Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(53)

“Yes, Dr. Hunter,” Amanda and Charity answered simultaneously.

I looked over at Jessica, waiting for her answer. “I understand,” she replied.

“Thank you, ladies. You’re free to go.” They left my office and I picked up the phone. It was time to tell Mrs. Bradshaw the not-so-good news.





Chapter 23





Hayden


“Are you sure you don’t mind going with me?” Derek asked.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, but I pushed him off and laughed. “Not at all. Now let me finish getting dressed so we can leave. I don’t want you to be late.”

I’d worked most of the day but asked Wilford if I could take the rest of the afternoon off to go to Evan and Summer’s wedding rehearsal with Derek. We had only twenty minutes left before we had to be at Stowe Manor for the rehearsal. The last thing I wanted was for Derek to be late because of me, and I sure as hell didn’t want to go dressed in my scrubs. Instead, I picked out a light blue summer dress and heels.

Derek lay on my bed and watched me heatedly. “I just realized we haven’t really hung out at your house. Your bed needs to be played in more. Maybe we should do that tonight.”

“Hey, I can’t help it we always end up at your house. Patch likes it better there. He has more room to run around. Plus, you have a pool. I love our nightly swims.”

He chuckled. “So do I.”

For the past week, I’d enjoyed spending every night at his house. My house was small and perfect for just me, but there was nothing fancy about it. Luckily, Derek didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t rich. Slipping on my dress, I turned around so he could zip me up.

Before lifting the zipper, he traced a finger down my back, making me shiver. “With as much time as you spend at my house, you should probably just move in with me,” he murmured. He said it so seriously that I froze.

I turned around and faced him. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head. “Actually, I’m not. I know in my heart that you’re the one for me. Why wait? I don’t see anything changing between us.”

As much as I wanted to scream from the rooftops and say yes, I knew I couldn’t—at least not yet. Derek was the impulsive type, but I was more of the safe one; I had to think things through. “Don’t you think it’s too soon?” I asked. “Don’t get me wrong, the thought has me wanting to jump up and down screaming, but I want to be smart about this.”

He pressed a finger to my lips. “Take your time, love. It’s not like the decision has to be made today. Just as long as I see you every day, I’ll be fine.”

I kissed his finger and then his lips. “I can live with that, but right now we have to go.” I grabbed my purse, and we headed down the stairs and out the front door. Before we could get into his truck, my phone rang. I was tempted not to answer it, but when I looked at it, I saw it was Wilford. “I should probably take this. Can you give me a second?” I asked, lifting my gaze to Derek’s. He nodded and I walked away from his truck so I could answer it. “Hey, Wilford.”

“I need you to come by the office,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Now?”

“I know you requested the time off, but this needs to be said in person and not over the phone.”

I didn’t like the way he sounded; in fact, it scared the hell out of me. “All right, I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Derek asked.

Sighing, I pocketed my phone and pulled my car keys out of my purse. “Wilford needs me at the office. It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to go to the rehearsal with you.”

“Is everything okay?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know, but I didn’t like the way he sounded. Something’s wrong.”

He walked over to me, his gaze concerned. “Do you want me to go with you? I’m sure Evan will understand if I don’t make it to the rehearsal.”

“No,” I scolded, pushing him gently toward his truck. “Whatever it is, I’ll be fine. We can see each other after the rehearsal.”

He leaned down and kissed me. “I’ll see you soon, then. If you need me, just call.”

As soon as he left, I got in my car and hurried to the clinic. When I walked in, Wilford was waiting for me at the front desk, his expression glum. “Good, you’re here,” he announced. “Let’s go back to my office.”

Heart pounding, I followed him to his office, and he shut the door behind us. “What’s going on?” I asked.

Sighing, he sat down at his desk and rubbed his tired eyes. “Have a seat, Hayden.”

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. I felt sick to my stomach, imagining what kind of disaster would’ve put that forlorn expression on his face. I did as he said and sat down, palms sweating profusely as I waited for him to speak.

“After you left a few hours ago, I walked through the kennel to check on the animals. It was then that I noticed something odd.”

“Okay,” I said. “What was it?”

“A couple of the dogs had started showing no interest in eating and were also lethargic. I started getting concerned, considering you just had a dog sick with parvo in isolation.”