At Lilian’s shudder, he finally willed his legs to carry him across the room. She leaned over Maggie now, tears landing on the sheet over Maggie’s lower half. The surgical team was readying even now—they likely only had minutes before someone came to wheel Maggie away.

“Dr. Lakeman said he expects a good outcome.” His weary brain had latched on to that much. And this operation was so much less invasive than open heart surgery. But it needed to happen quickly. “She’s going to pull through this, Lil. She’s going to.”

“What if Indi doesn’t get here in time?”

In time for the emergency surgery, she meant. Not in time for . . . no, he wouldn’t let his thoughts go there. He wouldn’t think of any of the risks—blood clots or . . . or whatever else the doctor might have said that he hadn’t been able to follow in his panic.

“She’ll be here any minute.” In fact, he should probably go out to the waiting area now. They’d left Sydney out there alone, and when Indi arrived, she’d want to come back. But only two people were allowed at a time and . . .

And he couldn’t bear to see Maggie this way. I’m sorry, Maggie. I’m so sorry. I’ll tear the treehouse down board by board if that’s what you want whenever you wake up. I won’t bring it up again.

He’d barely given the condition he’d found the treehouse in a second thought. Who cared about an intruder now?

“We should’ve listened to you, Neil,” Lilian whispered. “On Tuesday when she fainted . . . if we’d listened to you, taken her to the doctor . . .”

He squeezed Lilian’s shoulder. “No, don’t think like that.”

She stood and turned, falling into his ready embrace. So maybe she wasn’t as strong as he’d thought. None of them were.

Maggie—she was the strong one. They all needed her. Needed her more than anything. More than some vision for the future. More than the farm. If only he’d told her about the financial struggles sooner. Let her know about Carter’s offer. He should never have argued with her. He should’ve told her if she wanted to sell, he’d support her.

Because it was what she’d always, always done for every one of them. How could he have been so thick-headed? Gone behind her back . . . acted as if he knew best . . .

God, please.

It was the closest he could come to a prayer.

He held his sister tight for a moment, then released her, wishing he had words to encourage Lil. But he was an empty well, nothing left to dredge up. A better brother wouldn’t be fighting the urge to flee in this moment.

And then giving in. “I’ll go see if Indi’s here, okay?”

Lilian only nodded. He moved to the door.

“Neil?”

He glanced back at her.

“Someone should probably tell Wilder.”

Oh, of course. He should’ve thought of that already. Should’ve called or texted in the ambulance or later, as he paced in the waiting room. “Right. Can you . . .?”