Chapter 3: Suprise Visitor.

That night back home, Sally was sitting on the double bed, with a finger in her mouth, biting her nail and with one leg crossed over the other, which made her tremble with nerves.

Lightning walked around another room in the house a couple of times, with Lance in his arms, patting him on the back because had finished giving him the bottle of milk, the child was about to fall asleep, and it was late.

He and Sally didn't talk except to greet each other when they met on the way home, he noticed that she was very quiet, that was unusual for her, she was even distracted from her paperwork at work which she usually reviewed lying down or on the couch in the living room with the television on just to make noise.

But now...

None of that happened.

McQueen returned to the room to put the baby in the crib, after doing so, he covered him with his little red blanket, finally he left a goodnight kiss on his cheek.

He removed from his shoulder a cloth that he used for the comfort of the baby and for himself, since when he patted his back to remove the gas from his stomach, he could throw up the milk in a reflux, which was not very pleasant, especially because of the sour smell. But this time it was clean.

His gaze fixed on Sally when he finished taking care of Lance, the woman did not seem to be in this world. So, he better spoke to her.

-Sal? - He called her, but there was no immediate response. -¿Sal, are you okay? - He approached the other side of the bed, behind her, touching her shoulder.

-Oh! - She jumped, returning her mind to planet Earth.

-Sorry, Sal, for the scare... It's just that you didn't answer me, you didn't say a word to me on the way home, you didn't even say goodnight to our son. I notice you're very nervous. What's wrong? Any problems at work? - It seemed like a serious matter to him.

-No, Stickers, don't apologize, it's just... Yeah, too much work, I think I need a couple of days off. - She turned around and smiled at her husband, gently touching one of his hands. - Don't worry, okay? I'll go get ready for bed, I'm a little tense.

-As you wish... - It was strange, but she didn't continue to insist with questions, finally he also went to get his pajamas so he could sleep.

Moments later, they were both lying under the sheets, but they weren't talking to each other, Sally had said she was tense, but she wasn't sleeping yet, she was reading a book. Lightning sighed, with both hands under his neck looking up, soon he turned around, turning his back to his wife, placed the head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

Thirty seconds later, she mentioned a word.

-Stickers? - Sally said, lowering her book a little. - Are you asleep? - She looked to the side, where he was.

-Not yet, of course not... - McQueen whispered. -What's wrong? - He asked, but without turning to look at her.

- Guess who's coming to town? - She half-smiled and closed the book, placing a bookmark in the middle of it, placing it on her nightstand, she was well advanced in her reading.

-As long as it's not Francesco, Jackson or Chick, I can do more than give to that person a welcome party. - Lightning sighed.

-Huh? Well... It's one of them... Francesco, he booked the luxury suite at the W.W. Motel... and he'll be arriving in the next few days. - His wife told him.

-In the next few days? When exactly? - He asked, rubbing his forehead with his index finger, preparing his mind to bear such a "great" visitor.

-Tomorrow... - Sally cleared her throat.

-Ha! Wow... - Smiled sarcastically without opening his eyes. -I'm going to take advantage of tonight then to sleep peacefully, because I can already imagine what an extraordinary time I'm going to have with that loudmouth of Francesco around town. I guess I'll have to be his babysitter like the last times he came by here. – He pulled the sheets up over his head. – Good night, Sal...

-Good night, love... – She was a little distressed, Lightning didn't even give her a good night kiss, he just settled down on the bed... She wondered if he had realized that her nervousness was because of the Italian man arrival.

McQueen fell asleep with tension, more than anything because of Sally's reaction, every time Francesco arrived it was obvious that his wife's eyes sparkled with excitement, he thought that kind of fanaticism was a bit exaggerated at her age. She always told him that the Italian racer wasn't that attractive, that he was unfriendly, but inside she melted just like many women who admired him.

Every time the woman spoke to him upon arrival, she did so with a kindness that was not even as great in Hawaii as when you got off the plane and beautiful young girls filled your neck with flowers and your ear with sweet words. That was all Sally needed, that was all... And to wear a hula skirt.

The next day everything started normally, McQueen went to race his car on the dirt track of Radiator Springs, over the years he learned new maneuvers, improving a lot, teaching new promises. Especially Cruz.

