Chapter 8 #2
Liam got off his phone just as Felix and the kids came into view.
Man, Sway could easily be Felix’s daughter, but the boy, Axle, had were written all over him.
What kind was an entirely different question.
Liam rolled down the window as the kid ran up to the Jeep, his eyes wide. He didn’t quite move like a wolf—
“Whoa, is this really yours?”
“Yeah.” Liam grinned. “You like cars?” The kid nodded, and Liam’s grin got bigger. “Then hop in, but for the record, you really probably should wait for Felix or your grandparents to say it’s okay before you just climb into some dude’s ride.”
The kid rolled his eyes. “Duh. Especially if it’s a van and they have puppies or candy. My uncle already told us you were his friend, and he’s right there,” he said, pointing.
“Get in the Jeep,” Felix yelled across the parking lot.
“See?” Axle said, running around to the passenger side. The kid’s eyes got even bigger when he opened the door. They flicked to Liam’s. “Can I sit in the front?”
“No, you cannot sit in the front,” Felix grumbled, coming up behind him. “You and Sway, in the back. Consider yourselves lucky I don’t hogtie you to the bumper.”
The two climbed in, and Felix got in after them. Liam waited until they were all buckled, then headed to the impound lot.
“You hear anything back?” Felix asked.
“Yeah, my mom’s over the moon about watching them tomorrow, but she’s got a bake sale thing tonight, and Kelsey can’t do it either.”
“Shit.”
“Language,” Sway yelled at Felix.
“Volume,” he shot back.
She giggled, and Liam swallowed his smile at Felix fighting to do the same. “So, I was thinking,” Liam said. “I could hang out with them while you do what you need to, I mean, if you want.”
“You can?” Felix glanced at him askance like he was questioning Liam’s sanity.
“Yeah.” He looked in the rearview, and both kids had the exact same expression on their faces. “I’d really like to, actually. I miss…things.” And hanging out with his kids was at the top of the list. It wouldn’t be the same, but he was pretty sure it would be fun.
“Well, I’m certainly not going to talk you out of it, as long as the two of them don’t mind…did I mention I’ll get pizza?” he asked, overtly trying to sell it.
“With pepperoni?” Axle asked.
“Extra pepperoni.”
“Can we watch The Pretty, Pretty Princess Show?”
Felix cocked a brow. “Does Gran let you watch The Pretty, Pretty Princess Show?”
Sway shrugged. “Sometimes, but she says it makes her teeth hurt and her eyes go funny.”
“Then you can watch The Pretty, Pretty Princess Show with Liam.”
“Gee, thanks.” He vaguely remembered the crappy anime cartoon had a lot of squealing and flashing lights. His daughter Sarah had loved it at that age, too.
Right before he’d left.
Liam scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out a breath.
“You sure about this?” Felix asked, his brows furrowed. “You do know there’s one more, right?”
“Cruze, yeah.” She’d be the same age as Sarah, maybe a little younger. “Does she like pizza, too?” he asked, looking in the rearview.
“No, she likes sa-lad,” Sway said, drawing out the word into disdainful syllables. “The gross kind with fish sauce and weird cheese.”
“Then I’ll get her a Caesar along with your pizza.
I should probably order that now. Delivery takes forever to get to my parents.
You’d think Pizza Palace was in Fayet instead at the corner of Main,” Felix murmured, pulling out his phone.
He ran his thumb over the side of the case and glanced at Liam with a little smile. “Thank you again.”
“Yeah, no problem, and I’d make that at least two larges, maybe three. I’d bet good money Axle can eat one himself.” Liam definitely could at that age.
“I can,” the kid piped up from the back.
“Okay. Three large pizzas, heavy on the pepperoni, and a Caesar salad. Anything else?”
Liam shook his head and pulled into the impound lot. “Sounds good to me.”
Jerry had moved what Liam assumed was Felix’s car to the side of the shack. To say the vehicle was beleaguered would’ve been kind. Liam laughed.
“You really drive around in that?” After all the shit Felix had given him about his Jeep—
Felix shot him a wicked side-eye. “Zip it, Montgomery.”
“Hey!” Axle said. “This isn’t the shop. This is car jail.”
Sway pressed her snotty nose to the window. “Why did your car get arrested?”
