Worth the Drive

by Mara Jacobs

  She shouldn’t be nervous, she told herself. They’d done this before. And even if it hadn’t been graceful, it had been exactly what she’d needed.

  She’d needed an escape then. Now she needed – what? To cement a foundation with Darío? To see if they had what it took to sustain a relationship – at least in bed?

  No. Too much pressure to put on this. She’d just enjoy it, and worry about the rest tomorrow.

  She was certainly enjoying seeing his bare chest, his dark hair swirling across the golden brown of his skin. She pressed her nose to his neck and breathed in his scent. He’d showered after the clinic, but she could still smell grass, earth, the outdoors on him. He wore cologne, but it was slight, she couldn’t make it out. Mixed all together it was heavenly.

  And very arousing.

  She nuzzled into him, trying to get closer. Get to the heart of him. Find a piece of his soul. Or at the very least, get his pants off.

  She slipped the unbuttoned shirt off of him and reached for his belt.

  He stilled her hands with his. “Gata, slow down. Please. Let me hold you. Let me feel you.” His voice was raspy, husky.

  She started to twine her arms around his neck, wanting that too. Wanting to be held. She realized how badly she wanted to be held by Darío.

  But he took her hands and instead turned her around, pulling her behind, her back up against him, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. She moved a little too quickly, forcing him back. She heard his head crack against the door.

  “I’m sorry – ”

  “Shhh,” he whispered into her neck. His tongue traced a line up her neck to her ear. She let her head fall back to his shoulder as he nibbled on her earlobe. He then started kissing her neck. Some small, tiny kisses, some long, wet, pulling.

  She bowed her head forward and his mouth continued along the nape of her neck. She’d have to wear her hair up more often. She opened her eyes and saw his arms encircling her, her hands lightly resting on them. She ran her hands along his arms, feeling them tense beneath her touch. Where muscle met bone, where wrist met hand, where fingers met palm.

  Her breath hitched and she felt him chuckle into her neck. “That’s right, you’re hot for my arms, eh?”

  He took his hands from her and held them in front of them both, making an imaginary golf stance, setting up to an imaginary ball. “I wouldn’t say I’m hot for them, I think…” her response died in her throat as she looked down. Oh yes, she was hot for his arms. And completely turned on by what was not even her favorite body part on a man.

  Until now.

  She traced her hands down his arms, her stance taking the same as his, her hands making a grip on his hands as if they were a nine-iron. She did a pretend waggle, her bottom grinding into him. She felt the air rush out of him, but offered no apologies. She wasn’t sorry for that one.

  “My girl, she likes to play games, eh?” he said, laughing.

  He spun her to the side, then effortlessly swung her up in her arms and walked to the bed. He tumbled her down unto the middle of the huge bed. Katie pretended to be tossed around much more than she was, hands flopping about, losing her balance. Then she saw the look of horror cross Darío’s tender face.

  “The baby. Dios Mio, Katie I did not even think. I could have hurt…did I hurt you? Are you…”

  She held her hand up for him to stop. She knelt up on the bed, her skirt tangling around her legs, her sandals hanging on by a strap. “I’m fine, Darío. The baby’s fine. I was just kidding around.” She slid the sandals off her feet, untangled her skirt and, figuring what the heck, pulled the dress all the way up and over her head.

  She was rewarded by the sharp intake of breath by Darío. He mumbled something in Spanish that made Katie desperately wish she knew more of the language.

  The rest of their clothes were off in record time, as was the bedspread. The feel of the cool sheets on Katie’s back was almost as delicious of the feel of Darío’s heat on her front.

  They stroked each other, both trying to remember each other’s bodies, but it had been a long time. They discovered each other anew.

  How he grunted when she touched him there. How she shivered when he licked her here. Soon, they needed more, and by tacit agreement, and with Katie only bumping Darío in the head with her elbow once, he thrust himself inside her.

