Healing Hearts: A Second Chance, Small Town Romance Novel

Chapter 9

Sage

I'm feeling hot under the collar. I'm not happy that my day started with seeing Logan at the Bluebell Diner. It's not the way I wanted my day to start that's for sure. I wanted a nice cup of coffee, a special muffin that only Debs can make and to scroll through openings at the close by main hospitals. Even though I don't want to stay in Willowbrook, I think I'd like to be closer to my folks than I have been. Missing them wasn't great and being back home again even just for the night has made me realise that life is too short to push family away. My folks are so happy to see me and I'm looking forward to meeting up with Ali a bit later today.

I didn't feel much like visiting her yesterday but she's over the moon I'm back. She's already suggested we go to the Lazy Duke bar tonight. Am I ready to go back in time and see all the people I used to hang around with in school? It could be awkward, it's always awkward in a small town when you're the one that left. Do I even want to go out? There'll be no getting out of it, Ali is too excited for us to have some proper girl-sister time. There's no way I am going to let her down.

So, here I am on my walk back home, standing right outside the medical practice where I know Logan is working inside. It was never a secret that he wanted to take over from his dad one day. I know via my mother that his dad has retired and it's all Logan's now. It hasn't changed much, I can see there is fresh paint on the woodwork and the door is no longer navy blue but olive green instead. I love that colour. I wonder if Logan painted it this colour specially because he knew how much I loved it.

Oh for goodness sake, Sage get over yourself. Why would he paint an old wooden door the colour you love? You left him, you didn't want to stay. Remember? Yeah, that's right. I didn't want to stay. That isn't to say I didn't want to be with Logan but it wasn't going to work and I had it in me to cut all ties only because I thought it would save us pain and heartache in the long run.

Neither one of us was going to change our dream. He wasn't ever going to leave Willowbrook and I wasn't ever going to stay. There's nothing going to change my mind about that either. "In need of the doc are you, lovely?" It's Mrs Sanderson, like most of the town folk she's in her late sixties, very red out of the bottle dyed hair that looks like it would befit a poodle more than a human. I suppress the desire to giggle, she hasn't changed a bit in all the years. Still with her rouged red cheeks and severe dark eyeliner. This woman hasn't come out of the sixties or seventies yet. And I'll let you into a secret, don't ever divulge anything to her. She is quicker than a strong Wi-Fi connection. It'll be all over Willowbrook quicker than you can say Wi-Fi.

"Not really, just looking." She nods like she knows something I don't.

"All that love longing is it my dear?" I'm stumped for anything to say. Right. The whole town knows the passion and love that Logan and I shared, only not quite enough to keep me here or him coming with me. Really I want to tell her to mind her own business but a leopard never changes its spots and neither will Mrs Sanderson.

Instead, I turn and carry on walking in the direction of my parent's home. I pass Threads a fabric store, not one that can rival Daisy's vintage sewing shop. It looks new to me. I wonder when it opened. After that comes Candy Cane Lane Sweets and Treats. It sounds magical and was one of the places I'd be found spending some of my pocket money. In the vintage style window are displays of old sweet jars with screw on tops, inside housing sweets of all colours. It still looks just as pretty at it always has.

A young woman is sweeping outside the front, her hair is long and auburn with amazing waves. She turns as she hears me approach. "Oh my god, Sage." She cries out and places the brush against the red painted door. "It's been forever." Before I know it she's hugging me. "You haven't changed a bit." I almost feel suffocated in her embrace.

"Hi Milly." I say. Taken aback by her show of affection. I suppose it's kind of nice to be made welcome. Only I'm really not used to it. As you can imagine in a big place like Michigan it isn't the norm for people to throw themselves at you. "You look so good." I say, she releases me. Phew.

"How long are you here for? We sure have missed you." I can imagine. Milly and I used to play together as kids, we were the nerdy geeks who read most of the time, loved science and math class and were swats at school. I'm surprised she's stayed and is working her parent's store.

"Not sure to be honest. I'm in between work placements." A little white lie never hurt anyone, right? "Staying back with my folks until I move on."

"Ah, it'll be a shame for you not to stay here and be back home with the rest of us. Oh, do you remember all those fun filled days, running around with our hair flying in the wind, all those books we'd read and digested? The hours we'd spend under the old chestnut tree in Brewer's park." She's gushing. Yes, actually gushing like she's not spoken to anyone in a long while.

"I do." I'm almost amused by her enthusiasm at seeing me. It's sort of cute.

"We'll have to grab a coffee soon and catch up. Have you seen Logan already?" And there you go, everyone is straight into the whole Logan-Sage thing. IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS. TEN YEARS.

"Coffee would be nice, let's catch up at Bluebell's another day." I give her a very quick hug back and start walking away. The last thing I need reminding of is Logan. Time has moved on, I moved on. I met Miles and we had a good relationship. Okay, so I have to realise that in a good relationship the guy usually communicates about what his intentions are, not just suddenly telling you he's off to do a fellowship on a different continent. My blood is surging and I'm so mad at my current situation. Stuck here in Willowbrook, no job, no guy and having to face my ex.