Free Most Eligible Spy by Dana Marton Page B

protection. Did that require some kind of security clearance and secrecy? She had no idea about these things.
    Skipper gave a pitiful moan.
    “Tired?” She offered some sympathy as she shut down the laptop. “Me, too. Maybe we’ll get a little more sleep tonight. Want to go for a walk? I need to check on the garden.”
    As she walked to the door, Skipper struggled to her feet, and once she stood, she swayed.
    “What is it, girl? Is your back hurting again?”
    The dog gave another pitiful whine and threw up all over the doormat.
    She rushed to her, grabbing a roll of paper towels in the process. “What did you eat out there last night?”
    Skipper was notorious for eating anything she came across. She’d once eaten half of a two-by-four in the garage before Molly had noticed. And a cell phone. Several shoes. A dead mouse from the mousetrap in the barn. With the trap. Food that was left out... Forget it. Although she did do her level best to keep anything remotely tempting out of the dog’s way.
    She cleaned up, gave the poor dog some cold water. “You’ll feel better now that it’s out. What do I always tell you about eating only what I put in your dish?” She ran her fingers through the dog’s fur and scratched behind her ear.
    She didn’t like how Skipper’s brown eyes were glazed over. Or the way her muscles suddenly began to shake.
    “All right. We’re going to the doc.” She grabbed her purse and walked out, really worried now. “Come on.”
    Skipper staggered after her. She didn’t make it to the pickup. For the last couple of yards, Molly had to carry her.
    She called the other dogs and they came running. They seemed fine, no signs of any sickness. Didn’t look as if they’d eaten whatever Skipper had.
    “When you recover from this, you’re going on a diet.” She struggled to get the dog onto the passenger seat.
    All Skipper did was give her a pitiful look and an even more pitiful whimper.
    “You’ll be fine, okay? Just relax. We’ll fix this,” she said once she was in the driver’s seat. But her heart was racing.
    Nothing could happen to Skipper. She’d been a graduation present from Dylan. She’d been with Molly most of her adult life. She was Logan’s favorite, the most faithful dog in the universe.
    She called the vet from the road, got the receptionist. “I’m bringing Skipper in.”
    “We have a substitute today. Won’t be in until this afternoon. Dr. Miller is off.”
    “It’s an emergency. Can I go out to his place?” She’d done that before. Dr. Miller didn’t keep strict hours.
    “He’s at a conference in San Antonio. The sub will be in by noon.”
    Skipper couldn’t wait a couple of hours. And Molly did know another vet, someone who had just recently passed her last exam and got her license.
    Grace Cordero, her once best friend.
    “I’ll figure something out,” she told the receptionist and hung up, then took the turn that would lead her to the Cordero ranch.
    Whatever their differences were these days, she was willing to set them aside when Skipper’s life hung in the balance.
    But would Grace? For some reason Grace thought Dylan had tried to hurt her. Cold panic tingled down Molly’s spine. If Grace didn’t help...
    They hadn’t talked since the night Dylan died. When Grace had finally spread her own brother’s ashes a few days later, Molly hadn’t gone to the funeral. And Grace hadn’t come to Dylan’s. Nobody had.
    Molly hadn’t put an obituary in the paper. People were calling him a criminal, for heaven’s sake. She had kept the funeral private. All she wanted in the paper was an official apology from the sheriff’s department.
    The drive to the Cordero ranch didn’t take long. By the time she pulled up the driveway, Skipper’s shaking had quieted. Grace’s car was there. A good sign. Molly beeped the horn.
    Grace opened the front door, took one look at her face through the windshield and came running. “What is it? Is it