Chapter Thirteen
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Lucy watched Axel interact with his aunt and loved him more with each passing moment. This situation was so difficult. But she’d told him she didn’t want Francine to suffer and she meant it. Still, it was harder than she’d anticipated.
She shook off her distress, quietly excused herself and climbed into Axel’s truck while he finished asking his aunt about her limited-edition cup plans. She grabbed Just Die Already and started reading about the exciting adventures of Dirk Crusher.
Lucy had reached the second chapter by the time Axel climbed into the truck and started it up, but didn’t put it in gear.
“That woman is on a collision course with disaster.”
“I like her,” Lucy said.
“I like her, too. But she is seriously living on the edge.”
Lucy giggled. “I hope her limited-edition cup idea raises lots of money for her old folks’ home.” Whatever that is.
“That old folks’ home is likely the richest entity in the state of Arkansas, heckfire, maybe even richer than any business in all of the fifty states. But she keeps funneling her efforts there.”
“Does she live there?”
“Not yet. Or if she does, it’s only part-time because she wants to. Aunt Dixie has her own house down the street from my brother Cam’s old place in town.”
“Seems like fundraising for it makes her happy.”
“Being contrary makes her happy,” Axel muttered, but Lucy didn’t miss the affection in his tone.
“Where to now?”
Axel stopped, turned his head as if just noticing she was in the cab with him. A slow smile shaped his lovely mouth. “Where would you like to go, Lucy?”
Several places popped into her head, including the swimming hole. “Driver’s choice,” she said, then added, “As long as it’s a public place or where other people will be because I don’t trust myself alone with you for too long.”
He turned away and stared out the front window. “You and me both.”
“Your sister and Francine are probably still at the bridal place trying on dresses. I won’t be missed for another hour or so at least.”
“I don’t think we should go to the swimming hole.”
“No. Not a good idea. But maybe there is another pretty place with water and trees to look at.”
Axel nodded. “I know a place.”
“Where?”
“One of my brothers has a cabin on a lake. It’s really pretty there. In fact, do you remember a girl named Ria from Alpha-Prime?”
Lucy perked up. “Do you mean Alexandria Latham Borne? I heard she’d made Alienn her home.”
“Yeah, except now it’s Ria Grey. She married my brother.”
“I do remember her. She came to a few parties at our home. She’s very nice. She used to be rather daring. Is she still? My mother didn’t approve of her, of course, which made me like her all the more.”
“My understanding is that she’s still daring, but she’s also a good sister-in-law. How come your mother didn’t approve of her?”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “It was probably Ria’s mother who bothered her. She was pretty transparent about seeking a rich husband for her daughter after her husband died and left them in rather dire financial circumstances. My mother was rather mean about it, calling Ria’s mother a rank rambler. I thought Ria was fun.”
“Want to go visit her?”
“What if she’s not at home?”
Axel shrugged. “The view from where she and Cam are fixing up a cabin on the lake is worth seeing even if they aren’t there.”
“That would be nice.” Is it too dangerous to look at water and trees with the man I’m in love with? The one I can’t ever have? After thinking about it for only a second, Lucy made a decision. I’ll chance it. “Let’s go.”
Axel drove with a purpose, looking straight ahead through the truck’s windshield. Lucy watched the interesting terrain as they once again traveled to another scenic locale. It wasn’t a public place, but if Ria was there, at least they wouldn’t be alone. And if she wasn’t at home, well, then they’d both just have to be strong.
The gate to his brother’s lakeside property was unlocked and open. “Somebody must be up there,” Axel said.
Lucy was both disappointed and relieved that others were at the lake.
“It could be a stray workman instead of Ria. They are having quite a bit of work done on the cabin.”
“I’m sure the view is lovely regardless of who is there.”
He smiled, but didn’t look in her direction.
He parked his truck next to a large Earther vehicle, but all Lucy had eyes for was the lake. She didn’t look away until Axel came around the truck and opened her door.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“I know, right? Cam and Ria love it out here.”
“I would, too.”
Axel put his hand flat on her back and urged her toward the water’s edge, where a long wooden sidewalk had been built out over the water.
She pointed to it. “What’s that called?”
“The dock?”
“Yes. The dock. I love it.”
“Want to walk on it?”
“Can we really?”
He took her hand and led her halfway out. She was well away from shore, but standing over a vast watery view. She stopped in her tracks to take in the beauty of it all. Like at the swimming hole, she breathed in the scents around her. It was mostly Axel, but the breeze carried other unusual pungent scents, not unappealing.
