FSE

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David sat in traffic, tapping the steering wheel to the crooning timbre of Julian Casablanca's voice. He grunted, seeing the lanes pass him by on either side with no room for him to squeeze past them. The I-17 was one of the most dangerous roads in the country and he was desperately trying to get home. He was just a few exits away from Thunderbird. He just wanted to be home so he could change clothes. Their trip was tomorrow and the shepherd had work he had to do to make sure they were ready.

"Come on, asshole," he griped at the car in front of him. "Every other lane is moving. Let's go."

Finally, someone must have looked up from the phone long enough to realize that traffic was moving again. David bit his lip, his hand on the shift. He wanted nothing more than to speed home but impulses like that were why I-17 was so dangerous. Well, that and the plethora of wrong-way drivers late at night.

He tried to avoid it but construction made this the fastest way. And even with this traffic it was still the fastest.

When the handicapped plate finally got moving again, the shepherd put his car in motion, switching lanes towards the exit as fast as soon as someone was nice enough to let him in.

The rest of the drive was simple, but traffic was going to be a nightmare no matter where he went. Just one of those shitty things about life. The one consolation was that he liked his new job.

It took some doing, but David had finally got a job through a friend. They needed a network security coordinator and it wasn't the best, but it was better, dammit. That's what mattered to him. He felt like he was appreciated.

Jessica had a tougher time. Her boss firing her for doing her job was unjust but the downside of a right to work state meant that terminations could happen at any time. And there wasn't anything that she could do to stop it. But after a few months, she found another accounting job. It was a tough few months though, and David had gotten worried about her.

But in the early moments of the new year, David, Jessica, and little Katherine were going up to the Oregon Coast to visit Jessica's family. They'd never gone there together, and Katherine was thrilled to visit her grandparents. She'd been calling them up on Jessica's phone nearly every day, proclaiming her excitement.

David opened up the garage door, pulling inside. He'd barely parked the car when his daughter came running up to him, jumping up and down.

"Daddy!" she squealed, hugging him and pushing him to the car!

As small as she was, hitting the center mass like she could at that height still pushed him to the car. He grabbed her and lifted her up. She giggled, whisked off in her dad's arms. He hitched her on his hip and carried her inside. She clung to him close, the pup's tail thumpthumpthumping against his chest.

"Look at that handsome shepherd," Jessica said from the doorway. She had a pair of slacks on that hugged her hips and butt so nicely but the vest on her chest that accentuated her curves were what he loved most about that outfit on his wife.

"Careful, his wife might not like you flirting."

"Well," Jessica said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "His wife must be very lucky then!"

David didn't bother replying. He just kissed her and ignored the giggling of his daughter. On his lips were the taste of her and the feeling of her arms on him went around his neck. His hand on her hip and all he could do was enjoy that brief but not brief enough kiss.

"Where's my kiss, Daddy?" Katherine griped.

The shepherd laughed and kissed her cheeks and forehead, spattering her with affectionate pecks to the delighted giggling of the young Katherine.

"How was work?" Jessica smiled, taking his hand and leading him into the house. The toddler in his arms squirmed until he let her go and she went to the kitchen island, returning to her plate of mac and cheese.

"It was good," he said, undoing the top two buttons of his shirt. He sat down next to his daughter, getting struck by her wildly wagging tail. The pup beamed up at him. Jessica placed a salad down in front of him. The shepherd's ears dropped.

"I don't want to hear it," she told him. "We're going to get fat on my mom's cooking. You can eat a salad."

Grumbling a little, David took a few bites of his dinner.

"I'm gonna watch TV!" Katherine said.

"Okay, sweetie," David said, kissing her forehead.

Jessica shot him a look.

"She's been watching TV since she got home. She should take a break..."

He frowned a little and shrugged. "I guess. But let me have a bit of time with you first, okay?"

"Alright..."

"I can't wait until the construction is done. I hate how freaking slow traffic is."

"I know," the collie said. Jessica slid in next to him. "But hey, you're enjoying your job, right?"

"Yeah," David smiled.

"That's what matters," she said, leaning close. His arm went around her shoulders. She sighed into him. "I still feel so new at mine. I know I'm doing a good job but I'm just... I'm scared," she whimpered. "I don't want to lose this and be out of work again."

"Babe," David said. "You're doing great. Be careful but... I don't know. You're a strong, smart woman and you're working with better people now. Don't worry too much about that.

He looked at Jessica, her eyes drooping, still holding the fatigue of a tough few months. He kissed his wife's cheek and leaned into her.

"I'm just... I'm not sure that this is a long term thing or not. It's fine for now..." she trailed off and nuzzled into his chest. Her breath heaving out. When David looked down and saw her eyes, he could see that the wound of months upon months of rejection had not healed yet. She still expected the other shoe to fall.

