“Then it’s done. Tell me where you need to go, and I’ll book the flights and get a rental car. We can leave first thing tomorrow. Or as soon as I can find flights. I’ll leave the tickets open-ended so we can come back whenever you’re ready.”
She sniffed. It was hard not to cry at such kindness. “You’re sure you want to do this? It’s not going to be fun.”
“I’m sure. I know it won’t be fun. That’s not why I’m doing it. I’m doing it because I care about you, and I want to be there for you.” He took her hand. “The way you’ve been there for me since you came into my life.”
Her eyes went hot with new tears. “Could I get a cup of tea?”
“Absolutely. You want anything else?”
She shook her head. “No, just tea. I’ll call Frankie.”
“Okay.” He got up. “Be right back.”
She took her phone out and started to call, then realized she probably wouldn’t be able to reach Frankie if she was painting. Harper texted instead.
Still at Mitch’s. Just found out my mom passed. He’s going with me to take care of everything. We’ll probably leave tomorrow.
Frankie didn’t answer right away, which Harper understood. No doubt her sister was in a deep, creative zone, phone on silent. As she should be.
Mitch returned. Joyce and Beryl came in behind him. Joyce had a cup of tea on a saucer and Beryl had a little plate of cookies. Both of them had sad, sympathetic eyes, making it apparent that they knew what had happened.
Joyce set the tea on the side table. “You poor lamb. Are you all right? Get some of that tea in you. I put an extra sugar in. Best thing you can have is a strong, sweet tea.”
Beryl added the plate of cookies. “I’m so sorry, love.”
In the face of so much love and concern, Harper could only nod and whisper her thanks. She picked up the cup and took a sip, nearly choking on the sweetness, but she didn’t mind it nearly as much as she’d have thought.
Mitch stood by his desk. “I’ll be going with Harper tomorrow to Nevada, to help her take care of everything. Not sure how longwe’ll be gone. I know you’ll keep an eye on Kyle and Ruthie, but don’t forget about Bunny.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Joyce said. “Don’t you worry about a thing. Beryl and I will handle it all.”
He nodded at them. Harper sipped some more tea. She swore she could feel the sugar entering her bloodstream. It was giving her a little boost, so maybe Joyce was on to something.
Beryl clasped her hands in front of her. “What can we do for you, pet? Do you want us to look after your sister and niece, too?”
Harper had to smile. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, but I think they’ll be all right.”
“Well,” Beryl said. “We might take them a few baked goods at the very least.”
Harper took one last sip of tea before getting to her feet. “I should go.”
Joyce stepped back. “You let us know if there’s anything we can do.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Joyce and Beryl left.
Mitch came to Harper, eyes filled with a depth of understanding that spoke to his past. “As soon as you can, get me the location?”
“It’s in, um, Laughlin, Nevada. Paradise Assisted Living.”
“I’ll take care of everything. Probably best to fly into Vegas and drive from there.”
She nodded. “Whatever’s easiest.”
“You good to leave first thing tomorrow? Or do you want to try to get a flight this evening? I won’t really know what’s possible until I check, but just in case there’s a flight, I thought I’d ask.”
She tried to think. “I guess I could go tonight. But that’s going to be really expensive.”
