Return to Sender (19 page)

How like Sally to put what Lin thought of as a gut-wrenching nightmare into perspective. It really
was
simple. Cut and dried, if you will. But gambling on her son’s emotional well-being wasn’t something she was willing to do at that point.

“You’re a real friend, Sally. I can’t imagine what I would’ve done without you all these years.”

“Yeah, whatever. Stop with the sappy stuff. Whatever you decide, I’m here.”

As always, Lin thanked her dearest friend before they said good-bye. She was on a mission.

“Man, you’re crazy! It says they’re paying five hundred bucks. In cash,” Will said to his dorm mate, Aaron Levy. “There’s a hundred things I could do with five hundred dollars right now.” Though Will had plenty of extra money, it came from his mother. This was going to be the first Christmas after he had been away from home. It’d be cool to buy her something really nice with money he’d earned on his own.

“Not me. I hate needles,” Aaron explained to his crazy friend.

“And you want to be a vet? Look, man, I don’t know what planet you came from, but the last I heard, veterinarians use needles. They give shots. They draw blood. That kinda thing.”

“I meant to say that I
personally
hate needles stuck into me.” Aaron laughed. “I don’t care how much money they’re offering.”

“Says here the matching donor will receive a ten-million-dollar bonus. Holy crap! Just think of the practice you could start with that kinda money. I’m not afraid of needles. I’m going first thing tomorrow.”

“Whatever, dude. All I can say is good luck.” Aaron tossed a blue and purple pillow at Will.

“Thanks.” Will said. “I’m going to the library. Check you later.”

Will’s dorm mate was cool in every way except socially. He was shy, didn’t have the first desire to meet some of the hottest girls he’d ever laid eyes on. Will couldn’t wait to tell Jack about the house of horniness he was living in. The old man was like the grandfather he’d never known. He’d get a kick out of hearing about it for sure. His mom, on the other hand, would blush and shake her head. She was always preaching to him about getting a girl pregnant. Didn’t she know he carried a condom wherever he went? Well, he had since starting college. If the opportunity arose—
No pun intended,
he thought to himself and laughed—he was going to be prepared.

The request for bone-marrow donations in the Sunday edition of the
Times
was the perfect opportunity to earn some cash. Wanting to surprise his mother, he decided not to mention anything about it to her. She’d get all antsy and squeamish. He remembered when he was in high school and always donated blood. His mom never understood why he went through what she called “such an ordeal” when you didn’t have to. It was just something he liked doing. Maybe he’d saved a life or two. He didn’t know.

Since Scruffy had died, Will had known his calling. He’d loved her so much, it was like losing his best friend when she’d died. His mother had told him the story about finding her cowering beneath the steps of her apartment, cold and hungry. If he were able to extend the lives of animals, make their lives healthier and happier, it would give him immense pleasure. At fifteen he’d decided to become a veterinarian and he’d studied hard when he hadn’t really wanted to, but his hard work had paid off. He’d been accepted into one of the most prestigious undergraduate vet programs in the country. Will couldn’t wait to get his degree. Then he would really be on his way to fulfilling his life’s dream.

And ten million dollars would make it so much nicer, if he turned out to be the donor they were looking for.

Lin read the newspaper article for the third time.
Ten million dollars! Five million to an orphanage, and now this.
Her hands shook, she was so mad. The son of a bitch threw fortunes around like pocket change. Her desire for revenge renewed, she called Jason’s cell phone.

“I take it you read the paper,” he said.

“Ten million dollars. Can you imagine?” Lin asked in amazement. “He’ll have so many donors, they’ll be crawling out of the cracks like ants at a picnic. But I suppose that’s what he’s trying to achieve.”

“I knew he was sick when I saw him. I checked out leukemia on the Web, and if he has the fast-moving kind, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, odds are he won’t live long enough for all the donors to be tested. He could have something else, but I doubt it. Dave tracked him to a Dr. Evan Reeves. He’s an oncologist and a hematologist. Smart doctor, from what I hear.”

Lin had read about him in the article. He and his office staff would be stationed at the university for one week in order to take blood and buccal swabs from potential donors. This would narrow the typing process to only those that met certain medical criteria, a human leukocyte antigen typing which Lin understood involved a part of a gene that identified similar immune systems. From there it would determine who would undergo the bone-marrow extraction. It was quite a task, and Lin knew that if Will learned of this, he’d be first in line. She had to do whatever she could to prevent that from happening.

“I suppose I should sit tight and see what happens,” she said, knowing she had her work cut out for her if she was to prevent Will from doing something that could cause so much pain.

“That’s what I would do. I’ve called Dave off. There’s no reason to have the guy followed. He’ll be in the public eye now that he’s confessed to being ill. I imagine he’s hoping sympathy will replace the outrage from the article in Monday’s paper. The man has perfect timing.”

