Worth the Drive (36 page)

Katie gave her resignation to her boss at the newspaper.
Darío
was not surprised when Katie reported that they’d asked her to stay on staff as a freelancer, continuing with the articles that she’d written on Tour. And possibly down the road, some features on new motherhood. She was thrilled that she would be able to continue to write.

He’d gone with her to her parents’ for dinner and had survived. In fact, her parents had been very welcoming to
Darío
and he wondered if he would be the same if faced with a man who had impregnated his daughter. A fierce protectiveness of his unborn child rose within him, daunting him, humbling him.

They met her friends at the Commodore their final night in town. Lizzie and her husband,
Finn
, and Alison. The five of them were at
a
large, center table
in
the place and there were many toasts and blessings for all the coming events. Babies – both Lizzie and
Finn
’s and
Darío
and Katie’s – and marriage.

“We know you’re going to do it in Spain, but we’ll do something here when you get back right? A reception or something?” Lizzie said, reaching for her datebook. “I’ll plan it all, you won’t have to do a thing. We’re looking at the second week of November, after the Tour Championship, right?”

Darío
felt Katie stiffen next to him. Before she could say anything,
Finn
said, “Babe, that’s right around your due date, you can’t be putting together something like a wedding reception then.”

Lizzie looked at her husband like he’d never met her before.
Finn
threw up his hands in surrender. “I forgot who I was talking to. Of course you can. Go for it.”
Finn
chuckled to himself, gave a shrug to the rest of the table and took a swig of beer.
Darío
liked the man.

“
Finn
’s right, Lizard. Besides, we really don’t want anything here,” Katie said.
Darío
kept silent. If that’s what she wanted, he would abide by it. He would have liked to announce it on the front page of Katie’s paper, but he only nodded when she looked to him for agreement.

“Well you have to have something. For your family. For the people you’re close with at the
Ingot
. For us,” Lizzie said.

“For me,” Alison said. “I haven’t been to a good wedding reception in a long time.”

“Hey!” Lizzie said.

“Except for yours, Lizard, and that was months ago.”

“You’ll have to keep your dancing shoes in storage a little longer, Al, because we’re not going to do anything. I already did that once,” Katie said quietly. The table grew silent as they thought about that.
Darío
could see them each remembering Katie’s first wedding. Different expressions played over the different faces. Except for
Finn
, who only took another drink of his beer.
Darío
would have given anything to be able to read their thoughts.

As if Katie had conjured him up,
Darío
watched as Ron Lipton walked into the Commodore, carrying a baby. A wom
an – girl really – walked along
side him. He felt the moment Katie saw them, her body grew taut, the hand that had rested on his thigh pulled away. She pretended to use it to take a sip of her water, but when she put the glass down, her hand fell into her lap, not his.

“Jesus. Just what we don’t need tonight,” Alison said.

“Small town. Popular restaurant. What’re ya gonna do,”
Finn
said, shrugging. “You want me to go talk to him?” He looked as if that was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

Alison seemed to like that idea, but Katie shook her head. “No. Don’t worry about it. It’s not an issue anymore.” She turned to
Darío
and smiled at him, but it wasn’t the warm, knowing smile he’d come to love. It looked forced and did not reach her eyes.

Darío
knew the second Ron saw them. The second he saw Katie. He didn’t seem to notice anyone else at the table.

Darío
watched Ron’s eyes caress Katie’s face, sweep over her body. He saw pain fill the huge man’s eyes. He saw Ron tighten his hold on his daughter, as if reminding himself that the bundle he was carrying was what he had gained when he’d lost the woman he loved. Finally, Ron’s eyes tore from Katie, it seemed reluctantly, and skimmed over the other people at the table. They stopped on
Darío
.

No shock registered. The man must have heard he and Katie were traveling together.
Darío
wondered how long after t
he day he’d golfed with Ron
the man
had
found out about
Darío
and his wife. He felt a twinge of guilt for not having spoken up that day, for letting Ron vent his despair over losing Katie and not mentioning that he was now involved with her.

More than involved. Bewitched. Snared. Intertwined. He thought of the last few nights in Katie’s guestroom. Most definitely intertwined.

The girl with Ron saw Katie and her friends and came over. Ron followed.

“Mrs. Lipto- Katie,” the girl said, nodding toward Katie.

“Amber,” Katie nodded in return. She looked to Ron and then the little girl Ron was holding. “You have a beautiful child, Amber, congratulations.”

Darío
felt a rush of pride that the woman he was marrying could handle herself with such dignity while inside… What? Was her heart breaking to see her husband, the man she thought, hoped, would father her children, carrying the child of another woman?

Was the child growing in her own womb salve enough to ease that pain? Was
Darío
enough?

The girl, Amber, was not gracious in her imagined triumph. “Isn’t she? Well, how could she be anything but with such a handsome daddy?”

“Oh
,
Jesus,” Alison said.

Finn
and
Darío
had risen as they had approached the table.
Finn
and Ron shook hands and then Ron turned to
Darío
.
Darío
stuck out his hand, expecting a crushing grip from Ron, but the shake was firm and quick.

“
Darío
,” was all Ron said.

