Texas Mum

“Stop it,” Dario shouted, rising from his seat. “You’re all bad-mouthing Delaney, and none of you know what you’re talking about. None of you know her.”

“I met her,” Maria Sofia chimed in. “I think she’s nice. Her son is sick. Dayo needs to take a test of some kind for him.”

“A paternity test, I hope,” Vicente said.

Dario glowered. “I’m not a fool. That’s one thing I insisted on. All of you are no more shocked than I was. I thought it was impossible at first, but I need to know the truth. I’m going to do this,” he finished, clutching the back of his chair.

“I took down her phone number,” Maria Sofia said, holding up her cell phone. She scrolled through a list of numbers, stopped on one and offered the phone to Dario. “I can go along as your chaperone,” she said cheekily. “To stop you in case you’re tempted to take up where you two left off.”

“Maria Sofia, you must start acting like a lady!” Arturo thundered.

Glaring at her, Dario snatched the phone out of her hand and turned away, pressing the send icon, ignoring his brothers and father telling him to ignore Delaney.

* * *

BY TEN THAT NIGHT, Delaney gave up hope that she might hear from Dario.

While she’d waited, she had phoned Nickolas. He was such a perceptive kid. One of the first things he’d asked was, “Why are you sad, Mommy?” She’d tried to cover, telling him she was happy that she was coming home early and would see him the next day. She hadn’t talked long after that, because of course she felt sad and her voice conveyed it.

She decided to pack so she’d be ready to check out at first light. She was half in the closet with clothes draped over her arm when her phone rang. Panic raced through her at the late hour, and her first thought was that something had happened to Nick. She dropped the clothes and raced to the bedside table. The number on her phone display wasn’t from Texas, thank heaven. But her speeding heart didn’t slow. Maybe it was the airline calling to say there was a change or worse, a cancellation of her flight.

“He...llo,” she managed. Her hand shook so much she was in danger of dropping the phone.

“Did I wake you?” a deep male voice inquired.

Delaney heard an explosion of other men talking in the background, some in Spanish, some English. “Excuse me?”

“Delaney? Don’t hang up. It’s Dayo.”

She gripped the phone more tightly, listening more closely to the background comments. Dario was catching heck from his family. She flinched when one man’s derisive tone rose above the others in clear English, saying, “Dayo, you are a fool to drop everything and dance to the tune of a woman who didn’t have the decency to tell you before this that you might be a father.”

Delaney thought it sounded like Vicente, the man who’d answered the intercom.

A gruffer man broke in angrily in mixed language. “I’m ordering you to stay here, Dario. That woman hurt our family. Can’t you see she’s la maliciosa?”

Delaney didn’t know the term, but she was willing to bet it wasn’t good.

Dario shouted, masking the others. “I need a few days to wind down projects on the estancia, then I’ll fly to Texas. You mentioned Lubbock. Is that where you’re living now?”

“I’m staying near the hospital there. Nick is waiting for a slot to open up in a study in San Antonio. So you’re really going to be tested?”

“First, I want DNA checked. Tell your doctor to order that. The next step depends on the results.”

“It’s an extra step, but okay, if that’s what it takes,” she said—but, what did he mean by seeing where to go from there? “DNA results take a week or more. A second cheek swab done at the same time would get you on the national registry. Why not do both?”

“Don’t push me, Delaney. I’m getting enough flak from my family.”

“I can hear that. But my concern is for Nickolas.” She sighed. “Do you want to call me after you land, so I can come to the airport and pick you up?”

He hesitated several seconds, and Delaney thought he was going to hang up without answering. But he finally said a bit less curtly, “I’ll arrange for a hotel cab at the airport. Give me the name of the hospital.”

Tired and a bit sick at heart for the changes five years had wrought in the man she still had feelings for, Delaney gave Dario the information he had requested. He didn’t say goodbye. She held her phone for quite a while, a range of emotions battering her. Some anger, yes, but more sorrow. When at last she put down the phone, her most fervent prayer was that he’d follow through on his travel plans.

