Grand Slam

by Tracie Delaney

  He did as she asked and sat beside her. She casually rested her hand on the inside of his thigh, and her thumb began skimming back and forth. The gesture was meant both to calm and warn him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw she was wearing a small, satisfied smile. His lips twitched in response.

  “Fair enough,” he said, his gaze falling on Kinga. “What’s up?”

  She leaned towards them, forearms on her knees, her hands dangling between her parted thighs.

  “I’m dying, Cash.”

  The sound of Natalia’s gasp competed with his thumping heartbeat, and he sagged against the back of the couch. “What?” he managed to croak.

  “A few months ago, William and I were on holiday when I began to feel unwell,” Kinga said as he and Natalia gaped at her. “Nothing major, just lacking in energy, a little depressed, off my food. But when it didn’t get better once we returned home, I went to see the doctor.”

  “What is it?” Cash said, finding his voice. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Kinga forced a smile. “Breast cancer. At least that’s where it started. I’ve got a secondary tumour in my stomach.”

  Horror congealed in his chest, and he scraped a hand through his hair. “Jesus Christ.”

  “What can we do?” Natalia’s face had drained of colour, and her hands twisted in her lap. “There must be something. A second opinion. We’ll pay for private care, won’t we, Cash? We’ll sort it.”

  Kinga rose from her chair and came to sit beside Natalia. She picked up her hand. “I’ve had second opinions and third ones. There’s no point, Tally.”

  Natalia began quietly sobbing, and her shoulders shook as Kinga pulled her into a hug and whispered comforting words in her ear. There was something definitely wrong with that picture. It should have been the other way around. Cash launched out of his seat, his hands clenched by his side. This wasn’t fucking happening. This couldn’t be happening.

  “Cash.”

  He twisted his head to find Kinga beside him. She rested her hand on his shoulder.

  “Fuck, Kinga.” His hatred of her had dissipated, washed away by the awfulness of the situation. He wrapped his arms around her, only then realising how thin she was beneath her clothes. “I’ve got you. We’re both here for you.”

  She broke down then, huge sobs wracking her tiny frame. Cash met Natalia’s gaze over the top of Kinga’s head, and she nodded in understanding and silently left the room.

  28

  Tally wandered around in a daze, eventually finding herself at the beach. She shucked off her shoes and dangled them between her index and middle fingers as she paddled in the water’s edge, ignoring the biting cold of the Mediterranean Sea. Her knees trembled, and she stepped out of the water and sank to the ground. Her dad had been forty-four when he’d lost his battle. Kinga was thirty-one. It was so unfair, so wrong on multiple levels.

  And so terribly sad that it took a tragedy to bring people back together.

  She glanced at her watch and realised a couple of hours had passed since she’d left Cash with Kinga. After slowly getting to her feet, she set off towards the hotel. When she opened the door to their suite, Cash wasn’t there, but her mobile phone showed that he had tried to call her twenty minutes earlier. The voicemail message asked her to head back to Kinga’s room.

  Tally knocked quietly on Kinga’s door. Cash opened it, his face bruised with exhaustion and sadness, and when she held out her arms, he fell into them.

  “Where’s Kinga?” she said when they broke apart.

  Cash jerked his head in the direction of the bedroom. “Asleep.”

  “What are we going to do, Cash? This is awful. Just awful.”

  “Whatever I imagined she wanted, I never expected this.”

  “Where’s William?”

  “On his way. Apparently, she insisted on speaking to us alone. He’ll be here in the next couple of hours.”

  Tally pressed her palms to her face. “Poor Kinga.”

  “They’re getting married. That’s why she came to see me. She’s desperate for us both to be there.”

  A tear slid down Tally’s face. “Marriage without a future. Oh, Cash, what can we do? What do you do in a situation like this?”

  Cash folded an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “You love them, I guess,” he said simply. “Do whatever it is they need. This can’t be easy for you either. Must bring back memories of your dad.”

