"There's nothing wrong with expressing your emotions, Mr. Zimmermann," I tease him as he slips his hand into mine. "In fact, it's extremely healthy. If you feel like crying, you should let yourself cry. Plus, it's kind of hot when you're all vulnerable."

It's not a real argument by any means, even if I mean every word of it, and my grin widens when we reach the gate holding the pups in. Jack, being the giant softy he is, frees them and is almost immediately bowled over by Macha and I reach down to scratch the top of her head as the sniff and lick all over Jack's face.

"Oh, I showed them," I promise him, moving my scritches to Shannon when he insists with a flip of his nose. "They even helped me pick out the photo. It's their favorite one, too."