Chapter 20

Steve

I hold her in my arms and feel at peace. This isn’t something I’m used to. Her breath becomes rhythmic, and I want so much to do whatever I can to make this all go away for her. My mind whirls. First, I’ll put a call into Tammy Winters. We were residents together, and she’s a gastroenterologist. I know the generalities about colon cancer, but she should be able to give me some insights on the disease. We need to know where the cancer has spread. I won’t get Eliza’s hopes up until I know more.

Her panic when she realized why her dad might be selling the team was heartbreaking. We’ve got to be a believable couple. This may be the only chance she has to reach her dream.

I want this for her.

I fall asleep, focused on that thought, and in the morning, when I roll over in bed, Eliza isn’t here. I head to the kitchen to make coffee, and I can hear the shower going in her room. We had a late night, and we both need caffeine .

I pour water in the kettle to make her tea, and I arrive at her bathroom door just as she’s getting out. “I thought you could use this.”

She pulls her towel tighter around her and seems suddenly shy. “Good morning.”

“How are you feeling this morning?”

The corners of her mouth turn up. “A little sore, but in a good way.”

I reach for her towel, but she can’t look at me. I hook my finger in the fabric, and it opens up. “Look, I know why you’re hesitant. But I promise to treat you with care. Let me help you through this.”

She nods. “Thank you.”

I lean down and kiss her, and I’m ready to go again.

She breaks away. “If we do that, we’ll never get to the office.”

I lean my forehead against hers. “You’re right. I need to get some things done. It’s a quiet practice day, and the team is ready for the Express.”

“Good. Hopefully, we don’t have more—”

My finger stops her mouth. Regardless of where she’s going, I don’t want to put it out into the ether and bring the bad luck that accompanies it. We don’t want any more injuries, bad drug tests, or problems, and speaking of any of it would be tempting fate. I’ve worked too many years in professional and semi-professional sports to know that karma will always bite you in the ass. “Get dressed, or you’ll need another shower this morning.”

She smiles, and my heart races.

I go back to my room to shower, and as I’m heading out for the day, Eliza appears. She’s dressed all prim and proper in a pencil skirt and white button-down blouse, but I know what’s underneath.

“Don’t,” she threatens.

I hold up my hands. “What?”

“I see the look in your eyes. ”

“All I can think about is what’s underneath that armor you’re wearing.”

“Save it for later,” she tells me.

“Don’t worry. I will.”

She leaves for the stadium, and I head to my office at the practice facility. The physical therapists are here with the trainers as the team filters in. Since it’s the day before a game, they’ll have a short practice to run over specific plays they’ve designed for our competitors. I message Tammy.

Me: Hey stranger. I have a question about stage-four colon cancer. Do you have time to talk today?

Tammy immediately pings me back.

Tammy: I’m off today, and I’m around now if that works for you.

Me: Calling now.

“Hi!” she says boisterously when she answers.

“Hi yourself. What’s going on with you?”

“Just trying to stay out of trouble. I’ve got my daughter home today from school, and we’re going over to Science World a little later.”

Science World is a great museum. I’ve even had a few fun dates there.

“I’ll be quick. My girlfriend’s father has stage-four colon cancer. All I know is that success in beating it depends on where it has spread. Can you fill me in on what else I need to know?”

“Right. If it’s spread to the lymph nodes, lungs, or brain, the success rate goes down dramatically. But liver is usually okay, as is GI tract.”

“Okay, that’s what I remember from school. Her father’s being treated at Mercy. Who are the best surgeons in the lower mainland? ”

“My favorite is a surgeon out of Port Moody at Eagle Crest Hospital. I refer a lot of patients there. Her name is Gina Luu.”

“Okay. And for an oncologist, who would you recommend?”

“There are several, thankfully. I like Jim Wang or Terry Stein. Both are at Mercy. What else do you know about the patient?”

I sigh. “Not a lot. I should be able to meet with him tomorrow after the game. His daughter just found out when she happened to stop by. It sounds like he’s in the middle of a radiation and chemo treatment.”

“Ahh, those can be rough. But if his body can take the aggressive therapy, it can be really beneficial.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll find out more tomorrow. If I have other questions, can I call you?”

“Of course. I owe you. You fixed Mandy’s leg when she fell off her bike. You’d never know she had a compound fracture, and the leg is doing great.”

“I’m glad.”

I hang up and stick my notes in my shirt pocket. Hopefully, things are on the way up for Tom.

I find a spot to watch from the sidelines as practice gets underway, but it’s a painful experience. As it has been much of the season, the workout is a cluster of errors, tempers, and overall dysfunction.

