Page 53 of Tell Me Something True

It also got them out of the hard job of trying to explain grown-up things to a seven-year-old.

Win-win.

Ian shrugged again, content as always to just go with the flow in whatever direction life—and the many, many adults in charge of his care—took him. Spying Reed, Ian tugged on Verity’s hand. “Are we getting ice cream?”

A few weeks ago, on her quest to pay Reed back for helping her get her car out of the ditch, Verity had invited him to get ice cream with her and Ian.

As it was also the only time Ian had seen Reed, he must associate him with the treat.

Kids’ brains. So fascinating, the connections they made.

“It’s nine o’clock,” Verity reminded him. When he just stared up at her in a and that matters to me why? way she added, “In the morning.”

“You said it was never too early for ice cream.”

“This is one of those rare, special times when I was wrong. Any time before noon is too early for ice cream. Unless it’s a scoop on a waffle. Then it’s breakfast.”

Ian thought that over, eyebrows drawn together. “Is it breakfast if we have ice cream on our pancakes?”

She really, really loved how this kid’s mind worked. “Absolutely.”

The extra calcium would be good for him. Growing bones and all that.

Ian inclined his head toward Reed. “Is he eating pancakes with us?”

“Absolutely not. He was just leaving.”

A dog barked and she glanced behind Reed to his truck parked in front of the house. His dog, a huge, brown and white boxer/lab mix, was sitting in the front seat watching them through the passenger side, his boxy head hanging out the open window, his tail and rear wagging with excitement.

Reed turned his head to look at him. “Titus. Quiet.”

Though he hadn’t raised his voice, the dog immediately went silent. Reed’s dog was obedient. Well-trained.

Well-loved.

And his name was Titus.

She hadn’t known that. She’d been with Reed and his dog at his trailer that night she’d knocked on his door. Had talked to Reed several times over the summer, but she hadn’t known his dog’s name.

For some reason, that bugged her even more than his reason for being here.

“You shouldn’t leave your dog in your truck,” Ian told Reed. “If it gets too hot, he’ll die.” He turned to Verity with wide, horrified eyes. “Will his face melt off?”

Face melting conversation number three hundred and twelve coming right up.

Toby had let him watch Raiders of the Lost Ark weeks ago and Ian was still stuck on that scene where Toht’s face melted.

“No parts of him will melt,” Verity assured Ian. “Reed left the windows open and there’s a nice breeze, and it’s not too hot outside yet. I mean, is it irresponsible, not to mention selfish, of him to drag his dog with him on this little jaunt? Absolutely. But, as I mentioned, Reed isn’t staying—”

“I didn’t want to leave him at my place today,” Reed said to Ian.

“How come?”

“My old man’s there. He doesn’t like Titus.”

Expression serious, Ian nodded. “You should tell that old man to leave, then.”

One side of Reed’s mouth tipped up, the closest he got to a real smile. A sight she’d only seen once or twice before, and each time, including now, it had the power to make her scalp prickle pleasantly. “Yeah. Good idea.”

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