Hayden

Saturday morning had rolled around, and even though I was an early riser, I wouldn’t have thought Derek would be. Or at least I never thought he’d be calling me at ten o’clock in the morning to go pet-supply shopping. Now I was waiting by the window, heart racing, as I watched for his truck to pull down my street. I lived in a neighborhood with mainly older couples, but it was peaceful. My house was probably nowhere near the size of Derek’s. I couldn’t believe I was going to see where he lived.

My phone rang and it made me jump. That was how nervous I was. I looked down at the screen and it was my mother.

“Hey, Mom,” I greeted her.

“Are your fingers broken?” she scolded.

I groaned, realizing I hadn’t called my parents in two days. “Mom, I’m so sorry. I’ve been working lots of overtime this week. There must be something in the water, because not only did I rescue a set of puppies, I saved a dog who was hit by a car.”

“Wow, you have been busy. I just wanted to call and make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. I have today off.” Grinning from ear to ear, I cleared my throat, knowing I was about to shock the hell out of her. “But I am going out with someone today. Do you want to know who?”

She laughed. “Michael? Or is it that hot doctor you work with?”

I rolled my eyes. “First off, you know Michael’s situation. And no, it’s not Jeremiah.”

“Then who is it?”

“He’s a football player for the Carolina Cougars. His name’s Derek McLaughlin.”

She gasped. “Oh, wow. How did you meet him?”

His truck rumbled down my street, and I watched him approach. “It’s a long story but one I’m going to have to tell you later. He’s pulling into my driveway.”

“Call me back. I have to know the details.”

“Okay,” I said, laughing.

After Derek had called, I’d spent most of my time in front of my closet, wondering what I was going to wear. I’d settled on a pair of denim shorts and a pink tank top, since it was already blistering hot outside. Derek got out of his truck, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a dark gray T-shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly. He still hadn’t shaved; the stubble was turning into more of a beard. It was sexy as hell.

He rang the doorbell and I took a deep breath. “You can do this, Hayden,” I said to myself. “Just play it cool.” I opened the door, hoping like hell that I didn’t look like an idiot. My heart was pounding so loud he could probably hear it. “Hi,” I greeted him.

Smiling, he slid his hands into his pockets. “Hey, you ready?”

“Yep, I just have to get my purse. You can come in if you want.”

He stepped in while I hurried into the living room for my things. I’d spent all night cleaning in case he did decide to come in. Grabbing my purse, I watched him look around my house. “Your place is cute,” he said.

“Thanks, I like it.”

“I half expected to see a ton of animals in here. Do you not have any?”

I shook my head. “Not until Patch comes. I’ve been working so much to build up my practice that I haven’t had any time for my own pets. That’ll change when I stop working so late.” I walked out the door and he followed me, shutting it behind him so I could lock it.

“Are you from around here?” he questioned. He opened the truck’s passenger door for me.

I looked up at him, shaking my head. “Raleigh, actually. I moved here about eight months ago and started working at Stonebrooke. I like it here.”

“I do, too. I’m originally from Oneida.”

After I was in, he shut my door and went around to his side. The inside of his truck smelled exactly like him. Once he got in, we were on our way. “Oneida, huh? Sounds like a small town,” I said.

He chuckled. “It is. I grew up on a farm.”

“Did you have horses?”

“Six, as a matter of fact,” he said with a grin.

“I’m so jealous right now. I’ve always wanted one, but we lived in the city. One of these days, I’ll get one.”

“What made you want to move here from Raleigh?”

I shrugged. “It just felt right. One of my professors is a friend of Wilford Bentley, the owner of Stonebrooke. He was looking for a couple of doctors to work for him, and my professor thought I’d be a good fit. She couldn’t have been more right.”

He pulled into the parking lot of the pet store and parked. “So you’re happy you made the move?”

“Definitely.” We got out of the car and walked side by side into the store. I grabbed one of the carts and started down an aisle. “Are you happy you joined the Carolina Cougars? I’m sure there were a gazillion teams who wanted you.”

