Chances Are Read online

  “Hey, are you already on your way? We’re heading over to the beach in a few minutes.”

  “The beach?”

  “Yeah. We’re going out with my cousins tonight. Don’t you remember? Sand, campfire, s’mores?”

  “You may have said something about a campfire and s’mores, but you didn’t tell me we were going with your cousins.”

  “That was the whole point of going, to spend time with them.”

  “I thought you came to LA so you could spend more time with me, not with them.”

  “Actually, it was a bit of both.”

  “Can’t we do something tonight, just the two of us? I haven’t seen you all weekend.”

  “Whose fault is that?” Ben asked. “You’re the one who kept canceling on all of our plans.”

  “I told you I wasn’t feeling well.”

  “Is it really that big of a deal to come hang out and have a barbecue with David’s family?”

  “You know I’m not good around kids.”

  “Fine.” Ben couldn’t deny that David’s children hadn’t really hit it off with Heather. Now that he thought about it, Ben had rather enjoyed a peaceful weekend without having to worry about Heather and the drama that often surrounded her.

  “How about if we meet for lunch tomorrow?” Heather suggested. “I just heard of this new place in Beverly Hills. It’s supposed to be amazing.”

  Ben closed his eyes. He knew he had no future with Heather, and it was silly for him to keep postponing the inevitable. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but he had tried to fight against the annoying feeling that Heather really was with him only because of his fame and money. Disgusted by the image and his newfound certainty that it was true, he knew what he had to do. “Fine. Go ahead and make a reservation for one o’clock. We can talk then.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Ben hung up and saw David standing at the edge of the room.

  “I gather Heather isn’t coming tonight?”

  “You guessed it.”

  “You know, Wendy will understand if you can’t make it.”

  “Heather’s not worth missing out on spending time with you guys. I’ve always loved the whole campfire-on-the-beach bit.”

  “Are things okay with you two?”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re over. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Chapter 6

  The pain was even worse than she had anticipated. The doctor had already called in a new prescription for pain medication at a local pharmacy, but unfortunately, it was over two miles away.

  “Here’s the address.” The nurse held out a slip of paper.

  Maya took it from her, even that little bit of effort weighing on her. “Thanks.”

  Concern shone in the woman’s warm, brown eyes. Maya read the name tag on her scrubs: Betsy. “Do you need me to call a ride for you?”

  Maya wanted to say no, but she didn’t know how she was going to make it all the way to the front door, much less the quarter mile to her home. Quietly, she looked through her purse and pulled out her cell phone and Jessica’s phone number.

  She made the call, relieved when Jessica answered and agreed to come get her.

  “Let me get you a wheelchair, and I’ll have someone take you outside,” Betsy said.

  “I think I can make it,” Maya told her, though she knew the words weren’t true.

  “We both know better than that,” Betsy said gently. “It will get better after the first few treatments. I promise.”

  She motioned to a dark-skinned man who appeared to be in his late sixties. He wheeled a chair to her.

  “This is Henry,” Betsy told her. “He’ll make sure you get out front to find your ride.”

  “Thank you.” Maya lowered herself into the wheelchair.

  “So, Maya, where are you from?”

  “Ohio.”

  Henry smiled. “Honey, that accent is not from Ohio.”

  “I’m from India originally.”

  “Ahhh. The land of curry and spice,” he said, the simplistic description invoking images of her family gathered together to share a meal of pilau rice and kadai lamb. “Do you know how to make curry chicken?”

  Delighted despite her exhaustion, she offered him a warm smile. “Of course. It’s one of my favorite foods.”

  “Maybe one day after you’re better, I’ll talk you into making that for me. My wife never has been able to get it quite right.”

  “Is your wife from India?”

  “No. New Jersey.”

  “New Jersey?”

  He chuckled. “But she knows I love anything with curry in it; my favorite’s curry chicken.”

  “Then as soon as I’m better, I will teach her if she wishes to learn.”

  “We’ll look forward to that day.”

  The automatic doors opened, and Henry pushed Maya outside. A moment later, she saw Jessica pull into the parking lot.

  “That’s my ride there.”

  Henry pushed her closer to the curb and waved a hand to get Jessica’s attention. Then he helped Maya into the car, gave her an encouraging look, and closed the door.

  Maya shifted to face Jessica. “Thank you so much for the ride. I really appreciate it.”

  “I’m happy to help. I’m just glad you caught me. Normally I work during the day, but it just so happened that I had a dentist appointment and decided to take the rest of the day off.”

  Maya tried to hide her disappointment. She hadn’t really wanted to ask Jessica to drive her every day, but she had hoped the possibility would exist if she needed it. “Would you mind terribly if we stopped by the pharmacy? I need to pick up a prescription, and I’m afraid it might be a little too far to walk.”

  “Sure. Which pharmacy?”

  Maya gave her the address, and Jessica pulled out of the parking lot. Twenty minutes later, Jessica said good-bye to Maya at the elevator and left her to make it the rest of the way to Ben’s apartment on her own.

