Mortal Wish by Tina Folsom Page A

say.”
    Maybe he was just cynical—what one-hundred-forty-seven year old vampire wouldn’t be? Or maybe he was simply bracing himself for the moment when he found out that the magical spring didn’t actually have the power to grant any wishes.
    “You’ll see!” Carl prophesized and brought the cart to a stop. He pointed to the large Victorian house that stood behind a white picket fence. “We’re here.”
    Jake pulled a five dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to the kid. “Thanks, Carl.”
    The youngster grinned as he pocketed the money. “And if you need any transportation on the island, I’m happy to drive you around.”
    Jake had no doubt about that. He was sure that opportunities for making money on the island were few and far between. “I’ll let you know.” He got out of the cart and walked up the entrance way to the house, bag in hand.
    The electric engine made barely any sound when Carl left.
    Jake opened the entrance door and entered. The foyer was cozy and well lit. A large Christmas tree adorned with antique ornaments took up half the entry hall. He had to admit—despite his aversion to Christmas—that the fresh blue spruce looked rather pretty, and the scent brought back memories of his childhood. Memories of happier times.
    A large wooden staircase led to the upper floors. To its left was a reception area, which looked like a booth with a high counter in front and shelves at the back. He approached it and set his bag on the floor. Seeing nobody, but sensing he wasn’t alone, he hit the little bell on the counter.
    As the soft ping chimed through the foyer, he suddenly heard a sound and an instant later, a woman rose from behind the counter, righting the sleeve of her colorful dress, while giving him an apologetic smile. He hadn’t seen her earlier, nor had his senses picked up on her smell. The scent of the fresh tree, the potpourri, and the scented candles that seemed to be wherever there was a ledge or an available surface, was too overwhelming.
    “Oh, dear, you’ve caught me now!” She chuckled and blushed furiously. “Those darn straps, they never stay in place.” She pulled her hand out from under her sleeve and adjusted her scoop neck.
    Jake could only imagine that she was talking about her bra straps and tried not to focus on her ample chest. Instead, he looked at her face. She was still attractive even though she seemed to be in her early sixties. Had he met her twenty or thirty years ago, he would have seduced her.
    “Mrs. Adams?”
    “Yes, and you must be Mr. Stone.” She let her eyes roam over his face and body, not hiding the fact that she found him attractive.
    He was used to those looks. He got them from women of all ages. But all they saw was his perfect shell: the dark hair, the chiseled chin, the classical nose, the piercing blue eyes, and the sculpted body. What they didn’t see was the man inside, the man who yearned for a real life, for a mortal life. For a purpose.
    “I have a wonderful room for you. On the top floor. It’s got a gorgeous view of the bay on the other side of the island.” She reached for the board of keys behind her and took one of them down, placing it on the counter.
    “Perfect.” He smiled and grabbed the key.
    “Breakfast is included.” She pointed toward a door next to the stairs. “The breakfast room is through here. We serve breakfast from seven till nine thirty.”
    “That won’t be necessary. I’m not much of a morning person. In fact, would you mind if I declined housekeeping? I’m quite a night owl actually and sleep really late.” Late as in until sunset . After all, daylight didn’t agree with him. The charred look had never appealed to him.
    “Oh?” She cast him a surprised glance. “I hope you won’t be too disappointed about the nightlife here, but there’s practically none. A lot of our visitors are here for the hot spring.” She leaned forward, her boobs resting on the counter as she did so. “I assume