Must Wait (24 page)

“You need to eat, Pedro.”
“I am not hungry, but thank you, Rosalie.”
She moves the plate closer to me. “I wish you

“I tried to work this out with Katie. She is adamant on
having a baby. I can’t do it. I can give her what she wants.
I did not want to do it all over again.”

“You are being stupid. You can give her what she
wants. Look where you were there in New Jersey? Katie
has the best medical care. Do you really believe in that
false curse? If she was to have complications, the doctors
would be able to keep Katie alive. She loves you and I
know you love her.”

“Yes, but she no longer loves me. She lied to me. She
told me that she never wanted children of her own. I
thought Ramón would be enough for her.”

“I know, Pedro. You must go back to her. Just love
her. Take it day by day. You will see over time the
beautiful family that you have created with her.”

“No, Rosalie. I am done with her. I am done with
children. I have done my time raising Ramón. I am not
doing it again.”

“So, this is more than just the curse? What is this really
about? Is there more? Let me ask why or have you gone
and had a vasectomy like Paolo?”

“No, I have not done that. At least not yet. I wanted
my own life. I was looking forward to working. Katie
wanted me to be an at home father. I need to keep busy.”

“Let me tell you right now. Do not go down that
surgical path. Ryan and Olivia did it and Ryan regrets it
now so much. Yet, I do not think they would have had
more children, who knows?”

Parker re-fills his glass and mine. “I think you should
fly back to Katie. Just give the woman what she wants.
You can work on the other details later.”

“No, Parker, when we disagree, we fight. She is a little
like Ryan with that mouth of hers. She loses her temper
like Olivia barking out at me. It is not the life I want.”

Rosalie tilts her head at me. “How many times have
you fought with Katie?”
“Since I have known her: four times. Only one time
turned into passionate love making. The others, we just
breaking it off.”
Rosalie laughs. “That is it?”
“Our last fight went on for two weeks. She wanted me
gone, so I set her free. She can have whatever she wants
now.”
Rosalie leaves frustrated with me and Parker stays the
night with me drinking and talking.

A few days later, I run into Ryan and Olivia at the
Cantina while I was having drinks with Parker. They were
being so kind to me. I can see that they feel really
apologetic for our break-up. Ryan even joked around with
me asking if I got the ring back from her. Ryan likes to
keep me posted on what is going on with Katie. He tells
me that Nick is out of control having orgies in the house.
That Katie and Nick have been throwing wild parties.
Ryan had to call Nick to remove a video that he posted of
Katie making snow angels naked in the sand on the beach
with a few other people. Seems to me like Katie is getting
right over me. I make plans to come back down Friday
after school to play fútbol with the guys. I am starting to
move on but I can’t get over her. I think about her all the
time, but I guess she’s moved forward.

I come down to the Cantina on Friday. No one is
around but Señor Marquis. He tells me that he is running
the Cantina and that the entire family rushed home. There
was an issue with Katie and Nick. I think to myself, yeah,
they partied too hard and got arrested most likely. I see
Parker running towards me from the school with his
laptop. He looks at me nervously. He takes his own beer
from behind the bar before sitting down and opening his
laptop. He opens his e-mail, connected to the Wi-Fi.

He glances over at me. “I am waiting for Ryan to email me. Katie is missing.”
I open my eyes really wide at the shock at first then I
remember Katie’s immaturity. “Nah, she is probably off
with some guy.”
“No, Pedro. I only have scattered details.”
“Tell me what has Katie done now?”
He sternly looks at me as I take a drink. “You are
really bitter against her.”
“Yup, you think?”
“She went missing on Sunday. They all left on Tuesday
to find her. It is Friday, Pedro. I hope she is okay. Do you
even care?”
I glare over at him and lie, “Nope, we are finished.
Remember that. She does not love me anymore and I am
trying to do the same here?”
The laptop makes a sound.
He looks down at it. “It is an e-mail from Ryan. It is
cryptic. They found her. She held on. She will make it.”
He pauses. “Wow, that does not sound good at all.”
I laugh. “See? I told you they would find her. Katie is
so dramatic. She probably went
into hiding after
scratching her dad’s car or something.”
Parker glares at me as he types on his computer.
“Good. I am so happy you found her. Let her know that
we are all thinking about her.”
“Speak for yourself there, Parker.”
“Look, Ryan responded back already.” He pauses and
reads the e-mail out loud again, “We will not be able to
come back for a while. Contact the Providence for me to
send another substitute from another district. We have a
family emergency and Olivia is being medicated again.
She lost it over this. The devastation is too much for her
to handle. Thanks, Parker, I will e-mail you soon, Ryan.”
He glares over at me, puzzled. “This does not sound
good.” He leans closer, inspecting me. “How much have
you had to drink tonight, Pedro?”
I shrug. “I guess I have had a few, but I am fine. I am
going home now.”
I leave because I do not want to hear about Katie
anymore. She always does something wrong and they all
run to her rescue. I shake my head in disgust.