  Maya had managed to fight back the worst of the pain while struggling through the tedious process of collecting and paying for her prescription, but as soon as she made it inside, she headed for the kitchen and fumbled for a glass of water. She was barely able to open the pill bottle, but somehow, she managed to twist it open and pop two pills into her mouth.

  Swallowing, she limped to the couch and gently lowered herself onto the plush cushions. Slowly, she leaned back and closed her eyes, praying that this pain would ultimately be worth it.

  * * *

  Ben laced up his running shoes and pulled a hoodie over his head. His early morning workout session with David had gone well, but now he was ready to work off some extra energy without confining himself to a weight room. He had considered driving down to the beach to run but had instead decided to spend more time ambling through the local neighborhoods.

  He set out at an easy pace, giving his muscles time to loosen for the first mile or so. He passed a high school, noticing the variety of cars in the student parking lot. He remembered all too well what it was like to be one of the few who couldn’t afford a car of his own, always relying on others to take him where he wanted to go.

  Looking back, he was grateful his parents hadn’t been in the position to give him everything he’d wanted growing up. Even though it had been tough at the time, wishing he had the latest cell phone and a form of transportation that didn’t involve two wheels and pedals, he was astute enough to know that the lack in his childhood and teenage years made him appreciate what he had today.

  His mind continued to wander as he pounded past the school and into the adjoining neighborhood. He thought of his impending lunch date with Heather and found himself pondering the future. He was only twenty-three, young enough that he hadn’t worried a lot about marriage yet but old enough for the idea to have entered his mind.

  Undoubtedly, the recent engagements of several teammates had been the catalyst to such thoughts and had left him pondering what
he wanted in his future. He couldn’t deny that over the past few weeks he’d found himself comparing his relationship with Heather to what his friends had.

  He supposed he had always known Heather wasn’t going to be the woman in his future. As much as he appreciated how she had helped him transition into his life as a big leaguer, they had little to talk about when they were alone.

  He hadn’t been completely honest with her last night when he’d said he had come to California partly to be with her and partly to be closer to his cousins. The convenience of staying with David and his family had worked out great, but even if they hadn’t lived near Heather, he probably would have figured out a way to stay in LA during the off-season. Besides wanting to see where this relationship with Heather would take him, the climate was great, and he was ready to live away from his parents’ home.

  Now he found himself grateful that he hadn’t rented a place of his own. His expectations and Heather’s were obviously very different. Heather apparently expected that they would spend all of their time together going from one social event to another. He had envisioned spending his days working out, preparing for next season, and having the convenience of living close enough that they could go out most evenings.

  He had held firm about getting in his workouts each day, but until this past weekend, he had let Heather largely dictate what they did when they had time together. The more he thought about it now, the more he wondered if he really enjoyed spending time with her or if he just enjoyed the novelty of having someone who clearly enjoyed being around him.

  The incident with the party last weekend, though, made him doubt if it was even him she was interested in or if it was just the perks of his profession. Deep down, he already knew the answer. He turned a corner and headed back home. As much as he dreaded it, he knew lunch today would be the perfect time to end things with Heather so he could move on to follow his own dreams without anyone holding him back.

  * * *

  “My friend must be running behind,” Maya told Henry when he wheeled her outside after her second treatment. “I can just wait over there on the bench.”

  “I don’t mind waiting for a few minutes.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. She said she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to get away from work.”

  “All right. If you’re sure.” He wheeled her over to one of the benches along the building and helped her from the chair. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Maya lied. She didn’t know how she was going to manage walking the quarter mile to Ben’s apartment, but she couldn’t very well sit in the hospital all day. At least Henry had gotten her out the front door.

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Henry.”

  He nodded and pushed the empty wheelchair back inside.

  Maya waited until she was sure he was gone. Then, gathering all of her strength, she stood and slowly walked toward the parking lot and the intersection beyond.

  She managed only a handful of steps before she started looking ahead for someplace she could rest along the way. A tree in a grassy median in the parking lot became her first target, and she hated that something less than thirty yards away could seem so far. She hadn’t even made half that distance before a familiar voice sounded behind her.

  “Did your ride not show up, or were you lying to me?” Henry asked.

  Maya didn’t answer.

  He motioned to the wheelchair in front of him. “Sit down.”

  “I can make it. It’s only a few blocks.”

  “Maya, I said sit down,” he demanded, taking her arm and helping her into the chair.

  Her heart sank. Logically, she knew she wasn’t going to make it all the way to the apartment without help, but she kept hoping that somehow the Lord would give her the strength she needed. Expecting Henry to take her back to the hospital, she calculated whether she might have enough cash in her wallet to pay for a cab. But to her surprise, he pushed the chair forward in the direction she had been heading.

  “Okay. Where are we going?”

  “What?”

  “You said it was only a few blocks. I’m taking you home.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that,” Maya insisted. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for being gone too long.”

