“Can I ask what happened to your mom?”
“Elaine said she freaked. Attacked an orderly. Attacked someone!” Quinn ran his free hand through his hair and pulled at it in his frustration. “That’s not my mom.”
“You said that before. Do you think they aren’t treating your mom well?”
Quinn’s head popped up and he looked stunned by the idea. “No. Not at all. They’re great to my mom here.” He relaxed, a frown pulling at his lips as he continued to stare at Shane. There was no missing the weariness in his blue eyes or the bone-deep sadness. “What I meant was that she’s not the mom I remember from when I was a kid. She would never have done that…when she was well.”
“What happened?”
“Car accident.”
“When?”
“While I was in college. Five years ago. It was late—she was driving in the middle of the night. Some drunk jackass crossed the median and hit her head on, then a second car T-boned her. She was buckled and the airbag deployed, but it wasn’t enough. She suffered spinal damage along with brain damage.”
“Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“She was in the hospital for about a year to recover and then another year of physical and occupational therapy. I tried to keep her home with me and have a nurse there during the hours I was working, but the brain damage caused something like dementia. She gets confused easily and forgetful. Her moods swing violently at times. I had to bring her here. And she’s usually happy.”
Shane cleared his throat against the lump that had grown in there and forced a smile. “Everyone has bad days.”
Quinn looked at him with such gratitude and desperation that Shane nearly pulled him into his lap and kissed him. Anything to take the pain away. But he was saved from doing something embarrassing and impulsive by the arrival of the doctor. To his credit, the older man didn’t look twice at their joined hands, and Shane wasn’t about to let go of Quinn unless Quinn forced him to.
After a quick greeting, the doctor launched into a bland description of Charlotte Lake’s overall health and her current mental state. He talked about drug resistance and waning efficacy due to extended use. He explained their new medication regime and potential side effects that Charlotte could suffer.
Quinn hung on every word the doctor said, asking probing questions at every turn. He was making damn sure that the doctor was truly doing the right thing by his mother and not just writing another quick script so he could move on to his next appointment. He couldn’t take his eyes off Quinn. It was becoming obvious that the guy put everything into taking care of his mother—at the cost of neglecting himself. It put Quinn into a whole new light, and Shane had the strongest urge to make sure he was okay. Even beyond this.
A few minutes later, they were walking down a long hallway painted a pale mint green. Each hallway had signs that looked like street signs and the numbers beside the door looked like numbers you’d see on a house. There was even a doorbell. Everything to give the feel that the resident was in an apartment or a condo rather than a nursing home.
Stopping outside of a partially opened door, Quinn raised his hand to knock but froze like he was afraid to move forward.
“She’s already had a rough day. You can always come back and check on her when she’s had time to adjust to the new medication,” Shane whispered in Quinn’s ear. He crowded close, using his larger body as a barrier against the rest of the world. To his surprise, Quinn leaned into him and sighed softly.
“No, I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t at least look in on her.”
Shane stepped back as Quinn straightened and lightly knocked on the door. A couple of seconds later, a soft, sleepy voice responded. Shane followed Quinn into the simply decorated room. On a floral-patterned couch, they found a tiny woman stretched out under a crocheted zigzag afghan.
“Hey,” Quinn said softly with a little wave. He sounded so unsure and he hung back toward the door as if he was waiting for her to start shouting at him.
The older woman blinked owlish blue eyes at him behind thick glass before her face broke into a wide, slow grin. “Quinn! I didn’t know you were visiting today.” Her words were slightly slurred, but her joy was evident in every word. She looked so much like Quinn, Shane’s heart lurched.
Quinn relaxed and quickly closed the distance so that he could sit on the edge of the couch. He carefully wrapped his arms around her slender frame, holding her tightly against him for several seconds. Shane hung back, uncertain whether he should leave Quinn alone with his mom or stay for support. Charlotte Lake solved the problem for him.