A few days later, Parker arrives at the house. He stands
in my kitchen, holding my old iPhone. He puts it on the
table.

“Rosalie is back. Pedro, it is very serious. Rosalie
demands that you call Katie on Ryan’s cell phone. Ryan
said she has shut down. She is in a catatonic state. She
only speaks very little to her doctor. He is hoping that she
might speak if she hears your voice.”

I shake my head trying hard not to care. “I do not
think that this is a good idea, Parker.”
Parker steps toward me. “Once you have made the
call, you have to see Rosalie immediately. I am going to
put my motor bike in the back of your truck. We have to
go now to make the call. Ryan is waiting. If you ever
loved her, which I know you did, do this. Ryan needs you
to do this for her.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine. Let’s go get this over with now.”

I park in the spot up on the hillside to get a phone
signal. I can’t believe I am here doing this again. Parker
looks over at me and nods. I dial the phone and Ryan
answers, “Pedro?”
“Yes, Ryan, I am here.”
He sighs and I can hear him walking fast. “Good. I am

Katie comes on and her voice is raspy and shaky.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Katie. How are you?”
She breathes heavily. “Pedro, hi.” I hear her sobbing
into the phone as a muffled sound echoes into my ear.
Ryan comes back on the phone. “Okay, that did not
work. I have to go get her doctor to explain to me why
she is not on medication. They are driving me nuts.
Thank you for trying, Pedro.”
The phone goes silent.
Parker looks over at me. “What happened?”
I shrug my shoulders. “She said nothing. She just
cried.”

I get down to the Cantina and help Parker take his
motor bike out of the back. Rosalie stands on the stairs
watching us. I stare up at her to see that she is visibly
upset. We go up to the bar following her. I hand her the
phone back.

She looks at me. “Ryan Skype called me a few minutes
ago. He is having Katie discharged from the hospital. He
is bringing her here to me to try to help her sort this all
out since the doctors are not helping her at all.”

I nod. “Sorry I could not help.”
Rosalie shakes her head. “She is emotionally lost, but
very lucky to be alive. Ryan is trying to get information
from her on why it was so important for her to go back
to the house. She was stupid.”
I tilt my head in confusion. “What happened,
Rosalie?”
She picks up her tablet, showing me aerials photos.
She points. “That is where your house was. That is the
bridge. A hurricane came through. Nick and Katie were
having a party with their friends to watch the waves. They
thought it would be nothing. The storm got out of
control. They were evacuated be military people. Katie
jumped out of the truck. She needed to get something
from the house. They couldn’t wait so they left her
behind. The water slammed the homes ripping them a
part. Katie got out of the house in time before it was
pulled out to the ocean. Katie got somehow to the bridge,
but it was too late. She swam through the water getting
into a house by pulling herself through the second floor
window. She took a mattress and blankets and put it over
the bathtub and climbed inside. The house came off its
foundation and slowly crumbed with her inside. The
weather changed again, snowing. She got hypothermia.
They found her in time in the rubble. Pedro, it is all gone.
The entire coast totally devastated. Nick is back in
therapy. They had to keep him sedated for a few days. He
went to California with his father. His mother is with him
too, trying to help him get through this.”
I finally blink my eyes. “Why didn’t Nick go after her
or stop her?”
Rosalie breathes in. “He was drunk and the military
men held him back. He was blaming himself when he
thought Katie was gone. It was his idea to have the party
and ride out the storm, not listening to the warnings.”
I am in disturbed by Katie’s actions. “What was so
important for her to go back to the house?”
“We do not know. She is not explaining herself to
anyone nor is cooperating with Ryan. She refuses
treatment, but the doctors are on her side. Ryan wants
answers, but the doctors keep pulling client-patient
confidentiality excuses. So Ryan is bringing her here while
he is staying in a hotel to sort out the house issues.
Olivia’s with Henry at Henry’s old home in Kinnelon.
They are already battling with insurance companies. Ryan
thinks being here might help her recover.”
“I hope so. I wish her the best.” I get up leaving.
Hearing about Katie surviving that ordeal makes me
feel things for her again. I do not like to feel this way
about her. I need to stay away from her while she is here.
I know I will cave and just hold her. She makes me very
weak. When I stir up my old feelings for her my emotions
go irrational. Then, I get hurt again.

