Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(9)

I shrugged. “Here and there, I guess. He’s planning on moving back to Raleigh soon.”

“Oh no, why?” she asked, her smile fading.

“He got offered a job by one of our friends from college. It’s a larger clinic right in the city. Michael’s always been the type to want bigger and better things, and although he won’t admit to it, I know that’s what he wants. Plus, our families are out there.”

She fixed my latte and passed it to me along with the blueberry scones. “I hate to hear that. He’ll definitely be missed around here.”

“Yes, he will.” I was going to miss him more than anything. We’d been friends for years and even lived together when we were in college. My parents knew they had nothing to worry about in the romance department. He was more than a friend; he was the brother I never had. I’d known Michael was leaving for some time now, and the end result was still the same: I hated it. Other than my job, he was all I had.

After I paid, I walked out of the café and waved at her again through the window, then headed to the animal hospital. Stonebrooke was my home. I loved working with animals; it was a job that I was excited to come to every day. Not many people could say that. When I walked in, Katrina, our gray and white house cat, meowed at me. She lived at the clinic and roamed around freely, greeting everyone who came through the door. Wilford had taken her in about six years ago, when she showed up on the doorstep of his house. She’d adopted him, and that was something he didn’t take lightly. I had a cat adopt me one time when I was thirteen, and she was the best cat I’d ever had. I’d never known a cat to be as loving as she was. She came with me everywhere, even to college when I got my apartment with Michael. When she got sick, my heart broke. I cried for days after having to put her down.

Once inside the office, I could hear Margerie and Wilford cracking up in the break room. Margerie was his assistant, and had been for about thirty-five years. When one of my professors at NC State had told me about a job opening in Belmont, I thought she’d lost her mind, since I didn’t want to move away from my hometown. But it was a good opportunity. Wilford was a friend of my professor’s father, and she said he was one of the best people you’d ever meet. She was right. I’d never heard of an assistant staying with the same doctor for as many years as Margerie had. That had sealed the deal. Not to mention he’d had another opening available and had offered to give it to Michael if I’d come. It was the best decision of my life.

Michael walked in shortly after I did, and I held up the bag of scones. “Grab one,” I told him.

Brow furrowed, he looked at the bag and then at me. “What’s in it?”

“A blueberry scone. There’s one for me and one for you.”

He burst out laughing. “Tired of me taking bites of yours?”

“Yes, now get yours and stay away from mine.”

Reaching into the bag, he grabbed his scone and smiled. “Thanks, darling.”

“You’re welcome.” We walked to the break room and sat down at the table with Wilford and Margerie. Wilford was pushing sixty-five, with the whitest hair I’d ever seen; it was almost blinding. Margerie was in her sixties, too, with short gray hair and glasses that looked like she’d worn them since the fifties.

“Good morning, kids,” Wilford greeted us happily.

“What’s got you in a good mood this morning?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Just enjoying life, my dear. Has either of you seen Jeremiah this morning?”

Michael nodded toward the door. “He pulled in just as I was walking in.”

“Great,” he said. “Looks like we’re going to have a busy day.” Then he focused on me. “How are the puppies doing?”

I sipped on my latte and cleared my throat. “Michael and I examined them, and then Amanda took them home. I’m positive they’ll pull through. She should be here with them soon.”

“I’m glad you were able to save them. Have you talked to Kellie about taking them in?”

I shook my head. “Not yet, but I will today.” Kellie Spence was his granddaughter; she owned the animal shelter, Furever Yours, that was connected to the clinic. She was a pro at finding people to adopt and foster animals.

The intercom beeped and Jessica’s voice came through the speakers. She was one of our nurses and worked mainly with Jeremiah. “Dr. Briggs, your eight-thirty appointment is here.”

Michael finished his scone and stood. “Thanks, Jessica. Is Charity here?” The nurses rotated among the doctors, but Charity Kerrigan was Michael’s main assistant. Amanda was my favorite.

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you mind getting her to take them back? I’ll get started early.”

“Will do,” she said. “Oh, and Dr. Bentley, you have a call on line one.”

Wilford started for the door. “I’ll take it in my office. Thanks.”

Margerie followed him out of the break room while I hurried to finish my scone. Jeremiah walked in just as we were both about to head out. “What’s up, guys?” He put his bottles of water in the refrigerator and finished off his coffee.

“Nothing much,” I answered. “Did you have fun on your day off?”

“I did. A couple of my buddies and I went to the Whitewater Center,” he replied, winking slyly. He knew I loved that place. Jeremiah Patton was a good-looking man in his early thirties with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He loved to flirt with me, but I knew better than to get involved with a colleague. Occasionally we had lunch together, but that was it.