by L. P. Dover
Jaw clenching, he lowered his gaze. “I know. That’s why I’m here…to apologize.” He lifted his head and faced me. “And to offer you the clinic again. I was wrong and I’m so, so sorry, Hayden. If I could take it back, I would.”
“Same here,” Mrs. Jenkins cut in. She stepped out from behind Wilford and handed me her flowers with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I know you weren’t the one who hurt Lady. I feel bad for what I did, especially telling my friends and family to keep their animals away from you. But now the truth is out and everyone knows what an amazing doctor you are. I just hope you can forgive me for what I did.”
My throat closed up and I tried to hold back the tears, failing miserably. “Lady was such a sweet dog, Mrs. Jenkins. It tears me apart, what happened to her.”
She nodded quickly, her lips trembling. “Yes, she was. And if you decide to come back to Stonebrooke, everyone’s ready for you with open arms.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Jenkins. I appreciate that.” She squeezed my hand and then stepped out of the way.
Wilford smiled at her before focusing on me. “Can I convince you to come back?” he asked pleadingly. “Everything will be yours if you just say yes. All we have to do is sign the paperwork. It’ll be yours the second you write your name on that line.”
To have my own clinic would be a dream come true. I knew Wilford was older and ready to retire, and now he had no one to take the clinic since Jeremiah had turned out to be a psychopath. Still, a lot of responsibilities came with running your own practice. I was ready for them, but it wasn’t just me I had to think about.
“I appreciate the offer, Wilford, but what happens if I don’t stay here for the rest of my life? Right now I’m attached to this place, but in another few years, I don’t know where I’m going to be.”
He held up his hand, halting me. “And I’m fine with that. I trust you, Hayden. When and if you ever decide to leave, I know you’ll make sure Stonebrooke is taken care of. You always have. I am fully comfortable leaving it all in your hands.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. “You’re sure?”
The bark of laughter that escaped his lips was the loudest I’d ever heard from him. “Of course, I’m sure. I’m an old man, dear. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to retire. A house in the Bahamas is calling my name.”
“Do you think you can hold off on the Bahamas for a couple more weeks? I need to let the media frenzy die down just a bit.”
He pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek. “Anything for you. Just let me know when you’re ready to come back. I’ll have your office ready and waiting for you.”
I squeezed him hard. “Thank you, Wilford. This means a lot to me.”
He and Mrs. Jenkins got into the car and left, and I hurried inside to tell my mother the news. She waved me over, but her gaze stayed locked on the TV. “Time’s almost up and we’re in the lead, but not by much.” I sat beside her and bit my lip as I looked at the clock. There was only a minute left to go, and New Orleans had the ball. If they got a touchdown, the game would be over. In position, Derek bounced his leg impatiently; he was pumped.
The quarterback snapped the ball and it went sailing into the air. If Derek could make the tackle, it’d all be over. Instead, he intercepted the ball and I screamed so loudly my mother had to put her hands over her ears. I would’ve loved to see him make another touchdown, but he fell down before the others could tackle him to the ground. With only six seconds left in the game, he’d guaranteed the Cougars victory.
“Another win!” I shouted happily.
“So what did your old boss want?” my mother asked.
I sat down beside her, grinning so hard that my cheeks ached. “He offered me the clinic. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be the owner of Stonebrooke.”
Gasping, she slapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh, honey, this is amazing. I’m so happy for you.”
The Cougars all ran out on the field in celebration. Derek was being praised by everyone, and I knew he was on air, just like I was. “Me, too, Momma. It’s been a really good day.”
Chapter 34
Hayden
ONE MONTH LATER
“Have a good afternoon, Dr. Hunter,” Amanda called out.
“You, too,” I shouted back.
It felt good to be back at the office and working with my furry friends again. Walking into the lab had taken some getting used to, because all I could see was Jeremiah on the videos, killing those poor animals. He was going to be behind bars for the rest of his life. He’d requested a visit from me, but I’d refused. There was nothing he could say to me that I cared to listen to.
Once I finished up the last of my paperwork, I walked into the main lobby and looked around. I still couldn’t believe it was all mine. Wilford had updated to top-of-the-line equipment, but the dark blue walls needed to be painted to something cheerful, possibly a soft yellow or green? It was all up to me. Maybe I could get the football players to help; that would definitely be a sight. My nurses would help in a heartbeat.
Grinning from ear to ear, I locked the clinic doors and headed home. It was still strange referring to Derek’s massive home as mine, but it was. When I pulled in, Jax’s red sports car was sitting in the driveway. He and Derek had been hanging out a lot together recently, and I actually liked the guy. He had a crude sense of humor that I found funny. The only thing I didn’t like were the stories he told of the things he’d done to some of the players, especially Evan, when he tried to sabotage his and Summer’s relationship. Derek warned Jax that as long as he didn’t try to hit on me, he’d give him the benefit of the doubt. So far, Jax hadn’t let us down.
