Priceless (15 page)

“You should go home,” Beth told him. “It could be a while before we know anything for certain.”

“Are you leaving?” he’d asked.

“No.”

“Then neither am I. How about some coffee?”

“I don’t think I could drink one more cup,” she told
him honestly. “I’m jittery enough. But some chocolate would be good. I’ll come to the cafeteria with you.”

“You need something more substantial than chocolate,” Mack coaxed when they were in the cafeteria. “How about a salad? Or some soup?”

“Something tells me you got me down here under false pretenses,” she teased with feigned indignation. “You never wanted coffee at all, did you? You wanted to get me to eat.”

He shrugged, not even trying to deny it. “It’s been a long day and I know you haven’t eaten anything.”

“I’m used to that,” she insisted.

“Well, you shouldn’t be,” he said, piling food onto a tray as she trailed along beside him. “The pie looks good. What do you think? Blueberry or lemon meringue?”

“Mack, if I eat all that, I’ll be up half the night.”

“Something tells me we’re going to be up half the night anyway,” he said, undaunted by her protest. “I’ll get both. You can try some of each.”

He put both pieces of pie on the already loaded tray, then carried it to the cashier, who beamed at him.

“I heard what you did for that boy today, Mr. Carlton.” The woman regarded Beth with a more serious expression. “I hope there’s a match, Dr. Browning. If not, maybe there will be one tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Beth repeated, looking confused.

“Didn’t you see the news tonight?” the cashier asked. “It was all over about how Mack got the whole team over here to be tested. The news guys are challenging the community to come in, too. One of the operators told me the phone lines have been lit up all night with volunteers calling for information. The bone
marrow registry is going to be flooded with new people.”

Beth gazed up at Mack, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I had no idea.”

“Neither did I,” he said honestly. “But that’s a good thing, right? There are other people waiting for marrow donors, too, aren’t there?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, before he realized what she intended, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him—a hard, breath-stealing kiss that drew cheers from the few people in the cafeteria at that hour.

When she finally released him, Mack regarded her with surprise. “What was that for?”

“For doing something so incredible. I will never complain about all the media that circles around you again.”

Mack thought about it and realized that for once his celebrity had been a good thing, giving Tony and maybe even others a fighting chance.

“Neither will I,” he said. “Heck, maybe I’ll even send a bottle of scotch to Pete Forsythe as a peace offering.”

Beth frowned at that. “Don’t get
too
carried away.”

Mack led the way to a table across the cafeteria, then sat back and watched to make sure that Beth actually ate something, instead of just moving the food around on the plate. She was almost finished with her pie when Peyton walked in, his expression elated.

“We have a match,” he called out from halfway across the cafeteria.

The announcement drew cheers. Mack felt his eyes fill with tears and saw that Beth’s cheeks were damp, as well.

“Who?” she said.

“Me? One of the players?” Mack asked, hoping in a way that he could be the one, not because he wanted credit for the heroics, but because it would give him a permanent link to Tony.

Peyton shook his head, his gaze on Mack. “It’s your aunt, Mack. Destiny is the match.”

M
ack was still in shock at the unexpected twist fate had taken. Destiny—the woman who had saved him and his brothers from despair after the loss of their parents—was in a position to save another little boy, this time from almost certain death. He should have guessed that his aunt would be the one to keep Tony alive.

He couldn’t help worrying, though, whether she was physically up to it. Destiny would laugh in his face at any hint that she was old, and, truthfully, in her early fifties, she was in better health than many women much younger. Still, he was concerned.

“Peyton, are you sure this won’t be too much for her?” he asked.

“We’ll have to do a more complete assessment, of course, but I see no reason why she won’t be able to
do this,” Peyton told him. “If she’s willing, of course. Is there some reason why she might not be?”

“Absolutely not,” Mack said with total confidence. “She’ll want to go ahead. There’s no doubt about that. I just need to be sure there’s no risk.”

“Any risk is minimal,” Peyton reassured him. “Do you want to call and tell her or should I? We’ll have to get her back in here as soon as possible for a complete physical before we can go ahead with Tony’s intensive chemotherapy and schedule the transplant.”

“I’ll go over there and tell her tonight,” Mack said. He glanced at Beth. “Do you want to come? It’ll probably take both of us to keep her from running straight back over here the second she hears.”

Beth nodded at once. “I’m sure we can convince her that tomorrow morning will be soon enough.” She turned to her colleague. “What about Mrs. Vitale? Have you told her the good news yet?”

Peyton shook his head. “I thought you two might want to come along. It’s because of you that we have a real hope of saving Tony now.”

“Oh, yes,” Beth said fervently. “Mack?”

Suddenly it was all too much. Mack felt this overwhelming desire to shout with joy and at the same time he wanted to cry. He was ecstatic at the promise of a future for Tony, yet fearful for his aunt. “Maybe you should go without me,” he said. “I’m not sure I can hold it together in there.”

Beth reached for his hand. “You don’t have to. This is a miracle, Mack. Even hardened football players are allowed to cry over miracles.”

“Doctors, too,” Peyton said, his gaze on Beth filled with understanding.

