Eager to be alone with her, he gave Emma’s hand a squeeze and said to the nurse, “When can I get out of here?”

They released him at five o’clock with orders to stay local until his follow-up appointment Tuesday morning, when he would hopefully be cleared to resume normal activities. Emma drove him to his aunt and uncle’s lakeside home, where they would spend the weekend taking it easy as directed.

Since he was in good hands with Emma, his mother had gone home to Butler with promises to check in later. Emma was glad to have him all to herself for a few days. She was due to fly home Sunday night, but that was forty-eight hours from now, and she planned to enjoy every second of the time they had together.

“Is it wishful thinking or have you and my mom had some sort of breakthrough?” he asked on the short ride to the house.

“We had a good talk in the waiting room. I think we’re on the same page now.”

“And what page is that?”

“The we-love-Grayson-and-want-the-best-for-him page.”

“You told her you love me?”

She glanced over at him. “I figured it couldn’t hurt my case for her to know that.”

A smile lit up his handsome face. “Well played, my love. You handled her just right.”

“I hoped so. I think it meant a lot to her that I came up to be with you.”

“It means a lot to both of us.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

She tugged at her hand, but he didn’t let go. “Don’t do that while I’m driving. I hardly ever drive, and I don’t need any distractions.”

“I should’ve asked if you had a license before I let you drive my car.”

“I have one, but it rarely gets used in the city.”

He directed her to the Abbotts’ home, which was off a dirt road that led right to the shore of the vast lake.

“This is beautiful,” Emma said when she brought the car to a stop in the driveway.

“Isn’t it? I love it here. It was a foreclosure sale years ago, and my aunt and uncle jumped on it. Lots of good times at the lake since then. This is where Hannah and Nolan got married last summer.”

Emma got out of the car and went around to the passenger side to help him out. As the day had gone on, he’d had some pain in his lower back.

With her arm around him, he walked slowly toward the door and landed on the sofa in the living room, grimacing as his back made contact with the cushion.

“I’ll get you a pain pill,” she said, heading for the kitchen to get him some water.