The only good news was a request had come for help with Earther connections. His mother had volunteered Valene, which meant he had a spy in the bridal camp. He could ask his little sister questions his mother might not want to answer. Like,Does Lucy still love me?
He hadn’t told Valene anything since he’d promised Lucy he wouldn’t. He hoped to use careful questions to glean the heart of what he wanted to know. Was Lucy sad? Was she miserable? Was she clicking her heels in joy to be rid of him?
The Celestial Barbeque Shack was crowded, but he spotted his sister near the back and headed in that direction.
“Hey, little sis,” he called out before realizing she wasn’t alone.
He stopped mid-step. Lucy gave him an unsettled look. Apparently, the girl he loved hadn’t expected to see him at this meeting either.
The undercurrents apparently went right around Valene. “Hey, Axel. Pull up a chair. You’re right on time, amazingly enough.”
Axel calmed enough to start moving again, stop staring at Lucy, pull a chair out and sit down next to his sister and across from the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.
“How long have you two been here?” he asked, doing his best to calm his racing heart.
“Not long,” Lucy said. She lifted her drink to sip from her straw. “Just long enough to get some sweet tea. It’s really good.”
Axel smiled at her awe of something as simple as sweet tea.
The waitress stopped by to refill their glasses and he ordered his own glass of sweet tea. He tried to keep his focus on his sister, but knew his gaze traveled over to Lucy a few times as Valene asked for his input about a wedding he didn’t want to participate in.
“Whatever you think, Valene. I’m just the groom. I don’t know about girly stuff.”
“Girly stuff?” Valene punched him in the arm. “Don’t be like that or I’ll have you in a neon pink tux with a purple ruffled shirt before you can say sweet suffering succotash.”
“You would try, but you would not succeed.” Axel reached out quickly and tugged on a strand of Valene’s hair. She swatted at him, missed, and punched his upper arm again. Valene was feisty.
She grinned. “All I’d have to do is tell Mom. She can get you to do anything.”
He pushed out a sigh. His sister was correct. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
Valene pointed in the air. “Picture that you are waiting on your bride-to-be to sashay down the aisle. What colors do you see?”
Black. Doom and gloom.“Um…light tones, I guess.” He looked at Lucy and the red strands in her hair and her lovely light green eyes. “Maybe some red flowers. Roses, I guess, with greenery around them.” He perked up. “Maybe we could walk under an arch with flowers on it?”
“Maybe,” Valene said, making notes in her little pink book. “What else do you see?”
Axel stared at Lucy. Her mouth opened slightly and he couldn’t take his gaze from her. “I see a beautiful bride, dressed in white with lots of lace, outside in the field behind the truck stop.”
“Outdoors?” Valene said. “That would be okay if the weather is good. Otherwise we’ll have to make room in the middle of the basement area. But it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll have that as a backup plan.”
“Also, I must have Dr Pepper and M&M’s at the reception.”
Lucy perked up at the mention of the treats they’d shared on their special date at the swimming hole.
“You and your Dr Pepper and M&M’s. One of these days you’re going to turn into a Dr Pepper and an M&M.”
“I can think of worse things.”Like marrying someone nice that I don’t love.“Besides, Mom has threatened me with that for years. Hasn’t happened yet.”
“What do you think Francine will like, Lucy?”
Lucy watched him with an odd smile on her lovely face. Was she remembering their time at the swimming hole, drinking Dr Pepper and eating M&M’s? As soon as Valene said her name, she startled and straightened in her seat.
“Oh! I’m sure she’d like the red flowers, greenery and walking through an archway. But I’ll ask her to be sure.”
“Okay. Tomorrow we’ll go pick out the wedding dress. Axel, you can’t come.”
Axel pretended to be totally put out about not being welcome on the shopping trip for wedding dresses.
