She shook her head, as if he didn’t need to apologize, which was bull. He’d caused this woman so much angst and heartache that he would never be able to make it up to her even if they both lived another hundred years.

“It’s been good to see you more these past few days. I just wish I hadn’t needed the heart attack to get you here.” She grinned, and he knew she was giving him shit, but her words cut at him anyway. His doing, hundred percent.

He sat up straight, grasped her hand again. “I’m going to do better. Going to make a point of coming to Sunday dinner once you’re well enough. But first we have to get you recovered, and I’ll be here for that too.”

His mom never got a response out, because at that moment, his loud-ass youngest brother blew through the doorway.

“Hey, how’s my favorite lady in the whole world?” Drake said with his full-of-shit factor fully engaged. He wore his usual gym shorts and a wine-colored T-shirt from one of the honky-tonks on Broadway.

“Morning, Drake.” Their mom held out her other hand toward him and sent him a warm smile.

“What are you doing here?” Drake said to Cole. “Thought you had to work today.”

“I had to make sure someone was here when the doctor comes in,” Cole said curtly.

“I’m here,” Drake said. “Like I said I would be.”

“Ten minutes late. You could’ve missed him,” Cole said.

“You boys…” Their mom had dropped both their hands and was raising the head of her bed more. “Would you believe, after sixty-four years on this earth, I can talk to the doctor myself?”

“You’re medicated,” Drake said.

“You might not think of all the questions to ask,” Cole added.

“I have a heart condition, not brain damage,” she said. “But I know you mean well, and I appreciate it.”

“Good morning.” A tall, thin nurse who looked to be in her fifties entered and glanced from Drake to Cole to Faye. “You’ve got a room full.”

“My boys take up a lot of space,” their mom said with a note of affection in her voice.

“You didn’t tell me you breed ’em big and handsome.”

“We didn’t come out this big,” Drake said, his charm setting on high, and Cole shook his head.

The nurse laughed, as Drake had been aiming for.

“I’m Drake.” He held out his hand, glanced at the whiteboard on the wall with all the medical staff’s names, and said, “You must be Nurse Angelica.”

“I am. Nice to meet you, Drake. Would you two mind giving your mom and me some privacy for a few minutes?”

“You got it,” Drake said.

Cole nodded once as he pushed out of his chair and followed his brother out to the hallway.