Valentina

"He called Chet and told him to come on over. When Chet got to the room, Lee went over to the bar to drink. Chet came in looking at me lying lewdly on the bed, looking like a cheap puta. He took off his clothes and started climbing on the bed. Kevin, I just couldn't do it. I kicked out with my heels as hard as I could and I think I must have caught him with the spike, because he put his hand on his groin and collapsed.

"I started getting dressed and saw Chet pull himself up and stagger to the door. I heard him yell for Lee and I tried to get out of there before Lee got to the room. I didn't make it and Lee started hitting me, screaming obscenities and then slapping my face and breasts over and over. I collapsed on the floor and heard them leaving after a few minutes. I hurt too much to leave so I lay on the sofa and fell asleep. This morning I hurt so bad I couldn't stand up."

"Jesus, Teri, do you want me to help you?" She knew that I was retired from the Texas Rangers but not any details. It came up when she asked about the scars on my knee.

"Oh, Kevin, if you could. I don't want to be here when he gets back. I'm so scared. I know I haven't known you that long but I trust you. It's too much to ask though."

"It's okay. I thought about it last night after you left and I think I can make it work. We don't want the Mexican Police to get involved; we have to get you back to the US as soon as we can. I want you to pack two small bags, one with anything and another with stuff you need for a couple of weeks. Not too much, because you will be able to wash them. Make sure you bring at least one swimsuit; you will need it.

"You with me so far?"

"Yes, Kevin. I'm smarter than you think," she answered with a somewhat wan smile.

I gave her a faint smile in return. "Okay, then. Write a note for Lee telling him that your mom is in the hospital and you have to take an emergency trip to Harlingen. Take your two bags to the lobby – tell them the same thing - that your mom is in the hospital and you need to get a plane to Houston as soon as possible. Take the ferry to Cancun. When you get there, take a taxi to the airport. Buy a ticket to Houston and on to Harlingen and make sure you tell them that it's an emergency.

"Check in and check the bag you don't need to Houston. After you have your boarding pass,don't go through security. Go to the coffee shop near the check-in area and wait for Pepe. You have seen him around. Do what he tells you to do. Also call your mom and ask her to go to her sister's place until she hears from you. This is really important.

"Also we need to get some level of documentation. I'm going to see if I can get a Mexican policewoman to take pictures of your bruises. Pepe will let you know."

"Okay, Kevin. I'm sorry; I really hurt. Do you have anything for the pain?"

"Sure. I keep a full medical kit on board. I'll send some Vicodin with Pepe."

She went ahead and packed and I watched her walk to the lobby with the two small bags.

I talked to Pepe and had him take the golf cart I had rented to the ferry and make sure he got on the same ferry as Teri did. I told him to leave the golf cart there and to give one of the kids hanging around the ferry terminal twenty pesos to watch it until I could pick it up.

After Teri had checked her bags he was to meet her at the coffee shop and then take her in a taxi to Playa del Carmen. Then they were to take the ferry to Cozumel. When they got there they were to take another taxi to the south marina, La Caleta. There they were to ask for Juan Valderama.

Juan was a long time friend of mine. I called him and asked him to take care of Teri and to put her on his own boat for two nights and not to worry about Pepe; he could take care of himself. Juan did know a policewoman on Cozumel and he would have his wife as a witness also. Both could sign affidavits. It probably wouldn't be legal in a trial but, along with a statement from me, it should be enough for my lawyer to work with. The policewoman was going to email the affidavits and photos directly to my lawyer.

I knew that they would figure out that Teri had not taken the plane but it could take a couple of days. I didn't want anyone to associate my leaving with Teri's leaving. I figured that with a two-day delay no one would associate her with me. I did not want the Mexican navy or immigration to stop my boat in Mexican waters.

It worked out perfectly; two days after Teri left I checked out with the harbormaster with immigration and customs. This was routine since I did this several times a year.