  They both exhaled in slow moans, the fit was so excruciatingly perfect. Katie looked up at Darío to see his warm eyes on her. He smiled, that small, lopsided smile and Katie realized she hadn’t even kissed him yet. Not on the mouth, anyway.

  It was as if he thought the same thing, his eyes gliding down her face and resting on her lips. Knowing exactly what she was doing, she ran her tongue along her mouth, grabbing her lower lip with her teeth. Before she let go, his mouth was there, taking up the pressure, pulling at her lip, running his tongue along the outline of her mouth, making an exaggerated dip at the bow of her upper lip.

  He whispered but Katie couldn’t tell if it was in English or Spanish because his mouth was already back on hers.

  The kiss was so heady Katie almost forgot that Darío was buried deep inside her. Almost.

  Then he began to move and it was sensory overload. She tried to pull her mouth from his, to take in a badly needed breath, but instead of an inhale, she exhaled loudly as she came apart, her climax hitting her hard and fast.

  Darío said something Katie didn’t even try to hear, and his rhythm picked up speed. She was spiraling down when he put his hand between them and stroked her, taking her back up, taking her to him.

  They exploded together. He nipped at her neck, she clawed at his back. Hips raised, arms clenched. Their bodies ground together, getting everything. Taking everything.

  It wasn’t beautiful lovemaking. It wasn’t graceful.

  It was exactly what they both needed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The longer you play, the better chance the better player has of winning.

  - Jack Nicklaus, professional golfer

  “Katie, luv, c’mere. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  Katie went over to Binky, sitting at the edge of the caddyshack. It wasn’t a shack, of course – nothing was a shack at the courses the Tour played. It was a lovely, small building where the caddies went to eat, rest, play cards, do whatever, until their players met them for practice or tee times.

  But all the caddies, and players, called such buildings caddyshacks. Caddies weren’t allowed in the clubhouses, a rule Katie found abhorrent when she’d found out, but Binky didn’t seem to mind. He’d said he’d rather hang out with the caddies than the hoity-toity in the clubhouse anyway. He didn’t clarify that Darío was nowhere near hoity-toity, they both knew that.

  Katie made her way to the gate of the enclosed area. There was an overhang area outside where a few of the caddies were smoking, but most of the caddies were in the shack where it was air conditioned, gathered around a television. They were all waiting to hear if the rain delay they were in the middle of was going to be upgraded to an actual postponement.

  Darío was in the lockerroom. He had offered to come sit in the clubhouse with Katie, but she didn’t want him to break his concentration in case they got the call to get back on the course. Besides, it had slowed to a drizzle, so Katie made her way outside just to walk around, get some fresh air. She’d made her way to the caddyshack to see what Binky was up to.

  Darío had introduced her to some of the player’s wives, but most of them were busy with children or their husbands or whatever and didn’t seem very interested in Katie. They probably saw her as just another groupie who was staying around longer than most. That was fine. She really had never made friends easily. Had never really had to because of having Lizzie and Alison.

  It was a skill she hadn’t acquired. It had never bothered her until now.

  Binky moved aside and Katie saw that he meant to introduce her to a woman. A woman who Katie’d watched a lot in the past four weeks. A woman she
’d come to admire from afar. If more for her shear endurance than anything else.

  “Katie Maki, this is Franny Kowalski. Franny, Katie.”

  Katie shook Franny’s strong hand. It was firm and her fingers were calloused. Probably from tossing endless golf balls to Rick Donaldson during the hours and hours they spent on the range.

  “Nice to meet you, Franny, I’ve watched you on the range,” Katie said.

  Franny seemed taken aback at that, as if the thought that she’d stick out – a woman with incredibly long, curly, blond hair amongst a range filled with men – had never occurred to her.

  Before Franny could respond, a caddy popped his head out the door and loudly declared, “Postponed. First round finishes up at 6 tomorrow.” There were groans all around from the caddies whose players had yet to finish, meaning they’d be back at sunrise tomorrow and have to play the rest of the first round as well as the second.

