Page 14 of Fighting His Fate
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what the difference is, which is why I would like to go to the store and pick one out.”
She was infuriating. First, she’d saddled him with these kids; now she was going shopping and leaving him alone with the boys. “Get in the truck. We’ll both go.”
“This is ridiculous. We don’t both have to go to the store—”
“Well, I’m not staying here without you, and you don’t trust me to buy powdered milk by myself, so it looks like we’re staying together.”
“It’s not powdered milk. It’s baby formula.”
“Which is probably ninety-nine percent powdered milk. You’re just looking for shit to fight about.”
“I’m looking for shit to fight about? I’m doing all this to help you and you’re being a cranky child.”
“I wouldn’t need any help if you hadn’t volunteered me for this wonderful opportunity. You are the one who wanted me to take the kids, remember?”
She laughed without humor. “Yes, I don’t think you’ll let me forget that anytime soon. You want to help shop for baby formula and diapers? Fine. Let’s go.” She climbed into his truck, slamming the door behind her. A baby let out a piercing cry.
“Nice job, Grace. Baby lesson number one. They don’t like it when you do that.”
She blew out air. “I’m already sorry I offered to do this.”
“Well, that makes two of us, sweetheart.”
9
It was raining againby the time Brett pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store. Both babies were crying, and as he jogged away, locking his truck with his key fob, he realized two things at once— Grace was jogging beside him, empty-handed, and the closed vehicle blocked out most of the sound of the children’s screaming. He stopped at the same time she did. “The babies!” they said simultaneously.
She sighed heavily. “I’ll get one, you get the other.” They ran back. She did something to unhook the Easter basket part of the car seat from its base, but Brett couldn’t figure out what it was, the little guy in front of him seemingly inconsolable. The baby’s face was red from screaming so hard, his bottom lip quivering, and there was the unmistakable scent of poo. Brett felt the first pang of sympathy.
“It’s okay, buddy. We’ll get you out of here.” He turned back to Grace. “How the hell do you undo this thing?”
“There is a release on the back. Like a lever. Lift it up.”
He found it, awkwardly lifting the bucket seat from its base as he’d seen her do. He straightened, noting the mocking look on her tired face. “Piece of cake,” he said, the baby screaming.
Inside the store, the fluorescent lights lit the empty aisle with an audible hum. He never knew there were so many different kinds of diapers, but Grace was unfazed, quickly selecting a large box from a lower shelf. “Whoa, we don’t need that many, remember? They’re only going to be here a few hours.”
“I thought it was a day?”
“I doubt it. As soon as we find their grandma, she’s going to want them with her.”
Grace shrugged. “Then we give her some diapers to go with them. She’s going to be just as surprised and unprepared as you are.”
It wasn’t worth fighting over. He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” His phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket, a text from Moto showing on the screen.
VAN REPORTED STOLEN TWO DAYS AGO
He closed his eyes. Of course it was. He muttered a curse and tucked the phone back in his pocket.
The formula selection was even more ridiculous, and he was glad she was there, though he admitted no such thing. They paid for their purchases, an older woman in line clucking her tongue. “What a beautiful family you have.”
He held up his hands. “Not mine.”
Grace glared at him as the woman walked away. “You don’t have to be a complete jerk to total strangers.”
“Jesus, you’ve got to take issue with every single thing I say, don’t you? It’s freaking exhausting, Grace.” He walked ahead of her, the two of them not speaking again until they were nearly home.
He’d noticed a set of headlights in his rearview—the same set of headlights that had been behind Grace on their way home from the hospital. At least, he thought they were the same. Hell, he was exhausted. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. He pulled into their driveway beside Grace’s Prius, aware of the sedan that cruised on by.
