by Mary Manners
“I got your letter, Mrs. Grady—”
“Shayna.”
“I got your letter, and I just had to come see Zac.”
“See, Mama…I told you.” Zac’s eager voice cut in. “He came for me, Mama.”
“I see that.” Shayna smiled and nodded to her son before turning back to Nate. “But the counselor promised she’d warn us before you came.”
“I’m so sorry, Shayna.” Laura Evans stepped forward, blushing. “Nate wanted this to be a surprise.”
“But, I thought…” Shayna caught her lower lip between her teeth and tried not to scowl. This was Zac’s wish, and who was she to ruin it? “I suppose Mr. Saylor gets his way all the time, despite the effect on those around him.”
“Not all the time.” Nate winked, and the room began to spin once again. Shayna wasn’t sure if the tilt was caused by his piercing blue eyes or the knot she felt forming on her forehead where his elbow had connected with her skull. She shook her head to clear it.
“But, this time.” A beam of light caught Shayna’s eye, and she realized the camera was rolling. She retreated another giant step, running a hand through her mussed hair. “Don’t film me, please.”
The camera panned left toward Zac, whose gap-toothed grin was contagious. “Wow, Mama.” He struggled to sit up in the bed. “Oh, wow!”
“Hang on, buddy.” Nate rounded Shayna and stepped to the bedside to help her son as the IV line became tangled. “I think you’re caught.”
“It does that a lot.” Zac waited while Nate carefully untangled the line. “That’s better. Hey, did you see my ball?”
“Yes, I did.” Nate reached for the football. “That’s official license, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, Mama got it for me for Christmas.”
“Cool. That’s quite a gift.”
“Will you sign it for me?”
“Sure.” Nate pulled a Sharpie from his jeans pocket. “And I’ll take it to be signed by some of the guys on the team, too, if you’d like.”
Nate’s golden eyes grew wide with wonder. “You’d do that for me?”
“Sure.” Nate nodded, grinning. “Why not?”
“Mama says you’re too busy for stuff like that.”
“During the season, maybe. But that’s over, and I’m not too busy for you.”
Shayna watched the interaction, mystified. For a moment, she almost believed Zac was perfectly healthy. His cheeks pinked, and his eyes glowed like a flash of gold. If she didn’t know better…
“Excuse me.” The cameraman stepped around Shayna to draw closer to the bed as Nate finished signing the football. “This is great stuff. I need to get it.”
“Wait.” Shayna rushed forward, blocking Nate as he made the handoff back to Zac. “That ball might not be clean now. Have you washed your hands?”
“The nurse told each of us the procedure, and I took the proper steps. She cleared me.”
“What about the rest of you?” Shayna narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms tight over her chest. “Step back, please. It’s not good to have so many people in here. It could compromise Zac’s health.”
“We don’t want that.” Nate turned to the crew. “Let’s just have the camera, then. The rest of you wait in the hall.”
“But the lighting—”
“Will be just fine.”
“And the footage—”
“Will either be good, or it won’t.” Nate took a step toward the group, ushering them back. “Either way, it’s not up for debate. Go grab a cup of coffee. I’ll text you when we’re finished.”
4
Nate waited while Shayna slipped the sheet over Zac, carefully tucking it in around his shoulders. With the IV line concealed beneath a thin blanket and the kid sleeping peacefully following the latest hit of meds, he looked almost healthy.
But he wasn’t. He had cancer. The serious kind, according to the Moments for Miracles counselor who’d briefed Nate just before his visit. Maybe that accounted for the way Shayna paced the room like a protective mama panther. She was petite and couldn’t weigh much more than a baby calf, but she was strong and agile in a manner that was rare. The way she’d slipped between him and Zac at the football handoff would have had any NFL scout worth a hill of beans take notice. Nate sensed she’d protect her son with her life.