  Instantly, the caddies’ cell phones and two-ways started going off. Their players calling from the clubhouse to tell them what time they’d tee off and what time they wanted their caddy on the range with their clubs.

  Franny looked apologetically at Katie as she took her ringing cell phone from her belt. She turned away from them, taking the call. Katie watched her head bob up and down in agreement with whatever the caller was saying.

  Just as Franny was signing off, Katie felt a warm hand on her neck. The touch was gentle, but firm. And familiar, she’d felt it plenty in the last few days.

  Darío came along side of her, facing Binky and nodded to him “You heard?”

  Binky nodded. “Yep. You want your clubs in the car or should I store them here?”

  Darío thought on that for a moment. Sometimes he took his clubs with them back to the hotel and Katie had imagined him practicing his putting across the hotel floor as she sat in her room alone.

  But not anymore. Now they shared a room, a bed. They were lovers. The last three days since they’d arrived in Akron had more than proven that. They’d left the room only when Darío needed to be at the course and to eat. And as if they’d needed actually physical proof of them becoming lovers, much to her dismay, Darío even had a few little bruises and scratches that he laughed away.

  Katie knew what Darío’s answer would be before he spoke. “Leave them here. I won’t use them tonight.”

  Katie ducked her head. Darío give a soft squeeze to her neck and watched as Binky’s eyes passed between the two of them, figuring out the lay of the land.

  “Ah, I see. ‘Bout time, I’d say.”

  Katie met Darío’s knowing eyes and flushed. She thought she heard Darío mumble “Sî,” but she wasn’t sure.

  “So, you’ll be wanting to skip our Thursday dinner then, Guv?”

  Katie spoke up. “Don’t skip that on my account. Don’t change your routine now, you’re playing so well.”

  Darío looked torn and Katie took secret pleasure in that, but she really didn’t want to mess with his and Binky’s rituals.

  “Then you should come with us,” he said to her. Franny had rejoined their group by then, cell phone back on her belt loop. “And you, Franny, please join us as well.”

  Franny looked at the three of them, the invitation obviously a surprise. But the thought of another woman at dinner while Darío and Binky talked course management was appealing to Katie. “Yes, please join us,” Katie added.

  “Sure, that’d be great. Rick wanted to practice another couple of hours but the officials won’t let anybody on the range with the high chance of lightning.” As if on cue, a thunderclap roared in the distance.

  “And that stopped Prick?” Binky asked using Rick Donaldson’s nickname on tour.

  Franny shrugged. “He tried to argue them out of it, but no go. So, I’m free as a bird till 5 tomorrow morning.”

  They had dinner at a steakhouse. One of those chain places that all ended up tasting the same to Darío. He couldn’t wait for a break in his schedule so he could sleep without hearing people walking the hallways of the hotels. To eat something not ordered off a menu.

  He and Binky managed to wrap up their course talk quickly and he turned to the women just in time to hear Katie say to Franny, “You know, there’s a cameraman – cameraperson I guess – for CBS that looks just like you. I’ve seen her on the course.”

  “That’s my sister, Zooey.”

  “Franny and Zooey?” Katie said, raising her eyebrow. Darío had done the same thing when he’d met the twosome years ago.

  Franny shrugged. “What can I say? My mom is a literature prof. A huge Salinger fan.”

  “Well it could be worse. You could have been named after a Stephen King character.”

  Franny chuckled. “Katie, where are you from originally? Your accent sounds so familiar.”

  Katie laughed, her smile lighting up her face. “I didn’t realize I had an accent. Guess you never really lose your Yooper drawl.”

  Franny nodded her head. “A Yooper! I thought so.”

  Katie looked surprised. “You’ve heard of Yoopers?”

  “You betcha,” Franny said. “I’m a Cheesehead.”

  “You are?” Katie said, like she’d found a long lost friend. “What part of Wisconsin?”

  “LaCrosse.”

  “Oh, that’s a ways away from da Yoop. You’re practically in Minnesota.”