I wandered around the area, fishing half-heartedly so that I would arrive at La Caleta shortly after dusk. When I got to La Caleta I asked the harbormaster (my friend Juan) to fill up the gas and water tanks while I went to the restaurant at the Fiesta Americana for dinner. Pepe was to put Teri on my boat as soon as Juan had finished servicing it. When I got back, I had Chuy take the boat out right away. Since I had already cleared Mexican officialdom, we just left. Having good friends is a wonderful thing. Teri told me the pictures had been taken and the three of them had signed an affidavit.

It would have been nice to shoot directly back to Corpus Christi but looking at a map I could see that didn't make any sense. Cancun to Corpus is a straight shot ... except it is out of range of my tanks. Normally I would stop at several Mexican ports, such as Monterrey but I wanted to stay out of Mexican territorial waters. So, I could easily make it to Key West and then just chug along the coast to Corpus Christi. The extra time was actually a good diversion. As far as I could see there was no connection between my exit from Isla Bonita Marina and Teri's leaving for the airport.

About an hour out of Cozumel, heading for Key West, Teri came out of the forward guest stateroom to the salon. She didn't look too good. I gave her another pill for the pain. She puttered around in the salon opening drawers, looking inside. She did the same thing in the galley, looking at the cooking implements, the stove and the food in the fridge and cabinets. After about an hour she returned to her cabin.

I wrote a long email to my lawyer, telling him what we needed. He replied back that by the time we got back to Corpus, everything would be in place. Teri wanted to file for divorce immediately and to get a restraining order ... she was really scared about what Lee would do to her. He faxed the papers back for her signature. She signed and I faxed them back. The lawyer would notify her husband Lee what was taking place.

It took us ten days to make it back to my mooring in Port Aransas. Teri gradually started loosening up and relaxing a little bit. She loved taking a turn at the helm and we did some easy fishing, mostly just trolling. After the second day she started cooking and everyone wore a smile. She was in the forward stateroom and really loved it.

She started spending time in the sun every day, for the first few days with a conservative one-piece suit, then with a somewhat modest bikini. I would sit and watch her when I had time but I couldn't do anything that would lessen her trust. I watched as the bruises started to fade. It was interesting to see ... as the bruises and pain lessened, her smile would get bigger.

We got to Port Aransas and no one even stopped by from immigration and customs ... part of this I figured was because everyone knew I had been in the Rangers and was a total straight arrow.

Teri's two brothers and her mom came by to pick her up, after she had spent a half-day with my lawyer. Her brothers were giving me 'the look' until her mom figured out that she had known my Aunt Lupe. After that I was golden.

Things went into a kind of stasis for a couple months – I didn't see Teri at all but Chuy and I went fishing regularly. One day I called Teri to see if she wanted to go fishing with us. I told her not to bring anything – Chuy would do the cooking. Chuy's daughter and son-in-law were going out with us.

We went out several miles from Corpus Christi bay and actually caught quite a few fish. We were mostly doing catch and release but we kept several speckled trout for Chuy to cook for lunch. I hit a good spot for redfish and caught several in the twelve-pound range. Chuy put one of these on ice for his family to use.

Lunch was great. Even though I'd asked Teri not to bring anything, she had two great bottles of Chalk Hill Chardonnay. The wine went really well with the fish. After lunch, Chuy's daughter Pam and Teri went to the forward berth and took a nap. The guys wound up watching a Mexican soccer match and drinking a couple bottles of Lone Star each.

On the way back I sat with Teri in the back and chatted over a beer. We were just getting to know each other better. She told me some more about herself.

"You know I grew up in Harlingen. After high school I went to the University of Dallas and got a Bachelor's in Accounting. After graduation I was hired by one of the large accounting firms there and wound up mostly doing real estate taxes. That's how I met Lee.

"We met about seven years ago and married after going together for a year. He was a lot of fun for several years. He never wanted to have kids. I guess he was just a big boy having fun and earning lots of money. A few months after getting married, he made me quit work. He said, 'No wife of mine should have to work'

"It was okay for a while – business was going well for him. Then about a year ago things kind of fell apart. Several deals crashed and suddenly we were overextended. I told him I was going back to work and he got really mad at me. We had to have money so I went back to the place I had been working. Things weren't going too well.

