Shaking free of Adrian, I launched myself at my daughter and enveloped her in my arms. ‘Oh baby, look at you.’

As I held her, she tried to speak through sobs. ‘I’m not going to be able to play soccer for months. I’ll be out for the finals—that’s if we even make them now. Without me they might not have a chance and what am I going to do with myself? I wish I’d died.’

‘Don’t even say that,’ I scolded, my heart shuddering. That could so easily have been the outcome. We’d been damn lucky. ‘I know this feels like hell, but you’ll recover, and you will play soccer again. Right now, your priority needs to be getting better.’

‘You’re not going to leave me, are you? I don’t want to stay here alone tonight, and I know it’s Daddy’s week, but I want you.’

‘It’s all right, baby, I’m staying.’ Guilt ate at me—I should have been here all along.

‘Good.’ Her tears started to subside, and she looked like she was about to smile but changed her mind at the last moment. ‘What’s he doing here?’

All of us looked over to see Dan at the door.

‘Hey.’ He lifted his hand in a clearly nervous wave.

‘Dan drove me to Perth,’ I said. Now was definitely not the moment to introduce him as my lover, but I tossed him a grateful smile. ‘Come in.’

‘How are you doing, Payton?’ he asked as he entered.

She glowered back at him. ‘Terrible.’

Adrian offered Dan his hand. ‘Thanks for driving Ash, mate. I’m Adrian. Her husband.’

Husband? I met Dan’s gaze—both of us clearly thinking the same thing. Adrian must have sensed there was something going on between us and his use of the term was both funny and annoying.

A bemused expression on his face, Dan shook Adrian’s hand, then also acknowledged Saxon—‘Hi mate’—and introduced himself to my mother-in-law, Glennis, and then Hayley.

‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ he said.

‘Me too. And all very, very good,’ Hayley teased. ‘These weren’t the circumstances I was hoping to meet you under though.’

‘No,’ Dan agreed.

‘So, how exactly do you know Ashling?’ asked Glennis, her tone cool.

‘Um …’ He cleared his throat. ‘We’re … neighbours.’

‘And,’ Hayley added, ‘they’ve been working very closely on a fundraiser, I hear.’

I glared at her. Now was not the time or place to antagonise anyone.

Thankfully a nurse entered, putting a stop to conversation. ‘Now, sweetheart,’ he said, making a beeline for Payton. ‘How’s your pain levels?’

‘Unbearable,’ she groaned.