  Franny nodded. “Yeah, but we spent our summers in the U.P. at my grandmother’s. Just outside of Baraga.”

  “We were practically neighbors. I’m from Hancock,” Katie added with great enthusiasm.

  Darío listened with half an ear as the two women compared places in the Copper Country, families they might both know, places to eat. She spoke with such longing in her voice that Darío wondered for the first time if she regretted her decision to come with him.

  She seemed happy. She appeared to love traveling. She found out things about the places they went that Darío, who had been to these same stops for many years, had never known. She’d drug him to an aquarium in Chicago and a Tiger’s game in Detroit when he played in Flint. It was good for him to be taken away from the everyday grind of golf course, restaurant and the hotel.

  He wondered if they’d still be taking these little excursions now that they had found the ultimate diversion.

  “So, how did a Yooper hook up with a Spanish pro golfer?” he heard Franny ask. He turned his full attention back to the women, waiting to hear Katie’s answer. They hadn’t told anyone their story yet. Hadn’t had to. They’d kept mainly to themselves. He’d introduced her to many people at the courses, in the clubhouses, but they must have just assumed that…Darío didn’t know what they’d assumed.

  “I…I…” Katie looked to Darío for help, obviously not used to Franny’s bluntness. Darío had known the caddy for years, she could be quite jolting if you didn’t know her.

  “Katie and I met on a Tour stop and have been together ever since.” He took a deep breath, then added, “We’re going to have a baby.”

  He couldn’t believe he’d said it. Out loud. To someone other than Binky or Katie.

  It felt good.

  He looked to Katie for her reaction. Braced himself for her shock or anger at his blurting out something so personal to someone she’d just met.

  Instead he saw a tenderness in her huge blue eyes that stopped him. She reached over for his hand, took it and squeezed. She turned her head back to Franny and nodded, her blond hair, still in its ponytail from the course, bobbing in agreement.

  Franny seemed stunned. Looked at Katie, Darío, then to Binky – as if he’d had something to do with it. Binky, to Darío’s amusement, sat back and nodded his head as he folded his arms across his chest, almost like he was the proud mastermind of the blessed event.

  “Wow! A baby. That’s so…so..,” Franny stumbled.

  “Wonderful,” Katie whispered.

  Franny picked up her cue. “Of course wonderful. That’s fantastic. When are you due?”

  “Early
January.”

  “A New Year’s baby.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You look great, not even showing.”

  “No. Not yet,” Katie said. Darío swore he heard disappointment in her voice. Her hand went to her stomach. He could now attest that her stomach had just the slightest of curves to it. But one you could only see when she was naked.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Katie’s face lit up even more, the glow around her almost giving off sparks. “Great. Super. Walking the courses has been great, all the fresh air. My feet get a little puffy on the flights, but it’s been really great.”

  “No morning sickness at all?” Franny asked.

  Darío was waiting for the answer to this as well. Not sharing a room until three days ago, he hadn’t been a part of Katie’s morning rituals. She could have been puking her guts out every morning and Darío wouldn’t have known. And he didn’t think she’d complain about it either. Every part of this pregnancy was a miracle to her.

  Katie shook her head, then dipped her head in concession. “Well, the only thing is the smell of freshly squeezed toothpaste nearly makes me lose it. Every morning I put it on my toothbrush then run out of the bathroom for a few minutes for the smell to go away or I gag.”

  Franny nodded her head in understanding. “One of my friends had to change her deodorant while she was pregnant. She’d been wearing the same brand her entire adult life and then as soon as she was pregnant the stuff made her retch.”

  Franny sat back, crossed her hands across her chest, matching Binky who had not moved, and pointedly looked at Darío as she asked, “So. What are your guys’ plans?” She had used plural, but Darío felt the question was directed to him. Franny’s keen eyes were certainly pinning him down. Anyone else he would have told to piss off, but Franny…well, Franny was not a woman you told to mind her own business.