LITMIR.BIZ

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under control up until then…”

      That was more like it. The old Addy was returning. Nick ran a hand over the top of her head. Her hair was a tangled mess. “What you haven’t got under control is your ability to keep people from taking advantage of you. I know that sob-sister played on your sympathy to get you up there.”

      Absently his sister shook her head, then sniffled around a yawn. “She didn’t. Not really.”

      They both watched the nurse work on her arm a few minutes. Finally the woman tucked the last bit of bandaging into place. “Did you know Kari is Madison Churchill’s daughter?” Addy asked.

      “No, and I don’t care if she’s related to Winston Churchill.”

      “She was awfully calm after we crashed. Didn’t panic. She handled the fire extinguisher when I realized I couldn’t. She even found a way to splint my arms.”

      “Which wouldn’t have needed splinting if she’d taken no for an answer in the first place.”

      “You should talk to her.”

      “Not in the mood I’m in.”

      “She’s just down the hall.”

      “Good. She should stay there.”

      She gave him a frowning glance. “You’re being completely unreasonable.”

      Nick didn’t need Addy to tell him that. But every time he thought about trying to talk to that woman, he could feel his blood pressure take a leap. He grunted. “I get that way when people put my family in danger.”

      Addy just looked at him in rueful silence. The nurse’s eyes flitted back and forth between them. He could tell that even she thought he was being unreasonable.

      He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “The FAA reports I’m going to have to fill out, the cost of repairs, the lost revenue… If I don’t end up suing her sorry ass for her involvement in this, she should consider herself lucky.”

      His sister ducked her head and swallowed hard. Then her dark eyes found his once more. “Have you considered the possibility that she could…that she might be the one to—”

      “Sue us?” he finished for her.

      Hell, somewhere in the back of his mind he hadn’t been able to think of much else. For all her youthful inexperience, Addy was an adult. An employee of Angel Air. The company had a responsibility to its passengers to keep them safe.

      The Churchill woman could probably make a case if she wanted to—no telling what missteps Addy had already admitted—but he wasn’t willing to think about that right now. Addy would open a floodgate of fresh tears if she thought there might be that kind of trouble ahead for the family.

      “Adriana!”

      “My baby!”

      “Adda-girl!”

      The family had arrived. He’d hoped he and Addy could get out of here soon, but he should have known better. The D’Angelos—Mom, Pop and both aunts—surged into the room to descend on Addy like a wave. Nick stepped back. Even the nurse stepped back. You didn’t stand in the way of a D’Angelo tidal wave.

      “I thought we’d never get here,” Nick’s mother cried. She pressed both her hands to her daughter’s face as though feeling for fever. Aunt Renata and Aunt Sofia were like bookends on either side of Addy, full of commiserating sounds at the sight of her bandaged arms.

      Unable to get any closer because of the cluster of people and his wheelchair, Nick’s father settled for placing his hand along Addy’s blanket-covered ankle. “What happened?” Sam demanded. He touched the nurse’s arm. “Get the doctor. I want to know about my daughter’s condition.”

      Nick stood back and listened while Addy briefly described the circumstances of the crash. The resident came in and explained about her injuries. The family gasped and made little worried sounds throughout it all, but were finally satisfied to hear that Addy wouldn’t even have to spend one night in the hospital. Now that the medication had taken the edge off the pain, she had stopped being so weepy, thank goodness. She would, however, find it difficult to use anything but the tips of her fingers for a few weeks.

      “You’re sure it’s nothing more than that?” Sam asked the doctor, obviously making no effort to hide his frowning assessment of the younger man.

      “She’ll be back up in the air before the month’s out,” Nick said for his sister’s benefit. Addy gave him a hopeful smile.

      “This other woman,” his father continued. “She’s all right, too?”

      It was a surprise to Nick, but evidently no one in the family seemed to find the Churchill woman’s part in the accident objectionable. “She’s fine,” he said in annoyance. “Women like that always land on their feet.”

      His father’s brows shot upward. “That’s a pretty strong statement. What’s got you so wrought up?”

      “None of this would have happened if she hadn’t been so pushy.” Nick turned his attention back to his sister. He nodded toward her bound forearms. “Looks like those are going to make things awkward for a while.”

      “Don’t you worry,” Aunt Renata said to Addy. “We’ll feed and dress you, and even bathe you if we need to. Won’t we, Sofia?”

      “Just like when you were a little baby,” Aunt Sofia told her.

      At that promise, Addy threw a look of desperation Nick’s way. He just grinned and shook his head at her. She deserved it after scaring the hell out of him.

      “Who’s watching the lodge?” Nick asked. He glanced at his watch. Nearly nine-thirty. The hired help would be long gone by now.

      “Tessa’s at the front desk,” his father replied. “It was quiet when we left. This may be a good time for her to get more involved in the business. Perhaps she can take on some of Adriana’s responsibilities. The dining room, laundry…”

      Aunt Sofia glanced at Nick. “She could clean late checkouts after school and do turn-down service in the evening.”

      Nick frowned. “I don’t want her doing anything that interferes with homework.”

      “We’ll need some temporary help,” his mother said. The consummate field marshal, she was already planning ahead.

      “Clay Watts at Eagle’s Rest owes me a favor,” Nick said. “I’ll see if he can send over a couple of housekeepers tomorrow until I arrange something with a temp service.”

      Nick had started to head out of the room when he nearly collided with one of the nurses. He thought her name was Sharon—a roommate of one of the nurses he’d dated a few years ago. She’d previously come in to tell them that Kari Churchill was doing just fine down in Exam Room One.

      Now she tapped the chart in her hand. “Miss Churchill’s going to be discharged in a few minutes. She’s asking to see your sister before she goes. Or you.”

      Nick shook his head. “Tell her that’s not necessary.”

      “Nick!” Addy exclaimed with some of her old spirit. “Don’t you dare speak for me.”

      Nick ignored her. “Tell her if she wants to leave an address, I’ll see to it that her stuff on board the chopper gets sent to her.”

      “After what she’s been through, that’s no way to treat a customer,” his mother scolded.

      “And I want to see her,” Addy said.

      His father looked at him sharply. “You have a responsibility to make sure she’s all right, Nick. You know that.”

      Aware that every eye in the family was on him, Nick lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Fine. I’ll check on her before I call Clay.”

      Dead

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