Page 69 of Forever & Always You
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Austin and I planned to spend the day in Charlotte, but we check out of the hotel after breakfast, toss our bags in the car, and hit the highway. You wouldn’t think there was a storm brewing, given the clear blue skies and blazing sunshine, but the nearer we get to the coast, the more the trees sway in the breeze. Nothing says the first of September like an impending tropical storm.
As we make it back to Wilmington, Austin asks, “Would you like to visit Teddy at the shelter before we swing by the hardware store?”
“Ialwayswant to visit Teddy,” I reply.
Fiona is always thrilled to see us each weekend, and today isno different. She’s lugging sandbags out of her van when we pull up, and of course, Austin is quick to take over. He builds a stack of sandbags by the front entrance of the shelter, then moves some outdoor seating inside the building. It’s all precautionary, but it does nothing to ease my growing anxiety.
“Will the dogs be okay?” I ask.
“They sure will!” Fiona says, tossing us a leash. “I’ll spend the night here to make sure the building stays secure. It’ll be one big slumber party.”
We make our way down the kennel block, saying hi to the familiar faces and hi to the new ones, and then retrieve Teddy, who seems to be our chosen one to always receive special treatment. We can’t help it; wedohave a soft spot for him, whether or not Austin admits it. Teddy’s sign now says he has been here at Saving Paws for nine hundred and eight-two days, and his sweet brown eyes make me crumble.
“Eighteen days,” I sniff, following Austin and Teddy outside into the exercise field.
“Eighteen days .?.?.?” Austin repeats in confusion.
“Eighteen days left to find Teddy a home before he has officially been a shelter dog for one thousand days.One thousand,Austin.” I fold my arms across my chest and pout my lips at him like it’s all his fault. “I can’t bear it.”
“Look at him! He’s happy,” Austin says, unclipping Teddy’s leash as he dashes off to pee on the fence and kick at the grass.
“He’d be happier on a couch. With blankets, and head scratches, and nibbles of cheese.”
“Everyonewould be happier on a couch with blankets and head scratches and nibbles of cheese.”
I sigh and drop to the grass. Strands of curls dance across my face in the breeze as I lean back on my hands, watching Austin play tug over a rope toy with Teddy before he joins me on the grass. It was in this exact spot he first told me he likes it whenI blush, and it’s theonlything I can think about whenever we come out here with the dogs. A core memory.
“Teddy!” Austin calls, patting the grass in the spot between us. Teddy immediately prances over and curls up into a ball, because much like me, he prefers relaxation over exercise. “Gabby is still fighting for you, buddy.”
“I am,” I say with a steely nod of grit and determination as I scratch behind Teddy’s ears. “I’ll find you a home, even if it means organizing adoption events monthly and dressing you up in cute outfits.”
“Maybe that’s something we should look into,” says Austin, and when I glance sideways at him, he’s gazing pensively across the field. He meets my eyes and adds, “Pierce Wealth Management sponsored adoption events each month. Different venues across the city. Good for business, good for the shelter, good for the dogs. And good for you, of course, because I’d obviously need to hire someone to oversee these events.” The corner of his mouth twitches, revealing a smile. “You clearly have a knack for marketing and event organization.”
“Oh, Austin,” I breathe, a grin stretching across my face, “that sounds amazing. I’d love to help! You wouldn’t think I major in economics considering how skilled I am in other areas. Clearly I was born to run events for dog shelters.”
Austin laughs and reaches for my hand, drawing it to his lips and brushing a soft kiss over my knuckles. “I’ll discuss it with Fiona next week. We’ll find Teddy a home, I promise.”
“Thebesthome.”
“The best home,” Austin agrees, patting Teddy’s head. “C’mon, then. We better get going before the hardware store sells out of plywood.”
“And before Walmart runs out of snacks.”
“Well,duh.”
We settle Teddy back into his kennel, bid farewell to the restof the dogs and Fiona, and hit the stores. We flick between radio stations in the car, trying to catch more of the storm reports, because quite frankly, both of us feel a tiny bit silly for being completely oblivious to the tumultuous forecast until now. This is what I get for only watching Marvel movies and listening to podcasts and ignoring the real world, because now we’re fighting over bottled water with strangers in Walmart and ramming plywood into the tiny trunk of Austin’s car.
There’s still no risk of the storm being upgraded, but after the sheer amount of destruction Florence caused as only a category one hurricane, no one takes any chances these days.Anykind of storm warning and people are battening down the hatches, just in case. Austin’s house is pretty secure already, but we spend the rest of the afternoon preparing, anyway. We lock our cars up in the garage along with all of the patio furniture from the yard, and I assist Austin by looking cute while holding a tin of nails as he boards up his windows. It’s pretty obvious the winds are strengthening as the evening draws closer, because each rumbling gust forces me to dig in my heels to maintain my balance. Just as we finish up and head inside, the clouds turn a threatening shade of gray and the rain arrives.
And I may hate storms, but it turns out I enjoy riding them out with Austin.
We cuddle together on the couch, blankets draped over us as the rain ricochets off the boarded windows andSpider Man: No Way Homeplays on the giant TV. Every weekend we spend together, I have the exact same thought: that I could live in this bubble forever, just Austin and me, with my head resting on his chest and his heart beating soothingly in my ear. Half the time, I find myself falling asleep like this. His arms feel so safe.
Not onlycouldI live in this bubble forever, Iwantto. I need to, in the same way I need oxygen.
I grab the remote and pause the movie. Kicking away theblankets, I swing my leg over Austin and settle into his lap, my hands pressed flat to his chest as I gaze down at his curious, but also confused expression. “What you said last night .?.?. about me moving in here with you?”
