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Here goes nothing.
“Could I bring my son along? I’d like for the two of you to meet.”

Evan stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. “You’re full of surprises, Lin Townsend, I’ll give you that. By all means bring your son along. I would like to meet him.”

Lin expelled the deep breath she’d taken.
Thank you, Evan Reeves,
she thought as she reached for his hand.
Thank you so very much.

“We had almost one hundred donors today. There were so many, the medical teams ran out of swabs and syringes and had to shut down at lunchtime. I’m betting the number will increase with each day,” Nick said.

“You sure put your money where your mouth is. I still can’t believe you’re offering a fortune to the matching donor. Isn’t that unethical or something? Trying to bribe people. You and I both know the board isn’t going to approve such an expenditure.”

“I didn’t ask them to. This is coming out of my own pocket. And no, to answer your question, it’s not the least bit unethical. Marrow drives are quite common.”

“Are you telling me you’re using our money for this? I can’t believe you would do this to me!” Chelsea paced the living room, stopping in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out over the city. “Have you thought this through? What if you can’t find a match, and someone tries to sue you? This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of. Have you ever thought what will happen if you don’t win your battle, Nick?” Chelsea looked at her husband. His face was even more pale than what was becoming the norm.

He slowly made his way across the polished marble floor to where she stood at the window. “It’s
my
money, Chelsea. You want me to die, don’t you?”

Chelsea looked at him, then cast her eyes back to the view of the city lights. “Of course not. Stop being an idiot.”

“Let me make something perfectly clear to you. I don’t care if it takes the entire Pemberton fortune, nor do I care if I have to sell out, go public with the company, whatever it takes. None of that matters if I’m not here to reap the rewards of three generations of hard work. If I die before you, not one cent of my money will be left to you. Only through a divorce will you get any of my money, and trust me, I’ve had my father’s will gone over with a fine-tooth comb. You don’t want to fuck with me now.”

Chelsea walked away from the window, back to the large sofa in front of the fireplace. A fire burned there, spilling a rich, smoky scent throughout the living area. Chelsea hated the smell; it reminded her of the weenie roasts she’d attended as a kid, where many times the hot dog would comprise her only meal for days at a time. She knew what was in Nick’s will. Upon his death, unless there was an heir, and she knew that wasn’t going to happen in her lifetime, Pemberton Transport was hers. Yes, there were parts of it that she didn’t completely understand, but for a price she’d find someone who could. Someone who wasn’t on the Pemberton family payroll.

Softening her voice, she said, “I’m just trying to be realistic, Nick.”

“Then support what I’m trying to do. You should be at the campus with me. Hell, it wouldn’t hurt if you and some of your social-climbing friends volunteered to do something. Provide the damned doctors with one of those fancy catered lunches you’re so fond of. Use your connections to influence all those charitable organizations you give my money to. It might even make the
Times
. Think how good that would make you look to all your friends. Why, it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t get you on that Trump guest list you seem to covet.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. I should be doing
something
to help with the drive. I’ll make some phone calls later. Why don’t you lie down for a bit? I’ll bring you a pot of that tea you seem to have developed such a taste for. I think Nora made cranberry scones.”

Nick watched his wife. He wanted to think she had something up her sleeve, an ulterior motive, but he honestly couldn’t see a trace of deception on her perfectly sculpted face. “That’s sounds good, Chels. I think I will lie down for the night. It’s been a long day. I still don’t have my strength back.”

“I know you don’t. I’m sure it will take a while to regain your strength. Go on and get ready for bed. I’ll be there as soon as I make the tea.”

“You surprise me, Chels. You really do,” Nick said as he watched his wife go to the kitchen.

She called out to him. “And why is that?”

He walked into the kitchen, where she was filling the kettle with water. “You can be so nice when you want to. Really. Thanks.”

Chelsea’s heart rate tripled at his words. “Why, thank you, Nick. I’m not a bitch all the time.” She smiled at him so he would know she was teasing. “Now go on. Get in bed, and, Nick”—she paused for effect—“don’t put on those stodgy old pajamas tonight.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m ‘up’ for that just yet.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is lie there and enjoy. Now, go before I change my mind.”

Nick scuttled out of the room, grinning from ear to ear. At times like this, he almost
liked
his wife. “Don’t take too long,” he called out to her.

In the kitchen Chelsea waited for the kettle to come to a boil. She took out the silver tea service that had belonged to Nick’s grandmother. Nora did keep it polished, one of the few things she did right. She had never liked the woman, felt she overstepped her boundaries, but all of that was about to change. And soon.

