.”

Her breathless, panicked voice clawed at him. He lunged for the phone. “Natalie? Are you all right?”

“I’ll be downtown at Lilly’s Dress Emporium. Get there and rescue me.” The phone clicked, and Matt stared at the receiver for several seconds before hanging up.

He didn’t know what had happened last night. He hadn’t meant to let things get so heated, but Natalie was intoxicating. Her vulnerability had drawn him in. He’d wanted to soothe her, to show her ... well, that had been a mistake. He had no right to push the idea of a relationship on her. Especially when physical intimacy came at too high a price. Love with a vampire risked more than the heart, it risked the soul.

All the same, he needed to go rescue his damsel in distress.

W
HEN MATT ARRIVEDhen Matt
arrived at the Emporium, he entered the building and peered down the hall. People entered behind him, and Matt moved to the side to allow them to pass. He caught sight of Natalie rushing toward him.

She wore a short, white dress and sandals. Her toenails were painted pink. She’d worn her hair down, and it draped her shoulders. For a moment, he was utterly struck by her beauty, and it made him mute.

“Matt!”

His name was a rush of relief from her lips, but he wanted to hear her call his name in passion. Need tightened him. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t going to seduce Natalie, despite the fact that he very much wanted her. Damn it. He’d already had this conversation with himself.

She took his arm and dragged him down the hall, through a dark, musty-smelling corridor and into a tiny room. “They’re going to notice I’m missing soon,” she said. “Something terrible happened this morning.”

Matt covered her trembling hands. “What?”

“Another ghost wanting to date me. I, er, put him off by saying I had a fiancé.” She nibbled her lower lip. “I didn’t know that Bettie Smith was standing behind her rose bushes listening.”

“Bettie?” Matt sucked in a breath. “The fae woman who headlines gossip faster than
TMZ!
?”

Natalie nodded. “That’s the one. She thinks we’re getting married. I couldn’t untangle myself long enough to explain it was a ruse, and the next thing I know, she’s arranged a dress fitting and has ordered orchids for the church.”

Natalie’s cheeks flushed, and Matt tried not to think how lovely it made her look. She was still talking, and he realized he hadn’t heard a word she’d said.

“Wait. What?” he asked. He swore she said something about a wedding.

“How would you feel about ‘breaking up’ before the wedding day?”

“We have a wedding day?”

“The twentieth. Of this month.”

“That’s next Saturday.” He should be feeling a lot worse than he did just now. He should be annoyed that Natalie had carried the charade so far, but Matt couldn’t work up sufficient anger. He frowned.

“Matt?”

“Okay, Natalie. We’ll break up before the big day.”

Her gaze softened. The gratitude in her dark eyes wrapped around him, and he wanted to kiss her stupid. He wanted her naked, writhing, and coming apart in his arms.

“We’re going to have to sneak out,” she said.

Matt guided Natalie out into the hallway, and they hurried toward the exit. Just as they reached the double doors, Matt heard, “There’s the lovebirds now.”

Natalie tensed then turned around, her troubled gaze colliding with his. He took her hand and held it tightly.

“Hello, darlings,” Mrs. Smith trilled as she marched toward them. “Natalie, we must speak about the photographer. And I talked to Lenette at the Three Sisters Bed & Breakfast. She can host the reception. Isn’t this wonderful?” She turned to Matt. “Our Natalie is quite a catch. Good thing you snatched her up when you did. I heard she’s had men just knock, knock, knocking at her door!”

“Yes, well...” Matt noticed Bettie’s smile had the force of a laser beam. It was bright and steady and aimed right at him. Natalie looked as stunned as he felt.

Bettie stood in front of them, her hands on her hips, looking at Natalie then Matt with narrowed eyes. “We’ll need pictures of the reception, too, I think. Matt, do you like purple? I’m terribly fond of purple ... do you like orchids?”

“What?” Matt asked, staring at the tiny, elderly woman. She looked remarkably like a Drill Sergeant—despite that peach hat covered with baby’s breath that matched her peach dress.

“She’s a black hole,” Natalie warned in low voice. “She’ll suck you in, and your will to live disappears.”

“Of course, Kimmie will be the maid of honor,” Bettie was saying. Her bird-like gaze landed on him. “Who will be the best man?”

Sweat broke out on his brow. He leaned down and said, “Let’s run for it.”

“It’s not going to be that easy,” Natalie whispered.

“The hell it’s not.”

A crowd of elderly women formed behind Bettie. Some held bridal magazines like shields. Where in blazes had they all come from? Matt eyed the old lady in front of them with a growing respect. The sergeant had called in the troops.

“I’ve gathered some of the girls to discuss the wedding arrangements. Natalie, do you have a few hours? We need to choose the music. How do you feel about the harpsichord?”

“What are you waiting for?” Natalie hissed in his ear. “Run!”

And Matt did, pulling his fake bride after him.

N
ATALIE AND MATT
sat in the booth at the darkest corner of the café. The cracked vinyl seat wasn’t comfortable, and it didn’t help that Matt had squeezed beside her. He wore shorts, and the warmth from his flesh crept through her dress. She felt bathed in lava even though the air conditioner vent above their heads emitted an ice-cold breeze. And she didn’t have blood circulation, so obviously her attraction to the psychic had reached nuclear proportions.