It wasn’t until she’d finished packing and had crawled into bed that Delaney began to suffer a new set of worries. While it stood to reason that Dario would be curious about Nickolas and would want to see him, how on earth would she introduce them? She had put off mentioning Dario to Nick. She couldn’t very well say, “Hey, Nick, my little cowboy, this stranger barging into your room is your father.” No, she couldn’t say that. Even after DNA proved paternity, even if Dario went ahead with the blood screenings, even if luck was on their side—and that was a big if—when all was said and done Dario would return to his life in Argentina. She and Nickolas would go home to La Mesa. She couldn’t risk letting Nick get his heart broken if he got attached.

She barely slept. Once she got on the plane, however, she convinced herself that all she could do was to face each hurdle as it came up. She needed to place all her hopes on Dario Sanchez being the perfect match.

Chapter Three (#ulink_c37a5f8e-19be-527f-af34-9c792e2f6122)

Delaney’s flight home wasn’t a nonstop. When she landed in Miami, she checked her messages and found she had a voice mail from Dr. Avery. Her body went icy, then hot, then icy again. Her steps faltered as she searched for a semiquiet spot to listen.

“I’m sorry to bother you on your trip, Delaney,” the message started off. “Nickolas told me you would be home tonight. I have some information that will undoubtedly affect some of your plans. Dr. Von Claus contacted me with good news. His expansion grant was accepted. He wants Nickolas admitted in San Antonio, and he’s arranged for a bed as soon as we can fly Nickolas down. We spoke at length, and I agree it’s the best option for Nick. I took the liberty of lining up a medical flight for the two of you tomorrow afternoon. Of course it hinges on your approval.”

In spite of the butterflies in her stomach, Delaney quickly called him back. “This is Delaney,” she said when Dr. Avery answered.

“Goodness, are you back in town already?” he asked.

“No, I have a layover in Miami. Does this mean Nickolas won’t need a marrow transplant after all?”

“No, no. He must have a marrow donor. But Dr. Von Claus’s program has been successful in stimulating the patient’s energy, which lets his team lower the frequency of radiation. All of that will hopefully give you more time to find a marrow donor.”

“His father has reluctantly agreed to fly to Texas for blood tests.”

“That’s wonderful! I hadn’t received any test requests. So, he’s coming here, rather than being tested in Buenos Aires?”

“Yes, he wants DNA tests done first. It’s infuriating and humiliating.”

“I’m sorry, Delaney. Some men find it difficult to face hard truths.”

“That’s a nice way of saying he’s being a jerk.”

“Ah...well, it’s a matter of opinion, I suppose. And you’re entitled to your feelings. When is he arriving?”

“Dario needs a few days to wind up his business before he leaves Argentina. I’m not totally sure when he plans to get here.”

“I’ll alert Dr. Von Claus to prepare documents needed for all the tests. One thing in your favor, Delaney, with the larger facility in San Antonio, they have much greater access to labs. DNA results shouldn’t take long.”

“I guess that’s something. You know I’m for anything that has a shred of promise to help Nick get better. Please, arrange the transfer, Dr. Avery. I’ll sign authorizations tonight. It will be midnight or later, but I’ll come straight to the hospital from the airport.”

“I’ll leave the necessary release forms with the ward clerk on Nick’s floor.” He gave her a bit more information about the receiving hospital, then said, “Delaney, don’t be too hard on Nick’s father. Remember we want his cooperation. The old saying is you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

“I know. I really do know that.” It was just so disappointing that he didn’t believe her. Didn’t trust her. After she hung up, Delaney took several deep breaths. Then she scrolled to Maria Sofia’s number. She should have gotten a number from Dario when he contacted her at the hotel, but she’d been so irritated by his attitude that she’d forgotten to ask.

The girl answered on the second ring, but their connection had static. “Maria Sofia, this is Delaney Blair.”

“Are you still in Argentina?”

“No, I left Buenos Aires early this morning. I’m awaiting my connection in Miami. Could you give Dario a message? Nickolas’s doctors will be moving him to San Antonio tomorrow.” She gave the girl the name of the facility. “I hope Dario hasn’t already booked a flight to Lubbock.”