Ohmigod! Laney's eyes filled up with tears as she remembered all too well how she'd felt when her mother got sick. "I'll go with you, if you want," she offered. "I should probably drive. You're a little shaky."

"No," he said as he pulled on a pair of jeans. His fingers struggled with the zipper. "Oh, hell, you're right. Besides, if I left, you'd be trapped here. At least, this way, you can use my car to get home. You can drive a stick, can't you?"

Laney nodded. It ...