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Molly twirls around in giddy circles around us before she settles on her dog bed in the corner.
The future I never imagined has only begun.
24
A Little Secret (Destiny)
Okay, so it’s probably pretty cheesy to say I’ve never been happier in my life.
There were always little pockets of happiness before. Moments I remember. Times I’ll never forget.
But with Shepherd, it’s different.
With him, all my smiles are condensed into one long beautiful moment.
Maybe because I’m an active participant in my own joy this time around.
Because this is the happiness I’ve chosen.
Every day I wake up and choose Shepherd Foster over and over again, and he's standing by with a thousand reasons why.
He makes my breakfast in the morning while I make his coffee.
We go for power runs on the beach with Molly. She nibbles at his shoes if we leave her next to his feet for too long, and he always just has a kind word and the sweetest chuckle.
He even helps with her training, drilling her through command routines with a tug rope in his hand or a pile of smelly salmon treats in his pocket.
That's definitely love.
I love my dog, but some of her snacks will send your gag reflex into overdrive.
Who knew stinky fish pellets could make a girl’s heart flip?
Every time I think I love him to my limit, I find out I’m flat-out wrong.
And my heart grows a little bigger, lost in the good times with my boyfriend and Molly, the dog runs and home-cooked dinners and three-hour ecstasies in bed that take me on a tour through every tier of heaven and send me gliding back home to his arms.
Holy hell.
My boyfriend.
I’m still getting used to that.
Once we wrap up all the police interviews and Adriana gets formally charged with the world's creepiest mugshot, Shepherd surprises me with a trip to Hawaii.
My family’s place is in Kona on the Big Island, so it’s nice to bum around Maui instead. We go diving and snorkeling, then we enjoy a sunset picnic on top of Mount Haleakala.
When I post snippets of my new life for my fans—which have exploded since the truth about our little near-disaster came out—I don’t hide anything.
I just wish Shepherd was a little less scowly when I drag him into a few shots.
What can I say, he’s man candy for my lady followers. I also don’t mind showing the whole world he’s mine.
I deserveoneindulgence after everything we've been through.
And I get one more when Shepherd practically drags me onto the ferry to Lanai one day for a sunset dinner overlooking a beach bursting with sea turtles.
“They’ve been an important part of your life,” he explains, reaching over to gently finger my turtle necklace. “If I’ve got to share you with anything that has a shell, I’ll damn well make sure you’re spending time with both of us.”
