After a mile or two of walking, Maria lost track, trying to leash up Max, who had bounced along for the first half-mile, eagerly pointing at things and picking up every interesting item she found to present to Maria and Cain.
Mostly it was slightly odd sticks or rocks, though at one point she did find a salamander and would have grabbed it had Cain not uncharacteristically shouted not to.
After the weird reaction Cain displayed, Max became curious about wildlife. First Cain felt the need to explain his actions, "Salamanders are delicate," Cain says adjusting his body language.
"Is that why you screamed?" Maria points out, chuckling.
Max looks between them with a big grin, giggling.
"Anyway! Max, what questions do you have today?" Cain says ignoring Maria. But this just makes Max giggle even harder to the point where she had to stop and catch her breath.
Max tends to come up with tons of new questions that her mother could never answer but now Max has someone who can answer most of her questions and that excited. So they began their routine of questions once a day.
Cain who continues to ignore Maria quickens his pace, explains to Max how the oils on human/vampire hands can hurt salamanders, and a lot of salamanders are endangered, resulting in more questions.
Maria calms down from the outburst earlier and stares at this father and daughter kind of pair, feeling slight guilt that she hadn't been able to give Max the learning opportunities she so clearly craved, while also feeling grudging respect for Cain's patience and thoughtfulness when answering Max's questions. Plus, it surprised her that a murdery vampire like Cain would be concerned for the wellbeing of a salamander.
By the end of the second mile, Max was too tired of walking to run around anymore, and Maria was struggling with the weight of her To-Go bag. Cain had offered to carry the bag multiple times, but Maria refused, both because she didn't want to put her and Max's survival in anyone else's hands, but also out of sheer stubbornness and pride. Still, it was getting increasingly tempting with every step, and Max didn't seem to be having a great time either.
The sun seemed to be getting hotter as they walked, and by now both Max and Maria were uncomfortably sweaty. They'd already stopped once to quickly slather on some sunscreen, of which Cain had accepted a small amount, but by now at least half of it had probably sweated off. Cain was the only one who looked vaguely comfortable, but even he was sweating a fair bit, though Maria did have to admit it only accentuated his features.
———
The sound of a truck echoes from behind, putting everyone on a slightly high alert.
Maria glances at Cain, who glances back behind them determining the distances. Then quickly stepping between the road and Maria and Max, letting Maria feel somewhat more secure.
Still, Maria put a hand on Max's shoulder, keeping her close just in case, Max feels the tension too.
Max stays close and on high alert with her mother to make sure the kidnapping never happens again.
Quietly walking, pretending to mind their business the growl of the truck gets closer.
Cain prepares himself, making sure Max and Maria are shielded before turning his attention to his hearing and smell as he focuses on the truck.
Just as the truck is right behind them, the engine throttles down, and the truck pulls over, stopping on the road right beside them.
"Crap, Cain!" Maria hisses, grabbing Max and getting ready to run off into the woods.
"Quiet!" Cain shouts, turning towards the truck in a low fighting stance as the driver's side window rolls down.
An old, weathered granny sticks her head out the window, smiling kindly.
"Y'all need a lift to town?" before she could finish, she was a bit perplexed, probably since a child is growling, behind what she believes is their mother. While a grown man in a fight stance keeps his eye on her. And the poor mother looks as if she'll die for her child.
Still, she gave a kind smile and continued, "S'mighty hot to be walk'in." Trying not to seem uncomfortable with the situation.
Cain glances at Maria, who glances back and then turns to the granny, still not letting Max go.
"No, we're fine!" Maria calls out.
Granny puts her truck in park, leaning even more out the window conversationally, "I see y'all traveling with a child, can I lend you shelter for the night?"
"Oh, thank you we're fine. Our car broke down and we're just trying to get a tow truck," Maria says, trying to signal Cain to 'let's go'.
"Ahhh... yeah, no phone service? Plus it's the weekend," The granny nods her head, "Our neighbor Jerry, hates working on the weekends. He's the town's mechanic, y'all'll have to wait for Monday."
"Really? Is there nowhere else open before then?" Maria says, releasing Max a bit from her grip.
"Not around here. My grandson might know of someone who could help you out. He's back at home. I can drive ya'll there and let you use a phone. I only have a landline, but nothing else works around here anyways." Granny says, raising her arms up in a 'w' shape and scrunching her nose as if to have smelt something bad.
Maria looks at Cain, who tilts his head towards granny, with a look like 'Why not?'
Maria glares at him swiftly before turning her attention to Granny. But the second she was going to open her mouth in refusal, Maria glances down at Max, who is shifting from one foot to the other.
Maria sighs, and closes her eyes for a second.
'Dear God, please do not let this be the choice that gets us killed.'
"Okay. Thank you for your kindness, "
Granny unlocks her door, ushering everyone to hop into the truck.
Cain opens the door and notices a couple of bags of groceries in the bed of the truck. 'Guessing she just came from the store.'
"It was the grace of god, who told me y'all need help." Granny breaks Cain's attention.
Causing Cain to cough at the sudden outburst, while Max's eyes light up, "Really?"
Quickly Cain is the first one to hop into the truck sitting next to granny, and Maria sitting next to Cain smushed to the window, while Max sits on her lap.
Max pulls the door close and rests the To-Go bag on her lap.
"Oh, sweetheart you can put that in the back," Granny says putting her seat belt on.
Maria quickly speaks up, with wide brown eyes like a doe, "oh no that's fine!"
Granny switches gears into drive, "if you say so?"
"Well, It's hard traveling with a child," Granny looks over at the three bunched up.
"Yeah, it can get hard sometimes," Maria says in discomfort, "But it's always entertaining."
"Do you own horses?" Max says, looking Granny up and down.
"Ouch!" Maria pokes Max in the side.
"I do not, since my husband died not too long ago, paying for the funeral cost me my two horses."
"Oh sorry," Max whispers, looking away.
"It's fine, missing him is harder than missing the horses,"
Silence falls again and Maria looks out from the window where wide lands spread far. Knowing how it's pitch black indicating there's nothing for miles.
'We are in the deep country.'
"Ima apologize now but our town don't get," She pauses, "visitors." With a hiss.
Maria and Cain side-eye each other, understanding what she's implying 'racists'
As if reading each other's thoughts, 'we cannot stay long'. Maria squeezes Max a bit tighter.
'She may be kind but that doesn't mean her neighbors are.'
"Lucky for y'all, I was slow cooking a roast big enough to feed 20 people. So eat as much as you want." Granny says switching topics from the tension of the last conversation.