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Taylor groaned out loud. It didn’t matter if some of those witnesses

were sympathetic to her cause or not. She was still down a job. The silence

of the living room pressed down on her and only added to the self-

recriminating thoughts she had going on. Chloe was in bed asleep, and

Steph had been paid the full amount for the night, even though Taylor was

back hours early, and sent home.

Peppy, their yellow lab, perked his head up from the other side of the

couch. He looked at Taylor with big, solemn eyes.

“I know, boy. Rough night all around.”

Peppy blinked. The poor guy wasn’t so peppy anymore now that he was

pushing ten years old. He was originally a birthday gift for her sweet

sixteenth from her parents. They had a huge farm with tons of animals, but

their family dog had died years before and it was so sad, her mom and dad

couldn’t bring themselves to get another dog, no matter how much Taylor

had begged and begged and begged. She’d been so surprised when her mom

walked into her bedroom that morning, a squirming ball of fur in her arms.

“It’ll get better,” Taylor told Peppy, trying to encourage herself. “It has

to. I don’t really see how it could get any worse. This is the third job I’ve

been fired from since I got here. The other ones weren’t really my fault.

Seriously. But this one? I guess that was all on me and I still have to call

Adriana yet to apologize. I’m sure she’s already heard what’s happened.”

Peppy shifted from his comfy position on the other side of the couch.

Like most of the furniture, Taylor’s mom helped her find it used. Peppy had

his dog bed that Taylor brought during the move, but he hardly ever used it,

preferring the couch and the old quilt she’d thrown over it.

He jumped down and walked over to Taylor. He set his golden head in

her lap and let her caress his silky fur. She loved his ears the best. They

were straight up velvet. Peppy chuffed under his breath like he usually did

when he was happy. That little noise, combined with the dog’s soft fur and

his solid warmth leaning into her, helped Taylor feel better.