Page 47 of Falling Back to You

And I had no plans of resurrecting my biggest heartache.

He’d moved on . . . and somehow, I would too.

Chapter sixteen

Noelle

I gripped the tureen of butternut squash soup to my chest and stared at the Satterfields’ cheery red door. The last time I’d stood here, I’d knocked and left my ring on Cal’s bed.

Shame mixed with a heady cocktail of sweeter memories flashed through my mind. The countless hours I’d spent here around the table for dinner, getting help with my homework, Friday night Andy Griffith marathons, and Mario Kart competitions in the basement.

The Satterfield house was the official hangout place. You were always welcome, no matter what.

“Knock,” I hyped myself up. Melissa and Shawna, Dallas’s and Shane’s wives, had cornered me at church this morning and roped me into attending family dinner. Knocking was so simple. Raise your hand—although why did we raise our hand when you could technically knock from lower down? Rap on wood. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. KNOCK!

A sharp staccato of barks interrupted my mental pep talk. Startled, I backed away from the door as a chocolate lab bolted around the wraparound porch, heading straight for me.

I yelped and scurried backwards with enough presence of mind to cling to the soup container. I might trip and break my leg, but at least I saved the soup. “Hey, buddy,” I said consolingly, trying to de-escalate the threat.

He huffed softly and stared me down. Vicious he was not, but he clearly had big opinions about my presence.

Welcome to the club.

Heavy steps approached me from behind, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off the canine. The minute I let my defenses down, I’d become a doggy chew toy. Complete with slobber. No thank you.

A warm arm slid around my waist, tugging me out of potential-harm’s way. Cal. “Satch, she’s a friend,” my hero scolded the tail-wagging canine.

Friend. It was a wonderful word, although wholly inadequate.

“Satch?” I asked, confused.

Cal glanced down at me, close. Too close. His arm lingering around my waist. But he didn’t move. Neither did I. “Satchmo. Mom’s obsessed with the oldies.”

“I remember.” This close, I could see the ring of grey around his irises that turned stormy when his emotions were high. Like they were right now. Covertly, I sniffed him. Was I being weird? Probably, but I hadn’t seen him since the photo shoot on Monday, and he, Myles, and Juliet had flown in from Nashville this morning. Plus, now I could confirm for science that he still smelled amazing.

Cal cleared his throat and released me, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, come on in. He won’t hurt you.”

I held a hand out to Satchmo, and he sniffed it before allowing me to pet him. “I didn’t think Mama D wanted a dog.”

Cal chuckled. “Oh, she didn’t, but he was a stray, and you know Mama never turns anyone away.” His eyes flicked to mine, trying to tell me something.

Was he saying I wouldn’t be turned away? Or that I was a stray in need of adopting?

The door swung open, giving me no time to further contemplate his words, and we jumped apart.

Pops Satterfield smiled, his blue eyes crinkled in welcome. “Hey, hon. I see you’ve found us.”

Exactly how he used to greet me.

Melissa popped up at his side and grabbed the soup dish from me. “Hey, you!” She glanced between Cal and me, and her eyes lit up.

Oh no.

“Hey, Liss. Pops.”

Pops tugged me into a hug, and I barely kept from crying as I squeezed him back. He’d always been like a dad to me. More than my own dad used to be.

“Is that my Noelle?” a motherly voice hollered from further inside.