Chapter 36

Everyone — even Jill — got breakfast in bed Friday morning. But everyone was lined up for their good luck kiss before Catalina and I were off to the course by 7:30 a.m. She didn't play as well as Thursday but she still managed to stay right at par.

Sophie made the cut, but Bailey wouldn't be playing during the weekend. Amelie and Jill brought little Tanner home in the afternoon and we all were back to the house by a little after 5 p.m.

"You folks are on your own for supper tonight," I said. "I've got a thing I have to do."

It brought a round of questions and questioning looks from a table full of women.

"A thing?" Catalina said. "What sort of thing, may I ask?"

I told her she may not ask.

"It's just an event I promised to attend," I said. "It's nothing major. I'll be back around 10 or so. Don't worry, Mom, I won't break curfew."

It wasn't anything major. The Jaycees had put a lot of work into the charity portion of the charity pro-am. I had agreed to go to their banquet as part of the deal.

It was a bigger deal than I thought.

When I arrived, there were 200 people there. I was seated on the far side of the room, with a bunch of people I didn't know, for the rubber chicken portion of the night. Then I was ushered to the head table as Sara Markley walked up from the other side.

"Good evening. My name is Sara Markley and I have been asked to introduce our guest of honor," she said to the crowd. "We all know how hard it is to get R.J. Hartley to show up for an award. So we decided not to tell him this time. You can tell from his face it worked.

"Anyone can stand up here and tell you stories about R.J. on the football field. A lot of people can stand here and tell you stories about how he's helped them in one way or another. I'm going to tell you a story you haven't heard before. It's my story.

"When I met R.J., I was 12 years old. I'm 17 now so that may not seem like a long time, but I can assure you it was a lifetime ago for me. You see, when I was 12, I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me there was an even shot I wouldn't see 13.

"I felt scared. I felt alone. But mostly I felt sad. I was ready to die. One day, during one of my saddest times, I looked up and saw this giant standing in the doorway of my hospital room. He asked if I wanted company. I really didn't; but I didn't want to be alone either, so I invited him in.

"He sat with me and we chatted about this and that. Then the conversation turned to football. I play golf now, but only because I can't play football. When I tell you I'm a fan, you better believe I am a major fan.

"I passed some of my days in the hospital designing plays. I'd sent them to the University of Florida but you know how those things work: 12-year-old girl, hand-drawn football plays, thanks but ... I showed them to R.J. He looked at them. Then looked at them again. Then he looked at them a third time.

"'These are really good, ' he told me. He started to talk to me — not as a dying little kid — but as someone with knowledge and worth. When I started to talk about the plays, he started to take notes. The quarterback for the University of Kentucky, who had just starred in the Gator Bowl, was sitting in my hospital room on a Saturday morning taking notes about something I'd done. Then he asked if I could make him copies.

"That fall Kentucky actually ran the plays I drew up — successfully I might add — and R.J. and his teammates would rush to the sideline to see who could get in front of a camera first to write me a note for the whole world to see.

"R.J. was a regular visitor to my hospital room. We didn't always talk about football. We could talk about anything I wanted. He's been a regular visitor since I got out of the hospital, too. We talk every chance we get and just last month he called me just to tell me how much I mean to him.

"He caught me off guard. First, because I already knew how he felt. Second, I was already working on this speech and didn't want to tip him off. When your group contacted me in December about coming out here to talk to you about what a great man R.J. Hartley is, I had no trouble writing a speech about it. The only trouble was my whole speech would have taken us into tomorrow morning.

"So I'll just tell him this," she said, turning to me, "you're my hero. Not for anything you've done on a football field, but for helping to show a sad little girl how to be happy again, for teaching a scared kid to fight back, and for showing an awkward teenager she would never be alone.

"To this group, I can tell you for certain, there is no finer person you could honor as your Man of the Year. I am one of literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of people you could have invited here tonight with their own story. For every story I know about, there's probably 25 more I don't. That's just the way R.J. is.

"I'm proud you chose me to come here to introduce R.J. Cancer may still claim me. There's no guarantee. But it hasn't gotten me yet. It better know it'll have one heck of fight if it tries. I'm thankful to the giant I saw in the doorway for every single day I get. I love you, R.J."

It took me a while to gather my composure after Sara's speech and her hug as I stood up.

"Where's Tom VandeVender when you need him," I joked. "I'm honored — and surprised. I'm interested in knowing how this was pulled off without me finding out, but I'm still honored.

"Sara Markley is a first-rate example of why this country is in good hands. She is a very dear friend, and I'm thankful for her every day, too. But her recovery is a credit and a testament to her strength. The fact we're still close friends is a testament to her personality. I could stand here and list her wonderful qualities throughout the night, too. But I think you can already tell.

