Chance for Home

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  Her back straightened. “I never said I was dropping the grievance. I said I would think about it.”

  “Kari, what’s the point of continuing with it? The summer’s almost over, and things obviously worked out okay for you.” His tone made Kari wonder if he should pursue a law degree rather than medical school. “Why put my dad through this? He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “If he didn’t do anything wrong, then the grievance process will show that,” Kari replied. She stepped around the car and started past him.

  He moved to block her path. “The accusation alone can affect his career.”

  A door opened and closed. Kari saw Austin’s gaze shift briefly before returning to hers.

  “You really aren’t going to drop this, are you?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry, Austin, but I don’t think I can. The truth needs to come out, and I’m as interested as anyone to know what it is.”

  “I really have missed you,” he said, changing tactics.

  “Don’t go there.”

  “I can’t help it.” Before she could evade, he took her by the arms and leaned down to kiss her.

  Kari turned her head, and the intended kiss landed on her cheek.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  The question had barely crossed her lips when she heard Ryan’s voice behind her, fury vibrating in his words. “Who’s he?”

  “I’m her fiancé,” Austin said, shifting to put his arm firmly around Kari’s shoulders. “Who are you?”

  “Austin, stop lying.” Kari tried to break free of Austin’s grip, but he only tightened his hold. “Ryan, it’s not what you think. He’s nothing to me.”

  Ryan’s eyes hardened. “What I think”—he looked at Kari briefly before focusing solely on Austin—“is that he’d better get his hands off you before I decide to use him as a punching bag for my workout today.”

  “Look, I don’t want any trouble.” Reluctantly, Austin dropped his hand, but he didn’t drop the pretense. “Kari and I talked about taking a break for the summer, but that doesn’t change the fact that she promised to marry me.”

  The muscle in Ryan’s jaw tensed, and now his gaze landed on Kari. “Is this true?”

  “No, it’s not true. We dated for a few months, and then we broke up because he was engaged to someone else.”

  “Come on, Kari,” Austin said smoothly. “Just because I didn’t want to get married this summer is no reason to start making up stories. Haven’t you led this guy on enough? You’re going to be back in school with me in a couple weeks and will have forgotten all about him.”

  “I’m not going back to Vanderbilt,” Kari retorted. “And I’m not going back to you.”

  She noticed Ryan’s hand clench into a fist, and she stepped between the two men. “Ryan, he’s not worth it.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Ryan said, clearly considering. “I think I’d get a lot of satisfaction from breaking his nose.”

  “And risk injuring your hand?” Kari shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  Clearly not taking the threat seriously, Austin changed tactics once more. “You know, I saw all sorts of feel-good stories on you two on the Internet this weekend. It would be a shame if they were followed up with the news that the Nationals’ third baseman is dating an engaged woman.”

  “We aren’t engaged.”

  “It’s your word against mine,” Austin said. “As we were just discussing, the appearance of misconduct can be extremely damaging to someone’s reputation.”

  Anger caused her own fist to curl, and before she could consider the consequences, Kari’s fist struck out and connected with Austin’s eye.

  Stunned, he stumbled back two steps.

  Pain jolted through Kari’s hand, but she refused to give Austin the satisfaction of knowing she was hurt too.

  Ryan moved in and grabbed Austin by the front of his T-shirt to hold him in place. “I think it’s time you leave. And I suggest you never come back,” Ryan said evenly. “And if I see anything negative about Kari or me anywhere, you will find yourself dealing with my lawyers until you’re forty. Do I make myself clear?”

  Austin’s eyes lit with fear, and he managed a weak nod.

  “Good.” Ryan released him, but he didn’t move back. Instead, he held his ground until Austin retreated to his car and hastily started the engine.

  Ryan moved back to give Austin a clear exit and then turned to Kari. “You went out with that loser?”

  She tilted her head to one side. “Do I need to mention your ex-fiancée?”

  “Point taken.” He lifted her hand, her knuckles red and beginning to swell. “Come on. Let’s get some ice on this hand.”

  Kari followed him into his house and sat on one of the kitchen stools while he put ice into a plastic bag. After wrapping it in a thin dish towel, he pressed it gently to her bruising knuckles.

  She looked up at him, realizing how similar this situation had been to the one at the ball field when she had believed Brandi’s story. “Thanks for not buying into his lies.”

  “I’ll admit, I had a moment when I saw him kiss you.” His shoulders lifted. “Then I remembered how everyone made assumptions about me and Brandi. You never would have been so upset about that if you were dating around behind my back.”

  “I would never date around behind anyone’s back,” Kari said.

  “I know.” He leaned across the counter and kissed her. “Just so you know, I would have fought that guy for you.”

  “Yeah, but there’s always a certain satisfaction in knowing that he has to live with the fact that it was a girl who gave him a black eye.”

  “I can see your point.” He lifted the ice pack from her hand, and she winced. “I think I know where I’m taking you today.”

  “You don’t have to take me anywhere. I thought we could hang out here and go swimming or watch a movie.”

  “Change of plans. We’ll pick up your purse on our way.”

  “On our way where?”

