Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie Page A

in
    pain.
    And the car blew up.
    “Zack!” Lucy threw her arms around him and pulled him down to her, and Mrs. Dover screamed again
    and fell backward into her house, and Phoebe bit high C and disappeared under the porch.
    After a moment of silence, Zack raised his shoulders off Lucy and gazed cautiously over the hill at her
    burning car.
    “Nice little bomb,” he said reflectively. “Very neat.”
    Lucy eased the top of her body up, too, still under him, and watched the flames, horrified. He looked
    down at her, and when she turned back they were nose-to-nose.
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    “You okay?”
    “Zack,” Lucy said. “Somebody’s trying to kill me.”
    “You know,” Zack said, “I had an instinct about that.”

    Half an hour later, Anthony sat in an overstuffed armchair between Lucy and Zack, feeling like a tennis
    ref.
    “Okay,” Zack said from where he stood in front of the fireplace. “One more time. How long were you
    gone?”
    Lucy leaned back against the love seat. “I told you. I just ran two miles. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.
    I didn’t check the clock when I left.”
    “That’s not enough time.” Anthony said. “In broad daylight, with a delayed fuse? And no one saw him?
    Face it, Zack. It doesn’t matter when she ran. He must have set this up last night.” He turned back to
    Lucy. “Do you remember if the windows were up or down when you left to ran?”
    “Zack already asked me that. I didn’t pay any attention. I didn’t even notice the windows when I came
    back until Phoebe jumped inside the car.” She stopped again. “That was such a nice car. It’s totaled,
    right?”
    Zack smacked his hand on the mantel from exasperation. “Lucy, you dummy, this was a bomb, not a
    rear-end collision!”
    Lucy looked back at him, just as exasperated. “Well, it’s totally destroyed, right? Which means it’s
    totaled, right? What are you so mad at me for? And don’t call me a dummy, either, you...you...” She
    blinked.
    “Listen, lady...” Zack began, stabbing his finger at her.
    “Okay, children, that’s enough,” Anthony said. “Fight on your own time. We’ve got a serious problem
    here.”
    “I’m sorry,” Lucy said to him. “I’m usually not this rude. It’s just Zack. He brings out the worst in me.”
    “That’s good to know,” Zack said. “I’d hate to think this was your best.”
    “I beg your pardon,” Lucy said.
    “Zack, shut up.” Anthony turned to Lucy and smiled. It was a great smile, his sure-you-can-trust-me
    smile, and Lucy smiled back.
    Zack glowered at both of them.
    “Now look, Lucy,” Anthony went on. “I know Zack didn’t call you, and that was wrong.” Zack started
    to say something, and Anthony shot him a warning glance that was pure venom. Zack shut up, and
    Anthony returned to his persuasion. “That won’t happen again. I promise. The important thing is that now
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    mat we know for sure that somebody is trying to hurt you, we have to get serious about this. What we’d
    like to do—with your permission, of course—is put you in a hotel....”
    “No,” Lucy said.
    “I told you so.” Zack looked at Lucy. “You’re either going to a hotel or to your sister’s and that’s that.
    No arguments. Get your stuff.”
    “No,” Lucy said.
    “I’ll look after the dogs,” Zack said. “Get your stuff.”
    “You won’t remember,” Lucy said.
    “Of course, I’ll remember. Get your stuff.”
    “Like you remembered to call me? No.”
    “Lucy!” Zack loomed over her.
    “Forget it. I’m not leaving my dogs.” She turned to Anthony. “How long would I be in this hotel? Two
    days? A week? A month?”
    “I don’t know,” he said. “I think we can solve this within the week, but I can’t promise you.”
    Lucy shook her head. “I can’t leave them. They wouldn’t understand. And what if this