Part 36 (1/2)
”In the meantime, Traveler's troubles with the PGA have gotten worse since he was involved in a brutal barroom brawl with an elderly international businessman.”
Emma shot up out of her seat. ”He's not elderly! And it wasn't a barroom brawl!”
”No official statement yet from acting commissioner Dallas Beaudine.” Sturgis gave the cameras a smarmy smile. Sturgis gave the cameras a smarmy smile. ”A word of advice, Kenny ... Since your golfing career doesn't seem to be going anywhere, maybe you and your socialite bride can take up fox hunting.” ”A word of advice, Kenny ... Since your golfing career doesn't seem to be going anywhere, maybe you and your socialite bride can take up fox hunting.”
Emma couldn't bear it. ”How can he get away with that?”
”His ratings are good. In America, that's all that counts.” Patrick jabbed at the remote to turn off the television. ”Let's go to a movie. We need a diversion.”
It was a little after eleven and the lights were still on when Kenny returned to the ranch. He'd practiced all day, then stopped at his father's house to play with Petie for a while. Afterward, he'd parked down by the river so he could nurse his various grudges against Emma for making something difficult out of something simple, but the river wasn't a good place for him. He kept remembering that they'd made love there.
As he let himself into the kitchen, he felt a stab of guilt for leaving her by herself all day. Then he reminded himself that he wasn't the one causing all the commotion in this marriage.
He headed to the refrigerator to see if Patrick had left him anything. As he pulled out a plate of cold chicken, the door that led from the backyard to the sunporch squeaked. He looked up and felt a catch in his throat as Emma walked in.
Her hair was tousled and her cheeks flushed from the breeze that had picked up outside. She looked so pretty, and he wanted her so much. He didn't like the feeling. He didn't like wanting things he couldn't win with big drives, solid irons, and steady nerves.
She started as she saw him. ”Oh, I didn't know you were back.”
Guilt hit him again, but he determined not to let it get the best of him. ”I do happen to live here.”
”I'm aware of that.”
Her calm response made him feel like a p.r.i.c.k. ”You want some chicken? There's plenty here.”
”I ate earlier.”
”Some wine, then. We could take a bottle upstairs.”
”No, thank you.”
He moved around the counter toward her. He'd hit golf b.a.l.l.s until his muscles ached, but he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. Now he knew he couldn't keep his hands off her a moment longer. Somehow he had to talk her out of her stubbornness. Or seduce her out of it.
Maybe it was her steady gaze or that inherent sense of dignity she seemed to carry around with her whether she was buying lice shampoo or stealing salt shakers, but he suddenly wasn't so sure he could seduce her.
Patrick came into the kitchen. ”Well, well, look who finally remembered where he lives.” He waved the piece of paper he held in his hand. ”This fax came in earlier. Looks like it's showdown time in Dodge City.”
”What are you talking about?”
”It seems that a certain Dallas Fremont Beaudine is requesting the pleasure of your company on the first tee at Windmill Creek Country Club at seven o'clock tomorrow morning.”
”Great,” Kenny muttered in disgust. ”This is just great.”
Patrick turned to Emma. ”Francesca scribbled a note on the bottom. She'd like you to call her as soon as you get up in the morning.”
Kenny slapped down the drumstick he'd just picked up. ”So he's back in town. Now, doesn't that just put the icing on the cake.”
Patrick folded the fax neatly in half. ”If I were you, Kenneth, I'd be very nice to Lady Emma. Who knows what tales she might tell Francesca.”
But as Kenny looked across the counter into Emma's solemn eyes, he knew she wouldn't say one bad thing about him to Dallie's wife. And somehow that bothered him more than anything else.
Chapter 23
The morning sun formed a corona behind him, this man whose legend was as big as the Texas sky. Although age had dabbed the temples of his dark blond hair with silver and deepened the brackets around his mouth, it hadn't whittled away at the strength in his tall, lean body or dulled the gleam in those Newman-blue eyes. whose legend was as big as the Texas sky. Although age had dabbed the temples of his dark blond hair with silver and deepened the brackets around his mouth, it hadn't whittled away at the strength in his tall, lean body or dulled the gleam in those Newman-blue eyes.
