“How did you get roped into helping her? She hasn’t even figured out where she’s going to finish her bachelor’s degree.”
“I was curious what possibilities were in the area.” He saw the speculation on Ben’s face. “I know I’ve asked you this before, but you never really gave me an answer. How long did you and Maya date before you got married?”
Ben let out a short bark of laughter. “We didn’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“My first official date with Maya was to Liam and Rachelle’s wedding.”
“But I thought you got married before Liam.”
“That’s right.” Ben let out a sigh and leaned forward. “Kari let Maya move into my apartment so she could get the cancer treatments she needed. I didn’t know anything about it until I decided to move back from LA during the off season.”
“Kari just handed over your keys to her?”
“And by doing so saved her life and gave me everything that is important in mine.”
“I still don’t understand how you got married without dating her.”
“She was living in my place. I planned to live there too, but I wasn’t about to live with a woman I wasn’t married to.”
“So you married her?” Ryan asked, stunned at this new revelation.
“So I married her,” Ben repeated. “Looking back, I can say it’s the best decision I ever made.”
“Wow. That’s quite a story.”
“Yeah.” Ben glanced around the room. “And I would appreciate it if you keep it to yourself. Not everyone would understand my decision.”
The waitress arrived with Ben’s food, and he picked up his fork, then glanced over at Ryan. “You and my sister seem to be getting pretty tight. I hardly ever see her any more unless you’re standing next to her.”
“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out a lot.”
When Ryan didn’t expound on his answer, Ben straightened in his seat and adopted the older brother posture he had probably spent years mastering. “Since my father isn’t here to ask the question, I guess it falls to me. What exactly are your intentions toward my sister?”
“I’m in love with her.”
Ben’s jaw dropped. Clearly he hadn’t expected such a direct response. “Does she know how you feel?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to scare her off,” Ryan admitted. “We’ve only been dating two months.”
“And?”
“And what? I was with Brandi for almost two years before we got engaged, and you saw how that turned out.”
“It’s not about how long you’re together before you make the commitment,” Ben said. “It’s about making the commitment to the right woman.”
Ryan studied his friend for a moment before he asked, “So you’re saying you would be okay with it if I marched out and bought her a ring today?”
“Whether you’re ready to buy her a ring is up to you. What I’m telling you is that if you’re anything less than a gentleman with Kari, I’ll break you into tiny pieces, pennant race or not.”
Ryan’s lips twitched into the beginnings of a smile. “Understood.”
Ben pulled out his cell phone and sent a text. A moment later, Ryan’s screen lit up, indicating he had received something.
“Why are you sending me a text when you’re sitting at the same table as me?” Ryan asked.
“I forwarded you my dad’s phone number.” Ben picked up his fork again. “Just in case you decide to go ring shopping sooner than later.”
Ryan opened the text and added the contact to his phone. He looked up at his teammate and said simply, “Thanks.”
* * *
Kari stood in Ryan’s kitchen stirring the curry chicken Maya had brought over.
“How is everything going?” Maya asked, sitting on one of the bar stools across from her.
“Not too bad. I finally figured out how to block Austin’s number, so it’s been nice and peaceful lately.”
“Was he still texting you?”
“And calling,” Kari said. “It was only happening about once a week, but with the craziness of helping Susan, I couldn’t deal with him bugging me any longer. I swear all I’ve done this week is take Susan to doctor appointments. It’s no wonder she still needs to nap in the afternoons.”
“How are the two of you getting along?”
“Okay, I think.” Kari shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure what to think of Ryan’s mother. She didn’t seem quite as determined to dislike her as she was before Ryan left on his trip, but she didn’t appear to be quite ready to welcome her into her inner circle of friends either.
“At least she hasn’t fired you,” Maya said.
“True.” Kari put the lid on the pan and turned down the burner. “Thanks for making this for us. It’s so much easier to heat things up than to have to start from scratch. Ryan’s kitchen isn’t terribly well stocked, and the only time I’ve been able to go grocery shopping was while Susan was at her physical therapy appointment yesterday.”
“It’s not a problem. You know how much I love to cook, and it’s been so nice to have the energy to be able to do it again.”
“When are your next scans?”
“This Friday. I meet with the doctor next Tuesday. Any chance you would be willing to come with me? I’d rather not be alone when I get the scan results.”
“Are you kidding? I’d love to,” Kari said, not able to count how many times she and Maya had traveled this journey together. At least this time, they were optimistic the results would be in her favor.
“Will Susan be okay without you? We probably won’t get back until after the guys leave for their game.”
“I’ll double check with her, but she’s actually been doing great. She’s already graduated to a cane, and her physical therapist said she might be able to go home as early as next month.”
“That’s great.” Maya laid her hand on the counter. “I almost forgot to tell you. Lauren is coming to visit this weekend.”
“What for?” Kari asked. Their college friend had been a constant part of their social circle during their freshman year. Maya had no way of knowing that Lauren was also good friends with Austin.
