by L. P. Dover
He did as I said while I washed my hands and prepped. “Do you need me in here?” he asked.
“That’s up to you. Do you get squeamish around blood?”
He chuckled. “I’m a football player. I see blood all the time.”
“Then I guess you’ll be fine.”
He stayed in the operating room while I sutured up the dog’s belly and did a thorough exam, including checking for a microchip to see if the owner could be located. There wasn’t a chip, though, and since he hadn’t had a collar on, I had to assume he was a stray. Once all of that was done, I took the X-rays, which confirmed what I had already suspected: The dog had two broken back legs and a fractured rib. I had to reset the legs and put them in casts that would stay for about six weeks.
“Is that all you have to do?” he questioned. The dog was wiped clean of blood and sleeping soundly on the table. The only thing I had to make sure was that his gash didn’t get infected. Other than that, his broken legs would heal, and he’d be up and moving around in no time.
I washed my hands and breathed a sigh of relief. “For now it’s all that can be done. I’ll probably stay the night and keep an eye on him. I don’t want to move him around too much. We do need to move him into a kennel so he can lie in a doggie bed. It’ll be much more comfortable than this table.”
Derek got to his feet. “Do you want me to carry him?”
I nodded. “That’d be great.” He picked up the dog and followed me to the back, where several other patients were kept. Amanda had taken the puppies again, so I’d have to wait until morning to see my Patch. “You can put him in there,” I said, pointing at one of the empty cages.
Derek laid him on the soft doggie bed and shut the kennel door. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here all night? What about your car?”
I shrugged. “It’ll be fine. I can get someone to take me to it in the morning. But thank you for all your help. I don’t think I could’ve done it without you.”
He glanced at the dog and frowned. “No problem. I just wish there was more I could do.”
I rested a hand on his arm. “You did plenty. Now go. I promise I’ll be okay.” He didn’t look like he believed me, but he nodded and walked to the door. “Hey,” I called. Brows furrowed, he glanced at me over his shoulder. “It was nice meeting you. I can honestly say I didn’t think you’d be as nice as you are.”
“Am I supposed to be a dick?” he asked, chuckling.
“I don’t know. I guess I just had a preconceived notion that all you guys would be arrogant and complete jackasses. I will fully admit that I was wrong.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He pushed the door open. “It was nice meeting you, too, Dr. Hunter.” As soon as he walked out to his truck, I pulled out my phone and called Michael.
“Hey, girl.”
“You will not believe what just happened.”
—
“Knock, knock,” Wilford announced, tapping a knuckle on my office door. Groaning, I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. My body hurt from sleeping hunched over my desk.
“I would say good morning,” I said, my voice raspy from sleep, “but it’s been one hell of a night.”
He sat down across from me, his gaze concerned. “Were you here all night?”
I nodded. “On my way home, I watched a dog get hit by a car. He was injured, so I brought him here and watched over him.”
“Is he okay?”
“He had a large gash on his stomach and two broken legs. For the most part, he slept all night, but he was barely able to move. I gave him some food and made sure he was medicated the rest of the time.”
He shook his head in awe. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with your kind of dedication. You should’ve called me and I would’ve helped you.”
“It doesn’t sound like she needed any help,” Michael teased, leaning against the door frame.
I rolled my eyes, but Wilford was lost. “Why do you say that?” he asked Michael.
Michael waggled his brows at me. “She had a famous football star here to help her.”
“What?” a voice shrieked. Jessica came running down the hall and rushed into my office, followed by Amanda, Charity, and Jeremiah. Poor Margerie was left out in the hall because there was no more room in my office.
“It wasn’t that big a deal,” I exclaimed, holding up my hands.
“Who was it?” Amanda asked. “I see them all the time at the tavern.”
I glanced at them all; they were so eager to find out. “It was Derek McLaughlin.” The girls gasped, their eyes bugging out of their heads. “He found me on the side of the road and helped me bring the dog here. Trust me, it was nothing exciting.”
Michael snorted. “He also gave her his phone the other night after he broke her other one.”
“Oh my God,” Amanda squealed. “Why didn’t you tell me that? This is awesome.”
I stood and shook my head. “It’s over, that’s it. I probably won’t ever see him again except to give him back his phone.”
“All right, everyone,” Wilford said, “let’s give Dr. Hunter some room to breathe.” Everyone walked out except Jeremiah and Wilford. Michael winked at me before disappearing down the hall.
“You should’ve called one of us to help you, Hayden. I would’ve been happy to come,” Jeremiah offered.
“I didn’t want to bother anyone. Besides, it was nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Wilford patted him on the shoulder and laughed. “Haven’t you learned by now that Dr. Hunter is the stubborn one out of us all?”
“That she is,” Jeremiah agreed.
“Dr. Patton, your first patient is here,” Jessica said, leaning her head inside the door.
Jeremiah sighed. “I’ll be right there.” Then he turned back to me. “Next time, don’t be so stubborn. Call someone.” He walked out, but Wilford stayed.
