Taming Georgia (The Flawed Heart Series) Read online

  “You’re a breath of fresh air, Georgia. Promise you’ll come back tomorrow?” She chuckles.

  “Of course. I told you over the phone, not much scares me.”

  “Okay, you remember that.” She shoots me a wink as she opens the office door. She whispers, “He can come off as a real ass, but he has a heart of gold. You’ll warm to him, I promise.”

  The man standing behind the metal desk raises his stern stare to meet mine and says, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  I’m going to have to tell Ethel, that’s one promise she won’t be keeping.

  3

  “I could spend the rest of my life never interacting with humans again.” —Wyatt Gates

  “It’s okay, baby girl. No one’s going to hurt you.” I make shushing sounds as I pet our new pup’s head.

  She’s ready to pop out a litter any day, and she’s still just a puppy herself. She’s also extremely malnourished, so she might be a little older than she appears.

  Different day, same shit.

  I’ve been in the rescue business for years, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. There aren’t any fewer dogs in need. I don’t know what it’s going to take for people to learn to care for their animals.

  After we’ve sat idle for a few minutes, allowing the pregnant pup to calm her nerves a little, I turn off the ignition.

  “Ready to go in, eat something, and get cleaned up?” I ask her in a soft voice.

  “Easy, Coops,” I say when I see my big boy barreling toward me.

  He immediately stops and allows me space to get the crate situated, so I can let the new girl out into her kennel. Cooper is a bull in a china shop; that’s for sure. Yet he’s so good with other dogs. He knows when to back off.

  After I’ve given the new girl some food and water and closed her kennel door, Cooper jumps on me, knocking me to my butt while attacking me with his kisses.

  “You’re such a brute,” I tell him through a chuckle. “Down, Cooper. Down.”

  He sneaks one extra-long tongue swipe against my cheek before hopping off me.

  “I missed you, too, dude,” I tell him.

  I find Ethel filing paperwork in the office and give her a rundown of the rescue.

  “You should’ve taken Xavier or one of the guys with you. You’re lucky you caught her,” she chastises me.

  “Xavier was cleaning kennels when I left. There’s too much work around here and not enough workers. I couldn’t spare him. Besides, I knew I could get her.”

  “You only say that because you got her. Had she gotten away from you, it’d have been a different story.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, our new volunteer showed up today. I think she’s going to be around longer than a day.”

  “You sure about that?” I laugh, thinking of the past dozen volunteers who never returned for their second shift.

  “I am. She seems like a tough one.”

  “They all do…at first.”

  “She’s different.”

  “If you say so. Where is she now?”

  “Out walking Skye.”

  “All right. Bring her up to meet me when she gets back. I’ll play nice.” I press my lips into a line.

  “You’d better be nice, Wyatt. We have a hard enough time keeping good help around here as it is. I don’t need you scaring the girl off.”

  “I said, I’ll play nice.”

  “Well, considering that you don’t have the best track record regarding your people skills, excuse me if I’m leery,” she huffs.

  “What do you mean? I’m great with people. Ask Xavier. He and I get along just fine.”

  “First of all, it took you a year to say more than three words to Xavier. Secondly, he enjoys idle conversation just as much as you do. So, I wouldn’t call you butt buddies.”

  “Who said anything about butt buddies? I said, we get along.” I shrug.

  “Just be nice. It wouldn’t kill ya.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I say with a grin.

  Ethel sighs with a shake of her head as she walks away. “You’re going to die alone, Wyatt.”

  “Hey, I’ll have my dogs,” I call after her.

  A few minutes later, I look out the office window to see who must be the new girl bending down, petting Skye.

  I roll my eyes. Nice, Ethel. That woman is ruthless in her pursuit to find me a woman—one that I’ve told her time and time again that I don’t want.

  Ethel pulled out all of the stops with this one, too. Just from what I can see, the new recruit is not lacking in the looks department. She’s average height and thin with a taut, round ass. Her long blonde ponytail sways against her back. It appears she’s laughing with Skye.

  I can’t say that I don’t appreciate that.

  Unless her face is completely unfortunate—which I highly doubt—I’d say she’s quite fine. Not that it matters. I’m not looking for a two-legged companion regardless of how gorgeous she is.

  I shake my head. “What are we going to do with Ethel?” I ask Cooper. “I told her that I have you and that’s enough. But she won’t listen, will she?”

  Cooper cocks his head to the side. His left ear perks up as if he’s taking in every word I say.

  “It doesn’t matter, right, boy? She’s not going to last more than a day. Two, tops. No one that pretty is going to be content with shoveling dog shit for free.”

  Both of his ears rise, and he whines.

  “You like her, do you? Well, that doesn’t account for much. You like everyone.”

  I look down at my desk to see the line of Post-it Notes that Ethel has scribbled my messages on. They have a striped cat in the top corner, and next to the annoying creature, it reads, You’re purr-fect.

  Seriously, Ethel?

  The office door opens, and I turn my attention to Ethel and the new volunteer standing at the entryway.

  My brows knit tightly. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  My face feels stone-cold despite the rush of blood that’s rising with my annoyance.

