Worth the Drive (40 page)

Sofia’s stately head bobbed. “
Sî
,
sî
.”

Sensing a softness in the woman, Katie said, “May I ask you something, Sofia?”

The woman’s demeanor did not change, but there was a sharpening of her eyes, a slight raise of a perfectly arched brow. “Of course.”

“Is there anything you could share with me about
Darío
’s father?”

Sofia didn’t seem surprised by Katie’s line of questioning, had probably been waiting for it. “We do not speak of
Darío
’s father,” Sofia said softly.

A few months ago Katie would have let it go. But not now.
She
wanted to find out about
Darío
’s father. “Yes,
Darío
told me you don’t talk about it – talk about him. But, you see, I thought that…” Even the new, stronger Katie wilted as Sofia’s other brow shot up.

“Of course. You must be curious because of the child you carry. You are wondering about genetics, illnesses things like that.”

Katie
had been, but that was only a small part of it
. She’d
also
assumed that
Darío
’s genes, like hers, were just fine. And honestly, it didn’t really matter to her anyway. She’d love and cherish this baby no matter what. Illness and accidents can happen at any time. She chose not to
think about those things until faced with the real possibility of them.

Katie shook her head, proceeding cautiously. “No. It’s not that, although certainly I’m concerned about the baby’s health. It’s really more for
Darío
that I’m curious.”

Sofia looked confused, gave her head a tiny shake. “I don’t understand.”

“
Darío
’s feelings about his father are still unresolved. He was hoping to have some closure about it before he became a father himself.” Katie patted her belly. “Obviously time is running out to that end. I just thought if he knew more, maybe he could find some kind of peace with it all.”

Sofia was stunned, Katie could easily see that. She looked around the room as if trying to orient herself. She took a long sip of tea, put the glass back on the table. Katie waited.

“
Darío
does not have…how do you Americans say it…
‘
issues
’
,” she raised her hands, making air quotation marks, “with his father. His father has never been a part of his life. He was curious as a child, of course, that is natural. But as he grew older, his questions stopped.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have them. He just assumed it was too painful for you to talk about, so he never brought it up.”

“He has told you this?”

Katie nodded. Sofia looked at her closely, as if seeing her for the first time. “And it is so important for you to know?”

Katie nodded again. “Because it’s important to
Darío
.”

“You love my son.
” It was a statement more than a question.

“Yes. Very much,” Katie answered.

“You would do anything for his happiness?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Sofia nodded. She looked away, at a painting on the wall. It was of a cove along the beaches. Katie assumed it was the
Bay of Biscay. It
certainly looked like the same terrain she’d
walked
with
Darío
the other day. Sofia’s eyes took on a dream-like trance. “That is how it was with me and
Darío
’s father. He was older than I was, but still young. We were both so young. He was wild. Impetuous. I loved him deeply and he loved me. I would have done anything for him. Anything except give up my child.”

Katie let out a gasp. Sofia glanced her way and then looked back at the painting. “It was different then, this was a very conservative place. Still is in some ways. My beloved wanted to get out, to see the world, he said this town was killing him, sucking him dry. It was, that’s true. He was the kind of spirit meant to roam.

“He wanted me to go with him, and I was ready to. Sixteen years old and I was going to leave my mam
á
and papa and see the world with the
boy I loved.
”
Her voice was w
istful, it had a girl-like quality. Her eyes grew damp at the memories and Katie’s heart went out to the woman.

“And then you got pregnant,” Katie prompted after a moment of silence.

“
Sî
.”

“And you had to choose. Have and keep your baby against everyone’s wishes, your family’s, your boyfriend’s. Or leave with the man you love
.
Without your child.” She didn’t elaborate, was not sure how Sofia’s parents and lover would go about taking her child from her. Whether they were talking abortion or adoption. She didn’t want to know
.

“It was no choice. Not really,” Sofia said.

Darío
came into his mother’s quarters for something to drink, parched from being in the
intense sun for too many hours. He heard Katie and his mother in her
living
room and made his way there after getting himself some tea.

Their voices were low, their cadence slow. Long pauses between hearing another voice. This was not a conversation about decorating or clothes or anything insubstantial.

He should announce himself. Cough or something. But
Darío
kept still as he approached the room. He was behind the entranceway, couldn’t see the women, but could now hear them clearly.

“It was no choice. Not really,” his mother said.

He took a sip of tea, trying to figure out what they were talking about from that. He couldn’t.

“No, of course not,” Katie said.

“You will see, Katie, perhaps you already do, there is nothing a parent would not do for their child. No sacrifice they would not make.”

“Even to give up the man you love?” Katie asked, but it didn’t sound like a question to
Darío
, more
like
a stated fact. He’d give anything to see her face right now, but he stayed in the alcove.

Was she talking about Ron? Would she have told his mother about Ron?
Darío
didn’t think so, but what else could she be talking about? What other man had she had to give up for the sake of her child?

“Yes. Even that. Especially that,”
Darío
’s mother said.