“The Winnipeg Express are the worst in the league,” Assistant Coach Majors confides. “Tomorrow should be a cakewalk, but I’m not so sure.”

I sigh. I look up at the owner’s box and try to spot Eliza. She must be ready to choke the life out of someone. But I’m not sure she’s actually up there.

When I look back at the field, Coach is walking toward me. “When is Hudson off the injured reserve list?” he demands.

“He’s out for at least another month.”

He curses under his breath, and I wait patiently for him to calm down so we can have an actual discussion. But then he just turns and leaves me standing here. Something isn’t right. But it doesn’t make sense that he’d do something to sabotage the team. Their winning and losing is tied to his compensation, as well as his having a job next season.

After practice, the team filters out, and once the last player is gone, I realize I’m the last guy in the building. We’re not even halfway through the season, so it’s not a good sign that everyone is already so checked out.

Once I’m in my car driving back to my place, I call Eliza. It goes right to voicemail. “Hey, beautiful. I’m just leaving the Surrey Training Center. I’m heading home. Hope to see you soon. I thought we might order in dinner and watch a movie.”

I don’t hear from her on the way home, so I decide to just wing it and put in an order for Chinese takeout.

I’ve just received the bounty of boxes, and I’m sitting at the kitchen table staring at a lot of food spread out in front of me, when Eliza finally walks in.

She immediately takes a seat opposite me. “What did you order?” she asks with a smile.

“Chinese. I got your favorite—kung pao chicken.”

She claps her hands. “Yay! I’m starving.”

We dig into the food, talking and laughing as we eat. I tell her what I learned from Tammy.

She nods. “My dad is seeing Terry Stein. So at least we know he has a good doctor.”

“I agree. I know there’s a lot on your plate, but I was surprised you weren’t at practice today.”

“I was going to get there, but instead, I think I spoke to almost every single agent today.”

I put my chopsticks down. “Why?”

“There’s quite a swirl of rumors in the air. Apparently, my dad is disbanding the team. They started calling first thing to let me know. They figured it wasn’t true, but they had to make sure, you know.” She rolls her eyes.

“Disbanding? Where did that come from? I thought he was going to sell.”

“Well, my dad is in the south of France and is leaving Laura for the nanny,” she says conspiratorially. “And he’s going to stay there and sell all his companies because he has no one to run them.”

I snort. “Except for the people, including you, who are running them today.”

She shakes her head. “It’s such bullshit. Some agents said their players were being warned that we couldn’t make payroll.”

I stare at her, waiting for her to say she’s teasing, but she doesn’t. “What did you say to that?”

“Nothing they didn’t already know, but the rumor is out there, so that’s problem enough.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll bring it up when we meet with my dad after the game tomorrow, and I’m leaning toward sending out a memo to the team to address the issue.”

“You know whatever you send will be in the paper.”

She nods. “I know.” After a moment, she drops her head into her hands.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. I mean, there are an array of things to choose from, but I want to be supportive.

She looks up at me. “Have you noticed that none of this began to happen until I was running the team?”

“That’s not true. Your dad was running the team when they picked up the three free agents—Rhymes, Cotton, and Pelletier.”

She sighs.

“Come on. You’re exhausted. Let’s watch a movie and go to bed early.”

“I know why you want to go to bed early.”

“Of course, you do. Have you seen your body? Your mind is incredible too. But the way we come together…”

She smiles at my feeble attempt to lighten the mood. I’m angry over these stupid, unsubstantiated rumors. I’m angry about everything that’s making her life harder than it needs to be. This is so wrong on so many levels.

Eventually, we curl up on the couch, and her head rests on my chest as we scroll through Netflix. We settle on a romantic comedy, and as the movie plays, I can feel her body relax against mine. The soft glow of the TV illuminates the room, casting a warm light on us as we enjoy each other’s company.

As the credits roll, I turn to her, cupping her face in my hands. Our eyes meet, and I know without a doubt that I want her more than anything. I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. Our kiss is deep and passionate, and I can feel the heat between us building. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Game day starts early this morning, so we’re up and out the door.

During warmups, I watch from the sidelines as running back Nathan Cotton’s anger boils over. He can’t seem to catch anything the quarterback throws to him, or else he trips over his feet. Losing his temper isn’t going to help anything, but that doesn’t stop him from yelling profanity at everyone within earshot.

I watch another throw, and the football bounces on the ground. Cotton picks it up and throws it into the stands in a fit of rage. Everyone on the Express’s bench is watching.