"Then about six months ago things looked like they were going to turn around. He closed a couple of small shopping center land sales and made me stop work again. This big regional shopping center deal came up and if he makes this work he will be set. He started trying to talk me into sleeping with another man but I wouldn't even listen to him. That pissed him off.

"Then you know what happened at Isla Mujeres. I can't live with a man that wants me to sleep with someone else. He killed any love I had left when he hit me. I never want to see him again!"

She looked a little upset so I asked her, "What are you doing now, Teri?"

Looking at me and then sighing a little, she said, "I'm working part time for a friend of my mom. This lady has a small business doing accounting, payroll and taxes for local restaurants. I'm only working about ten to fifteen hours a week."

When I walked her to her car she kissed me on the cheek and asked me to call her. I did and started driving over to Harlingen every couple of weeks to take her to dinner or a movie. Once I picked her up early and we drove to the Sunday market at Matamoros and had dinner at a really great steak place I knew in Brownsville. Over dinner she made me tell her about my past, Janet, the Texas Rangers and everything.

When I finished she looked sad and said, "We're just a couple of birds with broken wings, aren't we?"

I didn't answer; I took her hands in mine and we sat there quietly for a minute. When I took her home she gave me a real kiss for the first time. After hugging me tightly she ran to the front door of her mom's house. I could see tears on her cheek as she turned.

One Saturday evening as we were eating dinner at her mom's, she told me that she was coming up to go fishing with me and shewas bringing lunch. Of course that was fine with me. I was becoming quite attached to her, maybe something more.

She showed up with a picnic basket about eight in the morning ready to go. I told her that Chuy had a headache and couldn't go and she laughed. We took the Boston Whaler and went to Laguna Madre, the strip of water between South Padre Island and Corpus Christi. The water was fairly shallow, especially close to the island. I caught a couple of speckled trout to fix for dinner.

We had a lot of fun – it was a beautiful day and there was no one around. About one o'clock we pulled into a small deserted cove and waded ashore with the picnic lunch and a couple of blankets. She had another bottle of the Chalk Hill Chardonnay, along with fried chicken and potato salad.

It was a lazy day and we both lay back and took a nap. She took her top off to get some sun but she seemed somewhat skittish. She fell right to sleep – that's what fresh air does to you. It took me a while to nod off because I was somewhat disconcerted sitting there admiring her absolutely beautiful breasts.

They were neither large nor small. I'm no expert but it appeared to me that they would be a perfect handful. I felt somewhat embarrassed sitting there watching her perfect globes. I slept for a while then awoke and sat up – watching the small waves come ashore and the sand crabs scrambling around. I fought it ... well not too hard ... but I was looking at her breasts like they were a painting by Botticelli. I was noticing the beautiful light brown coloring of her areolas when I saw her looking at me out of the corners of her eyes.

Turning so she couldn't see my erection I dived in the warm water. When I came out she had her top on and her face was a delicate pinkish color. We picked up and I waded out to the boat with the stuff. I climbed in and put out my hand to help her in ... and my knee gave way. We both fell back in the shallow water and she came up laughing at me.

We went back up the waterway to Port Aransas without saying much but in a companionable silence. I drove her back to my house and we had a nice dinner with the trout and a bottle of Spanish Sparkling wine. Afterward I walked her to her car and stood looking at her for a minute. I put my arms around her, crushing her breasts to my chest but didn't try to kiss her. She thanked me for the beautiful day. As she drove away, I could swear she had a slight, knowing, Mona Lisa smile on her face.

Things went along for a while, with us drifting closer together. I heard from my lawyer that her divorce was final. Lee had been fighting it and kept harassing her with phone calls until he was caught coming out of a bar one night. Two guys I grew up with and had kept out of jail when I was a Ranger were waiting for him. Without mentioning any names they casually mentioned that he would be a lot healthier divorced than married ... then they broke his arm. He must have gotten the message since he signed the divorce papers right away.

I invited her mom and brothers and anyone else that wanted to come on a day trip out in the ocean – fishing for all who wanted; anything else for the rest. I wanted to give her something so I agonized over what for a few days. Finally I decided to keep it light and got her a couple dozen pink roses with a short note and put them in the forward stateroom where she had stayed.

