Page 15 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

Sadie groaned. “That would be too cruel of those three old ladies. It’s mean to make my fated mate be someone I can’t possibly have.”

“Life has a way of working itself out, one way or another. I had to wait a long time before my crush on Sebastian blossomed into love and we got together.”

“At least he sticks around in Angel’s Creek for the most part. He’s only gone once in a while when there is an important assignment. Dakota left Angel’s Creek and was gone for twenty-eight years. That really doesn’t portend well for a happily ever after for me.”

“One of three things will happen. One, the two of you will figure out a way you both can be happy. Two, this virus that you’ve caught will heal itself over time. Three, he’ll leave you with a broken heart and you’ll grow old and die a crotchety old maid.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Thanks. Aren’t you just a fountain of happiness?”

Talia shrugged her shoulders.

“On the other hand, there is good that has come of this whole mess. As you know, Dakota asked me to help him research the life of wolves. I’ve learned so much about the animals, including the different ways they communicate, their complex social structures, and intricate hunting strategies. Researching the wolves though, reminded me how much I love research. I was thinking that after this project is done, I’ll think about all the subjects I’m passionate about, pick one, research it, and write a book about it, geared toward young adults.”

“That sounds amazing. If it’s science-based, maybe we can find a project we can work on together.”

“Our teachers would die laughing if they heard you say that. You were the first one to raise a stink if any of them suggested we do group projects.”

“Yeah, but they always wanted to pair me with someone who wouldn’t pull their weight. I know it’s the one high-achieving student with two average students and one low-achieving student and we were supposed to work together. I always ended up doing all the work.”

Sadie looked at her and shook her head. “You always ended up doing the work because you are a control freak and perfectionist. You wouldn’t trust the other students to do a good enough job to get you that A you had to have.”

Talia tilted her head and smiled. “There might have been a little teensy bit of that going on.”

“We’ll have to talk about a project together and set boundaries.”

“That’s fair,” Talia said.

The bell rang and the women sighed in unison.

Talia packed her dishes in her lunch box and shook her head. “Here we go. They are always wired up after lunch. I swear that sometimes the lunch ladies put crack in the food.”

Sadie stuck her tongue out at Talia. “Good luck. I have an easy afternoon planned.”

That evening, Sadie flipped through the channels on the television and came across one of Dakota’s documentaries on amur leopards. As of 2007, there were only nineteen to twenty-six of the animals left in the wild. They were native to southeastern Russia and northeastern China. They had been hunted to near extinction because of their spotted fur.

Dakota’s passion for the animals was evident in his deep voice, his facial expressions, and his body language. His pictures and videos of the majestic animals made Sadie’s heart hurt for them. She watched the documentary, mesmerized by the sexy man who spoke for the leopards.

Sadie almost felt selfish for wanting him to stay in Angel’s Creek. Dakota did important work by bringing attention to theplight of animals in the world and by documenting their lives so they wouldn’t be forgotten if they did become extinct.

She took a shower and then hopped into bed, holding onto a body pillow as she stared at the ceiling. Sadie was frustrated with herself. The fact that she was so enamored of him and was constantly thinking about him made her feel like she was back in high school again.

A long-term love wasn’t possible. Sadie wasn’t a fool and wasn’t going to allow herself to indulge in any kind of fantasy world where he fell in love with her, decided to stay in Angel’s Creek, and they had babies. Even if he did decide to stay, he would end up resenting her and any children they would have because they represented a prison.

“What could I possibly get out of this relationship besides a broken heart?” she asked the pillow she clutched. “We could have a good time for a little while. I could have some great memories after he left. What have I got to lose? I already care about him. I already think about him all the time.”

It took her a long time to get to sleep and she was exhausted when she woke up the next morning. She only had about three hours of sleep, and Sadie needed at least seven hours in order to function. A cold shower and four cups of coffee did nothing for her but made her have to pee constantly. At least she didn’t have to hold her bladder for hours at a time like classroom teachers did.

The day dragged on. It was a full moon out and true to form, the kids were acting up a little. Two of them decided to get into a fight in the middle of the room. It took four of the other students to pull them apart. Apparently, one of the students was making a lot of inappropriate noises and the second student told him to knock it off repeatedly. Student one did not, and student two kneed the kid in his junk and then pounced on him. The nurse had to come with a wheelchair to get the noise maker, who wasmoaning about how he’d never be able to have children now and what was he going to tell his parents.

Three girls were gossiping about another girl. She apparently got tired of it and slammed one of the bullies’ heads into the sink in the bathroom.

In general, the kids were rowdy, loud, and acting out. Sadie could feel the aching pain start from her neck, and creep up the base of her skull, to her temples, which hurt so bad they actually burned. Even after some extra strength migraine medicine, her eyes felt as though they were going to bulge out of her head and everything was blurry. She loved her job but was incredibly grateful when the last of them hopped on the busses or got into their parents’ cars and she could leave.

Her mind buzzed and she didn’t remember the drive home. She was at the school one minute and in her garage the next. “I’m glad my car knows the way home because I have no idea how I got here. Hopefully, I didn’t run any red lights or stop signs.”

She dropped her computer bag, purse, and keeps on the table in the foyer and headed straight for her bedroom. “I’ve never lost sleep over a man before. I’ll have to find some way to block him out of my mind before I go to bed at night. Maybe listening to a podcast will help.”

Sadie crawled into bed, loving the feeling of the cool sheets against her skin. She pulled the weighted blanket up to her chin and fell asleep instantly. For a brief second, she thought about setting her alarm but decided that if she slept until it was time to get up and get ready for work, that would be fine.

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