Page 123 of No Place for Single Cowboys
There had been a moment where he wasn’t responding when Chance thought this was finally it—the old man was dying. Chance always expected to feel relieved when that happened, but what he’d felt in the moment was terror and grief.
Chance didn’t want his father to die after all. And Holden hadn’t.
The doctor came out, looking grave and almost as tired as Chance felt. “You’re Holden’s sons?”
They all nodded.
“I’m Dr. Tran. I’m the cardiologist on call.” Dr. Tran crossed his arms. “Your dad had a pretty serious heart attack—there’s been significant damage to the heart muscle. He’s not currently under the care of a cardiologist, is he?”
Chance shook his head. “He won’t go to the doctor.”
He immediately felt guilty because they should have made Holden go. This might not have happened if they had.
“Okay,” the doctor said. “Well, he’ll need one for continuing care. And once he’s out of the hospital, I suggest he move to a skilled nursing facility. They can best implement his rehabilitation program.”
“So… he can recover?” Quint asked.
“The heart can heal, so there will be some recovery. How much is unclear right now, but the rehabilitation will help with that.”
“All right,” Chance said, “we’ll move him to a nursing home.”
“I suggest Shady Oaks. They have a good program.”
Chance held in his grimace. Shady Oaks was owned by the Bucklands—no one would be happy about sending Dad there. But if that’s what the doctor suggested…
“We’ll get on it,” Quint said. “Anything else we should be doing?”
Dr. Tran shook his head. “He’s in good hands here. You can go see him now.”
They all thanked the doctor, shook his hand, and then shuffled into the room.
It felt crowded with the bed and machines around it. Holden seemed small under the thin hospital blankets, wires running in and out of him. If he’d looked bad before, he was even worse now.
But Holden was alive. Chance couldn’t begin to describe the emotions running through him.
Dad blinked at all of them. “I’m not dead.”
“No.” Quint’s voice was heavy. “You’re not.”
“I thought I was going to join your mama. But I’m still here.”
Chance couldn’t tell if Holden was disappointed or not. He got pissed anyway.
“Yeah, you are still here.” Chance stepped forward and jabbed his finger at his father. “And you need to stay here.”
“You boys don’t need me.”
No, they probably didn’t. At least not now. They’d needed him when Mom had first died, but Holden had chosen the bottle. It was too late to make amends.
Or was it?
“Your grandbaby needs you,” Chance said. “And yes, your sons too. You can’t die yet.”
Holden sat up straighter. “She’s a good baby.”
“She’s the best. And with how Cordy’s parents are, she’ll needyou. So get better, you son of a bitch.”
Quint snorted as he choked back a laugh. Rye covered his mouth to hide his smile.
