Reaching Rose (Hunter Hill University Book 3) (30 page)

BEN

A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT WORTH NINE POINT NINE MILLION DOLLARS.

Plus the purchase of my bionic leg.

That’s the offer I just accepted.

Now I just have to withdraw from school.

ROSE

The fitness room door slams open, and through the reflection in the mirror, I see Lindsay ungracefully running in, holding a piece of paper.

Spinning around to look at her directly, I stop her by the shoulders before she slips on her high heels. "What the heck, Lindsay?"

She pauses to take a breath.

"Holy cow, what's going on?"

"Sorry. I ran all the way here from class," she says, huffing. "Boy, it's not easy in these stiletto things. I thought dancing with you, I'd be in better shape."

"Lindsay. What? What's so important you had to run?"

"I didn't want to miss you. I know on Tuesdays you go right to Orange to see Ben after you're done here."

"Well, I do go home to shower after dancing for two hours, but what's your point?"

"Right." Her breathing seems back to normal. "Look," she says, handing me the paper in her hand.

"I take it from her and skim it. "A grant? A grant for what?" I look at her.

Her finger waves over the paper. "Keep reading. Come on."

Instead of skimming, I read the letter more carefully. When I'm finished, I look at her. "A grant for a dance team? What's this mean?"

"Rose, it means we got a grant to start a dance team at Hunter Hill. I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure. I want you to run it!"

"Wait." I shake my head. "What?"

"I'll be the director, you know, oversee things, and I can be the
coach
," she says with air quotes, "so you can still be part of the team, but with my teaching schedule, and counseling, I don't have time to choreograph and teach new routines. And schedule rehearsals and eventually competitions. I want you to do that."

"Me? For Heaven's sake, why?"

"Because this university needs a dance team. Other colleges have one. Why can't we? And with all your experience, you're the perfect one to run this. Plus, didn't you say your goal was to one day teach dance? Well now...you can. You can be part of the team
and
teach it. Be the captain of it."

I can't keep from smiling, because...wow. But I still don't understand. "Lindsay, I got a bum leg, I can't teach
or
be on a competitive team. That wouldn't be fair to the team."

"Rose, even with your prosthetic leg, you're better than most. You're a superstar. And my vision for this team—" she pauses briefly "—accept anyone. Even those with bum legs or missing arms or wheelchairs. No discriminating based on physical limitations."

"Wow. Really?"

"Really. I've seen what you do out there on the floor. I
know
you can incorporate physically challenged dancers into your routines. You are amazing, Rose. And look how far you've come in just a few months. If you couldn't see it, no one would even know you were dancing with an artificial limb."

"Oh my God, Lindsay." I walk over to the bench, because I suddenly feel light-headed.

Lindsay follows me over and sits down. "So whattya say? Will you do this?"

"Oh my God. I want to."

"Then do it."

"But..."

"No buts. What else you gonna do? You said you didn't know what you wanted to major in, so do this while you decide. Dance, Rose."

"Yeah?" I look at her and I know I'm smiling huge, because my cheeks hurt.

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll do it. Yeah." I stand up and scream, "Yeah. I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll do it, I'll do it." I run to the middle of the floor, get in position, and spin and spin and spin and spin. All on my bad leg.

"Oh my God, Rose. A fouetté turn? And so many! Look at you."

When I come to a stop, I say, "I've been practicing. A lot."

"Oh my God, Rose, you’re awesome. See. You’re gonna be the best one out there. Oh, and by the way, I'd like to pull this all together before the fall semester. Could you stay here for most of the summer?"

"Oh."

"If it's a problem, like finding a place to stay, you can move in with me. I kicked my boyfriend out, so I need a roommate anyway."

"Oh. Well. I think I'd be allowed to continue living where I'm living now, but I'd have to make sure my dad doesn't need me to help him on the farm." I think about this. "Yeah, I don't think he'd mind. Last summer I was allowed to live in Manhattan, so, yeah, I can probably stay."

"Ooh, yay." She claps her hands like a dork. "You want to move in with me?"

"Uh. Not that I wouldn't love to, but I'm pretty sure I can continue living at the house up the street." I'm really enjoying living with Griffin and Holly, I'd hate to give that up.

"Okay. No worries. If it doesn't work out, you got a place with me."

"Thanks, Lindsay. For everything."

"Oh, what are friends for?" She hugs me. "Now I better be going. Got my last class of the semester in ten minutes."

"Oh geez. Don't break a heel."

"Tell that boyfriend of yours I said hi," she yells as she sprints out the door.

***

After going home and showering, I am now en route to Orange Rehabilitation Center to see Ben. I've been making the forty-minute trip every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday for the past two months. Ben was out of the hospital in three weeks and went straight to Orange. His recovery is going much quicker than mine did. I guess being cooperative is working to his benefit. But I won't knock myself for hindering my own recovery back then. I was scared. I thought my life was over. I thought I had nothing to look forward to, so I acted the only way I knew how to act last September.

Ben, however, has everything to look forward to. So that has
got
to be driving his swift improvement.

Rosie Girl, always a pleasure to see your shining face," Craig says when I walk into the rec room, greeting me like he does each time I visit Ben.

"Hi, Craig."

"You're boyfriend's takin' a piss." He points to the hallway. "As usual, he sped through morning therapy because you were coming."

"Yeah?"

"He always does. You know he’s whipped, right?" Craig winks.