Two days later, Parker drives up to my house in
Rosalie’s jeep. He runs over to me.
“I picked up Katie and Ryan from the airport. Pedro,
she is a mess. She is not talking. She has lacerations and
bruises all over her. She is not the same. Ryan left her
with Rosalie and me while he went up to the house. Paolo
comes over with the kids including
Ramón to the
Cantina. Ramón runs up to her hugging her. She was
holding him so tight and crying uncontrollably. We had to
remove Ramón from her arms. After Paolo got Ramón
out of there, she laid down on the floor sobbing. Rosalie
had me take her to her house. All I could do was carry
her into the house and lay her on the bed. She just keeps
crying.”
“I better get Ramón from Paolo and make sure he is
okay.”
I am worried so I leave to go to my truck.
Parker grabs my arm. “Maybe you should go see Katie.
Talk to her, find out what is going on in that head of
hers.”
“No, my son is more important than Katie. She has
done enough.”
A few days later, my conscience gets the best of me
and I stop at the Cantina to see Rosalie to see how Katie
is doing. Rosalie is not making eye contact with me. She
looks nervous that I am even at the Cantina.
Ryan is walking back from the school. He calls out to
her, “Rosalie, I am going back to New Jersey tomorrow.
Katie will stay here.” He looks up a me standing at the
bar with a fierceness in his expression.
Rosalie screams at him, “Ryan, no! Leave Pedro
alone.”
Ryan runs full force, grabbing me by my neck and
pushing me to the wall, “Stay away from my family. Do
not ever come near us again. You are the reason she went
back in that house.” His nostrils are flaring and his jaw is
flexing.
I put my hands up getting ready for him to hit me.
Rosalie pulls him away from me. She screams at him,
“It is not his fault, Ryan. Do not blame him. Katie was
drinking, you know that.”
Ryan points at me, yelling, “If he would have stayed
with Katie in the first place and not run back here when
they have a problem in bed, then she wouldn’t have been
there to begin with. He would have made sure they were
evacuated and safe from the storm.”
She pulls his hand down. “Ryan, there is more to that
story of why Katie sent him home. Why they didn’t get
married. Someday when she is ready she will explain
herself. He is not to blame. Go to the house now and
check on Katie.”
He storms off.
Rosalie comes over and embraces me. “I am so glad
you are not a fighter. I know you could put Ryan in his
place.” She releases me and goes behind the bar. She
opens a beer and hands it to me. “Katie had a break
down after seeing Ramón. She is starting to talk a little
bit. She told us why she went back to the house, Pedro.
Ryan is furious as you saw with her reasoning for putting
her life in danger.”
I sip the beer. “What was so important?”
Rosalie smiles. “You, Pedro. She ran back for your
wedding rings. I guess she is emotionally, still attached to
you and was hopeful that maybe you would come around
one day.”
I shake my head, feeling angry. “Not happening. I am
not tolerating her or her family. Ryan just told me to stay
away and I will.”
She nods her head as I leave to go home.

Two days later, Rosalie pulls up to my home. She
walks over to my barn where I am. She glances over at
me with soft eyes.