I want to say something, to offer some advice or encouragement, but I’m not sure what would help. I can see the frustration etched on his face. It’s clear that he’s struggling, but he’s not owning it.

And unfortunately, a few hours later it’s clear the warmup has set the tone for our day. It was a rough game, one we should have won, but didn’t. And managing that disappointment is only the first task on Eliza’s to-do list. Next, we’re headed out to see her father.

After the postgame activity has wrapped up, Eliza and I pile into my Toyota 4Runner and head over to West Vancouver. I spent time here growing up, but I can tell the community has changed. She directs me to Cliff Drive, which is one of the more exclusive addresses in West Van, and we pull up into what looks like a nice home with a gated circle driveway.

I remember my dad talking about this house when it was being built. It was an engineering marvel, as it was attached to the cliff side and should be earthquake proof up to something like an eight-point-five quake.

As we get out of the car, Eliza reaches for my hand, and I give it a light squeeze.

We’ve got this.

A woman roughly our age opens the door as we walk up, and a whir of a little girl runs out and jumps into Eliza’s arms. “Lizzie!”

A dog joins us, as does a little boy, and soon it’s chaos. My confirmed-bachelor heart is terrified and ready to race back to the car, but the woman who opened the door shoos the dog out, sends the little girl back inside, and she picks up the little boy, balancing him on her hip. “Sorry about that,” she says with a smile. “Minni is always excited when her big sister comes to visit.”

Eliza slips her hand in mine. “Laura, I’d like you to meet Steve McCormick. We haven’t been dating that long, so don’t terrify him with too much.”

I chuckle nervously.

“He does seem a little skittish.” Laura’s eyes twinkle. “Come on in. What can I get you to drink? Your dad is resting right now, but I promised I’d get him up in a little over thirty minutes so he could talk to you.”

We follow her into the kitchen, and there’s a platter of kids’ munchies out. It looks surprisingly good.

“What would you like?” she asks me. “Eliza and I usually drink tea, but if you would prefer coffee or something harder, that works too.”

“Tea is fine.”

Laura sets the little boy down, and he runs over to show me his fire truck. I look at it carefully. “It has two ladders,” I point out. “That means it’s ready for some big fires.”

He nods and then runs off.

“Beware,” Laura warns. “He’s going to get every single one of his cars for you to comment on now.”

I smile. And here I thought I’d scared him away… “That’s fine.”

We sit down, and Eliza explains that besides being her boyfriend, I’m the team doctor.

“Very nice,” Laura says.

“Eliza told me the news about Tom,” I tell her after a moment. “I know she’s nervous about such daunting news, as I’m sure you were too.”

Tears glisten in Laura’s eyes, and Eliza throws her arms around her. “We’re going to get through this together.”

Once they separate, I see my opportunity. “As a medical professional, I want to help break things down and give Eliza some details,” I explain. “Can you tell me what you know?”

She looks at me a moment and then nods. “I first thought something was up when Tom became tired more often. I mean, the man is twice my age and usually runs circles around me. Then suddenly he wanted to sleep all the time.”

“That’s a good sign to pay attention to. I assume he had blood in his stool?”

She nods. “He had cramps, and his stool was not something you’d want to see.”

“So he got a colonoscopy, and they found polyps?”

She nods again. “They biopsied them and immediately sent him to a surgeon to remove them.”

“Who was your doctor? ”

“We got in quickly out in Port Moody.”

“Ah, was it Gina Luu?” I ask.

Laura’s eyes grow wide. “You know her?”

“I reached out to a friend who’s a gastroenterologist at Mercy Hospital, and that’s who she said she’d refer someone to.”

“That’s good to hear,” she says.

“And then who did the surgery?” I ask.

“Terry Stein at Mercy.”

“I know Terry. He’s the best.” I think for a moment. “Do you know where the cancer has spread?”

She sighs. “It’s in his liver, and when they did the partial removal of his colon, they also took a bunch of lymph nodes. They think they got it all, but he’s still going through radiation and chemo.”

“How is he feeling?”

“Very tired.”

“I’m sure your doctor has told you this, but everything sounds pretty positive.”

She nods. “They said if he can get through this, the survival rate is better than fifty percent.”

“That’s great news.”

“It’s what we’re hoping, but he’s struggling with the radiation and chemo this time.” Eliza reaches over and takes her hand. “I’m trying to stay positive.”

We talk a few more minutes about Tom’s struggles, and when it’s time for Laura to wake him, she disappears downstairs. She’s gone for close to half an hour before she comes back up and invites us to see Tom.

I’m rather nervous to talk to Tom as Eliza’s “boyfriend” and not the team doctor.

