Chapter Six Hailey
We’re laughing as we step out of the café into the late afternoon sunlight, Cole walking right beside me. We’re not touching, but the space between us feels charged. Like the slightest touch would create sparks.
Is this what people mean when they talk about fate?
I internally scoff at how romantic that sounds. I’ve never been the kind of girl waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. But if he walks like a prince, talks like a prince, and hot damn if he looks like a prince…
Maybe you just kick back and enjoy the ride.
I mean, what are the odds? Running into him here, of all places, just days after our chance meeting on the trail? Rachel’s going to lose her mind when I get to work. She’s probably pacing back and forth, buzzing with excitement while she waits for me to walk in.
“I’m parked just around the corner,” I say, leading the way down the sidewalk.
Cole matches my pace, falling into step beside me. “You’ve been at Memorial—what, two years?”
I don’t mean to snap my gaze in his direction as aggressively as I do, but I’m on high alert to people knowing things about me they shouldn’t after what happened with Lars Winters.
Reading my expression, Cole is quick to add, “You said you got Chewy when you moved here two years ago. I just assumed…”
I exhale, barely restraining the urge to roll my eyes at myself. “I guess I’m not used to talking to such a good listener.” I offer him a soft smile as we continue to walk. “The ER can be intense, but I like that.”
“I can imagine. Emergency medicine definitely seems like it would attract a certain type of person.”
“And what type is that?” I ask, raising an eyebrow with genuine curiosity and a sprinkle of flirtation. Do I want to know what kind of person Cole Matthews thinks I am? Hell yeah, I do.
“People who thrive under pressure. Who need adrenaline to feel…alive.” He pauses, considering his next words. “People who prefer to fix things immediately rather than wait.”
I’m impressed by his insight. I can’t say I’ve ever thought of it that way, but he’s just described me perfectly. “That’s actually pretty accurate. I’ve never been good at waiting. I like knowing I’m making a difference right now, in this moment.”
“That makes sense. It suits you, I think.”
The simple observation makes me smile. We’ve only met twice, but Cole seems to see me more than anyone else has in a long time. Maybe ever.
“What about security?” I ask, wanting to know more about him. “Does that attract a certain type, too?”
“Paranoid people who like to be in control,” he says without hesitation, then laughs nervously. “At least, that’s what my sister would say.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah. Emma. She’s getting her PhD in Denver right now.”
His obvious affection for her makes my heart squeeze. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling.
“She’s brilliant. Easily the smartest person I’ve ever met.”
“I’m sure it runs in the family,” I say, and he gives me a look I can’t quite read.
We turn the corner onto a side street. There are only a handful of cars parallel-parked from here to the next corner.
“The black SUV,” I say, gesturing ahead.
Cole nods, and I notice his gaze sweeping the street—not in an obvious way, but I catch it.
It’s the same observant quality he had on the trail, like he’s constantly assessing his surroundings.
I can’t quite tell if he’s looking for someone or if he’s paranoid, but I think it’s the latter.
My heart stutters in my chest, thinking of all the reasons why someone like him might have that instinct.
“So you work tonight and tomorrow, then your days off start?” he asks.
“Technically the morning after tomorrow, when my shift ends. Then I’m free for four days.” I try not to sound too hopeful when I add, “Unless we’re even more short-staffed than normal and I pick up overtime, but I probably won’t. Someone else can do it this week.”
“Good. Because I was thinking…” He trails off as we approach my car, his expression shifting as his eyes land on my windshield.
That’s when I see it.
A piece of paper tucked under my wiper, stark white against the dark glass.
My stomach drops before I even register why. It’s just a piece of paper. Probably nothing. But something about it immediately feels wrong.
“What’s that?” Cole asks, his tone suddenly concerned.
I force a casual laugh that sounds false even to my own ears. I’ve always been a terrible actress. “Probably just an ad for a car wash or something. Or maybe Rachel left me a note.”
But in my gut, I know it’s neither of those things.
I quicken my pace slightly, reaching my car before Cole can. I snatch the paper, folding it quickly before he can see what it says. But it only takes me the space of a heartbeat to read it.
I’m watching you.
My entire body tenses. Three words. Nothing else.
“Everything okay?” Cole asks, his hazel eyes studying my face with an intensity that should probably worry me but doesn’t.
“Fine,” I say, shoving the note into my jacket pocket. “Just one of those annoying flyers. They put them on every car downtown.”
It’s a terrible lie. We both know it. The whole street is full of parked cars, and mine was the only one with anything on the windshield.
Cole’s jaw tightens. His expression sharpens with the protective alertness of a predator catching the scent of prey. “Hailey.”
“Really, it’s nothing.” I pull my car keys from my purse, needing something to do with my hands. “Probably just someone being weird.”
“Someone being weird by specifically targeting your car?” His voice has an edge now. “Can I see it?”
“No.” The word comes out more forcefully than I intended. I soften my tone. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m sure it’s nothing. Just… Fort Collins has some strange people sometimes.”
Like Lars Winters.
The thought hits me hard. It could be him. He knows my name. He knows about Chewy. Could he know my car, too?
But I’m not going to drag Cole into this. I just met him. He doesn’t need to be involved in whatever situation I have developing with a patient who’s probably just trying to scare me so he can manipulate me into getting the drugs he wants.
