Defending Hayden: A Second Chances Novel (5 page)

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 stopped 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.”

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.

“So you saw him again last night?” Michael asked.

I ate a bite of my salad and nodded. “Yep. He was at the grocery store. I asked him if he wanted to stop by and see Bear.”

He gazed at me in awe. “This is some serious book-worthy shit right here. How many people can say this kind of stuff happens to them?”

I tossed a crouton at him. “You’re such a hopeless romantic. I think you’re worse than me.”

He chuckled. “I can’t help it if I believe in fate. Did you give him back the phone?”

“Yep. I couldn’t keep it forever. Besides, it was about to go dead, and I didn’t have a charger for it.” It had killed me not to look through the contacts and everything on it just to see who all Derek talked to on a regular basis. But I’d felt like I was encroaching on his privacy.

“I can’t believe you had the balls to ask him.”

“Me, either. It just kind of slipped out.”

He stared at me with a mischievous grin. “You like him, don’t you?”

“No,” I blurted out. “He’s a nice guy. I just thought with the way he helped me with Bear, he’d like to check up on him.”

His gaze narrowed. “And that’s it? The only reason why you asked him?”

I stuffed another bite of lettuce into my mouth. “Yep. Now let’s drop this. Derek McLaughlin will never be interested in a girl like me.”

Michael snorted. “Keep telling yourself that. You’re beautiful, and you have a big heart. What’s not to love about that?”

I looked into his eyes. “Sometimes that’s not enough.”

That was something I understood all too well. The man I had loved so deeply and thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with had cheated on me with my best friend. Her betrayal had struck me the hardest. Emily and I had been best friends for most of our lives, all the way back to elementary school. Now she was married to my ex and they were expecting their first child. It was always her, Michael, and me, the unbreakable trio. It was funny how life seemed to throw you for a loop. Jake was a good-looking guy and extremely smart, a prestigious lawyer working high-profile cases. He was always the life of the crowd, a smooth talker who could get anything he wanted. I learned that the hard way, when he was able to sneak around with Emily without me knowing. He tried his best to convince me to pursue a degree in something other than veterinary medicine, and when I didn’t, he loved to talk down to me, saying I wasn’t going to get anywhere in the world. For the longest time, I never felt good enough for him. I started to believe I wasn’t until I caught him with Emily, and it was as if the blinders came off. The pain, however, was still there.

“Dr. Hunter, your one o’clock is here,” Amanda called out over the speaker.

Finishing the last bite of my salad, I got up and threw the container away. “Thanks, I’ll be right there.”

“You okay, Hayden?” Michael asked, concern in his voice.

I grabbed my hairbrush out of my purse and ran it through my hair. “I’m fine,” I lied.

He got up and wrapped his arms around me. “No, you’re not. I saw the look on your face. You were thinking about Jake, weren’t you?”

Halfheartedly, I shrugged. “It’s hard not to. He hurt me, Michael. So did Emily.”

He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I know, babe. But in the end, it’s for the best. It leaves you open to explore new possibilities. Now put a smile on your face and get to work. I have a feeling you’ll have a visitor today.”

“I doubt it,” I grumbled against his chest.

His laugh vibrated in my ear. “Have some faith, sweetheart.”

For the past hour, I’d watched Bear hobble around in his walker until he got the hang of it. The heat of the summer sun was a bit much, but he didn’t seem to mind it.

“He’s moving so well,” Kellie announced excitedly.

“Yes, he is. He’s a survivor. I just wish I knew who hit him so I could punch the shit out of them. I mean, who does that?”

“Not everyone thinks like you, Hayden. The world would probably be a better place if they did.”

I laughed and shook my head. “I’m just glad I was able to save him. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a home, but he didn’t have a collar or a microchip. Signs were posted near where he was hit, but no one took the bite.” Judging by his bone structure and size, he was most likely a little over a year old, basically still a puppy.

“Hopefully, we’ll find him a home,” Kellie murmured. “He’s still a young pup. With him moving around as good as he is, you can transfer him over anytime you want.”

“Thanks, Kellie. He’ll love it here with the others. It’ll give him some company.”

Slowly but surely, Bear hobbled around the fenced-in yard, fetching balls left and right. I was amazed at how quickly he’d been able to find the energy. Animals were so resilient. With Kellie being Wilford’s granddaughter, it gave our animals an advantage. I was able to bring them over to her place so they could run around and have fun while recuperating. No other facility in the city had the kind of establishment we had.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small cup of doggie peanut-butter ice cream and whistled. “Bear, come here, boy!” He started toward me and picked up his pace the second I ripped off the lid to the ice cream. His tongue lolled out to the side and he huffed.

“He’s going to love you forever now.” Kellie laughed.

I set Bear’s treat down and rubbed his back as he lapped it up. “If I had the time and the space, I’d take him home with me. Hell, I’d take them all home if I could.”

Kellie sighed. “So would I.”

When he was done, Bear lay down beside me, his body warm against my leg as I rubbed behind his ears. His fur was golden and soft, and he’d put on a little bit of weight in the past two days. I could still feel his bones, but that’d be fixed once he stayed with us a little while longer.

