High Meadow Page 7

  The first two pitches Daniel threw were balls and the crowd groaned with each call. "He's rattled," the man next to Ben said. "Can't really blame him. He lost a perfect game on a cheap hit that just cleared the infield. No wonder he's upset."

  The third pitch Daniel threw was over the plate and the scoreboard pronounced the speed to be ninety-five miles per hour.

  "Wow," Ben said, when Kate informed him of this.

  The next pitch was a slider, which the batter went after and missed. Two balls and two strikes.

  'Just throw it over, Daniel!" Kate yelled.

  "Strike him out, Daddy!" Ben contributed.

  Daniel, who usually liked to move the game along, took longer than usual before he finally went into his windup. His arm came around, the ball flew toward the plate, the batter swung. And missed.

  Pandemonium reigned. The scoreboard announced the pitch to have been 97 mph. The catcher was embracing Daniel, and the rest of the infield was clustered around him, slapping his back. The crowd's ovation was deafening and, as he walked toward the dugout, Daniel looked up at Ben and Kate and tipped his hat. He smiled.

  Good for you, Kate thought, and smiled back.

  They had dinner at a Norwalk restaurant that was known for its casual atmosphere and terrific food. Kate, who had been afraid Ben was going to be subjected to terrifying elegance, was both relieved and pleased.

  "Too bad Nana couldn't come," Ben said as he looked around with satisfaction. "She likes to eat out."

  "I'm sorry too," Daniel said.

  "She had to go to a special meeting at the high school," Kate said. In fact, she suspected that her mother had invented the need for her presence at the meeting so that Ben could have some time with just his mother and father.

  A young waiter came over to take their drink orders. "What a bummer, Daniel," he said. 'And it was such a cheap hit, too."

  "These things happen," Daniel said philosophically. "That's why it's so difficult to pitch a perfect game."

  Kate said she would have white wine, and Daniel ordered a bottle of chardonnay for the two of them. Ben ordered Pepsi.

  Daniel said, "My father instructed me to find out what kind of riding you teach, Katharine. He breeds Andalusian horses—mostly for dressage."

  "Does he?" Kate was delighted. "I've always ridden hunt seat, but lately I have become more and more interested in dressage. In fact, I've been working on it with my old Thoroughbred, and he's doing quite well."

  "Does your father have a farm like us?" Ben asked.

  "He has a ranch."

  "Is that where you grew up?" Kate asked.

  "No, he didn't buy the ranch until he retired ten years ago. When I was younger he was active in politics. In fact, he was Colombia's ambassador to the United Nations for eight years. I spent a great deal of my childhood living in New York, which is how I learned to play baseball."

  "Did you play Little League?" Ben asked quickly.

  "I did."

  "Mommy doesn't like Little League." Ben gave her a dark look.

  "I think it borders on being abusive," Kate said to Daniel a little defiantly.

  'All organized sports for children have that danger," he agreed easily. "But I think it's important for children to play sports. A sport teaches mental discipline as well as physical agility and strength." He looked at her seriously. "It all depends on the coach. A good coach will get the best out of all his players without being abusive."

  Kate, who knew a few riding instructors whose methods she deplored, reluctantly agreed.

  "I play soccer, Daddy," Ben said. "Did you ever play soccer?"

  Daniel laughed. "You might as well ask a Colombian if he breathes as to ask him if he ever played soccer."

  The waiter arrived with the drinks. As he put them on the table, Ben said hopefully, "Maybe you could come and watch me play."

  "I would like that very much."

  Ben's eyes shone. Daniel picked up his wineglass and said, 'A toast. To our family."

  "Click glasses," Ben demanded, and he proceeded to bang his glass first against Daniel's then against Kate's. Under his expectant gaze, Kate touched her glass to Daniel's, and murmured, "To family."

  For a brief moment their eyes met and held, and something unfamiliar to Kate seemed to pass between them. Before she could figure it out, Ben said, "I cried when that man got a hit. But Mommy said that you would win the game for your team and that was what was important. And you did win." He held up his glass. "To Daddy!"

