Then again, he was getting something in return.

“Tell me about your dad,” Kate said. Susan was guarded, but maybe Kate could get a fuller picture by learning about Roy.

They caught up with Bo, and he ran ahead of them down the shore, a giant lumbering fur ball.

“He’s a man’s man. Always liked to work with his hands. His dad was a criminal lawyer, and from what I understand, was disappointed when Dad didn’t follow in his footsteps.”

“Your dad held his ground?”

“Yep. Dad got a job working for a builder on the island. He framed houses and eventually started his own company.”

“Is that how you got involved with wood?” Another wave washed over Kate’s feet, tickling her with foam.

“Dad had me using tools by the time I was four.”

“But you didn’t want to build houses?”

He shook his head. “I like the detailed work. Knew it the first time I made a mantel for a house we built.”

“When did your dad retire? And what happened to his business?”

Lucas picked up a shell, examined it, then tossed it into the water before answering. “A few years ago he started having some trembling in his hands. A while later he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.”

Kate’s stomach knotted. How come she hadn’t known this before? Neither Lucas nor Susan had mentioned it, and she hadn’t noticed any trembling. “I didn’t know.”

“He decided to sell the business. He was set for retirement anyway, and the work wasn’t good for him in the long run.”

“What’s his prognosis?” She knew a little about Parkinson’s, but how quickly did it progress?

“It’s a degenerative disease, but its rate of progression varies. Eventually he’ll be completely incapacitated, but he’s only stage one. There are five stages, and he’s progressing slowly.”

“Do you think the diagnosis played a role in their marriage problems? It must cause a lot of stress.” Why would Lucas worry about them divorcing when his father was ill? Surely Susan wouldn’t leave him now. But then, how well did she know Susan?

“They were devastated when they found out. We all were.”

No wonder she hadn’t known about the disease. Maybe the family was in denial. How would they cope as his condition worsened? “It’s lucky you live so close. Your mom will need help.” Eventually Roy would be bedridden, and Susan wouldn’t be able to handle his weight.

“That’s why I built next door.”

Kate met Lucas’s gaze in the darkness. A glimmer of moonlight shone in his shadowed eyes. “Oh. I thought—” Kate looked away, embarrassed. She’d thought he was a momma’s boy. There was no kind way to say it. It hadn’t been kind to think it. Especially when his real reason was so unselfish.