get here?”
“Tricia drove me.”
Peering around Jeremy’s shoulder, Ryan asked, “Where is she?”
“She went to see her grandfather. Are you going to let me in, or are you going to wait for me to fall?”
Ryan, deciding to ignore Jeremy’s acerbic tone, took a step backward and opened the door wider. “Please enter, sir prince.”
Jeremy rolled his eyes at his older brother and made his way slowly into the living room. He sat down on a deep club chair, placed his crutches on the floor and raised his left leg onto a footstool.
Ryan sat in a facing armchair and ran a hand over his close-cropped hair. “If you’ve come to see Kelly and the baby, you’re out of luck because they’re napping. However, if you’ve come to bitch and moan, then I’m all ears.”
Jeremy frowned. “Who’s bitching and moaning?”
“Pop.”
“What’s up with him?”
Ryan hesitated, then said, “You are.”
Jeremy groaned softly. “What now?”
“He’s going to sell the farm.”
“Sell or he’s threatening to sell?”
Ryan’s expression was a mask of stone. “Sell, Jeremy!”
“Pop is being manipulative.”
“Wrong. Pop is being Pop. I told you last year that he’s tired.”
Jeremy frowned in cold fury. “I know whatbrought on his tirade.” He revealed to Ryan what he and Sheldon had talked about after he and Tricia returned from spending the night at the bed-and-breakfast.”
A slow smile formed on Ryan’s lips. “You and Tricia Parker?”
Jeremy smiled in spite of himself and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Damn, brother, you sure had me fooled. I thought you and Tricia were just good friends.”
“We started out as friends, but the year we turned eighteen something happened.”
“Was that little something called love?”
Before Jeremy could answer Ryan’s query, the telephone rang. Reaching for the phone on a nearby table, Ryan spoke softly into the mouthpiece. His expression changed as he stood up. “Stay with him, Tricia. I’ll be right there as soon as I call the hospital. No, don’t try to move him.” He depressed a button, then two others. The speed dial connected him to the local hospital.
Jeremy reached down for his crutches and was on his feet the moment he heard his brother mention “possible heart attack,” and Augustus Parker’s name.
“I’m coming with you,” he said.
“Try to keep up,” Ryan said over his shoulder as he raced out of the house.
Eight
“S top beating up on yourself,” Jeremy whispered to Tricia for what seemed like the hundredth time since Gus Parker was wheeled into the emergency room.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I should never have argued with him.”
Jeremy tightened his grip around her waist as they sat together on a love seat in a waiting area. “You snapped at me earlier about ordering you about, and now I’m going to do exactly that. I want you to stop blaming yourself for Gus’s heart attack. If it hadn’t happened now, there’s nothing to say it wouldn’t have happened after your return to Baltimore. Gus seeing your face once he comes out of surgery is certain to lift his spirits.”
Tricia nodded. She opened her eyes to find Sheldon sitting several feet away staring at her and Jeremy. Ryan had driven Gus to the hospital and stayed to confer with the cardiologist who was scheduled to perform open-heart surgery. Ryan then called Sheldon and informed him of Gus’s condition. Sheldon had driven from the farm to the hospital in record time.
Pushing off his chair, Sheldon stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee. Would either of you like some?”
Jeremy straightened and removed his arm from Tricia’s waist. “How do you want yours?”
Tricia seldom drank coffee, but this was one time when she needed a jolt from the caffeine. “Black.”
“Make that two blacks, Pop.”
Waiting until Sheldon walked away, Jeremy leaned closer to Tricia, held her hand and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “He’s going to
“Tricia drove me.”
Peering around Jeremy’s shoulder, Ryan asked, “Where is she?”
“She went to see her grandfather. Are you going to let me in, or are you going to wait for me to fall?”
Ryan, deciding to ignore Jeremy’s acerbic tone, took a step backward and opened the door wider. “Please enter, sir prince.”
Jeremy rolled his eyes at his older brother and made his way slowly into the living room. He sat down on a deep club chair, placed his crutches on the floor and raised his left leg onto a footstool.
Ryan sat in a facing armchair and ran a hand over his close-cropped hair. “If you’ve come to see Kelly and the baby, you’re out of luck because they’re napping. However, if you’ve come to bitch and moan, then I’m all ears.”
Jeremy frowned. “Who’s bitching and moaning?”
“Pop.”
“What’s up with him?”
Ryan hesitated, then said, “You are.”
Jeremy groaned softly. “What now?”
“He’s going to sell the farm.”
“Sell or he’s threatening to sell?”
Ryan’s expression was a mask of stone. “Sell, Jeremy!”
“Pop is being manipulative.”
“Wrong. Pop is being Pop. I told you last year that he’s tired.”
Jeremy frowned in cold fury. “I know whatbrought on his tirade.” He revealed to Ryan what he and Sheldon had talked about after he and Tricia returned from spending the night at the bed-and-breakfast.”
A slow smile formed on Ryan’s lips. “You and Tricia Parker?”
Jeremy smiled in spite of himself and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Damn, brother, you sure had me fooled. I thought you and Tricia were just good friends.”
“We started out as friends, but the year we turned eighteen something happened.”
“Was that little something called love?”
Before Jeremy could answer Ryan’s query, the telephone rang. Reaching for the phone on a nearby table, Ryan spoke softly into the mouthpiece. His expression changed as he stood up. “Stay with him, Tricia. I’ll be right there as soon as I call the hospital. No, don’t try to move him.” He depressed a button, then two others. The speed dial connected him to the local hospital.
Jeremy reached down for his crutches and was on his feet the moment he heard his brother mention “possible heart attack,” and Augustus Parker’s name.
“I’m coming with you,” he said.
“Try to keep up,” Ryan said over his shoulder as he raced out of the house.
Eight
“S top beating up on yourself,” Jeremy whispered to Tricia for what seemed like the hundredth time since Gus Parker was wheeled into the emergency room.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I should never have argued with him.”
Jeremy tightened his grip around her waist as they sat together on a love seat in a waiting area. “You snapped at me earlier about ordering you about, and now I’m going to do exactly that. I want you to stop blaming yourself for Gus’s heart attack. If it hadn’t happened now, there’s nothing to say it wouldn’t have happened after your return to Baltimore. Gus seeing your face once he comes out of surgery is certain to lift his spirits.”
Tricia nodded. She opened her eyes to find Sheldon sitting several feet away staring at her and Jeremy. Ryan had driven Gus to the hospital and stayed to confer with the cardiologist who was scheduled to perform open-heart surgery. Ryan then called Sheldon and informed him of Gus’s condition. Sheldon had driven from the farm to the hospital in record time.
Pushing off his chair, Sheldon stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee. Would either of you like some?”
Jeremy straightened and removed his arm from Tricia’s waist. “How do you want yours?”
Tricia seldom drank coffee, but this was one time when she needed a jolt from the caffeine. “Black.”
“Make that two blacks, Pop.”
Waiting until Sheldon walked away, Jeremy leaned closer to Tricia, held her hand and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “He’s going to
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