"Worry about now. We can figure out the future later, okay?"

The collie frowned and took his hand. She kissed it, looking into his eyes.

"David," she whispered so low he could hardly hear her. She took his hand, lacing his fingers with hers and rested his hand on her stomach. She looked at him, eyes darting over his face, elation, fear, and love dancing over her eyes. The shepherd's ears stood up. His tail went still.

"J-Jessica..."

"I went to the doctor's today to confirm it," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Six or seven weeks along," she whispered.

David hugged her. He held her close to him, kissing her lips and resting his chin on her shoulder. She held him tight, clutching at him tightly.

"That's wonderful," he whispered. "Oh my God, we're having another baby," he whispered.

"I know," she giggled, wiping the tears from her cheek.

Looking down at her, seeing the beautiful woman he'd married... David just pressed closer to his wife and kissed her again. She melted, arms holding him close. It was a perfect moment, free of the worries in their minds and the fear of what lay ahead. They were together.

That's all that mattered

***

Traveling with a young child was a process. The pair spent most of that morning going through everything once, twice, three times. Each check was doubted and they had to make sure that Katherine had enough clothes, that they had the ID for Katherine handy... It was a headache. But the pup bounced ahead, wiggling all over the place as they waited at the gate. She got the window seat and gasped, looking down at the shrinking valley below. The one saving grace was that Sky Harbor was the easiest airport David had ever been in, so while it might have been arduous, it would have been far worse anywhere else.

To say nothing of the headache that DIA could be, something David remembered all too well from one of his trips for work.

The plane hit turbulence coming down towards Portland. Jessica took David's hand and squeezed it. She bit her lip and looked straight ahead. David kept her hand in his, rubbing it with his thumb. Katherine didn't seem to mind, however. The pup giggled and bounced with the plane. She grinned and squealed in delight. Jessica shot David a look and the shepherd just gave her a shrug.

"It's not too late to just leave her behind, right?"

"I'm sure they have a parachute," David said, loud enough that only she could hear it.

When the wheels finally touched down, Jessica let out a long sigh. She leaned back and splayed her ears.

"Made it," she smiled.

Katherine didn't lose her energy for an instant. She barreled forward, trying to hurry up ahead of everyone. Jessica just had to glare at her for the pup to shrink down and take her hand.

"Not in a crowded place. You know that."

"Yes, Mommy," Katherine said, not looking up.

David didn't fault Jessica for doing it. It was the right call and any parent would say the same thing. But still, the publicness of the incident left him with burning cheeks. He rubbed his head, catching the eyes of several disapproving parents who seemed upset at them for disciplining her at all. That was something he'd never understood. Loving a child meant loving them enough to teach them better. To expect them to learn on their own was neglectful.

Right outside of security waved an older couple. They smiled and Katherine tugged at Jessica's hand once before looking up at her. Smiling, Jessica let go and Katherine took off! She bounded towards her grandparents, screaming at them with no care for decorum. She jumped up and was caught by Jessica's father who laughed. The pup was passed between the two at least twice from one hug to the next before Jessica and David finally met up with them.

Seeing Jessica's mom Cheri gave David confidence that his wife would look beautiful forever. While age had weathered some of her youthful traits from her, it was obvious to tell by looking at her that she was stunning in her prime. But even so, she had a refined beauty. She was coming up on retiring from full time teaching at nearby Newport community college. It wasn't much of a school, but it served its purpose as well as anything could in the area around the Shoals.

Jon was another story. The closing of Cannon Shoals' lumber industry left the older collie in a loop. He'd worked in the industry for so long that when it closed down, he was in a lurch. Jon had barely scrounged enough to open up a small antique store that mostly survived on the fledgling tourist season that passed through in the summer.

Jon smiled at David and opened an arm up, quickly pulling him in for a hug. He squeezed him for a moment before he wrapped both arms around Jessica and squeezed her as tight as he could. The dog's tails wagged together in the reunion. David smiled at Katherine and Cheri, giving both of them a hug.

"How was the flight?" Cheri asked.

"It was okay. This little one," he poked Katherine's stomach. "Was giggling during the turbulence."

Katherine giggled, hiding her face in Grandma's shoulder.

"You weren't scared at all?" Cheri said.

"Nope!" the pup said.

"Lucky her," Jessica said behind them. She grabbed for David's hand and squeezed it once. "I was scared the whole way down."

"Well," Jon said. "It's a good thing you had such a brave little girl to keep you safe."

Jessica caught Katherine's eyes and smirked.

"But is she brave enough to fight off tickles?"

Katherine yelped and kicked, wiggling and trying to get out of her mom's reach. The maternal tease was soon let go and she kissed the top of her daughter's head.

