Guy’s expression sunk. “Unfortunately, a few days later, the only NHL in his future wasn’t going to be the National Hockey League, but Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
“And to make matters worse, it turned out to be a rare form, raising further challenges.” She caught herself. “As if you don’t know about rare diseases—you just helped create an entire wing for them. I’ll shut up now.”
“I read some of your blog on the way over. It’s so inspirational. How open and honest you are,” Lindsey commented.
“Ryan hates it, but knowledge is power, and our family has a platform to help provide it. When we first arrived at Daniel’s House, my son’s life was at the mercy of the decisions we’d make, yet we had no idea what to do. They’re talking to us about chemotherapy regimens and induction phase versus consolidation phase, and all we could do was hope the doctors knew what they were talking about. It was a helpless feeling. I’m kind of a control freak …”
Guy looked sideways at her.
“Okay, maybe a total control freak, but I quickly learned that I had no control over this. Acquiring knowledge and passing it on was the one thing I could control. I picked the doctors’ brains, I went to the local library when Ryan was sleeping, and then I thought: what about the next mother who comes in here, can I relieve that feeling of helplessness from her? So I started the blog and luckily it’s reached people. It’s important to get this out in the open. We’ve treated this disease like it’s some sort of dirty family secret, when we should be sharing information, and celebrating these kids, not hiding them. They’re the heroes we claim are lacking in our society.”
“I was supposed to be this tough hockey player, but it turned out Heidi was the tougher one of us, and it’s not even close.” Guy reached over and kissed her on her cheek.
“I used to think I’m a mother, not a fighter, but I learned that being a mother means you’re a fighter.”
A waiter arrived with bowls of lobster bisque. “I took the liberty of ordering for you,” Guy said to Chuck and Lindsey. “You can’t come to Boston and not eat the bisque here.”
They dug in, and Lindsey commented. “You’re not kidding—this is fantastic.”
“We’ve been coming here for almost twenty years, so I speak from experience,” Guy said, seemingly happy to get off the subject of sick children.
“It’s where we had our first date … coincidentally, on a Valentine’s Day,” Heidi added.
“How romantic,” Lindsey said.
Guy flashed a smile full of happy memories. “I was just a poor rookie from Quebec, so I had to save up two months of salary to bring her here.”
“You ended up married, so it sounds like money well spent.”
“The only problem was that my coach, John Dobbs, showed up. I was terrified of him. And if I wasn’t Rookie of the Year, he probably would have shipped me off to Saskatchewan, never to be seen again.” He laughed.
“Because you went on a date for Valentine’s Day?” Lindsey asked, confused.
“John Dobbs happens to be my father,” Heidi said. “Unbeknownst to me, he’d made it very clear to the team that his daughter was off limits.”
“What did he do?”
“A lot of threats and yelling, but you can’t stop love. And besides, my father’s a big teddy bear.”
Guy looked strangely at her. She returned a playful one. “Oh, you know he is—you two are just too stubborn to admit you like each other. And by our second Valentine’s Day, I was pregnant with Ryan, and he became the doting grandfather he’s been for seventeen years.”
Guy seemed to have a different version, but chose peace.
“I think I read that he’s back in coaching,” Chuck said.
“He couldn’t handle retirement, and my mother threatened to kick him out if he didn’t find something to do. So now he runs the Nashville organization, not coaching, but in the front office.”
“Speaking of hockey coaches, did Chuck mention that he is now helping to coach the minor league team in Bridgeport?” Lindsey offered.
“It’s just a part time thing … helps with the bills,” Chuck downplayed.
“Good for you, Casseau. You’re a natural—those players don’t know how lucky they are,” Guy said, and raised his glass to him.
Heidi looked to Chuck and Lindsey. “So what’s your deal? Are you like a couple?”
“Heidi!” Guy was appalled.
She shrugged. “I apologize, but after the last few months, I’ve lost any ability to beat around the bush.”
Chuck and Lindsey glanced at each other, then she answered, “It’s complicated.”
“Matters of the heart rarely are. But our fears and defense shields usually complicate things,” Heidi countered.
“I was Carolyn’s teacher, and a few years ago my boyfriend had died in an accident, so I sort of understood what Chuck was going through. We started spending time together, and without even noticing we grew closer.”
“Then last New Year’s things changed, when we kissed,” Chuck said.
“That’s great,” Heidi said.
“Except for the fact that we thought Carolyn was in bed, but she’d gotten up and saw us. She’s been through a lot since her mother died, and I could tell it really threw her for a loop, just as she was starting to find her footing. I told her it was just a New Year’s tradition to kiss someone at midnight, but she’s become a little territorial, so we’ve been sort of playing it slow since.”
Heidi was shaking her head before he even finished. “My first night in the hospital, I found myself with Owen’s mother, Shay, whom you met. I’ll never forget her telling me: this is your new reality, you either deal with it, or it will deal with you. I kept fighting it—I refused to believe this was how things were going to be from now on. But eventually I had to accept that she was right, and move forward. And this is your new reality, whether you like it or not. You have to keep on living, and so does Carolyn.”
