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“Okay, but I mean one-on-one time. Just us girls together.”
“That would be nice,” Grace said, because she really did like spending time with her mom. Or at least she usually did. When she didn’t have to lie through her teeth every time she opened her mouth.
And anyway, Arcadia needed some exercise. She hadn’t gotten to ride him last weekend, and she missed him, too.
“Perfect.” Her mom stood and gave Grace a warm smile. “We can have lunch at the farm afterward.” She leaned forward and kissed Grace’s cheek. “I’ll speak to you later.”
Grace nodded. “Sure. I’ll let you know how the vineyard calls go.”
“You do that, honey.”
* * *
“I’m so sorry about Friday night.”
Michael put his case down on the polished wooden floor and looked at his mom. Cam had taken her to the hospital today, and the two of them were sitting in the living room, her legs curled up on Cam’s lap as a movie flickered on the screen.
“What about Friday night?” he asked, confused.
“Setting you up with Rhona. Or at least trying to.” She grimaced. “I realize now that it wasn’t a good idea.” She sighed. “Well, Cam and Josh made me realize. It was stupid. I should have talked to you in advance. I know you’re not a kid anymore.”
“It’s okay. I’ve already forgotten about it,” Michael told her. “Relax.”
Cam grinned at him. “How was Charleston?” he asked.
“Busy.” It really had been. He’d spent most of the morning on a crisis call with London. “There’s a bit of an issue at work.”
“Oh no. Anything major?”
“Nothing too bad.” Michael shifted his feet. “But like so many things it would be a lot easier to solve if I was there in person.”
He’d also made some phone calls and already had somebody interested in buying the business. The partner he’d worked with for years was ready to go at it alone if he was. But Michael didn’t want to get his mom’s hopes up yet.
“In London?” his mom asked. “Then you should go.”
“Not if you need me here.” That was fair. He’d come here to take care of her, after all. Not to rearrange his life to suit the fact he’d fallen in love.
Cam frowned. “Of course you should go. It’s your business, and we’ve got things covered here.”
“I know, but I promised I’d drive mom to the hospital.”
“I can do that,” Cam told him. “We have a billion volunteers waiting to help. My brothers, my sister, their spouses. Even Sabrina can drive a car.”
“That’s debatable,” his mom said, and the two of them chuckled. The way they looked at each other made him want to smile.
Michael sat down on the easy chair opposite them. “It would only be for a few days. A week at most. I’d fly out tomorrow night and be back by Monday at the latest. Sooner if I can smooth things over.”
It would give him long enough to see if the interest was real. And to tidy things up at the office and with his client. Anything else he could fly back and do later, and any contracts could be signed from here.
“You do what you need to do,” his mom told him, her expression soft. “I’m almost finished with the treatment anyway. And there’s no rush to come back if you have more work to do.”
“I’ll definitely be back.” He didn’t even want to go, but he had responsibilities and he took them seriously. “I want to be here.”
“I’m so happy you do.” She smiled. “There’s some dinner in the kitchen if you’re hungry. Sabrina made chili.”
His stomach rumbled at the thought. “Sounds good. You guys heading up to bed early?”
His mom tipped her head to the side. “Probably. Why? You trying to sneak out again?”
