He paused and read my name. “Asher Wolfe,” he said.
“Yep.”
I was fairly certain that Mom had told the Parks I was coming, so it was strange that the guard hadn’t been informed. But then again, I knew from experience how earth-shattering cancer was. When a loved one had that kind of diagnosis, it did strange things to your mental faculties. Your every moment moves so fast and so slow at the same time. Night and day begin to blend together as you sit and wait for news, good or bad.
“I’ll be right back,” the guard said as he held up my license and started to walk away.
“I’ll be here,” I called after him.
I watched him as he walked into the small booth next to the gate and closed the door behind him. He brought his phone to his cheek and turned to focus on the house as he spoke. After a few seconds, he glanced over at me before he said something and nodded.
Their conversation must have ended, because a moment later, he pulled his phone from his cheek and tucked it into his front pocket. He pushed open the door and made his way over to me.
“Well, Mr. Wolfe, sounds like you’re expected,” he said as he approached my window and held out my license.
“Thanks.” I returned my license to my wallet and set it in the cupholder next to me.
“Give me a second to open the gate, and then you are free to pull in.”
“Perfect,” I said.
He walked away from me as I rolled up my window. Once he was back in his booth and the gate began to open, he motioned for me to drive in. I waved at him as I passed by before I drove up the driveway to the mansion.
I parked off to the side so I wouldn’t be in the way. The air was quiet as I got out of my truck and shut the door. I walked the rest of the way up the driveway, and when I got to the porch steps, I took them two at a time. I stopped when I got to the mustard-colored front door and raised my fist to knock.
I only had to knock twice before the door was pulled open and I was face-to-face with the tearful eyes of Mrs. Parks.
“Asher,” she whispered as she reached out and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so glad to see you.” She held me tight, her greying hair tickling my cheek.
I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew what it was like to be on the other side. To be the one with the sick family member. There wasn’t a lot a person could say to make you feel better. And sometimes their words just made things worse.
So I just let her hug me, and I hugged her back. I hoped that she knew I was here for her. That I would always be there for all of them.
“How is he?” I asked as she loosened the hug.
She brought her fingers up to dab under her eyes and took a step back. “He’s stable right now.” She blew out her breath. “We’re getting a second opinion.” Her gaze lifted to the side window next to the front door, and panic flashed across her face “There were no paparazzi when you pulled in, right?”
I followed her gaze and tried to recall if I’d seen anyone. Nothing came to mind, but then again, I was just a nobody. If there had been paparazzi, they probably thought I was a pizza delivery person, not someone of importance. “Paparazzi? No.”
She stood in front of the window for a moment before she sighed and nodded. “Good. We’re keeping his condition under wraps for now until we are certain of his diagnosis.” She glanced over at me. “So far, the only people who know are the girls, the staff, and you and your mom. That’s it.”
I understood. No need to worry the residents of New York City if there was a chance he would be fine.
“I knew I could depend on you,” she said as she reached out and patted my arm. “You’ve been like a son to us. George will be so happy to see you.” She took a step toward the stairs and waved. “Come on, let’s go say hi.”
I followed after her as she led me through the foyer and up the stairs. Something she’d said lingered in my mind. “Girls? Are Willow and Coralie here?” My thoughts turned to the youngest Parks girl.
Both sets of parents had been very vocal about their excitement when Coralie and I were dating. They were thrilled that there might be a marriage between our families. After our breakup, Dad’s death, and her parents moving to New York, our lives got busy, and my interaction with the two Parks daughters lessened to almost nothing.
I was certain that we had both moved on, but just in case she hadn’t, I wanted to be prepared.
“Yes. Willow lives here in New York, and Coralie just got in last night. She’s planning on spending the next few weeks here until we know more.” She paused halfway up the stairs to turn around and glance down at me. “Which reminds me, I had Bonnie make up one of the guest rooms for you.”
I raised my hand. “Actually, I’ve got a place?—”
“Nonsense. You’re staying here with us.”
She stared down at me, and her eyes were wide and watery. I swallowed the words of protest that had formed in my throat. There was no way I could turn her down when she looked at me like that.
