Josh stopped mid-stride. “Dad, I thought you were taking a nap.”
“I couldn’t sleep. Mrs. Stone, it’s good to see you again.”
Pinching her eyebrows together, she let go of Josh’s arm and sized up his dad. “Oliver, what happened?”
Josh wasn’t surprised Dad knew Janet. After all, Dad owned the inn. He had purchased the place after he’d retired from the army fifteen years ago.
Dad mashed his lips into a thin line as his hand hovered over the control on the wheelchair. “ALS.” His tone was polite, but Josh could detect Dad’s anger over the predicament.
A week after Mom had passed, Dad had started to slur his speech. Six months later, he’d been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. He still hadn’t come to terms with the disease. Josh couldn’t say that he had either. There was no cure for ALS, and it gutted Josh to watch his active, happy, and virile father go downhill.
Once again, Janet touched her heart.
Josh petted Charlie’s head. “I should get back to help Drake.”
She gave him a hug. “Thank you for your sweet hospitality. Now I know where you get it from.”
Josh did take after his dad in several ways. Dad had always taught Josh to make sure the guests were well taken care of. After all, they paid the bills. But Dad’s morals went deeper than money. He loved to help people. He loved to chat them up. He loved that he could provide an escape for vacationers to have fun and unwind. More than all that, he’d always taught Josh to be polite to anyone no matter if it was a stranger or a returning guest walking into the inn.
Josh hugged Mrs. Stone back. Her rose scent reminded him of his mom, and suddenly he was trying to keep the tears at bay. Mom had passed eleven months prior from pancreatic cancer. So the pain was still etched in his mind.
Janet edged back. “Your son is handsome,” she said to Dad.
“Like father like son,” Dad teased.
“For sure,” Janet said. “I have to make a call. Afterwards, Oliver, would you like to get a coffee?”
Dad smiled. Josh couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Dad light up. “I would love that. Meet me in the restaurant.” Dad pointed to the small eatery they had on the property.
Josh’s heart soared at seeing a spark in Dad’s eyes. Josh wanted nothing more than to see his dad walk again. But with no cure for ALS, he didn’t see that happening. Dad’s muscles would continue to deteriorate, as would his diaphragm.
One day at a time, man. One day at a time.
Josh had to consistently repeat that motto. In addition to taking care of his dad, his current mission was to do everything he could to keep the inn running. Aside from that, nothing else mattered, although Dad kept egging Josh on to find a woman and settle down.
While that request did appeal to him, Josh was too busy to find a woman. Sure, as a man, he had needs. He’d seen a few beautiful ladies check in to the inn during the time he’d been home from the Navy. Some had been interested in having dinner with him, but none had made his heart skip a beat.
After Janet boarded the elevator, Josh said to Dad, “It’s nice to see you smile. You should do that more.”
“And you should find yourself a bride.”
Charlie’s wet nose poked Josh’s hand.
Josh looked around to see what noise Charlie was alerting him to, but Charlie wasn’t running to show Josh where the noise was coming from.
The lobby had thinned out. Only one younger man was at the front desk, and Drake was handing him a room key. Everything seemed normal.
“So you agree with Dad,” Josh said to Charlie.
He wagged his tail.
Josh’s phone vibrated in his jeans pocket, and his dad gave a wave before wheeling into the restaurant.
Josh dug his cell out of his pocket and lifted it to his good ear. “Liza, is everything okay?”
She should have been at the Sacramento airport, picking up her best friend. Both were scheduled to hang in Redwood Cove during one of the days Riley was visiting.
Liza had shown Josh a picture of Riley, and since then, he’d been dying to meet the pretty lady.
