ABANDONED. Romance - short story in an anthology dealing with death taking a vacation

[Liz]

I haven't read romance in years, but this one occasionally comes back to me and I can't remember an author or title. I believe it was in an anthology book with other short stories. It dealt with death taking a vacation so of course, no one can die. He meets and falls for a woman. The woman is staying with her family and, IIRC, one of the family members is trying to kill everyone else for some reason. All the attempts fail and the would-be murderer is left more and more confused/frustrated each time. Death knows all about what's going on but does nothing (except for, you know, the woman). At the end when he reveals that he's not human, she decides to go with him. I think it's mostly from his point of view.

This had to be at least ten years ago, but I could be wrong. Ringing any bells for anyone?

[Kit★]

Maybe one of the stories in the Death's Excellent Vacation anthology?

[Liz]

Kit★ wrote: "Maybe one of the stories in the Death's Excellent Vacation anthology?"

No, that was published in 2010 and this was years before that. Also, it was definitely a romance anthology, and not a mystery.

[Kris]

"Strangers in the Night" (1995) by Anne Stuart, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Goodreads Author), Maggie Shayne -- in particular, Anne Stuart's short story "Dark Journey"?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

A Goodreads reviewer says: "'Death' comes to visit Laura while he is on a two-day reprieve from his duties. The entity comes in the human form of Alex Monmort. He had been drawn to this young woman since she was five years old. Diagnosed with a faulty heart, Laura always knew every day was special and could be her last... Laura is surrounded by family at her father's gloomy estate... one is a murderer..."

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Liz, was Kris's suggestion your book/story or are you still looking?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Liz, was Kris's suggestion your book/story or are you still looking?"

No response in 2 years. Moving to Abandoned.