Read Online Two Tall Tails by Sofie Kelly - Free Book Online Page A

up everything. I didn’t want Matilda, or Molly or Elvis, to get cut.
    â€œLet me take that,” I said to Tom, gesturing at the copper birdbath. “I think I know someone who might be able to fix it.” Cleveland, one of the trash pickers I regularly bought from for the store, had repaired a metal railing for me. I had a feeling he’d be able to get the dent out of the birdbath.
    He smiled, but the warmth didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thank you,” he said.
    Tom retrieved Matilda from Molly and headed off to the post office with the little corgi. I walked back across the street with Katie, Molly skipping happily ahead of us.
    Katie looked over her shoulder at Angie’s house. “I don’t like to think that Tom is right about . . . what he’s thinking, but I don’t like Jason.”
    â€œIt’s hard to believe he’s related to Angie,” I said. I remembered the set of nesting dolls—a brightly painted family of woodland animals—that the professor had brought back from her last trip for Molly.
    â€œI think he took Molly’s ball,” Katie said. “You know, the one I was looking for the other day. That afternoon it had gotten away from us and rolled over into Angie’s driveway. When I went to get it, Jason didn’t say anything but he gave me that look—you know what I mean.”
    I nodded. Jason’s scowl seemed to be the only expression he had.
    â€œWhen I went out after supper to bring in the toys, the ball was gone. I know it had been in our front yard, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said. I knew it wasn’t really about the ball. It was about someone being nasty enough to swipe a child’s toy.
    Katie played with her wide gold wedding ring again. “What kind of person takes a child’s toy? Or throws a birdbath into the street? I don’t want to raise my children around people like that.”
    â€œAngie’s getting better and she’ll be home in a few days. Things will get back to normal,” I said, hoping I wasn’t making empty promises.
    Katie smiled then. “Molly is making a card for her. Lots of purple and lots of glitter.”
    I smiled back at her, glad that the conversation had taken a lighter turn. “I’m going to see Angie as soon as she’s allowed to have visitors. I can take it to her if you’d like.”
    Molly had reached the front yard ahead of us. She was kicking a pink soccer ball across the grass.
    â€œBackyard, sweetie bug,” Katie called just as the child’s foot connected with the ball, sending it tumbling across the street into my yard. It came to a stop at the edge of the driveway, where Elvis had been sitting watching the goings-on at Tom’s house. Now the black cat dipped his head and butted the ball, rolling it across the pavement toward Katie and me. I bent down and caught it. Molly came racing over, blond pigtails bouncing, and I handed her the ball.
    â€œWhat do we say?” Katie prompted.
    â€œThank you,” Molly said.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” I replied, smiling down at her.
    â€œBackyard,” Katie reminded her daughter. Molly nodded and ran toward the house. Katie turned to look at the cat, who was still sitting at the bottom of the driveway. “I’ve always been more of a dog person,” she said. “But Elvis is turning me into a cat person.” She glanced in the direction of Angie’s house. “I like him better than some people.” She smiled.
    I smiled back at her. I didn’t say anything, but the truth was, I liked Elvis better than certain people, too.
    I repeated my promise to take Molly’s card when I went to visit Angie, and I headed home. Elvis followed me up the driveway. He waited by the door while I got my purse and a bag of vintage
Good Housekeeping
magazines. Rose had left very early to help get ready for a