Page 124 of DFF: Delicate Freakin' Flower

I shrugged, not even trying to deny it. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with them. They don’t like it when I leave the room.”

She picked one up, cradling her against her chest like a baby. “Sounds like they’re yours whether you planned it or not.”

I watched her then, really watched her—curled on the rug in her robe, holding a puppy, with that peaceful, glowing look on her face—and something in me finally clicked into place.

We were both home. Scratching the boldest of the puppy's stomachs, I had another epiphany: I hadn't planned for any of them, but they were all mine.

Chapter 39

Gabby

The dogs were a full-on disaster. A cute, wiggly, tongue-lolling disaster.

Raven, steady and proud on three legs, tugged at the leash like she was leading a tactical mission through downtown Winter Park. Meanwhile, Sage and Shelby—her two chaos goblin daughters—kept tripping over each other and trying to launch coordinated attacks on Webb’s shoelaces. The last one, Stella, was addicted to Webb and didn't mind nipping me if she felt I was hogging his attention.

“Shelby, no! Sage, you’re not supposed to bite your sister’s ear! Oh my God.” I was already laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.

Webb just grunted and tried to untangle himself from his latest tussle with Stella. “This is like trying to walk four gremlins on caffeine.”

I glanced down at Raven, who looked positively regal next to her unhinged children. “I still can’t believe you kept her.”

He shrugged his eyes on the puppies. “I couldn’t keep the raccoons.”

That made me stop mid-stride. “Excuse me?”

“Long story,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I had a moment where I thought I could tame them. I even gave one a name—Lancelot because he's a romantic knight for the ladies.”

I stared at him. “You named the raccoon?”

He grinned wider. “After the rescue, after the puppies… I don’t know. It just felt right.”

I shook my head, half in awe, half wondering how I’d fallen for a man who bonded with rogue animals and still had time to paint entire walls with professional precision.

As we turned onto a quieter street lined with boutique stores and cafés, I nudged his arm. “Can we go to the cabin soon?”

That made him stop and look at me curiously. “You wanna go back?”

“Of course. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, especially the bathroom.”

He burst out laughing, and I grinned. That bathroom had become a running joke and a silent promise between us.

“I made some updates to it while you were gone,” he admitted, his eyes twinkling. “Not gonna lie, it’s glorious now. Rainfall shower, heated floor, and Bluetooth speakers built into the wall. You’ll never leave.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You made upgrades to the sacred space?”

“Sacred doesn’t mean you can’t install tile you don’t hate.”

I laughed and bumped my shoulder against his. “I’ve thought about some changes too. But I really do love it there, it feels like ours.”

He softened at that, his eyes drifting ahead like he was already imagining us there. “It’s one of my favorite places, always has been. Gets me away from the noise and helps me breathe.”

We stopped to let the puppies wrestle near a low iron fence wrapped in ivy while Raven sat obediently beside me, tail wagging.

“I did set up a timed dog feeder outside the cabin, by the way,” Webb added casually. “I've put a camera on it and check it when I get alerts.”

I turned to him. “Wait, you’re feeding the raccoons remotely?”

He looked absurdly proud. “Yeah. It even unlocks with the app. Steve figured out if he stands on the little button, it dumps a whole bowl full of food. The only thing missing is expired sardines and cheese balls.”

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