Page 7 of Kentucky Nights
Taking her hand gently with mine, I lock our gazes and kiss the top of her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Reynolds.”
“Please,” she says breathlessly. “Call me Daphne.”
“Daphne,” I whisper, completely smitten with a woman I’ve never met before. “I haven’t seen you around Hank’s before. Are you new to town?”
“I am. Hank is my grandfather. He needed help around the store.”
“Grandfather?” I’ve been in this town for more years than I can count. I don’t remember Hank mentioning a granddaughter.
“Daphne.” A hunched-over man on a cane comes from the door behind her. His head is bald, casting the reflection of the sun. “You aren’t giving my best customer a hard time, are you?”
“No, Papa. I am just meeting Mr…” Her thin brows pinch together. “I didn’t get your last name, I’m sorry.”
“Jones. Kentucky Jones.” My fangs tingle to breach my gums, wanting to sink into the flawless, smooth skin of her neck.
How would she react to me being a monster? Would she embrace me like I can’t embrace myself, or would she run?
“Mr. Jones,” she finally finishes her sentence.
“Kentucky always comes in at the same time every week and pays in cash.” Hank’s glasses are perched on the tip of his nose, the dark hairs a little too long coming from his nostrils blend in with a grey mustache. He scoots in next to Daphne. “Here is what he gets, Daphne.” Hank writes down my entire order for proof of purchase.
“Hank, you never told me you had a granddaughter. Is she taking over the store when you retire?” I don’t want to be rude, but I need to know where this woman has been hiding. “Apologies if I’m steppin’ on business that ain’t mine.”
Hank waves me away. “You have contributed plenty to my business, which makes it your business, Mr. Jones. You know my son? William?”
I nod, still never taking my interest away from Daphne.
“Well, God rest her soul, his wife died a few years back. I don’t know if you remember?—”
“—I do. I was sorry to hear about your daughter-in-law.”
“Well, he got remarried. She’s a lovely woman who also lost her husband in the war. Daphne is her daughter from her first marriage and my only grandbaby so far. I keep telling them I’m not getting any younger. I want more grandchildren.”
I chuckle to hide the sadness that stabs through my chest. His talk of children reminds me that I will never be able to have my own. As I continue staring upon the prettiest star I have ever seen, I wonder if Daphne wants children. If she does, if we ever get to the point where we tell our truths to one another, I couldn’t take that choice away from her.
“Do you have Romeo with you?” he asks, Hank’s eyes shining bright at the mention of my horse.
I grin, placing my hat atop my head again. “As always. I don’t go anywhere without him, Hank. I have your wagon attached to him as well.”
It’s been years since I’ve had his wagon. I offered to pay monthly for it, but at this point, I should just offer to buy it. I think the monthly expense helps Hank more when it comes to supplying the store. Until he brings it up as an issue, I’m going to keep my mouth closed.
“Excellent. Daphne. You have to see his horse. He is gorgeous and has red eyes. I have never seen one with red eyes before, and the strongest damn horse I have ever seen, excuse my language, Daphne,” Hank snickers.
“He’s out front. I can pull him around back to load the wagon. He’s tied at the trough,” I explain, fighting the urge to contain the vampire nature welling up inside me the longer I stare at Daphne.
“No, no. You’re the customer. I’ll have another employee bring Romeo around back.”
“Remember, Hank. Your employee has to introduce themselves and say they know me, or you won’t be able to moveRomeo an inch from where he stands.” I give him a friendly reminder, not wanting Romeo to kill an innocent worker for doing their job.
“I know. I can’t believe that works, but you told me he’d become violent if we didn’t take your warning, and I don’t want to know what damage that horse will do.”
No, he doesn’t want to know. Romeo is an anomaly. Most likely, the only one of his kind. I’m sure I broke some type of vampire rule when I changed him, if vampire rules exist, I’m not sure, since the only one I knew, I killed.
“I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere, Mr. Jones. I would love to chat.”
“Sure, Hank.” My obsessed gaze for Daphne falls to her again. “Respectfully, I don’t see myself going anywhere.”
Hank looks from me to Daphne, then back to me, and a knowing smile rounds his plump red cheeks.
