Lucy shrugged. “That’s my father. Often, he and his friends have very firm attitudes in certain circumstances about what they are or are not allowed to do, regardless of whether they’ve actually done something wrong.
“He doesn’t like to be embarrassed. He doesn’t like to be crossed. He expects everyone to give him any available advantage in whatever situation he finds himself. I know you have a job to do and Eugene being here at all breaks the rules, but you should be aware that my father won’t see it that way.”
Cam seemed to ponder her assessment before he said, “Okay. Come on along with us. I don’t want an interstellar incident or for anyone to get fired. I’ll do my best to break it to him gently. Perhaps we can resolve this issue quietly and without further family turmoil.”
Lucy released a breath. She didn’t expect her father to make things easier or handle the coming confrontation quietly, but perhaps she’d be surprised.
“At least the animal didn’t terrorize the town, nor did you have to wrestle it to the ground after chasing it for a mile to get the shackle sticker in place like last time,” Axel said.
Who was she kidding? Sure, her father might not be completely obnoxious about this coming incident. However, she should likely be prepared for it.
Her father didn’t like to be told what do to. And he especially hated being informed by those he considered lesser that he’d done anything wrong. What might he do in retaliation? A crazy thought occurred to Lucy. Would her father be angry enough to call off the wedding? Could she somehow use this situation to her advantage?
Lucy hated to be glad about something like that, and it wasn’t like the moment Axel’s wedding to Francine was called off, she got to have him. It was better if neither of them married Axel than for her to live with her sister married to the man she loved.
Axel drove back to the Big Bang Truck Stop without rushing. It was a good thing the beast could leap into the back of his truck on its own while under the influence of the shackle sticker, because it probably weighed a quarter of a ton.
He and Cam wouldn’t have been able to lift the beast’s tranquillized dead weight. If they hadn’t had the shackle sticker to make it compliant, not to mention Lucy’s assistance, they would have had to call in an elite squad of specialists. That would have generated a whole bunch of paperwork and necessitated a report to Alpha-Prime. This way, things would be much quieter and more controlled. Better.
Perhaps an interstellar incident could be avoided.
Axel’s truck drove like it had a full capacity load. Lucy sat in the center spot of his back seat with the window to the truck bed open. She talked softly to Eugene to ensure he stayed calm. Cam’s shackle sticker likely did the lion’s share of that chore, but Lucy seemed to feel badly about her father’s pet being loose and obviously wanted to help as much as possible. She was sweet that way.
Cam followed Axel’s truck in his pristine SUV with not a single drop of sand-claw beast slobber inside. Axel hoped it would wash out of his truck’s unlined bed. Did sand-claw beast slobber eat through auto paint? He didn’t know.
“Are you okay?” Lucy asked.
Axel startled. He thought she was totally absorbed in Eugene and had forgotten all about him while he obsessed over getting the beast back to the way station without attracting human attention, digested the knowledge of Valene’s secret romance with Wyatt and mentally prepared for the coming confrontation between Cam and Harrison Duvall.
He was living in a circus. “Sure. Why?”
“I’m sorry our book club got interrupted.”
He flashed her a smile, catching her gaze in his rearview mirror. “Me, too. Maybe we can reschedule.”
She nodded and uttered a quiet, “Okay.” It was almost like she had to convince herself it was going to be all right.
“Is it?”
Lucy watched him. He kept looking forward out of the windshield.
“Is what?”
“Is itokay?” He turned his head only briefly, gazing at her perfection in the rearview mirror for a moment before turning back to the road. They both knew what he was talking about.
“It has to be okay. I don’t know what else to do.”
Axel nodded. “Me neither.” There was more left unsaid than spoken aloud, but at least he knew she was in the same place he was, and it made him feel a little better. Their lives were taking a fast path to an unwanted goal that neither of them could stop or slow or change.
“I know you are close to all your siblings. Francine is the only sibling I truly care about. I just… I can’t hurt her. I hope you understand.”
“I do. I don’t have to like it, but I get it. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the exact same thing in your position.”
“Thank you, Axel.”
“For what?”