Guy cautiously laughed. “My wife is the queen of ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ If I didn’t drag her out tonight, she’d be ‘keep on living’ by hovering over our son, pretending that he needs his mommy.”
Heidi rolled her eyes. “He’s not a mother, so he doesn’t understand. And if I’m not with Ryan, I feel like I’m neglecting our two little ones who are home.”
“It’s not just a mother thing—it’s hard to drag Chuck away from Carolyn,” Lindsey said. “If he had his druthers, he’d be back at the hospital with her right now.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one,” Heidi said. “And besides, it’s a tough night for Ryan. He keeps everything inside … like his father,” she glanced at Guy. “So he doesn’t know that I know—his girlfriend, Scarlet, recently broke up with him, and she’s planning on going to the Valentine’s Day dance tonight with his supposed best friend, Brad Mullen, while Ryan is stuck in that hospital room.”
Guy was more diplomatic, “Part of life is letting go. If we be honest, the only reason they stayed together as long as they did, was that Ryan got sick.”
Mom disagreed, “I tend to think that life is holding on to what you love until your hands bleed. And not acting like some martyred girlfriend to get attention on social media and then abandon him as soon as a healthier option comes calling.”
Guy again chose peace, and didn’t reply.
Heidi’s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and her face froze. “I’ve got to take this—it’s the hospital.”
Chapter 13
The auction took place in the ballroom of the Taj Hotel. It was a fancier affair than Billy expected. All the other bachelors were decked-out in tuxedos.
He still believed there was hope to get out of it so he could proceed with his plans for the evening, but Dana would have none of it. “You had your chance, Harper. Take a good look around—this is what karma looks like.”
Apparently in the Boulanger world, bad karma consisted of being relegated to the glitz and glam of a five-star hotel, Billy tho
ught.
The festivities were about to get underway, and Dana smiled slyly at him. “I can hear the cougars howling already.”
“Just so you know, wolfs howl … cougars … I have no idea what sound a cougar makes.”
She kept smiling, and made a clawing motion in his direction. “If you can hear a cougar, then it’s too late anyway.”
He made one last ditch effort. “I think this is a great cause and all, and I’d be happy to do it any other time, but it’s our first Valentine’s Day together and I was hoping to spend it with you.”
“That’s a pretty big leap from Hallmark Stockholders Appreciation Day.” Her smile turned serious. “And this isn’t our first Valentine’s Day together. I’ll never forget how you were there for me last year when I needed someone.”
Dana had gone into a dark place after Beth died. And while she and Billy were yet to be a couple last Valentine’s Day, they spent the entire night together talking into the wee morning hours, with Billy serving as a sounding-board for Dana.
“I was hoping this year might be a little more fun,” he said.
“Trust me, this is going to be great fun for me.”
“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying this.”
She shrugged. “I’m proud that my man would give up his evening to help sick children. So sue me.”
There were plenty of lawyers here if he wanted to, but she had a point. After witnessing Ryan Borcher, how could he not have things in perspective? All of his planning was all for naught, but there would be other days.
He noticed Dr. Soos working the room like a well-skilled politician. He eventually made his way to Billy and Dana, displaying his usual enthusiasm.
“So are you ready?” he asked, patting Billy on the back.
“I think so, but I feel a little underdressed.”
The doctor dismissed his concerns, and adjusted Billy’s tweed jacket. “I think the professorily author motif is perfect. And keep the glasses—the intellectual look always fetches a few extra hundred.”
He looked to Dana. “And I hope you plan to spend a few pennies tonight.”
“The hospital didn’t get enough of my money today?”
“There is no such thing as enough—eradicating a dastardly disease ain’t cheap.”
Dana smiled mischievously; her eyes going to the famous NFL player preparing to be auctioned off. “I do have a thing for quarterbacks.”
She then handed him Billy’s bio, which she had scribbled onto a piece of ripped notebook paper on the ride over.
Dr. Soos appeared to be amused as he read it. “The Amish Rifle? There must be a story behind that.”
“It’s just a nickname from when I played football, a million years ago. We really don’t need that, do we?”
“I think it’s great, but knowing my audience, expect a few innuendo-inspired jokes about it.”
He continued reading, “Makes a mean Cream of Wheat mixed with chocolate chips—a renaissance man—and wrote his way out of the steel mills of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. A babysitter extraordinaire, and loving father of two twin girls, Anna and Maddie.” He paused, and looked at Billy. “They are going to eat this up.”
He hoped that was a good thing. “So what do I do? Hand out roses like on The Bachelor?”
The doctor laughed. “Not exactly. I will call you onto the stage—you’re victim number 8, by the way—and I will present you to the potential suitors. I’ll start the bidding at $1000—we’re not fooling around here—then basically the women will shout out bids, while I referee. A couple years ago we had to go to a silent auction, when a fight broke out over a distant Kennedy relative, but this way tends to inspire more competition, which leads to more money. So we went back to it.”
“So where will Billy be spending his evening?” Dana asked.
“The suitor is responsible for the date. They might take you out to dinner, to a club, to the bowling alley, whatever they choose. We provide a chaperone to drive you, and also security.”
“Why would I need security?”
