“You want me to meet him today?”
“I know this is another imposition, but these days we try to give Mark whatever he asks for…whatever we can. Would it be possible for you to clear your schedule this morning?”
Glancing down at the printout Darlene had laid on his desk earlier, he saw there wasn’t anything listed that couldn’t be postponed. She could juggle his appointments and he could take care of the rest later today.
“Give me your address,” Adam decided. He wasn’t surprised when the location of Cambry’s home was in a section of town where the elite lived. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”
When he settled the handset on the console once more, he turned to Leigh. “Mark wants to meet me. I’m going to go over there now.”
“You’ll like Mark. He’s mature beyond his years. Mr. and Mrs. Cambry are very open with him about everything. I wonder how he’s doing with all this waiting.”
“You mean physically?”
“Yes.” Her blue eyes were worried and concerned. “If you want to keep this private, I’ll understand. But I could come along with you to assess his condition, to look at how he’s doing as a medical professional.”
“Would this be part of your job as liaison?” He didn’t know Leigh anymore and he wasn’t sure of her motives.
“That’s part of it, but there’s more. I’d like to put our past behind us. I thought maybe we could be friends.”
As Adam turned over her words in his mind, he couldn’t help but be wary. All the relationships in his past had not led him to trust easily. On the other hand, maybe he was looking at this too deeply. Leigh’s expertise would be valuable when he visited Mark, and having her along might ease the awkwardness between him and the Cambrys. He had no idea what to expect when he walked in the door.
“If you have the time, I’d appreciate your coming along. Give me a few minutes to speak to Dylan and my secretary, then we can go.”
The drive to the Cambrys was quiet for the most part, and Adam was absolutely aware of Leigh sitting straight in the leather seat, not very far from him. He wondered what she was thinking about all this, whether she was sorry she was caught in the middle of it, or if she saw it simply as an opportunity to stretch her job a little.
She’s going to be a doctor, a smart voice inside of his head told him again, as if to stop him from wondering anything about her. Hating that subconscious voice, he thought about Mark instead. Before he and Leigh had left Novel Programs, Unlimited, he’d snatched up one of his cutting-edge laptop computers that only weighed two pounds and a handful of sample disks, stashing all of it into a carrying case. He didn’t know if Mark would enjoy the computer games or not, but trapped in bed he might appreciate something to do, not only now but later if he had to go to the hospital again.
Adam didn’t want to think about what it would mean if he wasn’t a match.
The area of Portland in which Jared Cambry lived was on the way to Adam’s ranch. However, when Adam veered off the main road, he took a series of turns that led him past huge estates where chauffeurs, maids, butlers and gardeners were commonplace.
The Cambrys’ driveway was a long curved one, lined with pines that added to the sense of privacy. Their house was exceedingly large, Tudor with its wood beams and stucco. It was a traditional house and Adam wondered if Jared Cambry had turned into a traditional man. Maybe Adam would find out something about him today in his own environment.
Adam automatically went around to Leigh’s side of the car and helped her out. Her hand felt small, delicate and warm in his. She was wearing an off-white wool coat over her dress and was every inch a lady…always had been. The sun was shining again today though rain was predicted for the rest of the week. Rain in Portland in March was a given. Thoughts of rain got lost as he watched yellow sunbeams play in Leigh’s blond hair, making it glisten. He felt himself responding to the feel of her skin under his, the scent of her perfume brought to him on the breeze, the concern in her large blue eyes.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked gently.
“As ready as I’m going to be.”
Releasing her hand, he opened the door to the back and pulled out the computer case.
Adam walked the curving path to the door beside Leigh, taking in the huge casement windows, the gables, the pristine outward appearance of everything. At the double-wide, heavy wood doors, he rang the bell.
A few moments later, Jared Cambry was at the door inviting them into the large foyer. A pretty, dark-haired woman, petite and slender, with chin-length wavy hair, came to greet them, too.
Jared dropped his arm around her shoulders. “Leigh, you’ve met my wife Danielle. Adam, this is my wife.”
As Danielle moved closer, Adam could see the circles under her eyes, the paleness of her skin, the worry lines creasing her forehead. He imagined she’d had many sleepless nights and long days of turmoil.
Still, she touched Leigh’s arm briefly, and when he extended his hand to her, she put hers in his. “I’m so glad to meet you, Adam. We can’t thank you enough.” Her voice caught.
Adam had known this meeting would be difficult, but he’d expected awkwardness to come from different reasons than emotion. He didn’t want their thanks. He hadn’t done anything.
Taking a step back, he lifted the computer. “I brought Mark something. Even if he already has a computer, this one will be chock-full of games and an e-mail program.”
“He has a PlayStation,” Jared said. “We haven’t gotten him a computer yet, though there’s a hookup for one in his room. I have one in my home office, and he can link into my Internet service. He’ll probably love it. He’s spending most of his days in bed.”
Jared’s arm was still around his wife, and Adam could tell they were holding on to each other for support.
“Would you like to see him now?” Danielle asked. “He was watching TV when I went up a little bit ago. I’ll make some coffee. Leigh, would you like to join me in the kitchen?”
