Francine smiled and gave Axel a friendly little finger wave, which he returned, then followed Lucy into the dressing room.
“You’ll have to take Lucy with you,” Valene said.
“What?” Axel didn’t think he heard that right. “Why?”
“Because my car is a two-seater. So, you take Lucy with you. Francine and I will go back in my car when we find a dress she likes. You can bring Lucy back to the basement after you deliver whatever is so vitally important that you had to barge in here.”
“I didn’t barge in.”
“Says you.”
Axel looked at his baby sister. She was a feisty, fearsome female most days, and he loved her dearly. She gave him an odd look as if wondering why he balked at spending time alone with Lucy. There was no way he was explaining to her that Lucy was his true love.
“Okay. Fine. Lucy can come with me.” Axel vowed to behave even after seeing Lucy in the beautiful, lacy dress. He was marrying Francine. He’d just have to repeat that over and over while in Lucy’s delicious company.
He’d promised his parents he wouldn’t say or do anything to thwart the wedding or embarrass them with the Duvall family. He’d made a promise to Lucy, too, because she had been so adamant that her sister was not to suffer in any way. This trip together alone would test him, but he was ready. He would be strong. Axel and Lucy could be friends. They wouldhaveto be friends.Justfriends. Today he could practice.
Lucy left the dressing room wearing clothing similar to the first time he’d seen her and every friendly thought went out of his head, replaced by memories of the feel of her lips moving under his.
He squeezed his fists and released them, put a smile on his face and held his arm out for his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“Ready to go?”
She looped her arm through his. “I guess so.”
“Are you okay?” She seemed a bit tipsy.
“We had some little, tiny sandwiches called fingers and, oh, also some champagne,” Lucy said. Axel looked over her head at his sister, who pointed at Lucy, held up four fingers and smiled.
Lucy had to fortify herself with champagne? Hesounderstood that.
Axel led Lucy out to his truck, put her in the passenger seat, buckled her seat belt for her and hopped into the driver’s side. Lucy didn’t say anything or look at him.
He drove out of town toward the Big Bang Truck Stop’s warehouse property.
“Where are we going?” Lucy asked as they passed the Alienn, Arkansas city limits sign asking folks to, “Please come back again for all your alien needs.”
“The truck stop’s warehouse. I have to pick up several boxes for a special order and deliver them to Old Coot.”
“Old Coot?” She looked at him, confusion slanting her brows.
“It’s a nearby town.”
“Oh.” She turned back to stare out the front windshield and didn’t say anything for a couple of miles. She then cleared her throat. “Thanks for catching me when I fell back at the wedding dress store.”
“Of course. We’re going to be family. I can’t let my future sister-in-law bonk her head on the floor.”
The low laugh that came from her sounded a shade acerbic, but he ignored it. They were both doing the best they could under the circumstances.
The warehouse manager helped load a dozen boxes in Axel’s truck bed. Lucy helped, too, handing the heavy boxes up to him as he stacked them. He tied them down so the boxes wouldn’t fly out and away as they drove to Old Coot.
Silently, Lucy watched the scenery pass by the windows. Axel wondered what it looked like through her eyes. He hadn’t ever thought much about it. He loved living in Arkansas, but took the scenery for granted.
He’d visited Alpha-Prime a few times with his family, but was always happy to come back home to Arkansas.
It occurred to him that Lucy would return to Alpha-Prime after the wedding. Maybe she’d come back to visit Francine. More likely, she’d never come here again to eliminate the pain of seeing him. A miserable prospect, but a logical one.
Axel would do his best to enjoy her company for as long as she was on Earth.
