“Yeah, that’s a good girl. It’s okay,” Jill whispered. She knelt again, and Haley sat in front of her. “Let’s get you outside and away from all this noise.” Jill took the leash that was tucked away in a small pouch attached to the front of the cage. She hooked the leash on Haley’s red collar, and they walked out the back door.

They took a dozen steps in relative silence, as one could still hear muffled barks from the shelter. They also weren’t the only pair out walking the grounds. A few other volunteers had their own trusty sidekicks as they meandered around the dirt paths.

Haley sniffed her surroundings but stayed close to Jill’s side. She was calm but hesitant. Every few feet, she looked up at Jill making sure she was still there. She didn’t seem to mind the other dogs and their handlers.

Jill enjoyed time like this. She often used it to decompress from a difficult week at work, particularly if Harrison had been grating on her nerves. Typically, she left the shelter with a clear mind for the days ahead.

But today would not be a day that she’d leave with a clear head. She just knew it. She knew it because now that her brain had a chance to slow down after lugging around dog food, thoughts of Reagan and the tough words she’d spoken rushed to the front of Jill’s mind. Reagan probably hadn’t meant for her words to hurt, but they did. And that scared Jill a little.

She’d never given much thought to relationships before because she’d never felt any type of connection to anyone in the past. She knew her intense focus on her job was partly to blame for that. She needed to prove to Harrison that he should promote her into his role once he retired. And she’d do whatever she needed to make that happen.

So, why now? Why Reagan? She’d been wrong by assuming that Jill’s late-night texts were only so they could hookup. “Haley, they were late at night because I get home late at night. Do you think I should have clarified that?”

Haley looked up with her head cocked to the side. Her amber eyes looked insightful, but she offered no answers.

Not that Jill expected them. If she had, that would lead to a whole other set of problems she’d have to think about. And she already had enough on her plate as it was.

“What if I want a relationship? Is that crazy?”

Haley sniffed the ground in response.