For the past two days, Jax and Derek had been working to rebuild the dock I’d accidentally run the boat into a few short days before. The damage wasn’t that bad, and thankfully, the boat was okay. I’d offered to pay to have the dock fixed, but Derek had wanted to do it. I’d recently learned that he liked to repair things. He was used to doing that kind of stuff when he lived on his parents’ farm in Tennessee. I couldn’t help but wonder about all the things we’d learn about each other now that we lived together.
I walked inside, and as soon as I turned toward the kitchen, I ran right into Jax’s sweaty chest. Lifting my lab coat, I used it to wipe off my face. “Yuck, that’s just gross.”
Jax laughed and guzzled his bottle of water. “Most women wouldn’t agree.”
Derek strolled in and looked at us, his chest bare and slick with sweat. I couldn’t help but be turned on. “Am I missing something?” he asked.
Laughing, I scrubbed my face again with my coat. “Yeah, your friend rubbing his nasty-ass sweat all over my face. I think I need to take a shower now.”
Jax tossed Derek a bottle of water. “Aw, come on, Hayden, I’m not that bad. At least I don’t stink.”
I winked at Derek and waved a hand in front of my face. “Wrong there, buddy,” I teased.
The guys chuckled and I took a seat beside Derek at the bar while Jax stood, facing us. Placing his hand on my thigh, Derek leaned over and kissed my cheek. “How did work go?”
Grinning, I turned to face him. I had some news that I couldn’t wait to share with him. “Pretty well, actually. I hired another doctor.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nodded excitedly. “Yep, and he’s amazing.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who is it?”
“I know,” Jax exclaimed.
I pointed at him. “Hush, this is my conversation.” I knew Jax would know because Michael had told me he and Aaron were friends, and Aaron had told Jax he was dating my friend.
Jax bit his lip and stepped back with a smile on his face. Derek’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Michael?”
“Yep, he’s moving in with Aaron at the beginning of the year. He said he didn’t like it in Raleigh, but I think we all know the real reason.”
Derek pulled me into his lap and held me tight. “I’m excited for you, love. I know this makes you happy.”
“Y
ou have no idea. I’ll have my best friend back.”
He kissed me on the lips and Jax groaned. “Guys, I’m going to head out,” he said, heading toward the door. “Nobody wants to see that shit.”
“Bye, Jax,” I hollered, waving.
“See ya, losers,” he said, laughing.
Once the door had shut, I straddled Derek’s lap. “Now that he’s gone, we can have some fun. Do you know how hard it is to come home with you looking like that?”
He pressed me down onto his growing cock. “Very hard.”
I thrust my hips against his. “What are we going to do about it?”
“You’re about to find out.”
Epilogue
Hayden
Standing at the window, I gazed out at the snow-covered mountains. They were beautiful, almost like a painting; I could see why Derek missed his home. Two months had passed, and everything was as it should be. It was Christmas, and I was spending it with Derek’s parents at their farm in Tennessee. His family made me feel at home, and I couldn’t help but feel like I belonged. Derek and I got closer every day, always learning more about each other. The more I was with him, the harder I fell in love. Stonebrooke was mine, and Michael had just moved back to town. It was nice seeing him happy with Aaron. Of course, a lot of the ladies around town were upset to see Michael not available anymore. He still had women throwing themselves at his feet.
“Hayden, you okay?” Derek asked.
“Yes,” I blurted, jerking my head toward him. “I was just thinking.”
He helped me into my jacket. “About what?”
I zipped up my coat and slid a toboggan over my head. “You, this place, life. Do I need to go on?”
Chuckling, he opened the door, and we stepped out into the foot of snow that had fallen overnight. His parents wanted us to eat breakfast with them, and since Derek’s old apartment was over their spare garage, we had to walk a ways to get to the main house.
“And what kind of conclusion did you come to?”
“No conclusion necessary. Just enjoying what I already have.” He walked a little ways ahead of me and I smiled. Bending down, I picked up a handful of snow and hurled it at his back. It hit him on the head instead.
He froze midstep and I prepared myself to run. It’d been years since I’d had a snowball fight. Going against Derek was a losing battle, but I was determined not to go down easy. Derek glanced at me over his shoulder and then turned around. His body tensed and I knew he was about to attack.
“You just messed up, love.”
“I got at least one good hit in, so I’m good,” I teased. It was the wrong thing to say. His reflexes were so fast that I barely saw him grab the snow before I felt it splatter against my chest. Snow blasted up into my face, which gave him the seconds he needed to tackle me to the ground.
We rolled around in the snow and I could barely breathe from laughing so hard. “What now?” he challenged.
“I still got you. That’s all that matters.” Luckily, my jacket was thick and covered me past my waist or I’d have snow down my pants. With Derek’s body covering me, I couldn’t even feel the bite of the wind.
Though his fingers were cold, he brushed the hair off my face and kissed me. “Merry Christmas, Hayden. I’ll give you your present when we get back home.”
