Then again, I didn't really understand, so how could I hope that my parents would?
He shook his head. "It still isn't right."
I shrugged and glanced at the clock—it was already after six. "Look, don't worry about it.
I know that things aren't going to change—that it's impossible—but it doesn't change my feelings for you."
His attention was steady on the road ahead. "It's not impossible."
I frowned. "What did you say?"
He pulled the car off to the side of the road just past downtown Abottsville, next to a very large hotdog-shaped building that in the summer sold—believe it or not—hotdogs, and shifted into park. He turned to look at me with those silvery eyes of his. "I said, it's not impossible."
"I don't know what you mean."
His throat worked as he swallowed. "Veronique has been a part of my life for so many years I can't remember ever not knowing her."
I cringed inwardly at that. "Of course. You've known her since practically the Stone Age.
Plus, she's completely gorgeous and perfect and well-dressed. And she speaks French."
"That's not what I meant." He frowned deeply. "It was different years ago. Most marriages were arranged or were entered into for the sake of convenience. One never had to worry about falling out of love with someone and wanting to get a divorce, since love rarely played a part in such agreements."
"One out of two marriages end in divorce these days," I said, feeling strange and uncomfortable sitting here in the car and talking about marriage. Besides, we were now running really late for the reunion.
My stake wound itched.
"A disheartening statistic," he said.
I forced a smile. "Listen, Thierry, you don't have to get all analytical on me. I understand your situation." Not really. "I know that, even if you wanted to, divorcing Veronique is impossible."
"That's not entirely true." He leaned back in his seat. "I have contacted several people in the Catholic Church—vampires—who are looking into the possibility of arranging an annulment between Veronique and myself."
My heartbeat sped up. "An annulment?"
"Yes."
Stunned didn't even begin to cover what I was feeling at the moment. I forced my gaping mouth closed. "After six hundred years of marriage? Is that even possible?"
He nodded. "My marriage to Veronique has long since been over. I would be surprised if she would take issue with this decision. We're very different people who want very different things. She desires a life of beauty and excitement in Europe surrounded by young, handsome men."
I swallowed hard. "And what do you want?"
His gaze was steady with my own. "You," he said simply.
My mouth opened a little but no sound came out. There was silence in the car for several moments.
The corners of his mouth curled. "Have I rendered you speechless? I didn't even know that was possible."
A breath hitched in my chest. "Thierry—"
"I can see it in your eyes when I speak with Veronique, or when she was in town, that her role in my life disturbs you greatly" He reached forward to stroke the dark hair off my forehead and tuck it behind my left ear. "It's been over between Veronique and me for many, many years, but it hasn't been official. I'm striving to make it so."
He pulled back a little from me and slid his hand into his inside jacket pocket. "I can't make any true commitments to you at this time, at least none that your parents would approve of, but I can make you a promise."
I looked down. There was a ring sitting on the palm of his hand. A woman's ring that was studded with diamonds all the way around the circumference.
An eternity band.
My gaze snapped back to his.
"I want you to have this, Sarah," he said softly. "For you to wear it knowing that it's from someone who loves you very much." He slipped it onto the ring finger on my right hand and then brought my hand to his lips. "Is that acceptable to you?"
"Yes, that's very acceptable." I looked from my new ring that seemed to sparkle even in the growing darkness, to Thierry, but his face was blurred because I was now crying like a baby.
He leaned forward to kiss me and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders to draw him closer to me.
If I was dreaming, I never wanted to wake up.
Back in the motel room I started to get dressed for the reunion, but I couldn't help but gaze down at the ring Thierry had given me. Talk about a distraction. It was gorgeous. I felt happier than I'd felt in recent memory while looking at it, and it wasn't just because of the pretty bling. It was because it meant something.
Thierry had bought it for me. Me.
Would he really get an annulment from Veronique?
The future was so bright that if I could find the dough, I might even buy a new pair of sunglasses.
Thierry'd had his cell phone pressed to his ear since we'd returned to the room ten minutes ago. "It's official. Gideon Chase is dead. All active hunters are en route to his funeral in
Nevada as we speak."
And the good news kept coming. It seemed strange to celebrate the death of somebody, but in this case, I'd make an exception.
"Where's the champagne?" I studied his noncelebratory expression. "Why don't you look happier? Isn't this a good thing?"
He shook his head. "It doesn't feel right to me."
"You think there are still hunters lurking around?"
"It's not that. It's simply difficult for me to believe that he is truly gone forever."
I smoothed out the sparkly red dress I'd borrowed from Amy on the top of the bed.
"You're not going to miss him, are you?"
He shook his head. "Definitely not. The man relished death and destruction too much for me to mourn his passing. He had too much power at too young an age."