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push aside terrible visions of her dad towards the end, a keen and alert mind atop a ravaged body that insisted on keeping him alive long past when it should have given up. She remembered the intense pain of those final days, when even heavy doses of morphine didn’t give him any respite.

  “Yeah, it does bring back memories,” she said. “Look, Cash, this is going to get rough. If you don’t have it in you to commit to what’s necessary, you owe it to her to tell her now before she begins to rely on you.”

  He shook his head. “I’m going nowhere.”

  Tally kissed his cheek and leaned against his shoulder. “Neither am I.”

  “Let’s leave her to sleep.”

  He was quiet on the walk back to their room, and Tally didn’t feel much like talking either. Her back was killing her, and as soon as she shrugged off her jacket and tossed her bag, she dug her fingers into the tight muscles and stretched.

  “Why didn’t you tell me your back was hurting?”

  “Because we’d be talking about nothing else. It’s always sore. I blame you.”

  Cash chuckled. “You do that, sweetness. Stay there. I’ll run you a bath.”

  As Cash headed off to the bathroom, Tally stared out of the window. She clasped a hand over her mouth, gulping down breaths of fear for what Kinga was about to face. Cancer—a fight she would ultimately lose, no matter how much money was thrown at her or how much love was bestowed.

  Only one good thing had come out of that day. Cash had finally learned his lesson—one he should have learned long before now, especially with his history. Life was far too short to hold stupid grudges about things that ultimately didn’t matter. Yes, Kinga had tried to break them up, but that had happened a lifetime ago.

  Tally didn’t hear Cash come up behind her, and she jumped when he wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and spread his palms wide across her stomach. “You okay, babe?”

  “Not really,” she said, turning in his arms.

  His hand cupped the back of her neck, and he brushed his lips over hers. “Your bath’s ready.”

  She knitted their fingers together. “I’m so scared, Cash. I need you.”

  Cash nodded in understanding. “I need you too, baby. Now more than ever.”

  William shook Cash’s hand, and the two men briefly clapped each other on the back. They’d never been close, but tragedy often brought people together.

  “Thanks for changing your plans. I know it’s important to get your career back on track.” William turned to Tally and hugged her warmly.

  Cash shook his head. “There’s nothing more important I need to do right now other than be here for her. For you.”

  “And I believe we have a wedding to plan,” Tally said, desperately trying to sound bright in the most awful of circumstances.

  William grinned. “Yes, and quick, before she changes her mind.”

  “As if.” Kinga appeared from the bedroom. She was dressed for dinner yet looked so very tired, dark circles framing eyes that brightened considerably as they met William’s loving gaze.

  He strode quickly across the suite, his arms gentle as he held her close. He kissed her temple and tucked a lock of hair, which had escaped her chignon, behind her ear. “How’d you sleep, angel?”

  The heavy emotion in his voice brought tears to Tally’s eyes. She stole a look at Cash. The despair on his face mirrored her own feelings.

  “Good,” she said. “I’m ready to eat if you three are.”
/>   “We can order in if you’re too tired,” Tally said.

  “Nonsense,” Kinga said. “Anyway, Cash is paying, so I’m going to order the most expensive thing on the menu.”

  Cash laughed. “Big Mac and large fries it is, then.”

  “Cheapskate.” Kinga dug him in the ribs, and he faux groaned.

  He slung his arm around her shoulders. “As if I could take a snob like you to McDonalds.”

  Tally hung back, watching Cash tease Kinga. Her heart ached for him, for Kinga, for them all. She dashed her tears away with the back of her hand before Kinga could see how upset she was. Kinga needed her to be strong, not some weak emotional wreck.

  “I know it’s hard.” William brushed a comforting hand down her arm.

  “How long has she got?”

  He shrugged. “A few months at best. She’s refused treatment. Says she doesn’t want to spend her last few months with her head down the toilet, and the thought of losing her hair when there’s no real hope… well, you know Kinga and her crowning glory.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do me a favour, Tally.”

