Cory grinned. "Her name is Madison. Madison Barnes. She's an art student at the University, and she's so beautiful. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes, and I can't believe she didn't already have a boyfriend. We have a lot in common. She makes her own pottery, so we both work with our hands. I made her a leather handbag. She really liked it, I think."
Shade smiled. "Did she kiss you when you gave her the bag?"
Cory blushed. "Yeah, she kissed me."
"She liked it, trust me. Just remember, females, whether mortal or immortal, are never easy."
Giving Cory a huge hug, he pounded his back lightly and headed for the door. "Just do me one favor, check your damn hair before you come home and walk in this camp, you will get a lot less ribbing if you do."
Walking out the door, he could almost hear Cory sighing with relief. Shade lit up another smoke. This father shit was going to turn him gray.
37
Shannon walked through the lavender fields with Kate, as Lorenzo was clinging to her hand, talking non-stop. It was another beautiful day with clear skies and a bright sun, making the thick new growth on the plants appear even greener. Kate had just informed her she was pregnant again, and as happy as she was for her friend, her first thought was, she’d have to share Luca…again.
She walked in silence, looking at her feet as they stepped carefully between the rows of lavender. Last year, Kate had opened a farmer’s market, a cooperative among local farmers nestled between the many vineyards spotted throughout the Virginia countryside. The Bel Rosso Vineyards had gained a strong reputation for their quality wines and was a big draw for tourists who were drawn to the wine country. In addition to the beauty of the vineyards, the tourists drove past the horse pastures where the thoroughbred horses grazed, and the brilliant fields of bright yellow sunflowers growing next to the mounds of purple, as the soothing scent of lavender filled the air. Kate had sold some of the fresh flowers in the market, along with a section dedicated to the wines that were sold to the mortal market and had extended an invitation to local farmers to sell their fresh produce. It was good business for the farmers, but really good business for Bel Rosso.
Shannon remembered asking Luca about the decision to allow mortals such access to the property, even though the vineyards and fields of flowers were located in a direction away from the main house and the camp. He’d smiled and reassured her that the best strategy had always been to hide in plain sight of the mortals. They had enough security on the property to be alerted immediately if anyone wandered onto the sections of their property marked as private.
Kate was watching her friend, and saw she was lost in thought. “Did you hear me? I’m pregnant again. It will be a girl this time. Sophia.”
Shannon looked at her and smiled. “Sorry, yes, I heard you. I was just lost in the beauty of this day.” She stopped and gave her friend a hug, as Lorenzo pulled at her shirt-tail. “I’m so happy for you, for both of you. I know this is what you’ve always wanted.”
Kate returned the hug but felt her reticence. “Are you okay, Shannon? With…you know, the whole feeding thing?”
Shannon shrugged her shoulders. “Of course…”
Kate looked closely at her friend’s face. She’d known Shannon a long time, and knew she wasn’t speaking her mind. “So, what are you not saying, Shan?”
Shannon stopped walking and picked up Lorenzo, balancing him on her hip as she turned to Kate. “Please understand I’m sincerely happy for you. And I understand the feeding situation. I’ve come to terms with it. But I sometimes wonder…I just wonder, when will it be my time?”
Kate reached for Lorenzo as he squirmed in Shannon’s arms and lifted him to her own hip. “What do you mean, your time? You can’t possibly doubt how Luca feels about you.”
“No, I know he loves me. I’ve never questioned that. But we’ve been together over three years now. I’m still mortal, and he never speaks of turning me. He never really refers to our future, other than to say he’ll love me for eternity. But I don’t know what that means anymore.”
Kate stood quietly and listened, feeling her closest friend’s doubt. “Shannon, have you ever asked him? Have you asked to be turned?”
She shook her head no. “I just figured if he wanted that, if he really wanted eternity with me, he’d bring it up. I don’t think I should have to ask.”
Kate bit her lip and placed her hand on Shannon’s arm. “Turning a mortal isn’t something they take lightly. The process itself is dangerous. The mortal may not survive. It’s a big decision, for both the vampire who must turn you, and the mortal being turned. Of the thousands of vampires I’ve met or seen since coming into Shade’s life, only a handful weren’t born vampire. Talk to him. I know Luca’s heart, he’s a man of honor and loyalty above all else. He may be waiting for you. He may need to know this is what you want too. I know he’d never pressure you to take this path. And if he has reservations, he’ll tell you. Talk to him, Shannon.”
Shannon nodded yes. “I will. I know you’re right. But what if…what if he does have reservations? This life with him, it’s both charmed and cursed. You told me that once, and I didn’t understand. But having been with him now for so long, I get it. But Kate, there’s no way I’d go back. I can’t imagine a life without Luca.”
Kate leaned her head against Shannon’s, as the soft wind blew through their hair, mingling the bright red with her light brown locks. She kissed Shannon’s cheek. “Then tell him.”
The women hugged, with Lorenzo squeezed between them, as his hands tangled in their hair. Kate broke the hug and took her friend’s hand. “Come on. Let’s walk back to the house. Lorenzo and I can check on the progress of the pools, and you can go find Luca.”
38
Shannon entered through the back door of Bel Rosso, stepping over some of the remaining tools and equipment that were used to put in the new outdoor pool. The pool was accessible from the patio, allowing you to step down into the crystal clear water. The deep end of the pool was designed to blend into the landscape, with large flat landscape rocks that overhung the edge of the pool, and thick plants that created a rich garden around the rocks. One side of the pool had a long pergola built over the new patio, and had wisteria planted, which would soon be climbing the pergola, creating a canopy of dark foliage and flowers.
Entering the house, Shannon encountered Gi who nodded in her direction. “Luca is in the bunker, Miss Shannon.”
“Thanks, Gi. You read my mind.”
The ancient butler smiled as he passed her in the hallway, and she headed in the direction of the stairs leading to the underground bunker, as well as the new indoor pool. Luca was emerging from the doorway, brushing dirt from his jeans as she approached. Looking up, he flashed a mega-watt smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.
“Mia belleza. Looking for me, I hope.”
Taking his hand, she beamed back at him. “I was. Do you have time for me, right now?”
He pulled her close and kissed her. “For you, always. What’s on your mind?”
Shannon’s smile faded as she shifted gears, realizing the serious nature of their talk. Leading him into his suite, she plopped down on the sofa, as he sat beside her. He brushed the hair back from her face, noticing the hint of sun on her cheeks, and picking up the fresh scent of lavender. He knew she’d been walking in the fields of flowers.