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grip on an actual lunch bag that was blue with bananas and cats on it.

“Hiking shoes? Steel toed boots? Construction footwear? Steel toed

rubber boots? Did you bring any of that?”

“No. You said wear good shoes, so I did.”

“They look good alright. Good for hitting the gym once a month or

walking down the street. Not good for digging in barns and sheds where

rusty nails will pierce them like soft cheese.”

“Hmm. Soft cheese. I like cheese.”

Kiera shook her head, temporarily disarmed by Romi’s dry humor.

“Never mind. I have a set you can borrow in the truck. They’re a nine. If

they don’t fit, I can lend you a thick pair of socks.”

“I’m an eight. Sometimes a nine, depending on brand. They should be

fine.”

“Good. I guess we can get going, then. It’ll take us a few hours to get

there.”

“Road trip!” Remi put her hands in the air, including the lunch bag. “I’m

so excited!”

That makes one of us. Why did I ever think this was a good idea. Oh

right. Because I thought Princess Romi would quit if given the right

encouragement.

Kiera regretted her decision to bring Romi as soon as they got in the

truck. She was used to driving it and navigated effortlessly away from the

store and into the city’s early morning traffic, on route to hitting the

interstate. The truck was filled up almost instantly with Romi’s soft, floral

scent. It wasn’t perfume. It was too light for that. Maybe it was the scent of

her shampoo. Or lotion. Whatever it was, Kiera found it distracting.

At least Romi didn’t try to talk her ear off. At least not until they were on

the interstate and the drive got boring. “So, what exactly are we looking

for?”

“I should have prepared a list.” Kiera gripped the wheel a little tighter