Chapter 47

The fallout from my comments caused a ripple effect. The Cardinals ownership was appalled and threatened to release me outright. Conservative talk radio was all over my case. Some fans were incensed.

The media wouldn't let it die and finally I had enough. Lisa Neil didn't even try to stop me — although I'm certain she saw the look of disgust on my face.

"To those I've offended with my comments, I just want to say: Too damned bad," I said heatedly. "If you took offense at my words, I could care less. There is a pretty good bet that I take umbrage at your self-righteousness and pomposity. Perhaps if you put your words into deeds — as I do — I could somehow manage in my heart to give a shit one or the other if you're upset.

"That is my final comment on the matter."

About the only people who laughed it off were my friends and teammates.

Well, most of my friends anyway. Sophie and Catalina Montoya began to distance themselves but other than that, it was OK. I knew Sophie and Catalina were spiritual, if not outright religious. I knew they'd been raised strict Catholics, but religion was not something we'd discussed, other than to say to each his own.

The Montoyas didn't stop in Alabama on the way to visit in Arizona — despite the fact I'd gotten them Super Bowl tickets. In fact, they didn't stop in Arizona either. They stayed with their parents for a couple of extra days and headed straight to Hawaii. The LPGA season was opening in two weeks, and we'd planned on a brief vacation before Amelie, Bailey and Jill were heading back to work.

I wasn't going to Hawaii now, nor was Sara who had school, and Lexi had school, so Suzette was still with us.

Instead, two days after Valentine's Day, I asked Bailey to become my wife. Amazingly, she said yes. She wanted a small civil ceremony as soon as possible and we would plan for a large church ceremony during the summer.

"I have wanted to marry you since the day I saw you in Sara's hospital room," she said. "I am not letting you have the opportunity to change your mind."

We waited for three days for her parents and for Mack and Ellie to arrive in Phoenix before we filed in front of a magistrate who performed the ceremony. The man was almost beside himself and we wound up taking an extra half hour to sign autographs before he realized how inconsiderate he was being.

Our brief honeymoon was spent at the house. Instead of going away, we sent the rest of the occupants to a nearby hotel. We figured we would do the honeymoon thing when we had the church wedding — possibly to England and Ireland to correspond with the Women's British Open.

My injury and the wedding had put off the issue of Suzette. She and Lexi were still living in the house.

Beth and Sara were full-time fixtures at the house. Amelie was playing part-time, so she, Tanner and Jill were around periodically, and only Bailey was out on tour full-time.

I received a letter from Sophie in June. It contained no personal greeting instead it was a curt note to let me know she was giving me notice, as required by our contract, that she no longer wished to have Suzette or me handle her marketing.

I drafted a return letter to let her know we'd waive the 60-day notice period if she would like, but we'd also be willing to handle her affairs on a short-term basis, until she found another representative. Beth received a notice the next day asking her to remit a list of Sophie's assets so they could be transferred to another financial representative. Beth included the list in the same letter I sent, and two weeks later we received a message that neither of us represented her any longer. She didn't even thank Beth or me for foregoing our commissions and returning everything to her.

Catalina called immediately to tell us she still wanted to be represented by us.

"Sophie is screwed," she said. "She's playing like shit and now she's got to pay 10 percent commission to some agent. Fuck that. I make five times as much in endorsements as I do on the course. I also make more from Beth's work than I do on the course, and I only pay 5 percent. She's lost her mind.

"I tried to convince her but she's convinced you all would steal from her. I told her the group that's still there could buy her and sell her 10 times over, but she wouldn't listen."

Much better news came the following weekend. Bailey and Amelie both missed the cut at their tournament — not good news in itself — and they flew home for a nine-day break to help celebrate Lexi's birthday. I hadn't seen either of them in almost two months.

They were greeted with hugs and kisses from everyone. Lexi crawled up on Bailey's lap and promptly fell asleep. It helped make a decision I'd been pondering for, well, months.

"Suzette," I said. "I'd like to ask you to formally join our family here permanently. I was the lone holdout on inviting you months ago. I was too stubborn and too stupid to admit I'd regretted my stance earlier. The simple fact is I can't imagine this place without your smile and Lexi's laughter. And I don't want to try to imagine it.

