Broken Promises (Broken Book 2)

1: Second Chances

"Have a great day, Mrs. Davis," Isabel Evans said with a smile to the middle-aged woman with the golden retriever.

"You, too, Isabel. I'll see you next week." Scott McCall held the door open for her as he came in for work. "Thank you, Scott." The retriever jumped up and licked his face. Scott chuckled and scratched her behind the ear.

"Missy, down." Missy obeyed the command and trotted on, tongue lolling out of her mouth.

Isabel chuckled. "Hey, Scott."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Just routine stuff. How was school?"

"Routine for once."

"That's always a good thing."

"In this town, yeah."

Isabel laughed. Scott disappeared into the back as the next client came into the clinic. Isabel smiled at the teenager. "Hi. How may I help you?"

~~~

Isabel stuck her head into the back. "Need anything else, Doc?" Isabel heard Scott in the cat clinic cleaning the cages.

Dr. Alan Deaton gave her his customary, always ready smile. "Nothing at all. Thanks, Isabel."

"Then I'm going to head home."

"Scott told me that the Montgomerys sold Michelle's house. You're not living back at the hotel are you?"

"No, I'm not," Isabel smiled. "I'm living with Derek."

"Oh?"

"He offered when Michelle's parents told me that they were selling the house and unless I was going to buy it, I needed to find elsewhere to live."

"I've known Derek a fairly long time, since he was a kid in fact. He seems happier with you around. Truly happy."

Isabel smiled.

"I haven't seen him like this since he was fifteen."

"I think we're helping each other heal from our broken pasts."

"Healing is good." Deaton smiled. Isabel's phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled. "Have a good night, Isabel."

"You, too. Bye, Scott." Scott waved through the window as Isabel answered the phone. "Hi, handsome."

Derek Hale chuckled on the other end. "Is that how you greet everyone?"

"Nope. Just you."

"Are you still at work?"

"I'm walking out now. Why?" Isabel stepped into the parking lot, taking her keys out of her purse. The parking lot was mostly deserted. Her midnight blue Mustang and Deaton's silver Forrester were parked next to each other. A black Camry and a red Aspen were parked across from the clinic while Scott's dirt bike was parked against the building.

"I just didn't want you to get in trouble for being on your phone during business hours."

Isabel laughed. "Have you met my boss? And when did you become a stickler for the rules?"

"Good point. I am Beacon Hills' resident bad boy after all." She heard the laughter in his voice at the reference to one of the first comments she made to him. His record with the Beacon County Sheriff's Office proved as much, although both times he'd been arrested the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence against him.