“Yes! I don’t think you’re a money-grubbing anything.” He paused for a moment, hoping to contain the swell of fear and despair that threatened to overtake him at the thought of losing her again. “I spent a lot of years living with the knowledge that I wasn’t good enough for you the first time around. This time, I wanted to be good enough. Just the way I am. What you see is what you get.”

She stared off into the encroaching darkness.

Luke’s heart beat hard as he waited for her to say something. Anything. “Syd.”

“You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just what I said. I need to think.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes.”

“Do you still want to go to dinner?”

“Yes, let’s go. My parents are waiting for us.”

Luke started the truck, but he wondered how he’d manage to eat when all he could think about was the cold block of dread that had settled in his gut. Had he just totally blown it with her? Again?

Chapter 26

Sydney’s head was spinning during the dinner with her parents. Because they’d obviously gone to some considerable trouble with the meal and were trying to make Luke feel welcome, Sydney was doing her best to remain engaged, even though her heart was aching after their roadside conversation.

Maybe they’d been deluding themselves that they could get past what’d happened years ago and make their second chance work out better than the first one did. After what he’d said earlier, it was clear to Sydney that Luke hadn’t completely forgiven her for leaving him without a word or for marrying Seth. He was waiting for her to leave him again.

“Syd?” His deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up at the three faces watching her with concern and realized her best efforts to remain engaged had failed miserably.

“Everything okay, honey?” her mother asked.

From across the table, Luke studied Sydney intently.

She met his gaze when she said, “Yes, everything’s fine.” Was that relief she saw on his face?

“Sydney’s upset with me because I failed to tell her I’m now a part owner of McCarthy’s Marina,” Luke said, his gaze locked on her.

Well, he was full of surprises tonight.

“She found out from someone else, which was wrong of me. I should’ve told her myself.”

“Oh,” Mary Alice said. “Well.”

“So you’re a partner,” Allan said.

Luke nodded. “When Mac came into the business, he didn’t want the full responsibility, so Mr. McCarthy made us partners and retained a small share for himself.”

“Congratulations,” Allan said. “That’s a very successful business.”

“Yes, it is.”