"I'm certain everyone here feels the same, but that in no way obligates you."

Suzette's tiny frame was on my lap in no time.

"Well, it's not like we've been setting the world on fire looking for a house," she said. "I wonder why that was. What I said at Christmas still holds true. I've never felt a place I feel so loved, so appreciated as I do here. I would be honored to be a part of this family."

As everyone congratulated Suzette, Bailey carried Lexi to bed and motioned for me to follow.

"So, the next addition to the family, would you prefer a boy or a girl?" she asked. "You don't really get a choice, but I thought I'd ask."

I didn't follow her thinking for a second, then it hit me.

"Are you? Are you?" I stammered. "You are! Oh, my God! Bailey, I didn't even know you wanted a baby."

"I didn't tell you," she said. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Surprise!

"I'm two months. I took a home test last month and it was positive, so I went to the tour doctor and she told me for sure. It looks like a January baby, Baby. It is one of the reasons I wanted to get married so quickly. I wasn't pregnant yet, but I wanted to be.

"I'd like to tell the others soon. I want to call Mom and Dad first. They are going to shit. Wait until dad hears I've been inseminated."

We both laughed.

"We'll have to rearrange our schedules a little bit," she continued. "I plan to leave tour for six months or so. I may play a couple of tournaments in late summer, but I doubt it. You'll be in training camp by then. If I feel like playing in late June or early July, and you can come with us, I might play. But I firmly expect the family to start traveling with Amelie and me during the summer months.

"Suzette and Beth both work from here more often than not. I think they should start their own business. I know you're planning to finish your law degree this fall since you won't be playing. I think you should all three go together in a business of complete sports management. You can be an agent; Beth as financial adviser, and Suzette can do marketing. Jill can offer sports psychology to the mix. You might even think of offering Lisa Neil a job in public and media relations.

"Jenny Phipps plans to contact you as soon as her deal is concluded to take over for her. I know you've done things for Sean Lombard and other players. Catalina raves about you to every young golfer she meets. It would be a nice segue into our retirement. Obviously Amelie and I can play longer than you can, but we're both planning to start online courses in the fall. If we decide we want to be full-time mommies, there's nothing to stop us. Sara is studying accounting and sports management, so she'll be a natural. By the way, you're getting fat. Have you been doing what you're supposed to?"

It was a lot of information to take in at once, but Bailey was so excited, I couldn't bear to interrupt her.

I told her it seemed like a pretty workable plan for the future.

"I want to call Mom and Dad tomorrow about the baby. Do you think the others might be willing to talk about this tonight instead?" she asked. "And you didn't answer my first question."

I told her I had, in fact, not been doing what I was supposed to.

"The Cardinals didn't exercise their option at the end of the season," I said. "I'm on a one-year deal right now. I can sit out the season with this injury and be a free agent if I want to."

The failure to exercise my option was a sore point with me. I had exercised my portion in January, before the media circus, and before the injury. Jim Mason had called me before the Super Bowl and told me it wasn't his decision. The brass wanted to make sure I was healthy before they anted up for years.

"I told them it was going to cost them in the long run," he said, "but they seemed convinced Breck will do fine. When he doesn't — he was a sixth-round choice for a reason and I don't make many mistakes — I want you to promise me when it comes time to negotiate you'll play hardball."

I told him we'd cross that bridge when we came to it.

I fully expected him to call me back after the Super Bowl — and he did, but it wasn't to tell me the ownership had reconsidered.

"I told them what you always told me," he joked, "I knew what I was getting when I drafted you. You'll be happy to know that Coach Blades refused to sign his rollover. He told them he was waiting to see what they did with his players before he committed to them. I'm doing the same.

"If things don't work out, maybe we can be a package deal for some crappy team. How'd you like to play for the Buccaneers?"

I thought he was joking.

"Sean Lombard already told them he'd play out his contract before he negotiated again. I know of a couple of others, too. It might get dicey here in the fall. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when a Pro Bowl quarterback, an All-Pro left tackle, a former Coach of the Year, and former Executive of the Year show up on someone's doorstep looking to make a sweetheart deal."