With those laps he could relax and momentarily forget about Francesco's arrival.

But he had already spent the whole morning on that, he had the track completely under control.

Suddenly someone called him from the high area of the track.

-Hey! Lightning! -

From that distance and with so much dust around, he could not distinguish well, but because the humanoid figure behind the dust was signaling him, McQueen stopped the car's engine a few meters away.

The former NASCAR champion stepped out of his ever-flashy, legendary, and faithful sport car, taking off the sunglasses he wore and placing them on his head.

-Who is it? – The veteran racer whispered, squinting one eye to focus, looking up.

-Sorry... – A younger girl laughed, as she walked down the dusty track, jumping over piles of grass and large stones. – Hello, Mr. McQueen. Excuse me, I got carried away by the excitement of the arrival. How are you? – She smiled, looking at him with her cheerful brown eyes.

-Cruz? Wow, what a surprise, I thought you were visiting your family out of the county. What happened? – Lightning asked, really pleased to see the girl. –I wasn't even able to recognize your voice. -

-It's just that, I couldn't stay long, I was restless, I missed you a lot and I came back... But, I didn't come alone. I brought a visitor; Tim came with me... – Cruz explained. - How could you not distinguish my beautiful voice? If I didn't leave for so long? -

-Tim... huh? – He raised an eyebrow, curious and made a small half smile. - It's a long trip from there... But it's really good that you came back, I didn't want to bother you on your vacation although, I really need a lot of help around here, at the museum, the school that is still closed and... you know, everything else. – McQueen counted on his fingers. Forgetting about the voice comment, he didn't want her to come out with the thing about being too old to...

-Yes, I see in your expression that you are somewhat tense. – The young woman noticed.

-Yes, I can't hide it even if I put on my glasses... – He lowered the glasses back to over his nose, covering his vision. –Anyway, let's go, I'm going to take the car back to the garage, get in. –

-Yes sir! – Cruz sketched a huge smile, she adored her mentor's car and getting in it was like receiving the honors of her life. So, she obeyed without delay running to the side of the co-pilot's seat.

Cruz was McQueen's star student, after her first race she became a champion.

She, with just over 25 years old, restless and hard-working. She was faithful to the teachings of her tutor, the same teachings taken from the legendary Hudson Hornet.

-Hey, Mr. McQueen, guess who we ran into when the bus arrived from Los Angeles? – the brown-eyed girl asked. Without losing the road in front of her.

Lightning was already driving near Mater's house. Stopping right there because Cruz's question had made him nervous and driving like that was not convenient in any way.

-What happened? – Th eco-pilot girl, was a little worried by the sudden braking.

-Don't tell me that Francesco is already in town? – He hung both hands on the steering wheel, looking seriously at Cruz.

-Well... Yes, I went with Tim to help him to register at the Cozy Cone and very close by there was a great commotion because of Mr. Bernoulli arrival. Above all, a group of women gathered with signs shouting and recording him with their cellphones and things like that. - The young woman said. -Did you already know? Yes, well, how could you not know? The guy is a star. -

-So, he is now with Sally at the Cozy Cone? – Lightning was scared by his own question, opening his eyes wide.

-I don't know, if we count that the women had not left him alone since the time it took me to get to the dirt road and you and I talked, well, I suppose so. Now it would be possible that he is checking into the Cozy Cone or something like that... – Cruz calculated at random, shrugging her shoulders.

McQueen started the engine of his car and quickly went to the motel, almost leaving both occupants stuck to the seats by such brutal acceleration.

The veteran ex-American racer had a bad feeling.

He himself had introduced Francesco to his beloved Sally those years of the first Radiator Springs Grand Prix, and he trusted her a lot and that her admiration for the Italian was only to look at and not touch.

Although this time, he did not know exactly why, if it was because of his bad dreams or something else, but apart from admitting that he felt very jealous, everything leaned towards the side of bad feelings.

To be continued...

-Lance Carrera is a character that originally belongs to me as does the story. (c) Shadoru.

-The other characters belong to Cars. (c) Disney. PIXAR.

-Sorry my bad English.