Lachlan retreated physically and emotionally. “I’m fine,” he clipped. “But I can’t stick around being interrogated by you all day, Ms. Penhaligon. I’m here to collect Mac.”
A coolness leaked into her expression. “Yeah, about that … that’s why I’m here. There’s no need for you to be here.”
Indignation fired his blood. “I’m Mac’s oldest friend. Who else would be here?”
“Uh … I don’t know. His daughter?”
“A familial label has to be earned, in my opinion.”
She cut him a dark look as she pushed past. “No one asked your opinion.”
He hurried after her. “My vehicle is bigger than yours. It will be more comfortable for him.”
“My car is comfy enough. And my company is far superior. I’m not leaving him stuck in a car with you for an hour.”
“Some people would pay good money to be in my company.”
“I don’t need to know how you paid for college.”
It took him a moment to understand the gibe. He growled at her back as she pushed into Mac’s private room.
“Inferring I was a whore. How mature.”
He was vaguely aware of Mac dressed and sitting on the bed, eyebrows raised to his hairline at their entrance. But Lachlan’s attention was captured by Robyn. Laughter danced on her lips, but her eyes filled with anger. “You just handed it to me.”
He seethed. Why was she so bloody aggravating? “Mac is coming with me.”
“With me.” Her hands flew to her hips, drawing his gaze there.
“You’ll take him back to his cottage.”
“That’s where he wants to go.”
“I don’t bloody care what he wants.”
“Of course you don’t, Mr. I Have to Control Everyone and the Universe.”
He bared his teeth. “Who will look after him if he goes back to the cottage, alone?”
Her mouth slammed shut, her lips pouting lushly.
Lachlan’s hands curled into fists at his sides.
Robyn turned to face Mac. “Who is going to look after you?”
Mac glanced between them, and something in his searching expression made Lachlan uncomfortable. “I’ll be fine.”
“No.” Robyn shook her head. “You won’t. The doc says you need to rest for a few weeks. Gentle exercise only. You’ll need taking care of. I could do it.”
Hearing the uncertainty in her voice, Lachlan stepped toward Mac. “No, if Mac will be reasonable, he’ll see that the best idea is to stay at the castle where staff and his security team can look after him.”
“Staff? No.” Robyn bit her lip, brows furrowed in thought. Finally, she said, “Family should take care of him.”
Something softened in Lachlan. “You can visit as often as you please, Ms. Penhaligon. But the staff at Ardnoch are Mac’s family.”
Just like that, her expressive face closed down. She again donned what Lachlan had come to think of as her cop face. “Fine.”
“Not fine.” Mac glared at Lachlan. “I told you, I’ll be okay.”
Exasperation exploded out of Lachlan. “Mac, for fuck’s sake, give me one less thing to worry about, please.”
Mac glowered. Silence filled the hospital room.
And then, “Fine. I’ll stay at the castle,” Mac grumbled under his breath. “Jesus Christ.”
“I’m going to find the nurse and see when we can get out of here.” Robyn cut him a dark look. “Try not to yell at my still-injured father while I’m gone.”
He rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air as he turned away from the irritating father and daughter.
Not long later, Mac bristled as the nurse forced him into a wheelchair that barely fit his large physique.
“Is it necessary?” Lachlan asked the nurse, knowing he’d feel just as mortified being wheeled out of the hospital like an invalid.
“It’s policy.” The nurse remained unmoved.
He flashed her the smile that had gotten him laid many a time. “Can you not let it go, just this once?”
The nurse smirked. “Not even for you.”
“Let’s just go.” Robyn took hold of the wheelchair handles.
“I’ll do it.” Lachlan tried to brush her aside.
“I’m already here. Hey, get off. My God, you are unbelievably controlling.” She pushed Mac toward the exit.
Lachlan wanted to throttle her. “It’s not about being in control. I thought your father might appreciate me wheeling him instead of his bloody daughter.”
“Mac is fine.”
“And I’m controlling? I’ve never met a more aggravating ballbuster in my life.”
“Ugh, men like you always call women like me ballbusters. Just because I don’t melt in a puddle at your feet every time you flash that stupid-ass grin doesn’t mean I’m a control freak or a ballbuster.”
“Men like me?”
“Afraid of strong women.”
“I’m not afraid of strong women, Ms. Penhaligon. In fact, I rather enjoy fucking them. A strong woman isn’t afraid to let a man be a man.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Men. You always make it about sex.”
“I meant in life. You mentioned something a while ago about me unshriveling my balls. Perhaps if you didn’t make men feel small, and treat them like they were unintelligent and useless, you wouldn’t make their balls want to climb inside themselves. Maybe then you wouldn’t be almost thirty and still single.”
It was a low blow. And a sexist one at that.
He knew it.
But she frustrated him in a way he couldn’t remember any woman ever doing.
“Lachlan.” Mac’s voice cut through the air like a whip.
Robyn had rolled him to a stop at Lachlan’s Range Rover.
Fuck.
He’d forgotten his friend.
Mac scowled up at him in warning.
Robyn refused to make eye contact with Lachlan.
Double fuck.
So much for avoiding her these last few days so he wouldn’t say something shitty that might get back to Mac.
He’d said it right in front of him.
A terrible silence fell among them as Mac eased out of the chair and into the passenger seat of Lachlan’s SUV, his hand pressed to his stomach as if to hold himself together.
“I’ll see you at the estate,” Robyn said softly to her father.
Mac gave her a tender smile. “Okay, wee birdie. See you soon.”
Something devastating flashed in her eyes at Mac’s pet name. She covered it quickly with a tight smile, and Lachlan closed the passenger door.
He followed Robyn around the hood of the car as she wheeled the chair toward the hospital
