Bead of Doubt by Tonya Kappes Read Free Book Online

I came home from somewhere. And since she’d been there a few hours alone, I was sure she had to go now. “Willow?”
    I didn’t hear any little hooves.
    I looked down at Marlene’s heels and wondered if Willow heard them.
    “Stay right there. Willow hates you for some reason and I bet she’s hiding.” Thank God there were no unders where she could hide. If there were, she’d just have to stay under there until she came out.
    But she wasn’t. She was lying on the floor next to the bed, not moving.
    “Willow?” I put my hand on her little body. Her stomach seemed to be hard.
    I had read that pet potbellies can get distended bowls if they ate the wrong thing. And Bernadine doesn’t help matters. Whenever she’s around, she gives Willow any and everything. That’s why Bernadine was Willow’s favorite Diva.
    “Oh, no!” I grabbed Willow and took off toward the door. “How fast can that car go?”
    Marlene ran behind me.
    “Fast as we need it to.” She clicked her key fob, making the car doors unlock. “Plus the roads have been plowed, so we are good. Where we going?”
    “Doc Johnson’s just down the road from Agnes’s house.” I kissed Willow’s nose. “And step on it.”
    It normally took me ten minutes to get to Agnes’s house but we made it in five.
    Marlene laid on the horn. I jumped out with Willow, and Doc Johnson already had the door open.
    “What’s going on out here?” He was putting his glasses on. He was in his pajamas, and his hair was tussled. “Why, Holly Harper, what’s wrong with Willow?”
    I charged in the door. Doc Johnson ran his veterinary business out of his home. He was used to clients showing up at all hours of the night. No wonder he never married. No woman would put up with a life with no sleep.
    “I’m not sure. I ran a few errands and came home. She hasn’t eaten since this morning.” I conveniently left out the part where I had lost Marlene’s diamond that cost more than my life, and didn’t notice until now that Willow had been sick all day.
    “Anything out of her norm today?” He took her from me and put her on the metal table that sat in his kitchen.
    “She took a walk in the snow. And I opened my shop today.” I racked my brain for anything different. I should’ve called Bernadine to see if she fed Willow anything.
    Damn!
    Another time a cell phone would’ve come in handy.
    Doc Johnson listened to Willow’s heart not taking his eyes off Marlene.
    I looked over at her. When did she put lipstick on?
    She was looking at Doc just as intensely as he was looking at her.
    “Do you mind? This is about Willow.” I whispered through my gritted teeth.
    “Doc?” Marlene’s sexy accent came out like it always did around potential mates.
    “Call me Clint.” He winked.
    I rolled my eyes. There was no way this was happening. I was in the freaking twilight zone.
    “Clint, can you tell what’s wrong?” Marlene might be hiding some things, but cleavage was definitely not one of them.
    “There does seem to be some labored breathing.” He finally looked over at me. “Holly, I’m going to do a quick x-ray and see if anything shows up.”
    I nodded and grabbed a tissue from the Kleenex box sitting on the counter. He took her out of the room. Marlene wrapped her arms around me.
    “It’s going to be okay.” She hugged me tighter. “Think good thoughts, honey.”
    I tried not to inhale too much of the Chanel Number Five that she must have poured on. I pulled away.
    “I know. Good thoughts.” I said trying to smile through the tears.
    Marlene was there for me and she barely knew me. She asked me to keep her precious jewel safe and I couldn’t even do that.
    I sobbed some more. Some from worry about Willow, and the other from guilt. I should tell her.
    “Marlene.” I touched her arm.
    “Ladies.” Doc Johnson came back into the room. He put the x-rays up on the light box.
    I wasn’t sure whether I should kiss him for interrupting me and stopping me from