A decade earlier, this man and the great Jack Nicklaus had met each other on a course people called the Old Testament and played one of the greatest golf matches in history. On that fateful day Jack Nicklaus had played for the glory of sport, but Dallas Beaudine had played for the heart of the woman he loved ... and he'd won.
A shoulder injury had temporarily sidelined Dallie, forcing him into the role of acting commissioner, but he was nearly recovered now, his term as commissioner would soon be over, and the senior tour lay ahead of him like a juicy bone waiting to be devoured. First, however, he had some loose ends to tie up. One loose end, in particular.
Morning dew glistened on the toes of Kenny's golf shoes as he stepped off the path and walked toward the first tee at Windmill Creek. His stomach gave a nervous twist as he saw Dallie standing there, even though he told himself he had no reason to be nervous. The two of them had played hundreds of rounds of golf over the years, beginning when Kenny was a teenager with the most expensive equipment money could buy and no idea how to use it. Dallie had taught him everything. No, Kenny shouldn't be nervous, but a film of sweat had broken out on his chest.
He hadn't seen Dallie since the day he'd been suspended, and he hid his sense of betrayal behind a cool nod as he stepped up onto the tee. ”Dallie.”
”Kenny.”
Kenny turned to acknowledge the grizzled Jack Palance look-alike sprawled down on the bench with a red bandanna tied around his forehead and a rubber band holding back his thin salt and pepper ponytail. He was Skeet Cooper, the most famous caddy in golf. Skeet and Dallie had hooked up several decades earlier after a brawl at a Texaco station outside Caddo, Texas, when Dallie'd been a fifteen-year-old runaway and Skeet an ex-con with no future. They'd been together ever since.
”You got a caddy?” Dallie asked.
”He's on his way.” Kenny's regular caddy, a wizard named Loomis Crebbs, was carrying Mark Calcavecchia's bag while Kenny was on suspension, and Kenny'd never missed Loomis more than he did right now. Still, he'd found a good subst.i.tute.
Clubs rattled behind them. Skeet Cooper rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb and rose from the bench. ”Looks like Kenny's caddy's here.”
Dallie lifted an eyebrow as his son stepped up on the tee carrying Kenny's bag.
Ted smiled. ”Sorry I'm late. Mom made me eat breakfast. Then she started fussing with my hair, don't ask me why.”
Dallie took the driver Skeet handed him. ”Funny you didn't mention that you were going to caddy for Kenny today.”
”Must have forgot.” Ted smiled and s.h.i.+fted the bag. ”I told Skeet.”
Dallie shot Skeet an annoyed look that didn't bother Skeet one bit. Kenny gestured toward the tee. ”Be my guest. I believe in showing respect for the elderly and the infirm.”
Dallie just smiled. Then he walked over to the tee, swung a couple of times to loosen up, and striped a beautiful drive down the center of the fairway. It was the kind of golf shot Dallie'd cut his teeth on.
Kenny tried to quiet his nerves as he approached the tee, but that film of sweat on his chest wasn't drying up. He told himself there was no reason to get all agitated about today's round. Not only did he know every nuance of Dallie's game, but the residual effects of the older man's shoulder injury were going to give Kenny a distinct advantage. Even so, his jitters wouldn't go away because today's match was about something bigger than a round of golf, and both of them knew it.
Kenny stepped up to the tee, adjusted his stance, and hit a nasty duck hook into the left trees.
Dallie shook his head. ”I thought we fixed that when you were eighteen.”
Kenny couldn't remember the last time he'd hit a shot like that. A fluke A fluke, he told himself as they walked off the tee and down the fairway, with their caddies following.
”I hear from Francie that you got married,” Dallie said.
Kenny nodded.