Axel nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got bets on whether this is some sort of elderly Thelma and Louise sort of adventure or if they just went down to Tunica to gamble. If you want in the pot, you have to cough up ten bucks.”
Cam shook his head. “No, thanks.” He declined to gamble on Aunt Dixie’s crazy antics, although it wasn’t really like her to take sudden trips. Then again, she had wacky ideas. Maybe this was some new fundraising scheme.
If there was a dollar to be made for the old folks’ home in town, she’d be the first one in line to make it happen, even if she had to leave town to do it.
Cam had bigger fish to fry, keeping Ria out of trouble for the rest of her stay. He’d essentially traded a wild and crazy aunt for a wild and wonderful temporary girlfriend.
“Okay. I guess that’s good news. Aunt Dixie out of town, making trouble far away instead of locally will be a nice break. Thank you, but why do I need to know this?”
“You live the closest to her.”
“So what? That doesn’t make her my responsibility.”
“Oh, yes, it does. She’s everyone’s responsibility, Cam. To that end, that’s why I’m even here in Doraydo at the mall that is the only place on planet Earth that sells the super important, very special fish food she buys.”
Axel held out a sack Cam hadn’t noticed. “Here. Take this.”
“I don’t want it.” Cam wrinkled his nose and put his hands up like in an old-time movie bank robbery. The alternative was to slap the sack out of Axel’s hand.
Axel pushed out a long breath. “If you’re taking the next several days off, I’ll have to cover for you at the truck stop.”
“So?”
“So, you live closest to her place. You can stop by her house and feed her fish while she’s gone. It won’t take long.”
Cam crossed his arms and gave his brother his fiercest look. “First of all, the definition of me ‘living closest’ can be measured in yards, not miles. All of us are closest to her. Second, what if I don’t plan to stay in the area? What if we are going camping at Petit Jean Mountain this week?”
“Areyou doing that?”
A glance at Ria told him she wasn’t opposed to camping, if her wide grin was any indication. It was onhisto-do list of things he wanted to do with her this coming week. She had her list, he figured it was only right he had his.
Cam nodded. “I can certainly make the arrangements very quickly.”
Axel rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll put a timer feeder in the tank.”
“Great. You do that.”
Axel grinned. “I’d planned to anyway. I just wanted to see if I could get you to tell me your plans for the week. And you did, so that means I win. Now that I’ve foiled the intense secrecy of your plans, I’m happier than a butcher’s dog.”
“Well,” Cam said in a sarcastic tone, “you do know how important your happiness is to me, but if you bother me again, I’ll make sure you’re as happy as the butcher’shog.”
“That’s okay. My work here is done.” Axel backed away a few steps and waved. “You two have fun now.” He turned and walked away, but Cam stared until he was out of sight.
The moment his brother was out of earshot, Ria leaned close and asked, “Where is this Petit Jean Mountain place and do we really get to go camping? Is there a big lake? Can we get a boat and paddle around on the water?”
Cam winked at her. “We could do all those things there, but I have a better place in mind and it’s much closer.”
“Where?”
“Not too far from my house. I can take you whenever you want.”
“Camping?”
He shrugged. “Let me guess—camping is something else on your bucket list.”
“Not yet, but I can certainly add it.”
Cam was also happier than a butcher’s dog, but for a different reason. He was delighted she knew what camping was and was eager to try it. A similar activity on Alpha-Prime was called traveling.
