His brows pulled together. “What’s going on?”
“Mom’s back home.”
“Back home?”
“She fell on the boat before they were even out to sea.”
Martin’s eyes instantly doubled in size. “Oh, no. How badly is she hurt?”
“Broken leg. She’s in a cast and she’s not happy.”
He frowned and shook his head. “I can imagine. I’m sorry. I know how much she was looking forward to that cruise.”
“She’s going to be stuck in a cast all summer,” Zona said. “I hope I’ve found someone to come in and help her when I’m at work.”
“I could do that,” Martin said.
“With showers,” Zona clarified, and he blushed. “But she could really use some cheering up if you’re interested in dropping by.”
“Of course,” he said. “How about I pick up something from Panda Express and bring you ladies dinner tonight?”
“That would be wonderful,” said Zona.
“Great. I’ll be over at six.”
Zona thanked him, then took Darling by the collar and led him home. “You are not to do this again. You scared Mom half to death. And I will find where you got out and patch it, so don’t think of pulling that stunt again.”
Darling seemed to have gotten the message, since he whined.
“It’s okay. You just can’t be doing this stuff. I’ve got my hands full right now.”
Back inside the house, Darling raced to Louise and buried his face in her lap, looking up at her soulfully and wagging his tail.
“What were you doing out there?” Louise scolded him as she rubbed his head.
“Looking for Martin. Who is, by the way, bringing us dinner tonight,” said Zona.
“So, I guess you told him what happened,” Louise said, sounding none too happy.
“I didn’t give him details, and he was properly sympathetic.”
Louise sighed. “I feel stupid.”
“You shouldn’t. Accidents happen.”
“Ones like that only happen to foolish women who are showing off,” Louise said, shaking her head.
“Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere,” said Zona. She smiled at Louise. “I bet you were rocking your moves.”
Louise smiled back. “I was.” She lost the smile. “Until I made a fool of myself. Now I’m the talk of the boat.”
“Only for a minute. People move on.”
“Including George and Wayne. I probably won’t hear from either of them. They’ll both find some cute forty-year-old and probably be engaged by the time the ship docks in Maui.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do,” said Louise. “Neither one has contacted me to see how I’m doing.”
