Lucas

Thank goodness she’d been wearing a seat belt. That had prevented her from being thrown from the car, but it hadn’t stopped the tree limb from coming through the windshield and hitting her.

Lucas stared at her, clearly waiting for more details. Hailey had more, but she had to fight the panicky feeling rising in her again. It wasn’t that night, but it suddenly felt as if it was.

“After I crashed, Darrin came to the side of the car,” Hailey continued. “He looked at me.” But then she stopped, her attention going back to Lucas. “Why didn’t he just kill me then? I was helpless, barely conscious.”

“Maybe he didn’t want you dead,” Lucas said. “He probably wanted those computer files and would have been willing to torture you to get them.”

Yes. That had to be it. “But he didn’t get a chance to kidnap me, because that’s about the time you drove up. Did you see Darrin leave?”

“I saw his SUV speeding away. I couldn’t go in pursuit.”

That’s because she had needed medical attention ASAP. Lucas had saved her life. Camden’s, too, by staying with them. Lucas didn’t seem any more comfortable thinking about that night than she did, and he looked relieved when Tillie came back into the living room.

“Is Camden ready for his bath?” the nanny asked, her voice tentative, probably because she knew that Hailey wanted to continue holding him.

Lucas nodded. “Best if he sticks to his routine,” he told Hailey. “Plus, we need to do reports for the attack.”

Yes, paperwork. Necessary, but she still hated having to hand her son over to the nanny. She’d gotten so few minutes holding him. Of course, a lifetime would be too few.

“You can watch,” Tillie added, glancing at Hailey. “That way, you’ll know how to do it.” She also glanced at Lucas, and Tillie seemed to ignore the slight scowl that was on his face.

Maybe a scowl because it would mean a delay in doing those reports, but also because Tillie was including her.

Hailey didn’t give Lucas a chance to veto Tillie’s offer. She stood, following the woman as best she could to the bathroom just across the hall from the nursery. Lucas followed, too. Good thing, because just before Hailey reached the door, she stumbled and would have fallen flat on her face if Lucas hadn’t caught her.

And just like that, she was in his arms.

The memories came. No way to stop them. Not with Lucas and her being body to body. Hailey got some flashes of even more body contact. Of when they were naked in bed.