“Nora dropped everything to come out and plan your mother’s funeral. All your friends dropped everything to be there for you.”
“They were there for Alex.”
“The G-Force wasn’t there for her.”
This was true.
Hmm.
Dair wasn’t finished lecturing.
“And Alex isn’t the new Marchioness of Norton. Alex didnae have important people she had to impress with hymn choices and floral arrangements. Aye, they were there for Alex, and they were there for you.”
I decided to stop speaking.
“Ye looked after my mum in Arizona after all that happened with Dad. You were pissed on my behalf when ye thought Dad or Signe upset me.” He paused, considered me, then asked, “Am I getting through to you at all?”
“You’re crushing me.”
In one lithe movement (bloody athletes), he rolled off and to his feet, and he offered me his hand.
I ignored it and tried to get up myself.
My back spasmed, and the pain was so bad, I fell to my ass in the wet leaves, which made the pain worse.
“Babe, take my hand,” he ordered.
I tried to get up on my own again and winced.
He instantly crouched down beside me.
“Are ye hurt?”
“Why, yes, Dair,” I snapped. “A huge man chased me through a forest and tackled me to the leaves.”
He grinned.
Stupid Dair.
“Know my tackle didnae hurt ye, lassie. I ken my tackles.”
“Well, on top of jarring my back when I tripped, it?—”
I said no more because he frowned, then, before I could blink, I was up in his arms.
Good Lord.
This was worse!
“Put me down!” I shouted, wriggling in his hold as he started walking through the woods.
“Stop moving or you’ll hurt yourself more.”
“Dair, put me down this instant,” I demanded.
“Hot bath. Some ibuprofen. And a stiff whisky will do ye,” he decreed.
What he didn’t do was put me down.