“It knocked over a toddler,” Felix said, already halfway out the door. “So, meet you back at the house?”
“Actually, I’ve gotta go in for a minute. You guys like dogs?”
Felix paled. “There’s dogs? Like, big dogs?”
Shit. He’d forgotten Felix wasn’t a fan. “Um, yeah. Three Rotties. I think you have to sign something, but Jerry will probably let me bring that out for you, if you’d rather stay here?”
“That’s probably for the best,” Felix said, climbing back in.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you, Uncle Felix.” Sway leaned between the seats and patted his shoulder.
Axle bolted out of the Jeep before Felix could shut the door. “Three Rottweilers? Like real junkyard dogs?”
“I guess we’ll be right back.” Liam got out of the car and grabbed Axle by his collar before he disappeared into the lot. “They’re inside and not nearly as impressive as you think they are.”
The kid shrugged. “I don’t care. I love dogs. We had one once, but my mom had to give him away when we moved, and Gran and Gramps won’t let us get any pets.”
“Then you’re in for a treat tomorrow night,” Liam said. “My dad breeds wolfhounds. If you behave yourself while you’re over there, he might take you out to see the newest litter. Hey.” He stopped and made Axle look at him. “You ask Jerry if it’s okay to pet them first, all right?”
The kid nodded, and Liam held the door open for him. They went inside and like before, the dogs looked up, but this time they followed Axle across the room like their heads were on swivels. Huh.
“Liam.” Jerry nodded as they stepped up to the desk, Axle’s chin just clearing it. “Well, hey there, little man. What’s the good news?”
“Can I pet your dogs?” he asked, his big brown eyes pleading.
Jerry chuckled. “Sure can, just mind Buck’s ears. He’s the one with the brown splotch on his nose. He don’t like them messed with.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
Liam’s brow quirked as the kid scampered off. Despite Felix’s warning, Axle didn’t seem like a burgeoning psychopath. Maybe Felix was just being dramatic. Liam turned back to Jerry.
“I’m assuming that’s not the friend you mentioned earlier,” the older man chuckled.
“Ah, no, Axle is Felix’s nephew. He’s out in the Jeep. Does he need to sign anything?”
“Yeah, but if you want to do it for him, I won’t tell. Here’s the receipt and all the legal nonsense. I need initials here, here, and a signature right here.” Liam scribbled his own name on the dotted line. “Thank you kindly, and this here’s all the paperwork for the Bel Air.”
Liam took it with a long exhale. “I still can’t believe you’re serious about this.”
“I am, and let me tell you, I haven’t felt this good about something in quite a while. You just let me know when you want me to haul her out.”
“I will. My dad thinks he might have something, but I have to check the dimensions and it’ll need cleaning.” Along with a heavy purge. Liam was pretty positive the prefab garage his dad had mentioned had his mother’s craft supplies and the remnants of a float from when Kelsey was in Scouts.
“No rush.” Jerry glanced over at Axle and then did a double take. “Well, I’ll be. You don’t see that every day. I can’t even get them to do that.”
Axle crouched in front of the dogs. They’d lined up in front of him, hip to hip, rapt as the kid spoke softly to them.
“You ready, Axle?” Liam asked, tapping the paperwork against his palm.
The kid finished whatever he was saying, and the dogs huffed as he stood. “Yeah. Can we stay longer next time?” One of the Rottweilers whined, pawing at the ground.
Liam exchanged a glance with Jerry, and the old man nodded. “Sure. I have to come back and help Jerry load up a car. If it’s okay with your uncle, you can hang out in here while I do.”
“That would be awesome.” The smile on the kid’s face about lit the room.
Damn. No way had Felix been serious. Axle was sweet as pie, and whatever kind of were he was, there was no question it was of the canine persuasion.
But maybe that’s why he’d been acting out.
Little weres needed to run around more than other kids.
Otherwise, all that pent up energy came out in less-than-ideal ways.
Growing up with a bunch of witches was probably akin to torture, no matter how well meaning they might be.
Liam was gonna have to talk to Felix, for the kid’s sake. “Cool,” he said, holding out a hand. “You ready, then?”
Axle took it without a second thought, and something in Liam’s chest tightened. Before he turned into a blubbering mess, he nodded to Jerry and led the kid outside.