“He does. I’m going to stay in the city for a couple of days. Then I need to go home. I have a business to run. Call me if there is anything I need to know.”

“I can do that, Lin. I wish…Someday I want you to tell me why you’re so hell-bent on destroying the man.”

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Maybe. I’ll talk with you soon.” Lin closed her cell phone. The day might come when she would have to tell Jason, but not just yet. She had to do whatever was in her power to prevent her son from opening a Pandora’s box so full of lies, it would take years for her to recover.

After she’d read the article in the paper, the beginnings of an idea had started to take root in her mind. After her talk with Jason, she knew it might backfire, but it was worth a shot.

It was Sunday. Monday morning she would visit Dr. Reeves. He had to see her. It truly was an emergency. With nothing to do, Lin decided to scope out her neighborhood beyond the local Starbucks.

She ran a washcloth over her face, brushed her teeth, and pulled her blond hair up in a ponytail. Grabbing a jacket and her purse, she stood in the hallway and locked the door. Feeling relatively safe in a city this size seemed strange to her, but she did. She’d said hello to her neighbors, a young couple with a set of twins. They were both executives on Wall Street. Lin wondered why they weren’t living in a penthouse. Then, remembering the amount of rent she was paying for a one-bedroom apartment, she understood. It would cost a small fortune to house a family of four in this city.

Why is everything always about money?
she thought as she pushed her way outside. She thought of the ten million dollars Nick had offered to pay a matching donor. It was within her power to save his life, sort of. Maybe. In all honesty, if it came to that, it would be Will who held Nick’s life in his hands.

Feeling empowered by her rationalization, Lin joined a group of others in a line that wrapped around the Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street. She needed to gain a few pounds, anyway. She’d eat two of the cupcakes. Maybe three, one for Sally. Hell, she’d get a dozen and take them back to the apartment with her.

Thirty minutes later Lin felt as though she’d burst if she ate another cupcake. She’d picked up a couple of mystery novels at a secondhand bookstore across the street from the bakery. She planned to spend her Sunday afternoon reading.

Monday, October 29, 2007
New York City

L
in swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat the size of a golf ball.

Now that she was there, she wasn’t sure if she had the nerve to go through with what had seemed like such a good idea just yesterday.
Maybe I should just leave,
she thought. But before she could escape the confines of the small examination room, the door opened. It took a few seconds before Lin could speak. “Hello.”

“Hi. I’m Dr. Reeves. It says you’re here on a personal matter.” He glanced at the clipboard holding the papers she’d just spent twenty minutes on. “Have a seat.” He motioned to a metal chair. He hopped on top of the table. He smiled. “You’re wearing a dress.”

“I know.” What an idiot she sounded like. “I mean, of course I do.”

Blond hair that was too long, a deep tan, and from what she could tell by the way he filled out his polo shirt, he had the body that went along with the total package. And he was a doctor. Some woman was lucky. Just looking at him made her blush, forget why she’d come in the first place.

“And it’s very pretty, too.” Lin must’ve looked shocked, because Dr. Reeves laughed very loudly. “I’m sorry. Most of my patients are sick. You look very healthy to me. And pretty.”

Did he say she was pretty? Or was it the dress he thought pretty? Was he actually flirting with her? She looked for a wedding ring. Nada!

“Uh, thanks. I guess. I am healthy as far as I know, though it’s been a while since I had my cholesterol checked.” Lin could’ve given herself the V8 smack to the forehead.

“We can check it for you,” Dr. Reeves said.

She hadn’t expected such a young hunk. Heaven help her, Sally would die if she saw him. That thought caused her to smile. If he didn’t stop the unprofessional banter, she didn’t know what she was going to do. Feeling like a girl with her first crush, Lin cleared her throat. She had a son to consider. Who cared what the damned doctor looked like?

I do, I do,
a little voice whispered in her ear.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure it’s fine. As I said on the papers I filled out, this is a personal matter. I saw the article in the
Times
.”

“Yes. Some people have money to burn. If it saves their lives, then who’s to say it’s a tad on the side of ridiculous? I suppose you want to donate your marrow. It was pretty clear in the paper. We’ve got a medical team set up on campus. They can do everything that I could do here in the office.”

“No, no, it’s not that. I don’t want to donate my bone marrow.” Lin stood up. “This wasn’t a good idea. I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

“Wait!”

Lin stopped on the way to the door because the handsome doctor blocked her path.

“Please, tell me why you’re here. It must be important to you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come.”

Shaking her head, Lin wasn’t sure how she should reply. “I’m not sure myself. Obviously, I didn’t think this through.”

“Okay. I can’t force you, but just so you know, whatever you say to me is protected. Patient confidentiality.”

