Chapter 16
Ben was already second-guessing himself by the time he got back to his apartment. Maya was right. He supposed he did need to spend some time thinking about marrying her before he followed through with his suggestion. Still, it wasn’t like he was really going to marry her. It was more like the justice of the peace would give them permission to room together without damaging either of their reputations. Then he laughed at the ridiculous justification. He was losing it.
He picked up the baseball glove he had left on the table and slipped it onto his hand. He pulled the ball from the webbing and tossed it from his bare hand into his mitt, repeating the process as he paced across his apartment. In his mind, he went through the logic he had laid out to Maya. He had to admit that he was a little relieved that he had sensed hesitation in her too.
He knew the idea was as left field as it could get, but he would benefit from it too. After all, if he was a married man, the baseball groupies were much more likely to leave him alone. He didn’t mind the fans. In fact, he enjoyed talking to his fans. He just didn’t want to let another Heather into his close circle of friends.
Figuring he really should make sure it was legally possible to get married on Monday, Ben wandered into his bedroom and sat down at his computer. He tugged his glove off his hand, tossing it onto his bed so he could have both hands free to search the Internet. His first search revealed a required three-day waiting period in DC before they could get married. He tried Maryland next to find that it was a little better, only requiring a forty-eight-hour waiting period.
His final search gave him the instant gratification he was looking for—Virginia marriage licenses didn’t have waiting periods or residency restrictions. He looked down through the requirements, pleased to see that the process seemed pretty straightforward.
He was still reading through the website when his phone rang and he answered it to find his sister on the other end.
“Have you talked to Maya?” Kari asked, not bothering with a greeting. “I can’t get ahold of her.”
“Actually, I just got back from visiting her in the hospital.”
Kari’s voice sharpened. “What’s she doing at the hospital at this time of night? Is she okay?”
“She just had a little accident.” Ben went on to explain the events of the day, including the fiancé who had come to take Maya back to India.
Kari was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. Then she said, “I knew Maya moved to the US with her grandmother, but she never said anything about an arranged marriage.”
“After meeting this guy, I can see why her grandmother helped her run away. It’s not just that he’s so much older than her. There’s something creepy about him.”
“I can’t believe she’s having to deal with this on top of everything else. What is she planning to do?”
“She’s going to marry me,” Ben said, the words sounding foreign even to his own ears.
“What?” Kari’s shock shot through the phone. “I’m sorry, but did you just say you and Maya are getting married?”
“Well, it won’t be like a real marriage,” he admitted sheepishly.
“You’re going to have a fake marriage?” Kari asked. “Good luck explaining that to Mom and Dad.”
“Oh man. I hadn’t even thought about what Mom and Dad might say.” Ben groaned.
“Ben, why are you doing this?”
“It just makes sense. I like her. She likes me. We get along fine,” Ben said. “If she marries me, she’ll have health insurance and she can stay here without me getting into some PR nightmare about living with a girlfriend. Plus, her father and fiancé won’t be able to force her to go back to India if she’s already married to a US citizen. Besides, if the surgery isn’t successful . . .”
Kari was silent for a moment, clearly understanding the words he didn’t say. Her next question came out of the blue. “Are you in love with her?”
“Of course not. I hardly know her.”
“Ben, it’s great that you’re trying to help Maya, but I never meant to put you in this kind of bind. Not to mention I’m definitely not seeing Mom and Dad being thrilled with this idea.”
“Maybe I don’t need to tell them, at least not until afterward.”
“You’d better make sure they hear it from you and not some reporter,” Kari said, sounding more supportive now that she understood his logic.
“I’m hoping I can keep it out of the press.”
“Ben, you were second in the voting for rookie of the year. You know you’re going to stay in the spotlight during the off-season.”
“Yeah, but we’re going to get married at the courthouse with the justice of the peace. The chances of a leak are minimal.”
“As long as no one sees you arrive or leave together. Just seeing Ben Evans walking into a courthouse is enough to make the papers right now. Add a woman arriving with you, and the press will have a field day.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we should come in different cars.”
“That might be a good idea,” Kari said. “When is all of this going to happen?”
“We are planning on going Monday afternoon, right after she gets done with her treatment at the hospital.”
Kari made a few suggestions, and with her help, Ben decided it would be best if he hired a car to take Maya from the hospital to the courthouse in Virginia. He could meet her there to get their marriage license and perform the required civil ceremony. Afterward, he would have the car bring her back to his apartment building, and he would go meet Gavin for their afternoon batting practice.
“You know, you probably should think of another reason to go to the courthouse, just in case someone does see you there.”
“Any suggestions?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should look on the courthouse website to see if that gives you any ideas.”
“Thanks, Kari,” Ben said, reaching for his computer mouse. “I assume I can trust you not to tell anyone about this.”
“I’ll keep your secret,” Kari promised. “And, Ben, I hope you know you could be saving Maya’s life.”
