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“I would.” Taylor’s voice caught. “But I also know that I should do

what’s best for him. He’s old. Change is hard. Besides, I’ll be at work a lot

more often now, with the business, and there will be a ton of dogs and cats

there. Peppy would be happy. My parents would be happy. I could temper

my missing him by helping other dogs and cats find their forever families.”

Christina’s chest felt heavy and her throat threatened to close up seeing

Taylor with unshed tears in her eyes. Taylor was truly selfless. She was one

of those incredible, amazing, kind people who the world needed more of.

Christina was amazed that someone so good, so sweet, so perfect, could and

would choose her.

There hadn’t been a lot of alone time for them, but the time they’d

spent working together and with Chloe were the happiest weeks Christina

could ever recall getting the pleasure to live. She wasn’t sure how or when

she could tell Taylor that she was ready to resume a physical relationship, if

she was, but she hoped that the moment came soon. It was a sweet torture to

be so close to Taylor and have to keep her desires in check.

They walked in content silence. Christina’s hand strayed close to

Taylor’s. She was a little afraid to take it. She’d kissed Taylor earlier, and

Taylor responded, but they were with Chloe still, and Christina wasn’t sure

what Taylor felt about PDA in front of her daughter. Just as she was

worrying about it, Taylor’s fingers brushed hers. Their index fingers linked,

and Taylor’s palm settled against Christina’s like it was made to fit there.

She didn’t pull it away.

They walked along the grassy fields, which seemed to stretch out

endlessly. Christina couldn’t believe that it was possible to own so much

land. It was so much different than New York, where even two hundred

square feet of space could be brutally expensive. There was a ring of trees

that looked like they’d been planted, since they seemed to spring up out of

the ground unnaturally, where there weren’t any others of their kind. They

gave way to a sparkling rectangle that was probably a good fifty feet by