“I’m going to fatten you up a bit,” I said to him. He lifted his head and licked the side of my cheek. Laughing, I wiped my face off with my sleeve. “I guess you like that.” Then he froze, his ears perking up. I looked up at Kellie and glanced around the yard. “What does he hear?”

Kellie shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t see anything.”

Bear slowly made his way to the edge of the fence. I got to my feet and started toward him. “What are you looking at, boy?”

It wasn’t until I got closer to the fence that I saw what he was looking at. Getting out of his truck was none other than Derek McLaughlin. He started up the sidewalk, but then Bear barked and caught his attention. His gaze found mine, and he smiled. “There you are,” he called out.

He strolled toward us. I quickly glanced back at Kellie, whose eyes went wide the second she figured out who he was. “Oh my God,” she whispered excitedly, coming up beside me. “Is that who I think it is?”

His dark auburn hair was slightly wet, and I could smell the fresh soap on his skin. The stubble on his chin had grown out a little more since last night. I liked it.

I laughed. “Yep.” Bear was going crazy at my feet, his tail wagging ninety miles an hour. Derek leaned down and petted him through the fence, Bear trying his best to get as close as possible. “He likes you,” I said.

“He looks like a completely different dog.” He stood and smiled at me before turning to Kellie with his hand outstretched. “Hey, I’m—”

Kellie grabbed his hand excitedly. “Oh, I already know who you are.”

I nodded toward her. “This is Kellie Spence. She owns Furever Yours. She finds homes for abandoned animals.”

Derek let her hand go and nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Kellie stared at him for a few more seconds as if in a daze and then snapped out of it, her attention focused on me. “I have some things I need to get done inside. I’ll leave you two be.” She waved at Derek. “It was nice meeting you, too.”

Heart pounding and palms sweating, I turned back to him. “I didn’t think you’d come,” I said.

He blew out a sigh. “I wanted to get here earlier, but practice ran over. I hurried as fast as I could. What time do you normally leave work?”

I shrugged. “Usually about six o’clock. Some nights I stay later, it all depends on what’s going on.”

“I see. Does your husband not mind you working late?”

“If he did, he’d have to get over it.” I watched his reaction and his smile faded slightly; it was the reaction I’d wanted. “I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have one,” I added with a laugh. “However, I will have a young man moving in with me soon. Do you want to meet him? He’s small and furry.”

He chuckled. “Lead the way.”

I let him inside the gate, and Bear was all over him. Derek knelt down to pet him and let Bear lick his face. It was the sweetest exchange I’d ever seen. I walked inside and held the door open for them both.

“How was practice?” I asked.

“Good. We’re getting ready for our first pre-season game next weekend.”

“That’s exciting. So do you get the summers off, or do you have to train every day?”

“It’s best to train every day. I just got back from Wyoming a few days ago.”

I wanted to ask more questions, but I didn’t want to pry into his personal life. I was pretty sure he didn’t want to talk about why he’d fled to Wyoming, so I pretended I didn’t know anything. I opened the door that led to the kennels and Bear rushed right on in, going straight to his.

“I’ve never been to Wyoming. I bet it’s beautiful out there.”

A sad expression passed across his face. “It is. I had a good time while I was there.”

The puppies started to whine, so I went over to their cage and opened it. As soon as he saw them, his mood lifted. I told him, “These little ones were found in a Dumpster a few days ago. Luckily, they didn’t die from the heat.” I picked up Patch and scratched behind his ears. “This one’s coming home with me in a few days. I named him Patch.”

Derek scratched his head. “The man of the house, huh?”

I laughed and set him back in the cage. “Yep. I saw him and fell in love. I just wish I could find a home for Bear. The puppies will go easily, but it’s harder to find homes for bigger dogs.”

Bear waited by his kennel, and I helped him out of his walker so he could lie down. The second his head hit the bed, his eyes started to close. Derek knelt with me and looked at him. “Give me a few days, and if you don’t find someone to adopt him, I’ll do it myself.” I gasped and lost my balance, falling over on my backside. My cheeks started to flame. Chuckling, he grabbed my hand and helped me up. “Are you okay?”

“My butt will be hurting in the morning, but did I just hear you right? You’re going to take Bear?”

He turned his attention to Bear, who was sound asleep. “I haven’t had a dog since I moved here. He’ll do good at my house, lots of space to run around in.”

My eyes burned. “I don’t know what to say. He will need some extra attention while he’s healing, but other than that, he should be good to go. You just have to make sure you have everything he’ll need.”

He smiled and my knees weakened. Why did he have to smile like that? “That’s what I have you for. I have this weekend off, so maybe you can go with me to the store and help me find everything he needs. You can even come by my house to make sure I set it up all right.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying my best to pretend I wasn’t giddy, like a schoolgirl. The thought of spending more time with him made my blood run wild. I hadn’t been so excited in years. “I might just have to do that. I can’t have Bear going just anywhere; he’s special.”

He pulled out his phone. “Let me know what day and time work for you and I’ll pick you up. I just need your number.” Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I gave him my number, and he gave me his. I couldn’t believe that was actually happening. “All right, I think we’re good. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

I walked him out the back door so he didn’t have to go through the clinic. Before he got into his truck, he waved, and I waved back. What the hell was I getting myself into?