"Rose?" I hear Ben behind me.

"Ben," I cry, turning to greet him. When he walks toward me, I notice how gracefully he strides. "Oh my God, no limp?"

His arms spread out at his sides. "Nope," he says, smiling before he hugs me hello.

"Our boy's bionic now, Rose," Craig says.

"What? You got it?"

Ben nods. "Yup."

"Oh my God, can I see it?"

"Yeah." Ben leads me to a table to sit, then he rolls up his sweatpants and shows me his new bionic leg.

"Wow. It comes on and off like mine?"

"Yup. Only it has this wrap stuff." He points to the top of the leg where mesh-looking fabric wraps around the latches.

"And it's really bionic?"

"Yeah. It's got sensors and shit that actually calculate my next step, kinda like my brain would do."

"Wow, so it must move more fluidly than mine, obviously, since you don't even have a limp anymore."

He nods. "I guess. But then again, you have your own knee, so I don't think you'd need a leg this expensive."

"I still can't believe that scout paid for this. It's so much money."

"Yeah, well, he didn’t, the team did, but that's not all though, Rose," Ben says.

"Hey, Ben, I'll see you at four," Craig says. "Rose, always a pleasure. Hope I'll see you again soon," he says, kissing me on the cheek.

"I'll see you Friday."

"Actually, you won't."

"What?"

"Ben'll tell you," Craig says before leaving the room.

I look back at Ben.

"I got another visit from Howey. The team's not only paying for this place, they’re paying for extended therapy. In-home."

"Really?"

"Yup. Starting next Tuesday. So I'm leaving here Friday morning."

"So you'll be out for Memorial Day weekend?"

"Sure will, half-pint." Ben rolls down his pant leg, takes me by the hand, and sits me on his lap.

"Did you have to sign a different contract?”

"Nope. Still the same nine point nine million, five-year contract.”

"Wow."

"Yeah. You know, I still can't believe I'm signed on to a Major League team, Rose. It's still so...surreal."

"You're
that
good, Ben. You know that."

"Yeah, but to take a chance on me now, and I'm not even done with chemo."

"You said the chemo was an extra precaution right? They found none of the cancer in the rest of the bone or the lymph nodes."

"Right. But to be safe, I just need the few sessions this summer."

"So why did they decide to pay for the extra therapy?"

"Howey said they're so happy to have me that they want to make things easy for me while I continue my chemo and they want to make sure I'm ready for them next season."

"So are you still getting sick?"

"It's not bad." Ben runs his hand up and down my arm while he talks. "Craig takes it easy on me when I'm not feeling great."

"That's good."

"So, Rose, when I leave here on Friday, I didn't necessarily want to go home to Cherry Hill."

"No?"

"No. Are you moving back to Wantage this weekend?"

"No. I was gonna go back
next
weekend. You want to stay at Griffin's this weekend?"

"Yes. But I hate the thought of spending my whole summer so far away from you. Do you think Griffin would let me stay in
your
room while you're in Wantage? The house I'm staying in doesn't allow summer rentals. That's when they do repairs and stuff."

"I'm sure Griffin won't mind. But would you mind sharing the room with me?"

"Never, but what do you mean?"

"You're never gonna believe this, but Lindsay got a grant to start a dance team at Hunter. She wants
me
to head it up." I stop to appreciate the way Ben's eyes are bugging out of his head. With his recent lack of hair, his eyes look even bigger and browner.

"That's so cool, Rose."

"Yeah. She wants it ready for the fall semester, so I was hoping to stay this summer, too. After I go home for a bit and ask my parents."

"Oh, that is so awesome, sweetheart."

"So, if you want to share a room..."

He turns me to look at him, so I'm almost straddling him, and I'm suddenly embarrassed because there are other people in the room. "There's nothing I'd want more than to share a bed with you, sweetheart, but if we're going to
live together
like that, I'd want it to be in our own place.”

"So, you
don't
want to share my room?"

He touches my face and moves his finger up and down my cheek. "That's not what I'm saying. I want to do things right, Rose. When we move in together, I want it to be the right way. Let’s just...one step at a time. Is that okay, half-pint?”

“I guess.”

“ Let's talk to Griffin, maybe he's got room in that pool room of his."

All of a sudden I start cracking up.

"What's so funny, half-pint? You picturing me sleeping on the pool table?"

"No, although I believe Holly was going to be doing that when she first moved in, but that's not why I'm laughing."

"Then why?"

"You know how you always tell me to take
one step at a time
?"

"Yeah. I didn't realize that was material for side-aching laughter."

I nudge him in the stomach. "You do realize, don't you, that without our prosthetic legs, you and I can literally only take one step at a time. I know it's not really funny, but it just struck me that way just now." I can't stop laughing.

"Do you know that's the sweetest sound?"

"What is?"

"You laughing. I love it."

"You still gonna love me when you're a Major League ball player?"

"Now that's a silly question. I'm gonna love you forever, half-pint. You're never getting rid of me."

"Well that's good, because you're not getting rid of me either."

BEN

I’m finally leaving Orange today, but yesterday’s chemo kicked my ass, so instead of staying with Rose at Griffin’s, my father’s picking me up and taking me home. There’s no reason to have Rose see me like this yet. I’m going to miss her sweet smile, but I’ll be seeing her next weekend. For now, I’m just going to sleep the Memorial Day weekend through.