Chances Are

by Abramson, Traci Hunter

  She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. She looked down at the dress and shoes. “How did you know my sizes?”

  “Kari helped me.”

  “This is really sweet of you. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Ben glanced at his watch. “Are you ready to go? We need to leave in about ten minutes.”

  “Just give me a few minutes to fix my makeup and hair. It won’t take me long.”

  “Hey, Maya.”

  She turned back to look at him. “Yes?”

  “Do me a favor and leave your hair down. I like it that way.”

  Her blush deepened. She disappeared into the bathroom, hoping a little makeup would help hide any evidence that might indicate she was a cancer victim. Maybe for one night she could play Cinderella and feel like her future was limitless. And maybe she could even pretend that her Prince Charming loved her too.

  * * *

  Ben took Maya’s arm and escorted her into the ballroom where the reception was being held.

  “Hey, Ben.” Gavin called out to him and crossed to greet him.

  “Hey, Gavin. How’s it going?” Ben shook Gavin’s outstretched hand and proceeded to introduce him to Maya.

  “It’s good to meet you, Maya. Do you live here in DC?”

  “Yes, I do now.”

  Before the small talk continued, Shawn and his wife, Celeste, approached. They made more introductions, and Ben didn’t miss the speculation in his teammates’ expressions.

  When the conversation turned to baseball, Celeste put a hand on Maya’s arm. “Come on, Maya. Let’s go find a place to sit down. I get exhausted just listening to them talk shop.”

  Maya gave her a smile and nodded. As she stepped away from Ben, he called after her, “Save me a seat.”

  “I will.”

  Ben listened to Celeste ask the inevitable question as she led Maya away. “So how long have you known Ben?”

  “It works every time,” Shawn said with a chuckle.

  “What?” Ben asked.

  “Start talking about baseball, and the girls bail.”

  “Not Maya. I swear, the first time we watched a game together, she sounded just like a hitting coach,” Ben told them. “We were watching the game when Dobkins struck me out in three pitches.”

  “I remember that. It wasn’t pretty.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Ben muttered. “Anyway, Maya asked me what my game plan was.”

  “That’s what our batting coach always says.”

  Ben nodded. “And then she proceeded to tell me that she thought I should sit on a slider because he always throws it to the inside corner.”

  “She’s right. That’s how I got my last home run off of Dobkins,” Gavin commented, glancing over at where Maya and Celeste had settled at a table. “She’s pretty and knows baseball. She might be a keeper.”

  Before Ben could respond, Shawn asked, “Where’s she from?”

  “Ohio.”

  “You’re from Ohio, and your accent isn’t like hers.”

  “She’s originally from India.”

  Gavin put a hand on Ben’s shoulder and nodded at where Maya was now sitting with Celeste. “So what’s the deal?”

  “There’s no deal,” Ben shrugged off the question.

  Humor flashed on Shawn’s face. “That’s what I said two years ago, and now I’ve got a ring on my finger.”

  “What do you think, Ben?” Gavin asked. “Is Maya the ring-on-the-finger type?”

  “You guys are impossible,” Ben said, not prepared to give his friends an answer. “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  They had hardly sat down with Maya and Celeste when Shawn addressed Maya. “Ben tells me you like baseball.”

  “I do.”

  “Who’s your favorite team?”

  “In this crowd, I think the safest answer would be the Nationals,” Maya said, a touch of humor in her voice.

  “Smart girl,” Gavin agreed.

  Ben reached out and rested his arm across the back of Maya’s seat, his fingers toying with the ends of her hair. He had worried that Maya’s strength might falter in a social setting like this, but so far, she seemed to be doing okay. Unlike Heather, Maya didn’t constantly try to insert her opinions and dominate the flow of topics. Rather, she simply seemed to enjoy everyone’s company, acting the same now as she did when they were alone.

  Over dinner, conversation was surprisingly easy, and Ben was a little surprised at how well Maya could hold her own in a group of dominant personalities.

  When the dancing started, Ben looked out at the bride and groom sharing their first dance and wondered what it would be like to be so blissfully happy. When the traditional dances concluded and the dance floor opened for everyone, Ben stood and extended his hand to Maya. “Would you like to dance?”

  “Sure.” Maya placed her hand in his, and Ben led her to a corner of the dance floor.

  Ben pulled her into his arms, aware of how frail she still was. Yet holding her close, he quickly forgot to think of her as the girl fighting cancer. This whole night had been so delightfully normal, the frustrations of the past few days hopefully behind them.

  “I think my friends like you,” Ben whispered when Shawn gave him a thumbs-up from where he was dancing with his wife.

  “Really?” She tipped her head to look up at him.

  “What’s not to like? I enjoy spending every minute with you, you’re beautiful, and you know baseball. That’s quite a combination.”

  Surprise flickered on her face, but she kept her eyes on his. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

  “It’s true.” Ben nodded toward Shawn. “What do you think of my friends? Would you mind hanging out with them again?”