She turned to Nate now, her mahogany hair swishing over tense shoulders. She smoothed a palm over her blouse before crossing her arms tight over her chest. Despite the fact that she probably hadn’t enjoyed a decent night’s sleep in days, maybe weeks, she had a certain beauty that drew Nate’s gaze like a magnet. Warm, chocolate eyes, adorned with the same gold flecks as Zac’s, scanned the length of him. The dimples at each corner of her mouth deepened as she spoke.
“I appreciate you coming here today, Nate. Really I do. It meant the world to Zac. I haven’t seen him so excited…well, ever.”
“I’m glad. He’s a special kid.” With that red, spiky hair and gap-toothed grin, he’d stolen Nate’s heart from the word go. The very fact was a surprise. Nate had stayed clear of kids—especially sick kids—since Josh’s death. Too many memories and way too much heartache. He’d shut that door tight, and had no desire to unlock it again.
“Sure, Zac is precious to me,” Shayna continued as she kept her hands busy tidying the small table beside the bed. “But his situation is all too ordinary around here. I see kids every day, just waiting for a miracle. Most of the time—more often than not—that miracle doesn’t come.”
“This time’s different, Shayna.”
She gasped slightly, her eyes growing even wider. “You don’t know that for sure, Nate.”
“Does anyone really know anything for sure?”
“I suppose not.” She shrugged. “But I do believe God has a purpose in all of this. I just don’t understand what it is—at least not yet.”
“Maybe you should pray about it.”
“Do you really think I haven’t, Nate?” Her voice held a bite. “What do you think I spend most of my time doing?”
“I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“It’s OK. You don’t…you couldn’t possibly understand what I’m going through.”
“Maybe not exactly, but I do know the pain of losing someone I love.”
“I’m sorry for that, Nate. Truly I am.” Her voice softened. “But you’ll leave here in just a few minutes and go back to your football-playing life, away from this hospital and the heartache that lives here.”
“That’s not all I am, Shayna—a football player.” He took a step toward her. “I have feelings, too. Football is just a small part of the real me.”
“The real you?” She paused, sighed. “No offense, Nate, but if you really want to do something to help kids like Zac, join the bone marrow donor registry. You’re a match for someone out there, and they need you.”
“What do I have to do?”
“A simple blood test or a cheek swab. That’s all.” She turned to stroke Zac’s forehead. Her slender fingers were devoid of jewelry, and that made Nate wonder. Where was the kid’s father?
“I used to be the worst sort of needle-phobic, but I’ve gotten over it. I’ll think about it.”
“You need to do more than just think about it.” Shayna’s gaze speared him, and her words convicted him, as well. “God gives us the gift to help others, but most of us don’t acknowledge—or act on—it.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes, that’s true. But it’s not enough. If you have reservations, you could have the camera crew film your blood test. That would certainly serve to bolster your image.”
Was that a bite of sarcasm? Nate shook his head. “You’re wrong, Shayna. I don’t need a camera crew to do the right thing.”
“Could have fooled me.” Her lips dipped into a frown. “You tried to lead a walking caravan into my son’s hospital room.”
“But, having the news team film and air the segment with Zac will draw awareness to kids like hi
m.”
“I sure hope so.” She shook her head, and then lowered her voice. “I read about you in the papers, Nate, and saw you on the news.”
“Don’t believe everything you read—or hear.”
“So it’s not all true?”
“Is anything ever?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to believe you came here today to see Zac for all the right reasons.”
“I did.” Nate knew, in his heart, that even without a signed contract and a news team in tow he’d have made the visit. “How can I make you believe that?”
“I’m not sure.” Shayna slipped into a chair beside the bed, sighing. Nate cringed at the weariness in her shadowed eyes. How long had she managed to hold it all together without a decent night’s sleep? “But, I have to tell you that you, and you alone, Nate, were Zac’s wish.”
Nate leaned against the wall and jammed his hands in his pockets. In just a few hours he’d become used to the smell of sickness once again…like he had when Josh was a patient here. “That’s powerful.”