“Well, it seems my daughter has shown an interest in you,” Tom announces as we enter the room.

I smile, though his voice is scratchy, and he’s not his usual exuberant self.

Eliza blushes. “Dad! ”

“I think the interest is mutual.” I smile at Eliza, and her return smile makes my heart beat faster.

“You’re usually quite the player,” Tom admonishes.

“I’ve not been known for long-term relationships—that’s true,” I concede. “But I have nothing but respect for your daughter, and we’re enjoying ourselves.” I shift my attention toward him. “But we’re here to talk about what’s going on with you.”

He shakes his head. “I have plenty of doctors, and I didn’t break my leg.”

I open my mouth and then close it. He’s not making this easy.

“You may have plenty of people telling you things,” Eliza reminds him, “but you’ve been silent when it comes to telling me what’s going on. I’m grateful for Steve, who’s talked to people to make sure you’re getting the best care.”

His eyes narrow. “My health is none of your concern.”

“Sure it is,” she counters. “I’m your daughter, and I’ve worked my whole life to partner with you on the team and accomplish all the things we’ve talked about. You being part of that is important.”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” he huffs. “You know my feelings on the subject.”

With that, I stand and excuse myself. I know Eliza can manage her dad, and he seems hesitant to talk with me there. She smiles at me as I close the door and go back to find Laura upstairs.

I locate her in the kitchen, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy.

“Are you okay?”

She nods. “I try so hard to be a pillar of strength for him. But he’s a stubborn old coot.”

“He’s giving Eliza the business now. I stepped out so they could break it all down. Will he be too brutal? Should I go back?”

“He’s direct, but he won’t be too hard on Eliza. She’s used to it.”

“I don’t think he likes me dating her.”

A smile plays over her lips. “I think he called you a womanizer.”

“You heard that?”

She nods. “I have a baby monitor in his room, in case he needs me.”

I smile. “How are you faring with all of this?”

“Mostly okay, but I have my moments. It took us so long to meet, and we’ve only been together about ten years. I’m not ready to let him go.”

“I think it’s great that you two found each other. Colon cancer is certainly something you can manage. From what my friend told me, stage four can be treated much like diabetes or other chronic diseases.”

“That’s what they tell us too, but this last round of chemo has been really hard on Tom.”

I nod and drink another cup of tea with her, listening to her and allowing her to vent a bit.

Eliza eventually comes upstairs. She seems upset, but I won’t ask her about it now. I’ll wait until we’re in the car.

She spends a few minutes with her younger sister, and then we say our goodbyes.

As we drive back into town, I try to gauge whether she wants to talk. “How did it go with your dad?”

“He’s as ornery as ever. He was upset about the game.”

That reminds me of something I wanted to ask her earlier. “Have you done a background check on Coach?”

“I personally haven’t,” she says. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“I’m wondering if he’s had any infusions of cash recently, and if so, from where.”

She chews on her lip, and my attention immediately locks on. I have to force myself to keep my eyes on the road. “I think that could be something to look at,” she finally says. “Anyway, I couldn’t really disagree with my dad. The loss was disappointing, to say the least.”

“It was a game we should have won,” I agree. “It’s too bad, but the worst part is having Pelletier suspended.”

Mathieu Pelletier is a tight end and definitely one of the problems for our team. He’s struggled to get along with everyone, and during the game, he got too aggressive with the referee and got himself kicked off the field. He then had an additional fit, and the league suspended him for two games.

“I think that’s what has my dad the most upset. He wanted to know why Darius had approved Pelletier to play for the team in the first place.”

“I didn’t think he did.” I’m very confused. How can management not be on the same page?

“He didn’t,” Eliza confirms. “Pelletier was in Darius’ never-hire group, as were Cotton and Rhymes. So that means there’s a disconnect somewhere.”

“But Coach loses his job if the team falls apart, and he seems really hot under the collar about it all.”

“I agree. It doesn’t make sense, but somewhere, the wires got crossed, and it’s not good for the team. I need to get us back on track,” she laments.

When we arrive back in town, we stop for a quick bite at the Cactus Club.

“Hey,” Nadine and Michael walk up just as we’re walking in.

“We watched the game today,” Nadine tells Eliza. “I’m sorry.”

Eliza gives her a pained smile. “Thanks. It’s driving me crazy that they lost, but sometimes, when something should be an easy win, the team doesn’t get their heads in the game.”

“How did your dad take it?” Michael asks.

Eliza shrugs. “He wasn’t happy, but at least he saw it from the comfort of his living room and not standing next to me in the owners’ box.”