  “Anything.”

  “Help me give her the best wedding day possible.”

  29

  “Hold still.” Em repinned a stray lock of hair that refused to stay put. She added an extra clip. “There, that should do it.”

  “Can I look yet?” Kinga said.

  Em covered Kinga’s eyes with her hand and spritzed hair spray all over her up-do. “Tal, get the mirror.”

  Tally pushed the floor-length mirror into place. Good job it was on wheels. She had no chance of carrying it, not in her condition. She caught a glimpse of herself sideways. Jesus, she was huge—and she still had seven weeks to go. At this rate, she’d probably give birth to a two-year-old. She winced. That would be bloody painful.

  “Okay, Kinga. Stand up and turn around.”

  Tally’s hand shot to cover her mouth as she got her first proper look. “Oh, Kinga. You look so beautiful.”

  Kinga wore an expression of awe. Tally remembered having that same feeling when Em weaved her magic the night she met Cash. That event had forever changed the course of her life. Sadly, Kinga’s course was set, but at least she would carry the memories of this day with her until the very end.

  Kinga clasped her throat, her lips parting as she drank in her reflected image. “Is that me?” she whispered.

  “Yep.” Em rested her hands on Kinga’s shoulders. “Go on. You can say it. I’m a fucking genius.”

  Kinga turned around and planted a kiss on Em’s lips. “You are a fucking genius.”

  “Whoa there,” Em said, giving Kinga a playful swat. “Kiss me like that again, and I might have to tell William you’ve swapped sides.”

  Kinga laughed, her girlish giggle making Tally’s stomach tighten. This should be a happy occasion. Kinga deserved a future. Marriage, kids, grandkids. Not this. Not the path chosen for her.

  “Won’t be a minute,” Tally said as a sob bubbled up in her throat. She dashed out of the room and staggered outside, where she sucked in huge gulps of air. Her lungs burned. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t stick around and watch someone else she cared about fade away before her very eyes.

  “Hey.” Em gripped Tally’s shoulder and gave it a little shake. “Pull yourself together, Tally. This isn’t about you. It’s about her.”

  “I know. I know.” Tears streamed down her face. She was losing it. “I can see Dad. I’d forgotten what he looked like. But now, I can see him so clearly, Em. It’s coming. It’s coming for her. What happened to Dad is going to happen to Kinga. I can’t do this. I can’t.”

  Em’s sharp slap brought Tally’s hand to her face.

  “What the hell, Em?” she said, clutching her cheek.

  “Sorry, babes, but you’re going to have to hang onto the hysterics. By all means, lose your shit, but do it later in the privacy of your hotel room. I get how hard this is for you, Tal. I was there, remember? I know the memories of how fucking awful it was for your dad at the end are all resurfacing when you thought they were long buried. But you can’t do this. I’m not the biggest Kinga fan, but right now, I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with that woman. You need to do the same.”

  Tally buried her face in her hands. Em was right. She had to find a way to push the bad memories aside and focus on making Kinga’s day a happy one. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly through her mouth.

  She met Em’s gaze. “You’re right, and I’m ready.”

  “I’m always right, but you’re definitely not ready. Go to the bathroom in the lobby. I’ll sort Kinga’s final touches and meet you in there in a few minutes to fix your make-up.”

  Em disappeared, and Tally made her way to the bathroom. She chuckled when she faced herself in the mirror. No wonder Em had said she wasn’t ready. Mascara streaks lay in tracks down her cheeks, and she’d smudged her lipstick.

  After Em touched up her make-up, they took their places next to Rupe in the conference room of the hotel, which was doubling as a wedding venue. Kinga had point-blank refused to get married in a church, making it clear that just because she was dying, that didn’t mean she was about to turn to a God she didn’t believe in.