I yawned and rubbed a hand over my face. “I think I need some coffee.”
Wilford chuckled. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you take the day off? You’ve been here all night, and I can clearly see that you need some sleep.”
“I can’t. I have patients.”
“As of right now, you don’t. They can be split between me, Michael, and Jeremiah. Now go.”
I slowly grabbed for my keys and then remembered I didn’t have my car. “I can’t. My car is still down the street.”
A wide grin spread across his face. “Well, then, why don’t I take you to it? You can’t use that as an excuse, young lady. I promise the animals will be fine while you’re gone.”
“Will you check on Bear for me? He’s the dog I rescued last night.” I didn’t know where the name came from, but it was the first thing that popped out of my mouth.
“Bear?” he asked. “Did you name him?”
“Looks like I did.” I laughed. “He’s going to need help with walking.”
He shoved me out of my office and shut the door. “I’ll handle it. Kellie has a device next door that helps dogs walk. We can put Bear in it and see how he does.”
We strolled up to the front office, and Michael raised a brow when he saw Wilford behind me. “You didn’t get fired, did you?”
“For the day, she did,” Wilford explained. “I’m taking her to her car, and then she’s going home.”
Michael snickered. “I’ll call you later, then.”
Once we were in Wilford’s car, he drove me to mine, and I was thankful it was still where I’d left it. “Thank you for dropping me off,” I said to him.
“You’re welcome, Hayden. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for someone like you to come along.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
He smiled. “You’ll find out soon.”
Chapter 7
Derek
How was it possible to see the same woman almost every day? I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed her before. For the past two days before going to practice, I st
opped by the Caramel Café to get my coffee only to see her walking back up the street to the clinic, carrying her own. I’d thought about showing up a few minutes early so I could catch her, but decided against it.
I shouldn’t have been thinking of her anyway. There was no way a woman like her would be interested in a guy like me. It wasn’t like I had the time for a relationship. Hell, I didn’t even want one. However, this morning was the same as all the others. I parked my truck in front of the café and watched her stroll up to the clinic. She wore a pair of pink scrubs that hugged her curves, with her chocolate-colored hair pulled high in a ponytail. Her face was what captured me. It was almost like she had a constant smile on her face, like she didn’t have a care in the world. I’d give anything to feel like that again.
Once she disappeared behind the glass door of the clinic, I grabbed a quick coffee and headed to the training facility. Now that pre-season was closing in, our schedules had gotten more hectic. Our practices were longer, and we were expected to work our asses off. I didn’t mind it. I’d missed putting in the hours.
When I arrived at the facility, Evan was in the parking lot, shooting the shit with Chris and Gavin. Grabbing my gym bag, I got out of the truck; Evan walked toward me while the others continued on inside.
“Are you too good to answer my calls?” he asked.
I shook my head and laughed. Hayden still had my phone. “I don’t have my phone, douchebag.”
“What’d you do, break it?”
“It’s a long story.”
He looked at me, his gaze concerned. “Everything okay? I haven’t had a chance to talk to you much recently.”
After practice, all I’d wanted was to go home and crash. “I’m fine,” I assured him. “And about my phone, I gave it to someone else. I just haven’t remembered to get it back.”
His mouth dropped open. “Gave it to someone?”
“Her name is Hayden Hunter.” The second I said her name, his eyes went wide. “It’s not like that, Townsend. The other night at the tavern, I hit her with the back door and she dropped her phone. It broke, so I gave her mine until she could get another one.”
“Wow, that’s interesting. And I assume you haven’t seen her since?”
I was at a loss for words. “Well…”
“You have?” he exclaimed. “Are you trying to tell me you’re seeing someone?”
“No,” I blurted out incredulously. “I told you it’s nothing like that. On my way home from practice the other night, I found her on the side of the road with an injured dog. I helped her, that’s it.”
“So who is this Hayden?”
“A veterinarian at Stonebrooke.”
The way he looked at me, I knew he could see right through me. “And you didn’t get your phone back when you saw her again?”
I pursed my lips. “It slipped my mind.”
“Or maybe it gives you a reason to see her again,” he teased.
I snorted and waved him off, even though he might’ve had a point. I’d known she still had my phone, but I’d chosen not to say anything. What the hell was I doing?
“Not going to happen,” I replied flippantly.
“Why not?” We started walking toward the door, but now he looked serious. “There’s nothing wrong with you being interested in a woman. It’s bound to happen at some point.”
“I know, but I don’t know if it’s something I’m ready to think about.”
He opened the door and smiled. “How do you know if you don’t at least try?”
As much as I wanted to deny it, he made perfect sense.
—
After practice, some of the guys wanted to grab drinks; I hadn’t really explained to them that I’d quit for the time being. One beer always led to others, and I didn’t want to fall back into the dark hole I’d been in for so long. It was best that I stayed away from it. Evan and Cooper were the only ones who knew how low I’d actually gotten.
“See you tomorrow, D,” Evan shouted, throwing his bag in the back of his car.