“Later, when Tony is out of the woods. Besides,
I’ve shed more than my share of tears today,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “Now I just want to get on with things.”

Peyton gave her a knowing look that only another physician could fully understand. Mack wasn’t entirely sure how to interpret it.

“Is there something you two aren’t telling me?” he asked.

“No,” Beth assured him at once. “There’s every reason to believe Tony is finally going to turn the corner. The bone marrow transplant should put him into remission, and with luck he’ll stay there. He’ll be watched closely and given frequent blood tests to make sure his white count stays up, but this is absolutely his best shot at a normal future.”

Mack wasn’t sure whether to believe her, but he had little choice. Besides, he’d endured about all the doubts and fears he could handle for one day.

Upstairs, he hung back while Beth and Peyton broke the news to Maria Vitale. When it finally sank in that her son truly had hope, she ran to Mack and clung to him. He hadn’t expected the emotional outburst, and once again he found himself fighting tears. After a moment, though, he let them fall unashamedly.

“Maria, don’t thank me,” he pleaded, uncomfortable with the outpouring of gratitude. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You got those people to come here,” she insisted fiercely. “And it is your aunt who is the one who will save my boy. With my dying breath, I will thank her and you.”

“The important thing is that now Tony has a fighting chance,” Mack said. “I couldn’t be happier about that.”

“What will happen now?” Maria asked Beth.

“I think I’ll let Dr. Lang explain that to you. Mack and I are going to go to see Destiny and tell her the good news, then prepare her for what happens next.”

As they were about to leave, Maria came to Mack and met his gaze. “Please tell her for me that I will ask God to bless her.”

“I will, Maria.”

Mack was silent on the drive to Destiny’s. Beth kept making halfhearted attempts at conversation, but he was too drained to respond until she finally asked, “Mack, are you having second thoughts about this?”

He stared at her in shock. “Why would I have second thoughts? Besides, it’s not my call. It’s in Destiny’s hands now.”

“It’s just that you’re not saying anything. I was afraid you might be worrying that something will happen to her and it will be your fault. No one would blame you for feeling that way. I feel scared every time I recommend a risky treatment to someone, even if it’s their only hope. It’s a perfectly natural reaction.”

“I can’t tell you that I’m not concerned, but I don’t doubt that it’s the right thing to do,” Mack said. “If Destiny wants to go ahead, I’m behind her one hundred percent.”

“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” Beth told him.

“Sweetheart, we both know there are no guarantees, but I can’t look back. I won’t. Tony has to have his chance to live.”

Beth tucked her hand in his. “Can I tell you something without you getting all crazy?”

Mack fought a grin. “Try me.”

“I love you, Mack. If I hadn’t before today, I would now,” she said quietly.

Mack wanted to say the words back. They were on the very tip of his tongue, but somehow he couldn’t get them out.

Beth met his gaze and smiled. “It’s okay. I know.”

He studied her face for a minute, then nodded. She did know. That was the remarkable thing about Beth. She seemed to know what was in his heart, even when he couldn’t explain it.

One of these days, though, he was going to have to find the words. She deserved to hear them.

And their future depended on them.

“I simply don’t understand why there’s so much commotion over this,” Destiny said when the entire family had gathered for dinner a few nights later. “It’s a simple, uncomplicated procedure. That handsome Dr. Lang explained that to all of us at the hospital today.”

“It’s simple and uncomplicated if you’re a doctor who does it routinely,” Mack said dryly. “
You’ve
never done it before.”

“Well, fortunately I’ll have very experienced doctors doing the hard part,” Destiny told him. “Now stop it, all of you. I’ve made up my mind. If I hadn’t before, that visit to Tony today would have clinched it. What an amazing boy he is. I look forward to having him in my life after this.”

“I’m glad you’re looking ahead,” Richard said, “but I don’t think any of us could live with ourselves if something happened to you.”

“Then we’ll make sure that nothing does,” Destiny told him firmly. She looked pointedly toward Melanie. “How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?”

Mack sat back and sighed. So did Ben and Richard. It was evident that the topic of the transplant was over
and done with for the evening. Destiny had made up her mind days ago as soon as she’d been told that she was a good match. She intended to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m., no matter what any of them said. The wheels had been put into motion. Tony had received the high-dose chemo and was pronounced ready for the procedure. There would be no turning back now. A part of Mack was relieved, a part of him still terrified.

“I’m feeling fit as a fiddle,” Melanie said, going along with Destiny’s attempt to change the subject. “Of course, maybe that’s because Richard hasn’t let me pick up anything heavier than a glass since we got the news.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Destiny told her. “Once the baby comes, Richard will fall back into his old workaholic patterns, and you’ll be left to fend for yourself.”

Destiny pushed aside her plate. “I want you all to know that I appreciate you coming over tonight, but I need to get my beauty sleep if I’m going to be up before dawn. I’ll say good-night now. I’ll see you at the hospital in the morning.”

“I’m staying,” Ben said, regarding her defiantly.

“So are we,” Richard added.

Destiny returned their stubborn expressions with an impatient look, then finally uttered a sigh of her own. “Whatever makes you happy.” She gazed at Mack. “Since I’m going to be so well looked after, why don’t you go on over to Beth’s? I’m sure she could use some company tonight. I’m still not sure I understand why she turned down my dinner invitation.”

