Page 102 of September

“All of that is important, but, Gwen,youneed to be happy, too. If this money could help you start your business off right, the other things will come. Besides, your parents will give you more money when you get married.”

“Only if I do that by thirty-five, and I don’t like the idea of them dictating when I get married. If I want to get married at forty or fifty or never, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Sure, and I agree, but if you fall in love with someone and you two decide to get married and it happens to fall within that window, there’s more money coming your way for those future kids and grandkids. From what I understand, it’s even more than the first part of your trust fund. That’s what Archie said, at least.”

“It’s a lot more,” she replied. “But it’s not my money. I didn’t earn it, you know?”

“I would say you earned it by putting up with that crazy family of yours,” Elisa joked.

“By that definition, you should get a trust fund from my parents, too.” Gwen laughed. “They put you through some shit. Maybe I should just give you mine.”

“You keep it.” Elisa looked around at the house behind her and her own next door. “I’m good.”

“You are, aren’t you?” Gwen said, smiling at the woman who was more her sister than the one she shared blood with.

“Yes,” Elisa replied as her smile widened. “I love Myra. I love my kids. I love my house. I love my crazy dog. I think I’ll love this new job with Asher and Linden, and maybe even going back to school.”

“That’s amazing,” she said and looked at Carly, who was lying in the yard now.

Buster was lying down next to her, and Gwen pictured Juliet at her side, sitting in the chair and holding Gwen’s hand as they watched these dogs together. Then, she allowed herself topicture more for them: kids playing in the backyard.Theirkids. It was silly, really. She’d only known Juliet for a few weeks, which wasn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things, but thinking about that shared future made Gwen’s heart race. It made her long for that kind of life with someone, a real family.

She’d had a family, yes, and she’d had an upbringing where she wanted for no material things. If she needed a new coat or pair of shoes, she got them, and usually long before she needed them, because her mom wouldn’t want anyone to think that her children actually needed anything. She’d never felt that kind of love, though, which she’d been craving forever. Her parents had been the type to buy things for them, but those things never felt like love, and her siblings hadn’t seemed like the kind of siblings other kids had when Gwen was young and in school, going to parties and sleepovers and seeing how older siblings had been with her friends. Gwen’s older brother and sister had barely acknowledged her existence. Her younger brother, Grant, had always been nice to her, yes, but while there might have been some love between them because they were biologically related, it didn’t go beyond that.

Gwen wanted what Elisa had seemingly found for herself. She wasn’t jealous, necessarily; Elisa had to go through hell to get here. But Gwen was ready for her own house, her backyard with kids and dogs playing, and a woman she loved by her side.

“Hi!” As if on cue, Juliet appeared at the side gate and waved at them. “I just walked around back. Hope that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Elisa replied. “Come on in.”

Gwen smiled at the sight of her, stood up, and walked over to the gate that faced the street. Juliet walked through it and closed it behind herself.

“Hi,” Gwen said, leaning in for a kiss. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Yeah, me too.” Juliet smiled back and looked beyond Gwen. “Where’s Carly?”

Gwen turned and pointed to the dog, who had her eyes closed and appeared to be sound asleep next to Buster, who was doing the same.

“I wore her out, I think,” she said.

“I missed you today,” Juliet told her as she took her hand and rested her head on Gwen’s shoulder.

Gwen kissed the top of her head and said, “I missed you, too.”

“I had a bad day at work.”

“What happened?” Gwen asked, concerned.

“Can I tell you later? I’m starving. Want to get some dinner?”

“Yeah. We’ll just need to drop Carly off first,” Gwen said. “My place or yours?”

“Wherever you’re sleeping tonight.”

Juliet’s free hand moved around her middle, and Gwen wanted to smile because that sounded pretty good to her, but something was off with her girlfriend, and she needed to find out what before she allowed herself that kind of contentment.

CHAPTER 29

“Tell me,” Gwen encouraged.