Worth the Drive

by Mara Jacobs

  She was a coward to even entertain the thought, but entertain it she did. “Well, let’s play it by ear. If you still want me to come and stay with you once we’ve talked, I’d like that very much,” she said.

  She had once again piqued his curiosity and he gave her a questioning look, but didn’t say anything else.

  He led her to the parking lot, putting her in her car and then heading to his. “I’ll follow you Katie, but if we get separated, what room are you in?”

  She told him and then started on her way. It was almost as if she could hear a drum roll in her head the entire drive to the motel.

  Or Taps on a trumpet. Something ominuous and foreboding.

  He pulled in right behind her and she waited at the door to her room for him. She led him inside and turned on the lights to the dingy room, embarrassed for him to see where she was staying. She’d tried to get in to a nicer place, but with a Tour event in town and apparently some sort of dental conference, this was the best she could do.

  He closed the door behind him and turned Katie, taking her into his arms. He nuzzled her neck. “You feel so good, Gata. Smell so good.” He breathed her in deeply and she found her arms curling around her neck, copying his actions and breathing in the scent of him.

  He smelled of aftershave, soap and man. She held on tight, not wanting to let go. To lose the feelings of warmth he brought out in her. Fearing she’d never feel this warm again once she dropped her bombshell.

  Determined to get it over with, she took a deep breath and stepped away from Darío’s embrace. His arms reached for her again, but she took another step back. He looked at her, tilting his head in question.

  “Darío, I have to tell you something. Something that I’m very happy about and I hope you’ll be happy for me.”

  His brow furrowed. “You have reconciled with your husband,” he said, his voice flat.

  Katie almost laughed. “God, no. No, that isn’t it.” She thought she saw him sigh in relief. “Darío,” she continued, “I’m pregnant.”

  He looked puzzled at first and Katie waited. Soon, his eyes narrowed on her. “I thought you were not able to conceive?” he said.

  She bit her lip, glad that she’d used the Chapstick he’d given her to protect the skin that she was biting off in her nervousness. “I thought so, too, but apparently not. I’m going to have a child. I’m going to be a mother.”

  His shoulders came back, as if bracing himself. His eyes narrowed even more, producing only brown slits. He waited for her to finish. She did.

  “It’s your baby, Darío.”

  Chapter Ten

  Never give a golfer an ultimatum unless you’re prepared to lose.

  -Abigail Van Buren, advice columnist

  Darío couldn’t believe it. He was going to be a father? Him?

  A moment of elation flooded through him before a black shadow encased all thoughts. What did he know of fatherhood? Then his thoughts turned from himself back to Katie.

  She stood in front of him, biting on those succulent lips, her blue eyes huge with…what? Excitement? Trepidation? She didn’t look pregnant, she looked sexy as hell. She wasn’t showing at all, but if indeed this was his child, she wouldn’t be showing yet anyway.

  He knew nothing of pregnant women, but he seemed to remember that they began to show outwardly around the third or fourth month, sometimes even later.

  He still hadn’t said a word, trying to take in the news. She walked toward the small round table in the room and took a folder out of a large envelope, holding it loosely in front of her. The folder cover sagged and Darío could see several papers inside. Still not able to comprehend that he was to be a father, Darío’s mind swam as he tried to make sense of the legal looking papers she held.

  “There’s no need to worry. I’ve seen a lawyer, and taken care of everything.”

  “Taken care of everything?” Darío repeated. That could encompass a myriad of decisions concerning his child, none of which he was going to allow without his consent.

  She wouldn’t be considering aborting his child would she? Darío was sickened by the idea, and quickly dismissed it. Katie had always wanted a child, she would not dream of getting rid of one now. And why would she need to see him and be waving some legal documents at him if that were the case. She’d simply do it and he’d never be the wiser.

  The thought that a child of his could be aborted without his knowledge ran a chill through him. Katie saw him bristle and misunderstood.

  “Really, these are airtight. There’s no need to worry, once you sign them I’ll never bother you again. It’ll be like we,” she rubbed her belly as she made the plural, “never existed.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “We’ll just go back to Hancock and you’ll never hear from us again. I promise. And signing those papers will guarantee it.”

  What the hell was she trying to pull? Was this some sort of extortion? He looked at the papers she was holding out to him and then back to her face. He still thought she was the most exquisite woman he’d ever seen. Even the ugliness of this situation could not affect her serene, flawless beauty.

  “Just what exactly do these papers say?” he asked. The golfers on Tour were warned all the time about women who preyed on professional athletes, trying to become pregnant so that they could sue the father for astronomical amounts of child support. It was particularly prevalent in the NBA where the players, because of their size, were such easy targets in bars and restaurants. Darío knew of at least one player on the Tour who was paying huge sums monthly to a woman he barely knew but for the one night they created a child.

  And they’d seen what kind of women Tiger had slept with when they all started coming out of the woodwork after the scandal broke.

  Was this what Katie was doing? Was her talk about her infertility just a ruse to get him to have unprotected sex? If that indeed was her game, what were the chances that this child was even his?

