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Austin drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I know.” They didn’t want to voice the what-ifs, but they lived in his mind. Of course, he should have expected Adam would worry, too. Adam was young when they lost their first dad, but he still lost him. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
Adam smiled. “Thanks, bro. I think it will mean a lot to them.”
“After he’s done getting angry that we didn’t listen to him, you’re probably right…again.” He climbed into the trailer, securing the last few items, then hopped back out. “Let’s get our boys and go. If we leave now, we can be at that burger joint we love in Utah by dinner.”
“Sounds good to me!” Adam said as they walked toward the barn. “Thanks, bro. I really do appreciate this.”
“Well, it’s the right thing to do. Pops is stubborn, and I’m sure he just doesn’t want us to see him so sick.” He stopped his brother and met his eyes. “You’re prepared for that, right?”
Adam swallowed. “Trying to be.”
Austin nodded, knowing that as prepared as they tried to be, seeing the strong and invincible Pops sick…like his first dad had been…would hit their systems like an electric fence. There was no preparation for that.
~~~
Austin had been too accurate about that shock. His eyes stung, and he swallowed several times before he could speak when they walked into the house to see Pops thin, weak, and balder than a baby.
“Hey, Pops,” he finally said, his voice sounding like a strangled donkey.
Pops slowly turned in the recliner. “What are two goofballs doing here? I told you to stay away.”
“And we told you we would never,” Adam said, leaning down to hug him and rub his shiny head. “I like your new look.”
Pops waved off his hand. “It’s horrid. I don’t have a head where bald works. Give me my hat.”
Austin took his hat off the coat rack by the door and brought it to him. “Don’t be mad, Pops. We love you too much to stay away.”
“Besides, I wanted to show you our new patches,” Adam said, pulling off his jacket to show off the sponsorship patch on his back.
Pops blinked rapidly. “You know I’m proud of you two. I…I just…”
“You don’t want us seeing you like this,” Austin said. “We get it. But you should know we still see you as the strongest man we know. That won’t ever change.”
A single tear slipped down Pops’ cheek, and he swiped at it. “Go tell your mom that you’re here. She’s been in that back bedroom on the internet searching all sorts of alternative treatments for me all day long. I told her to give it a break. That I wasn’t about to let some stupid cancer take me out.”
“I’ll get her,” Adam said, taking off down the hall.
Pops waited until Adam’s footsteps stopped once he hit the carpeted back room. “Tell me straight up, son. How’s it going?”
Austin sat at the edge of the couch, close enough to touch Pops, but he kept his hands from showing the empathy he knew Pops didn’t want. “It’s good, Pops. Really. We’ve been consistent. Under four at the last five events.”
Pops nodded, his eyelids drooping even as he steepled his fingers. “The release?”
“Clean.” Austin pushed back his emotions and gave Pops what he needed.
“You’re not jumping the gun?”
“Been patient as a lamb,” Austin said with a smile.
“You a lamb!” Pops let out a small chuckle.
“Your brother?”
“Smooth as always.”
“I mean, he holding up…otherwise.” Pops turned his eyes back on him, his brow scrunching in concern.
“He’s worried about you, of course. We both are, but he’s staying focused in the arena, still flirting with the girls. He’s still going, Pops.”
