Free 3 Loosey Goosey by Rae Davies

was a pause on the other end of the line. “I know people.”
    “You do?” The idea that my mother had connections in Helena that I didn’t know about was more than a little disturbing.
    “I have friends. They keep me informed, more informed than you do.”
    Ah, the judgment. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that, not right now.
    “Friends? What friends? Here? In Helena?”
    “Helena, Bozeman, Bangladesh. I have friends all over.”
    There was no missing the note of pride in the last statement.
    Then it occurred to me. “FriendTime.” My mother had been building a network of spies through the Internet. Who knew how long she had been watching me? What all she knew?
    Frozen by the possibilities, I stuttered a bit.
    “I didn’t say that,” she replied, playing it coy and doing her best to elevate my paranoia to the highest level possible.
    After a moment of silence – stunned on my part, gloating on hers – she continued, “So, do you know where your brother is?”
    I didn’t, and after much effort, I managed to get off the phone without admitting to my complete failure as an older sister. I’d danced around the question, telling her I had spoken to him – I didn’t say it had been yesterday – that he was fine, and that I’d have him call her as soon as he could.
    “He’s busy you know, working.”
    “Working.” She made a sputtering sound. “Working at making trouble. You tell him-–”
    I held the phone out and made noises as if a customer had just asked me a question, then said into the phone, “I’m sorry, I have a customer, but I’ll have Ben call. I promise.”
    I hung up the phone and handed it to Betty. “Call someone, anyone. Just keep the line busy for the next half an hour.” It might cost me sales, but getting away from my mother was worth it.
    Then I grabbed Kiska and scurried out the back door.
    I found Ben where I’d last seen him, sitting at a table in the organic grocery store, drinking coffee and chatting with his fellow rebels. This time, though, they were manned with laptops.
    I bit down on my tongue to keep from blurting out some judgment, at least until I had him away from his allies.
    “They towed the Lemon. Did you know that?”
    He nodded and went back to the computer.
    “Did you talk to Stone?”
    “Not today.”
    Damn his Zen soul, he seemed frustratingly unconcerned about everything.
    My jaw tightened and my personality slipped. I went into mother mode. “Get your stuff. We’re leaving.”
    He blinked at me, stunned, I’m sure, at my sudden interest in familial closeness. Honestly, I was a little stunned too.
    “Mom called me,” I gritted out. “Did you know she has people watching me?”
    He blinked again. “You mean you hadn’t guessed that before?”
    It was my turn to blink. He was right, of course. It had been stupid of me to think I was here 2,000 miles away from home freely making my own choices and living my own life.
    “Do you want to get your car or not?” I asked, covering my annoyance with more annoyance.
    “They won’t give it to me. Not yet.”
    I frowned. If he hadn’t had the Lemon last night, how had he gotten to the Egg? I asked as much.
    “I didn’t. Eric loaned me a sleeping bag, and Pauline and I stayed here.” He gestured to his right. I took a step that direction. Pauline stared at me from atop a nest of black sleeping bag.
    She was wearing tie dye today. It brought out the amber in her eyes.
    “Is she supposed to be in here?” I asked.
    Ben glanced at the other HA!ers. “Not really.”
    Something akin to concern wrapped around my heart.
    Damn.
    “Have you showered?”
    “No.”
    Double damn.
    “But you’ve eaten,” I said with false perkiness.
    “Sure.”
    I relaxed. I wasn’t that bad of a big sister. Still, there was the sleeping on the floor thing, the shower thing, and the possibility that his goose could get kicked out onto the street at any moment.
    Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I pushed the lid of