Oddly embarrassed, Ben said, “I don’t know if it’s really that extreme. Let’s just hope it doesn’t backfire.”
“I’ll pray that it doesn’t.”
* * *
Ben walked toward his illegally parked car, looking for the slip of paper under his windshield wiper, irritated to find none. This was the third time he had parked in a no-parking zone in an attempt to get a ticket, and he still hadn’t succeeded.
Why was it that when he wanted to get a ticket, he couldn’t do it? He bet that if he really had an emergency and forgot to put money in the meter under normal circumstances, it’d take a cop five minutes, tops, to notice.
He had liked Kari’s idea to find another reason to go to the courthouse so he would have an excuse for being there on Monday. A personal appearance to pay a parking ticket and offer an apology had seemed the simplest excuse. If only he could get someone to write him the darn ticket.
He saw a traffic cop walk around the corner, a ticket book in hand. The man was the epitome of the middle-aged cop who stopped at the donut shop each morning.
Instantly, Ben’s spirits lifted. He turned back the way he had come, lingering in the entrance of the restaurant, where he had just eaten breakfast. He watched the policeman ticket two cars where the meters had expired. The cop then approached Ben’s car, looked down at the license plate, and continued past it.
Ben stared in confusion. The policeman was obviously here to write parking tickets, and the meter beside his car was clearly expired. Why in the world would he pass on the opportunity to write him one?
Ben stepped forward. “Excuse me.”
“Yes?” The cop turned around, and recognition dawned. “I thought you must be around here somewhere.” He motioned to Ben’s car. “You really need to move your car before someone who doesn’t know you comes through here and gives you a ticket.”
&n
bsp; “Wait a minute. Are you saying you didn’t give me a ticket because of who I am?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, that was a tough break last month, losing in the fifth game of the first series in the play-offs. I didn’t want to kick you while you were down.”
“How did you even know this was my car?”
The officer cocked one eyebrow. “The license plate does say EVANS32. Everyone who follows the Nats probably knows what you drive or could figure it out with your name and jersey number right in front of them.”
Now his failed efforts were starting to make sense. He searched for the right words, finally saying, “I really appreciate your kindness, but I don’t feel right about not getting a ticket after I did something wrong.”
The cop’s voice was incredulous. “You want me to give you a ticket?”
Ben nearly said yes. Deciding to play it cool, he said instead, “No one ever wants a ticket, but it’s only fair that I get one too.”
The policeman stared at him as though he was still trying to figure out if Ben was serious. “Okay. If that’s how you feel.”
Ben watched the man write out the ticket and then accepted it when the cop handed it over. “I assume I can just pay this at the courthouse?”
“If you want, or you can mail it in. The address is on the back there.”
“Okay.” Ben unlocked his car and opened the passenger door to put the ticket inside.
“Good luck with next season,” the policeman told him. “I’ll be rooting for you.”
“Thanks.” Ben motioned to his pen. “Can I borrow that for a minute?”
“Sure.” Ben took the pen from him and pulled a baseball out of his duffel bag. He scribbled his signature on it and handed it and the pen to the officer. “Have a nice day, Officer.”
The man’s face lit up with pleasure. “Hey, thanks. My son will go nuts when he sees this.”
“Just tell him I appreciate the hard work you do,” Ben told him. “And I’ll pay more attention to how much time I have on the meter next time.”
With a friendly wave, Ben climbed into his car and started it up. Now that he had the parking ticket in his possession, he thought he might actually be ready for Monday. Maybe.
Chapter 17
Maya’s mind hadn’t stopped racing since Ben had talked to her the night before. She supposed she was still in shock over the idea of getting married in two days, but she couldn’t deny that for the first time in months, she felt like she was looking forward. The idea of being free of Rishi gave her such a liberated feeling.
What a contrast, she thought to herself. Marriage to Rishi would have been akin to slavery, while marriage to Ben would ensure her freedom. Two more days, and for the first time in her life, her future would belong entirely to her. Just knowing that possibilities existed for her made the treatments seem more bearable.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Dr. Schuster asked as he entered her doorway.
“Good, actually.”
His eyebrows lifted at her answer. “I’m glad to hear it.” He approached her bed. “Let’s take a look at that bump on the back of your head.”
Maya shifted in her bed and turned away from him so he could see where her head had connected with the wall in Ben’s apartment. He pressed two fingers against the welt, and Maya squirmed slightly.
“It looks like the swelling is going down, and your color is much better.” The doctor stepped back and waited for her to lean back against the pillow before he continued. “I hate to bring it up, but have you managed to convince your family to help pay for your surgery at the end of this trial?”
“Not exactly, but I do have a friend who figured out a way to help out.”
“You have a friend who is going to give you fifteen thousand dollars?”
Maya was struck with the fact that Ben’s offer was in essence giving her that much money and more. “Actually, he’s my fiancé.”