  “Not at all. They all seem really nice.”

  Ben gave her a wicked smile. “They’re nice now. Just wait until baseball season starts. Then things can get a little crazy.”

  She stared at him, an odd look on her face. “I probably won’t be around to see that.”

  “What do you mean? Where would you be?”

  “If my scans are good enough in January, I could have my surgery as early as March.”

  “And . . .”

  She lowered her voice, apparently concerned that someone might overhear her words. “Ben, we both know my chances aren’t that good, and I think we both know our relationship probably happened the way it did because I don’t have much time left.”

  His chest tightened for an instant, a bolt of terror ripping through him at the potential meaning of her statement. By opening day, she would have had her surgery. If things didn’t go as they hoped, he could be a widower before his sophomore season even began. He shook his head against the image of that permanent kind of gone and said, “I think we should plan for the positive outcomes. There’s no point in wasting time expecting the worst.”

  “What do you envision will happen if I do survive my surgery? I imagine you’ll be ready to get rid of me by then. You know the media will pay a lot more attention to you once the season starts.”

  “That’s true, but I don’t think we should start making any plans quite yet.” He didn’t want to think about what life would be like without Maya, especially right now while he was holding her in his arms. “Let’s get you better first. Then we can talk.”

  Maya looked up at him, her eyes dark and somehow more mysterious under the dim lights and the disco ball. His gaze lowered to her lips, and for a second, he found himself leaning toward her. Her eyes widened slightly as though expecting the kiss. Then someone bumped into him, and it was as though a bubble burst.

  He continued to stare at her, now noticing how pale her face looked. “Are you okay?”

  “Just a little light-headed.”

  “Do we need to go?”

  She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but we probably should.”

  “Come on.” Ben took her hand and led her back to their table so they could say their good-byes to the few people still
sitting there. They were nearly to the door when Trent caught up with them.

  “Hey, Ben. Is this the one you were telling me about?”

  “Yes, this is Maya. Maya, this is Trent Farley. He’s in charge of public relations for the team.” Ben lowered his voice and added, “He helped me figure out the insurance stuff.”

  “Thank you for that,” Maya said, shaking the hand Trent offered.

  “It’s my pleasure.” He turned his attention back to Ben. “By the way, I wanted to find out when you’re heading home for Christmas. I was hoping you might be able to take some time to visit a children’s hospital later this month.”

  “Maya really isn’t supposed to fly commercial, so we may end up staying here for the holidays. It’s too far for her to drive.”

  “Why can’t you fly?”

  “My doctor is afraid I would get sick. This time of year, it’s pretty typical for people to fly with a cold or the flu.”

  “With the treatments she’s on, she can’t afford to get sick.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Trent said. He reached out and put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I’ll give you a call when I get those dates locked in, but it will be sometime the week before Christmas.”

  Though Ben normally tried to bow out of events at hospitals, he found himself agreeing. “All right. I’ll see you later.”

  Ben escorted Maya out of the ballroom, and they collected their coats. As soon as they were in his car, Maya turned to him. “You aren’t really going to stay here for Christmas, are you?”

  “I was thinking about it.”

  “You don’t have to do that. Your parents will be crushed if you don’t come home.”

  “I don’t want to leave you here alone though.”

  “Believe it or not, I actually am capable of taking care of myself.”

  “It’s not a matter of being able to. I just hate the idea of anyone being alone for Christmas.”

  “I appreciate the gesture, but I think you need to put your family before me for this one.”

  Ben pulled up to a stoplight and glanced sideways. “Right now, you are my family.”

  Maya looked at him, the glimmer of a tear in her eye. “That’s really sweet, but I don’t think your parents will want to hear you say that.”

  “It’s true,” Ben told her, a little surprised by how the simple statement could make him feel like his world was tilting dangerously toward something unknown. His eyes met hers, and once again, he saw her only as a woman. “Did I mention that you look beautiful tonight?”

  She smiled. “I believe you did.”

  “Just checking.”

  Chapter 29

  Ben wasn’t budging. Several times over the past three weeks, Maya had encouraged him to get a plane ticket to go home or at least make plans to drive home. His answer remained the same. He refused to go unless she could go with him. He also refused to talk about the future.

  Now that a full month had passed since they had last seen Rishi, and the main reason for their marriage had faded, Maya wondered what would come next. Several times since Ben’s teammate’s wedding, Maya had tried to pose the question of what Ben wanted for his future if she did survive this cancer. Every time, he pushed the conversation off, insisting that they could talk about it after she got better.

  Already edgy about the possibility of not surviving, she found herself eager to plan for a future that included turning twenty-one and living beyond the next few months. She also ached to know if Ben saw a future for them together, if there was any chance he might return her feelings. Unfortunately, Ben didn’t want to discuss it. Any of it.

  Aware that he wasn’t going to help her find the peace she was looking for, she now found herself focused on making sure she didn’t get in the way of him being with his family for the holidays. She had even asked the doctor about the various possibilities—plane, train, automobile, or even bus. Dr. Schuster’s opinion remained the same.