  Georgia stands tall with a hard stare, evidently not happy to see me either.

  I sneer, shaking my head. I never thought I’d see her face again. I hoped I wouldn’t.

  “Is it safe to say that you two know each other?” Ethel looks between the two of us in a way that makes her curiosity evident.

  “No,” I say at the same time Georgia says, “Yes.”

  “No,” I say again. “She doesn’t know me.”

  Georgia places her hands on her hips in one quick motion. “Oh, but you sure pretended to know me.”

  “I do know you.”

  Her blue eyes lock with mine, and pure disgust lines her features. “You don’t know anything about me, Wyatt Gates. Not a damn thing.”

  “Why are you here? Is the little rich girl bored? Are you trying to prove something? Did you look me up?” I spout off questions in rapid succession.

  She throws her head back in dramatic fashion, expelling a huff. “That’s amusing.” She turns her attention to Ethel, and the hatred on her face softens. “I’m going to get back to work. Let me know when you’re ready to give her that bath.”

  “I knew you’d only last a day. Feel free to leave early!” I call out to her as she exits the office.

  Ethel closes the door once Georgia’s out of the room and turns to me. “What was all of that about?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It was something. That’s more than you’ve ever spoken to a volunteer, though I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the words coming from your mouth.” She stares disapprovingly.

  “I went to school with her. I don’t like her.”

  “What does that matter? You don’t like anybody, but you’re never like that.”

  “She’s not a good person, Ethel. I don’t want her here. Make sure she knows not to come back tomorrow.” I walk around the desk and fall into the chair.

  “I most certainly will not.” She crosses her arms in front of
her hideous cat sweatshirt. “She has been nothing but pleasant all day. From where I stand, she’s kind and sweet. I will not turn away perfectly good help because you want to throw a fit.”

  “It doesn’t matter. She won’t show tomorrow. I’m sure this is more work than she’s done in her life.”

  Ethel drops her hands to her sides and opens the door to leave. “Well, I hope you’re wrong,” she says over her shoulder as she walks out of the room.

  Cooper trots after her.

  Traitor.

  I stay holed up in my office for the rest of the day, doing office shit—the stuff I never want to do—paperwork, calls, donation requests. I’d much prefer to be down in the kennels, helping with the dogs.

  But I can’t stomach seeing her. Just the sight of her makes me go into an internal rage. The visceral reaction I get when she’s near, one of genuine anger, isn’t a welcome one. Yet I can’t stop it. Georgia reminds me of a time in my life I’d like to forget.

  Every day back then was a battle to survive. I was in such a dark place until I met her. I thought for the briefest of moments that she could be the light I craved. Then, I discovered that she was the worst kind of shade.

  She’d baited and pulled me in without a fight. I dropped my walls—my protections—and let hope sink in. In a world where I just wanted someone, she’d made me trust.

  The blame lies on me, too. I had known better. I released my defenses one by one, letting her seep into my heart. We were young, and my fascination with her was short-lived, but the betrayal I experienced stays with me to this day, and it still hurts. I know that teenagers can be mean, but honestly, my heart wasn’t strong enough to hold any more pain.

  I still don’t like people much. Ethel’s the exception, but that’s only because she won’t go away. She doesn’t give me the option to be without her.

  Everyone else though? I could spend the rest of my life never interacting with humans again. For the most part, they’re vile creatures—selfish, cruel idiots. And yet no one has ever created such an immediate reaction in me as Georgia Wright does. Just the sight of her makes me sick, deep in my gut. She makes me feel out of control.

  I’ve gotten really good at not allowing another person to affect me. In this business, you have to. I have my blinders on. I do what needs to be done and have no time for distractions. It’s worked well for me for quite some time.

  Yet, regardless of how much I want to be unaffected by Georgia, I’m not. And I think that’s what infuriates me the most.

  4

  “Ironically, the person who hurt me the most is also the catalyst for my strength.” —Georgia Wright

  Ugh, I hate him.

  I sit on the edge of my bed, my legs dangling. I hardly slept last night, unable to get his words out of my head.

  Why do I care what he thinks?

  It drives me crazy that all these years later, his words still cut so deep. I’ll never admit it to him or anyone else, but he broke my heart.

  I was young, innocent, and opening up to the possibility of love, and then…BAM…with a couple of sentences, he shattered my heart. Truthfully, he shattered my spirit, and I’ve been fighting to get it back since.

  The old phrase, What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, applies here. Ironically, the person who hurt me the most is also the catalyst for my strength. He took all of the insecurities I had and threw them in my face, making me question everything. It’s not easy when someone I love—or thought I loved—uses my deepest worries to cut me wide open.

  All I’ve ever wanted to be is a good person, someone who is worthy of this life. I have no control over some aspects of my existence, but the quality of person I am, that’s all on me, and I try to be a kind one.

  It shouldn’t matter what the asshole I knew briefly in high school thinks of me, and I hate that it does.

  I have to go back.

  I fall back on the bed, throwing my forearm over my face.

  I don’t want to.

  The easy choice would be not to. There are endless causes that I could give my time to. But not returning to face him would seem like admitting that everything he thought he knew about me was true. I can’t let him live the rest of his life believing that he’s right.

