Page 80 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

Sure enough, the tall, white building rose up in front of them. As they came closer, Mia saw the long pier beside it and the old whaler nearby.

“A deal’s a deal.” Cody slowed the boat to a stop. “Time for snacks. We can drift here a while.”

She handed each kid a thermos and two graham crackers. “Sit in the chairs with these. No spinning while you have hot chocolate. Anyone cold?” They both shook their heads and then spun their chairs to face the back of the boat. Finn began explaining how lighthouses work to Maggie. Mia reached into the bag again and got out the other thermos and two cups.

She rejoined Cody at the wheel and handed him a cup.

“Where’s my graham cracker?” Mischief danced in his brown eyes. “I waited patiently until I could see the lighthouse.”

“Oh, you.” She started to swat his arm, but he caught her hand in his. His gaze became intense and her belly tightened.

A hundred yards away, another boat sped past. The deck rocked beneath her, and she stumbled. Cody caught her elbows. She looked up at him from under her lashes.

“Cody,” she said, then licked her lips.

“Yes?” His voice was hoarse, eyes boring into hers.

She leaned into his warmth. Looking toward Finn and Maggie, she saw they still faced away and were intent on something across the water. She could risk a small distraction. Putting her hand on his chest, she could feel his heart beating faster than the sputter of a speedboat motor. She tipped her head up, meeting his eyes. They were dark and intense. “I know we said we’d go slow, but I’m going to kiss you again. Is that okay?”

In answer, he dipped his head to hers. A light touch of their lips fell into something deeper as the boat rocked again. She grabbed his bicep, and it flexed under her hand. A bigger wave hit them, and the deck rocked them apart. Cody steadied the wheel just as Maggie started screaming.

Mia whirled around and saw her daughter on the floor of the boat. A gash at her hairline streamed with blood. The near edge of the boat bright with a red smear. In one leap, she grabbed Maggie and one of the blankets. She wrapped her sobbing, screaming daughter in the warm wool.

“Maggie fell,” Finn said. “When the wave whooshed us. Maggie fell down and hit her head. I told her not to stand up, but she didn’t listen to me and then the wave whooshed and she fell down.”

“Let me look at it, baby.” Mia kept her voice even. Inside she was screaming along with Maggie.

Cody tossed the anchor over the side and came back to them. “What do you need?”

Mia used the edge of the blanket to dab at the wound. With her other hand she held Maggie’s hands down and away from blood. “Can you see if there is a first aid kit anywhere onboard?”

She heard Cody rummaging around as she focused on trying to staunch the blood flow. Head wounds bleed a lot, but this seemed like it was serious. Mia pulled the blanket away from the cut. The deep gash rippled her skin, and the blood mixed with the chocolate all over Maggie’s face. She must have spilled her drink as she fell.

“I can’t find one.” Cody crouched down where they sat. “Do you need to use my T-shirt?”

“This blanket seems to be working.” Mia glanced at him. “Can you get us to the clinic? I think Maggie is going to need stitches.”

“You betcha.” Cody stood then tousled Finn’s hair. “C’mon, bud. I’ll show you how to steer.” He lifted Finn into his arms.

Soon, the motor was running and they sped back the way they had come.

The low rumble of the boat seemed to soothe Maggie, and she calmed as they pulled into the public marina. Cody must have called ahead without Mia noticing, because the island’s only ambulance waited for them on shore. Cody tossed up a line, and one of the EMTs tied up the boat to the dock.

“Looks like you folks ran into a bit of trouble.” Emily Watson, a girl from Mia’s graduating class, reached out for Maggie.

“Maggie fell down,” Finn said from his place in Cody’s arms.

“We’ll take good care of her,” Emily said, her short, sturdy legs braced wide on the dock.

Mia handed Maggie to Emily and then climbed off the boat. Maggie began wailing. “I’m right here, baby. Let this lady take a look.”

Emily carried Maggie to the ambulance, Mia trailing in her wake. Behind them, she heard Cody talking to the other EMT.

Mia tried to concentrate on what Emily was asking while beating down the nausea rising in her. No, Maggie hadn’t had a tetanus shot. Yes, she had medical insurance—thank goodness for Healthy Michigan’s low-cost plans for low-income families. No, she didn’t have any other medical concerns.

“I think we’ll need to take her in for stitches,” Emily said. “Do you want Finn and Cody to ride along too?”

She looked at her son’s pale face. His skinny arms clung to Cody’s neck. “Yes, they need to come along.”

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