Page 3 of His Treasured Mate

She cried harder and nodded.

“I'm calling Patrick. You have to talk to him like right now, E. You can't do this to him and yourself.”

“Do what?”

“Be so you and hold this in while locking everyone out.”

I thought for sure she was going to protest, but instead she nodded.

The problem was I was already on my phone with her.

“Cammie,” I yelled down the hall.

My oldest daughter quickly peeked her head into my room.

“Yes, Mama?”

“Sweetheart, can you grab your dad's phone for me real quick.”

“Sure,” she said, but under her breath I heard her add, “if I had my own phone, you could have just borrowed that.”

I sighed. That was a battle for another day.

She returned with the phone and her father in tow.

“Slugger, what's wrong?”

I pointed to the screen just as Elise shot me a death glare.

“Oh. Uh, hi, Elise.”

“Hi,” she squeaked.

I took his phone and called Patrick. I was certain he'd want to know, and if he wasn't thrilled about this, I was going to fly to San Marco early and throttle him.

“Hello?”

“Patrick?”

“Aye, what's up?”

“I need you to go to Elise's office right now.”

“Not here,” my sister argued. “Tell him to meet me at home.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I do not want to do this here.”

“Fine. Patrick meet her at the house. Just hurry.”

“Lily, you're freaking me the feck out. What is going on?”

“Don't tell me you haven't noticed my sister has been a bit off for a while now.”

He sighed. “Of course I've noticed. She'll talk about it when she's ready. You know better than most how stubborn she can be. I know not to push her. She's been more emotional than usual, Lil.”

I snorted. “I'm sure she has.”