Jon came over to the trio and reached for Katherine. "I'll go with Katherine to the car and you three can get the bags, okay?"

"Sure," David said.

Katherine was passed again between arms and she was speaking loudly to her Grandpa, telling him _all_about the flight.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with us? We don't mind giving up our room." Cheri said as they moved towards baggage claim.

Jessica and David shared a glance. It was very generous of them to offer, but David and Jessica didn't want to put them out of their own rooms like that. Neither one of them felt right about that. Besides, the Beachcomb Inn was hardly expensive. Jessica found herself tied inexorably to the Shoals. Every time she spoke about it, David could tell her fondness for the town. As small and as much of a dead-end as it started to turn into for her friends who'd long since left, she still seemed to love the quiet town.

So the drive into the woods, disappearing into the coastal fog that hung just below the road was a homecoming for her. And David kept spying glances at her from the other side of Katherine's car seat to see the grin on her face, etched in stone and carrying her spirits up. Though the official reason for taking the scenic route 101 was to show David more of the coast and to stop at a restaurant on the way, David suspected that much of this was for Katherine's benefit. She needed this trip most of all. After the tough year behind them, she needed that one glimpse of Americana, of small town charm, of a home that could still be home, a decade after she moved away.

So that was why the two of them wanted to take the time to come up here. It was the worst time to leave Arizona, to go to the freezing cold again, but if Jessica could be made happier by it, if she could smile a bit easier and feel a bit more at ease, than anything was worth that to David. It was his wife, after all. Who wouldn't sacrifice some comfort for the sake of their partner?

Highway 101 curved its way into town, following the flow and ebb of the beach below. On the other side, David could see a large dent in the steel of the guardrail to the water below. A few years ago, David recalled Jessica getting a phone call and curling up into him afterwards. So that must have been where Joan crashed.

The word from the in-laws was that Joan and the boy who all-but-ran the Beachcomb Inn were something of an item now so David supposed he'd see her for himself.

He couldn't be sure that she saw the scarred steel either, but her grip on his hand suggested that she had.

The Callier residence was a mid-century bungalow. Its paint was a faded green with blue shutters had seen better days. The gutters leaked on one end, with a spot of weeds sprouting up beneath them. Things like general housing maintenance didn't matter so much when food was the number one priority. Jon and Cheri were never in dire straits but the tightening of the belts that was promised to be a temporary setback had turned into a much more long-term pattern that Jon had postured.

It was easy for David to see the two of them and think that this was a strained relationship. But the easy smile the two of them wore and the gentle caress of thigh and hand and somehow, the collies were still in love. So few of his friends could say that their parents stuck together but Jessica and he could both attest to that.

It was weird, David guessed but weird could be good, right?

Katherine squirmed in her car seat, tugging at the seatbelt even as Jessica undid it. The moment her mom stepped out, the pup was out and running up to the house. She giggled, her tail wagging and whacking away the misting rain that fell. She looked back at Jessica and pointed at the house.

"This is where you grew up?"

"Yup!" Jessica said. "You're going to be sleeping in my old room that I had when I was your age."

"Yaaaaaay!" Katherine yelled, going into the house on Grandma's heels. She bounced from one side of the house to the other and David smiled, holding Jessica from behind, tugging her close to him.

"She's so cute," he sighed into her neck.

"Yeah," Jessica said. She put his hand on her stomach and leaned back into his touch. "Hope you're ready for more of that."

David laughed and kissed her cheek. "Absolutely."

***

David and Jessica didn't stay in the house long. Between the long flight and the drive from Portland into the Shoals, and dinner, the sun was nearly setting when they left with their bags from the hotel. Katherine was asleep almost as soon as she got into the house and Jon and Cheri were happy to give the couple some alone time. The Inn was close enough that Jessica and David felt compelled to walk in the brusque rain and soak in the moisture for a long moment.

With their bags over their shoulder, David was the designated mule for the trip but he held onto Jessica's hips on the walk in. He held her close, leaning his cheek on her forehead.

There's a saying about pregnant women glowing. And it wasn't like Jessica was luminous or anything, but she radiated and felt hot to the touch. Like their child in her womb was heating them both up. Jessica wore this cute leather jacket she hadn't worn since they got married and the added age and natural change in shape from the years made it cling to her more, hugging the curves that David was so obsessed with. But it was the jeans that hugged her butt so nicely he could swear she did it just for the reaction he was having.

They stopped for a moment under the streetlamp and David set the bag down. He held her hand in his hand and she did radiate. Her eyes shone and danced she did it just for the reaction he was having.

