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She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Not around the kids.”
“Bikinis are all the rage,” I appealed.
“I grabbed my tame one-piece.”
She tilted her pretty head, and I kissed her sweet lips.
Ava skipped over to Miranda and gave me a big smile. I knelt and kissed her rosy little cheek. She was so cute, and with Manuel there by her side, the kids melted my heart.
“Thanks for inviting us,” Harriet said. She lowered her voice. “How are your knuckles?”
“I’ll live. It’s not my normal behavior. I hope you realize. Your sister…”
“Thanks for protecting her. What a prick. I hope they throw away the fucking key.”
I nodded. “How’s Ollie?”
“I worked a shift yesterday. He didn’t talk. He’s angry.”
“Will he walk again?”
“Depends. If it’s inflammation around the spinal cord, then once that goes down, he will. I helped give him an ice bath. He wasn’t very cooperative.”
“I’m glad someone connected is looking out for him,” I said.
Miranda came and joined us. “What are you two whispering about?”
“Orlando. What else?” Harriet grinned.
I grabbed my surfboard, and the girls carried the boogie boards. When we landed on the beach, a dog came up to me, panting.
“Hendrix,” I said, patting the friendly cattle dog, which I’d grown up with. He was as much my pet as the Thornhills’ since my father had refused to let me have a dog.
As our beach adjoined the Thornhills’, it was no surprise to see Aidan and Clarissa there with their daughter, Allegra.
“Hey.” I headed over to my neighbors, kissed the women, and hugged Aidan.
“It’s a great day,” he said.
When I introduced everyone, Clarissa and Aidan seemed surprised to see Harriet.
“You’re Orlando’s nurse,” Clarissa said.
“I am.”
“Harriet’s Miranda’s sister,” I said.
“What a small world,” Aidan said. He returned his attention to Harriet. “Did he eat after we left?”
“He did. When I wasn’t looking,” Harriet replied with a tight smile. “I think he’s improving. And we managed to get him into that ice bath.”
“Oh really?” Clarissa’s face lit up.
My heart went out to them. The strain was written all over their faces.
Aidan asked, “Do you think it’s only inflammation?”
“I’m not sure. But the ice baths are a good idea. And if we can convince him to go to rehab and with an attitude change, he could be okay within six months. That’s normally how long it takes for this kind of trauma.”
