by Ginger Sharp
I glance over at her while I pick up a framed photo. “Sexy, huh. Katie, is this your father?”
She walks over and takes the photo from my hand to examine it. “Yes, that is him at my sweet sixteen party. He always looks great in a suit.”
I take it back from her and look closer. “Five years ago. He looks muscular. If your mother is still displaying his photo, she must still love him.”
Katie glances back to the photo. “She will always love him. He just does not know how to treat her right. Here, look at this photo. Mom, Dad, Briar and me.”
I look close. “Everyone looks gorgeous. Your brother looks just like your father and you just like your mother. Your mom looks different with darker hair.”
She throws her head back laughing. “That is because Daddy would freak out if men looked at her. He would force her to add low lights to her hair so she was not so platinum. It did not matter though, men always stared at her.”
I look at Katie’s face. “He was not a jealous man for protecting what was his, Katie. I do not think you can blame him. Have you looked at yourself?”
She chuckles. “Noelia and I have them banging on our apartment door every night.”
A flash of jealousy rises within my chest. “Really, Katie? You can have your pick of men but you choose to seduce the poor farmer.”
She laughs. “I have never met anyone like you. If I could smuggle you back to Cambridge, I would.”
I shake my head. “No, my family is here. This is another photo of your father. Why is he angry?”
She laughs. “He is always mad. He yells a lot. He works so much that he would want the house in complete silence when he came home from work. One time, Briar had friends over and the video games were very loud. He pulled Mommy by her hair out to the garage. I ran to the door listening. I could hear him talking to her all nasty. About 20 minutes later, Mommy runs back into the house trying to fix her hair. Daddy storms off to the shower.”
I start laughing. “Katie, what did you think was going on?”
She stares at me. “He was beating her up.”
I laugh again. “Sure does not sound like it to me. I am no expert, but could they have been having rough sex?”
Her hand comes up to her mouth. “Yes, on my gosh. I think you are right. Mommy had red bites all over her neck.”
I shake my head trying to erase the image that flashed across my mind. “Are you sure he is abusive or just likes to be rough with her?”
Her eyes open wide as she stares up at me. “I am not sure anymore, Pedro.”
I tilt my head. “You may be tearing apart two people who very much are still in love.”
She stiffens up. “No. It is over. He blames her for Briar when it was not her fault at all. They are going to move on.”
I shake my head at her while I look at another photo. It is obvious to me that Olivia loves her husband despite what Katie says. He looks genuine to me in these photos. Maybe I am more mature to see it and Katie is still very young. I respect the man that I see in these photos with his perfect family. I see something that I could never have here, a perfect family. I look over at Katie’s petite face. “I must go. I have a lot of work to do at the farm. I will see you later.”
She nods. “Paolo watching Ramón again tonight?”
I shake my head at her. “No, that is asking too much.” I back away and leave out the door.
I pull up to Lasaro’s truck at his farm. He glares over at me as he watches me walk towards him.
Paolo comes out of the shed smiling, then he lets out a big laugh. “Did someone get caught sneaking the school teacher’s daughter out last night?”
I look down slightly embarrassed. “Yes.”
Lasaro shakes his head. “Pedro, you are very stupid. You know the girl is going to go back to school?”
Paolo taps my shoulder. “Leave him alone, Lasaro. Pedro deserves to have a little fun with that gorgeous little girl. If I wasn’t married I would definitely be chasing her mother.”
I shake my head at him. “No, Paolo, that is wrong. How do you know I got caught?”
He laughs. “I saw Olivia this morning, glaring at me when I brought Ramón to school. She thanked me for keeping Ramón so he would not be exposed to Katie’s ruthlessness. She had this look in her eyes like she wanted to scream. Then I am pretty sure she checked me out looking down my body. She glared back up to my eyes and said you damn men are all the same. If I wasn’t married I would have showed her that we are not all the same.”
Lasaro and I turn to him in shock by his words. Lasaro walks away from us in disgust.