The teakettle whistled. Scooping the loose tea from its special packaging, Chelsea filled the tea ball, put it inside the silver pot, then poured the boiling water on top. Since Nick’s illness had begun, she’d made a point to learn how to make tea. Better than Nora’s, he’d said. That was good, because when he wanted his tea, she was more than willing to make her special brew for him. She told herself she wouldn’t have to do this much longer. Besides, she liked the stuff herself, minus the “extras,” of course. After squeezing half a lemon in the fragrant brew, she poured a heaping amount of honey, then a quarter cup of sugar. Next came the fun part. With a mortar and pestle she’d purchased at one of those cheap shops in Chinatown, Chelsea took six ten-milligram Ambien from her pocket, crushed them to a fine powder. For good measure she added three Ativan into the mixture. If this didn’t knock Nick on his ass, she didn’t know what would. She poured herself a cup of tea before adding the mixture to the silver teapot.

She arranged the scones on a small silver platter, added dessert plates and forks. She washed the mortar and pestle thoroughly, returning it to the cupboard above the commercial-sized freezer. She knew Nora never looked in that cupboard, because inside was a fine layer of dust. For once, the woman’s slacking ways had paid off.

Hurrying to Nick’s room, she was surprised to find him sprawled totally nude on his bed. He grinned when he saw her. “I bet you thought I’d be asleep, so you wouldn’t have to keep your promise.”

Chelsea placed the tray on the night table next to the bed. “Not on your life, Nick. I’m looking forward to it, actually.” To prove to him she was intent on a night of pleasure, she removed her black Prada slacks and cashmere sweater. She wore a creamy beige bra that left nothing to the imagination, nor did its matching thong.

“You still look good, Chelsea. Damn!”

He watched as she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. Her breasts were perfect round mounds on her chest. They were fake, but the surgeon’s work still had the power to get a rise out of Nick. Next, she hooked her thumbs in the waist of her thong, inching it slowly down her long tan legs until it reached her feet. She kicked it away, then stood tall. She smiled when she saw his erection.

“So what’ll it be?” she asked, coming toward the bed. Seeing that he was as fully aroused as he’d been in the past, Chelsea had a brief thought that the part she admired about him most hadn’t been affected by his illness.

“Why are you smiling?” Nick asked.

“It’s been a while.” She placed her index finger over his lips. “Shhh, just let me love you, Nick.”

In Chelsea’s mind this was the last time she and Nick would make love. She wanted to remember it, so she put her heart and soul into the act.

Starting with his lips, she kissed and teased until he moaned. Tracing her tongue along his neck and down to his chest, she dotted light kisses until she reached the dark brown triangle between his legs. She took him in her mouth.

He put his hands behind her head, pushing her down farther.

“Not yet,” she murmured. Before he came, she climbed on top of him and centered herself over his erection, then slowly swiveled her hips back and forth to take in all of him. Placing her arms on his chest, she looked into her husband’s eyes. “Are you ready?”

“Hmm, beyond.”

With lightning speed, she slid up and down his shaft until his body tensed. She leaned into him, thrusting herself up and down until showers of white lights danced behind her closed eyes. She spiraled out of control, calling her husband’s name when she reached her peak. He placed a hand on either side of her thighs and slammed into her until he erupted.

Both were panting. Chelsea lay on top of him, feeling his thumping heart. She waited for a few minutes, then slid next to him.

“We’re still perfect together, Nick. Even after all these years.”

Both had had numerous lovers, but when they were together sexually, it had always worked. It was outside the bedroom where their troubles lay.

Wearing Nick’s shirt as a robe, Chelsea walked to the opposite side of the bed, where she poured his tea. “Here, this should be ready to drink by now.”

Removing her cup, which she’d poured earlier, she took it back to bed with her. She patted the spot next to her. “Come closer, Nick. I want to be close to you tonight.”

“I don’t know what brought this change, but I’m not about to complain. Here, hold this.” She took his cup of tea while he inched his way to her side of his massive bed. When he was comfortable, she handed him his tea.

Chelsea sipped her tea while casting a glance at Nick. He was drinking his tea, but slowly. “Finish that up so we can go a second round,” she teased playfully.

Nick finished his tea in record time.

Chelsea hurried to the other side of the bed, where she took Nick’s empty cup and refilled it. “You’ll need this.” She winked like there was some big joke between them. Nick did as instructed and drained his second cup of the dangerous concoction.

By the time Chelsea made it to the opposite side of the bed, Nick’s eyes were droopy. She made a show of touching him, kissing him. After five minutes he was completely gone.

