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I stared at the chain on the door. Had Roxy put that up to keep me in or her brother out? Probably the latter. I slipped the chain off and made sure the door was locked as I pulled it closed behind me.
That night as I lay in bed, I wondered if maybe I had finally found that woman I had been waiting for. Something in my heart told me I had. I drifted off to sleep with a lighthearted feeling in my chest and a smile on my face, wishing that she was lying beside me snoring softly.
* * *
When I wokethe next morning, I sat up in bed and reached for my phone. I had heard it ping a couple of times, but I hadn’t been ready to wake up quite yet.
I had a message from Riley. She wanted to know where the picture was. I skipped over it and went to the next message that was from Roxanne.
Thank you for a wonderful dinner. I’m so sorry I fell asleep. I appreciate all you did, including cleaning my kitchen. I forgot to answer you last night, but if the invitation is still on for this weekend, I’d like to accept it.
I texted her back.You are most welcome for dinner, and you are also very much invited for the weekend. I look forward to spending more time with you. I have to work the next three days, but I’ll talk to you again soon.
After finishing that text, I went back to my sister’s and responded.No picture, but you will get to meet her this weekend at home.
A moment later, a bunch of smiley faces came back to me from Riley, along with a quick note that she wanted all the details. I told her I wasn’t going to kiss and tell, and she laughed back at me.
Not that I had any juicy details to share, but I was okay with that. I didn’t want to rush anything with Roxy, and with her condition right now, I knew the time wasn’t right to even consider something more than a tender kiss or two.
I pulled up my contacts and found the number I wanted, then hit the send button to call home. My mother answered after only two rings.
“Hey, sweetie. To what do I owe this wonderful phone call?”
“First, I want to say happy birthday.”
“Thank you, Henley. I appreciate that.”
“Was I the first to call?”
She laughed softly. “No, Riley called at six this morning, Wes right after that. You’re the third.”
“Okay, I just didn’t want to be the last. What are you doing today?”
“Getting things ready for the party this weekend. You know there is always a lot to do when you all come home.”
“Don’t work on your birthday, Mom. Make Hunt and Brad do it.”
She tsked me. “You know they are busy, and I much prefer to get my house in order personally.”
“I know,” I told her with a smile. “I also have some other news.”
“Yes, what’s that? You bought me a wolf, and it’s being delivered today.”
I burst out laughing. “I did not buy you a wolf. Why would you even want one?”
“I don’t know, but it’s something I have secretly wanted my whole life.”
“Well, that’s nice to know. I’ll see what I can do in the future. I wanted to let you know that I’m bringing a guest home with me this weekend.”
“A guest? As in a female guest?”
“Yes, her name is Roxanne, but before you get all excited, we only just met, and we aren’t really dating.”
“Then why are you bringing her home with you if you aren’t dating?”
“Because she’s a wedding planner, and Charlotte and Wes want the help. She’s trying to branch out with her business, and I offered to assist her a little bit.”
“Well, that is very sweet of you, Henley. Is that the only reason you are bringing her home?”
