Chapter 18 Dean
Dean
It was a busy day, packed full of patients, and it was only ten a.m. I finally had about a thirty-minute break, so I grabbed my third coffee of the day and sat down in my office chair. I pulled my phone out to read the text from my brother that I’d missed this morning.
Archer:
Hey, brother, how was the visit with Mom and Dad? Mom wouldn’t stop gushing over Addison when she called me the other day.
I was about to respond when Rebecca knocked on my door and then popped her head inside my office. “Hey, Dr. Adler, we have Mrs. Forester here with her golden, Ally. She thinks she’s in labor.”
I nodded and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Archer would have to wait. “All right, put her in exam room four and grab Lottie. I’ll need her help.” I stood up and followed Rebecca out the door to deliver some puppies.
After about five hours, all eight golden retriever puppies were safely delivered, and Mrs. Forester was both relieved and elated.
I peeled the gloves off my hands and ran them under the sink.
I was exhausted, but still had another two or so hours of patients to see.
As exhausting as this job could be, delivering those puppies was just a reminder of how much I loved my job.
Before I walked into the next exam room, I grabbed my phone to send a quick response to Archer.
Yeah, Mom and Addison hit it off. Thank God. You in Boston with Harper?
I switched over to a text that Addison had sent during the puppy delivery, and looked at the picture she’d sent of her and Cash.
She was smiling with her long hair blowing in the wind, the sunlight threading gold through her chestnut waves.
Cash had his big nose pushed against her cheek.
I couldn’t help but smile. I was so far gone for this girl.
I liked the photo and then typed a response.
I’ve got plans for us tonight.
She instantly responded.
Addison:
Oh, do you? Do tell.
I’m taking you on a date to celebrate MLF. Plus, after the long day I’ve had, I need to see you and I need you naked in my bed.
Addison:
I think we can make that happen.
You know I respect you, right?
Addison:
Yeah…why?
Because later on tonight, it’s going to seem like I don’t.
Addison:
Looking forward to it, Adler. I could use a little disrespect.
I chuckled to myself and slipped my phone back into my pocket, taking a long breath before opening exam room two. I was ready for the day to be over so I could start my night with my girl.
I looked up from my clipboard once I entered the exam room to find Liz King, Laurel James’s best friend, waiting in a chair with her dachshund, Otto, at her feet.
She looked up at me with a warm smile. “Hey, Dr. Adler, y'all sure are busy today.” She stood up, grabbing Otto to put him on my exam table.
I smiled while running my hand down Otto’s back. “Yeah, that’s an understatement.” I chuckled. “So, I see that Otto is just here for his annual heartworm test and vaccinations?”
Liz nodded as I turned to the cabinets behind me to grab what I needed. “So, I hear you’re dating our girl Addi,” she said, immediately cutting to the chase.
This town. Always in everyone’s business, but I shouldn’t be surprised with Liz in particular, since she was basically my girlfriend’s second mother.
I cleared my throat and nodded, still focused on what I was doing with Otto instead of making eye contact with her. “Yup, I am.”
Liz chuckled. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to give me?”
I laughed at that. “Well, what would you like?”
“I don’t know, for you to confess your undying love for her.” Liz smirks.
“Well, I think I should confess that to her before I confess it to you, don’t you think?” I winked at her, and a giant smile spread across her face.
“Fair enough. That’s what I like to hear. But in all seriousness, Dr. Adler…” She paused, clearly trying to find the right way to phrase what she was about to say.
I jumped in. “Please, call me Dean.” I began administering the vaccines to Otto.
“Dean, Addi has been through a lot, and I feel like her life is finally falling into place the way it was always meant to for her. Please don’t hurt her. She deserves the world.” Liz looked directly into my eyes with a warning. “She doesn’t need another heartbreak.”
I nodded in understanding. “You have my word, Mrs. King.” I began cleaning up the room and grabbed the heartworm test, trying to distract myself from the guilt that rose in my stomach, sickening and lately all too familiar.
She smiled. “Call me Liz. And thank you.”
I returned her smile. “All right, well, Otto here looks good. You guys are all set.” Liz set her dog back on the ground and came around the exam table, pulling me into a hug.