Hurrying before Herbert or, God forbid, Nora showed up unexpectedly, Chelsea scooped up the tray and teacups and raced to the kitchen. Taking the bleach from beneath the sink, she liberally doused Nick’s cup and the teapot before filling each with scalding-hot water. Using her hand in order not to leave a trace of the sleeping pills and antidepressant on the sponge, she swirled the hot water around several times, dumped it into the garbage disposal, then added more Clorox to the drain. She’d watched enough episodes of
CSI
to know that anything was traceable. Next, she scoured the cup and teapot with Dawn dish detergent. After swishing the water around for five minutes, Chelsea dumped the soap-suds down the disposal, then poured more bleach down the drain. After thoroughly drying every dish she’d used, she put each and every piece back exactly as she’d found it. Nora might be half-assed when it came to cleaning, but Chelsea had learned from experience that the woman knew where every knife, fork, and spoon was located.

Satisfied she’d left nothing behind, she raced back down the long hall to Nick’s bedroom. He was just the way she’d left him. She placed her hand on his neck, feeling for his pulse and finding it steady. It was just as she had expected. Hoping that would change in the next few hours, she was prepared to wait. She needed Nick out of the picture before morning. That way she could put a halt to the marrow drive he’d orchestrated.

She went to her room, tossed Nick’s shirt aside for the dry cleaner, then slipped into her robe before heading back to Nick’s room. It was going to be a very long night.

“I
can’t believe you’re here,” Will said. “Good thing I didn’t have a hot date tonight. So, what’s the big surprise you couldn’t tell me over the phone? I mean, besides your being here.”

Lin laughed at her son. He was such a good sport. She knew it wasn’t normal for a guy’s mom just to pop up unexpectedly. Lin was glad she hadn’t rained on his parade. He’d been studying when she called.

“Be patient.” She gave him a quick hug once they were inside the elevator. She didn’t want to embarrass him in front of the other guys in the dorm by being one of those doting moms who made their sons cringe.

She’d asked Evan to wait in the lobby. When the doors swished open, they stepped out into the lobby. Lin’s heart flip-flopped when she saw Evan smiling at her. She hadn’t told him any details about Will. The look of surprise on his face made her smile. Did he think she had a
young
son? Like maybe seven or eight years old. She took his surprise as a compliment that she didn’t look old enough to have a college-age son. Her smile grew wider at the thought.

Taking Will by the hand, as she had when he was a child, she led him to where Evan stood by the main doors.

“Will, this is Evan Reeves. Evan, this is my son.”

Both men looked perplexed, then laughed.

“I
know
you!” Will said, excitement ringing in his voice as he extended his hand in greeting.

“You’re too young,” Evan said, looking at Lin, then back at Will.

“I was seventeen when I had Will.” So, she was right. She had homed in on Evan’s thoughts and was right. She continued to smile and enjoy the flattering comment.

“Nice to meet you, Will. I have to say this is a big surprise. I had no idea,” said Evan.

“Yeah, Mom has always been real good at keeping secrets.” Will grinned.

Lin tensed, recalling her conversation with Evan that afternoon. Where was this going to go, and where was it going to end up? She shivered at the direction her thoughts were taking her.

“You’re the doctor that’s leading the marrow drive! I knew I’d seen your face somewhere.” Will shook his head. “I won’t even ask how you came to be here with my mother. I think you have some explaining to do, Mom.” He laughed. “Hey, I went to donate after my second class today. By the time I got there, they’d run out of supplies or something. Think you can get me a pass to the head of the line tomorrow? It has to be early because I have some morning exams.”

“Will!” Lin shouted a bit too loudly. “Where are your manners?”

“Oh, come on, Mom. I want to donate. There’s ten million bucks at stake.”

Lin’s hands started to tremble, and her stomach turned to water. Fear leaped up her spine like an icy hand. This was the very thing she wanted to prevent. If she had to do something drastic, it was time. If Will followed through, it would ruin everything. She had yet to confess her lies to Evan, as she had promised she would, but under the circumstances, she wasn’t sure that she could.

Evan laughed at Will’s excitement. “Yes, Mr. Pemberton certainly knows how to recruit for a cause, I’ll give him that.”

The trio stepped outside into the cool night air. For some reason, Lin had thought late October in New York would be icy cold, with possible snow flurries. The air was brisk but not uncomfortable.

“You’re his doctor? Do you think the old dude will make it?” Will asked, still as exuberant as ever. He definitely was not picking up on his mother’s agitation.

Vehemently, Lin said, “Enough, Will!”

“It’s okay, Lin. I don’t mind talking about it. However, the ‘old dude,’ as you put it, is only a few years older than your mom. He should live a long and healthy life, but with this type of disease, one just can’t predict the outcome. That’s about all I can say without breaching my patient’s confidentiality,” Evan said.