“Merry Christmas to you. Your present is also at home, so you’ll have to wait, too.” There wasn’t much you could get a guy who had everything, but I’d gotten him a nice watch, since his last one fell off his wrist and into the lake when he was fixing the dock. Needless to say, it wouldn’t work after that.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, Hayden. You give me everything I need just by being with me.”
“What if I could guarantee you the Super Bowl win? Play-offs are starting soon.”
He shook his head. “First off, you can’t give me that anyway, and second, I have confidence in our team. We’re good players, and if we don’t win, it’s not the end of the day. We play hard, and that’s all I can ask of my teammates.”
I leaned in to his touch and smiled. “And that’s one of the reasons why I love you. You always try to see the good in people.”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t like that until I met you. You rubbed off on me.”
I giggled. “I’m glad I did something right.”
He smiled, but then he turned serious. “What do you see in your future?”
I looked into his eyes. “You. That’s all I ever see. What about you?”
“Mainly a girl with dark brown hair and sexy green eyes. She has a nice ass, too,” he teased.
I smacked his arm. “You better be talking about me.”
He chuckled lightly. “You know I am. I just wanted to make sure you felt the way I do.”
I held his face in my hands. “You know I do, Derek. I want a husband, kids, and a set of dogs running around the yard.” I nodded toward the mountains. “And I want to live in a place like this.”
“With me?”
“With you,” I murmured against his lips.
His lips touched mine, but then his face fell. “I wish we could live in a place like this, but we can’t. I can’t ask you to leave your practice.”
Tears burned my eyes. “You won’t have to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t told you this yet, but when I signed the contract for Stonebrooke, it was only temporary. For now I’m the owner, but when the time comes, I’m going to sign it over to someone else.”
His brows furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”
“Because I love you. And I know that once you’re done with football, you want to be a wildlife ranger. We could move here, or even Wyoming if you want. You can’t follow your dreams in Belmont. I was thinking about you…about us. Besides, I love the mountains. We can follow our dreams together.”
He stared at me, his eyes taking in every inch of my face. “Fuck, I love you. How did I ever get so lucky? I can’t believe you would do this for me.”
“I knew you would do it for me.”
The snow started to fall and he kissed me again, this time much deeper. “I would do anything for you, Hayden. I’m never going to let you go, so you can see. For the rest of my life, I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
“I already am.”
To my mother: I love you.
Acknowledgments
To my second half, Matt—I’d like to thank you for lending me your comical yet dirty phrases for my books. My football players wouldn’t be the same without you.
Kim Walker, my closest friend—thank you for always being there for me. You have no idea how lost I would be without you. In other words, you’re stuck with me.
Heidi McLaughlin—you have been a dear friend to me, and I thank you for that. We’ve had some adventures with Society X, and I can’t wait for more.
To my readers—you’re the best! Thank you for your support and love.
To the Carolina Panthers—keep pounding!
BY L. P. DOVER
Second Chances
Catching Summer
Defending Hayden
Intended for Bristol (coming soon)
Second Chances Series
Love’s Second Chance
Trusting You
Meant for Me
Fighting for Love
Intercepting Love
Armed & Dangerous Series
No Limit
Roped In
High-Sided
Gloves Off Series
A Fighter’s Desire—Part One
A Fighter’s Desire—Part Two
Tyler’s Undoing
Ryley’s Revenge
Paxton’s Promise
Camden’s Redemption
Kyle’s Return
Society X Series
Dark Room
Viewing Room
Bondage Room
Forever Fae Series
Forever Fae
Betra
yals of Spring
Summer of Frost
Reign of Ice
PHOTO: REGINA WAMBA
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. DOVER is a Southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey, she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
She loves to write, but she also loves to play tennis and go on mountain hikes and white-water rafting, and she has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.
Dover has written more than twenty novels, including the Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, and her stand-alone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, but if she got to choose a setting in which to live, it would be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.
lpdover.com
Facebook.com/lpdover
@LPDover
The Editor’s Corner
Looking for your next book boyfriend? I think I can help you out—check out these wonderful stories from Loveswept:
Something brand-new from Loveswept debut author Lynda Aicher, The Harder He Falls. Author Ellie Cahill releases a sexy, witty new adult story called Just a Girl. The first in the Bayard Hockey series comes from Kelly Jamieson, with Shut Out. New York Times bestselling author Missy Johnson steams it up with The Proposition. The third story in Cassie Mae’s LOL All About Love romantic comedy series holds true to its name, Crazy About Love. Readers will fall fast and hard and clamor for the next in Tina Wainscott’s Florida-set Falling Fast series with Falling Free. Sharon Cullen’s Highland Pride series continues with MacLean’s Passion, as Scotland’s most reckless smuggler meets his match in a beautiful spitfire who arouses a renewed sense of duty, camaraderie, and passion in him. New York Times bestselling author L. P. Dover sets hearts on fire in Defending Hayden, where a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take away the pain. More from Lavinia Kent’s Bound and Determined series comes in the form of Angel in Scarlet. And I hope you’ll agree that there are never too many men in kilts: Ladies, meet the Wild Highland Guardians, new from Violetta Rand in Her Highland Rogue.