“Hailey.” Cole steps closer, and I can see the conflict playing across his stubbled face. The sight of him so concerned forces a fracture in the walls I’ve built to protect myself. “If someone’s bothering you—”
“It’s nothing,” I interrupt. “I can handle it. I’m not helpless.”
I instantly regret the bite in my tone.
“I never said you were.”
“Good.” I press a button on my key fob, the sound of the car locks disengaging cutting through the tension. “Because I’m not. I’ve dealt with difficult people before. Creepy patients, asshole colleagues who can’t take the hint—it comes with the territory. It’s fine.”
It’s not fine. I’ve already said too much.
“This was a doctor?” Cole’s voice sharpens even more.
I immediately shake my head. “No.” Hot tears press at the back of my eyes, but I blink several times to force them away. “It wasn’t one of the doctors.”
Cole’s hands clench at his sides, but I can tell he’s forcing restraint. “A patient did this?”
Fuck. I knew I said too much.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” I open the driver’s door, creating a barrier between us. “Look, I really do need to get to work.”
I can see the war waging behind his eyes—the desire to push, to protect, to fix this. But he’s holding himself back, and I appreciate that even as part of me wants him to insist, wants someone else to carry this weight for a moment.
“Okay,” he says finally. “But promise me something.”
“What?”
“If anything else happens—if you feel unsafe—you’ll tell someone. Rachel, the police, me, someone. Not because you can’t handle it, but because you shouldn’t have to handle it alone.”
The sincerity in his voice makes my throat tight and the tears in my eyes push forward once more. “I promise.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he nods. “And I’m still going to text you.”
Despite everything, I smile. “I’m counting on it.”
We stand there for a moment, neither of us quite willing to break away. The note in my pocket feels like it’s burning through the fabric, but I can’t stop watching Cole. He’s looking at me like he wants me to stay as badly as I wish I could.
He reaches out slowly, giving me time to pull away if I want to. But I don’t want to.
His fingers are gentle as they brush a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. His thumb lingers, tracing along my cheek and then my chin, the touch sending shivers down my spine.
I lean into his palm without thinking, my eyes fluttering closed for just a moment. When I open them, he’s watching me with an expression that makes my breath catch.
“Drive safe,” he says quietly, his voice rough. If ever a man was holding himself back from leaning in for a kiss, this man is. I can’t decide if I want him to go for it, or if I want to part ways feeling edged…
There’s only one way to find out.
“I will,” I manage, the words coming out breathier than I usually sound.
His hand drops, my skin prickling with cold once his warmth is gone. For a second, I think he might do it—lean in, kiss me, let me taste him.
But he doesn’t.
He steps back, putting distance between us, and I recognize it for what it is. Restraint. Respect.
Cole Matthews is a gentleman. I file the knowledge away to consider later. What does it look like when a man as composed as Cole allows himself to lose control? Would he ever even let that happen? My mind drifts, finding darker, steamier answers to that question than I first intended.
“Text me when you get to work?” he asks. “So I know you got there okay?”
“Cole—” My face is hot, but I force myself to meet his eyes.
“C’mon, Hailey. Throw Hiking Emergency Guy a bone?”
Though he’s trying to keep the moment light, I want to argue, want to remind him that I’m independent and capable. But the genuine concern in his eyes stops me, and the way my name rolls off his tongue so easily, like he’s been practicing it…
“Okay. I’ll text you.”
He gives me one more long look, then steps back. “I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.”
I slide into the driver’s seat, and he waits until I’ve started the engine and buckled my seat belt before he raises his hand in a small wave. I watch him in my rearview mirror as I pull away, standing there until I turn the corner.
Only after he disappears from view do I let myself breathe.
My hand moves to my pocket, fingers brushing against the folded paper to confirm I didn’t imagine it. The paper is real.
I’m watching you.
A chill runs through me, settling deep in my bones as disquiet grips me from the inside.
The drive to work passes in a blur. I keep checking my rearview mirror, looking for…what? A car following me? Someone watching? I park, then rub my hands over my face.
Stop it. You’re being paranoid.
I pull the note from my pocket and unfold it with trembling fingers, studying it under the fluorescent parking lot lights.
I’m watching you.
I flip it over, looking for anything else—another message, a clue, anything that might tell me who left it. But there’s nothing. Just those three words on plain white paper.
I take a picture of the note with my phone, then fold it back up and tuck it in my bag. Evidence, just in case. Of what, I’m not sure yet.
As I walk toward the employee entrance, I scan the parking garage one more time, but I don’t find anything out of the ordinary. Still, an uneasy feeling creeps up the back of my neck.
I swipe my badge and step inside, the familiar smell of antiseptic and industrial cleaner greeting me. This is my territory. My domain. Here, I’m in control.
I pull out my phone and text Cole.
Hailey: Made it to work safely.
Thanks for the coffee.
His reply is almost instant.
Cole: Good. Have a good shift. I’ll be thinking about you.
I absorb his words, warm and unexpected. I tuck my phone in my bag and head to the locker room to put my things away before my shift starts, trying to push away thoughts of anything other than Cole.
“Hailey!” Marco’s voice cuts through the air, yanking me back to reality. “Trauma coming in, three minutes out!”
And just like that, I’m back in the moment, the rest of the world falling away.
This is what I know. This is what I’m good at.
Everything else will have to wait.
But as I move into position in the trauma bay, I catch myself touching my cheek where Cole’s thumb traced my skin. I let myself smile just once before the chaos begins.