Paolo turns and points to bags that need to be moved. I help him move the bags.
Paolo looks up at me smiling. “Lasaro is cranky, man. Galiana is pregnant again. I think he is starting to worry about money again.”
I open my eyes really wide. “That will be child number eight. Galiana should really go on birth control. Doesn’t she see how much stress this puts on the family?”
Paolo shakes his head. “Pedro, really, birth control? Look who we are and where we are. They do not have enough money to feed their kids, but you want them to spend money on birth control.”
I look up. “Maybe the clinic could have helped them out. Katie has this implant in her arm. It is birth control for ten years. Modern medicine fascinates me.”
Paolo nods. “Lasaro should have listened to me after the fifth baby. He could have done what I did. Speaking of Katie, what happened last night?”
My eyes jump to his. I again feel embarrassed. “We kissed and held each other.”
He starts laughing. “That is it, Pedro?”
“Yes, that is it. Katie is a virgin.”
Paolo’s eyes open wide. “You have to be kidding me, Pedro. Are you sure?”
“Yes, extremely sure.”
Paolo laughs. “I was hoping you would have gotten laid. Parker was telling me that she is very wild and very immature for a twenty one year old.”
“Yes, he is very right. You should have heard her language when she spoke to her mother when Olivia came up to the house this morning.”
He steps back. “Olivia came up to the house? That must have been awkward. It appeared that Olivia was more afraid for me then Katie. She thinks I am going to be hurt.”
Paolo looks up. “You will be hurt, Pedro. But, maybe now you can get past Cyntia. Go woman-hunting in Limon with Parker.”
I laugh. “No, Parker has his heart wrapped up in Olivia. I think that they will be great together once she is divorced.”
Paolo looks up. “Parker is too young for Olivia.”
I shake my head. “No, they are around the same age.”
He raises head. “Olivia is my age. She is forty one. Pedro, do the math. If she was thirty six, that would mean she was fifteen when she gave birth to Katie. Olivia and I already had this conversation before.”
I look up at him surprised. “I did not know that you talk to Olivia that much.”
Paolo laughs. “Only when the wife is not around. Olivia sings too. I had to run back to the school to get a book that was left behind. She was at the piano playing it and singing. She sounded so beautiful. She is a complete package being so smart. Such a shame.”
I stare over at him. “Paolo, you are horrible.”
He stares back at me. “I can look all I want. Plus, I blame Mom.”
I blink at him. “What does Mom have to do with this?”
He raises his eyebrows. “Mom was super beautiful with her long blonde hair. Dad would always melt at the sight of her. They really loved each other. I feel that Mom sent us Olivia and Katie to torture us. Well maybe not you, Pedro. Maybe Mom is giving you a gift with Katie.”
“I wish I would have got to meet her. Dad never spoke too much about her.”
“He was so heartbroken when she died. You only had maybe ten minutes with her before she was gone. Dad did not know what was going on at the time. It was rough. Grandma and I had to bury her. Lasaro crie
d for months. I think he even hated you, but he was only six years old. He loves you now. Then when Grandma died, Dad just gave up focusing on the farm.”
I looked down. “I had no idea. What else do you remember about Mom?”
Paolo smiles up to me. “Everything. She giggled all the time as she watched Lasaro and I play. She would smile at us. Her eyes were green too. She loved us very much. She wanted more children. She had several miscarriages until you. She was so excited when she went into labor. She couldn’t wait to see her new baby. Then you were born, Pedro, and she held you so tight, staring at you. Grandma took you from her as she started to fade away. Grandma told me that all the other lost babies now needed her to be with them.”
I frown. “Sad, Paolo. We all have been through so much together. I was hoping that my curse would go away.”
He shakes his head. “Pedro, live life, boy, and go keep that little Katie company until she leaves in a few days. Ramón can stay with us. I will get him from school then I can see Olivia.”
I smile at him. “Please leave Señora Nora alone. You will break Parker’s heart.”