I didn't say anything to her, just that the ladies could change into their swimsuits in the guest suite. About an hour later she came up to the bridge - remember this was a flying bridge so we were way up high - and handed me one of the roses. She pressed up against me and gave me a steamy kiss; I swear my eyes fogged up. She whispered in my ear, "Thanks!" and molded her body into mine again.

After that we started getting together fairly regularly. I offered her a job as my business manager: to do the finances for the two mobile home parks and my personal investments. To be honest I didn't think I needed anyone but I wasn't going to tell her that. She certainly seemed competent. I gave her one of the mobile homes I owned for her use and she seemed happy. She worked out really well, especially showing me how I could reduce my taxes. I quickly gained confidence in her ability and quit looking over her shoulder.

One of the 'duties' I gave her was to take over all the special events. She decorated the community center at the trailer park for Thanksgiving and Christmas and found bands for the dances we had regularly. I'd always just used records before she took over. I don't know how long things would have drifted – both of us were more or less happy but more lonely than not. She made a huge mistake - and later I smilingly accused her of doing it on purpose - of asking Chuy to make the punch for a Valentine's Day party.

This was the height of the winter season, the time we were the busiest ... the most occupied. By mid-March the winter crowd would start to drift back north and by June they would be gone.

Teri had done a magnificent job of decorating the hall where we had all the parties. There were hearts and flowers all over the place. Everyone was commenting on it. I don't know how she managed it but she got Freddie Fender and a couple of his Tex-Mex buddies to play for the dance. I think one of her brothers knew him.

We had been into the punch a few times and were out on the dance floor when Freddie sang his standard, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls". We were okay until the last stanza:

"If he ever leaves you blue,

Just remember I love you,

I'll be there before the next teardrop falls.

Yes, I'll be there

Before the next teardrop falls."

Teri started crying into my chest – I held her close for a while. I got some more punch and we went outside. Teri was still crying a little and Freddie was still singing so I held her tight. After a bit we finished the punch and Teri quietly took my hand and led me over to her trailer.

Maybe it was the punch, maybe it was just love ... I don't know. Teri pulled me all the way back to her room and down onto her bed. We kissed, I petted her. The kisses started somewhat wistfully, a searching for love but quickly became more passionate. At the time all I could think of was the hard life she led and how she deserved happiness – and gentle love. I pulled her top off; it was a scalloped neck over the shoulder blouse and almost came off by itself.

I gently released her bra and taking my time adored her breasts. I kissed them, I pulled her nipples with my lips and I took her breasts, one then the other, in my mouth. She put her hand behind my head and gently pulled me into her body; I could hear her quietly crying. I slowly moved down and as it became clear to me ... an epiphany: I loved her; I used my tongue to draw a heart on her abdomen above her pubic hair. As I did this I could feel her shuddering.

I slowly worked my way down and licked the crease between her thighs and pubic area. I found her slit and slowly licked up and then down, feeling her hips starting to move. I put my tongue in as far as I could, tasting her, feeling her move. I found her clitoris with my tongue, my lips and showed her this new love I had discovered. I put one, then two fingers into her vagina, moving in and out slowly, in rhythm with my tongue. She came with an almost violent shuddering, pushing my head away as she became too sensitive.

Lying beside her I put one leg under hers and as I entered her, I started whispering my love. It was slow and long and the finish seemed almost violent by comparison. We laid there for a while and fell asleep.

The next morning she seemed almost nervous and very shy so I got up and took a shower so she could get dressed. When I came back she was sitting on the bed, crying silently in her bra and panties. I sat next to her and held her for maybe ten minutes until she stopped crying. I turned her head so I could look her in the eyes and whispered, "Teresita, bebe, I love you. Te amo mucho!" I took my thumb and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Things drifted along for a couple of months – she gradually relaxed more with me as we made love somewhat regularly. Then about mid-April she asked if we could do another picnic to Padre Island in the Boston Whaler. I was certainly agreeable so we set out with another picnic lunch. After eating we fell asleep in the warm sunshine.