“Oh, sorry, Dr. Reeves. I didn’t think of that. So, Dr. Reeves, how did you meet my mom? This is beyond coincidence. Mom never meets cool guys.”

“Will, I swear if you don’t take that foot of yours out of your mouth, I’m going to pull it out myself. Then I’m going to find a corner somewhere and make you stand there until you fall asleep.”

Will laughed again. It was clear to both Evan and his mother that the young man was enjoying his mother’s embarrassment.

“I’m serious, Will,” Lin said, her tone sharpening.

“All right, Mom. You’re the boss. So, where are we having dinner tonight?”

“Evan? Any ideas?” Lin asked as they walked over to where a line of taxis waited, smelly fumes blowing forcefully from their exhaust pipes. People shouted profanities, and music with vulgar lyrics boomed from a nearby dorm. The campus was extremely noisy that night. Her first visit had been totally opposite of what she was seeing and hearing. She chalked it all up to young men and women on the loose and out from under their parents’ protective wings.

Right then nostalgia stroked Lin like the soft hand of a lover. She longed for the sweet smell of the night-blooming jasmine that bordered her front porch, for her coffee-and-doughnut nights with Sally, and she even missed arguing with Jack over his meat loaf. She should not have come back to New York. She was digging deeper and deeper into a past she had thought, until she saw Nick Pemberton, she’d put behind her. Resurrecting old ghosts wasn’t going to accomplish a damned thing.

“Mom, are you okay?” Will asked. “Let’s get inside the cab.”

Lin shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Sorry, I was…trying to think of something exciting to do for dinner.”

“It’s getting late, all the better restaurants are probably full, but I think I just might have an idea,” Evan said.

Evan whispered something to the taxi driver. He turned to Lin and said, “It’s a surprise.”

“Mom hates surprises. Don’t you, Mom?” Will said.

Lin hadn’t a clue what was up with her son. Usually he was beyond polite. She guessed it was college and hanging around with a new breed of kids. She made a mental note to speak to him later in the evening about his lack of respect.

“Oh, Will, I don’t hate this kind of surprise.” She’d never told Will exactly why she hated surprises, since it brought back too many bad memories.

Will turned defensive, not sure exactly what was going on with his mother and the tall, good-looking doctor, who kept watching him. “Well, I remember your always saying you hated to be surprised, saying it was rude, and the person doing the surprising should take into account the recipient’s feelings.”

Lin tried to force some lightness into her voice. “I did say that, didn’t I? As of this very minute I’m turning over a new leaf. I love surprises.”

Evan remained quiet during the mother-and-son exchange, but his eyes were full of unasked questions.

Lin favored Evan with a slight upturn of her mouth. “I’m sure whatever you’ve planned will be perfect.” Feeling as though she needed to keep the conversation light and continuous until they arrived at their destination, Lin decided to talk about Will’s course of study. “Will is studying to become a veterinarian. When our dog Scruffy died, Will decided he wanted to devote his life to animals. Right, Will?” She raised her eyebrows at her son, hoping he would follow through and talk nonstop about his favorite subject. She needed to get out of the danger zone.

“I love animals. They’re like no other, ya know? They never get mad at you, they love you no matter how crappy you look, and they’re just the epitome of true friendship. When Scruffy died, I thought I should’ve been able to save her. I know now that she was old and ready to go, but it just stayed with me. What made you decide to go into medicine, Dr. Reeves?”

This is more like it,
Lin thought as she listened intently to their conversation.

Evan took a deep breath. “Like you, I lost someone I loved when I was a kid. I always felt like more could’ve been done to save her. I’ve spent most of my life in school, trying to learn as much as I can so that I can save others like her.”

“Who was she?” Will asked.

“My little sister. She was four when she was diagnosed with leukemia. I remember the day my mother told me. I was in the sixth grade. I had just gotten home from school, and I was all mad because my best friend, Larry, made the basketball team, and I hadn’t. I wasn’t the most athletic kid back then. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, crying. I thought maybe my dad had died or my grandparents. Looking back, I realize that was the most logical conclusion anyone would’ve come to. When she told me Emily might die, it completely changed my perspective on life.”

“Oh, Evan, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” Lin said. She wanted to touch his face, erase the sorrow she saw in his deep blue eyes.

“Yes, I was too. She lived for four years after her initial diagnosis. Our lives centered around her illness so much, I became quite comfortable in the hospital lounges. I liked talking to the doctors. When Emmy had to be hospitalized, I hated it for her, but for me it was like going home. I fit in. Before long, I knew I wanted to study Emmy’s kind of cancer. And here I am.”