“I thought so, but I wasn’t sure, since I’m not actually a patient. Does this mean that whatever we discuss, no matter what, it can’t be used…for one of your patients?” Knowing her words made no sense to the doctor, she was about to correct them when Dr. Reeves spoke.

“I suppose that qualifies as personal. I can’t give you a yes or no answer, Ms. Townsend. If it involves something that’s unethical, then I can’t withhold that information, whatever it may be.”

Lin nodded, unsure of what his response meant. “I shouldn’t have wasted your time. I’m sorry.”

“Wait,” the doctor called as she pushed past him to the door. He hesitated; then a quirky smile revealed bright white teeth. “I mean…are you hungry?”

Lin looked at the handsome doctor. He was smiling at her. She gave a small smile in return. Maybe he assumed her blood sugar was low or something. “I had a cupcake for breakfast. And a latte. From Starbucks. So to answer your question, no, I’m not really all that hungry.”

“Look, it’s been a while. I’ve spent most of my adult life in school. I’m sure there’s a much better way to do this.”

“Do what?” Lin asked, extremely curious about Dr. Reeves’s strange behavior.

“I’m asking you out on a lunch date.”

Lin’s eyes doubled in size. “What!”

“I guess that’s a no. Like I said, it’s been a while since I’ve asked a beautiful woman on a date. I apologize.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Lin asked, astonished at his words.

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

Lin gazed into his eyes. They were a deep blue. Like the Caribbean.

A wry glint appeared in his eyes as he returned her stare. “You have the most unusual eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re…silver.”

She nodded.

“Does that mean yes to lunch or yes to the eyes?”

Feeling as though she were having an out-of-body experience, Lin nodded a second time before saying, “Yes.”

A vague sensation passed between them. Electrical. White hot. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts. Sexual attraction, that was what it was. Dr. Reeves peered at her. Her entire being seemed to be filled with waiting, wanting.

This is ridiculous!

The attraction between them was disturbing in its intensity. Lin licked her lips, wondering what it would feel like to kiss the doctor. What would it feel like to run her hand along the firmness of his chest, the muscles that rippled in his arms? She shook her head. She felt like Dorothy in Oz. Only Dr. Reeves did not resemble the great and powerful Oz in the least. Or the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, or the Scarecrow. God, he was manliness magnified times a zillion.

“To both,” she finally managed to answer.

“Your eyes are silver, and you’ll have lunch with me?” This was framed as a question rather than a statement.

“Yes.”

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

She nodded.

What the hell had just happened? Lin could never recall in her entire life being so…attracted to, so mesmerized by a man.
My God, he’s Nick’s doctor!
And she’d just agreed to have lunch with him!

Taking a deep breath, Lin decided to go with it for once. She didn’t think anything would come of their sharing a meal. But it would take her mind off her next move—getting Will away from campus as soon as his afternoon classes were over that day.

“Let’s go.”

“Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves or something?” Lin asked as they left Dr. Reeves’s suite of offices.

“I’m Evan Reeves, and I feel like a total jerk. Where are my manners? My mother would kill me. Of course I should introduce myself. I already know that you’re Lin Townsend, age thirty-six, in reasonably good health, though your cholesterol might need to be checked. And I know that you wanted to share something personal with me. That’s what brought you here in the first place. I also know that whatever it is between us wasn’t the kind of
personal
you were referring to when you called my office this morning to schedule an emergency appointment.”

“You know more about me than I do you. But then again, I know you’re single. At least I hope you are, because I do not go out with married men, even if it is just lunch.” Lin looked over and up at Evan. He was smiling.

“So far, so good,” he said.

“Uh, you have a mother and a father, I assume. And you went to school so long, you never developed proper dating etiquette. How am I doing?” Lin asked.

“Very well. Now”—he pushed the door open, sending a gush of cool air up to greet them—“where would you like to go? I have an hour and a half, more if I’m willing to make my patients wait, which I’m not, so wherever we go, it’ll have to be quick.”

He stepped off the curb, his right arm in the air. A taxi came to a full stop just as Evan stepped back on the sidewalk. They got into the taxi.

“You’re the one that invited me to lunch. Shouldn’t you have thought about this before asking?”

“You’re absolutely right, I should have, but I didn’t, because I was afraid if I took my eyes off you for one second, you’d disappear.”

“I guess I can live with that.”

“So, any suggestions? I usually eat lunch at my desk.”

Lin knew he thought she lived in the city permanently and knew of the best places to go. She knew only Starbucks, the Magnolia Bakery, and the mom-and-pop pizza kitchen where she had ordered takeout every evening during the past week. Lin didn’t want Evan to know that she wasn’t a true New Yorker, even though he had to know by her accent that she wasn’t from the New York area.

