“I’ll be working from New York on some things for Uncle Linc and the store, and I have several other clients from the firm that have asked me to stay involved. I won’t starve.” He took a seat at the table, dreading the other thing he needed to tell her. “Noah heard from Dad.”

His mother stared at him, unblinking. “And?”

“He’s sick.”

“With what?”

“Leukemia.”

She still didn’t blink. “What does he want?”

“Bone marrow.”

Grayson watched as she connected the dots, finally blinking when her expression went from blank to furious in the span of second. “No. Absolutely not. He will not ask that of you or the others. I won’t allow it.”

“Mom, you have every right to feel the way you do. We all do. But I, for one, don’t want his death on my conscience. If I can do this for him, then I will. It won’t cost me anything other than some time.”

“It’s outrageous that he would even ask such a thing of you all. What about his siblings?”

“None of them are a match.”

“I can’t believe his audacity.”

“He’s desperate.” Grayson shrugged. “I can’t imagine it was easy for him to reach out to Noah.”

“Easy for him,” she said spitefully. “Who cares about him?”

“None of us do.”

“Then why would you do something so huge for him? I don’t understand you lately. I thought I knew you as well as I know anyone, but since you came home, you’re like someone totally different.”

“Because I met a woman who interests me and don’t want my father’s potential death weighing on me?”

“It wouldn’t be your fault.”

“It would be if there was something I could do to save him. I want nothing to do with him. That hasn’t changed.”

“It’s not fair of him to ask this of any of you, but you in particular.”

“It’s a cheek swab. It’s nothing. I’ll do it and be done with it.”

“Do the others know?”

“Noah was going to reach out to them.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I suspect he didn’t want to upset you. We all know Dad is a hot button for you.”

“You ought to stay single, Grayson. You’re much better off.”

“I know you believe that, and I get why you do, but I really like Emma a lot. I want to spend more time with her. I’m not making a lifetime commitment here, so you don’t need to be worried.”

“Of course I do. I never wanted to see any of my children go through what I did, and Noah already had it happen to him.”

“We can’t hide out in fear of heartbreak. I don’t want to live like that, and it’s not fair to ask us to.”