He laughs. “I am only looking, plus I am telling you Parker is not for her. Go leave, be with Katie now, Pedro.”
I run off to the truck excited about seeing Katie. I can’t wait to tell her that we can be alone again tonight. I drive off, heading down towards the beach since that is where the girls should be. I do not see them anywhere. Pulling my truck up to the Cantina, I can see many day trippers. I never come here during the day since I am busy at the farms with my brothers. Getting out of my truck, I sense that I am being watched. There are a bunch of women staring at me as I walk up the stairs. Rosalie’s eyes meet mine and she points over to a group of boys. Turning my head in the direction of Rosalie’s gesture, I spot Katie sitting at the table with her arm around one of the guys. I move to the bar and sit down.
Rosalie puts a beer in front of me. “She is drunk, Pedro. So very drunk.”
I nod. “Where is Noelia?”
Rosalie shakes her head. “She left. She went home with the oldest Sanchez boy.”
I open my eyes really wide. “Noelia said she only likes woman.”
Rosalie shrugs her shoulders. “Katie is doing better without the other girl around, less wild. The day trippers should be leaving soon. The women over there at that table are undressing you with their eyes, Pedro.”
I smile glancing over my shoulder to look at them. “I saw them when I was getting out of my truck. Is it always like this here?”
Rosalie nods up. “Here comes one now.”
A woman about my age slides next to me on a bar stool. She smiles over at me. She orders another drink before she turns to me smiling. “Hello, my name is Stacy.” She extends her hand to me.
I put my beer down to shake her hand. I pick my beer back up. “I am Pedro. Very nice to meet you, Stacy.”
She giggles. “So, I take it that you live here since you drove up in that truck.”
Rosalie places another beer in front of me and she smiles wickedly before she goes back into the kitchen.
I take a drink. “Yes, I live here.”
She laughs. “Was that woman your mother? She gave you the oddest look I had ever seen.”
I laugh. “No, but I sure wish she was. She is like a mother to me.”
Stacy runs her fingers down my back. “It sure is beautiful here. It is a shame that I have to leave soon.” I glance up at the clock. “About in an hour, right?”
She giggles. “You are very correct. I would sure like to get my mouth on you.”
I glance over at her. “I have been hearing that a lot lately.”
Just then Katie shrieks out my name, running over to me. She throws her arms around me and kisses me very messily. She pulls back, leaning her head to my forehead.
I laugh at her. “Hola, Katie.”
She smiles. “Hi, Pedro. I am going to walk my friends back to the beach. See that guy over there? He is Mark and I go to school with him. It is such a fucking small world. I will be back soon.”
I shake my head, smiling to myself as I watch her run off. Stacy shifts in her seat looking at me.
“Who was that, Pedro?”
I smile glancing at her. “My girlfriend. I came down to pick her up before she gets sunburned. Look like I was too late again.”
“She lives here? I heard her say school. Where does she go?”
I take another drink. “Her mother lives here and Katie goes to Harvard. She is in law school.”
Stacy leans forward. “No way. That bouncy drunk blonde goes to law school. She seems so...”
I cut off her sentence, “So wild and immature. She is crazy also, but I love her.”
Stacy stands up from the bar stool. “So, I guess we will not be having a quickie behind this building then.”
I shake my head. “No, it was nice meeting you, Stacy. Enjoy the rest of your trip.”
Rosalie comes back out of the kitchen. She stares at me. “Pedro, I see you are coming out of your shell. What happened to you?”
I smile up at her. “Are all American women that forward asking me for sex?”
Rosalie shrugs. “Yes, you should see them hit on Parker. Who else asked you for sex?”
I smile up. “Katie last night when she was in my bed.”
Rosalie shakes her head. “Olivia is not going to be happy with you, Pedro.”
I grin. “She knows. Also, we only fooled around. Katie is a virgin. She was begging me for it, but I could not cross the line.”
