Kyle strode in, tugging on a white coat before he tapped on a tablet. “All right, Julia–”

“Mrs. Harrington,” Sierra reminded him, her eyes narrowed.

“Right,” he said with a coy glance at Julia. “It looks like you had quite a severe concussion a few weeks ago after…rescuing a woman from a warehouse?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Well, it seems wife-ing is a more perilous occupation than I expected.”

Sierra heaved a sigh, crossing her arms as she scowled at him.

“Really, Dr. Carter–” Julia began.

“Oh, please, call me Kyle.” He offered her a warm smile as he peered up from the tablet.

“I’m really fine. I don’t need all this fuss.”

“We’ll see. They should be by to take you down for your scans. After that, we’ll talk and find out just how much fussing you need.” With a wink, he tapped a few more times on the tablet and stepped into the hall. “Liz? Liz, can you get this patient down for scans immediately? She’s a priority.”

“Of course, doctor,” the transportation aide said with a nod before she hurried to rush Julia down to radiology.

“Sierra, don’t exaggerate when your father gets here.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m going to tell him exactly what’s going on here.”

Julia’s eyebrows knitted as the woman shoved her away from the emergency room. What was that supposed to mean?

Within minutes, her questions regarding Sierra were ripped away and replaced by the tiny MRI space before she moved on to have her wrists X-rayed. After the whirlwind of activity, the woman wheeled her back to the emergency room cubicle.

Her heart tensed as she spotted Grant talking to Sierra. She glanced over her father’s shoulder, her eyes going wide. “There she is.”

Grant twisted, a flicker of worry crossing his features. “Julia. What happened?”

“I told you already,” Sierra said, her voice laced with annoyance, “someone tried to run her over. Thank goodness she jumped out of the way.”

“Are you okay?” Grant’s voice, carefully neutral and calm, mixed with an undercurrent of concern.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she assured him.

“You don’t look fine. This was too close of a call.” A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes as his features pinched. He reached for her hand before he abruptly stopped.

“Really, I’m fine,” she assured him.

“I really wish you’d let me be the judge of that, Julia,” Kyle said as he flitted back into the room.

Sierra took up her defensive stance as he strode back inside. “I asked for another doctor.”

Kyle tapped the display in his hand. “And since the patient is perfectly competent mentally, that request was ignored.” He raised his eyes from the tablet, a smile on his lips as he eyed Julia before it slipped when he slid them to Grant. “And you must be the husband.”

Grant narrowed his eyes at the doctor. “Yes, Grant Harrington.” He thrust his hand forward, but Kyle pretended to ignore it, tapping on the tablet again.

After he finally retracted it, Kyle glanced up again. “Well, your daughter tells me Julia’s main occupation is…as she put it ‘wife-ing,’ and honestly, I’m tempted to recommend she change occupations.”

Julia tugged her lips back into a wince as the annoyance on Grant’s features was unmistakable.

The doctor chuckled at his supposed joke as he stepped closer to Julia. “Two hospital visits in as many months. I’m a little worried that being Mrs. Harrington may be fatal.”

Julia offered a polite smile as he deftly picked up her wrist again and swept a finger over it, turning her skin into goosebumps.