She sat up in her bed. “Oh!” Mom’s eyes filled with sudden tears that quickly streamed down her aging cheeks. “You’re home.” Her words came out slowly, but clearly.
He sidled up to her bed. “I am.”
She wiped her eyes with a shaky hand. “You look awful. What happened?”
He could say the same about her but knew better than to comment about the side of her face that drooped slightly. Mom had always hidden her age well, but her seventy-three years were evident now. “I hit a patch of ice and wrapped my pickup around that old Ponderosa Pine I wanted you to let me take out years ago. That thing is a menace.” He quirked a grin to make sure she knew he was teasing.
She wrapped his hand in hers and gave it a weak squeeze. “I’m glad you lived to tell me about it. Now, where’s my addle-brained assistant? I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. Ever since she moved into the house, she hasn’t been herself.” Her brow furrowed as she looked past him toward the door.
He’d only met Bailey a short time ago, but addle-brained didn’t fit his impression of the woman. More than likely Mom’s demands were frustrating the poor woman. “Perhaps you are expecting too much of one person, Mom.” She’d always been a taskmaster. Dad had been a good balance to her Type A personality.
“Nonsense. I pay her well to do her job. She should rise to the occasion.” She looked past him toward the doorway.
“Baily went outside to take care of something, but I’m all yours. What do you need?”
“A time machine.”
“Come again?”
“I’d like to re-write history. No stroke for me and no accident for you.”
He grinned. At least she hadn’t lost her sense of humor.
“Since you are so quick to defend my assistant, what did you think of her?”
He shrugged, sensing an ulterior motive to the question and stiffened. “She’s fine.” He didn’t see how his opinion mattered anyway. It’s not like they’d be spending much, if any time together. He came home to take care of his mother.
“Mm-hmm, but what’s your impression of her?”
Were they really going to have this conversation now? With a sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know. She came to my aid at my pickup and patched me up.” He pointed to his forehead. “She’s a bit reserved, but she’s kind.” He shrugged. “We only met a little bit ago.” He remembered her gentle touch as she cleaned his wound and stiffened.
Mom harrumphed and crossed her arms. “Since you don’t seem overly impressed by her, I want you to start searching for a new assistant for me immediately.”
Alarm shot through him. This was not a good time to be hiring someone new with the holidays so close. Bailey seemed competent and was certain to know the ins and outs of the business. It would be difficult to train someone new. Granted he’d only just met Bailey, but his defenses rose for the young woman nonetheless. After all, she’d rescued him from his accident. Then again, if his mother wanted her gone, he should honor her wishes. He’d have to tread carefully with this situation.
Find this book on Amazon in ebook and print, releasing October 1, 2016.
A Love to Treasure (Sunriver Dreams Book 1) Page 18