Page 88 of Taming Georgia

She giggles and shakes her head. “Help me put everything away, and I’ll come over tomorrow and prepare it all.”

The two of us put away the food that Wyatt and I purchased and set up a Mexican buffet with the items she and Xavier brought.

She opens the lid to the pan on the stove. “Is this your dish?” she asks, curious.

“Yes, but don’t try it unless you want to vomit,” I warn.

She grabs a wooden spoon and gets a mouthful. “You’re silly. I’m sure it’s not that bad.” She closes her mouth around the pasta, and her eyes immediately bug out before she spits her mouthful into the sink. She waves her hand toward me. “No more cooking for you.” She holds back a gag.

“I told you!” I laugh.

Wyatt and Xavier pull the table and chairs from the kitchen into the living room so that we can all eat together with Ethel. Workers from the rescue and Paige show up, and we all dish up our food, filling the living room.

“I promise to only feed you takeout or Lucy’s cooking from now on,” Wyatt says across the table to Ethel, to which she smiles.

“Yeah, we’re sorry. We weren’t trying to kill you earlier. We really do love you.” I shoot her a wink.

She chuckles. “And I love you. I appreciate the sentiment. It’s the thought that counts.”

“Yeah, but our thoughts are no good. Our attempt would have you starving to death, so we need to let that go,” Wyatt says before tossing a freshly made corn chip topped with salsa into his mouth.

Luciana’s parents make the best tortilla chips and salsa in the world. I could live off them.

The room is filled with noise—laughter, voices, dishes clanging, and forks scraping against plates. There’s so much commotion, and yet it’s oddly peaceful because it’s incredibly joyous. I look to Ethel and notice the content smile across her face as she takes in the craziness in front of her, and I know she’s happy.

I’m happy. I love these people. I love this place. No one here is related by blood, and yet every single one of them feels like family. Family are those people who fill your life with joy, have your back, and love you unconditionally. Wyatt’s wrong when he says that he only has Ethel. He’s created a beautiful family with these people, one that’s stronger than most conventional ones. He’s very fortunate, and so am I because they love me, too.

27

“I want Wyatt—today, tomorrow, and always.”—Georgia Wright

Wyatt and I walk into the rescue the next day, hand in hand. I don’t offer to release our grasp, and neither does he. He officially doesn’t mind public displays of affection, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Who are we? This happy, well-adjusted couple with all of our hopes and insecurities laid out on the table. Our relationship seems so mature now. What a difference a week makes. It might have taken me losing Wyatt, me flying to another country, Ethel getting sick, and my tear-filled apologies, but we’re exactly where we need to be.

We spent the weekend helping Ethel get adjusted and attempted to kill her yesterday with our poisonous pasta. She’s still in pain from the surgery. I can see it in her face when she moves. But it was major surgery done a mere week ago, so some pain is to be expected. Overall, I think she’s doing great after her blood clot scare.

Luciana is heading over there today to cook and package up the rest of the meals we planned for her this week. So, she’ll be fed, and of course, we’ll stop by every day to check in on her.

I talked with Wyatt last night, and I’m going to start transitioning my belongings over to his house. We’ve only just gotten back together, but it’s different this time. There are no underlying fears and insecurities. For the first time in my entire life, I feel settled. I know exactly what I want, and I don’t need to jump on a plane to search for it.

I want Wyatt—today, tomorrow, and always.

I want this life, with these people, in this place. I want to go to bed every night in Wyatt’s arms and wake up each morning beside him. I want to go to work every morning to do one of the most devastating jobs I’ve ever done. I want to help these precious babies, even if it breaks my heart to do so, because I can. I can make a difference. I can save lives every day, and I can do it here with the only man I’ve ever loved.

Rescue work isn’t for the faint of heart; there’s no doubt. I’ve seen tragedy firsthand in many places all over the world, but there’s something about these animals that breaks me more than I thought was possible. Yet the moment a beaten-down dog realizes that he’s safe for the first time, the moment his scared tail wags, his desperate eyes find mine, and his forgiving spirit extends a tongue to kiss me in gratitude, it’s worth all of the tears because I know that this precious animal is safe. He will be happy, and he will be loved.

This place mirrors life in a way. Some don’t come by a happily ever after easily. Some have to fight hard for it, and some never get one at all. The ones that hold out for it the longest appreciate it the most.

Cooper passes us as we walk through the kennels, prancing like he owns the place, and Mila struggles in my grasp. I let her down, so she can chase her best friend, Cooper. I swear, that girl loves me and Wyatt, but that chubby, big-mouthed, long-tongued pittie is her absolute favorite. She would follow him anywhere.

I turn to Wyatt. He releases my hand from his grasp and brings both of his hands to my cheeks, holding either side. He kisses me, and I sigh into his mouth.

He pulls his lips from mine. “Have a good day, Peaches.”

“You, too.”

“I love you,” he tells me.

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