But Bailey was right, I was getting fat. I barely exercised at all. I was supposed to be going to physical therapy at least three times a week, but with everything that had been going on, I wasn't interested in doing it. Hell, I really wasn't interested in much of anything this point. In fact, I was considering retirement.

Bailey shot that idea down.

"I want you to play long enough for our baby to see you on the field," Bailey said bringing me back to reality. "Our little boy or girl is going to remember his or her daddy the way everyone else will see him. I plan to play long enough to do the same thing."

I told Bailey there was something else we wanted everyone to think about while we were pondering the future, but I'd fill her in when I filled everyone else in.

We got some strange looks when we emerged — and a giggle from Suzette — but no one really said anything.

When Bailey told them what she had been thinking about, Suzette and Beth exchanged looks across the table.

"We've already talked about this," Beth said. "In fact, we've already started exploring it. R.J. started things in motion when he set up the LLC to take care of Sophie and Catalina. By the way, off subject, I think we should contact Sophie to let her know her original contract is still in place regarding repayment. She's made a series of moves to extricate herself from our clutches, but I think she'll land in a world of hurt if she takes a loan to repay us — or you."

I told her I agreed, but I hoped she'd be nicer in the letter than I was.

"Anyway, Suzette and I were going to put together a proposal of expansion this week," Beth said. "Bailey has phrased it well as an abstract, but we have concrete ideas about where we'd like to go and who we'd like to pitch it to. I think we should be very selective as to whom we represent. What you've done already is starting to catch on. But some players aren't being too careful about who they select to handle their money.

"It almost happened that way with you, Robbie. You know how easy it can happen. I want to approach Jenny Phipps and Sean Lombard about being our first official clients. Suzette has some great ideas as far as marketing opportunities for each of them — not your typical Gatorade stuff, either. Of course, Bailey, Amelie, R.J. and Catalina stay on, but since you're employees, you don't really count."

Suzette looked a little hesitant to speak — a first, I thought.

"I can't tell you how excited I am that everyone wants to be a part of this," she said. "The first idea I had fell through when R.J. started talking, but I think I've worked out some of the kinks. We have been approached by the WNBA franchise to do some promotional spots. They offered to pay, but I hope you don't mind that I told them that if we decided to do it, we'd do for a donation to charity.

"They're struggling for attendance. I've been offered the job to help market the team. But I want to do it through the company — which I understand is 'A Step Ahead' — instead of independently.

"Here's what I had in mind. Everyone here — as well as a few others — puts together a short clip. I'll use Sara as an example. 'Hi, I'm Sara Markley, a student at Arizona State. I'm here to tell you that fun in the sun isn't the only game in town. These women can play.' And Sara would be wearing a bikini or something hot. She'd be all dolled up.

"And we do the same thing for everyone else. 'I'm Beth Ferguson, a resident of Phoenix. I'm a mother of two and I'm here to tell you the playground isn't the only game in town. These women can play.' And Beth would be in a sundress — also all dolled up — and the kids would be on the swings. I hope we can even use Lexi for this shot, too.

"The NBA owns the WNBA, so a bunch of the Suns and their wives are participating. I want to get a couple of NFL guys, a couple of college students, some everyday people, and a couple of Major Leaguers.

"It'll be our first huge project. First, to bring people into the fold and then, to convince some they don't need to break the bank for every endorsement."

Beth was looking lovingly at Suzette, and then glanced at me as if to say "I told you so."

When everyone was finished marveling at Suzette's idea, I got to what I wanted to say.

"Over the next few months, I want you all to consider where you'd like to live if you could live anywhere," I said. "Well, anywhere that's reasonably close to a golf tournament and an NFL franchise. By this time next year we could be living in almost any city you select. Of course, you all may choose to stay here and that's fine, too. I sincerely doubt I will be playing for the Cardinals next season. But I suspect I could be playing almost anywhere you choose."

The room got suddenly quiet before Bailey spoke.