He smiled. “The dates are mostly made up of wealthy high-society women who are used to getting what they want. So if they attempt to bring you back to their Fifty Shades torture chamber, and that makes you uncomfortable, security can step in.”
On that note …
The first seven bachelors went pretty fast. The atmosphere was on the raucous side, with many cat calls. So this is what women feel like walking past a construction site, Billy thought.
Dr. Soos had encouraged the bachelors to be as suggestive as possible—take the shirt off, dance around the stage, shake their moneymaker. Whatever it takes to up the ante.
Billy was surprised by how nervous he felt, especially since he once stood at the center of the Rose Bowl, surrounded by a 100,000 fans, and millions more watching at home, as he led that famous comeback. He had his doubts that anyone would bid on him, but that didn’t last long. When Dr. Soos finished reading his bio, and properly pimping him, the women began shouting bids.
Two women separated themselves from the herd. They looked like they’d come straight from one of those Housewives of Somewhere shows that Dana was always watching. And they were rolling the three B’s—blonde, busty, and Botox. He might have called them cliché, but what exactly was he at this moment?
He noticed Dana in the back, smirking at him, and he mouthed, “I hate you,” but nothing was further from the truth.
The two women, Botox #1 and Botox #2, kept one-upping the other. They quickly reached five thousand. Then 5,500, 6,000, 6,200, 6,300, 6,400.
It was a battle, and Billy had to admit that his ego was feeling well stroked.
Botox #1 reached seven thousand, and Botox #2 had hit her limit. Dr. Soos then did the going once, going twice, going three times, sold to the …
But a shout came from the back of the room, “$7,500.”
Dr. Soos looked pleasantly pleased. All eyes went to Botox #1. Would she match?
“Eight grand,” she shouted.
But the woman in the back raised the stakes again. “Ten thousand dollars.”
Oos and ahs filled the room, and Botox #1 had maxed out. She looked annoyed that defeat had been ripped from the jaws of victory. But Billy was thrilled.
He practically hopped off the stage and made his way to the stylish brunette in the back of the room, who had just coughed up some serious dough to spend the evening with him. He would be going out with Dana after all.
“I told you I like quarterbacks,” she said with a smile, “Especially those with an Amish rifle.”
But there would be no joking around on Billy’s part. “While I was standing on that stage, I felt an incredible rush of adrenaline, and it was like I had an out-of-body experience. At that moment, I made a life-altering decision.”
She looked at him curiously. “Which was?”
“That whichever woman was willing to spend that much money on me, I considered it to be such an honor that I was going to ask her to marry me tonight.”
Dana began to laugh. “Did you get into the complimentary champagne?”
When he kneeled down in front of her, she wasn’t laughing anymore. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the ring-box. He clicked it open, revealing the shiny diamonds.
“Dana Boulanger, for all the pain I went through these past few years, for you to come into my life, has made every bit of it worth it, and more. And I would be honored to be able to call myself your husband.”
Dana patted her chest, completely caught off guard. It wasn’t easy to get her to lose her usual cool. “That’s the best ten grand I’ve ever spent,” she joked nervously.
“Will you marry me?”
“You had this planned the whole time, didn’t you? The cynical stuff was just to throw me off.”
He certainly didn’t buy the ring at the hotel gift shop. “Would it be possible for you to answer my question before I die down here?”
Just as she was about to speak, her phone rang
.
She instinctively looked at it. Her face puzzled, “It’s Chuck.”
“Maybe have him leave a message after the beep, and you’ll call him back after you agree to marry me?”
“But he left his phone back at the hospital … for Carolyn to use in an emergency. Maybe she’s in trouble.”
Or maybe she’s looking for attention, he thought with a sigh.
Dana answered—the phone, not Billy’s question—and listened for a moment; Billy could tell that it wasn’t Carolyn she was talking to. Her joyful expression went slack, and she said, “What do you mean missing?”
Chapter 14
They met in a small drab basement office of Daniel’s House, which served as the control-center of hospital security.
Billy watched as Chuck paced the room nervously, as did Heidi Borcher. He was surprised they hadn’t bumped into each other. Guy sat calmly, quietly awaiting the verdict. The question was obvious: how could two kids just disappear from a secure hospital? The possible answers were much more murky, and some of them were pretty frightening. Billy was having Operation Anesthesia flashbacks.
Chuck decided to come clean, “There are a few things about my daughter you don’t know about, which might have something to do with this.”
The Borchers were all ears.
“After Carolyn’s diagnosis, we came across some crazies who believed, due to her painlessness, that she was their messiah, and we feared they might attempt to kidnap her.”
Heidi flipped. “Don’t you think that might have been helpful information to know before we left her alone with my son?”
Chuck put up his hand. “There’s more.” He then went on to explain, in vague terms, Operation Anesthesia, and Carolyn’s role in taking it down. He wondered aloud if there was some form of payback being carried out here.
This further set Heidi off, but Guy remained in control of his emotions. “We don’t even know if this is related to a kidnapping. And it could just as easily be an extortion plot connected to our fame and wealth.”
The Carolyn Chronicles, Volume 1 Page 6