They stopped for a moment under the streetlamp and David set the bag down. He held her hand in his hand and she did radiate. She looked at him, face bursting out into a smile that radiated and burned into her cheeks.

"What?" she laughed, pushing at him.

He leaned down and kissed her and it didn't matter that they were on a sidewalk in the town she grew up in. They were there, together and he held her close enough that he could feel her body press and roll into his, filling up the negative space with his own.

She shivered when he pulled away, his hands on both sides of her head.

"I love you, Jessica. I know last year was tough but I know next year--"

"Don't say it. You don't have to say it," she said. Her fingers on his lips. He kissed them and then moved her fingers away.

"Next year will be better. We'll do better and it's going to be okay."

Jessica leaned into him, muffling her quiet sigh with his chest.

"I'm gonna get fat again."

"And?"

"It's gonna be gross again."

"And?"

"And you're just thinking about my boobs being bigger, aren't you?"

David smirked and tugged her back on the walk, leaning down to grab the bag.

"Well, not only," he winked at her.

She may have smacked him and grumbled at his statement but there was no denying that her tail was wagging like crazy for him.

The Beachcomb Inn looked out at the shoreline on one side. Those were, naturally the more expensive rooms. But expensive was a relative term in a town like Cannon Shoals. For people used to city living, this was hardly breaking the bank to have a view of the ocean. The Inn had a large stoneface on the front with two stories on either side of the lobby/breakfast bar combo in the middle. Built before the ADA guidelines were in place, it had no elevator, only exterior stairs for both the East and West wings in long hallways.

Inside the lobby sat a young squirrel at the counter. He sat up when he saw the couple, his face switching to customer-service mode the moment he saw the couple.

"Welcome to the Beachcomb Inn," he said, voice squeaking just a tad. His nametag said Zach and his ruddy fur stood out in the eggshell white of the wall behind him.

"Oh, my God!" Jessica squealed. She smiled at Zach, whose face turned into confusion. "Zach Leon! I remember you when you were this high." She put her hand to her thigh.

The squirrel looked over her, brow furrowed in thought. He shook his head slowly.

"Sorry," he said. "I don't remember yo--" he froze and recognition flashed over his eyes for a moment. "Jessica Callier? Oh w-wow. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine, thanks. I heard you and Joan are a thing now," Jessica smiled at him.

The squirrel's ears twitched. David heard the slightest grunting noise. He bit his lower lip, knowing exactly what had just happened.

"Y-yeah," Zach said, leaning forward over the counter.

"Good for you. She was my favorite girl I babysat when I lived here."

"Yeah," the squirrel said, eyes darting down and then back up quickly.

"She's a good girl though."

"Yeah..." Zach mumbled. "D-do you two have a reservation?"

"Yeah," David smiled. "It'll be under Mendez."

The transaction was quick and David was sure the squirrel was mortified beyond all belief but as soon as the dogs had the keys to their room, they were on their way, but not before Jessica looked back at the squirrel.

"Have fun with Joan under the counter," she said, tail swaying slow behind her as she walked out of the lobby.

David heard the smallest choking noise right as the door closed behind them.

"That was terrible," he grinned, poking at her sides with his fingers. The collie wiggled and pushed at his chest.

"They're not hurting anything. Besides. She kept going when we were there! Was I supposed to just ignore that?"

"It'd be the nice thing to do."

"God," Jessica smiled, climbing up the stairs with David's hand in hers. She tugged him up the last step. "Can you imagine being that young and impulsive again?"

The shepherd shrugged a little and waited for Jessica to unlock the door.

"Like our rooftop tryst?" he offered.

"Or that time you ate me out when I was on the phone with my mom," she smiled, turning the latch and opening the door. He set the bags down and they stepped into the hotel room, door still open.

"Mmm. We've had some great times, haven't we?" he said, pulling her against him.

Jessica's hand ran along his bicep and she licked his cheek.

"You say that like the good times are over!"

"Nah," David said. "As long as we're together, we'll have good times."

Jessica smiled and stood up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"I saw the bars on the way in. Want to go down to Three Sheets?" David offered.

"And get fleeced? Nah. Annie's is better. If you don't mind drinking Shelley puts down in front of you and thanking her for it."

"Weren't there like, four bars on the way in?"

"And?"

David shrugged, accepting the fate his wife had decided for them.

The walk down there was quiet. They settled into a rhythm of quiet sighs and leaning against one another. The quiet intimacy of twelve years together. They were as close as they could be and talking didn't seem to matter so much as being together.

At one point, Jessica took David off the path of the road and they walked out to a small outcropping. From there, the waves of the ocean crashed on the rocks below and the couple were sprayed by the mist of the water. They giggled and just sat there, watching the moon lighting the water. They stayed like that, David's arms around Jessica's his head on hers and they both sighed, enjoying the moment of peace together. Jessica squeezed his hand.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too."

