Page 2 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
Her wolf punched her in the gut as the man’s sparkling eyes met hers, and his smile revealed his dimples. This wasn’t just a handsome face. It was a familiar one that she’d watched from the sidelines through most of her high school years at Fern Hollow Academy. It was older now, with a few lines and creases that hadn’t been there before, but they only added character.
“Dex?” she asked breathlessly. “Dex Heywood?”
“Oh! Tina! It’s nice to see you.” His smile widened, and he reached across the counter to shake her hand.
She returned the gesture with her left hand, realized it was the wrong one, and quickly switched. Her face burned, and she was vibrating all the way down to her bones. She felt as though everyone in the shop must be staring at them, wondering just what this interaction was all about. Her whole heart and past felt like they were on display. “Nice to see you, too.”
“I didn’t know you worked here,” he said.
“It’s worse than that. I own the place.” She managed a smile, and this one was far more genuine than the one she reserved for obnoxious customers who didn’t take witchcraft seriously.
“Nice. What better place to buy a birthday present from than a shop owned by an old friend?”
Friend. Right. That was all they’d ever managed to be, and even that was tenuous.
Dex wasn’t there because he realized how long it’d been since he’d seen her and wanted to drop by for a visit. He was there because he needed to make a purchase. At least he was going for the quality stuff.
“I’m just a typical helpless guy when it comes to these things,” he explained sheepishly.
“Well, let’s see.” She didn’t want to ask who he was buying for and what she liked. She didn’t want to see how happy he was when he discussed his mate's or girlfriend’s favorite color or what kind of style she had.
Instead, Tina gravitated toward the necklace she liked quite a bit herself. The sterling silver setting was minimal, allowing the stone's beauty to shine through. It flashed under the lights as she removed it from the case and set it on the counter. “This one is pink moonstone.”
“Yeah.” Dex picked it up, turning it from side to side as he examined it. “That’s perfect. I’ll take it.”
“Would you like it gift wrapped?” She was already pulling a sheet of purple wrapping paper off the roll she kept nearby.
“That’d be great. Thanks.”
Tina was grateful that she’d done this so many times. Even with shaking fingers and the feeling that Dex was watching her every move, she perfectly creased all the corners and tied a sparkly bow on top.
She was just slipping it into a gift bag when a little girl ran up to the counter and tackled Dex from behind, wrapping her arms around his leg and hugging him tight.
“Oof!” Dex pretended to fall against the counter before he turned around. “Are you training for the football team again?”
The girl giggled up at him, showing off the big gap where her two front teeth used to be. “No, Daddy! I play soccer!” There was a slight lisp on the last word.
“And she’s a star player,” Dex said to Tina. He winked and put his finger to his lips before taking the bag off the counter and holding it against his other side, where the little girl wouldn’t see it. “This is my daughter, Sage. Sage, this is Tina. She and I went to the Academy together.”
Sage gave Tina a shy wave.
“Hi, Sage. You have a very pretty name.”
“Thank you.” She giggled again.
Tina’s heart swelled at the way Dex’s strong hand stroked Sage’s hair away from her face, an automatic gesture of love and kindness. The love between them was palpable, and it made her forget that the store was full enough to make the fire marshal uncomfortable. The gift must’ve been for Sage, but that meant Dex must have a mate. He was a missed opportunity, the one that got away, the one she never really had in the first place.
“Speaking of the Academy, did you get your invitation for the reunion?” As soon as Tina asked him, she wished she hadn’t. She wasn’t entirely sure if she was going to go, and a guy like Dex probably wouldn’t do anything so ridiculous. It was just her damn wolf, trying to come up with a reason to keep him there a few minutes longer.
“Oh, I have to,” Dex replied. “Debbie told me there was no way she’d let me skip out on it.”
Ah, yes. His twin sister, the president of their class. That made sense. “I’m sure it’s going to be great. I guess I’ll see you there.”
“Sounds good. We’ll get out of your way and let you get back to your customers.”
“Bye!” Sage waggled her fingers again before taking her daddy’s hand and walking out of the shop.
Tina watched them go. Her wolf was pounding and kicking inside her, telling her to go after him. It’d been twenty-five years since she’d seen him, and he still affected her just as much as he had before.
