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“How’d you really fall?”

Stan glanced over at Stella beforeout of the RV, planning to sit outside and watch the sun set While I alking, I had a sharp pain in uess I lost my balance, and that’s when I took a tu between his mother and his father Stella had purposely left off the fact that his father had had chest pains He wasn’t sure whether he should be grateful or pissed He’d have been on a plane in a heartbeat if he’d known that And

And Xander realized then that his father had been the other reason for hishad happened So didn’t do anything to settle his fears though

“Did they do any tests?” Xander asked, not caring which of them answered him at this point

“Yes, they did tests,” Stella assured hi is fine He didn’t have a heart attack”

Xander wasn’t sure he was breathing He was looking at his father, a picture of good health and wondering just what the hell he would do if sohout his life, Stan Boone had been a stalwart supporter He’d been right there beside hihout his childhood, right up until college when he accepted a full scholarship To play football Stan had even been there when Xander decided football wasn’t what he wanted to pursue anymore

Sure, he was close to his le day, but Xander would be the first to admit that Stan Boone was the rolehis father in his life had the potential to bring Xander to his knees

Chapter Twenty Nine

Mercedes wanted to reach over to Xander and hold his hand It was a strange feeling, but she couldn’t seem to shake it

As she listened to the conversation between hier Xander, the one who looked up to his father as though thethe moon When Stan mentioned he’d had chest pains, Xander’s entire deht before her very eyes, he let down that guard he kept in place at all times

She’d wanted to wrap her arms around him so that she could latch onto him until thehad happened, Xander’s walls fell back in place, and he transformed into the professional she knew hi as they could get

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Stan assured Xander “I’ve gone in for a few ”

“I don’t want you to hide that froain,” Xander stated bluntly, the full brunt of his fear on his father