Rosalie’s eyebrows lift. “In your bed, huh, Pedro? I think you have mended from your loss. Katie talks a lot when she is drinking. I heard all about her parents and how she feels that Parker is a great guy for her mother.”
“I know. She has been telling me too. She really wants her mother to stay here. She can tell that she is happy here.”
Rosalie puts another beer in front of me. “Here, drink up since we are celebrating you, Pedro. Moving on with a pretty smart girl.”
I put up my hand. “This is the last one for me. I am going to walk down to the beach to see what is taking Katie so long.”
I stroll down to the beach to find Katie sitting on a blanket. I sit down next to her, watching her hair blow in the wind.
“Hey, Katie. I thought you were coming back to the Cantina.”
She stares out at the rolling waves. “I needed to sober up a little bit.”
I chuckle. “You are really that drunk.”
“This is hard, Pedro. I do not think I am going to be able to keep your promise. I am tired of being the little virgin girl for all men to conquest. I just want men to like me for me. I don’t want to be some goal that I represent to them.”
I place my hand on her back rubbing it. “I like you for who you are. You get a little nasty at times, but I like you.”
She chuckles. “I know you do, Pedro. You are the only man who has not tried to triumph me.”
“When is Noelia coming back?”
She laughs. “Tomorrow. That crazy woman left here with a man. At least she is getting fucked.”
I shake my head. “I really wish you would not swear, Katie. It is not becoming of you. Ramón is staying with Paolo again tonight. Where is Olivia and Parker?”
She smiles. “They went hiking after school at some waterfall. They wanted me to go with them, but I knew I would be seeing you. So I stayed here. This place empties out fast after the tourists leave. Kind of lonely.”
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my chest. “That is when the locals come out after the tourists leave. Katie, you should get out of the sun. Let’s move the blanket over there.”
We get up and she watches me move the blanket to the shade.
She nods in agreement as she puts her bag back down. “Pedro, I am going to go in the water.”
I lift off my shirt as I watch her walk to the wet sand. She stops putting her toes in the water. I creep up behind her, swooping down to pick
her up. She screams for me to put her down.
“I thought you wanted to go in the water, Katie?” I walk out deeper into the water as a small wave hit us.
“I was in the water, Pedro. Please put me down.”
I smile. “If you insist.” I move my arms away dropping her into the water.
She shrieks standing up in the water. I laugh down at her. “That is for your nasty mouth, Katie.”
She starts swatting at me laughing loudly. Jumping away from her, I dive down into the water, swimming further out. I turn in the water looking back at the shore. I have not been in the water in years. I never really take the time to enjoy myself. The farm consumes all my time. I am going to make it a point to have more fun. I glance over to see Katie cupping the water with her hand and wetting her shoulders. I swim back over to her where she is standing in waist-high water.
“Katie, go under the water.”
“No, Pedro. I do not want to get my hair wet.”
I laugh at her. I stand up and bear hug her while she screams out my name. I lift her up carrying her into the deep water.
“Get wet, Katie. You can shower later at my house before you cook me dinner.”
She laughs wickedly getting away from me. “No, Pedro.”
I pull her by the arm into me. I wrap my arms around her. I gaze into her eyes as I lean in to kiss her. My tongue caresses hers as she moves her arms around my neck. She hops up, wrapping her legs around my waist. I know I am getting excited at her closeness, but I must follow through with my plan. I move my legs with us falling underneath the water. I feel her hands tap my chest as I hold her under the water. I put my feet on the bottom standing back up. She is trying to push away from me.
“Pedro, you’re an ass. You know that, Pedro.” She removes her arm from my neck to dunk her head backwards into the water to move her hair off her face.
I watch as her breasts move along with her. Her legs tighten around my waist as she pulls herself back up looking at me. “You are poking me. What? Got you all excited?”
I am shocked again with her forwardness as I look into her seducing eyes. “You, Katie, got me all excited. The way you have your legs wrapped around me. It is a little too much for me.”