Chapter 30
Max kept his hands on the wheel a moment longer after Hadley went inside, his gaze lingering on the clinic door.
Something in him resisted leaving.
He told himself it was just everything that had happened. The break-in. Kenny. The threats. It made sense that he’d feel on edge.
Still, he didn’t like driving away. However, Hadley was a grown woman. He couldn’t shadow her all day. She wouldn’t want that.
And he had a job to do and responsibilities to fill as well.
He forced himself to shift the truck into gear.
There were things he needed to take care of, and one of them had been sitting in the back of his mind since the night before.
Kendra.
He couldn’t keep avoiding a conversation with her. Not if things were going to move forward with Hadley. It wasn’t fair to keep the news from Kendra, especially since she was still working at Refuge Cove.
She deserved to hear about his new relationship directly from him. He owed her that much.
Max pulled up to her small apartment building, which was located just outside of town, and cut the engine. Unless her schedule had changed at her other job, this was her morning off.
He gathered his thoughts before walking to the door.
He knocked.
Footsteps sounded from inside, light but quick, and a moment later the door opened.
Kendra’s expression shifted from surprise to something softer when she saw him. “Max, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about—if you have a minute.”
She opened the door wider. “For you? Always. Come on in.”
Before he could, his phone rang.
It was Hadley.
He excused himself and stepped away from the door. “I need to take this. Just give me a minute.”
“Of course.”
“Max.” He could hear the strain in Hadley’s voice. “Something’s wrong.”
His entire body went still. “What happened?”
“Susie’s on the floor. I found her when I came in. She’s unconscious. I called 911—they’re on the way. She’s breathing, but she won’t wake up.”
Max’s grip tightened on the phone. “Are you safe?”
“I think so. I locked the door after I got inside.” Her voice wavered before she steadied it. “There’s no sign of anyone else here.”
“Stay where you are. I’m on my way.”
He ended the call and turned back to Kendra. “I’m sorry. I know we didn’t have a chance to talk, but I’ve got to go.”
Concern pinched her face. “Is everything okay?”
“Someone attacked Susie at the vet clinic.”
Kendra’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. Is she okay?”
Max shook his head, already backing away. “I don’t know.”
He didn’t wait for anything else.
He headed for his truck, his mind already racing as he got in and started the engine.
Something was very wrong.
And it was only getting worse.
Hadley watched as the paramedics worked.
She’d stepped back to give them space. The room suddenly felt too small, too full, and every sound sharper than it should have been.
The front door opened again.
Hadley turned—and everything in her chest gave way when she saw who it was.
“Max . . .”
She closed the distance between them. He caught her, his arms coming around her in a careful hold that somehow made everything feel just a little less overwhelming.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured.
Hadley leaned into him, her grip tightening on his jacket.
“What happened?” Max murmured.
“I don’t know. I came in and found her like that. She wasn’t moving. She wouldn’t wake up. I checked her out, but I didn’t see any bumps or cuts or blood. I don’t know . . .”
“Do you think this was a medical emergency or was she attacked?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t see any signs of a break-in or assault. Nothing looked disturbed. It’s like she just . . .” She trailed off, the words refusing to come together.
Max’s expression tightened as he glanced around the room, taking everything in.
Before he could say anything else, the door opened again. A woman with a small terrier tucked under her arm stepped inside. She stopped short when she saw the paramedics.
Hadley’s stomach dropped. She still had appointments lined up for the day.
She quickly explained that there was an emergency and they’d need to reschedule.
The weight of it all settled in again, heavier this time.
She pinched the skin between her eyes. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this. Every day it’s something else. The window, the appointments, my licensure, and now this . . .”
He rubbed her arms. “It will be okay.”
She pressed her lips together, barely hearing him. “I have bills to pay. Payroll to make. Rent. I can’t keep losing business like this.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
Hadley let out a small breath. “I don’t even know who to call to cancel appointments for the rest of today. The appointment book is gone. Susie was looking back through the call log on our phone to try to figure out who was coming in and when.”
Before Max could respond, another familiar presence filled the doorway.
Sheriff Sutherland.
He stepped inside, his gaze moving quickly from the paramedics to Hadley and Max. “I’m going to need you to walk me through everything.”