“I’ll take her to the hospital to be safe.” He glanced back toward the trees and sighed. “Emily, lass, we’ll have to make the hike back up to the parking lot, all right?”
“All the way back up that hill?” Tears gathered again in her eyes. “I can’t walk up that hill right now, Uncle Colin, my arm hurts too much.”
Impatience and confusion flashed in his eyes. “Em, it’s your arm, not your leg. It’s just a ten- or fifteen-minute walk.”
Clearly Uncle Colin was new at this kid thing. When a kid was in pain, even a two-minute walk was agonizing. Be it all in their head or not.
“You know, my car is actually in the lower lot. I could drive you up to yours. It would only take a second.”
Colin’s dark expression turned even darker. He glanced away from her, as if the idea of accepting her help was as appealing as dealing with the devil. Well, tough. He’d already accepted her assistance this far, what was five more minutes?
“Please, Uncle Colin? Let her drive us. If I have to walk I’m going to die. I just know it.”
Having worked with kids plenty, Hailey bit back laughter at Emily’s dramatics and waited for Colin to give in.
“Fine. That would be great.”
Every polite word nearly killed him, she could tell. While she wanted to laugh, somehow she just barely managed to keep her expression blank as she nodded.
“All right. Let me just grab my stuff superfast and we’ll go.”
Chapter Four
Colin watched as Hailey jogged back to her blanket a hundred feet away or so and began to collect her things. He hadn’t even realized she was on the beach—had instead been so focused on making sure nothing happened to Emily.
Which had been his biggest fear today. It being his first time baby-sitting, and his niece would be hurt on his watch. He liked kids, but lacked sorely in the baby-sitting department.
Of course it only figured that the moment he’d chosen to answer a phone call from the station Emily had gotten herself into trouble. He’d known he shouldn’t have answered. It was habit and he’d been curious if there were any updates on the series of home invasions in the area.
As he watched, Hailey slung a backpack over her shoulder, gathered the blanket in her arm and made her way back to them. Despite his effort, it was hard not to notice her tanned legs stretching out from denim shorts. Or the way her black cotton halter top hugged her breasts and the flat stomach below it.
“All right. Are you guys ready?” She gave a cheeky little smile that had both his scowl deepening and his blood quickening.
“I’m ready,” Emily answered. “I don’t think we can get to the hospital fast enough. My arm is going to fall off.”
“It’s not going to fall off, Em.” He tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice. Were all children this prone to dramatics?
“Your uncle’s right,” Hailey jumped in with a laugh. “I know it might feel like it could actually fall off—because it’s swollen, throbbing and just sore, right?—but I promise you it won’t.”
“I know.” A tiny sniff accompanied his niece’s words.
Shite, how did he handle this? Surely he’d have to call Ian and Sarah and explain that their daughter had been hurt on his watch. Clearly, he’d failed at his uncle duties.
“Here’s my car.” Hailey paused after opening the back door. “Does she still need a booster seat?”
“No. I’m way too old for those.” Emily slid out of her uncle’s arms and scooted into the backseat.
“She’s of age,” Colin agreed, only knowing the child-seat laws from when they’d come into play during his job. “She could probably go either way, though, because of her size.”
“Don’t call me short.”
The glower Emily gave him was a perfect match for Ian’s.
“Petite is a much nicer term,” Hailey agreed as she helped the little girl buckle up. “I claim it all the time. Hang on a second.”
She disappeared to open the trunk and then returned a moment later with a pillow.
“Go ahead and rest your arm on this and try not to move it, okay? We want to keep it stable.”
“Okay.”
Colin sat on the passenger side and spared a quick glance over his shoulder. Emily nursed her right arm with her left as she stared out the window. Fortunately she seemed much calmer.
Despite his dislike for Hailey personally, one thing could be said about her. She certainly knew what she was doing and seemed right decent with children.
“You’re parked up near the bridge?” Hailey asked.
He turned in his seat and found her gaze on him. There was wariness there, along with confidence and a fuck-off attitude that he actually somewhat respected.
“Aye. On the island side of the bridge.”
“Can she go to the hospital with us, Uncle Colin?”
He stiffened at his niece’s innocent question, biting back a string of curses in his head.
“Ah, lass, I’m sure she has plans—”
“Do you, Hailey?” Emily interrupted.
“Um, well, no,” Hailey seemed reluctant to admit. “Today’s my day off.”
“You’ve already done enough.” He held her gaze, narrowing his own.
“Pleeeease, I like her.”
Emily hadn’t had much decent male influence in her life until Sarah and Ian had reunited, and he could well understand that she might be seeking out gentle female reassurance when she was injured. Unfortunately, that female came in the form of Hailey at this moment. Too bad Kenzie was at work.
“I don’t mind, and it might be better to not move her again and just keep her arm stable.”
Her gaze drifted away, and he sensed that although her words agreed she could go with them, she wasn’t thrilled to be spending this much alone time with him personally. Well, the feeling was certainly mutual.
“Yay, you’ll come then?” Triumph sounded in Emily’s words.
“Aye, she’ll come.”