"I don't often show up to receive awards, mostly because I don't do anything in hopes of recognition. I urge you to live your life the way Sara has lived hers — thankful every day for what you've got, and always on the lookout to help someone else.

"Charity has become a catch-all word for any good deed. I think it's the wrong word, so I refuse to use it. I prefer the term civility. Civility doesn't have to be anything tangible. It can be a kind word or a sweet smile. It can be taking a few minutes to read a book to a child or helping your neighbor shovel his walk. It can be as simple as asking the person who serves your coffee at Starbucks how they're doing and really meaning it. It means doing something without thinking 'what's in this for me.'

"But sometimes, if you're really fortunate, it can be showing up in the doorway of a little girl's hospital room, at just the right time, and making a lifelong friend.

"This organization is dedicated to making things better for everyone. I'm honored and humbled to accept your award and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

OK, it wasn't the best speech in the world, but it was extemporaneous. What do you expect?

I used one hand to shake hands and kept the other arm around Sara. When things finally broke up, I looked at her in amazement.

"Amelie and I have been working on this for a couple of months," she said. "How is she doing? I was supposed to call her when I got in but all I got was voice mail."

I told her that the baby had arrived on Thursday morning.

"Is it still OK if I stay the weekend with you?" she asked.

I told her there'd always be room for her.

Amelie had told the rest of the crew to expect a new arrival, so no one was surprised when Sara came in. I had told Sara there were people at my house for the weekend, but she seemed surprised at the number — and the gender — of them.

Sara said she was still on Florida time and she was going to bed as soon as someone showed her where. Bailey told her she was tired, too, and they headed upstairs.

Catalina didn't tee off until the afternoon, but Sophie started early, so they headed up the steps while I checked the alarm system and looked in on Amelie, Jill and Tanner.

They were nestled up snuggly in the Mommy's room; sound asleep, with the baby snoozing in the crib.

Sophie was the only one who had to be up early, and I heard her grumbling as she walked down the hall.

"If I was going to be this far back, I might as well just have missed the damned cut," she muttered.

I told her that I'd get up and fix her some breakfast as soon as I could get my feet on the floor.

"Just stay there in that nice warm bed," she said. "I'll be fine this morning." I told her not to sell herself short.

"From where I'm looking, you're fine every morning," I told her. Sure it was a cheesy line but Sophie liked it. She leaned in and gave me a nice kiss.

"I'll be back for my good luck kiss before I go," she said.

I went back to dreamland and a few minutes before 8, Sophie was back. She popped a breath mint in my mouth and told me to chew on it for a second and she'd be right back. I was still under the covers, so Sophie lay right across my body. The kiss must have been for luck, because I was fortunate I didn't make a mess in by shorts. There was a lot of tongue, and she was making every effort to rub her torso against my dick. Sunday's dances held a lot of promise.

"I need some extra luck today," was all she said when she slid back down me. She stopped at my waist and leered at me before continuing off the bed.

I saw movement in the hallway.

"No wonder you're so happy all the time," Sara said before dissolving in giggles. "I think I might need some extra luck today, too."

By the time Sara stopped laughing, half the visitors to my house were standing outside of my door.

"Time to get up for breakfast," Bailey said. "Come on you lazy bum, off your ass and on your feet."

Sophie's kiss had left Jay Jr. standing up and taking notice, so I told them it would be a couple of minutes.

"I'll wait," Bailey and Sara said in unison before the giggling began again.

Catalina chimed in with, "Me, too."

I shook my head and wrapped the sheet around my waist before I headed to the bathroom to a chorus of jeers.

Oh well, I doubted it would be the last time I was booed out of the bedroom.

As I brushed my teeth, I wondered what in the hell was going on in my life. A couple of weeks ago, I had felt alone and lonely, calling Sara and Beth and a few others had been an attempt to reconnect with some close friends who had started to get away from me. Now, I had a houseful of great people but very little clue as to how I had gotten to this point.

"You all right in there," I heard Bailey say from outside the door.

I told her I wasn't sure yet, to check back later.

She opened the door and came in.

"Sorry," she said. "The teasing got a little out of hand."

I told her I was just standing there trying to figure out what was going on when she knocked.

"I was just thinking about the amount of people in the house," I said. "Do you realize that outside of Amelie and Jill, you four are the first visitors I've had here? This is the first time Sara has been here. Beth and her parents have never been here. It's just strange."

Bailey told me I should plan on company for a few more days if I didn't mind.

"Sara is on Spring Break and I think she is hoping to stay for the rest of the week. She is even talking about visiting Arizona State. Sophie, Catalina and I aren't playing a tournament outside of Arizona for a month. We want to stay with you until next weekend and we plan to come back every chance we get, as long as you'll let us. By the time we leave for a couple of weeks, Beth will be here."

