Peggy lay across the hotel bed naked, chest heaving and hair a wild mess atop her head.

"Oh Dale, you are an amazing lover!" She exclaimed. "Nancy doesn't know what she's missing!" Dale lit a cigarette and smiled happily, his free hand smacking Peggy playfully on the behind.

"Yeah well, what can I say, I'm a pro," he wrapped an arm around her and blew smoke rings in the air above them. "Peggy there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Dale sat up and took her shoulders in his hands, massaging them. She turned to meet his eye. Was he going to dump her? Oh, God, please don't end this, she thought silently behind her glasses.

"Yes, Dale?" She questioned. Her face concerned and her mind running a million different scenarios. He was telling her good-bye. He was telling her that he could no longer see her again, she knew it.

"Peggy, I want you to go with me to Mexico. I'm leaving Arlen," Peggy was shocked. Was he asking her to run away with him?

"What? Why are you going to Mexico? I don't understand. Has something happened?" She questions as she pulled a sheet around her tightly. Dale stroked his chest and chuckled.

"I'm tired of all the nonsense of Arlen. I need a change of scenery..." Peggy knew he wasn't telling her everything. "My marriage to Nancy is over and has been for a while now. Joseph is going away to college soon and I don't have anything in Arlen."

"What else is going on, Dale?" She finished. Dale sighed and stared at Peggy, caressing her face with his hand. His touch was so warm and soft. Peggy was melting like a popsicle in the summer time at the sweet look on his face.

"Peggy, I love you. I've fallen in love with you. I want to take you away. Please, leave with me," He kissed her softly on the lips. "If you tell me no, I don't know what I'd do with myself. I don't know what I'd do without your beautiful eyes. You soft skin. Your gorgeous size 16 feet!"

"I love you too," she wrapped her arms around him and sighed into his shoulder.

Never had she felt so safe and secure as she did with Dale. He made her feel special and beautiful and he made love to her without reservation. She wasn't use to having so much attention paid to her body parts and it was amazing. She wondered what made Nancy stray from Dale. Well, other than his sometimes odd and paranoid behavior he was an absolute dream. Mexico sounded like a wonderful idea. Just her, Dale, and El Mexico. It would really give her a chance to flex her espanol skills!

Hank looked at his watch, realizing it had been thirty minutes since she had gone. What if she had left with this unnamed ex- betrayer? Hank didn't think she'd do that, but the pessimist in him was telling him she would. He decided he would go find her. Maybe she needed him.

The airport was seemingly empty as he entered the large automatic glass doors of the building. He looked around, but didn't see Kate anywhere. Where had that girl gone? He found a small bar tucked away in a corner beside a pizza joint and a soda stand and he went in for a drink. His mind was reeling and to be honest, he was a little worried… And jealous. Jealous that maybe she was hiding somewhere kissing that jerk. That's ridiculous, Hank thought. She wasn't the kind of person who would just disappear without saying where she was going. Or at least he didn't think she was. He ordered a beer and stared up at the television. His cell phone rang, startling him.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Hill?" It was Kate. She was sobbing.

"Kate, are you okay? Where are you?"

"I went to the car to find you, but you weren't there," She said, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

"I went looking for you. Why are you crying?" He asked as he paid for his beer and began walking to the truck. She sniffled and the phone clicked, signaling the fact that she had hung up. Hank felt worried that something may have happened so his walking turned in to jogging.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Hank said as he approached a sobbing Kate, her back to him and arms crossed tightly around her waist. He grabbed her shoulder softly and turned her around to face him. Anger suddenly filled him to brim and threatened to spill over violently, as he studied the bruises on her face and her swollen bloody lip. He brushed his fingers over the purple monstrosity that sat beneath her pale blue eye and wiped away tears that ran astray. She fell into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Where is he?" Hank asked, a look of disgust washed over his features and hate built inside of his belly, this abuse fueled a fire inside of him that burned hotter than the fires of hell. She stepped back from Hank and eyed him.

"He was on the second floor of the parking garage in his rental car," He held her tightly to him. "Please don't… He's not worth it," Kate wiped her eyes and grimaced as she grazed the wounds.

"You're worth it and no man should ever put his hands on a lady," Hank opened her door and pushed her into the passenger side of the truck. "I'm going to teach this little delinquent a lesson!"