  “The papers basically say that you relinquish all rights, legal and otherwise, to this child and that I give up all rights to ask you for any type of monetary or emotional support.”

  Ah. Well, that put a different spin on it. Could what she was saying be true, that she didn’t want anything from him? He corrected himself. She wanted one thing from him – his child.

  If this was his child, that was one thing he would never give her.

  “I cannot sign these papers,” he said.

  She looked down at the folder, trying to see what Darío found offensive. She must not realize how offended he was that she wanted him out of his child’s life. And he wouldn’t tell her, his pride would not allow it.

  She put the folder back on the table. “Of course you’ll want to have someone look them over. All the legal mumbo-jumbo was a bit confusing for me, too.”

  He waved her words away. “It is not that, although I will look them over and if I have any questions, I will call my attorney.” He led her to the bed and gently pushed her shoulders so that she sat on the edge. He pulled a straight chair from the table and dragged it toward the bed. He sat down facing her.

  The room was cool from the air conditioner and Katie’s bare arms were covered in gooseflesh. He got up and turned down the air conditioner and sat once more in front of Katie. “Now, Katie, explain to me how this could happen.”

  A smile lit her face and Darío lost his train of thought, just staring at the transformation that talking about being pregnant brought out in her. Her cheeks bloomed with color as she explained her concerns about her symptoms – never considering being pregnant – her visit to the doctor’s office, and telling her friends.

  “And, you didn’t know this when you met her, ‘cause she wasn’t showing yet, but Lizzie is pregnant too. She’s five months along – no wait – closer to six, so she’ll deliver before I will, but our babies will be close in age. Isn’t that great?”

  Darío was ashamed of the mercenary motivations he’d assigned to Katie. This woman w
as born to be a mother. Everything in her demeanor changed as she talked about her pregnancy. How lucky she was to have very little nausea, the vitamins she was taking, and on and on. She became relaxed and animated right before Darío’s eyes. He had thought it an old wive’s tale about pregnant women giving off a glow, but now knew it to be true. Katie was radiant, and Darío was pleased that in a small way, he was responsible for making this woman so happy.

  “Which brings us back to the papers. I know this is all a lot to take in,” she finished.

  “Sí,” Darío said. “I am a bit shocked.”

  Katie rose from the bed and went again to the table and the folder. This time when she held it out to Darío, he took it. “Take your time, there’s no hurry. Well, I guess there sort of is,” she chuckled. “You have about six and a half months to sign them.” She smiled, her white teeth sparkling.

  “I’ll look them over tonight. Can you meet me for breakfast tomorrow?” he asked. She nodded and they agreed on a time and place to meet the next morning. Being Saturday, the tournament’s parings would be done by standings, and Darío was at the top, which guaranteed him a later tee time.

  He’d checked the tee times before he’d left the clubhouse. He had until one-forty the next day to try to come to terms with Katie.

  It could be a very long breakfast.

  He turned to leave, then stopped and turned back to Katie. “Katie, I feel I must be honest with you. I’ll look over these papers, but know this. If this is my child – and that will have to be proven to me by more than just your say-so – I will not be giving up any rights to it. And I will expect this child to bear my name. And if that means marriage, then so be it.”

  He turned again to leave, but not before he saw a look of shock and dismay cross Katie’s radiant face.

  He brought Binky with him to breakfast. Moral support, Katie figured. That was okay, she liked Binky. She even thought she might get him on her side.

  Her side? Had this really come down to sides? She was still in shock that Darío had mentioned marriage. Of course it was unthinkable, they barely knew each other. She had a small job in a small town. He traveled internationally and was a professional athlete. The only thing they had in common was this baby growing inside of her.

  The pleasantries, such as they were, were over quickly. Breakfast ordered and eaten in near silence. Binky, the only one who spoke, kept up a running monologue of what Darío needed to look for in the round later today. Katie could see Darío was only pretending to listen.

  He was wearing the same coral Lacoste shirt he had worn the first day she’d met him in Texas. Two months of hot sun made the white laugh lines around his eyes more pronounced. He held himself straight and tall, as he barely touched his food. He looked tired. Katie wondered if he’d gotten as little sleep as she had last night.

  Their dishes cleared away, Darío sipped on his coffee and Katie struggled with finishing her huge glass of milk. “I’m assuming you’ve brought Binky up to speed with my situation?” she asked.

  As Binky nodded, Darío added, “Our situation.”

  Katie nodded her understanding. “Right. Our situation.” She took another gulp of milk, then leveled her shoulders, hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. “And, after looking over the papers, are you ready to sign them?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

  He placed his coffee cup down on the saucer. His rough hands smoothed the already smooth paper placemat. “I will not sign your papers. No child of mine will be raised without a father.”

  She felt she knew what he was thinking. He was a traditionalist, and he would feel that the child would need a strong father figure. Plus he came from a very male-oriented culture. She wanted to explain to him that his child would be surrounded by strong male influences.

