Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(46)

“You’re too much, you know that?”

His gaze caught something over my shoulder. “Uh-oh, incoming. Patton looks pissed.”

Amanda turned the corner and winked at me. “Someone’s glowing this morning.” She said it just as Jeremiah stormed through the door; it seemed to anger him more. Great. His heated gaze landed straight on mine.

“We need to talk,” he demanded.

Sighing, I followed him to his office. I never should’ve let him kiss me. What the hell was I thinking? He shut the door and leaned against it, his jaw tense. “You’re making a huge mistake, Hayden. He’s only going to hurt you again.”

“You’re wrong,” I told him. “What happened before with him was a mistake…just like our kiss. It never should’ve happened. Whatever happened between you and me will never happen again.”

He shook his head incredulously. “So you’re going to choose a football player who f*cks any girl he sees over someone who’ll treat you well and be loyal?”

“I’m sorry, Jeremiah. We have to keep our relationship strictly professional. I was hoping you’d understand.”

He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’re an amazing woman, Hayden. You deserve so much more.”

“And you’re a great guy. I’m just not the right girl for you.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, he stepped away from the door. “I’m sorry you think that.” Knowing there was nothing left to say, I opened the door and walked out. Jessica saw me leave but pretended not to notice by turning around quickly. Great! Now the whole office was going to think something was going on between me and Jeremiah. Jessica was a great nurse, but she had a big mouth, and she loved to gossip.

“Jessica?”

She cleared her throat and faced me. “Yes, Dr. Hunter?”

“Can you get me Mrs. Jenkins’s number, please?”

She nodded quickly. “Of course.”

While I waited, I checked on Lady in the kennel. She was doing so much better and even had the strength to get up and move around. The poor thing was ready to go home. Reaching into her cage, I scratched the backs of her ears. “You’re going home today, girl. I know you miss your momma.”

“Did you tell loverboy you’re unavailable?” Michael asked.

Sighing, I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Pretty much, but he wasn’t happy about it. I knew I should’ve kept my distance.”

Michael shrugged. “He’ll get over it.” Then he handed me a piece of paper with a phone number on it. “I heard you ask Jessica for it, so I thought I’d give it to you myself.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking it. “I have to tell Mrs. Jenkins that Lady is ready to be picked up.”

He looked down at Lady. “She’s doing well. I’m glad you were able to remove the tumor.”

“Me, too. I know how much Mrs. Jenkins loves her.”

“Dr. Briggs?” Amanda called out over the intercom.

Michael looked up at the speaker. “Yes?”

“Your first appointment is here.”

“Thanks, Amanda. Be up there in a sec.”

We walked inside and I grabbed his arm. “Oh, I almost forgot. Do you want to go to the football game this Saturday? It’s the Cougars’ last pre-season game. I figured it could be our final rendezvous before you leave.”

His eyes lit up. “Hell, yeah. We better have good seats.”

I winked. “The best. Now, get to your patient. I’ll see you at lunch.”

While he hurried off to see his patient, I went to my office and called Mrs. Jenkins. My cell phone beeped with an incoming text, and when I looked down at it, my heart stopped.

Derek: I love you.

Just those simple words made everything all right.

—

“I think I’m too stuffed to go back to work,” Michael said, groaning.

I chuckled. “So am I, but we have to. This is your last week, so I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

He snorted. “I doubt that. I have a strange feeling that my moving couldn’t have come at a better time. You’ll be spending every waking hour with that hottie of yours.”

Smiling, I held on to his arm as we strolled the last two blocks back to the clinic. “Maybe when you move back home, you can call Mitchell. I’m sure he’d love to see you again.”

Mitchell Pennington had been his boyfriend many years before, and they’d seen each other off and on since. Michael shrugged as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Mitchell’s probably moved on by now. I’m not going to hold my breath on that one.”

I nudged him in the side. “You never know.”

When we got back to the office, Amanda and Wilford were at the front desk, their faces glum. Margerie was the only one who turned to look at us, and even she looked distressed. “What’s going on?” I asked.

Amanda lowered her head and sniffled while Wilford slid out from behind the desk to face me. “I have some bad news, Hayden.”

My stomach dropped and I clenched my fists. If there was ever something a person didn’t want to hear, it was that. “What happened?”

Frowning, he peered up at Michael and then settled his saddened gaze upon me. “While you were out to lunch, something went wrong with Lady. Amanda was checking on all the animals and saw her shaking violently. By the time I got to her, it was too late.”