Everything Is Blue

Chapter 29

He should not have come. He should not have come. Bud Flud knew that much. He didn't belong here. Wasn't meant to be here. He wouldn't fit in. As always, he would be an outcast.

It's just how it went in his life. Never belonging. Always being tossed aside or disregarded.

They arrived in Alaska fairly early in the morning. Kimbra handled the trip well, gushing over the chilly air and pointing out every small thing to Bud. He, on the other hand, felt jet-lagged. He hadn't slept at all and assumed he wouldn't until tonight. Not with the way Kimbra described her family.

A half hour car ride to the train station offered better views of Alaska. As much as he hated the cold, Bud had to admit that the state was pretty. He had never seen mountains like the ones here before. The white giants towered over the landscape in all their glory.

If only it wasn't so damn cold.

Things went smoothly as they boarded the train, making their way through the passenger cars and eventually to their seats.

"The train ride is three hours," Kimbra sat by the window gleefully. "And then we'll be at Glacier Hills. Papa is meeting us there, since it's just a twenty-minute car ride to Brittleburg."

"Why can't we just go by car all the way to Brittlesburg?"

"You can't get to Brittlesburg by car, duh."

Bud leaned over towards her. "I'm not even going to ask or else you'll spend the rest of the train ride explaining it," he muttered, brushing his lips against her cheek.

She mumbled a few words as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. The Samoyed almost scolded him, but didn't.

"Are you okay?" Kimbra tilted her head, noting Bud's worried expression once he sat back in his seat.

A sheepish smile made its way onto his face. "I'm a little nervous about meeting your dad."

"He's a softie, he isn't going to hurt you," she let out a soft snort. "Al might, but not papa."

"That's very reassuring." The salesman looked unconvinced.

Kimbra did not know what else to say. She didn't know how to reassure the man that her father was really soft-hearted. Never hurt a fly. "I hoped it would be."

Bud made a little grumble, but didn't say anything else.

She observed him for a moment before asking, "why are you nervous about meeting my dad?"

"Kimbra, your dad is the L.R Wulfe."

"He would rather be called Loren. He retired from writing." Kimbra commented before placing her hand in Bud's, holding it while tracing the back of his hand. "And again, he's a softie. Not intimidating at all."

"It's still ridiculous, he threw everything away and left the series on a cliffhanger."

She let go of his hand and dropped hers in her lap with a small huff. "Well, as I said before, he had good reasons."

Kimbra wanted to change the subject away from her father. "Do you want a quick rundown on my brothers?"

"Why?"

"To be prepared."

He grunted in what could have been agreement. So, Kimbra went ahead and took out a small booklet of photos. She pulled out a photo of a large Samoyed, a male with a beard and rose tattoo sleeves. He held up a hockey stick and was smiling.

"Al is the oldest," she tapped on the photo. "He's a professional hockey player."

He's huge. Literally, she wasn't kidding that he could hurt me.