Lucy watched a fish flip out of the water and make a splash. She pointed, laughing at the display.
“See across the lake there, where the trees open into that clear patch on the hill over there?”
“Yes.” The place he pointed to was directly opposite the house behind them, but a bit higher up the hill across the lake’s expanse.
“The plot of land there just came up for sale.”
“Oh?”
“I’d been thinking about buying it.”
Lucy smothered a whimper. If she ruled the galaxy, she’d insist he buy the beautiful property. They could make it their new home after she was kicked out of her family for disrupting the wedding ceremony of the second-born children. If only Francine weren’t the sister who would suffer.
“I guess that’s not possible now.”
“Why? Do you think your sister would hate it?”
Lucy shrugged. “She would probably like it, but what’s the point if you won’t be living in Alienn?”
“I won’t? Why not?”
She squinted. Didn’t he know about the property back on Alpha-Prime? The premium home he’d be given beneath the sphere in the best area their home planet had to offer?
Lucy didn’t want to spoil their time together. She shouldn’t have spoken at all. “I guess I thought you’d be moving to Alpha-Prime.”
“Oh no. We’ll stay here. My job is here. My family is here.” He turned toward her. “My wife will also be staying here.”
That’s what you think. Wait until you see the rich, spacious place they offer you back on Alpha-Prime.
The tender look of longing he gave her almost made her speak her mind. Almost.
Lucy swallowed hard, inhaled deeply and exhaled without saying a word. If he didn’t know about the offer of a home on Alpha-Prime, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. He didn’t need any further encouragement to marry Francine.
She stuffed that truth on a back burner and did her best to pretend they were simply two friends out and about, talking about mere possibilities not concrete plans. Glancing his way, she wished for about the thousandth time that their situation was different.
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
She’d forgotten the question.
He gestured to the land across the lake.
“Oh, right. The property.” She took a deep breath, smiled and said, “Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live here?”
<^> <^> <^>
Two weeks before the wedding
Axel eagerly waited for Lucy at the Cosmos Café. He’d only seen her in passing a couple of times this past week and always in the company of Valene or Francine or both as the wedding plans marched forward like a hard deadline his heart and soul couldn’t deflect.
His sister regularly commandeered his truck for her wedding machinations. He never knew from one day to the next what vehicle he’d be driving, his quad-cab truck or Valene’s two-seater sports car. Valene’s car was fun to drive, but he barely fit in it even with the driver’s seat shoved all the way back, sometimes steering with his knees because he could.
The other day, Lucy had mentioned finishing the Dirk Crusher book and suggested they have their “book club” so she could return his book to him. They’d set up this meet while shouting across a ten-foot space in the basement. He’d been on his way to his office and Valene and Lucy were headed to downtown Alienn for dress fittings or something else wedding related.
The bell over the café door sounded, but it was only a guy dressed like a trucker. Probably was a trucker. It was, after all, a truck stop. He should settle down. He took a quick sip of sweet tea, letting the tasty sugar rush bring a smile. Almost as good as Dr Pepper. Almost.
The bell above the café door pealed once more. He straightened to attention in his seat as a fresh-faced Lucy entered and waved at him. He waved back.
When she arrived at his table it occurred to him that she didn’t have access to a vehicle. “Did you have to walk? I’m sorry. I should have offered to pick you up. It’s getting dark.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t have to walk.” She grinned. “Valene dropped me off on her way somewhere else after we got done with today’s dress fitting.”
“Good. How’s that going?”
She shrugged. “Fine. I do love my dress. Valene and Francine adore it.”
Lucy seated herself across from him in the booth and he pointed to the glass in front of her. “I ordered you a sweet tea, but if you want something else, let me know.”
“No. Sweet tea is perfect.” She took the little bit of paper off the top of the straw, leaned forward and sucked down a deep gulp. “Umm. So good,” she said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” If he could have done exactly what he wanted, he would have simply stared at her like a goofy man in love for the entire time they were together. Since he was attempting to be friends, making the best out of a difficult situation, he said, “Tell me. What did you think of the book?”
“I loved it.”
“Name the top three favorite things you loved.”
“That Dirk Crusher is so cool all the time. And I loved the twisty story. Oh, and I also loved the surprise ending so much.”
They spent several enthusiastic minutes talking about what they liked and their favorite parts and the overall awesomeness that encompassed the book, Just Die Already.
“I can’t wait to read the rest of the Dirk Crusher books. I hope I have time in the next couple weeks.”
Axel picked up a plastic shopping bag from the seat next to him and handed it to her. “Here are the other five books in the series. I brought them just in case.”
