Page 140 of Brushed By Moonlight

I raced through the woods, ticking off my own private landmarks. The fallen oak… The pool in the stream… The scorched patch Marius had left the night of the intruder…

Eventually, I emerged at the tangled garden, then jogged across the lawn.

Beep! Beep!A vintage Citroën 2CV puttered down the drive, and the driver waved from the window.

We converged at the front door, and a slightly stooped, older gent emerged.

“Mina!” He opened his arms.

“Sid!” I ran over to hug my father’s old friend.

His hair had thinned, and his frame was more gaunt than I remembered. Either I had grown an inch, or he had shrunk. But it was the same old Sid.

An ache settled in my chest, and I closed my eyes, imagining hugging my father. If he had lived to Sid’s age, would I be wise enough to treasure signs of aging as a monument to all the years we’d shared?

I leaned back, keeping hold of Sid’s hands.

“My God. Every time I see you, I see him,” Sid murmured, experiencing his own moment ofwhat might have been.

I laughed, touched and embarrassed.

“Thank you so much for coming,” I said, moving things along.

His eyes twinkled. “Wouldn’t miss this for my life. Now, show me that painting.”

* * *

Meeting Marius came first, however, and viewing the painting was further delayed by the early arrival of Roux and Bene. The fierceness of their hugs — and mine in return — was both moving and surprising. It had only been a few days, and a few weeks of knowing them at all, but they felt like old friends now. The brothers-in-arms effect of having survived a dangerous mission together, I supposed.

“Good to see you,” I said, meaning every word.

“Good to be back.” Bene grinned, and Roux did too.

Henrik appeared a short time later, beating Gordon’s deadline by a good hour. So, hmm. Maybe these men, tough and capable as they were, had nowhere they would rather be — or, at least, nowhere else to go. Maybe they were coming to love the château the way I did. Like home.

A sad, but equally heartwarming thought. Slightly alarming, too, at least when it came to Henrik.

No hugs for him, though our handshake wasn’t as forced as it might have been.

“Delphine sends her regards,” he said, stiffly handing me a fancy bag.

I hid my surprise. Was there hope for the coldhearted vampire after all?

“How sweet.” I peeked at the pastry box inside.

“Yes, I’m told they are,” he said indifferently.

Not what I meant, but it sure beat him licking his chops and murmuring,Yes, she is.

A light lunch followed, because the arrivals had all started their journeys before dawn. I set out cheese, cold cuts, and bread, wishing Claudette were around to help, but also grateful she wasn’t. We all sat around the dining room table, catching up.

“Maybe I should follow Marius’s cue and spend my days off here next time,” Bene teased. “You look so relaxed.”

“It’s the fresh country air,” Sid said, blissfully oblivious to Bene’s subtext. “It gives one a certain glow.”

“Oh, they’re definitely glowing.” Bene laughed.

Marius growled, and I shushed him, blushing. As close as Sid and my father had been, my father had never let on about supernaturals, and I didn’t want to explain dragons, lions, tigers, or vampires now.