Worth the Drive (25 page)

Darío
shrugged. “We will see. Your Copper Country appears to be more of a hockey town than golf.”

Katie smiled. “That’s true, but a big part of that is because the golf season is so short up here. There’s snow on the course as late as mid-May most years and it gets too cold to play by mid-September.”

They were interrupted by Lizzie’s arrival onstage, welcoming everyone to the second annual Annie Aid. Katie led
Darío
to seats in a deserted corner to watch the festivities. He liked being private with her, but assumed it was out of a need to get away from
people asking questions
as opposed to
wanting to be
alone with
him
.

Things were happening on the stage, applause sounded every few minutes but all
Darío
noticed was Katie sitting close to him. He slung his a
rm across the back of her chair and
her hair lightly brushed his skin. It felt cool, soft, and he leaned his head closer to her to take in the scent of her shampoo. A fruity aroma assailed him. He hoped she brought whatever shampoo she used with her when they traveled. He took another deep breath then leaned back and watched Lizzie raise funds for her worthy cause.

Katie’s house
reminded him of
Katie herself, beautiful, classy and yet comfortable.

He picked up his
suitcase
bag from the kitchen floor where
they’d piled his things
. He looked at Katie with questioning eyes. She only stared at his bag as if just now realizing that
he
was staying in her home overnight. He saw the indecision on her face and knew he had to let her off the hook. He wanted to sleep with her, but this was not the time or place.

“You have a guest room, or should I take the couch?” he asked.

He was a little pissed at the look of relief on her face. “A guest room. Yes, of course. Let me show you upstairs.”

He shook h
is head. “Just point the way. I’m really
tired and think I’ll just go straight to bed. I need to be at the course tomorrow morning for the round of golf that was auctioned off.” He’d been surprised and pleased how high the round had gone for. Several professional hockey players joined in on the bidding and raised the price. In the end, they had awarded the prize to the highest celebrity bid
der, a hockey player named Pete
Ry
an. Knowing the locals couldn’t
outbid the professionals, Lizzie decided to raffle off a place in tomorrow’s group – making it a threesome. They were just starting to sell the raffle tickets when Katie began to yawn and
Darío
insisted on taking her home.

“I’m ready to go up, too, I’ll take you,” Katie said as she turned off the kitchen lights and led
Darío
up the stairs. “Do you need me to wake you in the morning?” she asked as she climbed the steps in front of him.

His eyes on her swaying behind, he had to concentrate on what she’d said. “Uh…no, that is not necessary. I have a travel alarm.”

She nodded and he watched her hair bob up and down against her shoulder blades. “Do you remember your way to the golf course? Do you want me to take you?”

“No. I can manage,” he said. They’d reached the top of the stairs and she turned to face him in the hallway.

“Of course you can. What am I thinking? You travel all over the world, get yourself to golf courses all the time. Surely the Copper Country isn’t going to be a problem.”

No, navigating the Copper Country wasn’t going to be a problem, but sleeping across the hallway from Katie and not being able to touch her surely would be. “Do you mind if I
take a shower before I turn in?
” he asked.

He didn’t add that it would be a cold one.

Chapter
Fourteen

I can tell right away if a guy is a winner o
r
a loser just by the way he conducts himself on the course.

- Donald Trump

Lizzie had told him last night that they’d tee off at ten, so
Darío
planned to be to the course by nine thirty. There would be no need for his usual two-hour warm up. This was to be just a friendly round of golf.

  He made his way downstairs after showering and shaving. There was no sign of Katie. When he went to the kitchen there was a pot of coffee made and a note on the kitchen table saying
she’d
gone to the
Ingot
offices to pick up a few things she’d forgotten.

Good, she was an early person, like himself. She would need to be on the Tour. It was an early to bed, early to rise life. Except for the caddies. Somehow, they managed to burn the candle at both ends.

She’d left a travel mug out for him and he gratefully filled it. He gathered his clubs and left Katie’s home. He had no trouble remembering his way to the golf course. In fact, in just three days he had the small area practically memorized. He supposed once he and Katie were married they’d be spending a lot of time here. His child’s uncles, aunts and grandparents were here, after all.

Thinking so easily of being married to Katie shook him. She hadn’t agreed to it. Yet. If
Darío
were honest with himself, he wasn’t absolutely sure that it was the right thing to do. To raise a child in a loveless marriage. Oh, he and Katie had a mutual attraction, there was no denying that. And he liked her as a person – assuming she hadn’t lied to him about her being able to get pregnant or the paternity. But he didn’t love Katie. And he was quite sure Katie felt the same way about him.

But more important than his and Katie’s feelings were that of his child. He would not have his child raised without a father. And without his name. There was no way that a marriage with mutual attraction and respect  - if not love - wouldn’t be better than his child never knowing who he was.

Like
Darío
and his father.

He pulled into the golf course parking lot, not surprised to see it full. Sunday morning was a heavy golf time for amateur players. Having been raised by a clubhouse cook, he knew the workings of golf courses. He had designed one himself, and constantly had offers to do more.
Darío
had thought he’d design courses when he could no longer be competitive. He had thought that to be many years off, after the regular Tour and several years on the Champions Tour after turning fifty.

It was a thought that bore more weight now that he would be a father.

