“You would? Really? I know it’s a lot to ask—”

She tightened her grasp on his hand. “It’s not a lot to ask. I’m honored that you want my opinion.”

“I just want to do the right thing for my mom, but I have no idea what that is.”

“For what it’s worth, I think that getting a qualified professional to be part of her daily life at this point is the right thing to do. You and Paul can’t continue like this forever, or your health is going to be affected, too. Hopefully this woman will be who you need.”

“Her name is Hope,” he said with a small smile.

“And how perfect is that? My fingers are crossed for you.”

“Thanks, and thank you for coming to the interview.”

“Well, you’re coming to a wedding shower with me…”

He laughed, as she’d hoped he would. “That’s blackmail.”

“I prefer to think of it as quid pro quo. I scratch your back, you scratch mine.”

“I can’t wait for you to scratch my back, but not until after the movie. You’ll just have to keep your hands off me until then.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll see if I can control myself.”

“Don’t try too hard.”

***

Alex was in love with her. He’d more or less acknowledged that fact earlier when he nearly took off his brother’s head for daring to have an after-work beer with her. But sitting across from her as she offered care and concern and support along with incredible sweetness and hot sexiness, Alex knew she was the whole package. She was exactly the woman he’d nearly given up on ever finding, and to think he’d found her on Gansett Island. The irony wasn’t lost on him. If he hadn’t come home to Gansett to help care for his mother, he never would’ve met Jenny.

Now that he had met her and fallen for her, he hoped he could find a way to keep her when his life was in such turmoil at the moment. The addition of full-time nursing assistance to their situation would offer a measure of relief, but he and Paul would still be responsible for their mother—not that either of them would have it any other way.

Still, it was a lot to ask any woman to take on, especially a woman like Jenny, who’d already been through so much in her life. He wanted to make things easy and simple for her, but his life was hardly easy or simple.