“We all really like you for her, Dean. She’s different with you than she was with her ex. She’s herself again.” She held me at arm’s length, giving my arms a light squeeze, and smiled before grabbing Otto to walk out the door.
Those last words froze me in place. My limbs felt heavy, and guilt pressed down on me, suffocating and unrelenting, sitting on my chest and curling deep in my stomach.
I was unsure how much longer I could keep my secret about Noah from Addison.
Should I tell her and deal with the consequences?
Was I really protecting her by not telling her, or was I just hurting her?
Would she think differently of me if I told her the truth, especially now that I’d waited so long?
I scrubbed a hand down my face and decided to push all of this out of my mind for now. Tonight was about celebrating her, and I didn’t want to focus on the past right now.
I called in a favor from Addison’s parents to reserve the restaurant’s private room, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked their breathtaking vineyard.
They’d opened a new farm-to-table restaurant this month that was already thriving, and I thought the private room would be the perfect setting for us to spend some time together at one of her favorite places.
I was finishing getting ready when my phone vibrated on my dresser. Ava’s name flashed across the screen. I answered, “Hey, Ava, what’s up?”
“Hey, Dean! So, my mom may have told me what you were up to tonight, and I may have done a little decorating of the private room.” I could hear her smiling through the phone.
I chuckled. “Is that so? What sort of decorating are we talking about here?”
“Nothing crazy. I thought for a romantic dinner for two in that private room, it needed a little more romance, if ya know what I mean. Think candles and flowers.” I could imagine Ava waving her hand in the air as she described the room.
Ava was definitely the more animated, bubbly sister between the two.
“That actually sounds great. Thanks for doing that, Ava. Here I thought I was being romantic by just surprising her with a private room at the winery’s restaurant.”
Ava laughed. “I got you, Dean. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads-up, so you don’t act as surprised as her when you walk into the room. Have a great time tonight!”
“Good call. Thanks again, I’ll see you later.”
“No problem. And, Dean?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really happy that y'all found each other. I haven’t seen my sister this happy in a long time, and I feel like she’s finally herself again. The old Addison. So thank you for that.”
All the recent commentary I’d been receiving about Addison being herself again and her happiness didn’t make me feel good like it should.
It just twisted the knife deeper. It only made me feel even worse that I was keeping something from her.
It was almost like they knew I was hiding something and were trying to pry it out of me by drowning me in guilt.
I shook the thought from my mind because I needed to focus solely on tonight, keeping it about her and her accomplishments. The past could wait.
“She means a lot to me, and I haven’t been this happy in a long time either.”
We said goodbye and ended the call. I checked the time and made my way downstairs to feed Coal.
As he was eating, I stroked my hand down his back.
“All right, buddy, I’m heading out. I’ll be back with your favorite person later on tonight.
” Coal wagged his tail in response, not lifting his head from his dish.
I grabbed my keys and headed out to my new SUV.
I was tired of driving my work truck around, since it contained medical supplies, so I decided to get a second vehicle.
It only took me about fifteen minutes to get to Walker’s property, and as I pulled in front of the guesthouse alongside Addison’s SUV, she was already walking out the front door.
I quickly slipped out of the driver’s side and rounded the car to open the passenger door for her.
I stood there with the door open and took a moment to take her in, all long chestnut waves and long, delicious legs.
She wore a cream sweater with dark denim that showed a small sliver of her soft, touchable skin when she lifted her purse onto her shoulder.
Her jeans flared out over her booties, and she wore a long dark-green peacoat.
Her lips were painted a dark, sinful red, and all I could think about was how they’d look wrapped around my cock.
Would that perfect mouth leave marks? She made it hard to breathe.
She was pure temptation. I seriously considered canceling dinner and just driving her straight back to my house.
Once Addison was in front of me, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my cheek and smiled, completely unaware of what she did to me. “Don’t worry, it’s kiss-proof.”
I chuckled. “I wasn’t worried. You can mark me all over my body if you want.” I winked at her.
She smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind, Adler.” She got into my SUV. I shut the door behind her and hustled my way back to the driver’s side.
As I made my way down the drive out of Walker’s property,
. “So, new car?” she asked.