“I’m not really familiar with this part of the city. Why don’t we ask him?” She motioned to their driver.

“Sure. Excuse me.” Evan leaned across the edge of the front seat.

“Can you suggest a place where we can get a quick lunch? Some place nice.”

The driver spoke with a heavy New York accent. “Sure do. I’ll drop you two off at Grand Central Station. They have everything imaginable, though it ain’t fancy. You’ll see they have variety.”

“Sounds good to me. Are you okay with that, Lin?”

She would’ve settled for a Sabrett hot dog from the many street vendors but didn’t tell him that. “It’ll be perfect for both of us since I can take the subway from there. I have another appointment across town.” At least that was the truth.

Thirty minutes later they were seated in the food court at Grand Central. She’d chosen a fresh fruit salad, and Evan had opted for fresh shrimp tossed in a lemon butter sauce and salad with mixed tender baby greens and fresh snap peas.

“This is delicious. I wonder where they’re getting their off-season fruit? I can’t even get this from…at my local market.” She’d made another slip. She’d almost said she couldn’t get fruit this fresh from her supplier in Dalton, but he didn’t have the first clue about her chosen profession.

“Hey, it’s New York. If it can be had, this is the place you’ll find it.”

“Yes, of course. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She forked a plump strawberry.

“So tell me about yourself. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask on a first date?” Evan inquired between bites.

Taking a deep breath, Lin knew that was where things could get tricky. Wanting to lie as little as possible, if at all, she couldn’t think of a thing to say. “I…” Realizing whatever she said would generate even more questions, and not to mention she was so very,
very
tired of lies, she chose the truth, damning its consequences. “I don’t live in the city. In fact I have only a three-month lease on my apartment in SoHo. I…own a restaurant. In Georgia.” She took a large slice of orange and practically crammed it into her mouth.

“Hmm, I don’t think you put that on your patient info form,” Evan said, a grin showing a dimple in his left cheek. How could she have missed that?

“No, I didn’t see the point at the time.”

“And why tell me now?” he questioned.

Remembering she wanted to be as honest as possible, Lin said, “I’m tired of lying.”

Evan furrowed his brow, took a deep breath. “Is it a problem for you? I know a couple of doctors that can treat that type of thing. It’s much more common than you would think.”

Laughter exploded from her mouth like an iron ball from a cannon blast. “It seems I haven’t explained myself very clearly. First, I can distinguish the truth from a lie. Secondly, I have some personal issues in my life right now, so it just seemed easier to lie than admit the truth. It’s something I’ve had to wrestle with since I was a young girl. Events have sort of catapulted me into a position that may force me to confront someone with a secret I’ve kept from him his entire life.” Lin felt as though a cement block had been lifted from her heavy heart. Waiting for a reaction from Evan, she was stunned when he reached for her hand.

The lighthearted note in Evan’s voice was gone when he asked, “Is that what brought you to my office?”

Vowing to continue her crusade of truth, she nodded. “Yes. But it’s so complicated, so…There are so many other factors to deal with. I’ve done some things of late that I’m not very proud of.”

“I don’t understand how I, as an oncologist and hematologist, can be of help to you.”

Lin’s eyes pooled with tears.
Shit-house mouse!
“I’m sorry.” She dabbed her eyes with a paper napkin. “It concerns one of your patients.” There. It was out in the open.

“I see.”

Lin knew she would have to tell him the full truth. Why, after all these years, she suddenly felt comfortable discussing her most personal secrets with a man she’d known for little more than an hour was beyond her. Lin felt as though she’d known him forever, as though whatever she said, he wouldn’t judge her. It was that gut thing again. She would go with it.

“The marrow drive for Nicholas Pemberton, it’s connected to that.”

“That’s public knowledge. It was in the
Times
yesterday. Tell me what’s so terrible that you’ve felt you had to lie about it.” He wiped his mouth, tossed his napkin on the tray, then took both of her hands in his.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Lin said.

“The beginning is usually your best bet.”

“Yes, it is. However, it looks like it’s time for you to get back to your office, and I do have that appointment I have to make.”

“So, I guess this is good-bye. For today, I mean. You’re not going to slip away from me, Lin. I mean that. I know it’s been less than two hours since we met, but there is something quite unusual between us, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t want to lose you when I’ve just found you. God, that’s a cliché, huh?”

It was, and she loved it, but she wasn’t ready to tell him that. “I think if I don’t catch the crosstown train, I’m going to be late.” She reached inside her purse, found one of her business cards for Jack’s Diner, scribbled her cell-phone number on the back. “So you’ll always be able to find me. I’ll wait for your call, Evan. I promise. Thank you for the lunch. This has been one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.”

“How about dinner tonight? I should be through around six. Then I have to make my rounds at the hospital. What do you say?”