Chances Are

by Abramson, Traci Hunter

He looked back over his shoulder to see Maya open a drawer despite her obvious confusion. Satisfied that she would do as he asked, he went into his room and gathered the few things he would need. Now it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

  * * *

  Maya’s jaw dropped open, and she stared at the sleek private jet in front of them. The hired car hadn’t surprised her that much. Ben occasionally hired a car and driver when they went places in the city so she wouldn’t have to walk too far, but hiring a jet was over the top, even for him. “You hired a private plane?”

  “Actually, it belongs to the Nationals owner. He found out about our transportation problem and offered to solve it for us.” Ben slid out of the car and offered his hand. “Let’s go.”

  Maya let him lead her to the plane, noticing the driver tending to their bags. The pilot greeted them as they came aboard, and Maya looked around the interior, thinking it looked more like a living room than a mode of transportation. Leather reclining seats, a table for work or to eat a meal on. Ben showed her to one of the wide chairs and sat in the one beside her.

  He leaned back and nodded. “I think I could get used to this.”

  “This is incredible,” Maya said.

  “I definitely got drafted by the right team.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Evans, we’ll be leaving shortly. Please buckle your seat belts.”

  “Thank you,” Ben said, looking nearly as surprised as Maya was to hear her addressed as Mrs. Evans.

  “How many people on your team know we’re married?”

  Ben buckled his seat belt before looking over at her. “I thought it was just Trent and the owner, but I guess our pilot is in that inner circle too.”

  Concern crept into her voice. “What if he says something?”

  “If someone from the team confided in him, I’m sure he can be trusted.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Are you getting worried that you’ll be linked to me?”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about. You’re the one who doesn’t want any of this in the press.” She gripped her hands on the armrests as the plane started forward.

  “You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”

  “Not really. I just get a little nervous during takeoff,” Maya admitted. “It’s silly, I know.”

  “It’ll be fine.” Ben put his hand over hers. Maya turned her hand over and linked her fingers with his as the plane continued toward the runway. Her stomach lurched as the airplane picked up speed and she felt its nose tilt up.

  Ben gave her hand a squeeze, and as soon as they leveled off, Maya’s body slowly relaxed.

  “Are you ready for a snack?” Ben asked.

  Maya couldn’t help but smile. “I think you are obsessed with feeding me.”

  “You have to admit that you seem to be a lot stronger now than when you first moved in with me.”

  “That’s true.” Maya thought of her conversation that morning with Henry. “I was just talking to Henry about how I can walk myself from the cancer center to the front doors of the hospital.”

  “You can’t change Henry’s routine. He’d miss you too much.”

  “I’d miss him too. It’ll be strange once my treatments are over.”

  Ben cocked his head to one side. “I don’t think I ever asked you what you were studying in college.”

  “Social work,” she said without hesitation.

  “What made you decide on that?”

  “I had hoped to work in the foster-care system. After living with a family that didn’t want me, I thought maybe I could help other kids avoid those kinds of problems.”

  “You were a foster kid? I didn’t know that.”

  She hadn’t ever told anyone about her foster-care experience, and she couldn’t say why she was prompted to do so now. “My grandmother died the summer after my junior year in high school, so I was dumped into the foster system.”

  “You said your foster family didn’t want you?”

  “They wanted the monthly check that came with me, but no, they didn’t want anything to do with me. I got a bed to sleep in and free lunches at school. Other than that, I was pretty much on my own.”

  “But they at least fed you?” He phrased it as a question, and Maya could see the disbelief in his eyes.

  “Sometimes, but grocery shopping and family meals weren’t really their thing,” Maya remembered too well the way the refrigerator always seemed to be empty and the accusations her foster mother spewed at her every time she made herself something without asking. Of course, when she asked, she was rarely told she could eat anything beyond a piece of toast.

  “How did you survive living like that?”

  “I’d buy food and hide it in my room. When they went out to eat, which was almost every night, I’d fix myself something, or I’d walk down to the corner deli,” she admitted. “I always wondered if Kari knew what was going on because your family used to invite me over for dinner a lot.”

  “Where did you get the money to buy your own food? I can’t imagine they were giving you any if they weren’t even making sure you were eating right.”

  Her voice was soft, wistful. “I sold my grandmother’s ring. It was a beautiful square-cut emerald that she brought here from India.” She shook her head, trying to free herself of the past. Then she changed the subject. “What is your plan for this week? Do your parents even know we’re coming?”

  Ben didn’t smile the way she had expected. As though he understood her need to leave the past behind her, he seemed to force himself to lighten his mood and say, “They don’t have a clue.”

  Chapter 30

  Ben pushed open his parents’ front door, a sense of both excitement and anxiety bubbling up inside him. Maya hadn’t been the only person he planned on surprising today. When Trent told him about the offer to use the private jet, Ben considered letting his parents know he and Maya were coming but then decided that surprises were too much fun.

  The scent of spaghetti sauce and fresh bread told him his family was home, and he could hear the television droning on in the background. Maya held back, and he recognized her reservations.