Annie's, to be polite about it, was a dive. Customers who went there didn't go there for the ambience or the crowd. They went because it was familiar, cheap and predictable. Shelley, the bar's sole employee and owner, gave a grunt of acknowledgement when David and Jessica came in. There were a few different people around, including a coyote who gave a wink to Jessica before David put his arm around her possessively.

The drinks they had were terrible, and despite being cheap, David still had half a mind to ask for his money back, but Jessica was beaming. She swayed to each one-hit wonder from the past thirty years that played over the crackling stereo. David smiled, seeing this freed version of his wife.

"You're never this happy," he mused.

"We had a tough year. Let me be happy," she griped.

David didn't argue. The year was tough of both of them. The job hunt took a lot of Jessica and she became biting more often than she cared to admit. It was hard to go from feeling like she had a purpose and contributed, to feeling... like she didn't. Jessica took a lot of pride in spending time with Katherine and keeping the pup happy and entertained, but she wilted at being underutilized.

So to see this smile, this, grin and freedom in her eyes again was worth it. Even with the coyote taking glances at her butt and nodding in appreciation when David caught him.

Jessica was back to herself! More than that, she was this new, vibrant version of herself that David only barely recalled from their early dating years. Things had simmered and bubbled now and then but seeing here this free and open made David regret coming down here at all when he could have had her in the hotel room all to himself.

The door opened and Jessica turned to see who walked through. David watched as she shot back ahead, eyes wide. Her hand covered her face, trying to obscure herself from the newcomer.

"What?" David laughed quietly.

"That's Danny," the collie whispered.

David glanced up again.

Walking into the bar was a Stoat. He held himself tall and was rather strong for someone of his species. He wore a snug-fitting police uniform and took off his hat as soon as he came in. The shepherd's ears dropped a bit when he caught his eye.

"The fuck you looking at?" he grumbled. "Scout!" he yelled.

"What?" The coyote at the bar said.

"Why didn't you these two yokels they're in my seat?" Danny said. He stepped between David and the coyote, glancing from one to the other.

"They didn't seem to be doing much harm," the coyote, Scout, said.

"Hrmph," Danny grunted. He sat on the other side of Scout and picked up the beer the moment Shelley put it in front of him.

"Danny?" he finally whispered to Jessica. "You mean that's the guy you used to date?"

Jessica's ears drooped slightly.

"Y-yeah," she said.

"Huh," David smirked at her. "Never told me he was a stoat."

"You never asked," she mumbled.

"Not that it matters, it's just... you're such a knot-queen."

"I am not!" she said, a little louder now.

"Absolutely are. You're all about big knots tying you and keeping you--"

"Jessica?" Danny said. He stood up from his seat and looked over at the couple.

"Hey, Danny..." the collie said.

He sauntered over slowly, beer in his hand and looking her over. Taking her in and getting a long, good look at her. He scratched his stomach a little bit. But he seemed to really focus on her body before nodding at her.

"You look good," he said.

"Thanks. How's the Shoals been treating you?"

"Eh. Same ol' tourists coming in and making a mess of the place. I have to clean it up when they do. Some idiots had a fight over in Three Sheets tonight."

"Yeah, well Three Sheets is a shitty place."

"Damn straight," the stoat said.

The silence hung in the air for a minute, David glanced from one to the other. There wasn't any tension that David could tell, he knew that they weren't an item for long, but it was still weird to see the two of them together. The history there that was shared that David could never fully comprehend. He didn't grow up in a town as small as Cannon Shoals. He'd never know what it was like. Not really.

But Jessica took David's hand and brought him into the conversation finally.

"Danny, this is David. My husband."

Danny looked at David. He looked down and back up, nodding his head before putting his hand out.

"David," the stoat said.

"Danny," the shepherd said.

They looked at each other for a moment, shaking hands before Danny looked back to Jessica. His eyes had a gleam of something that David, instinctively, didn't trust. He looked at her much like Scout had, but with more... longing. If he had to guess, David might have thought that he still had a thing for Jessica still.

"In town for long?" The stoat said.

"Just the weekend."

"Well," Danny smiled. "Nice to see you again."

"It was good to see you too," she smiled.

"Care for a game of pool, you two?"

David opened his mouth to say something but Jessica spoke first.

"Sure, that sounds like fun."

The pool table was...

Broken is too good of a word for that table.

Tilted on one side, the green fabric was scuffed and taped down in other places and David was pretty sure that the doubles game between the Mendez' and Danny and Scout was a farce. The two cops were wiping the floor with them and they kept glancing at Jessica's ass when she leaned over. David could tell they were saying something about her but every time he looked at them, they quieted down.

