Twenty-five

Grace groaned and tried to swat away the one roughly shaking her shoulder. Her neck was sore and her pillow was too firm.

“Come get your pet, Cam. She’s in my way.”

Sitting up, she looked around blearily. Genevieve was passed out against the window and Fitz was giving her a dirty look.

“Come on, Gracie. Time for a pit stop and then you come up front with me. Fitz needs some cuddle time with Nev.”

“She’s married.” Grace rubbed her eyes and then tugged her robe closed, tightening the belt. It must have come loose as she slept.

“Move.” 

“Ok, ok.” Grace got out and Cam walked her around to the gas station bathroom. She hesitated in the doorway. “Can I borrow your shoes?”

“Stay here.” He sighed and waved his hand.

Between blinks he was back with tacky rhinestone studded flip flops. “Use these.”

They clearly belonged to someone, they had dents worn into them, but it was definitely better than walking barefoot into the bathroom here. She used the grungy bathroom and came back out after washing her hands. 

Cam took her back to the van and handed her a bottle of water and a bag of gummi bears.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He grinned and they set off again. “Are you cold?”

“A little.”

“I’ll lend you some sweats when we get home.”

“Genevieve will need something too.”

“We’ll find her something.” He smiled out at the road and when he glanced back she offered him some gummies. Laughing, he took a few. “Thanks. You’re a sweet girl. Tell me some more about yourself, Gracie. You bake? What else?”

“I like baking. I make really good cheddar bread, but there aren't a lot of whole meals I’m good at making. If you have a crock pot I make a fantastic Mississippi pot roast, though. It goes great with a beaujolais. I usually go pretty cheap on it. You'd be surprised that some of the cheap ones are actually decent enough.”

“You know wine?” He grinned.

“My family owns Lucroy Vineyards. I’m Grace Lucroy.”

Cam glanced at her in surprise. “What were you doing with the wolf sniffing around you?”

“I kept looking for something that I wanted to do with my life, something that I could do as a job that wasn’t soul crushing or academic. The Fine Arts program for glass was amazing. I still have a year left.

“As often as I heard, ‘work with your head not your hands’ growing up… It’s just really satisfying.”

“And creative.” Cam gave her an appreciative nod. “You’re an artist from a wealthy family, no wonder you turned his head.”

There was laughter from behind them, “It sounds like she’s turning yours.”

“How is Nev doing?”

“There’s some sort of wall I can’t push through. For someone uneducated, she’s keeping herself well protected. Farrin must have taught her a few things. I’ll wait until she exhausts her strength holding the defenses in place.”

“It’ll be easier to work at home.” Cam seemed to agree. “We should trade this rental in tomorrow and get a car for the last leg.”

“I don’t want to take a rental all the way back. On our next stop I’ll call our valet.”

Cam shook his head. “Fine. Remember to give him permission to stop for gas.”

Fitz laughed again. “I’ll give him permission to do whatever he needs to do to come get us without attracting attention to himself. If he messes it up he’ll pay for it.”

Grace quietly chewed on a few gummies and tried to process what she was hearing. Something about it didn’t seem right. Cam glanced over and then reached across to touch her face. She shuddered, feeling suddenly hazy as if she’d just gotten drunk in a moment’s time.

“I won’t have to do that at home, Gracie. You’ll like it there.”

“Are you going to take her out on the lake?” Fitz sounded amused.

“If you want us out from under foot, why not?”

“Do you want her in your room?” Fitz was laughing.

“She and Nev can take the attic room.”

“No. I need Nev close to keep an eye on her and to work on her. She’ll be in my room.”

“The girls need to room together. You’ll fall asleep sometime and either you’ll break that woman and we’ll have to dump her body in the lake, or she’ll murder you in your sleep.”

Fitz exhaled loudly. “Fine. But they can’t have a room with a window. We need a spare room that can be locked.”

“I know we like the big house he has but the rentals…” 

“I know the one you’re thinking of. It’ll do.”

Grace let herself fade out and into sleep. The next time she remembered waking she was in the back on the bed with Genevieve. Fitz and Cam were speaking quietly about a city and whether it was too close or if it would do. If the wolves found the van they would have a hard time deciding which direction to look in and if they came sniffing around the local witches would talk. 

The valet would have money with him, they could pay one or two to warn them.

Slipping back into sleep she hunted around the house until she found Eli. Wrapping her arms around him she told him what she’d heard and then cuddled close to him on the sofa kissing him and wishing she would wake up and all of it except for him would have been a dream.