  He lowered his voice and whispered, “Come on.”

  When she stayed frozen in the doorway, he set down their bags, took her hand, and tugged her inside. Then he called out, “Anybody home?”

  “Ben?” his mother’s voice carried through the house. Then she rounded the corner from the kitchen into the hallway. “You made it!”

  “Merry Christmas.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.” She hurried toward him and gave him a big hug.

  “Me too.” Ben stepped back, not quite sure what his mother would think about Maya’s presence. To his surprise, she stepped out of his arms and headed straight for Maya, giving her a welcoming hug too.

  “Maya, it’s so good to see you. Come on inside and sit down. Ben can take your bags upstairs.”

  Ben managed to keep his jaw from dropping open. He didn’t know what to think about his mother’s warm greeting.

  Jane looked up at Ben. “Kari is upstairs. Why don’t you go say hello and tell her Maya is here.”

  Maya looked over at him, reminding him of a deer in the headlights. Ben put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Ben grabbed their suitcases and hauled them upstairs, setting his in his childhood bedroom and carrying Maya’s bag to Kari’s room.

  He poked his head inside the open door and saw his sister stretched out on her bed, a magazine in front of her. “Hey there. Are you up for a roommate?”

  “Ben!” Kari scrambled off of her bed and launched herself at him. “You’re home!”

  “Maya really didn’t want me to miss Christmas with the family.”

  “You left her in DC alone?”

  Ben shook his head and held up her suitcase. “She’s downstairs.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

  By the time Ben set Maya’s suitcase
inside the bedroom door, Kari was already halfway down the hall. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his family being more excited to see Maya than they were to see him.

  He headed back downstairs and followed the voices into the kitchen, where his mother was stirring spaghetti sauce in a pot and Kari and Maya were now sitting at the kitchen counter visiting.

  His heart warmed as he stood at the edge of the hallway and watched the three women talk. He couldn’t hear the words at first, but the laughter that followed something Kari said was warm and friendly.

  Maya noticed him first and held his stare until he crossed to her.

  Ben put a hand on the back of her chair and said, “You already know you aren’t supposed to believe anything they say, right?”

  “Only the good stuff,” Maya told him with a smile.

  “Glad to see we’re on the same page.” Ben turned to his mother. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He should be home from work any minute. I have a feeling he might have stopped off at the store to do some Christmas shopping.”

  “There are still five days until Christmas.”

  “Yeah, he’s starting early this year,” Jane said. “Ben, why don’t you and Kari set the table? Maya can help with the garlic toast.”

  Ben nodded and went to retrieve the plates from the cabinet. Then he headed for the table, and a startling thought struck him. What was he going to get Maya for Christmas?

  * * *

  “What can I possibly get Ben for Christmas?” Maya asked Kari as they lay in Kari’s room that night. “He has given me so much, and I feel like nothing I can do will ever show my gratitude.”

  “It’s Christmas, Maya. Your gift doesn’t have to be a thank you present,” Kari told her. “Besides, he knows you don’t have money to go shopping.”

  “That’s another problem.”

  “You know I can spot you some cash if you need me to.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you to do that.” Maya shook her head. “I’ll think of something.”

  “You know, you could write him a poem. You used to write all the time when we were in high school.”

  “I haven’t done that in forever.”

  “It was two years ago.”

  “It was a lifetime ago,” Maya corrected.

  “Think about it,” Kari suggested. She shifted the pillow behind her back and asked, “How are things going between you and Ben?”

  “Fine.”

  Kari cocked a brow. “You’ve been living with my brother for six weeks, and all I get is ‘fine’?”

  “There’s not much to tell. He takes me to the hospital for my various appointments and works out a couple times a day. I usually don’t have enough energy to do much more than read, sleep, and watch TV.”

  “Ben sent me pictures of you guys in front of the Lincoln Memorial.”

  “Well, yeah. We try to go out and see stuff when the weather’s nice.”

  “I’m jealous. I haven’t had time to see more than the basics in DC. Every time I’ve gone there, it’s been to see Ben play.”

  “This summer you won’t have to worry about taking care of me, and you’ll be able to stay longer when you visit him.”

  “I didn’t mind helping you out last year.”

  “I know, and I appreciate everything you did for me. I don’t know how I would have gotten through chemo and radiation without you.”

  “Is Ben taking good care of you?”

  “Yeah, he seems to think that’s his full-time job.” Maya cocked her head to the side. “Is that a character trait with your family? This incessant need to take care of people?”

  “Apparently so,” Kari said.

  Maya couldn’t help but laugh at Kari’s nonchalant answer. She picked up a pillow and tossed it at her.

  Kari giggled right along with her. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  * * *

  Ben sat at the kitchen counter across from his mom, his confusion continuing to grow. He had expected Kari to be thrilled to see Maya, but the best he had hoped for from his parents was cool politeness. Instead, they had both been warm, welcoming, and downright cheerful.