“Are you going to the tavern tonight?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Lara and Grayson said they’re fine on their own. I’m going to spend some time with the family. You should stop by and hang out. I know Summer would love to see you.”
“I promise I will soon” was all I could say.
I was happy for him, but I was also envious. I was ready for a family, but they’d been taken away from me. It was hard seeing others happy with theirs. I’d often wondered why it had to be Brianna who paid the price. She was a good girl and would do anything for anyone. I would’ve gladly given my own life to keep her safe. It wasn’t fair.
Evan accepted my answer and waved before getting into his car. My stomach growled, but the last thing I wanted to do was eat takeout again. On the way home, I decided to stop by the grocery store. I was a country boy, so meat and potatoes were the way to my heart. As I walked down the aisles, I could hear the snapping sound of pictures being taken. It was hard to go anywhere without someone recognizing you. Most of the time I just pretended ignorance, like I didn’t notice them trying to be sly.
“Excuse me,” a woman said from behind. I turned around and she waved nervously. “You’re Derek McLauglin, right?”
“I am,” I said.
“See, I told you, Momma,” the little boy in the buggy said. He had to be about eight years old; his whole face was beaming. He had on a red and white football jersey, the colors of our local Belmont team.
“What position do you play?” I asked him.
He puffed up his chest. “Linebacker, just like you. I want to be you when I grow up.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that so?” I walked over and gave him a high five. “I bet you’ll be better than me one day. Maybe I’ll see you on TV.”
He nodded vigorously. “You know it.”
His mother held up her phone. “Do you mind if I take a picture of you two? The odds of this happening again are slim to none.”
“Of course,” I agreed, lifting her son in my arms. He held on tight and giggled the entire time. I loved kids. They were always so full of life and eager to learn. The camera flashed, and I set the boy back in the cart. “Take care, little man.”
They walked off, and the second I turned back to my buggy, a woman with a warm smile greeted me. She had on the same pink scrubs, but now her hair was down, framing her heart-shaped face. “I guess you can’t go anywhere without someone noticing you, can you?” she asked.
“Not usually, but I don’t mind it.”
“So what are you doing here? I figured a person like you would have someone who did this stuff for you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my gaze humorously. “Are you saying I’m not capable of doing my own grocery shopping?”
“Oh my God, no, not at all. I just figured…” She slapped a hand on her forehead and chuckled. “What I wanted to say was that I didn’t think high-profile players would just go out in public and do their shopping. I guess if I were you, I’d be worried about being mobbed by my fans.”
I shook my head. “This is a small town. Nothing like that has happened to me yet. Now, when I go to my hometown in Oneida, that’s a different story. It can get pretty crazy there.”
“I’ll bet. You’re a superstar there.” She glanced at the contents in my cart and lifted her brows. “You must love steak.”
“I’m a growing boy, what can I say?” I teased. I copied her and looked into her cart. “And you must love ice cream.” The second I’d said it, I wished I could take it back. I knew better than to tease a woman who ate sweets. Most women would think I was calling them fat. Luckily, she shook her head and grinned.
“If you look closely, Mr. McLaughlin, you’ll see that the ice cream is made for dogs. I give it to my patients as treats. They love it.”
I groaned and bit my lip. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She giggled and waved me off. “No worries. I
do love me some ice cream, though. I’m sure by the weekend, I’ll be back to grab a couple of pints for me.”
“Speaking of your patients, how’s the dog from the other night doing?” I questioned.
Her face brightened. “Amazingly well. He can’t walk on his own just yet, but we put him in a doggie walker that helps dogs with missing limbs get around; it works perfectly. You should come by and visit him. I bet he’d love to see his other rescuer.”
There was no way I could tell her no, not with the way she smiled at me. “I might just do that,” I told her.
“Great, I can’t wait. Bear will love it.”
“You named him Bear?”
She shrugged. “It was the first name off the top of my head. What’s funny is that he responds to it. I guess he likes it.”
“That’s a good thing.” We stared at each other for a second before she tore her gaze away.
“I should probably let you go. I’m sure you have more important things to do than talk to me.” Actually, I didn’t. I quite enjoyed talking to her, much more than I cared to admit. She started to walk off but stopped and reached into her purse. “Oh, before I forget. I meant to give this to you the other night.” She pulled out my phone and handed it to me. “It’s rung a few times, and you have some text messages.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking it from her. My fingers brushed against hers, and it made me realize how much I’d missed that kind of contact. I wanted to touch her again, but instead, I clutched the phone. “I got scolded today for not answering my calls.”
“I never used it, but thank you for letting me hold on to it. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Dr. Hunter.”
“Please, call me Hayden.”
I nodded. “As long as you call me Derek.”
“Derek it is, then. So maybe I’ll see you again?” she asked.
“Definitely.”
Chapter 8
Hayden
Why was I so giddy? It wasn’t like Derek McLaughlin, star linebacker for the Carolina Cougars, was going to come by the clinic to see the dog he’d helped me rescue. Guys like him didn’t do stuff like that. I felt stupid for actually being hopeful.