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If he’d been here instead of getting his fucking rocks off—
No, that wasn’t logical. And wasn’t helpful.
He saw Elisa lying on the floor behind the bridal table, her head propped up on someone’s jacket—Angus’s probably—her knees were bent. Angus knelt beside her, holding her hand and brushing her hair from her face. Worry ate up his face, but he smiled at her. She kept shaking her head. It looked like she was saying sorry over and over. Hovering beside Angus stood her parents. Her father was hugging her mother, rocking her back and forth. Next to them, Mick, Owen and Tilly’s mum wrung her hands together as Tilly hugged her. Bria sat beside Angus, her wedding dress a cloud of ivory chiffon and satin around her. Owen stood behind her, hair a mess, his hand holding hers.
Owen looked up as Mick approached, relief replaced with confusion when he saw him. He was probably expecting Mick to be dressed in more than boardshorts.
“Lis!” Zeta bolted passed him and threw herself onto the floor next to her sister.
Elisa and Angus looked at her. Both their eyebrows shot up.
A weak laugh fell from Elisa, and she shook her head again. “What are youwearing?”
“A few items from the Michael Blackthorne Summer Collection,” Mick said, dropping to his knees beside Elisa’s hip. He placed his bag on the floor next to him and gave her a gentle smile. “I always knew you were an attention seeker.”
She chuckled and winced.
“Stop being a bastard and help her,” Zeta snarled.
“Zee.” Elisa scowled at Zeta, shaking her head. “Shush.”
“I see you’re wearing onlyoneitem from the Michael Blackthorne Summer Collection, brother?” Owen deadpanned.
Mick gave Owen a relaxed grin. “They’re actuallyyours, mate. You left them at my place last summer and I keep forgetting to give them back to you.” He turned his attention back to Elisa. She looked at him, a question swimming in her eyes. “Okay, Lis. Talk to me. Tell me what happened.”
“I fell over.” She pulled a face, part embarrassment, part frustration. “Lost my center of balance, tripped on my own feet, and my stomach hit the corner of the table. I then fell to the floor.”
“She was trying to get a glass of water in the dark,” Angus offered, his voice grumpy. “Wouldn’t wait for me to get it for her.”
“I was thirsty,” Elisa protested. “And I’m not an invalid.”
“She shouldn’t have been on her feet in the dark,” her mother said.
“She should’ve stayed sitting,” her father muttered.
“She should have listened to me when I said I was going to get it,” Angus joined in.
“Okay.” Mick looked up at everyone hanging over Elisa. “I need you all to shut up and let Elisa speak. And if you can’t do that, I need you to bugger off. I know you’re all worried, but right now, I need to talk to Elisa. No one else. And all Elisa needs is calm. And an ambulance.” He arched an eyebrow at Angus. “Has anyone called one?”
“I have,” Lawson said from behind Mick. “It’s on its way.”
Mick threw him a glance. “Thanks, mate. Can you get everyone to give us some space here? Help Mr. and Mrs. De Luca, and Mum to find a seat nearby.” He gave the worried older couple and his mother a kind but pointed smile. “That last thing Elisa needs is one of you having a stroke from worry.”
Alfonso De Luca opened his mouth and shut it. “Sí. Sí. That makes sense.”
“I’m okay, Daddy,” Elisa said, directing a wan smile up at her parents. “Mick’s an amazing doctor.”
“Even if his bedside manner is somewhat dubious,” Angus grumbled.
Mick grinned. “I wasn’t first in my class for my bedside manner.”
“No, you were last,” Owen snorted.
Elisa laughed. That was a good sign.
“But I was first in my class for everything else,” he assured her, opening his black bag. “Now, I’m going to touch your abdomen and then do a little listening. Is that okay?”
She nodded. Tears shined in her eyes.
