Page 70 of Taming Georgia

“You sure you want me to do this on my own? You wouldn’t be more comfortable if you or Ethel sat in with me?”

I shake my head. “Nope. You’re ready. It’s a perfect job for you. You’re way more of a people person than I am. Plus, Ethel’s running late. You’re now here full-time, and all of a sudden, she’s become lazy.”

“Hey, she’s not lazy,” Georgia chastises.

“I know. I’m just kidding.”

“She deserves a few hours off here and there. She works so hard, and truthfully, she should be retired. She’s only here because she wants to help you.”

“She won’t retire. She’s too stubborn.”

“Well, there’s a lot of that going around.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me.

It’s just a quick peck at first, but then it deepens, as it always does. Georgia’s lips are irresistible. If I didn’t have a rescue to run, I’d be kissing them all the time.

She pulls away. “I have to go get ready. They’re going to—”

I capture her mouth with my own. My tongue delves deeper, wanting to savor her.

She steps back with a sigh. “I really have to.” She points toward the door.

“Fine,” I grumble.

“Later,” she promises.

“Later.”

Cooper wakes, lifting his head from the sofa to check everything out.

“Do you want to help, Coopie?” she asks Cooper in a high-pitched voice, the kind that people tend to use when speaking to dogs for some reason.

He jumps off the couch and prances out of the office behind her.

What a traitor.

I smile.

“I do love that sight.” Ethel startles me, jolting me away from my Georgia daydreams. “Wyatt Gates is smiling.”

“Whatever.” I turn toward the desk.

“It’s about time. I’m so giddy; I can hardly contain myself.”

“Well, please try,” I say dryly. “By the way, nice of you to show up.”

“I told you I’d be late. This lady needed some time to herself.”

“That’s fine. Take as much time as you need.” I look to her and notice that she looks more tired than usual. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s perfect.” She smiles.

Ethel has been over the moon since Georgia came back to work, even more so now that we’re a couple. It’s been a little over three weeks since I showed up on Georgia’s front porch with Mila and Cooper, hoping to fill a void that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t know what I hoped to accomplish when I showed up at her house, unannounced. But I knew I needed something. Deep down, I knew I needed her.

As much as I tried to convince myself that Georgia was no one important since high school, she’s never vacated my thoughts. It seems so silly that a girl I flirted with, copied off of in Biology class, and shared one kiss with could have such staying power. But she has. The way everything has played out makes me think that there’s another power at play. As much as I don’t believe in it, fate keeps coming to mind.

Our relationship is just shy of a month, and I’d be lying if I said I still didn’t have insecurities. The demons of my past continue to rear their ugly heads and make me doubt everything. Then, one look from Georgia brings me back from the darkness.

Despite what she says, I’m not an easy person to love. Yet she’s always here, patiently loving me.

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