Free Bag of Blood - Vampire Mystery Romance by J.O. Osbourne

teasing. Sarah gasped.
    "Ooh! You said 'shut up'! Mommy says that's a bad word…" Lena tried hard not to roll her eyes.
    "Hey, 'shut up' is two words." She growled.
    "Lena, be nice." Megan countered, and Lena sighed. "All right, sorry."
    "Yeah, breakfast would be nice," Megan smiled, knowing how inexpensive meals for children under eight were, and that babies were served for free. "I'll call Peter and tell him; you don't mind picking him up from his friend's house, do you?"
    "Nah," Robert agreed. "Sounds fine. Bring the little squirt's car seat, will you?"
    The 'little squirt' in question was leaning heavily on his tray, large brown eyes drooping with "the goofy look". "Uh-oh!" Megan teased. "Bedtime!" she used a damp cloth to clean the cheese sauce smears from his hands and face. "Help me tuck him in, Robert," she told him, lifting Jared from the high chair. He followed her into the hallway.
    "Girls," Lena told the twins. "Can you help me take the dishes to the sink? Then you can put the DVD in and I'll get started on the dishes."
    They reluctantly agreed and trailed by a sleepy-looking Biscuit began to bus the table. Lena opened the empty dishwasher and began placing cups and plates into the racks. She could hear the girls in the front room turning the television on. Didn't Robert say he'd do the dishes ? She grumbled to herself. I swear he said something about 'cleaning up'. He'd better put the leftovers away.
    She finished up and, pouring dish soap into its holder, switched the machine on, where it began to gurgle sluggishly.
    She heard the movie begin to play, and went in search of her two friends. What's taking them so long? She wondered to herself. Reaching the hallway, she stopped cold and stared, then blinked, looking away before looking back again making sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing.
    Megan was standing on her tip-toes in the dark hallway outside of the closed door of Jared's bedroom, her face tilted upwards, her hands around Robert's waist, while he bent at the knees with his hands buried in her thick, short hair. Their lips were pressed together tenderly.
    Lena must have made some noise or other, because they quickly separated.
    "Lena!" Megan panted. "I—um…" lip-gloss was smeared around her face.
    "S—sorry to interrupt!" Lena's face felt as hot as if she had decided to stick it in the pan of boiling macaroni water.
    "I did the dishes and the girl's turned the movie on so I think I'll watch it with them um I guess I'll go now and…" she babbled without taking a breath. Turning on a heel she walked as if she were a tin soldier, feeling as if she were in a daze.
    She settled on the sofa between the girls, and Georgia turned to her.
    "Where's the chocolate and popcorn?" she asked, clearly already bored with the movie. Without saying anything, Lena went into the kitchen to prepare it, popping the kernels in the microwave before breaking a chocolate bar into little pieces over the fluffy corn. She hadn't realized Robert was behind her until he spoke.
    "Come on; time to go home," he told her, taking the large popcorn bowl from her hand. He returned to the television room and put the bowl between the two girls.
    "Bye, Sarah and Georgia!" he cheerfully waved. "Lena and I need to go home now, but we'll see you tomorrow!" they waved, Sarah standing to hug him. With a hand firmly on Lena's elbow, he dragged her to his truck. She got in, unable to look at him, feeling more embarrassed than she had ever felt before.
    They drove in very awkward silence and were just turning down the street when a large something appeared in front of the truck. Lena screamed as Robert slammed sharply on the break, throwing a hand automatically over Lena's face to protect her as she slammed, chest-first into the front of the car. "O—ow! " she moaned, tears pricking her eyes. Robert grabbed by her shoulders.
    "Lena!" he exclaimed. " Dammit! Talk to me—are you alright?"
    "I—I'm…" she struggled for words to