It had taken Cathleen and Kenna two trips into Boston to find the perfect dress, and even though it cost more than all the clothes in Cathleen’s closet combined, once she had put it on, that didn’t matter. Gus had tried to play down the importance of this party, but a few side conversations with Bennett told Cathleen all she needed to know. Maximillian Lumley had extended an olive branch, and once she and Gus walked into his home, they would forever be a part of the vampire world. They would protect and be protected until the mantle passed to one of their children, if so inclined.

Cathleen’s black jersey gown was simplistically elegant. Long-sleeved and floor-length, the stretch fabric wrapped her body loosely rather than sticking to every curve. The side slit added some flair to an otherwise basic dress, but it was the crossover V-neck that made the gown anything but basic. It plunged lower than anything Cathleen had ever worn before, and while the fabric of her right sleeve and bodice were the same as the dress, tiny black sequins covered the left.

When Gus told Bennett about being invited to the party, driving home that night, he thought about what Bennett had said. The invitation was Max’s way of saying he’d accepted Gus as a guardian, and since it had taken the man over eleven years to come to that decision, Gus had no intention of disappointing. Unbeknownst to Cathleen, the very next day, instead of dropping by a tuxedo rental store to order up sloppy seconds, Gus walked into a high-end men’s clothing store and ordered a tuxedo tailored to fit his frame. Double-breasted, licorice black, with satin notched lapels and stripes down the legs, the store helped him finish the look with patent leather shoes, a crisp white fly-front dress shirt, and a bow tie they had to teach him how to tie.

Gus’s air of sophistication lasted until he and Cathleen were sitting in the limo, and as the driver closed the door, Gus looked down the stretch to the two women at the other end, and when he saw Bennett, his eyes almost flew out of their sockets. “Holy shit,” he roared, throwing up his hands. “Look at you!”

Ruby choked back a laugh. Cathleen slapped her husband on the thigh, and Bennett tried her best to keep a straight face. She failed, but just barely. “I thought I told you my kind were required to wear clothing fitting our…um…time frame,” she said.

“You did, but I was expecting some fancy dress. You know, with one of those huge, hooped skirt things with lots of lace.”

Ruby couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Oh, my God. I would have paid to see that,” she said, erupting in giggles. Finally getting herself under control, she waved to the couple. “I’m Ruby, by the way.”