"Assuming you get off your fat ass and start working out," she said. "Otherwise, you'll be stuck as a backup for whatever shithole team will have you."

I promised that I would lose at least 10 pounds by the time we headed for France in six weeks.

"You could cut him off," Sara said with a giggle, "no sex until he can see his dick without lifting his belly."

Everyone got a chuckle from that.

"Live it up, Sara," I said. "I just want you to know we don't manage comedy acts, so you and your trained giraffe over there will have to go elsewhere."

Bailey looked affronted at the giraffe comment.

"Is that any way to talk to me," she said in mock seriousness.

I told her it wasn't.

"I humbly ask your apology," I said. "I'm fat. OK, I get the point."

Bailey motioned for me to come with her to the next room.

"Everybody is discussing the future," she said. "I want my husband and my baby's father to show me how much he loves me."

Bailey and I spent a long time kissing and touching before finally making love gently and tenderly. She always amazed me. One minute she was a she-devil, the next she was a kitten.

We got a knowing smile from Beth who was in the kitchen when we came back downstairs.

"Congratulations," she whispered to Bailey, "I knew as soon as I saw you."

The next morning dawned glorious and bright — and way too early for my tastes. Jill, Suzette, Amelie and Sara were tugging at my arms.

"Get up," Sara said. "We're going to the gym."

I told them to go without me, I was fine where I was — wrapped around Bailey.

But Bailey elbowed me in the ribs.

"Get going," she said. "Beth's down there with the kids alone anyway. I'm getting up, too."

So Sara and Suzette added personal trainer to their list of responsibilities. We hadn't finished the basement project, so it was off to a local facility for the first couple of weeks. They took it upon themselves to whip my sorry behind into shape, and to make sure I could fulfill my part if we all decided to depart Arizona.

"Your earning potential is short-lived," Sara would taunt me. "Bailey will be earning a ton of money long after you've retired. Why would she need you then?"

She was giggling and laughing, but her jibes hurt a little, too. They certainly spurred me back into action. After our workout sessions, they'd drop me at the physical therapist's office who would work with me on range of motion. I still walked with a limp, but she assured me that we'd get rid of that.

Beth made sure I did the exercises for my back that I'd been doing since my first year in Lexington. I hadn't had a repeat of my back spasms, but there were a couple of times a year when the knots would come back. I took a team physical in mid-July and passed. My weight was still about 10 pounds up from last year, but it was 15 pounds lower than five weeks before.

I told the Cardinals I wasn't going to report to training camp until August to protest my contract situation. They fined me, but I had other plans.

I stood and watched like everyone else.

We had practiced it many times but you never expect for it to develop exactly the way you've planned. But the execution was flawless.

The crowd was eerily silent, so quiet I was certain I could hear my heart beat. But no one was looking at me. The official was watching what everyone else was watching. Even Sean, the man paid millions to protect my blindside, had his eyes somewhere else.

The only person that even knew I was around was the person coming toward me. That person knew and as the distance narrowed, I saw the person smile.

I couldn't help but smile back. After all, my dreams were the ones coming true. Things may equal this, but nothing would surpass this day in my life.

The rest of my wedding ceremony passed in a blur. From the moment Bailey appeared on her father's arm and started down the aisle toward me my mind was focused on nothing but her. I guess if I'm honest with myself, my mind had been focused on her for the last six years. Maybe I should say our minds were focused on the other.

But we had made it.

The wedding was beautiful, just like Bailey. It was impossible to take my eyes from her as she walked toward me. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget the look on her face that day.

It didn't matter than we had been married for almost four months — officially — at that point. It didn't matter that our daughter was already on the way. I had never dreamed of my wedding ceremony before. But if I had, even my dreams couldn't have topped this one.

Before Bailey came down the aisle, I had a few moments to survey the church.

We had eschewed the "bride's side-groom's side" separation. We shared friends and we shared family. We had no sides. I stood with Sean and Tom as I watched Timothy escort Lexi, and then Sara, Amelie, Suzette, Jill and Beth walk toward me. Lissa and Tanner were serving as (very) junior attendants but look so cute in their finery.