Page 36 of Hearts Aweigh
Abby stayed calm. This wasn’t the first overprotective parent she’d dealt with. “I promise the nurse is highly qualified to handle this situation.”
“Situation! Is that what you call your negligence?”
The woman swung the towel. Wet terry cloth slapped Abby’s face with the force of an open hand. Her teeth rattled, and her neck cracked. She grabbed her cheek. A fiery tingling flushed her skin. The towel landed at her feet, and the woman bent to pick it up. Abby cringed, bracing herself for another hit.
“Hey!”
A long arm swooped between them, and Spencer grabbed the towel. He flung it away and slid his large body in front of Abby’s. “Excuse me, madam. Have you lost your mind?”
The woman’s volume increased. “Me? This lady let my son get hurt. She wasn’t doing her job properly.”
“I’ve been at the splash pad with my daughter for”—Spencer checked his watch—“the last hour. In that time, I’ve observed this employee on two separate occasions encourage your son to get off the hydrant he fell from, even though it was not her responsibility. This may be a supervised area, but parents are still required to monitor their own children.” He pointed to a sign posted on a pole. “I witnessed you run over from the opposite side of this large deck. If anyone let your son get hurt, it was you.”
“Who are you to tell me I’m a bad parent?” the mother yelled.
“I’m this young woman’s attorney.”
Abby’s eyes widened, as did the mother’s.
Spencer retrieved his wallet from the back pocket of his slacks and pulled out a business card. He passed it to the irate parent. “If you can give me the name of your lawyer, we’ll know who to contact if she decides to sue you for compensation.”
“Comp—compen—What?”
“Assault is illegal, even at sea. If I report this attack to the security team—”
“Mr. Masterson, please,” Abby said. “There’s no need to go that far.” A crowd was gathering. One passenger had his phone out, videoing the whole humiliating mess.
“See?” The woman grabbed her son. “This worker knows what she did. Forget involving security.”
The mother spun on her heel, but Spencer lifted his arm to block her retreat. “If my client chooses to overlook the matter, I won’t stop her. On one condition. You owe her an apology.”
“For what? My baby is the one who got hurt.”
“Yourbabybehaved in a reckless manner, and it was his own poor choices that caused the accident. Butyouphysically assaulted Ms. O’Brien, and an apology is the very least you can offer her.” He pointed a finger at the business card. “Or you can give me the name of your attorney.”
She crumpled the card and tossed it at his feet. Snatching her son’s elbow, she jerked her chin at Abby. “Sorry.” The woman stomped away with her child in tow.
Rubberneckers dispersed since the show was over.
Spencer turned to Abby. “I shouldn’t have butted in, but—”
“Oh. My. Word. That was awesome!” Abby crowed as she grabbed his hand with both of hers. “Can you come and play my attorney every time I have splash pad duty?”
She mentally retracted any unkind words she’d ever thought about his personality or his choice of wardrobe. The man was an overdressed guardian angel.
Spencer looked down at the slim, wet fingers grasping his. Despite her cold skin, an unusual sensation burned where she touched him.
He snatched his hand away and hid it behind his back. “I … I’m afraid I … have other clients.”
“Oh well. My loss.”
She pushed the hood of her raincoat from her head. The sun glinted off her fiery red locks. A hint of gold among the auburn strands glowed in the sunlight like sparks from a firecracker and—
What’s wrong with me?
He didn’t have time to be waxing poetic about a cruise ship worker’s hair. “Madeleine!” He shouted louder than he meant to, and his daughter rushed over.
“Yes, sir?”