She took the bag, her eyes bright until a pensive expression shaped her lovely features. “I read pretty fast, but I hope I can finish them all before—” Her eyes widened as if afraid to say it. The wedding. Ugh.
Two more weeks of torture before life as he knew it ended.
He nodded, eyes closing for a moment, trying to convey his understanding. She didn’t have to say what they both knew was true. “If not, you can keep them. I also have hardback copies of all the titles.”
“Good. Thanks. Then perhaps before…um…you know, we could have one last official meeting to discuss them all. Or at least all that I can read in the next couple of weeks.”
“I’d love that. It’s great to finally discover someone who is as passionate about Dirk Crusher books as I am.”
She nodded and he couldn’t help but notice that her eyes seemed shiny with unshed tears. Time to change the subject.
Before Axel could think of something non-wedding-related to discuss, the bell on the café door sounded. Axel automatically looked up to see who it was. Skeeter Bite’s sheriff, Wyatt Campbell, nodded at him and tipped his chin, signaling he needed a quiet word outside the café.
“Excuse me for a second, okay?”
“Sure.”
Wyatt was waiting for him on the small outside patio. The air was still warm as the sun eased down the horizon to make way for twilight.
“What’s up, Wyatt?”
“I hate to interrupt your date, but I have something important that you need to see.” Now what?
“What is it?”
“It would be much easier to show you than tell you.” Wyatt looked over his shoulder at the quiet parking lot and then around at the other customers inside the Cosmos Café as if searching for trouble. Apparently not finding any, he turned back to Axel with an expectant look.
Axel said, “Okay. Should we call Cam or Diesel?”
Wyatt looked panicked for an instant, then his expression settled down. “No. I’d like to ask your opinion before we call the cavalry in, okay?”
“Sure, Wyatt.” Axel looked inside the café and wished he didn’t have to cut short his date.
“Is that your bride-to-be?” Wyatt asked.
Axel was momentarily surprised. Wyatt was a human. Axel didn’t think it was common knowledge that he was getting married. Perhaps all the visits to wedding places in downtown Alienn had spread the word. Alienn might have aliens hiding in plain sight, but it was also a southern town and gossip was as common as ragweed during allergy season.
“No. Actually, it’s my bride-to-be’s sister. She read the latest Dirk Crusher book and we were having a little unofficial book club meeting to discuss it.”
Wyatt grinned. “I love Dirk Crusher books.”
“You don’t say.” Axel looked through the window and Lucy waved.
“Maybe I can join your book club.”
“Maybe.” No, not a good idea.
“You could bring her along if you want. She can just stay in your vehicle when we go look at, you know, the thing I need to show you.”
“Right. Okay. Where are we headed?”
“The bauxite pit’s lovers’ lane near the first clearing on the road.”
Oh no. This might be a bad idea.
“If you want, I’ll lead you there. Just follow my patrol car. It’s on the northwest end of the pit along the main road.”
“It? Wyatt, is this dangerous?” He glanced back into the café where Lucy sat patiently waiting for him to return.
His friend registered a look Axel couldn’t identify. “Not right now.” He glanced at his watch. “But there is an unknown time limit in place.”
Intriguing.
“I see. Well, let me get Lucy and we’ll follow you out there.”
Wyatt nodded and headed quickly for his official Skeeter Bite sheriff’s vehicle.
Axel went back inside and threw some bills on the table to cover their sweet tea. He unceremoniously took Lucy’s hand and guided her out to his truck. She clutched the bag of Dirk Crusher books like it was a precious commodity.
He briefly explained what they were doing.
“What do you think it is?”
“I’m not sure. But I want you to keep in mind that while Wyatt is a very good friend, he’s also a human.” He pointed to the glove box. “Open that for me please.”
Lucy pulled the release and a small light came on inside the small space.
“Do you know what a Defender is?”
“Yes.”
“Is there one in there?”
She lifted the truck’s owner’s manual to peek under it and said, “Yes.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Do you think you’ll have to shoot him with the Defender?” Lucy seemed intrigued more than frightened.
“I hope not, but better safe than sorry. And if he asks you where you’re from, tell him you’re from out of town.”
“Out of town. Got it.” She looked out the front windshield at the taillights of the sheriff’s car as it wound its way along the dirt road. The trees on either side of the road shut out the last light of the setting sun and it was dark as night.
“I wonder why he would call you instead of the Fearless Leader.”
“I’m sort of wondering that, too. And also, how he knew where I was.”