"Please, Mr. Hill, don't do this," He handed her a seat belt and got in on the driver's side. The truck made its way up the parking garage to the second floor. There were a few cars scattered around as they rounded the corner.

"Is that him? Sitting in the white car in the last parking place," Hank pointed. Kate grimaced again and nodded slowly.

"You don't have to do this," She touched his hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.

"Yes, I do," With those words leaving his lips, he jumped out of the truck. He allowed the hate and anger and disgust to fill him full to the top again as he reached the unknown assailants car. "Get out of the car, you bastard!" He banged roughly on the window. The man inside was on his cell phone and motioned for him to go away, but Hank slammed his fist against the glass once more. "Get out and face me like a man, or can you only hit little girls?" The man closed his phone and rolled the window down. Hank turned and noticed Kate had gotten out of the truck and edged her way to the front of the hood, looking fearful. He wondered if her face hurt as bad as it looked.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked. Hank became enraged at the profanity that spewed from his lips.

"Get out of the car, now!" Hank shouted.

"I'm not doing shit, now fuck off!" The man began to roll the window up when Hank reached in and pulled him out by the shoulders.

"Don't use that kind of language in front of a lady. Now look at her!" Hank said pushing the small ex- boyfriend to face Kate who was drying tears. He refused to look Kate in the eyes. "I said Look at her!" Hank forced the ex-boyfriends face up to look at Kate, her bruises even darker and more pronounced by now.

"What the hell? Kate, Is this old guy your boyfriend?" He chuckled hardily and sized Hank up.

"Shut the hell up, you little bastard and look at her!"

"Do you see her face?" Hank waited for his response but nothing. He wrapped his hands around the man's arm and pulled it into a position where it could be easily broken. "Answer me!" Kate looked at Hank nervously.

"Okay, yeah! Yeah I see it. What do you want me to do now, dude? OW!" He yelped loudly.

"Tell her you're sorry!" Hank twisted the ex boyfriend's arm harder.

"Sorry!"

"Say it like you mean it, you little bastard!" Kate stood astonished that this was actually happening. She never had had someone to stand up for her like this. She felt a warmth in her chest, right where her heart was for Hank.

"Okay, okay. Please just don't twist any more!" The man looked at Kate who stood staring at him expectantly. "Kate…"

"Yes, Evan?"

"Kate, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me for hurting you," The man who became known as Evan waited for Kate to acknowledge his words. Hank watched as she contemplated whether or not she should accept his apology.

"You know, Evan, I've been accepting your apologies for a long time. They are empty apologies and you have never meant them. The only reason you are telling me you are sorry is because Mr. Hill is going to break your arm. This is the last time I ever want to see you again. I want my six hundred dollars now and I don't want you to call me or email me or even think of me. You forget I ever existed," She said softly, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Do you have her money?" Hank asked shaking him roughly.

"Yeah man, stop, I have her goddamn money! It's in my wallet. Just take it out my back pocket and leave me the hell alone!" He said while Hank took the money out of his wallet and handed it to Kate. She gave a weak smile to Hank and turned to get back in the truck.

"You're lucky I'm feeling nice today or else your face would look ten times worse than hers," Hank said pushing him to the ground. Evan scrambled to his feet and ran to his car. "Now, get the hell out of Texas and if I ever find out that you have been trying to talk to her again, I promise I won't be nice." Hank got in his truck and buckled his seat belt allowing the scared Evan to exit the parking garage first, skidding out of the building.

"Thank you," came a small voice at his right hand side.

He wanted to kill that kid. He wanted to tear him limb from limb and stomp all over his face. A lust to kill him was still tugging at Hank's brain as he glanced over at her bloodied face. He should have. He should have beat the living hell out of that little boy.

"I should have kicked his ass. Look at your face!" Hank slammed his fist into the steering wheel and gritted his teeth fighting the urge to chase him down and make him eat pavement for dinner. Kate looked at him softly, her eyes heavy, a hint of something besides friendship was visible. She touched his hand and shook her head.

"He wasn't worth the trouble," she sniffled, swallowing her tears and pain. Hank felt the anger disappear when she caressed his hand and wrapped her tiny fingers around his.