  There’s a knock at the door.

  I drop my arm to my side to see Paige peek her head in.

  “Hey, just popping in to make sure you were up. You’re usually up before me, so I wanted to check that your alarm didn’t fail to go off before I left for work.”

  “No, it went off. I didn’t feel like running this morning,” I say glumly.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just dreading going into the shelter.”

  She nods knowingly. “It’s rough, yeah?”

  “Yes, it is…but not because of the work.”

  This piques her interest. “I sense there’s a story here.”

  “There is.” I release a sigh.

  “Let’s get Chinese tonight and discuss everything.” She smiles wide. “Sorry I was unavailable last night.”

  “It’s okay. You’re in love.” I shoot her a wink.

  She has a long-distance relationship going with one of Loïc’s friends.

  “Yeah,” she says with a giggle. “I’ll see ya tonight.”

  “Have a good day at work,” I tell her.

  “You, too.”

  She leaves my room, and I roll out of bed and force myself into the shower.

  I can’t believe I’m putting myself through the wrath of Wyatt for an unpaid position. I guess one could say that pride is also a currency more important to me than money.

  “Well, good morning, darling,” Ethel says when I enter the kennel.

  “Hi.” I give her a sheepish smile. “Just couldn’t stay away.”

  “Well, I, for one, am glad you’re back. I’m sure the pups are, too.”

  “I am excited to walk the dogs again. You’re right; they just love it.”

  She nods. “They do.”

  “I know someone who’s not going to be thrilled to see me. Any chance he’s rescuing a dog in Texas today and is driving there and back?” I quirk an eyebrow up, causing Ethel to laugh.

  “No, no Texas rescues, but you just let me worry about him. I won’t let him bother you.”

  I follow her over to the new pregnant dog from yesterday.

  “She looks better. Doesn’t she?”

  “She really does,” I agree.

  Ethel bends down to give the dog a treat. “She’s still skinny, of course. But a warm place to stay with food, water, and a nice bath can do wonders for the spirit. Isn’t that so, pretty girl?” The last part she says to the dog, who’s shyly wagging her tail.

  “Have you named her yet?”

  Ethel stands and wipes her hands across her pants. “No, I thought you could do that.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. She was brought in on your first day. Thought it might be fitting for you to name her.”

  I shrug. “Okay, I’ll think of a name today.”

  Ethel smiles, and it lights up her whole face. “Sounds good. And, Georgia, I don’t know why you came here to volunteer or why you came back. But you have your reasons, and don’t let anyone stand in your way of doing something that you need to do. We all have our paths to walk, and if you feel that Cooper’s Place is meant to be on your journey, then it is. Regardless of what one person might think. Are we clear?”

  I nod. “You want to hear something funny?”

  “What’s that?”

  “I thought I was given a sign, one that said I needed to be here,” I say, amused. “Maybe it wasn’t a sign after all.”

  “Or maybe it was.” She purses her lips together.

  The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I feel him. It’s the same as it was years ago, this draw that my body has toward him. It’s nothing I can explain, but it’s there, and I don’t know why.

  “Ethel,” he says gruffly, and she and I both turn toward him.
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  I hate how someone with such a cruel heart was given such a gorgeous body. I’d never admit that out loud, but I can’t lie to myself. He’s every bit as gorgeous as he was in high school, except, now, he’s even more muscular, broader. His face and neck are wider, his jaw more defined. I detest how good the two-day-old scruff on his face looks.

  He makes my skin crawl. I loathe him. I just wish his appearance didn’t make my body feel all hot and weird. The sensations he causes have me all over the place, making me dizzy, ill.

  After a few beats, when Ethel doesn’t leave my side, he grumbles, “I have to talk to you.”

  Ethel nods. “Go ahead,” she says, making it clear that he can talk here.

  He blows out a loud sigh, and I have to stop the smile that threatens to creep onto my face. He’s visibly annoyed with my presence while trying to ignore me. It’s comical really, and it could get fun for me. I might actually enjoy my time around him.

  It’s when he opens his mouth and slashes me with his words that I hate him most. But uncomfortable Wyatt, I can do.

  “I just got an email from someone across the tracks, saying that they hear a couple of dogs underneath one of the buildings. I’m going to go check it out.”

  “Out by your old place?” Ethel asks, and if I’m not mistaken, Wyatt flinches before giving her a small nod of his head. “More than one dog?”

  “Yeah, two or three, they think.”

  “Okay, you should take someone. You’re going to need backup with multiple dogs.”

  “I’ll take Xavier.”

  “Can’t. He’s out walking.”

  “Okay, Dan.”

  “Also out walking the dogs.”

  “Benny.”

  “Called in sick.”

  “John.”

  “He’s busy.”

  “Jesus, Ethel. Is everyone so busy that they can’t drop what they’re doing to help? I’ll just go alone,” he huffs before starting to storm off.

  “Take Georgia,” Ethel calls to him.

  My eyes widen. “What? No,” I whisper to her.

  Wyatt doesn’t even turn around. He continues off in the opposite direction and raises his hand above his head, giving Ethel a wave. “I’m good.”