  “I still can’t believe you and Maya were able to make it. I was heartbroken to think this would be the first Christmas I wouldn’t have you here,” Jane said as she retrieved a bowl from a cabinet and started mixing ingredients together. Ben recognized the line-up as a future pumpkin pie.

  “Forgive me for being confused, but four weeks ago, you and Dad were both livid that I had married Maya, and now you’re treating her like she really is my wife.”

  “Ben, Maya is your wife.”

  Ben ignored the humor in his mother’s voice. “You know what I mean. Why are you and Dad suddenly so cool with all of this?”

  “For one thing, we’ve had a little time to get over the shock of not being at your wedding.”

  “And?” Ben prompted. There was no way a few weeks could have changed their attitudes so completely without another reason.

  “And we realized this isn’t just a marriage of convenience.”

  “What do you mean? Of course it is.”

  His mother dumped sugar into the bowl and shook her head. “Then you put on a good show because it sure looks like the two of you love each other for real.”

  “It’s not like that. I’ve never even really kissed her,” Ben insisted, though the images of their brief kiss at the courthouse and of them dancing together popped into his mind. He wasn’t about to admit that he’d been wondering for weeks what a real kiss would be like.

  “That surprises me, but it also has nothing to do with whether you really love her,” Jane countered. She set the bowl of pie filling aside. “Loving someone is caring enough to change your world to make theirs better. That’s what you do for Maya. And as much as she can, that’s what Maya does for you.”

  “I think you’re both losing it.” Ben shook his head.

  “No, but you might want to put some thought into this before you end up losing the most important thing in your life. Don’t let Maya think she’s the only one in love.”

  His heart jumped in his chest at his mother’s words. Could Maya have really fallen for him, or were his parents just mistaking her gratitude for something more? “What makes you think she loves me?”

  “It’s written all over her face. The sun rises and sets on you as far as she’s concerned,” she told him. “And as for you, I’ve never seen you so considerate before. You anticipate Maya’s needs almost before she knows what they are, and she appreciates it every time. It’s the kind of marriage I’ve always wanted for all of you kids.”

  Ben fell silent, lost in his thoughts. He’d always been pretty good about opening doors and stuff like that for girls. His mother had trained him well in old-fashioned courtesies. Now that she pointed it out though, he couldn’t remember a time he had gone out of his way for a girl. He knew he had led Heather to believe he decided to move to California to be closer to her, but he could admit that Heather had really just been an easy excuse to spread his wings and keep from moving home during the off-season.

  He supposed he had rearranged his schedule a bit for Cassie, but when she had started hinting about marriage last Christmas, he had known it was time to move on. After being so panicked about the idea of getting married only a year ago, he never would have imagined he’d end up married so soon—to someone he’d never even dated.

  Memories of his time with Maya last Christmas came to mind. They had both been heading out for a run the day after she and Kari had gotten home from college and had fallen into the routine of running together over her college break. He remembered now how much he had looked forward to that part of his day.

  His eyebrows drew together. Could he have been falling for Maya back when he’d first met her? He had been so eager to get out of his relationship with Cassie that he hadn’t considered entering into a new one, and certainly not with his sister’s best friend
, but could that have been a subconscious thought at the time?

  His mother interrupted his thoughts. “By the way, your grandparents are arriving tomorrow. They’re looking forward to meeting Maya.”

  “Did you tell them we’re married?”

  Jane shook her head. “No. I thought I would let you do that when you were ready.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” He thought once more about what he might give to Maya for Christmas, and a burst of inspiration flashed into his mind. “What time does the mall close tonight?”

  “I think it’s open until ten.”

  Ben looked down at his watch to see that it was already 8:45. “Can I borrow your car? I have to run out for a bit.”

  “Sure. The spare key is on the hook over there.” She gestured at a key rack near the back door.

  “Thanks. I’ll be back in a little while.”

  He snatched the keys and darted out the door.

  Chapter 31

  Ben carried the small bag through the mall, ecstatic to have found exactly what he was looking for and in the first store he had tried. Now he headed for the mall exit, feeling like he’d just won the World Series. At least, he thought this was what it might feel like to win a World Series.

  He was passing by one of the restaurants near the mall entrance when he heard someone call his name. Recognizing the voice, he turned to see his old girlfriend, Cassie, hurrying toward him. “Ben! I didn’t know you were in town.”

  “I’m just home for a few days. How are you doing? How’s your family?”

  “Everyone’s doing fine. I just graduated from Iowa State in the spring. Now I’m teaching at our old high school.”

  “Good for you.”

  “I can’t believe how your year went. I’m sorry you didn’t get rookie of the year. You deserved it.”

  “Thanks, but there were a lot of good candidates,” Ben said, reciting his standard line.

  “Where are you heading now? Do you have time to grab a late bite to eat or something?”

  “Actually, I really need to get home.”

  “Some other time, then.” She stepped forward and gave him a hug.

  Automatically, his hand lifted to her waist, despite the package he held in it. Feeling awkward hugging a woman he was no longer involved with, he pulled back, but not before she brushed a kiss across his cheek.