“I thought you didn’t like football. How would you know if I’m good or not?” he asked, challenging me.

“My friend Michael told me. He’s a fan of yours.”

“Ah, is that your boyfriend?”

I giggled. “He’s just a friend. We’ve known each other for years. He moved up here with me to take the other opening at Stonebrooke, but in a few more weeks, he’ll be moving back to Raleigh.”

“So he’s a veterinarian, too?” he asked.

I pointed him toward the dog food aisle. “Yep, we went to college together. He’s more of a city boy, though. That’s why he’s moving away. He got offered a job at a bigger and better practice.”

“And you’re staying?”

I nodded and let out a sigh. “Yeah. I’m going to miss him. He’s the only friend I have down here.” I pointed to a bag of dog food. “That brand will be good for Bear.”

Derek picked it up and put it in the cart. “That’s not true. I’m one of your friends, or at least I think I am.”

“I just met you.” I laughed. “In order to be friends, you have to spend more time together. With your busy schedule, I doubt you’ll have time to hang out with me.”

“Want to bet?” he challenged.

I stopped midstep and faced him. “Seriously? You really want to bet on this?”

He shrugged. “Why not? I think it could be fun. Believe me, I need a little bit of that in my life.”

“What do you want to bet?”

Pursing his lips, he looked off into the distance and then smiled. “For the next week, if I don’t call you every day and see you at least three times, then I will owe you dinner, but if I do, then you’ll owe me.” He held out his hand. “Deal?”

It was a risk I was willing to take. Grabbing his hand, I squeezed it hard, smiling the entire time. “Deal. Now let’s get shopping.”

Once all the supplies were bought, the back of Derek’s truck was full. He had enough food for a whole year. “Do you think you bought Bear enough beds?” I asked.

Derek threw the last one in the back and shrugged. “He might want to sleep in a different room each night. This way he’ll have something to lounge on in every one.”

I burst out laughing. “You are too much. When I first met you, you didn’t look like you’d have a sense of humor. You definitely had me fooled.”

He winked. “Just wait until you’re around me more.” The thought excited me, but how long was that going to last? I was pretty sure guys like him didn’t stay around the same girls for too long. As long as I didn’t get attached, I’d be fine. “You ready to inspect my house?” he asked. “I’m curious to know if you think it’ll be worthy of Bear.”

We got in his truck and headed on our way. “I don’t know,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I guess I’ll have to see when we get there.” I had no clue where he lived, but we had just passed my street when he started to slow down. “Hey, I didn’t know you lived near me.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t, either, until I came to pick you up. I’m just a couple streets away.” Only his house was on one of the rich streets that led to half-a-million-dollar-or-more homes on the lake.

The farther down the street we went, the more secluded the houses became. When he pulled down a driveway with a large stone house at the end of it, I gaped in awe. “Wow” was all I could say.

Derek cleared his throat. “Does it meet your approval, Dr. Hunter?”

“It might be too big for Bear,” I teased. Chuckling, he parked the truck, and we got out. “But it sure is beautiful.”

He lowered the tailgate and started grabbing some of the supplies. I picked up two of the doggie beds and followed him to the front door. When he let me inside, I gazed around in awe. His living room was nothing but windows that gave you a perfect view of the lake, and overhead was a loft that gave you an even higher view.

“What time do you want me to bring him tomorrow?” I announced.

He burst out laughing. “I’m glad you approve. How about lunchtime?”

“Sounds good to me.” I helped him bring in the rest of the supplies, and then he gave me a tour so we could put the doggie beds in various rooms. I stopped at the loft rail and gazed out at the lake. He joined me and leaned over on his elbows, his body close to mine.

“I bought this house for the view alone,” he said.

“I can see why. The lake is beautiful. Not to mention you have your own dock and boat. I’d be out there all the time.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the stairs. “Come on, then, we’ll go for a ride.”

