Page 5 of Vampire's Breath

“Perhaps. And maybe to get you back into life again.” Her eyes softened as she spoke, shifting the mood of our conversation.

My shoulders drew in. I had hidden myself away after the funeral. My friends had always been my family, and never was that truer than now. Tonight felt like the first step back intoexistence—a chance to reconnect and, maybe, even find a new beginning amid the people I loved.

I leaned back in my chair, a light flutter in my stomach as my eyes dropped to the journal. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. It’s just so hard without her. She was always at my side. And you’re right. I need to get back to being me. Just with a bit of her as part of that.” My promise to my mother echoed through my head, but even she would encourage me to leave the house. Part of me felt ready to rejoin the world; another part clung to the past, where she still existed. Maybe, somehow, I could carry both.

Amy scooted closer and picked up my hands. “I know. Now we have to figure out how to keep going without her. And we will, together.”

Her warmth chased the chill from inside me. A tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest beneath the weight of my grief.

I forced a smile as I straightened in my chair. “What do you need from me?”

“What I desperately need,” said Amy, hopping up, “is final approvals. I can’t pull off tonight without you telling me exactly where you want everything to go.”

I laughed at her enthusiasm, grateful to have a friend who wanted to draw me out of my depressive slump. “All right. Let’s go.”

As we headed for the door, Amy grabbed my hand, her grip tight, as though afraid I would try to escape. Her infectious energy drew me forward, a reminder that life, in all its beauty, still waited beyond my door.

“What first?” I asked, stepping onto the covered porch behind Amy. I thought about sitting in one of the rocking chairs under the window to my right, but didn’t decide fast enough before Amy’s question.

“Where exactly are we putting the food?”

I squinted, putting myself into the minds of tonight’s guests. Gravel paths snaked through the plants, many sitting on hand-built shelves leaning against the trees. The scent of rosemary, sage, and damp earth clung to the air, mingling with the warmth of the sun that streamed down, casting golden flecks over the paths and the delicate, hand-painted garden signs. I’d been bringing the herbs and flowers out of the greenhouse over the past few days, preparing for the season opening just a few weeks away.

In front of us, in a small clearing, rose a stone firepit. The stones bore the faint scorch marks of countless fires, their smooth surfaces warmed by flames and polished by the salt-laden winds that swept through the property. Sturdy, weathered chairs, each draped with a soft woolen throw for warmth on the cool nights, sat in a ring around it. Many evenings, my friends would remain in the chairs long after the customers left when I closed. A hollowness rose in my chest. I missed them, but I only had myself to blame. They had called. I hadn’t answered, too caught up in wallowing.

A bittersweet smile crept to my lips. The firepit had been one of the first signs of my vision taking root. Several smaller firepits dotted the property, but the one in front of me was the true heart of the space. It was one of the first additions I made when I bought the property five years ago after turning twenty-one. My mother had helped me with a loan, knowing that running my own business was all I ever wanted to do.

I swallowed a sob. Mum would have loved this—people mingling, laughter echoing. She would have joined us until she pretended to be too tired, wanting to leave me to my life. But she would continue to enjoy the sounds from inside her room. “How about right there? Right next to the flower bed under Mum’s window, so people don’t accidentally trample the plants. It also makes sitting around the fire with their food easy.”

“Perfect,” said Amy, clapping her hands together, her eyes dancing with delight. “Now, I thought we’d put the folk singer there.” She pointed at the empty spot to the left of the office door on the porch. “Then we have one bar at the entrance, one by the food, and one in the back greenhouse. What do you think?”

“Folk singer? And three bars? Amy! How much am I paying for all of this?”

“Nothing.” Her words were almost defensive. “We’ve more than covered the expenses with the tickets sold.” She took my hands in hers. “Briar, you don’t understand how many people want to hang out here, to mingle and gather. You’ve done an amazing job making this feel like everybody’s garden. And it’s so beautiful.”

Her words tickled my heart, a quiet pride blooming in my chest. I guess I had never thought about people feeling so at home here. Still, I sighed, throwing my hands in the air. “Fine! Three bars and a folk singer it is!”

“Will you have to move any plants?”

I wondered for a moment if murder was legal as I took in Amy’s saccharine sweet smile, my mind simultaneously cataloging the plants in the greenhouse. “There is the holly, but that will make a fantastic decoration. I think it’ll be fine.”

“Wonderful. Now, let’s talk aboutyouthis evening.”

I laughed. “There is no talking about me.”

“Oh, my dear Briar.” She leaned casually against the post, eyeing me with mischief. “It has been forever since you’ve had a boyfriend or even gotten laid. Who have you invited?”

“You can’t be serious,” I said, my eyes wide. “I didn’t invite anyone. John and I only broke up four months ago! Besides, when the right person comes along, it’ll be lovely and fine. We’ll fall into each other’s arms and know we’re destined to be together when we first see each other. But right now? After this winter with my mother, party planning, and regular springtimeordering, I’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone find someone to take on a date.” The fantasy of someone sweeping me off my feet sounded like a scene from another life. But Amy’s teasing sparked a tiny ember of hope—maybe someday.

“We need to fix this.” She swatted my arm, feigning exasperation.

I narrowed my eyes and flipped her off, to which she gasped, her left hand flying to her chest in mock surprise. I shook my head. “Let me guess. You’re bringing Hugh tonight?”

Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled as I mentioned her beau. “Of course I am. Speaking of—”

The sunlight glinted off a deep blue stone on her ring finger just in time. My eyes widened, and I reached for her hand. “Really?” I held her fingertips, looking at the stone flanked by diamonds set in a silver band. My heart soared for her. “Really?”

She bit her lips together and nodded much too fast, bouncing on the balls of her feet as though she had nowhere for the surge of excitement to go. “He asked me to marry him.”

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