Immediately after returning from work, Ashley showered and set out for a walk in the park with Oscar. Kiera was already waiting for her at their usual meeting spot. They’d become friends, just like their dogs. They planned to meet for coffee the next day. As she drove back home, she reflected on her most recent conversation with Jerry, in which he had warned her that seeing Liam on a daily basis would be taxing on her, that managing her emotions would be difficult, and how correct he had been. Yes, spending each day with him was stressful and elicited feelings of anger, frustration, and disappointment in her, but unlike Cynthia, who had crumbled under strain, she knew how to manage her emotions, thanks to the training she had received at the ranch.
She took out her phone and discovered a