He gathered his clubs and walked to the clubhouse. Lizzie met him halfway. Her stepson, Stevie, who
m
Darío
met yesterday, took
his
bag from him and began heading to the first tee.
Darío
started to follow the boy, but Lizzie stopped him with a hand to his arm.

“
Darío
, I’m so sorry about this. I think it’s wonderful that you’re going through with it. Actually, I wasn’t sure if you’d show or not, but…” She seemed nervous. In
Darío
’s short acquaintance with her, Lizzie
’d
never seemed nervous.

“Why wouldn’t I come, Lizzie? I told you last night, it would be my pleasure to help out.”

“Well yes, but that was before the raffle. What a stupid idea. I was just trying to get as much money as possible for that poor little boy’s medical expenses,” she explained.

Darío
was still confused. “I don’t understand? Was the raffle unsuccessful?”

“You weren’t there for the raffle?” Lizzie asked.

He shook his head. “No. Katie was tired. We left right after the auction.”

Lizzie groaned and raised her eyes skyward. “Oh, man. So you don’t know. And Katie doesn’t know.”

“Know what?”
Darío
was concerned now that Lizzie mentioned Katie.

“Who won the raffle,” Lizzie said.

Again,
Darío
shook his head. “No, we left before that. But why would it matter to me who won the raffle? I don’t know anyone here, anyway. And why would Katie care who…” He didn’t need to finish his sentence to know who won. With one look at the discomfort on Lizzie’s face, his suspicions were confirmed. “Ron Lipton won didn’t he?”

Lizzie nodded. “I’m so sorry. We sold over a hundred tickets. What are the odds he’d win? We could cancel, if you want. I could say you got sick or something. We could reschedule Petey’s round and, I don’t know, I’d come up with some plan about the raffle entries.”

Darío
had never missed a scheduled round of golf in his life. Had not withdrawn from a tournament even with a dreadful flu and a temperature over one hundred and two. He would not mar that record here in the Copper Country.

“No, I will play with Pete
and Ron.”

He heard the sigh of relief that escaped Lizzie. “Thanks,
Darío
, you’re a class act,” she said and was already moving away toward the first tee.
Darío
followed her.

At the tee were two men, both large, with strong, muscular physiques.
Darío
recognized the blond man as Ron. The o
ne with black hair must be Pete
Ryan.
Darío
hadn’t met him yesterday but knew him to be a local who played for the Red Wings and was a close friend to Lizzie and Katie. Probably to Ron as well.

Well, it wouldn’t be the relaxing round of golf he’d thought. Pulling Lizzie to his side and speaking low so the two men they approached wouldn’t hear him, he asked, “Ron
doesn’t know about me,
does he?”

“No. Just Al and I know about the baby. And just
Katie’s family knows the two of
you are traveling together. I’m sure the whole town will know soon enough with Katie’s sisters-in-law loving small town gossip, but nobody knows yet.”

“And Pete Ryan
?”

Lizzie shook her head. “Nope. He just got into town this week. He was in Florida visiting my brother Zeke. We haven’t even had a chance to catch up yet.”

Darío
felt better as he stepped forward to meet the men. He could play dumb for one round of golf. Pretend to know Katie only as Lizzie’s friend. That was how they’d met. The rest…well…these men did not need to hear the rest from him. He’d let the small town gossip mill take care of that after they left town. The news of the baby could wait until they came back in a few months.

Lizzie made the introductions.
Darío
shook both men’s hands, surprised at how firm and solid Ron’s felt. What did he expect? That a man who cheated on his wife would somehow have an inferior handshake?

They stepped to the first tee and began play. All three shots were down the middle with
Darío
’s drive nearly even with the other two. He didn’t mind. Length was not his game. Finesse around the greens and laser approach shots were what had won him his green jackets. Stevie had recruited a couple of buddies to caddy for the other men and they started down the fairway.

Lizzie pulled
Darío
back as he made to follow. “Do you want me to go with you guys? I hadn’t planned on it, but I could walk the course with you.”

Darío
liked that idea. Some sort of buffer. He wasn’t sure what he needed a buffer from, but the thought appealed to him. Then he looked at Lizzie. Pregnant, large, Lizzie. Who had just spent who knows how many hours putting this weekend together. She looked worn out and
Darío
couldn’t imagine her waddling over eighteen holes.

As if reading his mind she said, “I could go get a cart. I’ve arranged for beverages to be brought out to you later, I could just take that cart now and follow you the whole way.”

Darío
felt like a coward, needing this woman to protect him. He smiled and laid
a hand on her shoulder. “There’
s no need. Most of the time in these situations, the men only want to talk golf. They want some pointers on their game, they want to hear stories from me about the Tour. If they
don’t
know of my involvement with Katie, I see no reason why her name would even come up.”

“Oh, her name will come up alright,” she said. “Petey hasn’t seen Ron yet either. I mean, hasn’t seen him since Ron left Katie last fall. I would imagine Petey has a few choice words for him.” She looked down the fairway to the group of golfers then noticed her stepson about halfway between, waiting on
Darío
. “And none of those words are ones I want Stevie to hear. Maybe I should come along after all.”

Darío
shook his head. “I’m sure it will be fine. Go home and get some rest, Lizzie, you look exhausted.”

She sighed and rubbed her enormous stomach. “I am. I will. Petey said he’d bring Stevie home after you’re done, so I thought I’d just go home and take a nap.” She started to turn away, then faced
Darío
again. “If you’re sure?”