Hayden

“How’s it feel to be home, little fella?” I asked Patch. He cocked his head to the side and barked. “I take that as a compliment.” It was my Saturday off, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I needed the time to get Patch accustomed to his new home. It was nice having him in my house; it helped keep my mind off of things, especially now that I was getting voicemails and texts from Derek. I ignored them all. I refused to get sucked back in. However, I did worry about Bear. I knew Derek would take care of him, but I couldn’t help wondering how he was doing. He wasn’t due for a checkup until it was time to take his casts off, but I really wanted to see him. I was surprised Derek hadn’t used the poor dog as an excuse to see me—at least he hadn’t yet.

The doorbell rang and I glanced at the clock. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Luckily, Derek was three hours away in Atlanta for a game. Picking Patch up, I carried him with me to the door. I could see Michael’s frame through the glass door, and when I opened it, he waved.

“I didn’t know you were coming over this early,” I said.

Grinning from ear to ear, he held up a bag of chips and salsa. “My last checkup never showed, so I bailed out. I figured since I’m leaving town in a couple of weeks, I’d spend as much time with you as I can.”

He walked past me and I followed him into the kitchen. He’d been my savior this past week. The thought of being without him terrified me. “Are you sure you have to move away?” I asked.

Frowning, he pulled me into his arms, Patch protesting about being squished between us. “You know I never wanted to stay here permanently, Hayden.”

I huffed. “I know.”

“Why don’t you move with me? I’m sure there’ll be a space for you at the new office.”

Shaking my head, I let him go and set Patch down. “I can’t.” I hadn’t told him about Wilford’s offer. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

His brows furrowed. “What?”

A smile spread across my face. “Wilford is giving the practice to me.”

He gasped. “Holy shit, are you serious? That’s amazing.”

“Yep, he told me yesterday. By the end of this year, I’ll be the owner of Stonebrooke.”

“What about Jeremiah? Does he know?”

I nodded. “He knows. Wilford said he’s fine with it, that Jeremiah even suggested I take it.”

He chuckled. “Wow, that’s crazy. I know you’re excited.” Grabbing a bowl from the cabinet, he dumped the chips into it. “But what I want to know is, what’s going on with you and Jeremiah? I must’ve missed the part where you told me he kissed you.”

“How did you know that?” I gasped.

“So it’s true? I thought it was just an exaggeration. What happened to not dating your coworkers?”

I crossed my arms over my chest defensively. “We’re not dating. And I had no clue he was going to kiss me; it just happened.”

“Did you like it?”

“Not like I thought I would,” I said, averting my gaze. “We had lunch together, and I tried opening myself up to the possibility of being with someone new, but I just couldn’t get there. When he kissed me…I felt nothing.” I’d desperately wanted to feel something for him, anything, to get my mind off of Derek. Eyes burning, I faced Michael again. “All I wanted was to know if I could feel again. I didn’t realize how big a hole I had inside of me.”

Michael tapped my chin. “That’s what I’m here to help you with.” Grabbing the bowl of chips, he nudged me toward the living room. “Let’s go.”

“Are we watching a movie?” I asked with a laugh. I sat down on the couch and he joined me, placing the chips between us. He snatched the remote and turned on the TV.

“Nope, no movie today.” Flipping through the channels, he stopped on the football game. My gut clenched and I turned my gaze, hoping he’d change it fast. When he didn’t, I glared at him.

“What the hell are you doing? I don’t want to watch this shit.”

He slipped the remote inside the couch cushion and sat on it. “We have to.”

“No, we don’t,” I snapped. “Give me the damn remote! I can’t believe you’d even think of doing this when you know what happened.” I jumped to my feet but didn’t get far before he pulled me back onto the couch, his strong arms wrapping around me.

“You have to trust me, babe. I need you to watch it with me. I knew that if I didn’t make you, you’d never do it.”

Tears burned my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“I ran into Derek last night.”

“What?” I growled, trying to wriggle out of his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He let me go, and I smacked his arm away.

“Because I didn’t know how to. I didn’t want you thinking I was taking his side.”

“You have a funny way of proving otherwise,” I said, pursing my lips. “What the hell did he want?”

Michael pointed at the television. “He wants you to watch the game. I don’t know what he has planned, but he’s determined to get you back.”

I snorted. “He can try, but it’s not going to work. I can’t risk being hurt again.”

