5. Adeline

FIVE

The trees and cars passed by in a blur of motion, and Adeline's mind fixated only on getting her girls to safety. She didn't notice any of the scenery on their long drive to Griffin's hometown.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His icy blue eyes were focused on the road in front of them, never so much as glancing in her direction. Adeline noticed a tick in Griffin's jaw, which meant he was just as anxious to get there as she was.

"We're less than an hour from Burlington now," Griffin said, loud enough for the girls to hear.

"What's there to do in Burlington?" Deanne asked, putting her tablet down.

"Let me find out," Adeline said, pulling out her burner phone. She tapped on the internet icon and researched the town.

"It says we're on the shoreline of Lake Champlain. They have a big outdoor shopping area called the Church Street Marketplace. And there's a science museum and an art museum."

"That's so cool!" Deanne said.

"There's also a weekly nature playgroup for kids five and under. Jodi, you'll love that," Adeline added.

"I can't wait to see it," Jodi said. "I want to see the whole town!"

"Me too," Deanne said. "But I have to go to the bathroom. Are we stopping soon?"

"There's a rest stop about a mile from here. Can you hold it that long?" Griffin asked, peering back at Deanne from the rearview mirror.

Adeline glanced back at her daughter, who was nodding.

"Yeah, I can," Deanne said. Griffin gave the pickup a little speed, and they overtook a car to get around it as they headed for the exit.

Once there, Deanne and Jodi went to the bathroom together while Adeline got out to stretch her legs.

"I don't think it's a good idea to be telling the girls about all the stuff they can do in town," Griffin said, sidling up next to her. "It's better to go straight to my house, not take a tour."

Adeline watched the glass doors open, and her daughters walk out of the rest stop. They spotted the playground off to the side, and Deanne waved at Adeline, asking if they could play on it.

"Go ahead!" Adeline yelled back, giving a thumbs up. She turned back to Griffin.

"I need them to think this is a normal vacation," she said. "They could get scared if they're holed up in a strange house for weeks on end. Jodi might not pick up on anything, but Deanne is old enough to figure something is up when we've got all the shades drawn and don't allow them outside."

Griffin frowned. "I still don't think it's a great idea. You could be putting a target on your back and wouldn't even know it."

Adeline's stomach churned. "Do you think someone could be following us then?"

"No one is following us. I've been vigilant, plus my wolf has senses that humans don't," he added. "I would have sensed danger if someone was on our tail."

"What's that like?" Adeline asked, curious about this side of him. Her own girls would have their first shift someday, and she wondered how different life would be for them.

"It's like a prickling under the skin," Griffin explained. "My wolf is like a sort of separate entity from me, but it's still me if that makes sense. My other senses are also heightened."

"That's so cool." Adeline grinned. "I wish I had extra-good hearing. It would help when the girls are being a little too quiet and I want to know what they're up to."

Griffin heard, but in an attempt to not bond further with her, he changed the topic. "We should get back on the road," he said. He nodded to the girls, who raced around the little playground with endless amounts of energy.

"Right." Adeline turned, giving Griffin a tight smile.

She called out to her daughters to come back to the truck. The two girls bounded over, playfully bickering over whose turn it was to sit behind Griffin.

"We're only about forty-five minutes out," Griffin told the girls as they buckled in.

"We'll stop and get lunch when we get there," Adeline added.

"Can we get McDonald"s?" Deanne asked, a note of pleading in her voice.

"We'll see," Adeline said, a chuckle slipping through. "We might find a local place we want to try."

"We really should get something once we've arrived at the … place we're staying," Griffin said, choosing his words carefully.

"It couldn't hurt to just check out the Church Street Marketplace," Adeline argued. She lowered her voice after glancing back at the girls and leaned in. "There's probably going to be a ton of people around, so it's not like anyone can target us in a crowd like that."

Griffin's brow furrowed. "You don't know Tobias like I do."

"I thought you said you could sense if there was anyone on our tail?" Adeline didn't want to argue in front of her daughters, but she could feel the frustration rising.

"I did, doesn't mean I think it's wise to risk it."

"Please?" Adeline said, reaching out to put her hand on Griffin's shoulder. He stiffened and glanced down at her hand before letting out a long, slow breath.

"Fine."

Adeline grinned and pumped her fist. "Great. I can't wait to check out the shops. I've been looking online, and they have a bunch of clothing stores, which means I can buy some more stuff for the girls. I only grabbed what little I could put in our suitcases, and I was in a hurry, so I may have forgotten some essentials."

She had wanted to make sure they had everything at the time, but with the threat of Tobias Bower hanging over them, the most important thing felt like getting on the road as soon as possible.

The drive was silent for the last leg, Griffin's eyes focused on the road. He left the music playing on the radio, and Adeline was grateful for the sounds of rock music to focus on.

