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He watched his mother cross the room and ascend the stairs. Her gait was unsure, and she gripped the banister as if her very life depended on it. The last time he’d visited she was practically taking the steps two at a time. Like always.
A sinking feeling settled in his gut and crept up his spine. Wes walked back into the dining room and surveyed the books and magazines cluttering his mother’s table. They were mostly health and nutrition magazines with little sticky notes protruding from them. He picked one up and turned to the marked page. A tightness gripped his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. He put down the magazine and picked up another and another. Each sticky note marked an article about Parkinson’s disease.
He shifted his gaze to the pile of books. The title on the top of the pile sent a chill down his spine. Parkinson’s Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families. The orange cover of the second book offered 300 Tips for Making Life with Parkinson’s Disease Easier.
A wave of panic rose in his chest. He steadied himself on a chair then flopped down in it. Lena Adams was one of the strongest women he’d ever known, rivaled only by his grandmother. She was wrong about Wes having his father’s pride. Every ounce of strength and willfulness he possessed, he’d learned from her. She’d always seemed…invincible, so independent. Thinking of his mother slowly losing herself to this disease terrified him.
Wes heard his mother descending the creaky stairs. He should put everything back so she wouldn’t know he’d been rummaging through her things, but he wouldn’t. Instead, he turned to face her, brandishing the orange-covered book. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of guilt and apology. She didn’t bother to chastise him for going through her books. “I—I was going to tell you the next time you brought me out for a visit.”
“How long ago were you diagnosed?” He tried to keep his voice even, despite the fact he was so angry he could practically crawl out of his own skin.
Lena lowered her gaze before returning it to his. “Formally? About six months ago. I began to suspect a few months before then.”
So she’d known on her last visit to London, just a few months ago. He rubbed his temple. Why hadn’t he noticed?
“We need to talk about this.”
Lena grabbed her purse off the chair. “No reason we can’t talk and eat.” Her cheeky smile almost made him laugh.
Wes looped his arm through hers and led her to the door.
“This is why I didn’t tell you. You’ve known all of five minutes, and already you’re treating me like an invalid.”
“I’m not treating you like an invalid. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am.” Her genuine smile and eyes shiny with tears warmed his chest. “Especially now that you’re here.”
On the ride into town, his mother chatted away, catching him up on what his aunts and cousins were up to. Her familiar laugh gave him a sense of solace. But he couldn’t help noticing the slight trembling in her left hand as it rested on her knee. Or the limited gestures she used as she spoke. Both were unlike her, giving him more cause for concern.
Wes had been ready to call his friend and tell him he was passing on the project, but this changed everything. His mother needed him, whether she was willing to admit it or not. Establishing his business in the US, so close to his mother, was no longer a matter of ambition or pride.
It was a matter of family.
His mother had made so many sacrifices for him and his brother, a reality that plagued him with guilt. He’d never be able to repay her sacrifices in-kind. Didn’t mean he couldn’t try.
Not even if it meant checking his ego at the door and working with Bree Evans to put on the best event the Carolina coast had ever seen.
CHAPTER 3
Bree arrived fifteen minutes early for the meeting. Because she was always early. Also, because she hoped to get a quick word in with Wes. If they were going to work together over the next six months, she needed to keep things civil. Nothing had happened between them. Other than an amazing night together and a kiss that was so hot and sweet that it melted her insides and made her heart skip a beat.