“Yes, it is.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “He’ll remember this day for the rest of his life.”
The rest of his life…the words lurked like a monster. How long might that be?
“I’m humbled and a bit embarrassed to admit this now.” Shayna’s voice cracked as she continued. “But I had my reservations about requesting a visit from you after all that’s been in the media.”
“I guess, if I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t blame you for being a little leery.”
“I’m sorry, Nate.”
“Don’t be. I’m not angry.” He sat down on the edge of Zac’s bed. “You have a lot on your plate, Shayna, and you only want what’s best for your son.”
“I’m glad I didn’t let my reservations get the best of me because Zac adores you, and I just couldn’t say no to him—not this time.”
“Good.” Nate smoothed his palm across the crisp, white sheet tucked beneath Zac’s chin. “Because, if it’s OK with you, I’d like to visit Zac again.”
“He’s being released tomorrow.” Shayna’s gaze narrowed. Nate’s words were obviously unexpected. “We’re going home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Here…in Mill’s Landing. I have a small house just east of the river.”
“Near the duck pond?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m familiar with that area.” He and Josh used sneak off to skip rocks down at the landing. “What time?”
“I’m not sure.” Shayna shrugged. “Hopefully in the morning. It depends on Zac’s blood work and when my mom can come for us. My car is out of commission—flat tire.”
“What about your husband?”
“It would be difficult, seeing how he lives in Southern California. We were divorced soon after Zac was born.”
“So you’re…”
“A single mom. Is that a crime?”
“No. Of course not.”
“It wasn’t his fault. I shouldn’t have pressured him to get married. Being responsible for a family just wasn’t his thing.”
“Not his thing…?” Nate would like to get a hold of the jerk. What kind of guy wouldn’t want his child—his own flesh and blood? Wait…he knew the answer to that all too well. Some men just weren’t made for families. Was he one of them? The very thought struck a chord deep within him. At thirty, he still hadn’t felt the tug to become a husband and father—maybe he never would. “Has he been tested as a donor?”
“Of course. And he’s not a match.”
“And you?”
“No.” She shook her head, pressing a fist to her mouth. “You don’t know how badly—how helpless I feel in all of this. Zac’s my son, and there’s nothing I can do to help him.”
“You’re helping him now, just being here and showing him how much you love him.”
“It’s not enough. My love alone won’t cure him.”
“It’s tough, going through this alone.” Nate shook his head. “You shouldn’t be alone, Shayna.”
“It is what it is. And I have my mom to help. She’s been a rock.”
“Even so…” Nate scratched his head as he glanced at Zac, breathing softly in the bed. The kid was a spitfire, even battling such a horrific disease. His spunk had kept Nate in stitches, and the nurses had quickly dubbed the two of them Laurel and Hardy. Nate’s heart gave a little tug. “What’s your cell number, Shayna?”
She paused, obviously startled. “My number…why?”
“I told you. I’d like to visit Zac again.”
“Well…I guess that’s OK.” Shayna rose from the chair to face him full-on, her voice firm. “But only if you promise to leave the TV crew behind. I won’t let you use my son to boost your ailing career.”
“Agreed.” The curve of her lips suddenly had Nate longing to kiss them. What was up with that?
“So, no cameras, then?” Shayna’s gaze pierced him.
Nate took a step back to put distance between them. “I promise. No cameras.”
“Here’s my number, then.” Shayna scribbled it on a napkin left on Zac’s dinner tray and then handed the napkin to Nate, who carefully folded it and tucked it into his wallet. “I won’t tell Zac you’re coming, in case something gets in the way. I don’t want him to be disappointed.”
“Oh, you can tell him.” Nate nodded, taking the football he’d promised to have signed by his teammates. “I gave him my word, and I won’t break my promise—especially to the kid.”
“You know, he sleeps with that ball every night.”
“Then I guess I’d better hurry and return it.”