  William looked so smart in a black tuxedo, his wild curls tamed for once. He was standing at the front of the room with his best man beside him. He caught Tally’s eye and smiled as the wedding march began to play. Tally twisted in her seat as the double doors at the back of the room opened and Kinga appeared, her hand tucked into Cash’s arm.

  Tally met Cash’s gaze as he matched Kinga’s footsteps and they made their way up the aisle. The outpouring of love in his eyes made her stomach clench. When they reached the end, he placed Kinga’s hand on top of William’s and came to join Tally.

  “Is she okay?” Tally asked, receiving a nod of confirmation from Cash. He grasped her hand, knitting their fingers together.

  “Love you,” he whispered.

  Tally swallowed past a huge lump in her throat, blinking furiously as her tears, once more, threatened to fall. She was an emotional wreck these days. The slightest thing set her off.

  As Kinga and William began to read the vows they’d written for each other, the baby chose that exact moment to perform acrobatics in her stomach. She cradled her bump, top and bottom, and rubbed her hands back and forth. Cash’s hand covered hers, and he tracked her movements as they both tried to comfort their baby. More tears fell. The contradictory experiences were messing with her head. When her baby made its entrance into the world, Kinga’s time would be ending.

  “I’ve got you, babe,” Cash murmured, but instead of stemming her tears, his words made her sob harder. At least she had an excuse. People were supposed to cry at weddings.

  Kinga and William headed back down the aisle as husband and wife. Kinga was flushed, a bright smile gracing her face. She was gazing up at William, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm. As the guests filed out behind the happy couple, Cash stopped Tally from following.

  When the room was empty, she turned to him. “What’s going on, ace?”

  Cash held both her hands in his. He skimmed his thumb over her knuckles, his eyes cast downwards. He dropped her left hand, reached into his tux jacket, and pulled out her engagement ring.

  “I promised myself I’d do this when the time felt right, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better time.”

  He got down on one knee, her left hand still cradled in his, and when he raised his eyes, they were glistening with emotion.

  “When I said these words to you in Paris, I never thought anything could separate us. We’ve been dealt a shitty hand since then, and although there are still difficult times ahead, I see so much hope in our future. You, me, and our baby.

  “Natalia McKenzie, I love you more than I ever thought possible. You’re my light, my life, my heart and soul. My everything. Will you marry me?”

  Tally thrust out her left han
d. “Don’t you ever try to leave me again, Cash Gallagher,” she said in a choked voice.

  He slipped the ring onto her finger. “Never, baby.”

  30

  Cash refused to let go of Natalia’s hand as they found their way into the adjacent room where the wedding breakfast was being held. He kept rubbing the pad of his thumb over the diamond ring he’d slipped onto her finger—a place it never should have left.

  Rupe waved to let them know where they were sitting. Cash acknowledged him then glanced around for Kinga. He spotted her showing anyone within touching distance her wedding ring. It made him smile to watch her. A lot of people in the room didn’t know how ill she was, and she wanted to keep it that way.

  An uncomfortable feeling stirred in his chest, the same one that emerged whenever he thought about the weeks and months ahead. He’d put a brave face on, but Natalia’s warning about how tough it was going to get had started to hit home. He’d never been around sick people. When his mum had been comatose, she’d only ever looked like she was asleep. What Kinga was about to face was horrific.

  “You okay, ace?”

  He glanced down at Natalia’s beautiful upturned face and bent his head to kiss her warm, soft lips. “As good as you are, sweetness.”

  Her eyes glazed over as though her memories had taken her far away. When she refocused, her expression was resolute. “You know the best thing about all of this?”

  “What?”

  “It brought you and Kinga back together.”

  He grimaced. “I’d rather she wasn’t sick and I still hated her guts.”

  “You never hated her guts.”

  “Yes, I did. You know my history with Kinga. All the years I spent fending off her unwanted advances. But it was almost sport for me. Something to liven up my dull personal life. It didn’t really matter, you see, because the women in my life didn’t matter. If Kinga’s power play scared them off, I didn’t give a shit. And then you came along.”