“That’s dedication, for sure. I want to hurry through these first four years. I can’t wait to start studying the real stuff,” Will said.

“I was the same way, but make sure you study hard, especially your sciences. You’ll find the extra knowledge invaluable,” said Evan.

“Thanks, Dr. Reeves. I appreciate the advice.”

“You’re welcome. And you can call me Evan.”

“Deal,” Will said.

So intent was she on the conversation taking place around her, Lin was surprised when the taxi came to a stop.

Evan placed a fifty-dollar bill in the driver’s outstretched hand. “That should cover it.”

They all got out.

Evan cleared his throat before speaking. “I thought it would be nice if we went inside Thirty Rockefeller Plaza. There are several quick places to eat. Then we can ride to the top if you want. And when we’re finished, if you’re game, we can ice-skate.”

“Oh, Evan, this is fantastic! I’ve always wanted to ice-skate here. I’ve never skated at all. I’ll probably break my leg,” Lin gushed.

“Will?” Evan looked at him.

“It rocks.” Will shot Evan a megawatt smile, then gave him a high five.

“Then let’s get started,” said Evan.

They found a small restaurant inside, where they ate turkey paninis and drank hot chocolate. Since it was getting late, and none of them wanted to miss the opportunity to ice-skate, they skipped going to the top of the building.

Thirty minutes later the three of them cautiously made their way around the rink. Being in the middle, a death grip on both Will and Evan, Lin couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d felt so carefree and silly. She forgot about all her troubles as they circled the rink. Her lips were getting numb from the cold, and her hands tingled, but she didn’t want the night to end. None of them were wearing the proper outerwear, but it hadn’t been that cold when they’d started out. By now the three of them were freezing.

Thirty minutes later Will took off on his own, as though he’d been skating all his life. Lin was still a bit wobbly but comfortable enough to let go of her viselike hold on Evan’s hand. He reached for her hand the second she took it away.

“I like holding your hand,” he said.

Lin nodded and squeezed his hand. She decided she liked the feeling. As they circled round and round, Lin couldn’t believe the moment was hers, couldn’t believe how she’d arrived at that point. At that moment all she cared about was her son and the man who made her feel so safe and…protected. She’d always been her own protector, and when Will came along, of course, she’d protected him at every turn. It was a nice feeling, but she was a realist out of necessity. She knew it wasn’t going to last. It couldn’t. That was the bottom line. She might have a fling with Dr. Reeves before heading back to Dalton, but with their different backgrounds and lifestyles, not to mention the thousands of miles that separated them, she was almost certain nothing could come of such a relationship.

Pushing her thoughts aside, Lin focused on the moment. She wanted to remember every single detail of the night.

She did her best to commit to memory the hundreds of Christmas lights that were being strung throughout Rockefeller Center. Preparations for the giant Christmas tree, which Al Roker or some other television personality would light on Thanksgiving, were being made by workmen, and she was actually seeing it with her very own eyes. At night, no less. In Dalton they rolled up the streets at dusk, and the town shut down. She couldn’t wait to tell Sally and Jack about the huge Swarovski crystal snowflake that hung precariously in the center of Manhattan.

She savored the sights and smells and stored them in her memory. Lin looked up at Evan just in time to catch him frowning.

“I need to stop for a minute. My pager just went off. Will you be okay on your own?”

“Of course.”

Lin skated slowly, with both arms out from her sides for balance. She would never be able to spin in circles and do all those fancy moves some of the kids could, but that was okay with her. She was content to go slowly and carefully. Feeling she had her balance, she almost fell when Will grabbed her arm.

“Hey, kiddo, enough of that,” she warned.

Will’s eyes glistened with excitement. “Sorry. I was just trying to help. Man, I should’ve tried this sooner. It’s a blast. Next time let’s try Wollman Rink in Central Park. It’s bigger. Where’d Evan go?”

“He had a call on his pager he had to take. Something you’ll have to do, too, no matter that your patients will be the four-legged kind.”

“Yeah, but I won’t mind.”

“I know. It’s something you’ve wanted, and you’re going after your dream. I’m proud of you, Will. I should tell you that more often, shouldn’t I?”

“Thanks, Mom. You do it just often enough so that I don’t get cocky. You know, you’re pretty successful yourself. I know you don’t think so, but you are. You have a tough business, and you just keep at it even when it’s hard. I’ve seen you. I’ve seen you down, and I’ve seen you up. You taught me just to roll with both and do your best, and if that isn’t good enough, you just try harder, and in the end it will all be okay.”