“She thought you should concentrate on family tonight,” Mack said.

“She’s family, too,” Destiny replied. “Or she will be if someone we know doesn’t blow it.”

Mack shook his head. “Stop with the matchmaking, Destiny. It’s already worked.”

Her expression brightened. “Really?”

“As if you would have allowed it to turn out any other way,” Ben remarked.

Mack bent down and kissed his aunt’s cheek. “I owe you one.”

She grinned at him. “You usually do. Good night, darling. Give Beth my love and tell her I’m counting on her bringing both Tony and me through all of this with flying colors.”

“How would you like to have that pressure hanging over you?” Richard commented. “If I were you, I’d keep that to myself, Mack.”

“Believe me, I’m not going over to Beth’s to lay a guilt trip on her.”

“Gee, bro, what are you going over there to do?” Ben inquired.

Destiny frowned at him. “That is none of your business, young man. I thought I raised you better than that.”

“Sometimes these wild urges to poke around in Mack’s personal life just overtake me,” Ben said unrepentantly. “I live vicariously through him.”

Destiny gave him a considering look. Mack could almost read her mind. If Ben was looking for vicarious thrills, then maybe, at long last, he was ready for another love affair of his own.

“You’ve stepped in it now,” Mack taunted him. “I predict Destiny will have fixed you up with a nurse before she’s out of surgery tomorrow.”

Ben shuddered dramatically. “I don’t think so,” he said. “After all, Mack, she’s not quite finished with you yet, is she?”

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Beth asked Destiny for the tenth time, still unable to believe that a miracle was so close at hand. She felt compelled to keep asking, even though Destiny was losing patience with her.

“Don’t you dare start in on me, too. I got enough of this from my nephews last night. It’s not as if there’s another option,” Destiny said, giving Beth’s hand a squeeze. She looked at her nephew. “I’ve known for months now that our lives were going to be forever intertwined. I think Mack finally understands the significance of that, too, don’t you, darling?”

Mack gave her one of his irrepressible grins. “Stop trying to propose for me, Destiny. I’ll handle that part myself, and I won’t be doing it with you lying here on a hospital bed listening to every word.”

Beth’s head snapped around to stare at him. “What is she talking about?”

“We’ll discuss it a little later,” he said. “Let’s get Tony well again, okay?”

“Some things are too important to wait,” Destiny scolded.

Mack gave her an impatient look, seemed to reach some conclusion, then reached in his pocket. “I suppose I might as well get on with this,” he told Beth, looking vaguely apologetic. “She’s not going into that operating room until she sees this on your finger.”

Beth stared at him, not comprehending the sudden turn the conversation had taken. Or maybe she was just a little terrified that she understood it too well and wasn’t ready to hear it.

“Mack, what’s going on?” she asked warily.

He looked into her eyes, holding her gaze until the room, Destiny, everything else seemed to fade into the background. It was as if they were completely alone.

“Finding out that we could lose Tony made me realize that life is far too short to waste a single minute on what-ifs,” Mack told her quietly. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next year, next month or even tomorrow.”

Beth’s heart began to pound erratically. Surely he wasn’t really going to do this, not here, not now. A part of her wanted him to get on with it so badly it terrified her. Another part was screaming that she wasn’t ready.

“I do know that I want you at my side whatever happens. I love you, Beth. And I always will,” Mack said, then waited.

“Well?” Destiny prodded, giving Beth an unsubtle poke. “He’s waiting, Beth. Answer the man.”

Beth’s mouth gaped, her gaze never leaving Mack’s face. “You’re asking me to marry you?”

Destiny chuckled. “Maybe I’m biased, but I, for one, thought he was pretty clear about that. Don’t make him ask twice. He could get cold feet.”

“Not a chance,” Mack said. “Not when it’s this important. I’ll ask as often as I have to.”

Beth studied Mack intently and saw the certainty in his eyes. Instantly her heart was filled with the same conviction. If he could take this leap of faith, then she certainly could. “Yes,” she whispered, choking back tears of joy. She shouldn’t feel this happy when so much about this day was filled with uncertainty. “Yes.”

“Put the ring on her finger, Mack,” Destiny coached.

He gave her an irritated look. “I think I can take it from here. I got her to say yes, didn’t I?”

“But time’s awasting,” Destiny retorted. “They’re about to wheel me out of here, and I want this deal closed before I leave.”

Mack took Beth’s hand in his, then slid the simple diamond on her finger. “Now it’s official, Doc.”

Beth stared at the ring, then met his gaze. “You never back out of a deal, do you?”

“Never,” he said solemnly. “Carltons are men of integrity and honor.”

Beth beamed at him. “I think I knew that all along.”

“Maybe not all along,” Mack reminded her. “But you got the message when it counted.” He winked at her. “I think I’ll go give Tony the good news before he goes into the operating room. I promised him if you said yes, he could be best man at our wedding.”

“You told him about this?” Beth asked incredulously.

“Hey, Destiny might have kicked off this relationship, but Tony was a critical player. He deserved to know it was all paying off.”