Page 78 of Mistletoe and Malice
“Please, Fran? Let me do this for you? As your Maid of Honor, there’s nothing I’d like to do more than give you the dress of your dreams. Please?”
“Riley, seriously, it’s too?—”
“Listen. I’m giving my card to the saleslady and telling her that’s the dress. At least put it on hold so your mother can see it. I’ll get my card from you or one of the other girls later.”
Fran grabbed her in a hug and held on hard. “I love you.” She pulled back and swiped at her face. “Okay, I’ll have them hold it until Mom can come see it. And my sister. And Kade’s mom. But only if you’re absolutely sure.”
“I couldn’t be more sure of anything. Now, I have to run. Those guys are probably ready to shoot me themselves for keeping them cooling their heels. At a bridal shop, of all places.”
Fran laughed and wiped her cheek again. “Oh, I don’t think shooting you is what Colton had in mind at all. I think the man was considering proposing right then and there when he saw you in that gown.”
Riley grinned as she leaned in close. “Between you and me? I probably would have said yes.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Yes. I understand. Thank you for calling.”
The call disconnected, but Riley still held the phone in her hand. Her stunned gaze went to the man outside her office. As if he could sense her eyes on his back, he turned and peered in the window before stepping into the doorway.
“Another call?”
She stared back at him.
“Riley? Did he call you again?”
She shook her head. “Um, no. That was the donor registry.”
His forehead furrowed. “The bone marrow registry?”
“I’m a match.”
His jaw fell as he dropped into a chair in front of her desk. “So quick? It usually takes a few weeks. What’s it been?”
“Twelve days. The preliminary test on my swab came up a potential match for a critical patient, so they fast-tracked the processing. They want me to come in tomorrow for blood work and a physical.”
“Tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. I know it makes more work for you guys.”
“Are you kidding? This is important. We’ll get on it right now.”
He clicked his finger against his ear. “Jamison, Paxton, Riley’s a donor match, and they want her at the hospital tomorrow for labs and a physical. Let’s start gathering intel. Trevor, I’ll relay the info from Riley to you so you can call the hospital for the names of staff she’ll have to see. Get them over to Tech Ops. Paul, get on the horn with transportation and logistics. How we’re getting in and out of the hospital, what floors and departments she’ll need to be in.”
He waited a beat and smiled. “Yeah, it’s cool. Let’s get started.”
After clicking to disconnect his mic, he grinned back over at her. “I’ve been waiting for this call for four years. I can’t help but be a little jealous right now.”
Excitement replaced the shock of a moment ago. “I-I can’t believe it. This is what I wanted to happen so badly, for somebody to get the gift of hope for Christmas. But to actually get their transplant by Christmas? That I never imagined.”
“By Christmas? From what I recall when they explained the process to us for Theresa, it can take a couple of months.”
“It usually does. But apparently, this little boy doesn’t have much time. He was diagnosed four months ago, but it’s progressing quickly. He’s been in the hospital for treatment the past two months. And he’s right here in Houston. This has God’s hand all over it.”
“That it does. So, they can process you that quickly?”
“Seems so. If my labs and physical show me to be a valid donor, they can pull my marrow as soon as they can get it on the schedule.”
“You’re donating marrow, not stem cells?”