Giggling, I followed him down the stairs to the back door that led onto the deck. “Are you always this spontaneous?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much. It makes things more interesting when they’re not planned.” I’d never been the kind of person to do things on a whim, but it felt good. As soon as we got outside, he let go of my hand, and I tried to hide my disappointment.

Before we could get to the dock, a car door slammed. Derek stopped and turned around. “Did you hear that?”

I nodded. “I think someone’s here.”

We started back toward the house and walked around the side to the front. There was a truck in the driveway, and standing by the front door was none other than Evan Townsend. When I’d searched for the Carolina Cougars on the Internet, his had been one of the first names that popped up.

“You have a habit of showing up unannounced,” Derek called.

Evan jerked his head around and laughed. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you’d answer your fucking phone.” His gaze landed on me and his eyes widened. “Never mind. I can see why you’re ignoring me.” He walked toward me and held out his hand. “I’m Evan Townsend.”

I shook his hand, but Derek was the one who spoke up. “This is Hayden Hunter. The veterinarian I helped on the side of the road the other day.”

Evan grinned. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I replied.

“So what are you doing here?” Derek asked. His tone had changed, taking on a more serious edge. There was tension, but Evan didn’t seem to notice; he stood there smiling happily.

“I wanted to see if you’d like to come over. The grill is fired up and ready.” Evan turned to me. “You’re more than welcome to come, too.”

Derek glanced at me and I couldn’t decipher the look. Did he want me to join them, or did he not want me to be around his friends? Instead of waiting, I saved myself the embarrassment. “I should probably be getting back home,” I told them. “But it was great meeting an NFL legend such as yourself. I’m a little starstruck right now.”

Evan guffawed. “Well, thank you.” Then he turned to Derek and winked. “I like this one. Do you want to join us?”

Derek shook his head. “Maybe next time. I have to get Hayden back home.”

Evan’s smile slowly faded. “All right, brother. Come on over if you change your mind.”

They shook hands. “Will do,” Derek responded.

Evan got back into his truck and waved before backing out of the driveway. Once he was gone, Derek blew out a shaky breath. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

He turned to me and nodded. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. It seemed like there was something bothering you. I could see it on your face.”

Sighing, he focused on the lake, avoiding my stare. To judge by the look on his face, his mind was going a hundred miles an hour. “Some days are harder to deal with than others, depending on who I’m with. Do you ever experience that?”

He was holding something back, but I didn’t know him well enough to dig in to his personal life. I wanted to know, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. “I think we all do,” I answered honestly. “We all have our good and bad days.”

“Are you ready for me to take you home?” His light blue eyes stared down at me, and though I desperately wanted to say no, I had to stick to my words.

“Yes, please.”

A look of disappointment flashed across his face, but I couldn’t back down. I’d given in too many times with my ex, and look where that had gotten me. Getting attached would be the worst decision I could make.

I followed him back inside, where he grabbed his keys and two bottles of water out of the refrigerator. He passed one to me and we headed back out. “You’ll be here with Bear tomorrow, right?” He opened the truck door for me.

“Of course,” I said, getting in. “Lunchtime, right?” He nodded. “I’ll be here.”

We rode in silence. I could tell something was bothering him, but I pretended not to notice. When we got to my house, he parked in my driveway but kept the truck running; he wasn’t planning on staying. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

Opening the door, I slid out quickly before I could make a fool of myself. It wasn’t like he was going to kiss me. I plastered on a fake smile and shut the door. “See you then. And I’ll make sure to go over everything with you as far as Bear’s walker and the meds he’s taking.”

A small smile spread across his face. “Sounds good, Hayden. And don’t forget, we have a bet going on next week. I refuse to lose.”

“We’ll see about that,” I said, walking backward to my front door. “Have a good night.”

“You, too.”

I unlocked my door and watched him disappear down the street. Tomorrow I’d see him again and dig myself further into a hole. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to agree to the bet.