Ashton’s face pales as he pulls his sister into his arms and holds her while she cries. Alessandra is completely devastated, and for the first time since I’ve met him, Ashton appears bewildered. It’s the kind of reaction to be expected, but it throws me to see him like this. And when I realise that not only is his mum not well, but that this means he’ll have to see his father, I know that life is about to be turned upside down for my man.
36
Ashton
“Aaron Steele called. He wants to bring your next meeting forward to tomorrow,” Jessica informs me over the phone an hour and a half later when I check in with her.
Alessandra, Lorelei, and I arrived at the hospital to find Dad pacing the emergency room while Mum was still with the doctors. I took his pacing and concern as a sign that he was worried about Mum; however, it turned out he was more worried about missing business meetings today. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but it seems there’s still a part of me looking for a father who cares about his wife and family. That was what surprised me the most—that after all this time and everything we’ve been through, I’m holding onto misguided hope.
“Let Steele know I’m out of the office until further notice. And cancel everything for today. I’ll let you know about tomorrow when I find out what we’re dealing with here.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “I think he’s ready to negotiate, Ashton. He hasn’t asked for any more information after everything I sent him yesterday.”
I know what she’s not saying. If I don’t meet with him, he may find something else to invest in and walk from the deal. I need him on this one, but more than that, I need to make sure my mother is okay.
“He can wait.”
“I’ll take care of it all.” She pauses briefly. “How’s your mother?”
“She’s still with the doctors. We don’t know much more than we did when we arrived.”
“Keep me updated, Ashton.” The sombre tone in her voice is something I don’t often hear from Jessica. It matches the mood at the hospital.
“Will do.” I end the call as Lorelei joins us in the waiting room after stepping out to take a call that looked anything but happy. Meeting her gaze, I say, “Is everything okay?”
Shaking her head, she says, “No. But my problems aren’t what matters today. Your mother is all that matters.”
“Talk to me, Lorelei. I can’t do anything else for Mum at this point, but I may be able to help you.” And God knows, I could use the distraction.
She sighs, and it’s like she exhales the weight of the world. Her shoulders slump at the same time, which lets me know that whatever she’s dealing with is causing her a lot of worry. “It’s the Willow Street building. I’m having problem after problem with it, and just when I think I’ve fixed everything, more issues pop up.”
I frown. “How long has this been going on? And what kinds of problems?”
“A few weeks. At the moment, I’m fighting with the insurance company about repairing the roof, and dealing with almost-daily vandalism of the building. I thought it was the work of one of my tenant’s exes, but now we’re not so sure. He’s been out of town for a couple of days so he couldn’t have done the graffiti that she found over the weekend. On top of that, I have a florist opening in one of my shops soon, and this morning the shop had been broken into and the walls inside were graffitied. Thankfully I have a handyman who I call on to repair stuff like this, but the bill is adding up each time I have to get him in.”
“It doesn’t look good to customers either,” I suggest. I’ve come across numerous businesses that have had to close up shop due to a bad reputation from crime in the area. I’m disturbed that Lorelei has to deal with this.
“Right. I’ve heard that some customers have taken notice, and that does worry me. I need to figure out what’s going on and fix it, but I’m at my wits end with it all.”
I can hear the frustration in her voice. And it’s clear to see the tension in her body. I pull out my phone. “I’ve got a guy who can look into this for you.”
Her hand closes over mine, stopping me from making the call. With a shake of her head, she says softly, “No. Leave it, Ashton. You’ve got far more important things to worry about today.”
“This won’t take long to organise.”
Her gaze drifts to Alessandra who is sitting alone. “And in that time, you could go and talk to your sister. She needs you.” I open my mouth to argue, but she silences me with a finger to my lips. “If I’m still having problems after your mum is better, I’ll l
et you know, and you can help me then.”
After my mum is better.
My brain fixates on that comment. After, not if. Lorelei’s mind works differently to mine. I’ve trained mine to always consider what could go wrong with any given situation. I don’t naturally gravitate towards what could go right. This morning has been no different. I’ve imagined as many scenarios as I could based around all the outcomes possible from my mother’s heart attack.
For the first time in a long time, I feel adrift. I have no control over this outcome. And that terrifies the hell out of me. My mind is scrambling to come up with options. But there aren’t any that we haven’t already put into action.
Lorelei moves closer. Her hand brushes my arm, and care laces her voice when she speaks. “Ashton, did you hear what I said?”
Before I can reply, my father cuts into our conversation. “Your mother had a lunch she was attending today for the Bright Foundation. I need to call and let them know she won’t be there. Do you know the number for the woman in charge?”