An Accidental Mom Read Free Page B

healthy state took months or days, every situation lasted only long enough to roust out a good family to adopt the pet. But regardless of how much or how little time and energy she invested in the creatures, Lily always experienced a period of mourning while she adjusted to life without the furry critter.
    Nate Sheridan came to mind, with his big brown eyes and mop of dark curls. If she managed to save the dog and couldn’t find its owner, maybe…
    Of course, that would require direct contact with Max. Lily’s heart beat double time at the mere thought. Clucking her tongue, she whispered through clenched teeth, “Get a grip, girl.” Because, really, what could happen between them in the few minutes it would take to get his permission to introduce Nate to the rescued dog?
    “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, Lily.” She had no idea what kind of dog was splashing around for its life, no clue what condition it might be in by the time she reached it. A glance at her dashboardclock told her she’d been on the road less than fifteen minutes; it was nearly an hour’s drive to the entrance gate at Lake Meredith.
    It dawned on her suddenly that she hadn’t asked Violet where the pilots had seen the dog. Acres of water made up this stretch of the park.
    She reached for her cell phone, punched in her sister’s code. “Hey, kiddo…it’s me,” she said when her sister answered. “I didn’t think to ask earlier, but did those pilots mention where they spotted the dog?”
    “I remember something about the boat dock. They thought maybe the dog had fallen off a sailboat or something.”
    “But who’d go boating at this time of year?”
    “I know I wouldn’t want to waste a nice day like this if I’d sunk a hundred grand into a sailboat.”
    Violet made a good point, Lily admitted. The weather had been remarkably balmy for October, these past few weeks. “Did you manage to raise either of them on your CB?”
    “No. We must be on a weird frequency. I’m hearing them fine, but they didn’t respond to me at all.”
    Just great! Lily thought. Chances were pretty good that the sharpshooter who’d talked himself into believing he’d be doing a good deed by “putting the dog out of its misery” might actually take aim…and pull the trigger!
    “Thanks, Vi. I’d better step on it. I’m still forty-five minutes away. I’ll call soon as I know something,” she said, and hung up.
    “Please, God,” she said aloud, “watch over thatpup. Give him the strength he needs to hang on ’til I get there.”
    Maybe she should phone Georgia, so she and Nate could join in her prayer. No, the kid would get his hopes up. And knowing how much danger the dog was in would only worry him. Besides, if she didn’t reach the lake in time, his little heart would break, and for what? Lily knew only too well how much it hurt to lose an animal, any animal.
    “Help me, Lord….”
    What if she phoned ahead, told the rangers at the gate who she was! If she described her car and explained the urgency of her mission, they’d let her through without stopping.
    Lily said a quick thank you to the Almighty for the idea and grabbed the phone again, dialed the number she’d memorized ages ago—and stomped on the gas.

Chapter Two
    “H ere’s our very own TV star!” Georgia said when Lily walked into the diner. “Does your dad know what got you on the evening news this time?”
    “No, thankfully.” Lily plopped onto a stool at the counter and sighed. “But I’ll have to keep him away from television, at least ’til this whole ‘daring rescue’ nonsense is old news.”
    Georgia clucked her tongue. “In all fairness to the reporters, from what I saw, you did risk your life to save that mutt.”
    Shrugging, Lily rolled her eyes. “I borrowed a rowboat and paddled to the middle of Lake Meredith. Hardly what I’d call life-threatening.”
    “Yeah. Right. Without knowing if the dog was vicious, or diseased.” She punctuated her