Page 25 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

A glimpse into her doorbell camera dashed her hopes. That definitely wasn’t Dakota standing on her porch.

“Billy. What a surprise.” Her voice said that this wasn’t a pleasant surprise, although Billy didn’t seem to notice.

He handed her a bouquet of flowers and smiled. “Hi, Sadie. I wanted to see you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

She hesitated for a minute before stepping back and inviting him in. “Not really. I was just figuring out what books I’m going to order for the library.” Her tone was more cautious than welcoming.

The boy she once thought she loved had become a grown man who was a stranger. An awkward silence hung between them.

“I’m sorry about your grandfather.”

“Thanks. The funeral was on Saturday. I had hoped to see you there.”

“I’m sorry. I had another engagement I couldn’t get out of.”

He nodded. She invited him to sit down with a wave of her hand. He perched on the edge of her couch. The silence was heavy, like a cold, wet, wool blanket.

“What have you been up to?”

Billy smiled and told her about life in the city and his job as an accountant at a prestigious firm. He told her about the clubs, theater, and all the exciting events he attended in the last six years.

“Sounds like fun,” Sadie said, more out of politeness. City life didn’t seem at all appealing to her.

He leaned forward and stared into Sadie’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking about staying in Angel’s Creek.”

“Really? Why?”

“Being back here and seeing everyone. Hanging out with Mom, Dad, and the rest of my family. It’s made me realize what I’ve been missing.” He hesitated for a minute. “I’ve also been thinking about you a lot. I’ve dated a few times, but no one could compare to you or what we had. I was hoping that we could start seeing each other again and see where our relationship goes.”

Sadie sucked in a breath. She felt like she should have seen this coming. The handsome man sitting in front of her looked at her earnestly as she tried to figure out how to nicely answer him.

She nibbled on her lip and shook her head. “Billy, I’m flattered. I really am. But I’m sorry, I don’t feel the same about you. What we had was a childhood puppy love. Our lives have taken us down different paths. We both have changed.”

“I see. Maybe we could hang out. You might find that connection is real between us.”

“No, I don’t think so. You should go.”

He stood up and walked to the door. Billy turned around, opened his arms, and started toward her to give her a hug. Sadie took a step back.

“Goodbye, Billy. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

She shut the door behind her and sighed. As she walked back to her chair she thought about her feelings for Dakota and what she had once felt for Billy. There really was no comparison.

Sadie sat back in her chair and picked up an old photo album. She started flipping through the pages. Familiar faces from high school stared back at her. She came across a couple of her and Talia. There were several pictures of pep rallies, her playing basketball and volleyball, and of her accepting different awards during different school ceremonies.

“Mom loved her camera – almost as much as Dakota.”

Then, she came across pictures from her senior prom. Sadie was dressed in a dark green dress and Billy stood next to her with his arm around her. She was beaming and she remembered thinking that she was in love with him. They had been so sure that they would be together forever. Now, she didn’t feel anything for him. There weren’t even residual feelings or a longing for a time past when life was much simpler.

Sadie texted Dakota.Hey there. I miss hanging out with you. Hugs.

He replied quickly.Miss you, too. See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.

“They’ll be of you,” she whispered.

12

Dakota

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