Page 59 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

The women were silent, giving Sadie a chance to gather her thoughts and share what she wanted to.

“I was going to the other night. I told him we needed to talk and he agreed we did. He explained how he had been working for the last few years to get permission to photograph the cloud leopards in Bhutan and he finally got permission. Then, he told me all the reasons why our relationship wouldn’t work and said that he had no intention of coming back to Angel’s Creek.”

“Oh, damn, I’m sorry.” Talia laid her hand on Sadie’s shoulder.

“I knew it was coming. I decided not to tell him about the baby because I didn’t want him to stay just because he felt trapped. There wouldn’t be a happy ending for anyone.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Beth smiled. “The good news is that between the three of us, you have tons of support. All together we have eight kids.”

Sadie looked at the new infant sleeping peacefully in the cradle next to Beth. Savvy’s baby was sleeping in a stroller next to her while her toddler was trying to keep up with Taryn and his older brother and sister. Talia’s baby was waddling around in the playpen.

“I guess between the three of you, there is a bit of experience. Plus, I know that Taryn is magic with kids. She might be one of the most powerful witches this world has seen in centuries, but her heart is pure gold.”

Beth nodded. “That it is. I couldn’t be prouder of her, especially since my mother is one of the darkest witches in existence.”

“I cleaned out the guest room last night – as much as I could. I’m planning to invite Mom, Dad, and Eric over fordinner tomorrow night and give them the news. They’ll be oh, so happy.” Sadie’s sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on anyone.

“We’ll help you get set up. There’s a great place to buy all your baby furniture and between the four of us, we can put everything together. I’m sure that when your clan and our pack find out that there’s a new edition, you’ll have all the clothes, toys, stuffed animals, and anything else you could possibly imagine.” Talia shook her head. “I know I got a ton of stuff for the baby. Whatever you need that they don’t give you during the party, the three of us can supply – except diapers. You’re on your own for those.”

“Thanks, guys.”

Sadie was able to relax. She knew being a single mother wouldn’t be easy, but she had a ton of support, so it wouldn’t be as hard for her as it was for others.

She was nervous the next day. Sadie cleaned the house and made sure it was perfect. The family showed up exactly at six when she had told them to. She pulled out the hamburger and potato casserole that was one of her favorites. It was a great comfort food.

Once everyone had eaten, Sadie took a deep breath. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

All eyes were on her.

“I’m pregnant.”

Her father’s face turned red. “You’re pregnant and Dakota left town, anyway? I’ll kill him.”

“He doesn’t know.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t tell him. Dakota had been honest with me from the very beginning of our relationship. He told me he couldn’t settle down. It would kill him. I didn’t want him to feel trapped. He would resent me and the baby, destroying all our lives. It was better to let him go.”

Eric looked at her intently. “How can I help?”

“Well, for one, I need help taking the bed and dresser in the guest room to the women’s shelter. I called them this morning and they said they could use it. The room needs to be painted.”

“I can help with that.” Her brother smiled at her reassuringly. “You won’t be alone for any of this.”

“No, you won’t.” Opal smiled at Sadie. “I hope it’s a girl.”

Sadie smiled. Taryn had already told her that the baby was a boy. She wasn’t ready to break the news to her mother, though.

They stayed for a while and Sadie was very relieved by the time they left. Even her father had come around and promised her baby would be much loved.

When morning came around the next morning, she woke up with a smile. She missed Dakota, but all would be well. The school day went by quickly, and Sadie was looking forward to getting home and planning on how she would decorate the room.

Her smile faded when she walked outside. Billy was standing by her car.

He held up his hand before she could say anything. “I just wanted to come by and say goodbye. I’m moving back to New York because I have a new job offer. I had hoped we could rekindle what we had, but you made your decision very clear and I was a jerk. I’m so sorry to have stressed you out. Forgive me, please.”

---