He understood Danielle’s intent at the invitation. As Adam followed Jared up the stairs, he was suddenly grateful a crowd wouldn’t be around when he met Mark.
The oak steps were plushly carpeted down the middle. The house was tastefully decorated in taupes and mauves with a touch of green here and there. Jared took him to the second door on the right in the upstairs hall.
When he opened it, Adam assessed the room in a second—several posters of Harry Potter, a red-white-and-blue spread with baseballs and bats andcatchers’ mitts, a television set on the dresser facing the bed. There were bookshelves not only lined with books, but with replicas of dinosaurs in porcelain, resin and plush. It was definitely a boy’s room, and when Adam’s gaze met Mark’s in the double bed, his heart tripped, and he understood they were connected in a very big way by blood—their father’s blood.
Mark was pale, so very pale. His dark-brown hair was straight and spiky, his green eyes the same color as his father’s. What stunned Adam most was that Mark looked like he had when he was a boy. If someone had put their eight-year-old pictures together, Adam didn’t know if a stranger could tell them apart.
Royal-blue sheets were folded at Mark’s waist and he was propped up on three pillows. In spite of that, he sat up straight, glanced at his father and back at Adam. “You’re my brother?”
Adam moved into the room and sat on the corner of the bed so that he and Mark were almost at eye level. “It seems like that may be the case. We’ll know for certain after the bloodwork results are in.”
Mark was studying Adam’s face. “You’re my brother. I can tell. You look like me.”
Adam laughed. “Yep, I’ve got to admit, there is a resemblance. You have another older brother, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but Chad looks like Mom. So does Shawna. I’m the only one who looks like Dad.”
As if the talking had tired him, Mark leaned back against the pillows.
Realizing Jared had left him alone with the boy, Adam set the computer
on the bed and unzipped the case. “I brought you something. The battery will stay charged up to ten hours and you can use this while you’re in bed. From the looks of it,” he pointed to the Harry Potter posters and the dinosaurs, “you’ll like this new game we’ve developed. Dino-land.”
“I can use it in bed? That’s great. I get tired really fast now if I sit at my desk to draw.”
Adam glanced at the corner desk and the colored pens and pencils scattered there. “So drawing’s a hobby of yours?”
The boy nodded.
“I’m sure I can dig up a program to use on the computer for drawing. It’ll be different than doing it by hand.”
“That’s okay. Anything’s good to make the time pass faster. I hate being stuck up here. I hate not going to school. I hate being different from everybody else.”
At that moment Adam was sure Leigh could handle this conversation much better than he could. “Do you talk about any of that with your parents?”
Mark shook his head vigorously. “No, they’re so worried most of the time. Mom cries…so does Shawna. Chad and Dad just get this look on their faces. After Lissa wasn’t a match, Mom’s eyes were red for days until the P.I. found you. Did that lady at the hospital talk to you about the transplant?”
“You mean Marietta?”
“Yeah, she’s the one. She’s cool. She tried to make it sound not too scary. Did she do that for you, too?”
With a smile, Adam nodded. He knew if they went through with the transplant, this was going to be a whole lot harder for Mark than it was for him, that conditioning would involve chemo until all the abnormal bone marrow cells were destroyed. Mark would have to be in isolation before and after, and that was going to be hard on him. Yet Adam could sense this boy had spirit and that would get him through, along with the love of his family.
“How would you like it if I loaded some of these games onto the computer and you can try them out? We can make sure they work before I leave.”
“I’d like that.”
While Adam worked on the programs, he and Mark talked. Mark asked him where he grew up, and Adam told him about the farm, but not about his family life there.
“I’ve always wanted a horse,” Mark confided.
“I have a horse. His name’s Thunder and he’s hard to handle, but he’s just right for me. I’ve been thinking about getting a couple more. My partner says he’d come riding if I found a horse that wouldn’t run away with him.”
Mark laughed, and Adam felt satisfied that he could make him laugh. This little boy needed all the smiles and happy thoughts he could get.
“If you get more horses, can I come ride after this is all over?”
All over. If he was a match. They wouldn’t know if the transplant was successful for two to four weeks. After that, it could be six months to a year for real recuperation. Looking into his half brother’s eyes, Adam felt the hope there. Mark had to believe this would be all over and that he would be well again.
“You can come out to the ranch as soon as you’re up to it. But in the meantime, when I do buy more horses, I’ll take photos and scan them into the computer. I’ll be able to e-mail them to you.”
“Way cool!”
Adam loaded another disk.
“If you can e-mail me photos, does that mean you can just e-mail me, too?”
“If you’d like me to.”
“Especially when I go back into the hospital, it would be nice. Family’s great, but they just don’t get Harry. And they can’t tell a tyrannosaurus from a brontosaurus.”
“And you think I can?”
“Can’t you?” Mark challenged.
Dinosaurs had fascinated Adam when he was a kid, too. He’d haunted the school library for information and pictures about them. And as far as Harry Potter went, he had to be up-to-date on all the latest kids gimmicks and games and interests in order to create new software for them.
“I think you’re older than eight,” Adam decided with a chuckle.
Mark shrugged. “Mom says I’m an old soul, whatever that means.”
