Page 52 of Part & Parcel

“What’s his name?” Owen asked, and Nick felt his feet on the center console, nudging at Nick’s elbow. He glared at Owen’s shoes, and Owen slowly slid them to the floorboard again.

“Whose name?” Zane asked, turning in his seat to face Owen.

“Rental cars always get a name,” Ty explained.

“Of course they do,” Zane mumbled as he turned back around and buckled his seat belt. “Does your Mustang have a name?”

“No,” Ty grunted.

Zane glanced up and met Nick’s eyes, scowling. “But you name the rental cars.”

“It’s best if you don’t try to make logic out of most of the things you’ll be seeing this week,” Nick advised.

“Understood.”

“Where are the kitties?” Digger asked as Nick threw the SUV into reverse.

“They’re . . . in SERE training,” Ty answered, his voice muffled.

“Tyler, you get eyes on those animals right now,” Nick barked. He was answered with two inquiring mews from somewhere in the far back.

“Got ’em!” Digger said happily. “Wait.”

“Got ’em,” Owen added, sounding positively despondent about it. “Well. Had ’em.”

“Who’s in charge of music?” Kelly asked.

“Not you,” Owen said immediately.

Digger laughed. “That’s stone cold.”

Nick and Zane shared a long-suffering glance and sigh.

“No one’s in charge of music,” Nick said as he held up his phone. “We’ll put Pandora on so no one fucking loses their shit, deal?”

There were faint sounds of agreement from the back. Nick pulled up the streaming music app and started it on a random song, then plugged it into the car so it would play through the speakers.

His elbow was nudged again, and he turned to glare at Owen, but one of the kittens was sitting on the console instead. It was the little orange one, and he blinked at Nick with big blue eyes.

“Which one are you?” Nick asked the animal.

Ty leaned forward. “That’s Jiminy. He likes shoulders.”

As if on cue, Jiminy put one front paw on Nick’s arm, his claws out, preparing to clamber up to Nick’s shoulder.

Nick put his finger on the kitten’s nose. “Stand down, Marine.”

The kitten mewed in response, and Ty plucked him off the console.

Nick was just barely out of the rental company’s parking lot when Ty shoved his face between the two front seats. “The letter says we’re supposed to open the next one before we stop for the night.”

“Oh God,” Nick grumbled. He shifted in the seat, trying to get comfortable, messing with the seat controls once he got to the first stoplight.

“I know,” Ty said with a grin.

“What?” Zane asked, the dread in his voice almost palpable.

“If he wants us to read the next set of instructions before we find lodging for the night . . .” Nick started.

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