AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shit, she’s sick.
Leaning over, I switch on the bedside lamp to bring light into the room. She doesn’t stir as I sit on the edge of the bed. Beads of sweat glisten on her forehead, and her features are contorted in a grimace. I gently caress her cheek, noticing that she’s unusually warm.
“Sunshine, can you open your eyes for me?” I coax her.
She grumbles as she opens one eye, squinting up at me with confusion. “Dylan?” Her voice comes out hoarse. “What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?”
I chuckle. “No, I’m real.” I brush a piece of stray hair away from her face. “I tried calling when you didn’t come over this morning and got worried when you didn’t answer.”
Her eyes widen in disbelief. “Oh no, what time is it?” She jolts upright in bed, groaning in pain. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Let me get dressed, and I’ll be right over.” She scoots to the other side of the bed and attempts to stand up, nearly losing her balance.
“Whoa there. You’re not going anywhere.” I rush over to help her back into bed and adjust her bedding so she’s more comfortable.
“What about Lola? You’ll be late for work if you don’t leave soon.”
“Don’t worry about that. You need to get some more rest. Is there anyone I can call to come take care of you?” I ask.
She leans back against the pillows, sighing in relief. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine on my own. I’m sure after a few more hours of sleep, I’ll be good as new.” She reaches out, cupping my cheek with her hand, accompanied by a feeble smile.“I appreciate you checking on me, though. That was sweet of you.”
Leave it to Marlow to maintain her cheerful disposition, even when she’s under the weather. There’s a tightness in my chest at the thought of her being home alone today.
“Of course,” I say as I sit back down on the bed next to her, brushing her hair back from her flushed face. A soft moan escapes her lips as I run my hand along her brow.
“I have to make a phone call, but I’ll be right back, okay?”
“You can go. I promise I’ll be fine.”
I rise from the bed. “I’ll be back.”
I go out into the hall to call Harrison, closing the door behind me. When I had to leave New York early, I called him in a panic. Even though he’s in Las Vegas for meetings with the Stafford Holdings board, he was a sound of reason when I needed him most.
He answers on the second ring. “Hey, brother. How’s Lola doing?”
“I’d say she’s doing very well. Last night, she was dancing through the house in her rainbow tutu, singing ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ at the top of her lungs.”
“Interesting song choice for a six-year-old, don’t you think?”
“Don’t get me started,” I mumble.
Lola has quickly fallen in love with Marlow’s ’80s pop hits playlist, and to say my daughter is now obsessed is an understatement.
“Are you going into the office today?”
“No, that’s why I’m calling. I’m taking the day off,” I inform him. “I’ve already texted Max to have him reschedule my meetings.”
“You’ll be out the whole day?” He sounds shocked. “You want to tell me what this is about? Because I can count on one hand the number of days you’ve had off in the past three years. And most of those, you ended up working from home.”
That’s accurate. Yesterday, I answered emails and worked on a financial report while Lola slept in. I don’t like sitting around and figured I might as well work, since something always needs my attention.
“Marlow caught whatever bug Lola had, and I don’t want to leave her alone in this condition,” I explain quickly.
“Wait, are you referring to Lola’s nanny? The same Marlow, who is also your next-door neighbor?” he goads me. “Mom will be ecstatic when she hears about this.”
“I thought you were above gossip?”
“Oh, I have no intention of telling her. But we both know once Cash catches wind of this, he’ll call Presley, and she’ll inevitably spill the beans to Mom. Haven’t you heard? There are no secrets in this family,” he says with a hint of sarcasm.
“Yeah, I know,” I mutter. I’m grateful for my close-knit relationship with my family, but I wish they’d be a little less invested in my personal matters. At least I can count on my dad and Harrison to be voices of logic when everyone else gets carried away.
