Page 73 of The Payback Adventure
He stared at the floor. “Are you sure this is the right way?”
Of course. Henry had paid for this wing to be built. He’d seen the blueprints before the foundation had been poured. He’d visited every floor both during construction and after. But Sam didn’t know that, and now wasn’t the time to tell him.
Henry knew Sam was worried. He didn’t blame the kid, but Elisabeth needed them to get there. Traffic had made thedrive longer than it should’ve been. “Yes, and we need to get going. Elisabeth has been waiting for you two to arrive.”
Abby held his hand. “And you, too.”
He hoped so. The three of them walked to the waiting room, which was filled with his friends. He’d expected Brett and Laurel to be there but not Wes, Paige, Blaise, Hadley, Dash, Cynthia, and even his chauffeur, Frank. “What are you all doing here?”
“Group chat,” Dash said. “The others will be here soon.”
Cynthia approached him, but she wasn’t gloating as he expected. If anything, she appeared worried. She handed Henry his phone. “Cade’s been out of town, but he’s catching a flight back tonight. Brynn’s training in Vermont, but Ryland will be here tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” Henry appreciated his friends—all people he’d played matchmaker with—for wanting to be there with him, but someone was missing. He kept looking around. “Where’s Elisabeth?”
“With Caitlin.”
Henry released the breath he’d been holding. He needed to find Elisabeth and see Caitlin, but then he remembered the kids. “Abby and Sam, meet my friends.”
“More like his family,” Wes said, and everyone nodded.
Paige came up to him and the kids. She wore her physician’s jacket. “Caitlin is recovering after her surgery.”
“She’s not dead?” Sam asked.
The waiting room went silent.
Paige touched Sam’s shoulder. “Caitlin is stillunconscious. Her medical team is watching your sister to make sure the pressure in her brain goes down.”
Abby clung to Henry’s hand, but she stared in awe of Paige. “Are you my sister’s doctor?”
Paige smiled at her. “No, but I’m a doctor, an oncologist, and I was with your sister Elisabeth when she spoke to Caitlin’s neurosurgeon.”
Relief surged through Henry. He was so grateful Paige, who’d treated Wes when he’d had cancer, had been with Elisabeth. “Thank you.”
“Caitlin’s medical team is taking good care of her,” Paige said. “We can ask if you can see her after Elisabeth comes out.”
Abby nodded.
Sam scrubbed at his eyes. “Please.”
Dash came up to the kids with a large shopping bag. He towered over them at six-three but lowered himself to their level and smiled. “I’m Dash. My wife, Iris, had to stay home with our son, but she sent homemade brownies for you on the table over there, and I picked up something for you guys.” Dash pulled two new Nintendo Switch boxes from the bag. “There’s one for each of you. I have another one for Caitlin.”
The kids stared in disbelief. Their mouths each formed a perfectO.
Leave it to Dash. The guy had come a long way from the clueless, selfish genius who didn’t know how to handle social situations well. He’d made up for all his mistakes to Iris and then some.
Henry smiled. “Thanks, Master Dashiell.”
“Least I could do,” Dash said to Henry. “Fallon has kids around Abby’s age, so that helped. And who doesn’t like video games?”
Fallon was Dash’s assistant and Blaise’s sister-in-law. Henry had fun watching “Uncle Blaise” in action with his niece and nephew. He looked at the kids. “I’m sure these two will enjoy them.”
Sam clutched the game as if it were a priceless artifact. “It’s brand new.”
“Not for long.” Dash grinned. “Go on and open it.”
Both kids looked at Henry as if asking for permission. They were such good kids. Elisabeth would be proud. “It’s okay. Dash is a good friend.”
