Fudge On the Road

Chapter 18: Family Feud

I didn't know what I'd been expecting from Mater's childhood home, but the huge, fancy mansion that stretched out in front of us was just about the last thing I expected to see.

"Whoa..." I murmured.

Then I felt kind of guilty for my surprise. Just because Mater was unsophisticated didn't mean he couldn't have grown up in a mansion. Well, no, I countered my own thoughts. Mater was so down-to-earth and I'd known him all my life and had no idea. (Just when I was recovering from the shock about his secret sister, too.) I decided to give myself a break.

Clearly, Lightning was just as shocked as I was because he exclaimed, "Holy mansion!", just as Mater backfired again.

"Well, let's get this over with", Mater announced, rolling through the entrance and into the vast, green garden in front of the mansion.

"Wow!" I cried, twirling around, having no idea where to look. "This place is amazing!"

"You grew up here?!" Lightning questioned incredulously.

"Yep", Mater confirmed. "It's funny, though. When you go back to your old house, it always looks so much smaller than you remember it."

"You mean, it used to look bigger?!" I laughed in disbelief, following the guys over to the drinks table.

"Huh! This is not what I expected", Lightning commented.

Eyeing the drinks table, I didn't see anything other than oil or champagne, neither of which I could or wanted to drink. Thankfully, I still had some water in my bag, so I took it out and took a sip.

"Hey!" a voice shouted abruptly. "Do you have an invitation?"

I was so startled, I actually did a spit take. Very elegant, Fudge! I scolded myself. At least nothing went over anybody.

It wasn't so much what the person said that had me so shocked, but rather who said it.

"Mr. McQueen!" the voice added excitedly. "Fudge, you made it!"

"Cruz!" Lightning and I exclaimed in unison as she rolled over and gave me a hug.

I returned the gesture. "It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise!" she giggled. "And you too, Mr. McQueen!"

"You don't have to call me Mr. McQueen", Lightning informed her for about the billionth time. "We're both racers now."

"Okay, Lightning", Cruz chuckled. "No, I'm sorry", she added quickly. "That just sounds weird."

I giggled.

"What are you doing here?" Lightning wanted to know.

"Oh, it's my cousin Mateo's wedding", Cruz explained. "He's getting hitched to some eccentric socialite." She said those last few words in a posh voice.

I had known that Cruz's cousin was getting married. And I knew that Mater's sister was getting married. But it never occurred to me that they were marrying each other! What are the odds?! I wondered, but I was smart enough not to say that. I just smiled and pretended I knew that all along. At least now, I didn't have to feel like a rotten friend for blowing Cruz off. She never even had to know.

"For your information, that eccentric satellite is my sister!" Mater informed her.

"Mater!" Cruz exclaimed, amazed. "That practically makes us family!"

"I'm gonna be Mater Ramirez!" the tow truck shouted.

"I... don't think it-" Cruz started to correct him shrilly.