“But that’s so unfair,” Katie said.
Darío
felt the wind knock out of him.

“
Sî
.”

“I’m so sorry, Sofia,” Katie said.

Sorry for what? That she couldn’t love Sofia’s son? That she was still in love with another man? That life was so unfair as to finally give her a child while taking the man she loved?

He could hear no more. Didn’t think he could take it. He stepped back a few paces, then cleared his throat and made a loud entrance into the room.

“
Darío
,” his mother said. She looked at him with tender eyes, filled with compassion. Or pity?

He looked at Katie who smiled softly then ducked her head. Guilt?

He took a seat on a chair placed between the two of them.

Sofia slapped her hands down on her lap. “So. Enough. When are you two thinking of marrying? We will have to start planning right away, eh?”

“We’d hoped in the next few – ” Katie started.

Darío
interrupted her. “There is no hurry, Mamá.”

Katie swung her head to him. Sofia motioned to Katie’s belly. “No hurry? Are you sure about that?” There was no censure in her voice, more like amusement.

“If it is before or after the baby, it does not matter. The child will still bear my name.” He turned to Katie. “Is that not so?”

She nodded. “Yes. Of course. But I thought we’d…” She looked at Sofia and stopped, obviously wanting to have this discussion without
Darío
’s mother in the room.

Darío
excused himself, saying he wanted to finish up practicing, that they’d talk about it later. He ignored Katie’s questioning look as he left the room.

Instead of going outside, he made his way to the other side of the house, to his suite of rooms. He went into his office. Katie had been using the room as her work area since they’d
arrived.

He went directly to her laptop case. It was against his nature to pry, but he could not stop himself. He looked in the main compartment. Laptop. Address book. Tablets with notes on story ideas. One of the side compartments held
CDs and flash drives
. Another held power cords and other electrical things.

One side pocket remained. He fingered the wide zipper teeth. He finally grabbed the tab and pulled. There was only one thing in the pocket. A brown envelope.

He knew what it was, he didn’t have to pull it out. But he did. From a legal firm. He pulled out the papers. The divorce papers. He flipped to the last page, knowing what he’d find.

On the last page, about a third of the way down, Ron’s signature read firm and bold. Next to it was a blank.

Katie hadn’t signed them.

Chapter
Twenty Two

Golf is like a love affair. I
f you don’t take it seriously, it’s not fun.

If you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart.

- Arnold Daly
, author

He was having second thoughts. He had to be. Katie could think of no other explanation for
Darío
not wanting to set a date. They had planned on getting married in Spain before going back to the States for the Tour Championship. That was now just two months away. If he wanted to be married by then, they’d surely have to start making plans soon.

She looked over at him behind his desk, going over a contract his manager had sent that day from his club manufacturer. His head was bowed over the papers. Katie sat on the sofa in his office, reading. It was co
mfortable here, the two of them
like this
, just a quiet evening at home
. Sofia was at some gathering in town, but even if she’d been home, they’d still be alone.
Darío
had been right, his mother never ventured over to this side of the house.

They could easily turn the guestroom – the one Katie had foolishly spent their first night in Spain in – into the nursery. Katie would sell her house in Hancock and look for something on the water there. Maybe build.
Darío
had mentioned buying something in Florida or Arizona to use as a resting place between Tour events when traveling to the U.P. wouldn’t be feasible.

They would spend the winters in Spain. She looked around the room at the huge fireplace, which was bare now. To have the fire roaring, holding their child here, with
Darío
at his desk, Sofia not far away. Yes, winters in Spain. Lovely.

If he still wanted to marry her. To be a family.

The phone rang, pulling Katie out of her thoughts. As
Darío
answered, she returned to her book.
Darío
soon walked over, handing the phone to her.

“It’s for you. Alison.”

That was surprising. She stayed in touch with Liz
zie and Alison and her family mostly by email, because of the time difference.
Besides, Alison was busy with a new semester starting at Tech and Lizzie was busy with – well, Lizzie was always busy – so she hadn’t called them since she’d arrived in Spain.
She hadn’t even turned her cell phone on over here.

“Hey, Al, what’s up?”

“Hey KitKat. God, it’s good to hear your voice.”

Her voice sounded weary and Katie was on instant alert. “Al? What is it? What’s wrong?”
Darío
had returned to his desk but Katie could feel his questioning eyes on her. She turned to him and shrugged.

“Oh, I’m just tired that’s all. I just
finished teaching and have to ge
t back
to
the hospital.”

“What happened? Are you alright?”

Alison sighed. “It’s not me.
I’m
only visiting.” She let out a deep breath. “It’s my dad.”

Ah, Alison’s father. Katie realized she’d been waiting for this call for some time, as Alison must have known she’d one day
be
making it.

Alison’s parents were much older than Katie’s and Lizzie’s. Alison had been a change of life baby
who’
d surprised her parents. More like shocked them senseless. Having raised two older daughters, seen them through college, out of the house, and then to find out another one was on the way.