The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy

were both off their balance and the floor of it was a little slick from a spot of rain. He just tumbled off. I’m thinking the brace of block Bobby was hauling up knocked him, and he went over the safety bar. God!”
    She stopped, pressed her hands to her face. “I saw him fall. I heard a shout and turned round, and I saw him hit the ground. He just lay there. He just lay there, Darcy, with his head bleeding.”
    She sniffled, rubbed her fingers over her eyes. “It wasn’t such a terrible long fall, really, but he landed so hard. They stopped me from moving him. I wasn’t thinking and just wanted to turn him over, but thank God, cooler heads were there in case there were spinal or neck injuries. Poor Bobby . . . Bobby’s beside himself. I just had Shawn take him out for a walk around outside.”
    “It’s going to be all right.” She took Brenna’s shoulders. “We’ll make it be all right.”
    “I’m glad you’re here. I can’t tell them how scared I am. Mary Kate’s prone to hysteria in any case, and Maureen’s pregnant, and Alice Mae’s so young. Patty can hold on, and God knows Ma can, but I can’t tell them how it was to see him hit the ground, and how scared I am he won’t wake up again.”
    “Of course he will.” When Brenna broke, Darcy just gathered her in. “They’ll let you see him soon, I’ll wager, then you’ll feel better.”
    Over Brenna’s head she watched Trevor come down the hall. He paused, laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll see to the tea. Go sit with your family.”
    “Thanks for that. Let’s go wash your face,” she said briskly to Brenna. “Then we’ll have some tea and wait for the doctor.”
    “I’m all right.” Brenna scrubbed at her face as she drew back. “Go be with Ma. I’ll go wash up and be right along.”
    Back in the little waiting room, Darcy sat on the arm of Mollie’s chair. “Tea will be right along.”
    “That’s fine, then.” Mollie reached up to pat her knee, then left her hand there for her own comfort as well. “That’s a fine man, Trevor is. To break off his business and come back because my Mick’s hurt.”
    “Of course he came back.”
    Mollie only shook her head. “Not everyone would. That he did says something about what kind of person he is. And just now, he sat here and he told me I wasn’t to worry about anything but concentrating on helping Mick get better. He’ll see to all the hospital charges and doctors. He says Mick’ll get full pay even though he’s off the job for a while. He expects it’ll only be a bit of a while,” she continued, then stopped when her voice trembled. “He expects Mick to be back to work, as both O’Tooles are required to do the job right.”
    “He’s right, of course.” Tears, this time of gratitude, filled Darcy’s throat. How had he known just the right things to say to people he barely knew?
    Darcy got to her feet when Trevor came to the doorway and, leading only with her heart, walked to him. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, soft and warm on the lips. “Come sit with the family,” she told him, and brought him in.
    Even as she resigned herself to waiting, the doctor stepped in. “Mrs. O’Toole.”
    “Yes. My husband?” Mollie was on her feet, her hand clenching Alice Mae’s, as it was closest.
    “He’s a tough one.” With a reassuring smile, the doctor stepped over as Brenna raced up. “Let me tell you first, he’ll be fine.”
    “Thank God.” Mollie reached out to grip Brenna’s shoulder. “Thank God for that.”
    “He has a concussion and a broken arm. The bone . . .” He demonstrated, putting his own hand on his forearm. “Snapped rather than shattered, and that’s fortunate. Some of the lacerations were deep, and there’s considerable bruising at the ribs, but no breaks there. We’ve run tests and haven’t found any internal damage. We want to keep him for a day or two, of course.”
    “Is he awake?”
    “He is, yes. And considerably alert. He asked for you—and a pint, though you came first.”
    Her voice broke in a laughing sob. “I damn well better. Then I can see him?”
    “I’ll take you into recovery, then the lot of you can have a minute with him once we’ve got him settled in a room. He looks a bit fierce with the bruises and the cuts, and I don’t want you to be alarmed by it.”
    “You don’t raise five children without seeing plenty of bruises and cuts.”
    “That you don’t.”
    “You wait here now,” she