"We're here," Griffin said, pulling off the rural highway and onto a side street. "This is Burlington," he said, raising his voice so the girls could hear. They sat up, looking out the window at the houses and shops as the truck drove past.

"Look, there's a bookshop," Deanne said, pointing at a store as they drove past. Griffin drove past the shops and continued down another side street.

"We have to park here and walk," Griffin said as he pulled into a spot in front of someone's house. "It's pedestrians only in the marketplace."

His blue eyes lingered on hers for a moment. She felt an unspoken connection between them as they gazed at each other, her own heartbeat picking up.

The moment was interrupted by Jodi whining to be let out of her car seat. Adeline ignored the butterflies in her stomach and went to help her youngest get out.

"Where should we eat?" Adeline asked, holding Jodi's hand as she waited for Deanne to get out of the truck.

"I want nuggets," Jodi declared.

"I want a cheeseburger," Deanne chimed in.

"The Church Street Tavern has that kind of food," Griffin offered.

"Let's go there," Adeline agreed.

Deanne walked next to Griffin while Jodi held onto Adeline's hand. They made their way down a few blocks of residential homes before arriving at the outdoor mall. The shops along their walk featured colorful displays of clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, home goods, and more.

"I want to look at that place," Jodi said, pointing at the game store. "They have toys."

There were stuffed versions of popular media and Japanese anime characters displayed in the window. They stopped when Jodi pointed out the large Totoro that was nearly the same size as her.

"I want that one," she said to Griffin, pulling him down to whisper it loudly. Adeline stifled a laugh when Griffin looked at the item for a moment, almost as if in contemplation.

"We'll come back and look at him later. How about that?" she offered.

Jodi nodded in eager anticipation. "Okay."

As they continued on, Adeline moved closer to Griffin. "Just a heads up about kids. They'll trick you into spending all your money on them if you aren't careful."

"Noted," Griffin said, a wry smile on his face. "That toy is probably too big to carry around inconspicuously, anyway."

"Yep. Everyone would see us walking around with that huge thing."

She stopped when she noticed an Athleta store, reaching out impulsively to check the rack in front of the window.

"Hey, look. They have a sale going on. Up to sixty percent off." Her fingers ran past the buttery soft material of leggings and joggers, thinking about how she could restock some of her wardrobe here.

"We'll come back after lunch," Griffin promised.

Adeline shot him a smile, catching his eye. He smiled back, just a little, showing dimples in the corners of his cheeks. It made her heart flutter in her chest. He was already alluring, but something about that soft smile just melted her heart.

"Look!" Deanne pointed out the candy store that was next to their destination. "Candy!"

"Oh, boy." Adeline glanced at the shop window and giggled. "Well, you two need to eat lunch first before we do anything else. No candy until after we eat."

"I want candy," Jodi said.

"Everyone, sanitize those hands," she said.

Jodi and Deanne immediately held their hands out, and Adeline squirted some of the cold liquid onto each of their palms. Then, she used it herself, rubbing it all over her hands while the girls did the same.

When she was done, she went to put it back in her purse, but Griffin had his hands out as well, looking away with an air of nonchalance. Adeline giggled again and squirted a blob onto his palms, and he dutifully rubbed it in.

He was being a good sport about all of this, she realized. It was more than she could have expected from someone like him. She would've imagined him being more gruff and stricter about their activities. She would have thought he would order them to go to his house immediately or treat them like a job.

But he'd been nothing like that so far. He'd been patient and good with the girls. He'd acquiesced to her request to go to the marketplace and even found them a restaurant that fit their desired preferences.

"Thanks," Adeline said as they headed into the tavern. "You've really been great at accommodating us."

"That's my job," Griffin said as they waited for the host to seat them. "I'm here to keep you safe, not dictate your every move. Think of me like your personal bodyguard."

Adeline didn't mind the idea of having her own scary guard dog privileges. She smiled to herself.

As they walked in, she looked around, taking it in. The tavern was bright and cheery, with warm wooden tables and chairs. The speakers pumped out rock hits from the '90s.

"Hey," the hostess said, coming up to the stand. "I'm Laurie. How many?"

"Two adults, two kids," Adeline answered quickly.

"It'll be about a ten-minute wait. Is that all right?" Laurie asked.

"Yes." Adeline glanced at Griffin, who nodded. "I can put my name down," she offered.

She gave the hostess her name, then followed Griffin and the girls back outside. The girls promptly ran over to the candy shop next door to stare at the windows.

"I'm getting hungry," Adeline said. "I'm glad we found somewhere to stop."

"Let's try to figure out our next move over lunch," Griffin said.

Adeline was grateful she could finally breathe easier now that they weren't in immediate danger. It was comforting having Griffin around.

For some reason, she felt like she could trust him.