  Driving would be nearly impossible with her needing to stop every thirty minutes to get out and stretch. He also didn’t want her in the car for more than two hours a day. At that rate, it would take them more than four days to get there and the same to get back. With only seven days off of treatment, traveling that far wouldn’t work. Well, actually she would have eight days off since the doctor said she wouldn’t have to come in for blood work tomorrow. Still, if she went all the way to Ohio, she understandably wanted to have at least a day or two to spend there.

  With a particularly nasty strain of flu currently going around, the doctor was adamant that she not use public transportation of any kind.

  She walked out into the waiting area of the cancer center after her infusion to find Henry waiting for her. “Hi, Henry. How are you doing?”

  “I think I’m about ready to get these holidays started.”

  Maya didn’t comment, wishing she felt the same way. Instead, she motioned to the wheelchair between them. “You know, I really think I’m strong enough to walk downstairs on my own now.”

  “Strong enough or not, you can’t take away my excuse to spend time with you.” He took her arm and helped her into the chair. “Humor me. It’s better to play it safe when it comes to your health.”

  “You’re as bad as Ben. He’s always afraid I’ll overdo it too.”

  “How are things going with Ben?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you’ve been together for a couple of months now,” he said. “Things look like they’re starting to get serious.”

  Maya felt her cheeks flush, but her voice was steady when she said, “It’s not like that.”

  The elevator doors slid open, and Maya could see Ben standing beside his car at the curb. He saw her coming, and his eyes met hers and held.

  “Honey, when a man looks at a woman the way he looks at you, things are definitely getting serious.”

  Nerves jumped in her stomach. Dare she hope he might have feelings for her? She didn’t respond to Henry. What could she say? That she hoped Ben cared for her as much as she cared for him? That as much as she looked forward to beating this cancer once and for all, she also dreaded that day because she was afraid Ben would no longer have a reason to be in her life?

  Henry pushed her outside, and Maya felt her cheeks flush once more.

  “Hey, Henry. How’s it going?” Ben stretched his hand out in greeting.

  Henry shook his hand and gave him a friendly smile. “I’m good. How about yourself?”

  “Good. I have to admit, though, that I’m looking forward to having a week off from coming here,” Ben told him. He pulled a card out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Henry. “I know Maya has been promising to make you Indian food when she’s stronger. Since that’s still going to be a while, I thought you and your wife might enjoy this.”

  “What is it?”

  “Open it.”

  Henry tore open the envelope to find a gift certificate to a local Indian restaurant. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.”

  “We were happy to do it,” Ben countered. “You’ve been a good friend, and I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “Well, I appreciate that.”

  “You have a good holiday. We’ll see you after Christmas.”

  Ben reached for Maya’s hand and helped her into the car.

  “That was really thoughtful of you,” Maya said as soon as they were alone.

  “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “Are you kidding?” Maya looked at him. “One of his favorite baseball players ever thought enough of him to give him a Christmas gift. He’ll remember that forever.”

  Ben shrugged. “I didn’t think of it that way.”

  “Which is why it was so sweet,” Maya told him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  * * *

  On the Friday before Christmas, the first day of Maya’s break from treatment, Ben answered his cell phone, surprised to find Trent on the line. He had already fulfilled h
is obligation to visit the children’s hospital and assumed the corporate offices for the Nationals would already be closed for the holidays.

  “Trent, what can I do for you?”

  “Actually, it’s what I can do for you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Remember how you were telling me a couple of weeks ago how you couldn’t go home because of Maya’s health problems?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you can now,” he said cheerfully. “I mentioned your problem to the team’s owner, and he offered to help you with your transportation issues.”

  Before Trent could continue, Ben asked, “Did you tell him I’m married?”

  “Actually, I had to tell him back when we put Maya on your insurance,” he said. Then he went on to explain that the team’s owner had offered to let Ben and Maya use his private jet to fly to Cincinnati. Ben listened to the offer and found himself practically speechless.

  “I can’t believe he’s willing to do that.”

  “He was happy to do it,” Trent said. “The plane is going to be ready for you in two hours, so I suggest you get packed.”

  “Thank you, Trent. Thank you so much!”

  “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas,” Ben agreed. He walked out of his room and into the living room, where Maya was curled up with a book. He was almost giddy when he said, “Hey, Maya, it’s time to pack.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “Pack for what?”

  He grinned at her. “We’re getting out of here for the week. It’s time for a change of scenery.”

  “Ben, you know I can’t travel. And you’re welcome to go somewhere. I already told you I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Humor me. Go pack your things. We’ll be gone for the week.” Ben led the way into her bedroom. “Where’s your suitcase?”

  Maya followed him. “It’s in the closet. Where are you planning on us going?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Ben opened the closet and pulled the suitcase out of the corner, where he had stashed it for her weeks ago. Then he set it on her bed and opened it. “Let me know if you need any help. I’m going to get my things together.”