  “I’m taking my lunch break,” Henry told her. “Besides, I’ll let you repay me by making me some Indian food once your treatments are over.”

  Maya’s eyes teared up at the kindness of the gesture. She blinked several times and managed to say, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He wheeled her to the intersection and waved a hand. “Now, which way are we going?”

  Chapter 7

  Ben didn’t know where he was going. The address Heather gave him for the restaurant was actually to some fashion boutique. When he finally managed to find a parking space off of Rodeo Drive, he stopped to ask for directions, only to end up at a hotel. Thinking that perhaps the restaurant was inside, Ben went in and met a family of five from the Washington, DC, area, who happened to be huge Nationals fans.

  Ten minutes, a nice chat, and several autographs later, Ben gave up looking for the restaurant and pulled out his cell phone to call Heather.

  “Ben, I was just getting ready to call you.”

  “Sorry I’m running late. The address you gave me wasn’t right. Where is the restaurant?”

  “Actually, I can’t make it today.”

  “What?”

  “My agent called a little while ago to tell me about a movie audition. He said the part was made for me.”

  “I didn’t know you were trying to get into acting.”

  “I’ve been toying with the idea for a while now.”

  “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

  “My agent only called me an hour ago. I had to get ready,” she told him unapologetically. “How about if we do lunch tomorrow instead?”

  “Whatever,” Ben mumbled.

  “Great,” she said, clearly either unaware or unconcerned about his frustration. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Yeah,” Ben said under his breath as he pocketed his phone. “Much later.”

  * * *

  Maya passed through each day very much like she did the one before. With her strength faltering, she forced herself to ask Jessica for a ride to the hospital each morning. Jessica dropped her off early on her way to work, and then after the infusion, Maya waited in the doctor’s office until Henry took his lunch break.

  As he had on that first Tuesday, Henry wheeled her the several blocks to her apartment, depositing her at the elevator door before going back to the hospital. Each day, she tried to focus on the blessings of having people who were so willing to help her in this strange city instead of thinking about the constant pain and her complete lack of energy.

  For two weeks now, she had been living off the food Kari had bought her. She had already run out of bananas and a few other items from their trip to the store, and she was now down to the last of her yogurt, oranges, and apples. The diet Dr. Schuster had given her was simple enough, including lean meats, fish, fruit, certain vegetables, and whole grains. Unfortunately, many of the items were a bit pricey, and others still weren’t sitting well with her.

  She knew from past experience with cancer treatments that it was best to try to concentrate on the positives in life. Though simple, she enjoyed her new routine. When she wasn’t at the hospital getting infusions, she spent what little energy she had reading the books she had brought with her and sitting out on the balcony so she could watch the bustle of traffic on the street below.

  Now that she had survived the first couple weeks of treatments, she hoped she could regain a little more energy to do more around the apartment and even outside. At least her meals since moving here had been largely disposable, so except for the trash that was starting to overflow in the kitchen, the apartment looked pretty much as it had when she got there.

  A knock sounded at the doo
r. She hesitated, wondering who could be coming over first thing on a Saturday morning.

  Concerned that it might be someone looking for Ben, her mind raced with explanations of why she was living in his apartment, certain Ben wouldn’t appreciate the potential rumors her presence might invoke. Hesitantly, she made her way to the door and looked out the peephole. She relaxed when she saw Jessica standing in the hall.

  Maya pulled the door open, her eyes narrowing when she saw the vacuum cleaner in her hand. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to clean your apartment.” She walked past Maya into the apartment and started unwinding the vacuum cord.

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know, but I thought I should probably help you out while I can.” She plugged the cord into the wall.

  “What do you mean?”

  Jessica turned to her. “Ian has a job interview on Tuesday in Philadelphia. He wants me to drive up with him so we can house shop in case he gets the job.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “The interview is at one in the afternoon, so we can drop you off at the hospital for your treatment before we leave.”

  Maya pressed her lips together, overwhelmed by Jessica’s kindness. “I don’t know what I would have done these past couple of weeks without your help.”

  “I’m glad we were able to do something for you. I’m just worried about what will happen if Ian gets this job. We’d probably have to move right away.”

  “Things are supposed to get a lot easier now that my body’s getting used to the treatments.” Her legs shaking, she lowered herself onto the couch. “I’m sure I’ll be able to walk to the hospital if I need to. Worst case, I’ll take a cab.”

  “I wish I knew someone else who could help out. Unfortunately, just about everyone around here works during the day.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Maya assured her. “You and Ian concentrate on what’s best for the two of you.”

  Jessica motioned to the hall. “Why don’t you go sit out on the balcony while I vacuum. You probably shouldn’t be in here while I’m cleaning.”

  “Okay.” Maya mustered her energy, stood, and made her way through her bedroom and out onto the balcony. Her body aching, she lowered herself into one of the two padded chairs Kari had found stashed in her brother’s closet and looked down at the street below. A young couple walked along the sidewalk, the woman pushing a stroller, a toddler in his father’s arms.