Her eyes dropped to his lips, and that was all it took to make him hard as stone. By the time she slid her hand around his neck and gave him a much better kiss, Luke was ready to beg.

“Mmm.” He wished he could put his arms around her and hold her close. These crutches were going to be a serious drag. “Now we’re talking.”

“Can we go home now?”

“How’re we getting there?”

“Oh crap. I left my car at Maddie’s.” She rolled her lip between her teeth. “If you have no objection, I’ll call my parents.”

Luke wasn’t exactly keen on another encounter with the Donovans so soon after the last one. “Or we could ask Ned.”

The cab driver was in the waiting room, still holding hands and talking with Francine.

“Nah,” Syd said. “Leave them be. They’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” She drew her phone from her shorts pocket and dialed a number as Luke continued toward the door. “Mom? Are you busy?”

Sydney’s parents pulled up to the emergency room entrance fifteen minutes later.

“We heard about what happened at the marina,” her mother said as she held the back door of the SUV for Luke. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

“Thanks,” Luke said.

Her father took Luke’s crutches and stowed them in the back. “Any word on Mr. McCarthy?” he asked.

“Nothing new,” Luke said. “Dr. Maitland said he should be okay, though.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Mary Alice said.

Sydney appreciated that her parents seemed to be making an effort to be nice to Luke. She directed them to Luke’s house and held his hand between both of hers in the backseat. “Dad, would you mind taking me to get Buddy after we get Luke home?”

“’Course not.”

“I can’t lift him on my own, and I’m afraid of hurting him.”

“Why don’t we take him home to our house,” Mary Alice suggested. “We can look after him, since you’ll have your hands full taking care of Luke.”

Luke squeezed her hand and sent her a questioning look.

Syd had no idea where this new, agreeable version of her mother had come from. “Are you sure that wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

“We’d be happy to have him, right, Allan?”

“Absolutely.”

“That would certainly take a load off my mind,” Syd said. “Thank you.”

When they arrived at Luke’s house, Sydney got his crutches and helped him out of the car.

“Where’s your car, honey?” Allan asked.

“Over at Maddie’s. I’ll get it tomorrow.”

“I can run you over there on the way home.”

“May as well,” Luke said. “That way we aren’t stranded without a car, since my truck is at the marina.”

“Okay,” Syd said. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Thanks for the lift, Mr. Donovan,” Luke said.

“No problem.”

“Hope you feel better,” her mom added.