"We could make this interesting, you know," Danny said.

"Oh yeah?" Jessica grinned, leaning into the table. David saw her shirt drop just enough that Danny got a good look at her cleavage.

"If Scout and I win, we get a turn with you each."

David stared at the two of them. His stomach dropped and he saw Jessica step forward, closer to the stoat.

"And if we win?" she said, her voice breathy.

"Then you get a turn with each of us," Danny said. "Just like old times, Colliebitch."

David's jaw tightened. He stepped forward, taking Jessica's hand and pulling her from the bar. He didn't even notice how hard he was yanking on her.

He could swear that he heard Danny and Scout snickering as the two of them left.

Jessica griped at David as they left the bar. She pulled at him and growled low enough to make the shepherd pause. They moved beside the building, in the darkness afforded them by the alleyway.

"What the hell was that?" the collie said.

"Remind me. Who was Danny?"

"You know this. He's the guy I dated in high school."

"So he's... He was your first then, yeah?"

Jessica frowned at him. She pushed her back to the bricks and sighed into the cold night air.

"Yeah, David. He was my first. 16 years ago, I fucked him. Is that what you wanted?"

The shepherd frowned. He looked down the alleyway and then back to her.

"I just..." his hands went to hers.

"Oh my God. David. Are you jealous?"

"I mean," he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I guess, I was just expecting him to be scrawny and a bit dorky or something."

"David, come on. You can't tell me that you're seriously feeling threatened by him."

"He's hot," David shrugged. His shoulders were heavy and barely even rose.

"And so are you. Like, where did this come from? I've never seen you insecure like this," Jessica said, squeezing his hand.

"I dunno, I guess that seeing him in person is different than hearing about him."

"But you know that I've been with you for 12 years."

"Yeah..."

Jessica shook her head. Grabbing David's head, she pulled him into her lips and kissed him hard! Her tongue pushed into his mouth and she ran her hand down his shirt and into the denim. He grunted in surprise but the grip that she had on him was hard and demanding of attention.

"So listen up, babe. I chose you. I will choose you again and again. So if you want to be jealous, fine. Take out that jealousy on me," she licked her lips and kissed the nape of his neck. "Because I'm yours, not his!"

David grabbed her hips and the two moved in unison. Jessica pulled him against her at the same moment he ran his hands up her shirt. She shivered and her voice caught when a light bite pressed into her neck.

David had his hands busy on her jeans. He was numb to the world and its cares. He was alone with Jessica. They were lost in the void of each other, everything was a haze so that each tough and tuft of fur on the partner was felt stronger than normal. It was a heightened state of being as they lost each other into the touch and caress of one another.

David grabbed her wrists and held her against the brick. He pushed his body against hers. She was at his mercy, his prey, his toy. But before she could be subject to the spell his hips could cast, she wrapped a leg around his. Their hips were close, denim the sole thing that stopped this display from being anything else.

"Get your pants down," he growled into her ear.

It was a funny thing to see. Jessica's eyes worked through his statement. They were private enough but not nearly private enough to not be risky. She weighed his words, thinking about them and it played out over her face so obvious to her husband that she hadn't even said yes before he pulled his own zipper down. Jessica cupped his cheek with her freed hand.

"God, David," she whispered. Her hand reached out to his wrist. She led him into her pants. His hand pushed down into the heated confines of her panties. The space between her thighs was warm and the skin was warm to the touch and getting wet for him. He pushed the heel of his hand into her mound and she shivered.

"It's so f-fucking hot to see this side of you," she mumbled into his neck.

"What side?" he cooed, putting her hand on his boxers. She grabbed the tip, squeezing it through the fabric and stroking it slowly. She grinned at him. And tugged. And then he was free. His cock was out and they had crossed the point of no return. This was going to happen. They were going to fuck. Here! In the alley beside Annie's! Jessica grew up here and she was being fingered by her husband.

"The side," she managed, mind fuzzy with lust and need and adoration. "That knows what I want before I know I want it. You just know me. Know me better than anyone else does."

David turned her around. Her face was pushed against the slick, cold of the brick. And on the other side, warmth was against her. David didn't pull her panties down, the bastard was pulling them to the side. Her breath caught when he pushed his cock into her!

"You're damn right I know you better." He grunted in her ear. He pushed his hips forward. They crashed and he had filled her up. She was hilted on her husband's cock in two thrusts! She was always ready for this; for him, her body had made sure that he would always be welcomed.

"You're my good girl, aren't you?"

Jessica' s tail swayed. She pressed back to him and clenched around him. Her body squeezing the invading cock tight. Her whole body accepted him and took the harsh thrusts from him in stride.

"Y-yes," she panted.

