“I don’t mind.”
“I need air anyway,” he mutters.
Jase seems mad at me. I should go.
“I’ll go home then,” I say. “If you need anything, Val, Robert… please let me know.”
“Keep us company for a while?” Val asks.
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“Can you get everyone’s breakfast order and text it?” Jase asks, leaning in as if he’s about to kiss me but changes his mind, I guess, as he turns and leaves.
“Excuse me,” I say to Jase’s parents and slip into the bathroom, needing a minute alone.
When I emerge, they’re looking at me, and so is Amie, who leans against the doorframe of the procedure room, looking about ready to burst with questions.
The door opens and Taylor and Gwen both rush in.
Taylor rushes to Robert and Gwen to Val.
Neither sister went straight to Sherry’s bedside, and I’m sure by the way Amie’s looking at me with her eyebrows up that she’s taking note of that, too. Or maybe she’s just trying to get a read on me.
While Val updates her girls on their sister’s situation, Amie jerks her chin up in question and I take it like her asking how I’m doing.
I tip my head from side to side to show the uncertainty.
She tips her jaw to the side, showing me her mate mark, I think.
She subtly mimes as if to scratch it with her eyebrows up.
I shrug.
“Hey, Bailey. How you doin’?” Taylor asks.
“I’m okay, thanks, Taylor. Sorry about Sherry.”
“Not your doing,” she says, turning to Amie. “Go ahead. I’ll watch Sherry while you two chat.”
“Sorry?” Amie checks.
Taylor says, “I trained to be a healer, interned here with Cat for a year before I mated and had kids. I can hold the fort so you two can have a gossip. Go ahead.”
“Thanks,” Amie says with a smile.
“We gonna be welcoming you to the family officially any time soon, Bailey?” Taylor tacks on.
“Um…” is all I can manage.
“Why didn’t it happen last night?” Gwen asks.
“Sounds like my son has developed a will of steel,” Robert quips with twinkling eyes. “But I expect it’ll get sorted within the next day or two.”
“Good. We need some good news around here,” Gwen says. “Hopefully I get it before I leave to go back to school.”
“We sure do,” Valerie says softly, giving me a kind smile. “I’ll send Jase that text with the breakfast orders while you chat with Amie. What do you want for breakfast, Bailey?”
“Oh… nothing thanks.”