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“He’s looking…healthy.”I gave the little guy a scratch behind the ears.

He grinned.

“We’re seeing Dr.Louisa next week.Did you want to come?”

I blinked.“Well, yeah.I can drive you over to the clinic.”Then…super casual… “We should probably get you a driver’s license.You know, in case of emergencies.”

“You know, Scott at the library said the exact same thing.”He snickered.“I’ve already looked up the testing requirements.And thank you for the laptop.”

“Truly the easiest part of our relationship.”I laughed.“If only everything else were so simple.”

“Like putting a ring on it?”

My breath caught in my chest.“Uh, yeah.”

“Give us until Christmas.That’s about six months from now.”He continued to look out over the ocean.

“Sure.”I could wait—would wait—forever.Whatever it took to make him happy.I liked the idea of formalizing things so he’d be taken care of, were something to happen to me.I blinked.“But I can be Wally’s otherdaddy?”

Finally, he turned his head to meet my gaze.“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Epilogue

Phillip

I stood proudlynext to James as Colin snapped a million pictures.

Okay, maybe not a million.

But so many that Jeremy just stood next to Arthur as they chuckled.

Jordan, who’d arranged caps for the graduation, beamed.“My best class yet.”

“Oh, you look so adorable.”Neil stood beside Sawyer, grinning.“Our own little graduation party.”

“A first for Safe Haven Animal Rescue.”Shane, Arthur’s assistant, also offered a massive smile.“Hopefully the first of many.”He held his glass of sparkling apple cider up.

Jeremy, always one to get into the spirit, clinked glasses.

At last, Colin appeared ready to put the camera down.

“Can I wipe this silly grin off my face?I think it’s frozen on.”I wrinkled my nose.

“You can’t freeze in one-hundred-degree temperatures.”James glanced down at me.“We did okay.”

In unison, we bent to give Widget and Wally scritches.They’d both sailed through the test with perfect scores.

Scott, too excited to wait a day, had texted me last night to reiterate that if Wally passed, the little guy was more than welcome at the library for literacy time.Basically, kids practicing their reading skills to very nonjudgmental dogs.

I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that my pooch would be thrilled.Kids?His jam.Friendly librarian?Also a favorite.He’d even endured Scott and Anthony’s toddler twins when we’d all arrived at the Fourth of July party at the same time.At first, I’d wondered if it might be awkward to see Anthony in a social setting.He’d been super chill, though, and Wally had become fast friends with the two-year-old terrors.

After I moment, I rephrased.With placid Zayden and rambunctious Alicia.

Macie, Darren, Raphael, and Thaddeus had shown up a few minutes later.

Raphael took one look at the twins, plopped onto their butt next to Wally, and joined in the general chaos.

Thaddeus wanted popcorn.