Page 7 of Security and Submission
“They’re getting her prepped for surgery right now.” Grace still sounded down but hopeful. “They think her chances are pretty good, but she’s going to be there for a few days, at least, possibly up to a week.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Yasmine shook her head, looking down mournfully at her cupcake. Here she was enjoying it while Sarah’s dog had died a few days ago, and now she’d had a heart attack, and she was going to be in the hospital for a bit. How awful.
The memory of the pizza boxes and dishes flashed through Yasmine’s head. The poor woman was already down about her dog, then she was going to be in the hospital and come home to bugs crawling on the stuff that she hadn’t gotten to clean up before her heart attack? Those bits of kibble around the dog dishes.
No.
No, she could not let that happen.
“I’m glad to hear her chances are good, but… Grace, there were some things in her house I’m a little worried about. Some pizza boxes, so they still had crumbs, and some dishes in the sink. If she’s not going to be home for a few days, they could attract bugs. I hate the idea of her coming home to that after being in the hospital. Do you think it would be okay if I went back and cleaned that stuff up?”
“Oh, my goodness, Yasmine, that would be amazing. I’m sure she’ll be okay with it. I give you permission, certainly. You are just too wonderful. Thank you so much. I literally cannot thank you enough.” Grace sounded close to tears again.
“I’m glad I can do something to help.”
A few more expressions of gratitude from Grace and Yasmine got off the phone with her. Okay. She was going to finish her cupcake, then go back over to Sarah’s. Thankfully, today was a fairly light day at work, and she could be more flexible, which she wouldn’t be able to do the next couple of days.
Plus, she really hated bugs, so she wanted those pizza boxes gone and the dishes done before any showed up.
Polishing off her cupcake, Yasmine got to her feet, then sat right back down to pull her flats out of the bottom drawer of her desk. She wasn’t going to wear her heels back over there to clean, especially since she was going to have to go through the backyard again.
“That’s really nice. I’d come help, but Amara’s not back yet.” Veronica gestured at the empty office beside Yasmine’s.
“It’s fine,” Yasmine reassured her. “I notice you didn’t offer to come with me earlier, though.”
Veronica grinned at her. “But I did warn you about the flies.”
“Fair enough.”
Bemused, Yasmine headed back to Sarah’s. Parked in the same spot in the driveway she’d been in that morning, she headed around the house immediately this time and went to the back door. She turned to face the sliding door, pushing it shut behind her, and let out a sigh.
Time to get to work.
She turned back around and froze, a scream caught in her throat as her heart almost exploded inside her chest.
She stared in complete shock, unable to believe what she was seeing.
A beautiful, shaggy golden retriever stared back at her and wagged its tail.
Yasmine stared at the dog.
The dog stared back at her.
Mouth hanging open, tongue out, panting.
A fucking dog.
A living fucking dog.
Probably living.
Panting meant it was breathing. Right?
Dead dogs didn’t pant. Probably.
Sliding her hand into her purse, Yasmine felt for her phone, never breaking eye contact with the apparition in front of her. She kept one eye on it while she opened her screen and swiped to call Grace.
“Hello?”