  “The ER. Austin may end up with a black eye, but I think you broke your hand.”

  “Great.”

  * * *

  Ryan led the way into the waiting room of the urgent care closest to his house and wondered if perhaps the ER at the hospital would have been quicker. An entire men’s volleyball team dominated one corner, identifiable both by their uniforms and the volleyball one of them carried. An older couple sat beside the reception desk, and a mother with two young children wheeled her youngest back and forth in a stroller while trying to occupy her three-year-old with a coloring book.

  Kari approached the reception desk, where a woman in her thirties sat, her demeanor calm despite the crowded lobby. “How long is the wait?”

  “About thirty minutes.”

  Kari looked back, questioning.

  “That’s not bad,” Ryan said and asked the receptionist, “Do you have an X-ray machine here?”

  “We do,” she said. “Who is the patient?”

  “I am.” Kari held up her hand. “Possible broken metacarpal.”

  The receptionist picked up a clipboard and handed it to Kari. “I’ll need you to fill this out.”

  Ryan took it from her and led Kari to an empty seat beside the volleyball team. “I assume you’ll need me to write for you.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” She looked at her hand again. “What was I thinking using my right hand?”

  “Don’t ask me. You’re the one who was all worried about me getting injured.” Ryan started filling out the information on the form, asking questions as he went. When everything was complete and Kari signed the form with her good hand, he carried it back to the desk.

  When he returned to sit beside Kari, she was chatting with the volleyball team. “Who’s the patient?” he asked.

  A tall lanky man around twenty lifted a hand. “That would be me.”

  “Let me guess. Twisted ankle.”

  He shook his head. “Separated shoulder.”

  “H
ow did you do that?” Kari asked.

  “He and a pole had a disagreement. He lost,” one of his teammates answered for him.

  “Ouch.”

  “What are you here for?” one of them asked.

  Kari lifted her hand. “Punched the ex.”

  Several sets of eyes shifted to Ryan. He held up his hand and shook his head. “It wasn’t me. I’m the good guy here.”

  The volleyball player’s name was called, and Kari continued to chat with the rest of the group. Ryan found himself drawn into the conversation as they joked about the perils of unusual injuries.

  Twenty-seven minutes after their arrival, Kari’s name was called. “Do you want me to wait for you here?”

  “You can come back with me if you want.” Kari stood and followed the nurse. They reached the exam room, but after a brief conversation with the nurse, the woman led Kari away for her X-ray.

  When she returned, Kari sat in the chair beside Ryan. “I’m really sorry you’re stuck with me here today.”

  “It’s been an adventure,” he said. “Besides, if I hadn’t come, those volleyball players would totally have been hitting on you.”

  “Oh, I doubt that. They just needed someone to distract them from worrying about their friend.”

  “You did a good job of it,” Ryan said. “How’s the hand feeling?”

  She looked down at it. “I liked it better before it started turning purple.”

  “You certainly got that guy’s attention though.” Ryan shook his head. “How did you meet him?”

  “We had some classes together, and we were both studying pre-med. After we broke up, I realized we didn’t have as much in common as I thought.”

  “Lucky for me.”

  “I’m the lucky one.”

  The door opened, and the nurse entered holding the X-ray in a manila sleeve. She pulled it free of the protective covering, clipped it onto the display screen, and flipped on the light. “The doctor will be right in.”

  “Thank you.” As soon as the nurse left, Kari stood and crossed to the X-ray. She studied it a moment and turned back to look at Ryan. Her nose wrinkled. “Well, you were right. It’s broken.”

  He stared at the image, unable to identify the problem. A moment later, the doctor walked in and introduced himself.

  “Let’s see what we have here.” He motioned for Kari to sit on the exam table. She did so, careful to use only her good hand to boost herself up. The doctor studied the X-ray for a moment before moving over to probe the injury.

  “I’m afraid you have a fracture of one of the metacarpal bones.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Kari said. When the doctor gave her a puzzled look, she said, “I looked at the X-ray before you came in.”

  “The good news is that we should be able to put it in a splint instead of casting it.”

  “For how long?”

  “You’ll need to follow up with your regular doctor, but for an injury like this, you’re looking at about eight weeks.”

  For a minute, Ryan thought Kari was going to try to negotiate her sentence down, but instead she said, “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “I’ll be right back to splint that for you.”

  “Do you realize you diagnosed yourself faster than the doctor did?” Ryan said as soon as the doctor left.

  “Yeah, but I knew where to look. He had to analyze the entire image.”

  “It was still pretty impressive.”

  “What would have been impressive is if I could have given Austin a black eye without breaking my hand.”

  “Next time,” Ryan said.

  “There isn’t going to be a next time. After seeing you, I doubt he’ll be coming back.”

  “I can live with that.”

  Chapter 34

  Kari saw the way Maya clasped her hands together, a sure sign of nerves. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be good news. I can feel it.” Maya pressed her lips together, and Kari was surprised to see the depth of emotions evident on her friend’s face. She put her hand on Maya’s arm. “The doctor said your surgery went well. You did the extra chemo to prevent any new tumors from forming. Why are you so worried?”