David laughed and pushed his hips into hers. The collie whimpered when his claws dug into her ass. She pressed against him, back against his chest.

"H-harder," she slurred.

The shepherd smiled and let his body go through its course. He was happy to fuck her properly. His cock pushed deep and pulled to the absolute limits of 'in.' But there was no respite, no chance for them to catch their breath. Each time Jessica found her lips gripping David's cock, pulling at it in nature's way of keeping him interested. Nature had a way of keeping a breeding pair together, lips that grip and knots that tie. But Jessica wanted ...

"More!" she whimpered. "Don't make me get Danny out here."

David growled. He tugged on her tail and her hair. Jessica yelped and her body went rigid. Her body was held up, like a toy. Like a breeding bitch. He was hard, claws digging in and hips crashing. The sex was no longer slow or tender. They had surpassed that to a more animalistic view of it. And Jessica's body was in heaven. Her body moved with his and rocked in tempo with his. She was the piano to his forte, and her decrescendo was David's crescendo. It was a simple matter.

Neither one of them needed_to be strong in all areas when the other could make up for their short comings. They were made for each other. It wasn't as if she needed David but God _damn did it feel amazing to have him! She was his thing, his toy, his lover, his friend, his confidant, his release valve when work sucked, his complimentary color. They weren't two halves a whole, they were a whole that made the other better by their influence. And Jessica knew that she was safe with him.

And David could get jealous of Danny, or any guy that she ever talked about, but Jessica didn't even fantasize about anyone but him. She had eyes for him. And him alone. That was why she stayed through everything that had happened. Why she was still happy with him twelve years of being together and for twelve, twenty-four, and on and on years more.

She loved him.

Not just because he knew every square inch of her. Not just because he could knot her and have her cumming until the sun came up. Not just because he was the father of their beautiful daughter.

Because he was her best friend.

And in that moment, with a jealousy-fueled shepherd pounding into her, rocking her body into the wall, her lips clamping down as her body went stiff with pleasure all at once, Jessica's mind went blank and she went numb while David kept at it, like a deer in a rut.

"You're getting this knot when we get back," he growled. She shivered and felt him throb inside, a pulse that almost hurt her. He pulled back and David stuffed his cock back into his jeans.

"Mmm. You didn't get off," Jessica managed, using a hand to keep herself up to the wall.

"I'll get off as soon as we get back to the hotel," David wrapped an arm around her hips and kept her still until she was on steady feet.

Jessica turned around and kissed him, holding him close. Her arms around his neck and letting their lips meet in that beautiful moment together. His hands worked on her panties and pants to get her back to respectability.

"I love you, Mrs. Mendez," David mumbled between kisses.

"I love you, babe," Jessica managed, resting her head back on the wall. "Mmmm, damn."

"Damn is right," the voice of the stoat said.

Danny walked into the alleyway. He leaned on the wall with a shoulder, picking a tooth with a toothpick.

"Loud yuppies, ain't ya?"

"I grew up here, Danny. I'm not a yuppie," Jessica reminded him.

"Whatever you say, Jess."

David frowned at him, his arm kept on her hip.

"Relax, Davey. If I wanted to get you two in trouble, I'd have done much worse."

"Enjoy the show then?" Jessica grunted, taking a step forward.

"I did. But that's not why I'm here..." He glanced up at David. "Can I have a moment alone?"

David opened his mouth but Jessica jumped in.

"Anything you say to me; you can say to him too."

Danny shrugged and scratched his cheek for a moment. "

"Alright. Well. I'm sorry, Jessica. I was just having fun back there. Didn't mean nothing by it."

"Are you... Are you apologizing? Danny Hayes? I think I need to sit down."

"Yeah, well... Been doing some thinking. And I hurt you pretty bad back in the day. I was a dick and I'm sorry for what happened between us."

Jessica blinked. She rocked back onto her feet before moving forward.

"Thank you," she squeezed David's hand, looking back at him, and then back to the stoat. "I forgive you, Danny. But we need to get back to our hotel."

Danny smiled and patted Jessica's shoulder.

"Good seeing you, Jessica," he said.

"Yeah," Jessica said. She started walking but before David could follow her, a hand pushed on his chest.

"Take care of her, yeah?" he said.

David looked at the stoat, searching his eyes for a moment before nodding his head.

"Yeah. I will."

***

Jessica slid out of bed in the morning. She stretched and felt her back pop at several places. She sighed low, enjoying the sudden release of pressure. The collie was naked as she padded her way to the bathroom.

David was fast asleep when she came back out. He sat there, naked, beautiful and so peaceful. Part of her wanted to wake him up and have a nice, slow fuck before they started the day. But he was so peaceful like that. Jessica slipped clothes on and let the shepherd sleep after the exertion from last night.

