Free That Dog Won't Hunt (Dearing Family Series) by Brandilyn Collins Page B

came out the second time shaking his head. “They’re in there colorin’ up a storm.”
    An hour later Christina emerged, looking worn out, indeed. Ruth was beginning to feel tired herself. “Listen,” she said to Christina, “if you’re tired, go on to bed. We’ll all be winding down here soon. And it’s past the kids’ bedtime anyhow.”
    “Thanks. I think I will.” This time Christina didn’t look to Ben for approval. He got up to walk her down the hall. Ruth and Sy exchanged knowing smiles.
    Tamel said it was time for him to go. But not before egging Jess to take a ride with him the next day in his car.
    Jess raised both hands. “And just why would I want to ride in that thing?”
    “Don’t you have to go into Jackson tomorrow?” Maddy flashed her sister a gotcha smile. She got a hard look in return.
    “I can drive my own car, thank you very much.”
    “What do you have to go to Jackson for?” Tamel asked. Jackson was about thirty-five minutes away, up Highway 49.
    “Actually I’m goin’ to Ridgeland. I’m pickin’ up the lobsters I ordered at Fresh Market, if you have to know.” Ridgeland was north of Jackson.
    “Not that she knows anything about cookin’ lobster.” Sarah wagged her head at Tamel.
    “You just watch, smart aleck.” Jess pointed at her. “I’m gonna make you a meal that’ll blow your socks off.”
    “That bad, huh?” Maddy snickered.
    They’d never had lobster at a family reunion before. Awful expensive meal. But Jess had been talking about it for weeks. The more her sisters doubted her, the more she aimed to prove them wrong. Said she had the perfect recipe to do just that.
    Jess made a sound in her throat. “Why’re y’all tryin’ to get my goose today?”
    “Every day’s for gettin’ your goose, little sister.” Sarah shot her a sugary smile.
    “Perfect.” Tamel said the word with finality. “I’ll take you to Ridgeland, Jess.”
    “No—”
    “Thanks, Mama Ruth. Syton.” Tamel hugged them both. “Wonderful dinner.” On the way out he cocked a finger at Jess. “Call you in the mornin’.”
    Before she could reply, he turned toward the door. Jess put on her best peeved expression. Her older sisters grinned at each other.
    It was way past the kids’ bedtime. Their mothers got them down, then one by one the adults straggled off to their old bedrooms. Maddy’s and Sarah’s were downstairs, Jess’s and Ben’s on the second floor. As for Lady Penelope, she’d long since retired to her bed under the piano. Every once in a while she’d raised her head to cast a long-suffering look at the night owls— can’t you see you’re bothering me while I’m trying to sleep?
    Ruth had lingered in the den, hoping to catch a word with Ben. When Sy rose to head upstairs, she sent him a silent message: please stay. He raised his eyebrows, then sat back down in his armchair. Finally only the two of them and Ben remained.
    “Everything okay, Ben?” Ruth kept her voice low so it wouldn’t filter down the hall.
    He gave a slow nod. “She told me a bunch of things tonight I didn’t know.”
    Ruth sat down on the couch beside him and waited him out. He might decide to talk, he might not. Sy clasped his hands and leaned forward. “What things?”
    Ben sighed, then launched into a long narrative about Christina’s childhood of terrible neglect and abuse. He spoke quietly but the words chilled Ruth to the bone. They also answered a lot of questions.
    “Wow. That’s just … awful. The poor girl.”
    “I know.”
    “You’re going to have to be very patient with her, Ben.”
    “I know that too.”
    Ruth processed that for a moment. Could he hang on to that patience? Being the child of alcoholics, suffering abuse all those years—these things stained the soul. They weren’t overcome easily. Ruth wasn’t sure Ben saw the depths of that reality.
    Sy gestured with his hands. “She’ll be fine. She’s in our family now, and we’ll all love her. Won’t take