  “Because every time I’ve had scans, it’s been bad news.”

  “You’re getting good news this time,” Kari assured her. “I’ve decided.”

  Maya’s amusement chased away some of the worry. “Oh, you’ve decided, have you?”

  “Yep.” Kari scratched at the edge of her splint.

  “I still can’t believe you broke your hand,” Maya said, clearly attempting to distract herself.

  “I don’t think Ryan is going to let me live it down.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kari gave her a wry smile. “I kept Ryan from punching Austin to make sure he didn’t injure himself, and then I did exactly what I told him not to do.”

  Maya chuckled. “Oh, I’m sure he’s having fun razzing you about that.”

  “He is,” Kari said. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t just told him I didn’t want him to hurt his hands.”

  The door opened, and once again, Maya gripped her hands together.

  “Hello, Maya. How are you doing?” the doctor said.

  “You tell me.”

  “Your scans look great.”

  Tears of relief filled Maya’s eyes. “Really?”

  “Really,” he assured her. “I can still see a shadow at the base of your skull where the tumor was located, but the PET scan didn’t light up at all.”

  “Does this mean I can start playing tennis again?” Maya asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “She’s been pretty eager to take advantage of the tennis court in her backyard,” Kari said and then asked, “Any chance we can see the actual scans?”

  “Sure.” He pulled the images up on his monitor, discussing each one with Kari. Finally he said, “You must be studying medicine.”

  “Planning on it,” Kari said. “Thanks for showing us these.”

  “You’re welcome.” He turned to Maya. “I’ll see you back in three months for the next scans.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kari and Maya walked out of the office and made it only a few steps before they saw Maya’s friend Henry.

  “Henry! How are you?” Maya asked. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

  “I agree. You shouldn’t have moved so far away.”

  “It’s thirty minutes,” Maya said. “And if you came to the games, I would see you all the time.”

  “You know I can’t handle the heat. Come September I’ll be there all the time.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “What are you girls up to today?” Henry asked.

  “I was meeting with Dr. Schuster.”

  “Good news, I hope.”

  “Very good news,” Maya confirmed. “In fact, I think we should go out and celebrate. Can you take a lunch break?”

  “I might be persuaded.” Henry walked with them as they headed toward the main entrance. He motioned to Kari’s hand. “What did you do to yourself?”

  “She was protecting the Nationals’ third baseman,” Maya answered for her.

  “This I’ve got to hear.”

  Kari looked over at Maya. “You know, I think I like your explanation a lot better than mine.”

  “I thought you might.” Maya headed for the door. “Come on. I know this great little Brazilian restaurant you’re going to love.”

  “Lead the way,” Kari said.

  * * *

  “Are you sure you don’t want to bring your wheelchair?” Ryan asked his mother as they prepared to leave for his game. “Even if I drop you off close to the entrance, you’ll still have to do a lot of walking.”

  “I’ll be fine. In case you have forgotten, I have every intention of being able to pass the stairs test next week so I can move back home.”

  “I know, but the last thing we want is for you to push it too hard.”

  “Ryan, e
ven if I agreed to the wheelchair, it would be too hard to use. I wouldn’t be able to get myself to my seat, and Kari certainly can’t push me with her broken hand.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Moms are always right,” Susan said. “You should know that by now.”

  “Sorry. I forget sometimes.”

  “I’m always available to remind you.” She headed for the door, and Ryan had to admit she was moving well and no longer had difficulty getting down the step into the garage.

  “Kari’s riding with us, isn’t she?”

  “Yes. If she isn’t here when we’re ready to leave, we’ll swing by and get her on our way out.” He opened the garage door and noticed Kari crossing the street. “There she is now.”

  Ryan opened the front door for his mom at the same time she reached for the handle of the back door. “Mom, why don’t you sit up front?”

  “I can take the back.” She climbed in and positioned her cane in the seat beside her.

  Kari reached them. “Miss Susan, you can sit in the front.”

  “I’m fine.” Susan closed the back door.

  Ryan gave Kari a kiss in greeting. “I guess you’re sitting in the front.”

  “Okay, then.” She clutched her purse with her left hand to keep from getting tangled in the strap and took her seat.

  “How’s the hand?” Susan asked as Ryan took his place behind the wheel.

  “It’s not as sore as it was the first couple days. I haven’t had to take any pain meds today.”

  “What are you on? I assume the doctor gave you a prescription.”

  “He offered, but I had him leave it with my chart because I knew I wouldn’t fill it anyway. I’m not big on the heavy-duty stuff unless it’s really necessary.”

  “I hear you. It’s scary how many people get hooked on them.”

  Ryan listened to them chat about the challenges in the medical field, appreciating the way his mother now treated Kari. When the women finally took a breath, he asked Kari, “Have you figured out what you’re doing for fall semester yet? Classes start in a few weeks.”

  “I meet with the counselor tomorrow morning,” Kari told him. “It will be nice to get that settled so I can finally shift my focus to finding a place to live.”

  Ryan glanced over at her, his eyes focusing on her hand. “Are you sure you want to get your own place right away? With your hand, it might be nice to wait until you have the splint off.”