“Even if he has a valid reason for why he did it?” he countered.

I held up my hand. “Don’t make excuses for him. I don’t know whether to be angrier at you or him.”

Grabbing a handful of chips, he shoved them into his mouth. “Either way, you’re watching this game, Hayden. He promised me anything I wanted if I get you to do it. Think about all the things I could ask for if you watch it.” With a sneaky grin, he waggled his brows.

“Fine, I’ll watch it, but it’s not going to change anything.”

“I don’t know about that. He seemed adamant about getting you back. Something tells me he’s going to be relentless.”

That was what scared me. Taking a deep breath, I sat back on the couch, curling my legs beneath me. I wanted our team to win, but I didn’t want to see Derek. Just because it was on TV didn’t mean I had to watch it. One of my favorite novels was on the coffee table, so I picked it up and gave it my full attention.

Michael huffed and pointed at the TV. “You’re supposed to be watching the game.”

“I’m in the room, and I can hear everything going on. So basically I am watching it. What’s he going to want, a play-by-play when he gets back?”

Sighing, he turned back to the game while I focused on my book. “I’m just trying to help you, Hayden. I know you’re in love with him.”

Clenching my teeth, I pretended not to hear. I was in love with Derek, even though I was fighting everything inside of me not to be. As much as I tried to ignore the game, I still listened to it. It was late in the first quarter when they scored their first touchdown, and they did it again in the second. I sneaked glances every now and again, flinching every time they did a close-up of Derek. My heart ripped open even further every time I looked at him.

“What does that sign say?” the announcer asked. There were two sportscasters, former NFL stars from years back, Phil Harnett and Skip Bailey. Halftime had just started, but that didn’t stop the fans from lifting their signs and hollering at the cameras.

“Zoom in just a bit, cameraman. I want to see what it says,” Skip instructed.

Michael tapped my foot excitedly. “Are you seeing this?” There was a little girl around ten years old holding up a sign that said, HAYDEN, #59 SAYS HE’S SORRY.

At a loss for words, I sat there in shock as the cameras found multiple signs across the stands, all of them saying the same thing. Derek was number fifty-nine. Holy freaking shitballs.

“Number fifty-nine is Derek McLaughlin,” Phil said. “Looks like he’s trying to make a statement. We’ll have to ask him about it at the end of the game.” Then he pursed his lips. “Isn’t Hayden the woman he was with after last week’s game?”

Skip nodded. “I do believe you’re right, Phil. I’ve never seen him do anything like this for anyone, not even when he was dating former Cougar cheerleader Brianna Ward.”

Their smiles faded and Phil sighed. “And what a tragedy that was, but it’s good to have McLaughlin back. You can definitely see the energy he brings to the Cougars.”

The show went to commercial, and it was then that I realized I wasn’t breathing. Sucking in a breath, I sat back, my emotions warring inside me. Michael said, “That’s why he wanted you to watch the game. He’s trying to apologize to you on national TV.”

I had to hand it to Derek for making the effort to put it together, but my heart still hurt. “It’s just words,” I mumbled regretfully. “He may be sorry, but it’s going to take a lot more than that.”

The rest of the game went by quickly, earning the Cougars another touchdown. They pounded Atlanta with everything they had. If they played like that for the rest of the season, they were sure to go to the play-offs. Like a glutton for punishment, I watched while the reporters did their interviews, first with Cooper Davis, then Evan Townsend, then last with Derek.

“What an amazing win today, Derek. You played exceptionally well.”

Sweaty and covered in dirt, Derek smiled. “Thanks, Danny. I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished today. Atlanta put up a brutal fight.”

“That they did. Although I do have a question for you.” Derek’s grin grew wider, and I held my breath. I’d missed that smile. “What was going on with all the signs? Was that your doing?”

Derek nodded. “I wanted to send a message to someone back home. I’m hoping she saw it.”

“What if she didn’t?” Danny asked.

“Then I’m going to hope like hell she listens to me when I get back. I know one thing, I’m not going to stop until she does. I’m a determined man, Danny.”

Danny barked out a laugh. “Yes, you are, and we saw that on the field today. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.” Derek smiled at the camera one last time and rushed off the field. If he was as determined as he said, I was going to be in serious trouble.

“What are you going to do now?” Michael asked.

“I have no clue.”