I held Cherry up in front of me. Her head was almost entirely white, which meant the skin on her nose and around her ears was as pink as the rose she was named after. But maybe my favorite part of her—and all the puppies—was her belly. She was so round, like she’d swallowed an orange, except this particular belly was full of milk.
I stroked her for a minute, talking gently to her. Taylor said I should be holding and talking to them every day to get them used to being handled and to keep Violet from getting overprotective. She’d been great so far, though. She was completely chill about me holding her babies. I liked to think we’d developed a mutual trust.
Once I was finished with the puppies, I changed into an old T-shirt and jean cutoffs and tied my hair back to get to work. The new baseboards I’d installed needed painting. Even though Violet’s arrival had slowed me down, I’d still gotten a lot done in the two and a half weeks I’d been here. The renovations were almost finished, which meant I could start shopping for décor and knickknacks to turn this place into a vacation retreat. And since my dad was footing the bill, I was really,reallylooking forward to going shopping.
I finished painting the trim in the living room and had started working my way down the hall toward the bedrooms when I heard a knock at the door. Violet hopped out of her bed, dislodging several puppies who had been nursing. They howled their displeasure as she trotted down the hall, barking.
“It’s just Taylor,” I told her as I followed her.
Violet raced to the front door and stood there, her body tense and alert as she barked, waiting to see if friend or foe was on the other side of the door. I was on high alert too, but for different reasons. A happy thrill raced through me at the prospect of seeing Taylor again, along with a healthy dose of nerves, because what if it was awkward?
What if she regretted last night? There was plenty of room for regret since I was only here temporarily, and neither of us wanted to get hurt. Maybe I was still basking in the adrenaline rush of last night, but I didn’t regret a single moment. I opened the door to reveal Taylor standing there wearing a black backpack.
“I packed lunch,” she said. “But do you mind if we take it to go? I’ve got my dogs, so I thought we could make a picnic in the woods, if that sounds good.”
“I’d love that. Give me just a minute to put my shoes on and get Violet squared away.”
At the sound of her name, she poked her head around my legs, tail wagging as she caught sight of Taylor. Taylor stooped to pet her, and Violet licked her face enthusiastically.
“I’ve got everything we need in my backpack,” Taylor told me. “Just bring yourself.”
“Easy enough. Thank you.” I wanted to give her a quick kiss, but I wasn’t sure yet what the new parameters of our relationship would be, so I held myself back. Instead, I went inside to close the can of trim paint and change out of my paint-spattered T-shirt. A few minutes later, I headed out back to meet Taylor.
She was already down by the stream with Minnie and Blue. I felt myself smiling as I walked toward them, and Minnie came bounding in my direction, tongue out and filled with that effervescent enthusiasm she seemed to have in endless supply.
“Hey, Minnie,” I said as she reached me. “I missed you too.”
Minnie sniffed my legs as her tail swished, probably checking out the competition since she and Violet hadn’t met yet. I rubbed behind her ears, and my fingers snagged in her thick, fluffy fur. I’d forgotten just how shaggy she was, having gotten used to Violet’s sleek coat. After greeting her, I crossed the wooden bridge toward the hiking trail, where Taylor stood waiting with Blue at her side.
He reminded me a little bit of Violet with that quiet personality, but she was starting to come out of her shell now. She barked and spun in happy circles in the kitchen while I was making her food. I wondered if Blue would always be this solemn or if he came out of his shell too when he was at home with Taylor.
“A picnic lunch is an unexpected treat,” I said as I joined her, leaning in for a quick kiss before I could stop myself.
She kissed me back, reaching up to tug at a curl of my hair before she led the way onto the path. “I thought it would be fun, and these guys really need a hike.”
I laughed as Minnie dropped a stick at my feet. I really had created a monster where she was concerned. “Where are we headed? The gazebo?”
Taylor looked over her shoulder at me. “Actually, I thought we could spread out a blanket in our field.”
22
Taylor
I opened my backpack and took out the large plaid blanket I’d packed. Phoebe grabbed one side of it, helping me unfold it, but as we held it between us, Minnie dashed underneath, nipping at the fabric from below. “Minnie,” I chastised. “We aren’t playing a game. Go on.”
She darted out from under the blanket and grabbed her stick. We spread the blanket on the ground, and Minnie promptly leaped onto it, still carrying her stick.
“She’s enthusiastic. I’ll give her that,” Phoebe said as she sat on the blanket and gave Minnie a rub.
“She sure is.” I sat beside her.
Phoebe picked up Minnie’s stick and tossed it with a smile. The sun caught in her hair, making it glisten. Around us, the field was a dappled mixture of green and brown, with a smattering of red, purple, and yellow from the wildflowers that bloomed here.
This had always been one of my favorite places. I brought my dogs here often, but it felt so different today with Phoebe. Memories hung heavy in the air. When we’d laid on a blanket here together as teenagers, daydreaming about what our futures held, I doubted either of us had imagined this moment.
“Hungry?” I asked.
Phoebe nodded, turning her gaze on me. I’d thought she was gorgeous last night in her purple dress at V and V, but right now, in her tank top and shorts with no makeup and bathed in sunshine, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