Now Dr. Schuster looked at her suspiciously. “I thought running away from your fiancé was what landed you in here.”
“That was someone else.”
“How many fiancés do you have?”
“Technically, I have two. The one I said yes to and the one my father said yes to.”
“Ahhh.” He nodded in understanding. “So exactly how is your fiancé planning to help?”
“I guess you could say I’m getting married earlier than I’d planned,” Maya said, hoping her words were still true and that Ben wasn’t already getting cold feet. “Once we’re married, I’ll be covered by his insurance, and we’ll be able to come up with the money for the surgery.”
He studied her. “If that’s the case, I’ll approve your continuance in the program for another week. By the end of the week though, I’ll need you to get me the insurance information, even if you aren’t covered by it yet.”
Maya felt a little guilty at the thought that maybe it wasn’t completely honest to get married to gain insurance coverage. Then she remembered Ben’s words. The insurance was a side benefit, not the primary reason for getting married. She also couldn’t deny that the more she pondered this decision, the more she felt an overwhelming peace. She turned her attention back to the doctor. “Thank you, Doctor. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
“I’m just doing my job.” He scribbled something on her chart. “I’ll put in the order to have you released. It will probably be around eleven, in case you need to call someone to give you a ride home.”
Maya retrieved her phone as soon as he left. Feeling really awkward, she forced herself to dial Ben’s number.
Ben sounded out of breath when he answered.
“Hi, Ben. It’s Maya.”
Instantly, his tone changed, and she sensed that her voice made him uncomfortable. “Oh, hi.”
“I’m sorry to bother you.” Maya fumbled, reminding herself that he’d told her to call. “You said you wanted me to let you know when I was getting released from the hospital.”
“Yeah. Have you already seen the doctor?”
“He just left. He said I should be able to leave around eleven.”
Now she heard his hesitation. “Eleven?”
“Yes, but if you aren’t able to pick me up like you planned, I can work something else out.”
“I was just planning on going for a run, but that’s okay. I can wait until after I pick you up.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll be over there in a little while,” he told her and hung up.
Maya set her phone down and tried to chase away her doubts. She would find out soon enough if Ben was going to back out on the crazy proposal he had given her. Footsteps sounded outside her door, and she looked up to see Henry standing there.
“Hey there, little girl. Do you mind if I come in?”
“Of course not.” Maya lifted a hand and weakly waved him in. “What are you doing here on a Saturday?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. My wife also sent you this.” He held up a loaf of banana bread covered in plastic wrap.
“That is so sweet. Please tell her thank you for me.”
“I will.” He moved farther into the room and set the offering on the tray in front of her. “Have you talked to the doctor yet today?”
“Yes. He just left.”
“And?”
“And it looks like everything is going okay,” Maya told him. “He said my tumor isn’t shrinking as fast as they’d hoped, so it will probably take a couple of extra months in the trial until they can operate, but overall, it looks promising.”
“Well, that’s what I like to hear.” He sat down in the chair beside her bed. “Now, what are we going to do about that Indian guy who keeps coming here looking for you?”
“What?”
“You know I don’t like to pry, but I’m not falling for that man’s tricks a second time.”
“What do you mean?”
Henry described how Rishi had come into the cancer center
looking for her, giving enough information about her to slip past some of the privacy protocols.
A feeling of dread started threading its way into her thoughts, overshadowing the possibilities she had been looking forward to. “When was the last time you saw him here?”
“He was down at the information desk when I got here.”
“Great.” She let out a heavy sigh and glanced down at her watch. What would happen if Ben showed up to get her while Rishi was downstairs?
“What?”
“My friend Ben was heading over here to pick me up. I’d better call him and tell him not to come over until we’re sure Rishi has left.”
“Honey, he’s not going anywhere. From what I can tell, he or one of his buddies has been camped out downstairs since six o’clock this morning.”
Maya’s anxiety increased. “I can’t let him find me. He’ll ruin everything.”
“When’s your friend coming to get you?”
“I just talked to him. He said he’d be over in a little while.”
“In that case, I’d better get downstairs,” Henry told her.
“What are you going to do?”
“You just leave everything to me.”
Chapter 18
Potential conversations with his mother played in Ben’s mind as he headed for his car. Last night when he had talked to Maya, everything had seemed so clear. His conversation with Kari had helped him work through a lot of the little details, but the idea of telling his parents had started eating at him as soon as he’d hung up the phone.
What would his mother think if she knew he was about to marry someone he didn’t love, that he would likely be a widower while still in his twenties?
He’d spent a great deal of time over the past fifteen hours pondering whether he should really go through with this fake marriage. Even though he found himself feeling anxious and uneasy about the possible leaks to the press and the thought of living with a woman he barely knew, every time he started to back out, he thought of that moment of clarity that had come over him when he was in Maya’s hospital room.
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