The collie stepped out into the early morning air and exhaled, her breath floating away on the cold air, broken up by the drops of rain that still fell. Being back here, seeing the ocean and smelling that air again, was rejuvenating. This was where she was born, where she lived. Even if you leave Cannon Shoals, there's no escaping it. Not really.

In the lobby sat a familiar border collie, sipping a cup of coffee and eating a store-bought Danish. She glanced up at the jingle of the door, smiling before realization dawned on her and Joan Findlay tried to cover her face, as if that could stop Jessica from recognizing her.

The collie went to the bar and grabbed a paper cup, filling it up with coffee and humming to herself.

"Morning Joan," Jessica said, her back still the collie behind her.

Turning around, the two shared a look. Jessica was smiling, happy to see an old friend, someone she was once close to. Joan was still flushed with recognition. She squirmed when Jessica sat down next to her, eating one of the Danishes herself.

"Jessica," she managed.

"Let's get this out of the way," the older collie said. "I don't care what you were doing with Zach. Honestly. He's a cute young man and you're..." she paused for a moment to think about the age for a moment. "26, right?"

Joan nodded.

"You're an adult. I'm not going to stop you. I don't care what you're doing as long as you're happy."

Joan breathed out slowly. Her lips curled into a smile.

"Thanks."

"Of course. It was a little mean of me to say that last night, but I wanted to say hello to you and I couldn't interrupt that."

"Y-yeah," Joan stammered, looking down and then back up. "Don't tell anyone though. I don't want him to get in trouble. It was my idea. He was a little stressed with some of the business things and we didn't think anyone would be coming."

"Joan, I got fucked in an alley by my husband last night. I have no room to judge you for that."

Joan's face burned red but she smiled too, laughing a little bit.

"Your husband is really cute."

"Yeah, well. Zach came out of his awkward years better than I expected. You happy?"

Joan paused. She shrugged at first but then stopped and nodded her head. It was slow at first but then faster, more vigorous.

"Yeah. I'm happy with him. He's... I definitely love him," she said.

"I do need to talk to you though. This is serious."

"Jessica," Joan started. "I don't need The Talk."

"No," Jessica laughed. She snorted and bit her lip. "I'm not going to do that you. But I need to talk about your accident."

The room was quiet. Just the two of them with Joan looking down at her plate and closing her eyes, squeezing them tight as if she could force Jessica away if she stayed like that for long enough.

"Oh."

"No. I need you tell me about this, Joan. Please," her hand found the younger collie's and they shared a long look. They two of them were back in Joan's house and under a blanket fort. They were telling stories and things had melted away. Joan bit her lip and leaned back, frowning up at Jessica.

"It wasn't an accident. I tried--" Joan's voice caught. Jessica put her hand on her arm.

"You don't have to say it."

"So... Yeah. That was a few years ago now. It's... It's fine, Jessica," she said. "I'm on medication now and I'm feeling... better. Not always, but more often than not."

"Why didn't you try to leave? If you were that unhappy, why didn't you just run?"

Joan bit her cheek and laughed.

"That's not easy to do. And you know it. This stupid town isn't easy to escape. We're all asteroids here, caught up in each other's orbits. You try and get out and you're pulled right back by something, by some_one_. Look at you. You came back. You're still connected to this town. There's no escaping--not really. You can leave and pretend like it's not true, but Cannon Shoals isn't just a town, it's an identity. This place is too small for us to be ever free from that."

Joan sighed and nodded her head. She reached out and took Jessica's hand.

"I know. I know how tough this place is to live in. I know everyone here just scrapes together the best they can. And you're doing great. I just wanted to let you know that I may have left, but I'm not gone. You still matter to me. You were always important to me, as stupid as that sounds. So if you need something, even just a place to crash."

She let go of her hand and took a sip of her coffee.

"You have friends that will do that for you."

Joan smiled, but her eyes weren't joining that look. Jessica couldn't blame her for that.

"No matter what," she said. "Take care of yourself. My one advice to you as someone who's been where you are before. Love yourself. Learn to love yourself for who you are and what you can do. It's the best way to stave off those thoughts."

A loud crash of water against the rocks had both collies glance over to the window. The waves were crashing and the wind seemed to be getting rougher before them. Joan's hand was in Jessica's.

It may not have been enough; it may have been just enough. There was no way of knowing. But Joan's life was in her hands and the best that Jessica could do was to show that support. Whether or not she would listen was up to her. Because that's what life was in Cannon Shoals. You either stood up to the crash of waves, the blow of the wind and let them roll over you, shaping you but not defining you. Or you crumbled, and let yourself get swept away beneath the torrent.

And the only way that Jessica could see to stay strong was together.