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Mila’s phone chimed. Both of them looked down to see a text from Rissa.

Girls’ Night next week! No more excuses. If you show up with Danishes, Briar will be your best friend for life.

Part of Gio hated the idea of Mila being so close to other vampires. Not only was one of the women a vampire, but all the other women were members of flocks. It was rare that they had a meeting where their vampires weren’t there keeping an eye on them from across the room.

Honestly, Gio was as impressed as he was wary. No vampire liked their flock near other vampires. There were stories of vampires stealing each other’s humans in an attempt to have a flock. Although they probably weren’t true, there was still a lot of distrust among vampires where their flocks were concerned.

This group had to be the only vampires in the world who willingly gathered under the same roof and allowed their flocks to mix and mingle.

It had a lot to say about the strength of the people they had in their flocks. He wasn’t well acquainted with any of them, but he’d heard stories.

“She needs to go,” Carter stated, reminding Gio of the counterargument. For as much as he didn’t want Mila nearthose other vampires, these women represented a community of friends that would help support her. Gio wished all she needed was the two of them, but that wasn’t realistic.

“I know,” he grumbled. Then swallowed the last of the blood in his mug. “But I don’t have to be happy about it.”

“What aren’t you happy about?” Mila asked. She’d come back to get something from the island and heard his last words.

“That you’re working too hard,” Carter lied smoothly.

“It’s not work if you enjoy it,” Mila countered, waving a wooden spoon in the air as if conducting an orchestra. She did a twirl in the kitchen. “I’ve never had so many fancy things to play with! Some of the things you bought are even nicer than the industrial equipment at my old job.”

Gio frowned. “I bought you these things to enjoy, not so you would spend all your time in the kitchen. We aren’t even ready to start selling yet.”

“I know,” she sang as she started measuring and dumping ingredients into a large bowl. “You’re getting the website created, a marketing plan, and yadda yadda yadda. But it’s important I have all the items perfect before we start selling.”

Carter cast Gio a sympathetic look. “I only got her to take a break for lunch because I picked her up and carried her to the table to eat with me.”

Gio remembered the first time he was allowed to pick up a brush. He’d painted so many canvases, he could’ve stacked them to the ceiling of his old home. For almost a year he did little else. He could easily understand Mila’s obsessive behavior.

An idea came to Gio. “You need other people to try your goods. You should put together a few boxes and take them around to the shift–places where we know people."

Carter slowly nodded his head. “You mean like the Downward Dog, Dapper Dog, Joy, and The Pack House? That’s a great idea! We could make a day out of it. Visit people, do a little shopping,and meet Gio for dinner after, um,” Carter almost said after dark but that wouldn’t make sense to Mila.

“After I finish my online meeting with the marketing company,” Gio finished for him.

Mila was too distracted to notice Carter’s hesitation. Gio wasn’t even sure she’d heard everything they’d said.

“Did you hear what I said?” Gio asked.

Mila looked up at him with furrowed brows. “What?”

Gio couldn’t help the fond smile that curved his lips. Her aura was so bright, he almost had to squint.

“You’re taking me out on a day date tomorrow,” Carter announced.

She stopped stirring. “Day date?”

“We’re going to go out sightseeing, visit friends, and drop off goodies, and maybe do some shopping,” Carter explained.

Mila bit her lip, looking interested but anxious. “I should really work on my scones tomorrow.”

He could see Carter wanted to argue that she was working too hard, but Gio thought another approach might be better. “I’m worried about Carter.”

“What?” Carter and Mila said together. Carter sounded outraged, but Mila only sounded confused.

“Carter doesn’t normally stay home so much,” Gio said, ignoring Carter. “Now that he’s all recovered, it’d be good for him to get out.”

“Well, he can go out without me,” Mila offered. It was clear she was torn between baking and being with Carter.