  “I understand that the role of a father is probably very important to you because you didn’t know yours.” She waited for Darío to break in. When he didn’t, she continued on, not sure if she was helping or hurting her case. “But I have four brothers, all of them married and with kids of their own. This child will be surrounded by uncles and a grandfather, and have tons of cousins to play with.” She waited. He said nothing. His steely look had left, but his jaw was still taut, filled with determination. Fine, so was Katie. “This child will be loved by a large family, Darío, there is no need for concern.”

  His eyes returned to the soft, chocolate-brown she’d been so drawn to in Texas. They seemed to be full of hurt. He let out a loud sigh. Katie wasn’t sure what nerve she’d hit, but she knew she’d trampled on one.

  “Don’t be concerned? Do you think I’m the type of man that by just knowing my child has uncles around him to teach him to play baseball I won’t be concerned?”

  Katie knew she’d made a huge mistake. She’d taken the position of letting Darío off the hook for any responsibility, assuring him that their child would be loved and guided by father figures. It would be enough for any man who was looking for a loophole, but Darío wasn’t that kind of man. He played a game of honor, and tried to live his life as such. Shirking a duty was not the way he operated.

  But Katie suspected that it was even more than that. Could it be that this was something Darío didn’t want to shirk?

  “I will say this once more only,” his voice was soft, but firm. “If this is indeed my child, we will be married. My baby will not be born a bastard.” He got up before Katie could argue the paternity once again and left the table.

  “A bastard. He called my baby a bastard,” Katie said.

  “Well, luv, it is his baby, too,” Binky quietly added.

  Katie was grateful Binky sounded so sure of that fact. Surer than Darío had. “Yes, but, the stigma of being born outside of wedlock is not what it used to be. With divorces and no marriages, more kids are being raised by one parent now than are by two. I mean, who even uses the word bastard anymore?” she said incredulously.

  There was a small glimmer of compassion in the caddy’s eyes. “He does. Because he is one,” Binky said, turning to follow Darío as Katie stared after them.

  Darío drove to Katie’s motel later that evening. He would have put up a fight about her staying in such a rough area, but knew he didn’t really want her staying in his room with him. Well, he did want her in his bed, that much hadn’t changed, damn it. How could he be so furious with her, and still want to sleep with her? Bah!

  When he pulled the courtesy car in front of her room he saw her peek out the window and he could imagine her, standing at the door, not knowing if she should let him in or not.

  He didn’t blame her. He took great pride in his ability to control his emotions. He was a Basque, from the northern part of Spain, and they were especially known for passion ruling over reason. He never let himself fall into the stereotype of Latin hothead, governed by emotions. He could put a steely shield in place in seconds.

  It had helped him win tournaments.

  It had helped him survive childhood.

  He had come very close to losing that control this morning in the restaurant. That was why he’d left. He’d been able to put his shield in place on the course this afternoon, though, and had shot a respectable three under par. Unfortunately, several players shot much lower and he had dropped down to tenth place going into the final round tomorrow.

  He was surprised to see Katie in his gallery. She’d followed his entire round, though she stood well away from the greens when he was on them. He was mad with himself that he noticed and cared when he saw her reapply sunscreen to her lips and her skin several times throughout the day. He was happy to see she went through several bottles of water in the sweltering heat as well.

  Regardless of who the father was, he would want any woman to have a healthy child. Even Katie.

  Especially Katie.

  He sat in the car debating what to say, when Katie opened the door. He got out of the car and made his way into her room. She shut the door behind him. She looked tired. It was the first fla
w, slight as it was, that Darío had ever seen in her beautiful face. He cursed himself to know he was the one who’d put it there. Concern that maybe she hadn’t gotten enough sleep, which he assumed was important for pregnant women, made him feel like an even bigger heel.

  She started to speak but he held up a hand to stop her. He motioned for her to sit on the bed, noticing her open suitcase, obviously being packed. He sat on a chair, turning it to face her on the bed.

  “Katie, please. First I apologize for my behavior this morning. It’s not my nature to become so emotional. I’m sorry for, as you say over here, ‘losing it’.”

  Her eyes widened, and Darío could now definitely see the circles underneath.

  “That was you losing it?” She chuckled, though Darío could see nothing funny in his apology. The chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. “Oh Darío, if that’s your idea of losing it, I’d love to see you at one of my family dinners. By that barometer, people are losing it all night long at one of the Maki gatherings.” She stopped laughing, but a smile still played on her face. “I thought you Basques were fiery people.”

  “You know I am Basque?” he asked. He felt an unexplainable pleasure to know she’d found out that much about him. Then a niggling thought crept in. What else had she learned, and why? And more importantly, when? Before she’d come to Texas? Had she done research on him, found out what it would take to seduce him?

  Surprisingly little, as it turned out. Just telling him he had the sexiest forearms she’d ever seen was all it took.

  “Yes, I know you’re a Basque, though you surely don’t seem like what I’ve read of them.” She hesitated. “I take that back. They’re known as a very proud people, and you are certainly that.”

  “Why have you learned so much about Basques? About me?” He couldn’t help the small thread of suspicion that escaped and hoped Katie would not catch it.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought it important to learn about traits that my baby may have.”