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I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded myself that stress wasn’t good for her health. Not that it was good for anyone, but it could be especially harmful to her. “I’m not going anywhere. At least, not anytime soon. You can relax, all right? And I will be there soon. Everything is fine.”

It was a relief to end the call and release a sigh as I navigated streets that used to be as familiar to me as the back of my hand. A lot could happen in four years, especially when a girl spent them in an entirely different country on an entirely different continent, living an entirely different life in the south of France.

But always with the past lingering just over my shoulder.

“I’m sorry to have interrupted you with that call,” Audra apologized beside me. “I wasn’t sure what to do, and you did say if it had to do with Liam⁠—”

“Don’t worry about it,” I assured her, shaking my head. “You know, whenever it has to do with him, I drop everything. Besides…” I let myself trail off since she didn’t need to hear what was about the trip off my tongue.

I welcomed the interruption. There I was, telling myself I could handle seeing him again, looking into those amber eyes—unlike any eyes I’d ever seen before or since—with the power to take my breath away.

It changed nothing. Jackson needed me, not the other way around. I was doing him a favor by bringing the show to Vegas and signing with him. I could have gone anywhere.

At the same time, the opportunity to go home and be with Mom was too much to pass up. She had been in remission for more than two years, but there was always the possibility of her MS symptoms flaring up again at any time. I had already missed too many years with her, even if the years I spent away meant being able to provide her with the care she needed. It was a delicate balancing act.

“Oh, before I forget…” I told Audra, “… I offered to meet Jackson at his office tomorrow and told him you would reach out to set up a time.”

“I’m still not quite sure why you want him to think I’m your assistant.”

Yes, and that was the point. Was it fun, all the lies and secrets, trying to keep track of who knew what? Of course not. It was exhausting. But he couldn’t know the truth. Somebody had made sure he would never know. “Like I said, it’s⁠—”

“A long story,” she concluded for me with a gentle chuckle. “Okay, I’ll play the part.”

“Thank you. I promise I’ll explain later.” Though I didn’t know when or how I would begin without violating the terms set for me years ago. “I will sue you into oblivion if you so much as think about breaking this NDA. Do you understand?” How many nights had I woken up from a nightmare that was really my subconscious reliving that ugly, shameful meeting?

I could think about that later. Right now, rounding the corner on the approach to Mom’s house in a quiet suburb outside the city, I needed to put all that away and adjust my energy. Liam didn’t deserve to see me so worried and anxious. Neither did Mom.

Pulling up to the cute, well-maintained ranch house reminded me why I did what I did back when I had no other choice but to accept what felt like a deal with the devil. “Your mother has bills, doesn’t she? Astronomical. How is she going to pay for treatment? MS isn’t something that clears up on its own. She’ll need help, plenty of it. Medications, physical therapy. How do you hope to take some of that burden off her shoulders?”

“I’ve got this,” Audra assured me, grabbing bags from the back seat of the Lexus I’d rented after returning home. Our shopping trip had run long, taking me right up to the point where I was supposed to join Jackson for lunch. His roguishly handsome, polished image weighed heavily on my mind as I dashed up the paved path between the driveway and the front door.

“I’m home,” I called out, immediately kicking off my shoes and leaving my bag on the credenza where too much mail had piled up. No matter how Mom tried to hide it, it was clear her energy was flagging. Was another flare-up on the way?

“Mama!”

I looked away from the pile of bills and junk mail to find my son running in from the kitchen, wearing jelly around his mouth. “I woke up from a nap, and I couldn’t find you.” He threw his little arms around me and touched his cheek to my shoulder once I kneeled to hug him.

“I’m so sorry, big guy.” The jelly would come out of my suit jacket at the cleaners. What mattered more was giving him a big hug so he’d feel secure. I had taken him away from everything he ever knew by packing him up and bringing him here to live with his grandmother while I got this show off the ground. Hours spent FaceTiming with Mom hadn’t prepared him for our new normal, not that I expected it to. He was only three, and while they got along famously, it would take time for him to adjust.

“Come on, let’s get washed up. I see you’ve had lunch.” Taking him by the hand, I walked him back to the kitchen, where Mom sat at the table with his half-eaten sandwich beside one of her own.

I’m sorry, she mouthed, looking pained, but I only shook my head with a smile. It had been a long time since she had dealt with a kid his age, and when I was a toddler, she was in good health. She had the energy to handle me, not to mention the fact that we weren’t strangers like she was to Liam. Hell, half the time I could barely handle his emotional outbursts when he was feeling good and determined not to be calmed down.

“How did it go?” Mom asked as I washed my son’s face and hands while Audra brought in everything we bought for him during our errands.

“Oh, fine.” It was safer not to look at her, so I didn’t. She was much too sharp and knew me too well. One look at my face and she would surmise the entire situation from beginning to end. I only wanted to protect and make her happy, to remove any stress or worry she might be feeling. Nothing mattered more than keeping her healthy for as long as I could.

“Really?” She was skeptical, to say the least, smirking as she lifted her mug to sip her tea.

I looked at Liam before ruffling his golden curls. He’d inherited the texture from Mom. “Why don’t you go see what Audra and I bought for you at the store?” I suggested, chuckling when his eyes lit up before his little legs carried him at full speed out to the living room.

That left me to sink wearily into the chair he had vacated. “Let me fix you a cup of tea,” Mom suggested, but I shook my head.

“I know you like mothering, but you’re supposed to be taking it easy, remember?” Liam squealed as if on cue, and we exchanged a grin. “Something tells me you’ve already had your hands full.”

“You know it’s not a problem. I have craved this time with him ever since he was born.” The note of wistfulness in her voice hurt, but I had to let it go. It was for the best that she thought I selfishly or thoughtlessly kept her grandson from her all this time. The alternative was awkward and ugly. I didn’t want her to feel any guilt over the decision I’d made.

“Money like this? It would mean an end to so many problems. I’m sure it can’t be easy for her, living in a house with two floors. What happens when she’s having a bad day and can’t make it up and down the stairs? But buying a new house is expensive, as well.” God, the witch knew exactly what to say, exactly how to twist the knife. There I was, scared shitless, completely at a loss, knowing everything she said was true.