Just Plain Sadie by Amy Lillard

feel right to offer another blow like that to a thirteen-year-old girl. Perhaps there was another way. Perhaps he could get Cora Ann and Sadie’s mom to come out to the ranch. But that didn’t allow him to see Sadie, now did it?
    â€œAre you saying you don’t want me to come out to the ranch?”
    He was making a mess of this. “That’s not what I said at all. I got the feeling that your friends don’t like us hanging out with each other. I was trying to save you the trouble of telling me yourself.”
    â€œSo you do want me to come?”
    A loaded question if he’d ever heard one. “I want you to do what you want to do. I’m going to be at the ranch either way come Saturday night.” Mainly because he wasn’t dating anybody. Never really had. Traditionally, the Mennonite guys got with their honeys on Saturday night. The boy would be invited to the girl’s home, and the two young people would sit in the parlor and talk. It was as good a way to get to know each other as any, he supposed. But he would much rather walk around the ranch and show Cora Ann all the animals and Sadie the new emu he’d brought on the property this week. She was a pretty thing, a lot smaller than the ostriches. Now if he could find a male to go with her, he’d be all set. For now, anyway, until he finally got the alpacas he was always talking about.
    He shook his head, trying to bring his thoughts back in line. He was tired, or not thinking right because of all the emotional baggage that came along for the ride tonight. They’d gone bowling. That sounded easy enough. But he should have known that nothing would be that simple when a Mennonite and an Amish were involved.
    He pulled his truck onto the side of the road and left his lights on in case any oncoming traffic needed to see him.
    â€œListen, Sadie, I like you. You’re fun to be around. But I understand. You have a life. So does Chris, right?”
    Sadie nodded.
    â€œI’ve got the ranch. It’s not like we have tons of time on our hands to explore any of this.”
    â€œCan you tell me exactly what you mean? I’m confused now.”
    He reached down and flipped on the interior lights so he could see her expression. She was cute when she was muddled. And he had to stifle back a small laugh.
    â€œI enjoy spending time with you.”
    â€œMe too.” She appeared nervous in saying those words and rubbed her fingers down the black skirt in her lap.
    â€œBut I have a lot to do these days. And I don’t have time for a girlfriend.”
    â€œI’m busy too,” Sadie said. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend.” He heard the words, but somehow felt she didn’t mean them. Maybe it was the way she looked at her fingers instead of at him when she said that she didn’t want a boyfriend. Or maybe there was something still going on with Chris.
    Oh, the drama, he thought. He could do without that. “I think we would make good friends, don’t you?”
    She looked up at him and smiled. “ Jah . I do.”
    Was that relief on her face? Was she thankful that he didn’t want her as a girlfriend and that she would have another friend to lean on? He might not ever know.
    â€œSo it’s official. We’re friends, right?”
    Sadie nodded.
    â€œJust friends.”
    â€œYeah,” Sadie agreed. “Just friends.”
    * * *
    She was fairly certain that the conversation she had with Ezra at the side of the road on the way home from bowling was the most bizarre conversation she’d ever had with a man. But something he said made her feel warm inside like someone had let loose a small ray of sunshine. She did want to be his friend. The thought was kind of strange, considering she’d been friends with Chris for so long and when she finally wanted more from him, he was leaving. But it was good to know that she had Ezra. She would have a friend after Chris