“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