Free Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie Page A

damn fool to think he’s a better catch than you.”
    C.L. stopped chewing and swallowed his ham whole in surprise. “Me?”
    Henry glowered at him. “You’ve done real well, C.L. We’re proud.”
    C.L.‘s chest went tight and for an awful moment he thought he was going to tear up. Of course, Henry would disown him if he did, so he didn’t, but it was touch and go there for a minute. “Oh,” he said. “Thanks.”
    Anna picked up the bread basket. “You need a biscuit, C.L.” She put two on his plate.
    C.L. nodded, his head still wobbling from the shock of Henry’s spoken approval.
    “You don’t eat enough in the city,” Anna went on, passing him the butter. “You’re just thin, that’s all there is to it.”
    C.L. buttered a biscuit and bit into it to oblige her.
    “If you were here more often, I’d fatten you up,” Anna went on. “You know, Frog Point only has one accountant.”
    C.L. choked on his biscuit.
    “Leave the boy alone, Anna,” Henry said.
    “Just thought I’d mention it.” Anna picked up the bowl of green beans. “Be real nice to have him home again. Beans, C.L.?”
    C.L. swallowed the last of his biscuit, took the bowl, and changed the subject. “You know I never did find Brent. Did he leave town while I wasn’t looking?”
    Henry speared himself another slice of ham. “Nope. Spent the afternoon at the hospital.”
    C.L. tried not to grin. “Somebody get as fed up with him as I am?”
    “Nope.” Henry sat back and began to carve into the ham. “His wife was in an accident.”
    C.L. lost his grin while Anna made a soft sound of distress and said, “Not that nice Maddie. Is she all right?”
    “Hit her head pretty hard.” Henry stabbed his fork into his ham. “The little girl is fine. That dumbass Webster kid came around a corner and rear-ended them. She was stopped in the middle of the street. Said she stopped for a dog.”
    “That’s Maddie, all right,” Anna said. “Wouldn’t hurt a soul. I’ll make her some cookies.” ,
    “I think she likes brownies,” C.L. heard himself say. “I’ll take them to her.”
    Henry shot him a sharp glance. “Thought you were looking for Brent.”
    “Just being neighborly,” C.L. said, kicking himself. “Somebody should make sure she’s all right. You planning on eating the rest of those potatoes, Henry, or you just keeping an eye on them down there?”
    “Oh, mercy.” Anna stood to pass the potatoes. “Henry, the boy’s hungry.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Henry said.
    C.L. ignored him and ate. He was going back to town later that night to find Brent, but he had no intention of telling Henry that because Henry had a dirty mind.
    “Drive careful when you go back to town tonight,” Henry said.
    “Yes, sir,” C.L. said.

    “We’re getting a dog,” Em told Mel when they were both on Mel’s couch with pretzels and hot dogs, Three’s idea of a balanced meal.
    Mel popped her eyes open in approval. “You asked? Cool.”
    Em nodded. “I forgot to ask my dad, but my mom said yes.” She remembered her mother’s face as they’d left and felt her breath clutch a little. “Before the accident,” she added, and her voice sounded funny, even to her.
    “She’s going to be all right,” Mel said. “Your dad said so. Think about the dog.”
    “We’ll go to the pound,” Em said, thinking puppy puppy puppy to keep the bad thoughts away. “We’ll save a puppy that way. It’ll be better.”
    Mel nodded. “That’s a good idea. Can I come?”
    Em nodded. “Sure.” They could all go, she and Mel and Aunt Treva and her mom. She thought of her mother and the dazed look in her eyes and the way she’d stood so close to her dad, shaking, and the way they’d looked at each other, like they hated each other. Puppy puppy puppy. She swallowed. “When my mom’s better, we’ll go.” Her mom was going to be better. Everybody said so. “She’ll be okay. Her pills make her dopey, but she’ll be okay.”
    “This