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had whenever they were upset or angry.  It served to either calm them down or rile them up.  She used to tell John the boys were “getting their testosterone on” when they started pacing as they plotted how to get back at Jesse and Jackson for some perceived slight.
    They were all on edge, waiting for Jackson to come out and tell them about John.
    “If you two don’t sit down a minute, I’m going to bean you both,” Jesse muttered.
    “Don’t tell us what to do,” James said frowning at Jesse.
    Jared swung around.  “Really?  Dad’s in there and all you can think about is what James and I are doing?”
    “Now boys,” Emma said, sensing an explosion.  Old habits died hard.
    Jesse laughed.  “Someone has to kill the tension building.  At least you both stopped wearing your shoes out for a moment.  I’ve been Googling V-fib and thinking about Dad.  Any of you noticed him having any health issues lately?  Mom already said he got flying stars at his last check up in October.”
    “No,” Jared said.  “I haven’t, but then I haven’t been around a lot.”
    James’s gaze held anger as he glared at Jared.  “Dad’s stopped by the construction office about once a week for the past few months.   He’s been fine as far as I could tell.”
    Emma raised her brows at that.  John hadn’t told her he’d been checking up on James.  The little devil.  She clasped the dishcloth tighter.  “This morning he was slow leaving the house to check on the cows in the pasture.  I thought it was just the cold, but maybe it wasn’t.  He was late getting back, too.  And I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that I didn’t even go check on him.  Dear Lord, what if this had happened down in the pasture when he’d been all alone?  He would have died.”
    “It didn’t happen then,” Jesse said firmly.  “So don’t go beating yourself up over what ifs.  We have got too many more important things to talk about.  I’ve long been worried about how much work he insists on doing at the farm.  He’s needed help for a long time.  When he recovers from this, there is no way in hell he’s going back to the way things were.”
    “I’ve been fussing at him for years about hiring someone full time to help.”  Guilt dug at her.  “I should have insisted.  I more than anyone know how doggedly stubborn your father can be.” 
    James shuddered.  “I had this conversation with my friend, Ben Harding, just a few months ago.  Sorry to say this, Mom, but Ben’s grandfather was just like Dad when it came to the family farm.  He died this past summer from a heart attack.”
    Emma gasped.  “I remember.”  Her voice shook.
    “Good going, bozo,” Jared muttered.  “Dad’s going to pull through this, Mom.”
    James glared at Jared again.  “He is going to be all right.  I already told mom that.  I was only reaffirming both Mom and Jesse’s point.  Dad can’t go back to doing what he’s been doing.  Also, Sam Harding was twenty years older than Dad.  Do you think Dad could have been having problems and not tell you about it, Mom?”
    Emma frowned.  She would have automatically said no, but John had had an inkling about his royal heritage and hadn’t told her.  “I don’t know,” she muttered.  “Why?”
    “Ben recently discovered in some papers that his grandfather had had heart problems for years and had kept it hidden from everyone.”
    Everyone sat quiet for a minute, absorbing the implications of that.  Emma thought really hard and finally had to be honest with herself and her sons.  “I know your father would go to great lengths to protect those he loves, even to the point of sacrificing himself.  As to whether he is hiding health information from us, it would all depend on what he’s imagined we needed protecting from.”
    Jackson entered the waiting room, and Emma’s breath caught with fear.  She hadn’t seen her son looking so haunted or pale since his first wife