Page 17 of Twilight Destiny

“You don’t believe in them?”

“I don’t think any sane person does.”

He grunted softly. “I guess I can’t blame you for thinking that way, but I know they’re real. A friend of mine had a nasty encounter with one just a couple of weeks ago.”

“Really?”

Paul nodded, his expression grim. “He was attacked while coming home from a party late one night. Darn near died from the amount of blood he lost. The vampire would probably have killed him if a cop hadn’t come along.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I don’t expect to find any of them here now, but … ” He shrugged one shoulder. “Curiosity got the best of me.”

Rosa followed his gaze as he looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, warm and clear. The kind of day that made you think of roses and sunshine, not vampires.

“How long are you staying here?” he asked.

“A couple of weeks. I’m visiting a friend.”

“Oh?” His brows shot up. “You know someone who lives here?”

Darn! Did she dare admit that? She didn’t have to mention any names. “Yes, he, ah, owns the hotel.”

“I don’t suppose he’s a vampire?”

Rosa laughed. “I never asked him, but I don’t think so.”

“I was going to wander through the town this afternoon,” he said. “I don’t suppose you’d like to give me a tour?”

Why not? she thought, as the waitress brought both of their orders. She had nothing better to do.

Paul Rhinehart turned out to be an entertaining companion, easy to talk to. They strolled through the business district, wandered through the park, stopped for ice cream at an outdoor vendor.

“That house on the hill,” Paul remarked, looking up at Blair House. “Does anyone live there?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Is it open to tourists?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Looks like an interesting place.”

Rosa shrugged. “It’s just an old house.”

“What about those other two places?” he asked.

“I think the man who owns the hotel lives in one of them, and the other one belongs to the town manager.”

“Who owns the town?”

Rosa shrugged again. “The state of Wyoming?”

“I can probably find out,” Paul remarked as they headed back toward the business district. “I’ve got nothing to do this evening. Any chance you’d like to go to a movie?”

Rosa bit down on her lower lip. She had hoped to see Kincaid, although they hadn’t made any plans. Maybe it would be a good idea to date a regular guy, for comparison. “I guess so.”

“How about this? We can meet back at the restaurant for an early dinner and then hit the movies.”