Vince glanced at his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. Eight-thirty. He swore under his breath, wondering if the damn thing had stopped.

He stared into his empty glass, thinking he hadn't been this nervous about seeing a girl since he was sixteen years old and had a crush on Amy Broderson.

He thought about Cara and realized he didn't have the vaguest idea of what he was going to say when he saw her again. He supposed groveling would be in order. And confession. It was supposed to be good for the soul, though he wasn't sure he possessed one anymore.

So, what should he say to her? Cara, I'm sorry I left without saying good-bye. I was a fool. I love you. And oh, by the way, your dad was right. I'm a vampire.

Blowing out a sigh, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Soon after leaving town, he had gone home to visit his family. He hadn't seen his folks in over a year, and he'd wondered if they would notice the change in him. He'd shown up on a Sunday evening, making sure he arrived well after dinner and dessert. Even then, his mother had offered him cake and coffee, which he had politely refused, insisting he'd stopped for dinner on the road.

It had been good to see his folks again, to feel the love of his mom and dad, his sister and his brothers and sisters-in-law, to play with his nieces and nephews, and to catch up on their lives. His sister, Eve, was pregnant with twins. Once he'd gotten caught up on what they'd been doing, they wanted to hear about him, curious to know how he was doing, and if he had met anyone.

He had found himself telling his family about Cara and, with every word, he realized he didn't want to exist without her, that he loved her with every fiber of his being, and that he wanted nothing more than to share the rest of her life, however long or short that might be. It wouldn't be easy. She would age, sicken, and die. But that was the way of the mortal world and he couldn't change it.

His mother had been excited at his news, eager to see her youngest son marry and settle down, eager for more grandchildren. He had teased her, asking if ten grandkids weren't enough, and she had replied that,

"you could never have too many grandchildren."

Now, sitting in a darkened nightclub, Vince felt a twinge of regret that he would never have a child of his own, never know what it was like to hold a son or a daughter in his arms. It was something he hadn't considered when he chose the life of a vampire. Of course, fatherhood would also have been out of the question if he had chosen death instead of life when Mara offered him the choice, so maybe it was a moot point and not worth thinking about.

Had Cara missed him as much as he had missed her? Was she angry because he'd been too gutless to tell her good-bye in person? Would she forgive him? Would she even see him?

He shook off his doubts. If she truly loved him, she would at least give him a chance to explain. He held that thought close as he glanced at his watch one more time.

It was eight forty-five.