“She’s been interning in New York and decided to come down to see us and check out the new house.”
“Is she staying with you?”
“Yeah.” Maya looked at her suspiciously. “Is there a problem between you two that I should know about?”
“No, nothing like that. I just haven’t really seen her since Austin and I broke up,” Kari said. “She was one of the people who was trying to convince me to give him another chance.”
“If it’s going to be awkward for you, I can have her stay somewhere else.”
“It’s fine. Really,” Kari insisted. “Austin’s old girlfriend did me a favor by showing me who he really is. Besides, if it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have come here to stay for the summer, and I wouldn’t have met Ryan.”
Maya wiggled her eyebrows. “You really like him.”
“Yeah, I really do. It’s going to be weird, though, when I go back to school again and his season ends. It seems like our schedules are always going to be opposite of each other.”
“Yeah, especially when you factor in the demands of medical school,” Maya said, concerned. “Ten more years of school is a long time.”
“I know.” Kari’s heart sank a little at the thought. When she had first decided to pursue medicine, the sacrifices required hadn’t seemed like they would be a big deal. Now that she had Ryan in her life, she wondered what she was going to have to give up to pursue that dream.
Maya put her hand on Kari’s arm. “Just remember. One step and one semester at a time.”
“Right. One semester at a time.”
Chapter 27
This was madness. Crazy. Insane. That thought had circled through his mind over and over again, but it hadn’t kept him from visiting three jewelry stores in the
past two days, nor had it prevented him from repeatedly imagining possible conversations with Kari’s father.
Technically, he had already met Kari’s parents. The whole team had. Their attendance at several games the previous season had put most of Ben’s close teammates on a first-name basis with Steve and Jane Evans. Somehow, it didn’t seem appropriate to use Steve’s first name now.
Ryan scrolled through his contacts, looking at the three names under Evans. He didn’t know if it was logic or cowardice that caused him to hit the call button on Kari’s name rather than her father’s. He settled on common sense. After all, it was only logical to make sure Kari shared his feelings before he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage.
The sound of her voice instantly lifted his spirits. “Good morning.”
“Hey, what are you up to today?” Ryan asked.
“I’m taking your mom to a doctor’s appointment in Woodbridge. Then we’re going to meet Jenny for lunch.”
“How is Mom doing?”
“Really well. She’s not sleeping nearly as much, and she’s getting around a lot better.” Kari lowered her voice. “I think she annoyed the occupational therapist, though, when they were debating whether she needed to keep using a shower chair.”
Ryan winced. “I think that was more information than I needed.”
Her laughter rang out. “I didn’t want you to feel like you were missing anything.”
“I’m starting to think I’m never going to be able to repay you for all your help.”
“I’ve already told you I don’t mind helping. Besides, it has forced me to spend more time studying for my MCAT.”
“How is that going?”
“Not so great,” Kari admitted. “Every time I think I have something down, I go to quiz myself on it and I feel like I’ve never seen the information before.”
“You’ll get it.”
“Maybe.” Her sigh carried over the phone. “I did great when I was reviewing the stuff on medical testing and radiology, but I already know a lot about that because of Maya,” she said. “Enough about me. How are you doing? I saw you had fun with Dobkin’s slider last night.”
He smiled. “Yeah, that was a good at bat.”
“A good at bat?” she repeated. “I wasn’t sure that ball was ever going to come down.”
“Did you see the guy who ended up with it?” Ryan asked, excited.
“It was some guy in uniform, right?”
“Yeah. He had just gotten home from a tour overseas for the Marine Corps. The PR guys set it up for me to meet him afterward. It wasn’t until then that I found out he had lost his leg when his vehicle hit a land mine. He wanted me to sign the ball to the kid of one of his buddies who didn’t make it.”
“That had to be a really memorable moment. I’m sure it meant a lot to them both.”
“I may have signed a little more than just a ball.”
Her amusement carried over the line. “Let me guess. A jersey, a bat, and a poster or two.”
“Something like that,” Ryan said, appreciating that Kari already knew him so well.
“What did you do for the guy who caught the ball?”
“Actually, he’s going to be in Washington in the next week or two to visit the Pentagon, so the team is getting him tickets and VIP passes for one of our games.”
“I hope I get to meet him. He sounds like a good guy.”
“Yeah. It helps keep things in perspective when you meet these guys who sacrifice so much.”
“It does,” Kari agreed. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. I need to help your mom get ready.”
“Give her my love.”
“I will.” Kari hung up, and warmth filled him. He wondered if she had any idea that over the past two months, she had completely captured his heart.
* * *
Ryan walked into his house at seven o’clock Monday morning to find Kari standing at the stove and his mother sitting at the kitchen table in a fuzzy purple robe, a cane propped beside her. The welcoming scent of bacon, eggs, and toast beckoned to him despite his fatigue. Two rain delays had caused his game to go into the early morning hours, and he hadn’t slept except in snatches on the flight home.
