Dragonfly Creek by T.L. Haddix Page A

to your own station in life, and you and she will have a life filled with love and happiness.
    Thank you for a memorable summer.
    Ainsley Brewer Scott
     
    “No. No, this is a lie. You made her write this. It’s a lie,” he shouted, shaking the paper in Geneva’s face. “What did you do to her? Where is she?”
    Geneva just handed him a folded newspaper. It was opened to the society section, dated two days earlier. A picture of a smiling Ainsley in the arms of a handsome man looked up at him. The picture was accompanied by the announcement of their marriage.
    Even still, he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing. He opened the paper, looking it over to make sure it hadn’t been faked. As much as he wanted to doubt the story, it was real. The woman he loved, whom he’d given his heart to without reservation, had married someone else. The paper fell from his hands, drifting to the floor with a whisper of sound. The note had fallen with it, and he bent to pick it up. He smoothed it out, swallowing hard against his grief.
    When he straightened, he felt years older than he had when he’d walked into the room. Bypassing Geneva Brewer, he stalked out of the house. He didn’t remember driving away or going home, but he found himself sitting in the hot car in front of the farmhouse. Before anyone saw him, he got out and hurried into the barn, where he climbed into the hayloft and cried.

After he came down, he was a different person—colder, less trusting. He knew the family was worried, but he refused to talk about it. They’d made their annual trek to Georgia a week later, and he’d put Ainsley Brewer to the back of his mind. He’d worked hard at school, and he’d played hard, trying to forget her. Eventually, entire days went by when he didn’t think of her.
    Now she was back. As much as he’d come home to settle up with his memories of her, the possibility of actually seeing her had never been part of his reality. And he did not know how in the world to deal with that.
    As he started to stand, a soft rustling was his only warning before a good-sized silver wolf trotted around the corner of the barn, pausing when it saw him. Ben tensed instinctively for a split second, then relaxed. This animal posed no threat to his safety.
    “Pip, what are you doing? It’s broad daylight. Dad will tan your hide for this.”
    The wolf’s tail wagged rapidly, and she gave a growl that was half yip of pleasure before gamboling over to lean against his legs. She looked up at him with a wolf’s version of affection in her startlingly blue eyes, and Ben felt a little of his heartache melt.
    “It’s still weird, seeing you or Rachel in your shifter form. Even after all these years.” Obliging her antics, Ben knelt down and vigorously ruffled her fur. “What happened? Did they tell you I was upset?”
    A quick swipe of her tongue against his cheek and a short groan told him that was, in fact, what had happened.
    “I’m okay. I just needed a little time to think.”
    They stayed there for a little while. Amelia, who was much more restless in her wolf form than in her human form, ran after butterflies, froze at the sound of a squirrel chattering in the woods, and eventually found a stick, which she brought back to Ben and dropped at his feet. They were still playing with the stick when Owen came through the barn. He stopped next to Ben with his hands on his hips.
    Amelia, who was bringing the stick back for another toss, paused almost comically before dropping it. She lay down on her belly and looked up at their father apologetically.
    “You are going to be the death of me, Amelia Rose. You know better than this. Changing and being outside in the daylight, when anyone can come by? That’s an awfully big risk, young lady.”
    She whined and dropped her head to rest on her paws, but kept her eyes on Owen.
    He sighed. “Go inside. Your mom’s looking for you.”
    After she left, Owen held out a hand to Ben. “Come on.