  Once more Daniel raised his wineglass. "Thank you, Ben."

  Ben turned to Kate, his glass still held aloft. "Mommy?"

  Kate clicked glasses with him, then she clicked glasses one more time with Daniel. "Enough toasts, Ben," she said. "You'll get me drunk with all this wine sipping."

  Ben laughed as if she had made a great joke. He was so happy. It melted her heart to see him so happy.

  The waiter appeared again. "Are you ready to order?"

  Daniel had the rack of lamb and Kate had salmon. Ben ordered the children's hamburger platter.

  "I checked around to find a place that had a children's menu," Daniel said to Kate. "I know that kids can be picky eaters sometimes."

  Kate was surprised by his thoughtfulness. "Ben is a pretty good eater, but the children's menu was a good idea," she said. "A hamburger is a treat for him. I make very few visits to Burger King."

  "You don't give him much fast food?"

  "No."

  "Good."

  He reached for the rolls. He was wearing a royal blue and white dress shirt without a tie and with the sleeves rolled up. Kate could see the veins and arteries under the deeply tanned skin of his hard forearm. His wrist and fingers looked very strong. He lifted the basket of rolls and offered it to her. "Would you like a roll, Katharine?"

  For some reason, she felt herself flush. "No, thank you."

  "I'll have a roll, Daddy," Ben said.

  "You may have one," Daniel said, offering him the basket. "Too much bread will spoil your dinner."

  "That's what Nana always says."

  As Ben buttered his roll, Daniel said, "You must tell me about yourself, Ben. What school do you go to?"

  Ben was never loath to talk about himself, and the rest of dinner went by easily, with the two adults listening to the little boy hold forth about his school, his friends, his bike, his soccer, and his desire to play Little League baseball.

  "What about horses?" Daniel said as the dinner plates were being removed. "Don't you ride?"

  "Only girls ride," Ben said disparagingly.

  Daniel's surprised gaze flew to Kate. She said wryly, "Unfortunately, that is the case with English riding in this country. A great many American men ride, but they primarily ride Western. I did get Ben a Western saddle, and he has ridden occasionally, but he prefers his bike."

  "I ride horses," Daniel said to Ben. "My father—your grandfather—rides horses. I think that is a narrow point of view to say that men don't ride."

  Ben looked thoughtful. "Will you ride with me?"

  "If your mother will lend me a horse, I will be glad to ride with you."

  Kate was experiencing conflicting feelings. She had always been disappointed by Ben's lack of interest in horses, and any sign of notice on his part was very welcome to her. On the other hand, Daniel seemed to be worming his way into every aspect of her life. The last thing she needed was to have him hanging around all the time.

  "Of course I can lend you a horse," she said. "There are some nice trails through the water company property near our farm."

  "Yes!" Ben said, clenching his fist.

  Daniel sipped his chardonnay "That would be wonderful. It will have to be early on a Saturday or a Sunday, I'm afraid. I don't have any days off until the post season."

  "Saturday," Ben said immediately. "My soccer game is on Sunday morning."

  "And that is another bone I have to pick with organized children's sports," Kate said. "Sunday morning should be for church, but eve
ry sport schedules games on Sunday."

  "Most Catholic churches have Saturday afternoon masses," Daniel pointed out.

  "How do you know we're Catholic?"

  "You're Irish, so I just assumed it. Was I wrong?"

  "No. And that's what we do—go to church on Saturday afternoon. But I like going to church on Sunday."

  "I'm sure you've had horse shows to go to on Sundays."

  She had, of course, but she wasn't pleased to be reminded of that. He was very effectively shooting down all her arguments against organized sports for children, and she didn't like it.

  "Can we go next Saturday?" Ben asked eagerly.

  "I am sorry, Ben, but next Saturday I will be in Toronto for a three-game series. Perhaps we can do it the Saturday after that."

  "Okay," Ben said.

  Thank God he plays baseball, Kate thought. Otherwise, he might just move in here. Out loud she said, "I teach on Saturday mornings but I'll send someone along with you to show you the trails."