Hailey’s eyes narrowed, and he knew his tone was terse. He could almost hear her silently telling him where he could go shove it. Instead, she turned and started the car, pulled out of the parking lot, and he was left studying her profile.
She had a cute, upturned nose with a smattering of freckles on it. The same faint freckles that lightly decorated her shoulders and the hint of cleavage he’d seen below the neck of the halter. Would there be more freckles on other parts of her body?
Fuck it all, where the hell had his mind just gone? He shook his head, clearing it from the insanity that had just taken hold.
He’d been observing Hailey’s body, not as if forming a detailed description of a suspect, but more in the form of assessing a potential lover. Complete crap. Maybe she was pretty. Maybe she had a nice body. Venus flytraps were fun to look at too; you just stayed the hell away if you were smart.
“Where would you like me to take her?” Hailey asked, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel.
“Whidbey General is probably closer.”
“It is.” Hailey paused. “You know what, Emily?”
“What?”
“Your mom hurt her ankle once doing gymnastics and had to go to the hospital here.”
“I know. She told me.”
“Did she tell you that your dad took her?”
Colin gave her a sharp look. Now what was she about? Why this story?
“No.”
“He did. Your mom once told me that was the day she fell in love with him.” Hailey’s voice cracked slightly. She bit her lip.
Did she regret bringing up the past? Bringing up the reminder that she was the reason Ian and Sarah had been forced apart for over a decade?
“She did? That’s cool. So did she need crutches?”
Colin’s lips twitched as he stared out the window at the passing trees. Funny that Emily was just focusing on the injury part of the story.
“She did,” Hailey replied. “And she rocked them.”
>
“That’s so cool. Maybe I’ll get a cast.”
“Maybe, though I think you might’ve gotten lucky this time and not broken anything.”
“Hmm. Bummer. A cast would’ve been fun. People could’ve signed it.”
“I think you ought to be happy you didn’t break anything, Em.” He cast an admonishing glance over his shoulder. “Trying to climb that cliff? Really, now.”
Emily just rolled her eyes at him. “I totally would’ve been fine, I just lost my footing.”
“Aye. Well, you’re lucky you’re not more seriously hurt.”
His niece didn’t respond, just sulked as she stared out the window.
“Perhaps you should’ve been watching her closer.”
He almost didn’t hear the soft accusation, and swung a disbelieving gaze at Hailey.
“Excuse me?”
“I said we’re having nice weather.” She cast him an overly bright, innocent smile. “Don’t you think?”
The hell she’d said that. He stared at her, until her lips twitched and she glanced away.
He stole another glance at his niece and found her oblivious to their quiet conversation as she stared out the window. Even so, he couldn’t risk her hearing any reply he’d been about to say. Instead, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Ian to fill him in on the news.
The conversation went about as well as he expected. Despite his assurances that he would take care of everything, that Emily was already calming down, they were leaving Seattle and hopping the next boat home.
He hung up a moment later, his stomach sour.
“They’re coming back?” Hailey guessed.
“Aye.”
“Yay!”
Emily’s cheerful exclamation from the backseat only compounded Hailey’s theory that she was probably just bruised, not broken.
How to Fail at Being an Uncle 101. He would surely be able to teach the class after today.
The rest of the drive was made with light chatter between Hailey and Emily while he stewed in his own frustration. When they arrived at the ER there was more of a wait than he’d hoped. Of course it took a couple hours to be seen, x-rayed and diagnosed with what turned out to be a nasty sprain in her wrist. No cast needed, just a fun brace she could show off.
As they waited for the discharge papers, Colin cast a glance at his niece. With a little pain meds in her system and an exciting adventure in the emergency room, Emily was definitely looking a little more tired.
“You did brilliant, lass.” He rubbed the top of her head and was rewarded with the wrinkling of her nose.
“I guess.”
“Your uncle’s right. You were very brave,” Hailey joined in. “I’ve seen teenagers throw bigger fits than you.”
Emily’s eyes rounded. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Wow, they must be wimps. When I’m a teen— Mom! Dad!” Emily jumped off the exam table and ran to the door as Sarah and Ian stepped into the room. “I hurt my arm.”
“So I heard. Are you doing okay?” Sarah wrapped around her, as her brows knit with concern.
“It still hurts, but I’m gonna be fine.”
“Good. You were lucky Colin was there to take care of you.”
Emily snorted. “Colin didn’t do anything but panic. Hailey helped me. She’s a nurse.”
Colin winced and observed the couple’s startled response. Clearly they hadn’t spotted Hailey standing in the corner, and their gazes swept over to where she stood.
“Hello, Hailey.” Sarah spoke first. Cautiously. “Thank you.”
Hailey shifted from one foot to the other, folding her arms across her chest as she cleared her throat.
“No problem. We all just happened to be at the beach at the same time.”
Ian nodded, his expression solemn. “Good thing for us.”
“She would’ve been fine,” Hailey said quickly, after a moment’s heavy pause. “But I was happy to help. It’s…the least I could do.”
More silence, and the awkwardness in the room swelled to a cloying point.
Shite. Colin opened his mouth, trying to find the words to say to diffuse the tension.