His mother was the first to greet him. “Good morning.”
“Hey,” Ryan managed to respond, bleary-eyed.
“I think he was hoping you would say ‘good night.’” Kari lifted a spatula and scooped scrambled eggs out of a pan and onto a plate. “Ryan, do you want something to eat? I made plenty.”
“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.” He left his suitcase in the entryway and dropped into the seat beside his mother. An instant later, Kari set a plate in front of him and another in front of his mom. “This smells great.”
“I hope it tastes that way.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks.”
Kari poured everyone drinks before she went back to the stove to fix a plate for herself.
Ryan took a bite, rolling his eyes with pure pleasure. “These eggs are amazing.”
“She puts cream cheese in them,” Susan said. Her tone didn’t hold accusation but rather something akin to wonder. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Ryan’s only response was to take another bite. He finished half the food on his plate before he thought to ask, “How are you all doing?”
“I see the doctor today,” his mother said. “If all goes well, I should be able to start working on stairs.”
“Mom, that’s great.”
“Yeah. And I only have another week of antibiotics. Before you know it, I’ll have my life back.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re improving.” Ryan finished his food and went into the kitchen looking for more. He lifted the pan of eggs. “Is anyone going to want more of these?”
“I’m done,” his mother said.
“Me too.” Kari stood and gathered her dish as well as his mom’s. “Go ahead and finish those off.”
“Thanks.” Ryan dumped the rest on his plate and sat back down.
Kari set about cleaning the kitchen while Ryan visited with his mother. He was trying to think of a way to steal a minute alone with Kari when his mother looked at her watch.
“Kari, we’d better get going.” Susan used her cane to stand.
Ryan stood as well, hovering until he was sure she was steady on her feet.
Kari picked up her purse from the counter. “Ryan, is it okay if we use your car? It’s easier for your mom to get in and out of than mine. We should only be gone for a couple hours.”
“That’s fine. I’m going to spend my morning sleeping.”
Kari started to step toward him and stopped herself. He read her original intention and saw the blush rise to her cheeks when she realized she had nearly kissed him good-bye in front of his mother.
Not willing to let her escape so easily, he closed the distance between them. He knew his mother was watching them when he leaned down and kissed Kari. When he pulled back, Kari stared at him in disbelief.
Ryan glanced over at his mother and saw the speculation on her face, certain that she understood the meaning of the gesture. Kari might not know that Ryan hadn’t ever kissed another woman in front of his mother, but his mom was most certainly aware of that fact.
Pleased with himself and with life in general, he started toward the stairs. “See you later,” he called out. By the time he heard the garage door open, he already had his shoes off and was sprawled out on his bed.
* * *
Kari held the door for Susan as she hobbled into the waiting room at her doctor’s office. She had to admit, she was impressed at how much Ryan’s mom had improved over the past week.
Kari let Susan move at her own pace, and she waited patiently for the older woman to make her way to the receptionist to check in.
As soon as they were seated, Kari said, “While we’re down here, is there anything you want me to get for you from your apartment?”
“I already had Jenny pick up a few things for me,” Susan said. “I was halfway through a novel before the accident. I’m dying to find out what happens.”
Kari chuckled. “That would be frustrating.”
“I know. It’s been so long, I think I may have to start the whole thing over.”
The door beside the receptionist opened, and a woman in her thirties poked her head out. “Ms. Strobel.”
Kari stood up and waited for Susan to stand. “I’ll wait here for you.”
“You can come back if you want,” Susan said. “If you’re going to be a doctor, you might as well learn all you can now.”
“Are you sure?” Kari asked, taken aback by the offer.
Susan nodded and slowly started toward the examination rooms. The nurse went through the basic routine of checking weight, pulse, and blood pressure.
Once they were left alone to wait for the doctor, the minutes stretched out.
“When you’re a doctor, I hope you organize your time better than this,” Susan said. “It always seems like you never get seen until a half hour after your actual appointment time.”
“I’ve noticed that too,” Kari said. “Although you would understand what’s going on behind the scenes a lot better than I would.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Dr. Michaels entered. “Sorry for the wait.” He moved to a computer on a desk and pressed several keys. “Let’s take a look at your last X-ray.”
Kari edged forward so she could see the screen where Susan’s knee joint was displayed. She pointed to the top of the joint. “Is that where the artificial joint meets bone?”
“It is.” Dr. Michaels explained the image to both of them.
Kari listened to the doctor discuss Susan’s progress as he probed and prodded her knee.
“How much longer until I can move back home?” Susan asked as soon as he was done with his examination.
“It’s still going to be a few weeks. My best guess is that by early to mid-August, you should be strong enough to handle the stairs,” he said. “We’ll have you finish out the antibiotic regimen we have you on, and once that is completed, we can take that PICC line out.”
“I’m ready for that to happen,” she said. “Now, I do have one more question for you.”
Chance for Home Page 16
