Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 167: Grace: There’s a Lot to Learn

Getting a car seat is a lot harder than I thought... and we haven’t even left the campsite yet.

It never really occurred to me we can’t just take a big rig like ours into a random store parking lot. Some of them aren’t easily accessible for something closer to a semi truck than a regular car.

I squint at the map on my tiny phone screen as Lyre zooms into a spot just off the highway.

"Your only option nearby is going to be this Walmart," she says, toggling the satellite photos. "See? They’ve got the space for overnight parking."

"We aren’t staying there overnight."

"No, but that means they have enough room."

Right, right.

"Funny it’s another Walmart," I mumble. It’s where I met Lyre.

"It’s always another Walmart. Get used to it." She smirks a little before zooming back out. "Anyway, you remember what I told you, right?"

I nod automatically. "Only two to three hundred miles a day, don’t put out my slides in a parking lot, and try to park to the back so we aren’t bothering the others."

"Our tanks aren’t very full, but don’t forget to stop by a dump site, especially one with extra fresh water. And always turn off your—"

"Water pump if we stop to use the bathroom," I finish for her. "I remember."

The RV life crash course she gave me feels like it happened years ago instead of days. So many rules I never knew existed for a life I never planned to lead.

Owen and Caine pause by us, done inspecting the truck. Owen is some sort of car seat guru, apparently, and he’s our tie-breaker on the seating arrangement.

His silver-gray eyes meet mine immediately. "You can fit a forward-facing car seat in the truck," he says. "In the front."

Forward-facing...?

who’s currently worm-crawling through the dirt with Jer. Her little body wiggles with determination as Jer laughs, showing

a handle you carry around the

for the truck. If she’s in

be," Caine cuts

the rear should be fine. But not a

"Bucket?"

ones with the handle. They’re for

Turns out there’s a lot to learn about

a few children in Andrew’s car.

at Caine. See? There isn’t enough

response is immediate and cold.

isn’t up to you," Owen says calmly, unruffled by the

darkening. The air’s suddenly charged with an unhealthy

these kids from the beginning," I remind him. "We should follow what he wants for them.

jumping beneath his skin. "Then

Owen’s no idiot. His brow arches as he looks between

not that

see how willingly he accepts the children as

onto mine, steady and unwavering. "It is if

As if claiming something makes it real. As if saying we’re a family means we suddenly know how to be one.

how they are for him,

anyone else," Caine says, his voice hardening as he shifts his attention

man hasn’t been the one

from their current parent without asking if it’s even okay. I get it; I’ve been doing the same in my head. But unlike a certain someone, at least I

as absolute fact. Caine definitely never