“Ron,”
Darío
responded. He could have called upon his years of making small talk during pro-ams. He could have asked about Ron’s golf game. About his swing. If the tips
Darío
had given him had helped. Instead he said nothing.

“You two know each other?” Katie asked.

The men nodded. Ron was the one to answer her. “I won the raffle to golf with
Darío
at Annie Aid. We played with Petey.”

Katie looked at
Darío
with surprise. Then she turned to Lizzie. “You didn’t tell me Ron won the raffle?”

“I didn’t see you after that. You left the next day,” Lizzie said. “Besides, I guess I assumed
Darío
told you.”

Katie’s head swung around again to
Darío
, her hair flipping over her shoulder, baring her long, graceful neck. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Because he wanted her to think of him, not Ron. Because his thoughts were too consumed with being in her bed again. Because he was coming to terms with traveling with a woman he barely knew. Coming to terms with becoming a father.

Because, if he told her, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t tell her the things Ron had said that day about losing Katie. About choosing to protect his child.

All of
Darío
’s reasons were true, were valid, but it was the last that stung.

Instead, he shrugged at Katie, “Does it matter?”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes clear and penetrating, searching for something
Darío
may have left out. He met her gaze, held it.

After a moment, she sighed. “No, I guess not.”

There was an awkward moment when
Finn
and
Darío
reseated themselves. The moment when either Ron and Amber would leave, or the group would ask them to join them. Neither happened.

Ron started to turn away, but Amber grabbed his shirtsleeve and yanked.

“What do you want, Amber?” Alison asked for them all.

Amber ignored Alison, never taking her eyes from Katie. Eyes filled with jealousy and venom,
Darío
thought.

“I just thought I could give Katie a friendly reminder about the divorce papers. Our lawyer says you still haven’t signed them and sent them to him.”

Darío
felt Katie tense beside him, but it was Alison who answered. “Oh, Jesus. It never occurred to me you didn’t get them. I sent them to the hotel in Chicago over three weeks ago. They must have just missed you. I wonder where they are?”

“They’re lost? You lost them?” Amber said in a petulant voice, showing her youth.

“Calm down,” Ron said. Her mother’s voice, more like yelp, made the baby fidgety. Ron crooned something into the baby’s ear and she
settled down, burrowing her
little head into her
father’s chest.

Darío
watched Katie watch Ron and the baby.
Darío
’s instincts were purely male. He longed to put his arm around Katie, pat her flat tummy with pride, shout to the hulking man in front of them that Katie was to be his wife, was carrying his child. Instead, he did nothing, waiting for Katie to say something. Anything.

“I got the papers, I just haven’t signed them yet,” Katie said.

That was not what he wanted her to say.

Darío
noticed several things simultaneously. Amber’s fierce look of mistrust directed at Katie. Lizzie and Alison’s exchanging of glances.
Finn
’s sudden attention to a piece of pizza.

But what he saw that terrified him most was the look of sheer hopefulness that played on Ron’s handsome face.

“Why not?” Ron softly whispered while Amber bellowed the same words.

Though it was the visiting couple that asked the question, Katie turned to
Darío
for her explanation. “I got them just as we were leaving Chicago. I put them in a side pocket I never use in my laptop case. I was going to sign them the next day and get them out.” She paused, leaned her head closer to
Darío
.

He could smell her shampoo, her light perfume. It would normally distract him, but what she was saying was too important. He shook away the thoughts of her in the shower, lathering up with the aromatic shampoo.

“Then we got to Akron,” she said, her emphasis not lost on
Darío
.

“So what? They don’t have pens in Akron?” Amber said, earning a stern glance from Ron, which she answered with a defiant grin.

Katie kept her eyes on
Darío
as she answered. “Everything changed in Akron.”

It was explanation enough for
Darío
. He nodded his understanding to Katie. She smiled, her soft, sweet smile. She brushed her hand across his arm, then turned once again to Ron and Amber. “I’m sorry if I held anything up. I’ll look for them tomorrow.”

They were leaving for Spain tomorrow, but
Darío
kept
quiet
, as did the others at their table.

“No, it’s not that – ” Ron said, but was cut off by Amber’s “Thank you. We’d appreciate it.”

The couple started to turn away when Alison said, “Katie, why don’t you tell Ron your news?”

A mistake.
Darío
knew that Alison had made a mistake. He knew Katie well enough by now that her news was not something she would rub in Ron’s face in front of others. She would probably try to avoid that conversation altogether, assuming
that
the small town rumor mill would take care of it for her.
Darío
didn’t blame her.

But Alison was a woman who didn’t mind confrontation.
Darío
figured she’d probably been waiting for this moment – to strike back at Ron – since the man had hurt her best friend.

She sat with a devious smile on her face and
Darío
mused that the man who ended up with Alison would have to be very sure of himself, very strong,
or
else this small woman would walk all over him.

Alison looked at Katie, raising an eyebrow, only shrugging as Katie shot her an “I’ll deal with you later” look.
Darío
thought it was a good thing for Alison that they were leaving the next day.

She looked at Ron. He seemed to steel himself for what she was about to say. His eyes slid over
Darío
as if he suspected he were a part of it.