John took her hand gratefully and got to his feet. It never occurred to him that she might have done otherwise. Susan doing something sappy would have been more frightening than anything else - nothing like the capable woman he'd come to love and rely upon.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, squeezing her hand in gratitude. "That was most unpleasant for both of us, I'm sure. May I make it up to you in some way?" John looked at their oddly flat and colorful surroundings. "Perhaps elsewhere?"