Page 50 of Only for Christmas

‘They’re called slippers. And seriously, Lucas, I’m fine.’ She pushed his hand away. ‘Just let me stand up.’

Reluctantly, he gave her space to stand up. She was clearly in pain; there was a lot of flinching and grimacing, and she had to use the metal railings to pull herself up. When she was finally upright, she gave him a triumphant look. ‘See? Perfectly fine.’ And then she crumpled forwards.

As he caught her, he could feel her ribs through the thin fabric of her nightwear. He could feel a lot more too: she was minus a bra. ‘This is your idea of fine?’

She clung hold of him. ‘Okay, I might be a little dizzy.’

The smell of camomile in her damp hair tickled his nose. ‘Did you hit your head?’

‘Among other things.’

He was torn between insisting she stay put until he’d assessed whether paramedics were required, or getting her into the warm so he could asses her himself. It was freezing out. She was barely weight-bearing, but lucid enough to be arguing with him, so logic dictated she wasn’t critically injured. Moving her seemed like the better option, even if his medical training advised against it.

‘Hook your arm around my neck,’ he instructed, sliding one arm around her waist and the other under her legs so he could lift her. ‘Let me take your weight… that’s it. Slowly does it.’

Fred trotted up the steps ahead, glancing back as if to say, Hurry up, humans.

Easier said than done. Fred wasn’t the one carrying one of the said humans. ‘What were you doing out here, anyway?’

‘Fred needed a wee.’

‘You didn’t think to put a coat on?’

She tutted. ‘No, dad, I didn’t. Crikey, you do make a fuss. And I wasn’t planning on coming out here. I saw torchlight flashing about by the bins and I was worried about Fred’s safety.’ Her face winced in pain. ‘I think Stephen might have followed me home yesterday.’

Lucas almost missed a step. ‘He did what?’

‘I’m not certain. Maybe it wasn’t him, but a silver Merc was parked outside when I arrived back here with Harper.’

Lucas paused for breath; his thighs were burning from the climb. ‘Did you ask him about it at work today?’

‘I didn’t go to work today. I couldn’t face going in after yesterday’s encounter, so I booked lieu time and stayed home.’

‘Yesterday’s encounter?’ He steeled himself to hike the last few steps.

‘Long story. The short version is that Stephen asked me to dinner; I said no. He pushed the issue, so I lied, and told him I was dating you. He didn’t like that.’

Finally, they reached his window. ‘I need to put you down.’

‘I’m up another floor,’ she said, pointing upwards.

‘I don’t have the strength to carry you up another floor. Besides, my medical bag’s in here. I need to check you over.’

She looked disgruntled. ‘I can do that myself.’

‘You could, but you’re not going to.’ He leant her against the wall so he could climb inside. Fred followed him into his apartment.

She rubbed her side. ‘You’re being stubborn.’

‘So are you.’ He held his arms out. ‘Take my hands.’ He gently helped her inside, getting the first glimpse of the blood on her face and her grubby pyjama bottoms. ‘I get that you’re mad at me, but that’s no reason for you to refuse medical help when you’re clearly injured. And before you argue back, you have blood dripping down your face.’

She touched her head and winced.

‘You can go back to being mad at me once I’ve patched you up.’ He picked her up and carried her through to his bedroom. Fred trotted behind.

It was a moment before she spoke. ‘I’m not really mad at you. I’m mad with myself.’

He kicked open the bedroom door. ‘Why’s that?’

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