“I’m going to head out,” Hailey said first, and adjusted her purse over her shoulder. “Emily, it was great to meet you. You be careful with that arm, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks, Hailey.”
“Anytime, sweetie.” She strode to the door, her eyes downcast.
“I’ll just catch a ride with Hailey back to my car.” Colin stepped in her path, briefly blocking the exit.
No one in the room looked more stunned than Hailey.
“I thought…” she hesitated, “…maybe you’d want to spend time with your family. Or Ian could drive you back?”
“Aye, well, they live here in Coupeville, so it’d really just be easier to ride with you.”
“It’s not a bother,” Ian said, frowning. “I can drive you back, Colin.”
“Stay with Sarah and Emily. Hailey won’t mind. She has to go over Deception Pass anyway to get off the island. Right?”
He could almost hear her jaw snap together. “Right.”
“Well then. Shall we?”
“Yeah. Sounds…awesome.” While there was a tight smile on her mouth, her eyes shot daggers.
With her hands still on her daughter’s shoulders, Sarah called out softly, “Thanks again, Hailey.”
“No problem.” This time Hailey kept her gaze down as she stepped out of the room into the hospital corridor.
“See ya.” Colin winked at his family and stepped out after her.
“Colin.”
He stopped at Ian’s harsh use of his name. Turning, Colin glanced back at his twin.
“Aye?”
“Be nice.”
“Me?” He arched a brow. “I’m always the nice one, remember?”
Ian didn’t reply, just shook his head. With a grin and small wave good-bye, Colin followed after Hailey. She was nearly out the front of the hospital by the time he caught up with her.
“Thanks for the ride.” He fell into step beside her.
“Really?” She shot him another hard glance. “As if you gave me any choice.”
“One always has a choice.” He paused. “Sometimes we just make the wrong one.”
He knew he’d hit a mark when she flinched as she hit the Unlock button on her keys, opening her car door. Before climbing back in, he glanced at the license plate and memorized it. When he went back to work tomorrow he’d be sure to run it and find out what kinds of trouble Miss Hailey had been getting into.
He settled into the passenger side and had barely fastened his seat belt before she threw the car in Reverse.
“You know, I kind of figured you’d prefer a lobotomy to riding in the car with me any longer.”
“Maybe I like to keep an eye on you.”
“Yeah, well, maybe that’s just weird.” She shook her head as she pulled out of the hospital parking lot. “We’re not exactly friends.”
“No. We’re certainly not that.”
But they once had been friends, somewhat.
“Though I do appreciate what you did today.”
“Anyone with my skills would’ve done the same.” She gave a hard shrug. “Though a word of advice? Next time you might want to reevaluate taking personal calls while your ten-year-old niece is scaling a cliff.”
“Fuck it all, really? It wasn’t a personal call,” he snarled, unable to believe she’d brought it up again. “It was work.”
“Mmm hmm. New to this baby-sitting business, I’m guessing?”
“You’re deliberately provoking me, Hailey.”
“Oh, is that what I’m doing?” The car sped up as she hit the accelerator.
“And might I point out you’re now legally speeding?”
“Point it out all you want, Deputy. Your ass is off duty and hitching a ride.”
He wasn’t really worried about the speed of the car right now, rarely wou
ld he pull someone over for a few miles above the speed limit—Charles Richland being the exception.
He shifted in his seat and turned to look at her.
Her lips were pursed, her cute little nose lifted in the air, and her breathing seemed a little uneven. She was angry, but there was something else there. Something else that had the blood in his body stirring.
Sliding a quick gaze down her body, he lingered briefly on the curve of her breasts and then the golden thigh peeking out below her denim shorts.
She must’ve sensed his gaze because she stiffened and drew in another deep breath that had her chest rising.
“Stop checking me out.”
That knocked the wind right out of him. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, Colin. Do you think I’m stupid?” The look she shot him showed overly bright brown eyes that shone with anger and heat. “It occurred to me why your bitterness focuses mostly on me. Why you can be so damn cruel when it’s outside your personality.”
His teeth snapped together. “Oh, please do enlighten me.”
“Because you’re attracted to me.”
She said it so casually, so matter-of-factly, that again he struggled to breathe.
“Am I?” Somehow he kept his tone bored. Steady.
“Yeah. You are. And you would’ve been much happier if I were some fugly chick you could just happily hate and ignore from a distance.”
“That’s complete shite.”
“It’s really not and you know it. In fact, you’ve always been attracted to me, Colin McLaughlin.”
All right, he’d bloody well had enough. “Stop the fuckin’ car.”
Hailey was so stunned by the harsh command that she automatically moved to obey.
She pulled the car onto a side road and turned off the engine.
“Okay, maybe I went a little far there,” she admitted. And she had. What the hell had she been thinking, spitting out every thought in her head? That always led her to trouble.
Colin didn’t reply, just unfastened his seat belt. He was going to get out and walk? They were still a good fifteen-minute drive away from Deception Pass. Guilt hit her as she glanced around the isolated road.
“I can take you to your car. You don’t need—”
Kilty Pleasure Page 4