I looked at her in the mirror, my eyes full of surprise.

"Yes, I know she's coming in April to stay for a while. Jill told me," Bailey said, then kind of squared her shoulders to look directly at me.

"One of the reasons I left you years ago is because I was jealous. I was jealous of Beth. I hated sharing you with her. I was jealous of Sara. I hated sharing you with her, too. I was jealous of how popular you were at school. I was jealous of how little time we had. I was jealous of Ellie Ferguson and my own mom for Christ's sake.

"The reason I never came back wasn't because I didn't love you. It wasn't because I didn't want to. It was because I worried — until this week — that if I did, it would end the same way for you. I worried my jealousy would get in the way and hurt you again."

"So this is some kind of test for you?" I asked incredulously. "Bailey, this is ridiculous."

"The whole world isn't black and white," Bailey said. "This isn't any kind of test because I already know the answer. If anyone is taking a test, it's you. I had hoped that you and I could spend the next couple of weeks together in a more private environment but I guess you'll have to find a way to work me into the rotation."

She may as well have been speaking Russian because I had no idea what Bailey was talking about.

"Bailey, you and I have been apart for years," I said. "You don't know the person I grew up to be and I don't know the person you've grown up to be. But I can tell you this for certain, I'm a one-woman kind of guy. I have enough trouble dealing with one person at a time and there is no way I can open myself up to more than that — if that's what you're implying."

Bailey looked at me crossly.

"I'm not sure what I'm implying," she said. "I will admit that the whole reason I decided to come to Phoenix this year was to see you, to talk to you. When I saw you had a houseful of women living here, I had to make some other decisions on the fly. I guess I thought that maybe this is the lifestyle you wanted. I mean, you're rich and single. You're right, I didn't know who you'd grown up to be. But I think I'm learning that you're not much different than you used to be."

"I hope that you and I can find some time to visit together before we part," I said. "But whatever happens with us it will have to be only us. I want Sara and Beth and Amelie and Jill — and even Catalina and Sophie — to be a portion of my life. But I can't accept them as a portion of my love life — regardless of whether you're with me."

I thought I detected a little bit of relief in Bailey's eyes but I wasn't certain. Then I was sure I saw concern.

"I'm not so sure it isn't too late after this morning," she said. "But you're right, you and I need to spend some time together — alone — to see if the spark is still there. I, for one, hope it is. I've thought of you a lot over the years."

When it came time for good luck kisses that morning, Jill joined the group and then took me by the hand and led me to the nursery to include Amelie. Hell, even Tanner got a good luck kiss on top his little bald head while he sucked his mom's nipple. Jill had decided to take over as Catalina's caddy, so Bailey, Sara and I spent the day watching from the gallery. Sara let us know that her mom agreed to let her stay for the rest of the week.

"She's just happy I've left the state of Florida," she said. "She wants to move away but she wasn't going to leave if I was at the U of F."

I asked if she might like Arizona.

"No, she was thinking California, honestly," she said. "But she might go to California if I were here. She's already turned down two promotions to stay in Florida."

Sophie played well enough to climb into a tie for 10th place entering Sunday. Catalina was on the third tee when we caught up to her. She was in the last group of three and I could see her nerves were getting the best of her. Sophie caught up with the group a hole later and got a round of congratulations for her round.

Seeing Sophie in the gallery seemed to be the tonic Catalina needed and she calmed down to be within a stroke of the lead at the end of the round.

I had some sponsorship duties to attend to so I headed for the clubhouse.

Bailey said she'd stay with me to make the rounds, but everyone else went back to the house. Bailey and I got separated at one point, and I got caught by one of my former teammates, his girlfriend and his sister. He wasn't one of my favorite people — and I liked his girlfriend and sister less — but they greeted me like I was a long-lost cousin.

"This is one of the best events we've been to," the girlfriend gushed. "Everything is so posh here. Derrick wouldn't join when he played here. I kept telling him to, but he wouldn't. Just look at what you missed out on."

Of all the things I disliked about Derrick Clemons' girlfriend, this is what I liked least. She was former Cardinals cheerleader — and a stripper before that — and she latched on Derrick in a way only upwardly-mobile trailer trash can. Of course Derrick wasn't exactly after her for her brains, either.

His sister was looking to move up in the world herself, and had made no effort to hide the fact that the starting quarterback, looking at a hefty pay raise would make a fine starter husband — or at least be able to support her and her growing litany of bastard children. I had almost fallen into the trap during my rookie season before another teammate pulled me aside and gave me the heads up.

"We simply have to get together again sometime," Monique — the sister — said as she grabbed my arm. "I had such a lovely time with you. Why don't you come out with us tonight?"