“Hey, Steph.”

She didn’t respond right away. The pause was all he needed to know that she was calling with news about his grandmother, and the news wasn’t good.

“Seth? I need you here.”

Fucking karma. It could kick him when he was down all it wanted; it didn’t have to go after the people he loved.

“I’m there.”

Brian caught his expression and frowned as soon as he entered. Ghost tilted his chin up at him and walked past, not wanting to be under the scrutiny of anyone present any longer than he had to be. “Need you for a second, man.”

Ordinarily a remark like that would be cause for any number of humorous innuendos. Brian only nodded solemnly. “Let me finish up.”

“All right.”

But Candace was waiting in Brian’s office, and Ghost stopped short the second he saw her there tapping away at her phone. “Sorry, forgot you were here,” he said, turning to go to the drawing room.

“It’s all right,” she said quickly, getting out of her seat. “I don’t want to get in anyone’s way.”

“You’re not.”

She made a move to walk toward him where he stood in the door. “I’ll just go wait—”

“No. Sit. Please. Damn if I’ll be the source of his deprivation.”

“He’s not that bad off without me, is he?” she laughed, obviously flattered.

“You have no idea.”

Maybe Macy’s best friend could offer a bit of insight about her. But no, that was lame, not to mention too little too late. Candace had already rebuffed him once in an effort to keep him away from her. He couldn’t recall her exact words, but maybe he should have heeded whatever warning she’d given him. He only had himself to blame, and that sucked.

But then Candace shocked him to his core. “Have you talked to Macy lately?”

What the hell? She knew?

“Huh?” he said stupidly.

“I know you hung out together. She won’t talk. Anything...brewing there?” She grinned at him.

“Apparently not.”

“Oh. Hmm. Well...” She gave a shrug and went back to her phone. “I’m texting with her now. I could tell her you said hi.”

“No. Don’t mention me.”

Candace’s gaze snapped back up to him, and he cursed himself for the bitter edge that had crept into his voice. “Okay then,” she said.

Brian appeared behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. “What’s up?”

Caught now between the two of them, Candace inside the office and Brian blocking the only escape route, Ghost rubbed his hand over his face and hoped he could hold it together. He could ask to talk to Brian alone, but f**k it. He’d never been one to care much about who knew his business. Unlike some people.

“I need some time off. Like...a lot of time.”

“Your grandmother,” Brian said. It wasn’t a question. Brian knew what was going on; they’d even spoken once about this possibility and he had assured Ghost he would always have a job to come back to. “Sorry, man. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Yeah.”

“Is there anything we can do to help? Check on your house, water your plants and shit?”

Ghost scoffed. “I don’t have any f**kin’ plants. But yeah, you can check on things for me. You know where the spare key is.”

Candace had remained pensively silent while they spoke. Macy would probably hear all about this. He didn’t care. It wasn’t like anything mattered now. Who knew how long he would be gone? By the time he came back she’ll have moved on. It was almost a comfort to know he didn’t have to agonize over it anymore. It was done and there were far more pressing matters to worry about.

Matters he didn’t want to give any thought to right now. The dark months that lay ahead, his grandmother’s failing health…the knowledge of their imminence had been pressing into the back of his mind for a long time now. He’d kept it out as best he could. Now that the reality of it all was upon him…God, he wasn’t prepared. Not in the f**king least.

“I need to get out of here and make some phone calls,” he told Brian. “Get packed, get on the road.”

“Sure, man. Call and let us know how everything’s going.”

“I will.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Candace asked as he turned to go. He smiled as reassuringly as he could at her sincere concern.

“I’ll make it. I always do.”

He bumped fists with Brian and walked away, leaving them staring after him.