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lover. Complete crap. Maybe she was pretty. Maybe she had a nice body. Venus flytraps were fun to look at too; you just stayed the hell away if you were smart.
    “Where would you like me to take her?” Hailey asked, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel.
    “Whidbey General is probably closer.”
    “It is.” Hailey paused. “You know what, Emily?”
    “What?”
    “Your mom hurt her ankle once doing gymnastics and had to go to the hospital here.”
    “I know. She told me.”
    “Did she tell you that your dad took her?”
    Colin gave her a sharp look. Now what was she about? Why this story?
    “No.”
    “He did. Your mom once told me that was the day she fell in love with him.” Hailey’s voice cracked slightly. She bit her lip.
    Did she regret bringing up the past? Bringing up the reminder that she was the reason Ian and Sarah had been forced apart for over a decade?
    “She did? That’s cool. So did she need crutches?”
    Colin’s lips twitched as he stared out the window at the passing trees. Funny that Emily was just focusing on the injury part of the story.
    “She did,” Hailey replied. “And she rocked them.”
    “That’s so cool. Maybe I’ll get a cast.”
    “Maybe, though I think you might’ve gotten lucky this time and not broken anything.”
    “Hmm. Bummer. A cast would’ve been fun. People could’ve signed it.”
    “I think you ought to be happy you didn’t break anything, Em.” He cast an admonishing glance over his shoulder. “Trying to climb that cliff? Really, now.”
    Emily just rolled her eyes at him. “I totally would’ve been fine, I just lost my footing.”
    “Aye. Well, you’re lucky you’re not more seriously hurt.”
    His niece didn’t respond, just sulked as she stared out the window.
    “Perhaps you should’ve been watching her closer.”
    He almost didn’t hear the soft accusation, and swung a disbelieving gaze at Hailey.
    “Excuse me?”
    “I said we’re having nice weather.” She cast him an overly bright, innocent smile. “Don’t you think?”
    The hell she’d said that. He stared at her, until her lips twitched and she glanced away.
    He stole another glance at his niece and found her oblivious to their quiet conversation as she stared out the window. Even so, he couldn’t risk her hearing any reply he’d been about to say. Instead, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Ian to fill him in on the news.
    The conversation went about as well as he expected. Despite his assurances that he would take care of everything, that Emily was already calming down, they were leaving Seattle and hopping the next boat home.
    He hung up a moment later, his stomach sour.
    “They’re coming back?” Hailey guessed.
    “Aye.”
    “Yay!”
    Emily’s cheerful exclamation from the backseat only compounded Hailey’s theory that she was probably just bruised, not broken.
    How to Fail at Being an Uncle 101. He would surely be able to teach the class after today.
    The rest of the drive was made with light chatter between Hailey and Emily while he stewed in his own frustration. When they arrived at the ER there was more of a wait than he’d hoped. Of course it took a couple hours to be seen, x-rayed and diagnosed with what turned out to be a nasty sprain in her wrist. No cast needed, just a fun brace she could show off.
    As they waited for the discharge papers, Colin cast a glance at his niece. With a little pain meds in her system and an exciting adventure in the emergency room, Emily was definitely looking a little more tired.
    “You did brilliant, lass.” He rubbed the top of her head and was rewarded with the wrinkling of her nose.
    “I guess.”
    “Your uncle’s right. You were very brave,” Hailey joined in. “I’ve seen teenagers throw bigger fits than you.”
    Emily’s eyes rounded. “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “Wow, they must be wimps. When I’m a teen— Mom! Dad!” Emily jumped off the exam table and ran to the