  "I'm disappointed," Daniel said. Kate's glass was still half-full, so he poured the rest of the wine into his own glass. "I was hoping you could come."

  Kate had an unerring instinct for phoniness and gave him a suspicious look, thinking he was once more trying to charm her. The brown eyes that met hers looked perfectly sincere. She shrugged. "Maybe you can convince Ben that it isn't unmasculine to ride a horse."

  He laughed softly, deep in his throat. "I will try," he said. "I promise I will try."

  Molly was reading a book in the living room when the baseball game threesome returned. Her eyes went immediately to her daughter's face, and relief surged through her when she saw that the hostility she had been dreading was not there.

  "You should have come, Nana," Ben cried. "Daddy almost pitched a perfect game. And look! He gave me the last ball he threw!" He held up a baseball in his right hand.

  "Let me see," Molly said admiringly, and took the ball from him. "I heard all about the game on ESPN," she said to Daniel. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. To have come so close! And the hit wasn't even a good one."

  He shrugged. "That's the way it goes."

  "Sit down," Molly said. "Would you like an after-dinner drink?"

  "Mom. He's driving." Kate sounded annoyed.

  "A swallow of brandy won't hurt him."

  "We had wine with dinner."

  Daniel said with amusement, "Thank you, Molly, but Katharine is right. I've had enough to drink, thank you. But I would not mind another cup of coffee."

  Now Kate looked annoyed. Clearly she thought it was time for him to go home. Ben, on the other hand, was thrilled. "Can I show you my baseball cards, Daddy?"

  "I'd love to see them," Daniel said.

  Molly said, "I'll fix the coffee."

  Kate said, "I'll help you."

  The two women went into the kitchen. "How was your day?" Molly asked as she filled the coffeemaker with water.

  "It wasn't too bad," Kate said a little grudgingly. "The game was exciting, and he picked a pretty good restaurant. Ben ate a hamburger."

  "That's good." Molly measured coffee into a filter.

  "Enough is enough, though. You didn't have to offer him a drink, Mom. We've already devoted the whole day to him."

  "Didn't you get along with him, Kate?"

  "We got along okay. He's pleasant enough, I guess."

  From most young women, this would not be an encouraging comment. Molly knew that from Kate it was a compliment. She said, "I offered him a drink because I thought Ben would like him to stay for a little."

  Kate sighed. "I guess I'll just have to put up with him if he makes Ben this happy. He was in heaven all day."

  "Daniel seems to be a very decent man."

  "I hope to God he is, Mom, because it will break Ben's heart if it turns out otherwise."

  "Shall we have coffee in the living room or out here in the kitchen?" Molly asked.

  "In the living room. Ben has probably got his baseball cards spread out all over the place."

  "Why don't you take in the cups and saucers, and I'll bring in the coffee when it's finished."

  "All right," Kate said, and proceeded to pile cups onto a tray. Molly watched her daughter's slender back as she left the kitchen, and the smile she had been holding back dawned. Kate had not once said that Daniel was stupid or boring.

  We're making progress, Molly thought hopefully. We're making progress.

  * * *

  8

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  Three weeks went by and the Yankees were in the middle of the postseason playoffs. Most of the games were played on an evening before a school day, or on the West Coast, but Ben was able to attend the two Sunday afternoon games they played at the stadium.

  The Daily News broke the story after Ben's second visit. Daniel Finds Lost Son, the front-page headline read. Inside was the story that Daniel had given the reporter who had sniffed out the connection between him and Ben. It was essentially truthful, with the exception that Marty (who remained unnamed) was portrayed as a goodwill ambassador, not as a blackmailer.

  Two days before the World Series was due to start, Daniel arrived home from practice to find his parents having a drink with Alberto in the family room.

  "Daniel," his mother cried with delight as she jumped up to embrace him.

  He gave her a generous hug, then held her away so he could look at her. "Mama. You look wonderful." Victoria Montero was fifty-five years old and looked forty. She had large brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a classically proportioned face. Her sense of style had made her famous in UN circles when her husband was the Colombian ambassador. She had a ton of charm and was a little spoiled.