Shayna smiled and relaxed her shoulders. “OK, then. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
5
“Mama, can we leave yet?” Zac swung his legs off the edge of the bed as he hugged his bear. “Please.”
“In a bit, honey. I left Grandma a message, and she’ll be here as soon as she’s finished with her meeting.”
“Won’t you ask Nate? He’ll be here quicker than Grandma.”
“Nate?” The sound of his name caused Shayna’s pulse to stutter. She’d felt a connection to Nate, though she couldn’t explain it. Somehow, he seemed to really understand what she was going through, and his gentleness and concern left her longing for more. “Just because he came to see you yesterday doesn’t mean he’ll come back every day. He’s busy, Zac. Nate’s got football things to take care of.”
And that little mess with the police, too. Shayna found it hard to believe, after only a few hours with Nate, that he was the kind of guy who would knock the stuffing out of another guy for no reason at all—at least off the football field and unprovoked. What was the rest of the story? What had led him to deck a guy on the street outside that restaurant the night he was arrested, with a crowd of strangers looking on? Maybe, if she got up the nerve—and if Nate ever returned—she’d ask him.
“But I want to go home.” Zac’s voice kicked up a notch.
“I know, honey. I do, too.”
“Why did our car have to break?”
“It just needs a new tire. That’s easy to fix—as soon as I have the time.” And the money. Shayna forced the thought away. Zac didn’t need to know the hefty price tag that came along with his treatments and medication. If things didn’t get better soon, though, she’d lose her cozy home and have to move back in with her mom. She loved her mom, and they got along great, but moving back in with her would be a dozen steps in the wrong direction.
“I’m getting hungry.” Zac gnawed his lower lip, and the paleness of his cheeks made the spattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose stand out even more than usual. “My belly’s rumbly.”
“You are? It is?” That was a good sign. Maybe the anti-nausea drugs were kicking in. Shayna reached for the call button beside the bed. “I’ll ask the nurse to bring you a snack.”
“No more yucky hospital food,” Zac protested. “Please, Mama.”
“Hey
, there.” A tall figure filled the doorway, casting a shadow across the room as he blocked the hallway lights. “How about some chicken nuggets?”
His deep voice startled Shayna, and she dropped her cell phone in her lap. “Nate! What are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s a fine welcome.” As he took a step into the room, light from the hallway framed his long, lean legs and broad shoulders.
“Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you.” Shayna was glad for the clothes her mom had brought when she’d stopped by to visit Zac last night. At least the wrinkled blouse had been traded for a hunter-green, cable-knit sweater and a fresh pair of jeans. “I thought you were going to call.”
“He did, Mama.” Zac bounced on the bed while he spoke, his golden eyes shadowed with evidence of the restless night he’d suffered through. “When you went to the vending machine for some pretzels.”
Shayna frowned and waggled a finger at her son. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Nate said he wanted to surprise you.” Zac’s grin was contagious. “I guess he did, huh, Mama?”
“Another surprise.” She rolled her eyes as Nate offered Zac a triumphant fist pump. The two were mischief together, plain and simple. “Well, he’s certainly full of them.”
Nate settled on the edge of the bed beside Zac. “I brought you back your ball. Check it out.”
“You already got it signed?” Zac offered Nate a high-five. “Wow! That was fast. Thanks, Nate.”
“I have a few connections.” Nate handed him the football. “There are still several signatures missing, but we can take care of that next season.”
Next season…Shayna’s belly tumbled at the words. She knew good and well Zac might not have a next season.
Nate glanced up, and Shayna turned away to hide her tears. Not soon enough, though. Nate reached for her hand and squeezed gently, as if he understood. She drew a tissue from the box on the bedside table and swiped her eyes. Then she sucked in a breath and gave one, quick shake of her head. “I’m OK,” she mouthed.
“I got wind that the doctors are springing you today, buddy.” Nate’s fingers twined with Shayna’s as he turned to address Zac. “Are you ready to go home?”
