“No need to worry about losing him anytime soon. Come on back and see him for a minute, and then you should go home. He’ll be out of it for a while.”

“But I can’t leave him alone.”

“I’ll be with him. He’ll be sedated most of the day to keep him still and quiet, so you should get some sleep while you can.” Janey led them into the recovery room where Buddy was attached to IVs. His belly had been shaved for the surgery.

“Have you met Dr. Cal Maitland?” Janey introduced Luke and Sydney to the tall, broad-shouldered doctor who offered them a friendly smile.

“Thank you for helping Janey,” Syd said.

“She didn’t need much help,” he said in what sounded like a Texan drawl. “She knows what she’s doing.”

“Is it okay to touch him?” Syd asked as she tentatively approached Buddy.

“Sure,” Janey said.

Sydney bent her head, pressed kisses to his face and ran a hand down his back. “I’ll be back in a little while, Buddy. You get some rest, okay?” She kissed him again. “Love you, good dog.”

Sydney turned to Janey. “Let me give you my cell number in case you need me.”

A few minutes later, Luke followed Sydney out of the clinic to find the sky still dark but rippled with red streaks announcing sunrise. She was rigid with tension as they pulled out of the parking lot. Even though she was seated just a few feet from him, she seemed a million miles away.

“Would you mind terribly if I went home to my place?” she asked.

Luke gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Nope.” Whatever she wanted. He certainly wasn’t going to force himself on her.

A short time later, he pulled up to the Donovans’ yellow house and let the truck idle. He had no idea what to say to her. Apparently, she didn’t know either, because she sat there for a long moment before she finally looked at him.

“Thank you for staying all night.”

“No problem.”

“I’ll see you later.”

Luke said nothing as she got out of the truck and hurried into the house as if she couldn’t move fast enough to get away from him. What the hell was that all about?

Sydney closed the front door and slid down to the floor. Only now that she was alone could she give in to the overwhelming fear and dread that had gripped her during the long night. Luke had already seen her unglued once. He didn’t need to see it again.

Sobs shook her body, making her chest ache and her head pound. She kept telling herself Buddy was fine, the thing she’d most feared hadn’t happened, but she’d come so close to losing the last remaining link to her family.