Always You (Adair Family 3)

“Oh, no, not judging, just fascinating.” The nurse studied me thoroughly. “To be fair, you don’t look old enough to have fathered this one.” She gestured to Robyn.

“Arro,” I bit out impatiently, like a fucking caveman. Then, because I had much respect for health care workers, I added, “Please.”

“Right, right.” She nodded. “This way. The doctor might not let you in, though.”

As we followed her, Robyn shook her head. “I swear, the next person who tells me you don’t look old enough to have fathered me, I’m gonna pop their head right off.”

“I heard that,” the nurse threw over her shoulder.

I was barely listening. “Robbie.”

“Dad, she was fine. A little banged up, but fine. Stop panicking.”

“If it was Lachlan, how would you feel right now?”

“Yeah, okay, point taken.”

The nurse stopped at a door and knocked before entering. “Dr. Braemyre—oof!”

I barged past the nurse, zeroing in on Arro, who sat on a bed, her legs dangling over the side. She had a blood pressure band around her biceps, a cut lip, and her left eye was almost swollen shut.

If Guy Lewis wasn’t dead yet, he was about to be.

“Sir!” the doctor protested, but I ignored them all and rushed to Arro.

She grabbed onto me, pulling on my T-shirt in desperation until we had our arms around each other. Her trembling body fired my rage.

“Leave them be.” I heard Lachlan say behind us. I hadn’t even noticed him in the room.

After a while, the doctor said, “Sir, I really need to continue examining Ms. Adair.”

Reluctantly, I released her, but at the haunted look on her face, I stayed beside her, leaning against the bed as I held her hand.

The doc glanced back and forth between us and then sighed before he finished taking Arro’s blood pressure.

“You said you hit your back too?” the doc asked.

Her back?

I frowned as she nodded and lifted her shirt. Glancing behind her as the doc did, I hissed at the large bruise on her lower back. The doc examined it and shook his head. “It doesn’t appear to be anything to worry about. But if you notice any blood in the urine, I want you back here immediately.”

Arro nodded quietly. Too quiet.

The doc touched her chin, tilting her head up as he shone a penlight in her eyes. He switched it off and gave her a reassuring smile. “No sign of concussion.”

“What about earlier?” Lachlan asked, and I noticed him for the first time. He looked haggard and pale, his features tight.

That put me back on alert.

“Arro was practically catatonic when I got to her.”

“Shock does that.” The doctor looked back at Arro. “Your blood pressure is low, which happens after an adrenaline crash. The shaking and dizziness you said you experienced is low blood sugar.” He looked to Lachlan and Robyn. “A wee bit of chocolate might not go amiss.”

“On it.” Robyn slipped out of the room.

“I’m really okay,” Arro finally spoke, and everything in me relaxed with relief. “It was just shock,” she reassured Lachlan. Her lips trembled. “Is … do we know how Guy is? Are they going to arrest me?”

I squeezed her hand harder. What the hell had happened out there?