  "Daniel." His father came to hug him as well. Rafael Montero's good looks were of the craggy type; his son resembled his wife more than him.

  "How was the trip?" Daniel asked them both.

  His father answered, "Apart from all the security delays, it was fine."

  Victoria said, "Have a drink, Daniel, and then you can tell us all about Ben."

  Daniel turned to Alberto, and said, "Would you mind telling Maria that she can serve dinner whenever she is ready?"

  "Of course not," Alberto replied.

  Daniel moved toward the small table of drinks that had been set up in the corner of the room. He poured himself some scotch, which he diluted with water, then went to sit on the sofa directly across from his parents. They looked so expectant that he had to smile. "I don't know what I can tell you that you don't already know, Mama. He's a great kid. I'm very lucky."

  Victoria rested her clasped hands on her lap. 'And what is the mother like?"

  Like no one else, Daniel thought wryly. He took a swallow of scotch. "Things are a little tricky between me and Katharine right now, Mama. The story about my finding Ben has just broken in the newspapers, you see, and she is having a difficult time dealing with the publicity."

  His father said, "How can the publicity be anything but good? She has certainly done nothing wrong."

  Daniel put his glass and coaster on the glossy wood coffee table that was placed between the two sofas. How to explain Kate's reaction to his parents? "The press has made a sentimental soap opera out of the story," he said. "She finds it offensive."

  "It's a happy story," his mother said. "What's wrong with that?"

  You'd have to know Katharine to understand, Daniel thought. He tried to explain, "She hates anything that's phony, and she thinks that all the hearts and flowers the press is rolling out is phony. And she's right. She did an excellent job of raising Ben until I came on the scene. I am not the knight on a white horse the papers have been portraying me as. Plus, she is a very private person. She doesn't like to see her affairs—or her picture—spread out all over the newspapers. And I really can't blame her." He sighed. "If she had the choice, I think she would simply erase me from her life."

  "That must be a new experience for you," his father said dryly.

  Daniel grinned. "Yes, Papa, I must
admit that it is. She loves Ben, however, so she puts up with me for his sake."

  "Is she pretty, Daniel?" asked his mother.

  "She's beautiful," Daniel replied simply.

  His mother and father exchanged a look.

  "Does she have a boyfriend?"

  "No. She runs her stable, and she takes care of Ben. That's about the extent of her social life."

  His very social mother said lightly, "My, but she sounds boring."

  Boring? he thought incredulously. He had never met anyone less boring than Kate. "She is one of the most competent women I have ever met. She's not boring."

  "How old is she?" Victoria asked.

  "Twenty-seven."

  "She's beautiful, twenty-seven, and she does nothing but take care of her horses and her child. Is she perhaps a lesbian, Daniel?"

  Outrage shot through him. "Of course not! What a thing to say, Mama!"

  "These things happen, you know. And you must admit that she sounds odd."

  "She's not odd. She's . . . unique."

  His father said, "Well, I am looking forward to meeting her. I would like to see her horses."

  'And I'm looking forward to meeting my grandchild at last," his mother said.

  The only grandchild I will ever have. The words were unspoken, but they resonated in everyone's mind.

  Daniel said, "I will call Katharine and ask if you can come tomorrow after school. Alberto will take you. I have to be at the stadium for practice."

  "You've been playing baseball all your life," his mother said impatiently. "How much practice do you need?"

  "Leave the boy alone, Victoria. It's his job," Rafael said. The words sounded automatic, as if he had said them many times before.

  Victoria said, "Well, you may be busy, Daniel, but your father and I will have plenty of time to devote to Ben. Perhaps we can pick him up after school and take him around with us. There must be things like a children's museum in the area."

  Daniel picked up his scotch and took a swallow. 'Ah . . . well, Mama, I'm afraid you might not see Ben as often as you'd like. He has school for most of the day, of course, and then he has soccer practice two afternoons a week."

  "We will go to watch his soccer practices," Rafael said genially. "And in the evening we can take him to the World Series game with us."