Christian and I had been careful about not displaying affection in front of the kids.
Carol met eyes with me in our reflection on the glass door at the rear of the building. “Because he looks at you like he would die for you.”
I smiled as we went inside. “He almost has.”
She stopped and peered up at me with earnest eyes. “That’s when you know it’s true love. When you care about someone else’s life more than your own. When you’d do anything to be with them.”
Kids and their romantic notions. Someday Carol would learn that love was more complicated than that.
Viktor beckoned us over to the front doors. Everyone had gathered up their gear and was waiting for us. We hustled across the room until we caught up with the group. Blue passed me my bag, which was light enough to toss over my shoulder with ease.
Viktor glowered at Carol. “And where did you go off to?”
She gave him a sheepish grin and shrugged. “I dunno.”
He palmed the back of her head and nudged her toward the other two. “Kids always know everything. But when you ask them a question, they suddenly don’t know anything.”
As soon as we poured outside, the squeals of excited teenagers filled my ears.
Eve hopped in a circle, clapping her hands. “Is this ours?”
“Whoa!” Adam walked along the camper and let his finger glide across the surface. “Sweet!”
How were we all going to fit in that thing? I’d grown up in a single-wide trailer and knew how long people could comfortably dwell in a confined space before they wanted to murder each other. It wasn’t one of those luxury bus-sized motor homes but an RV with a standard front end that resembled a van or truck. I guessed the vehicle to be about thirty feet long.
Viktor and Shepherd formed a huddle.
Shepherd finally patted the front end. “Let’s roll.”
He rounded the front to the driver’s side and got in. Viktor pulled out his wallet and tipped the delivery driver before the man and his buddy sped off in a small Toyota.
When Blue opened the door, the kids piled in first. She turned and noticed the look of concern on my face. “If it gets too crowded in there, I can always fly. It just depends on what Viktor says and how long our trip is.”
Once inside, I noticed the front cab was sunken down and had a sleeper over it. The small built-in sofa in front of the door was beige vinyl, and the stench of stale cigarette smoke lingered like a bad memory. The second sofa to the left curved around with two seats on either side. It probably had a pullout in the middle that converted it into a bed.
Carol sneezed and headed to the rear bedroom. Adam kept himself busy flipping all the light switches while his sister followed Carol. The sleeper above the cab had a privacy curtain and a TV. Two kids could easily fit up there and keep busy, which gave me a bit of relief that this might not be such a bad ride after all.
“I could live in one of these.” Blue surveyed the kitchenette, hands on her hips. “Sink, stove, fridge, cabinets—everything a person needs. Look, there’s even a microwave.”
Adam jogged to the back.
I sat on the sofa and stared at the open door. “I forgot to bring the popcorn.”
Blue opened one of the overhead cabinets. “Someone left a few potato chips in here if you’re hungry.”
I snorted. “Don’t say that too loud. The kids will eat it up in thirty seconds.”
“They’re probably expired.”
“I doubt they care.”
When Claude entered the trailer, he had to tilt his head to the side to keep it from touching the ceiling. “Looks like I’m sleeping on the floor.”
I smirked at him. He looked like a tall man trapped in a short man’s world. “We could always strap you to the roof.”
Christian was the last in and locked the door behind him. “Jaysus wept.Will you take a gander at this obscenity? I still remember when people traveled in wagons.” He scanned the room and looked displeased with all the modern conveniences. “At least the fridge is big enough to fit a body in.”
I crossed my legs. “Do you mean dessert?”