They each held a plastic menu to hide their faces.

“Did they see us?” asked Natalie.

“I think we’re safe.”

Natalie looked at Matt and shared a conspiratorial smile. His thick-lashed green eyes had flecks of gold around the pupils. Beautiful tiger-eyes. She finally managed to tear her gaze away from Matt’s only to find it riveted to his sexy, full lips.

Matt leaned against the seat. His muscled, tan arm slid along the worn wood edge of the booth until she felt his fingers in her hair. His touch was light and disturbing. And wonderful.

“They’ll find us in here,” she said. “There are only two eating establishments in the entire town. We can’t hide here forever.”

“True. But we need nourishment if we’re going to fend off Bettie and her battalion.” He eased back, finally giving her some room. “Doesn’t she remind you of rabid terrier?”

Natalie laughed. She shifted, grimacing when the vinyl stuck to her legs. Her short dress was useless protection against the seat.

“Hello, Natalie.”

She looked up and sighed. “Jerry.”

Without invitation, the ghost slid into the booth. His hound-dog features looked pastier in the bad light of the diner.

“Still getting married?”

“Yes,” Matt said with a possessive edge.

Surprised, Natalie glanced at Matt. He put his arm around her shoulders, fiddling with the spaghetti strap of her dress. The warm, lazy strokes tingled her skin.

Jerry’s expression drooped.

“Well, here’s the happy couple.” Dottie the Ghost, a regular fixture in Broken Heart, pouted her bright pink lips in mocking accusation. She usually hung around Patsy, gave the vampire queen advice she didn’t want, and caused trouble whenever she could. Dottie was determined to have a fun afterlife since her earthly life had been so crummy. After all, she’d been killed by her truck driver boyfriend.

“Please tell me Bettie isn’t behind you,” said Natalie.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. They got distracted by the skeletons.”

Natalie and Mattie stared at the ghost.

Dottie lit a phantom cigarette and blew out the smoke. It amazed Natalie how many habits spirits kept after they left their corporeal forms. “I’m guessing they came from the graveyard. There’s not a lot meat left on ‘em to be zombies.” The voluptuous redhead slid into the booth next to Jerry. “What’s shaking?” she asked the sullen suitor.

Jerry blushed.

Matt continued the soft touches, slipping a forefinger under her dress strap. Natalie felt a prickle zip down to her girly parts.

“So,” said Dottie, her gaze taking in Matt’s wandering fingers. “Are you waiting for the big day to do the nasty?”

Natalie nearly choked on her spit. “Dottie!”

“Well, you haven’t bonded. I can always tell when vampires are mated.” Dottie studied Jerry as the amorous ghost took in the redhead’s beauty. She smiled winsomely.

“This is Jerry,” said Natalie. “He’s visiting.”

“Well, that’s just fine,” purred Dottie. “You want me to show you the sights, honey?” She winked at him.

“Yes,” said Jerry. “Definitely.”

“Have fun, lovers,” said Dottie. She put her hand on Jerry’s rumpled jacket, and the two ghosts faded away.

“Poor Jerry doesn’t stand a chance,” Matt murmured.

The intent look in Matt’s eyes belied the teasing tone of his voice. Natalie felt as if she’d been swimming in a strong current, and now the undertow was dragging her down.

Thankfully the food arrived, and Natalie concentrated on her chicken fried steak instead of Matt’s disconcerting presence. Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes dripping with homemade gravy, and thick, steamy biscuits were weaknesses of hers. Now that she was a vampire, there was no such thing as calories or bad-for-you food.

Without ceremony, Matt dug into his meatloaf.

They ate in silence, which held a thread of tension she didn’t understand. Some time between hiding from Bettie and the conversation with Dottie, something between she and Matt had changed. She shoveled a particularly huge, dripping bite into her mouth.

“You look like a chipmunk,” he said.

She chewed, barely able to swallow the meat. It finally went down, and she cut a smaller bite. “Shut up.”

Matt laughed.

Natalie bit into a biscuit, sighing at its hot, fresh taste. “This is the best part of living in Broken Heart.”

“Nat!”

Natalie looked up, her mouth full of biscuit and saw Jessica and Eva chugging toward them.

“You look like a chipmunk,” said Jessica.

“Are you two getting married?” asked Eva. “Bettie Smith couldn’t tell everyone fast enough.”

“You’d think you’d tell us first,” said Jess. “Have you had sex, yet?”

“Oh, dear lord.” Natalie stared down at her plate.

“No,” said Matt. “Look, it’s a long story.”

“Oh, you’re telling us the story,” said Jessica. “But you’ll have to do it at the PPTA garage sale.”

“PPTA?” asked Matt.

“Paranormal Parent-Teacher Association,” explained Eva. “You’re still going, right?”

Natalie had completely forgotten about the event, and that she was supposed to provide snacks and donate items. Shit.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be there.”

Jessica stabbed a finger into the air. “You
both
will be there.” She gave Matt a narrowed-eye look. “Don’t you dare break her heart, or I will chop you into little pieces.”

Matt swallowed the bite of food that had caught in his throat. Natalie took in his expression. He’d probably never noticed before how scary Jessica could be. He nodded.