Rogue Commander. Leo J. Maloney

      “Neika was trained as a bomb-sniffing military dog. Your father worked with her on a mission, and I guess he grew attached. That’s where we got her.”

      “Yeah,” she said. “That makes sense.”

      Alex’s nonchalance was infuriating. “Sense?” she exclaimed. “As in, it’s no surprise that my husband would need a bomb-sniffing dog?”

      “Mom, really. I found out Dad wasn’t a classic-car dealer at about the same time as you, remember?”

      Jenny controlled herself. “All right, all right, I get it.”

      Alex rubbed her wrist. “Good. Thanks. I need to go. I need to take care of this. Are you okay?”

      “Yes, I’ll be fine,” Jenny said unconvincingly, hoping her daughter would take the emotional bait.

      But instead, Alex just said, “Great. Love you!” Then she disappeared out the door, leaving Jenny there, steaming.

      Mrs. Morgan was tired of being shunted aside whenever they went off on their little adventures. She was tired of being kept out of the loop until it was all over, hoping it would work out but being blocked from any information or involvement—as every single day all she dreamed about was, first, standing at her husband’s funeral, and then, maybe even worse, standing at her daughter’s grave.

      Standing in the foyer of her house, Jenny made a decision. She didn’t know how. But she knew what she was going to do.