“It means you’re grown-up past your years.”
“Were you grown-up past your years?”
Adam felt as if he’d always been an adult. “I guess I was.”
Although he had been leaning against the pillows, now Mark sat up again. “Adam?” he asked, in a voice that urged Adam’s gaze to meet his.
“What, Mark?”
“I think you’re going to be a match.”
Chapter Four
A short time later, when Leigh joined Adam in Mark’s room, he was grateful. There were too many feelings ricocheting inside, and he needed time to sort them out. Mark was a terrific kid, and when Adam thought about the odds of them actually being a match…
As Adam loaded the last program into the computer, he could tell Leigh wasn’t just talking to Mark, she was observing him and assessing him—a touch of her hand on the eight-year-old’s skin, a closer look into his eyes, a few questions about how tired he was and if he’d slept last night.
Finally Adam stood and set the computer on the desk. After he plugged into the phone jack, he turned to Mark. “All set. This has an extra-long cord so it’ll reach to the bed if you want to do e-mail there or surf the Net.”
“Thank you, Adam,” Mark replied solemnly.
Adam couldn’t help going to the boy then. “I have more computers lying around the office than I know what to do with. You’ll put this one to good use. But for now, I think you’d better rest.”
Leigh stood and smiled at Mark. “That’s a very good idea.”
“When will I see you again?” Mark asked Adam.
The question tugged at Adam and he realized he truly did have a brother now. “I’ll e-mail you tonight to make sure everything’s working, and I’ll stop by in a couple of days.”
“Do you play chess?” Mark asked him.
“I used to. I’m probably rusty now.”
“Dad’s been teaching me. Maybe we could do that.”
“Maybe we can. Now remember you’re test driving some of those programs for me. You remember what you like most about them and what you like least.”
Leaning over, Adam ruffled Mark’s hair. “I’ll see you soon.” Then he left the room.
After Leigh said her goodbyes, she caught up to him on the stairs.
“How did it go?” she asked as he let her descend the steps in front of him.
“In some ways I see myself in him when I was a kid.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Did you connect?”
“Yes, I guess you could say we did. I’ve never been around kids much, but we didn’t have any trouble talking.”
As they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Jared came to meet them. “Did he take to the computer?”
Standing there, Adam looked for himself in Jared. He found resemblance but decided it might be wishful thinking. “He seemed to. I think he likes the idea of e-mailing.”
“I let him e-mail his grandparents on my computer sometimes.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over the foyer, and Jared motioned toward the dining room and kitchen beyond. “Danielle made coffee and has some pastries. Come on.”
Adam couldn’t seem to find anything to say to Jared as they made their way to the kitchen. He didn’t feel like the man’s son. He certainly didn’t feel comfortable in his house.
Jumping in to fill the breach, Leigh spoke to Danielle as soon as she saw her in the kitchen. She was standing at an island arranging pastries on a dish. Maple cupboards were polished to a high sheen, and the ceramic tile floor and counter surfaces were immaculately clean. “Your house is beautiful. There are so many lovely touches. I especially like that sculpture of the mother and children on the buffet in the dining room.”
“That’s my favorite piece, too. Jared bought it for me when I had Mark.” She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. “How do you think he’s doing, Leigh? He has a doctor’s appointment tomorr
ow but I worry every minute.”
“I know you do. I think he’s doing as well as can be expected. The doctor can tell you more. How’s his appetite?”
“Almost nonexistent. The housekeeper’s been making him homemade puddings, fruit smoothies, doctoring up the protein drinks, anything to tempt him. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn’t.” She looked at Adam. “Waiting to hear if you’re a match or not is so incredibly difficult.”
“I can only imagine.”
After they were all seated at the table, Jared sipped at his black coffee then set down the mug. “Lissa will be returning from her honeymoon soon.”
“You said the family who adopted her had a vineyard. Does she work there?”
“Yes, that’s how she met her husband. They brought Sullivan in as a consultant to help get the vineyard in the black again.”
“Do you have a number where I can reach her when she returns?”
Jared took out his wallet and slipped out a card. “This is her cell phone number. I have it on my Rolodex and on the computer, too, so I don’t need this.” He slid the card across the table to Adam, and Adam picked it up.
Danielle, who had been busying herself getting more coffee, making sure she had enough pastries, came around the table and put her hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Lissa is a wonderful young woman. She wanted to find you as much as Jared, not only for Mark but because you’re her brother.”
After a few moments as Adam savored the idea of a blood sister—a twin—Danielle moved to sit beside her husband. Glancing at him, she addressed Adam again. “Feel free to stop by whenever you’d like. I’m sure Shawna and Chad would like to meet you, too.”
“Do they spend much time with Mark?” He wondered if this family really cared about each other, or if everyone went their separate ways.
“Shawna and Chad both have cut back on their extracurricular activities. They take turns sitting with Mark. We’re trying to keep their lives as normal as possible, but that’s hard. Shawna turns sixteen in a week and a half. That’s important to us, and I don’t want her to feel as if we’ve forgotten about her in our concern for Mark.”
Take A Chance On Me (Logan's Legacy) Page 5