They had left their haven of Campo René on the Pacific side of Baja less than an hour before, yet Téa knew from studying the maps that it was a journey of several hundred miles. She settled back in the seat, thinking that travel by small private plane did have its advantages, despite the dangers that she knew all too well, having survived a crash in the desert less than a week before. She still bore the scratches and bruises she had received during their long trek over miles of hostile terrain. Both she and Todd had almost died during the struggle, and Téa vowed that she would never take a bite of food or a sip of water for granted again.

Yes, the ordeal had definitely changed her outlook on life. She had accompanied her brother, an FBI special agent, to Baja with the idea of finding her estranged husband and dragging him back to the United States to face the criminal charges against him. Instead, she now found herself joining him on the run. Although she had failed to convince Todd to turn himself in voluntarily, after the dangerous week they had spent together, she found herself unable to let him walk away. On an impulse, she had begged him to take her with him, and to her surprise, he had agreed.

Téa looked over the small town as they circled to signal a taxi to come to the airport and pick them up. Todd had told her that Alamos was one of the oldest towns in Mexico, a remnant of the silver mining empire of the eighteenth century. It was now a Mexican national monument, preserved forever in the splendor of its colonial heyday. Because of its dry, mild climate Alamos was a popular holiday destination for well-heeled Mexicans and Americans alike, and boasted several posh private villas and deluxe resorts among its charming colonial buildings.

The Bonanza swung around on final approach and Téa was glad to hear the retractable landing gear locking into the down position. The plane set down without incident and began taxing back toward the terminal. As she looked out the window, Téa was amazed to see dozens of children of all ages converging on the tie-down area. Apparently, the arrival of a plane was still a big deal in the sleepy little town. Todd ignored the out-stretched palms of the children as he helped Téa from the plane. Thanking the doctor who had flown them, they pushed through the crowd, skirted the terminal and jumped in the first taxi that rolled up the hill to the airport.

Téa admired the beautiful colonial architecture of the buildings as they cruised through the narrow streets. Todd ordered the driver to take them to Casa de los Tesoros, the best hotel in town. Téa was surprised to see it looked somewhat modest on the outside, but after passing through a heavy wood portal, she soon saw why the hotel had such a reputation. The rooms all opened off a cool, shaded inner courtyard with a beautiful tiled fountain and hundreds of rare plants. She was a bit disappointed when Todd ordered two rooms, laying out the last of his cash, but the prospect of a hot shower soon restored her good humor.

She didn't fail to notice that the clerk treated Todd with respect, ignoring his obviously scruffy appearance. Téa suspected that this wasn't the first time he had been to the small Sonoran resort.

"OK, I'll see you later, then," said Todd, looking away uncomfortably. Téa felt her blood freeze.

"You're not leaving me here alone!" she cried. Deep in her heart, she had to admit that being abandoned by Todd again was her greatest fear.

Todd looked guilty. "Relax, Delgado. I'm not going to run out on you." He pulled her to the side, out of earshot of the hotel clerk and the lounging bellboys. He lowered his voice to a raspy whisper. "Look, I've got to make some arrangements so we can…can disappear, you know?" Téa swallowed hard. This running away from the law was definitely new territory for her. "I'm going to the bank to arrange to have some funds wired from off-shore. Then I need to make some calls to contacts in Mexico City. They'll get us set up with new ID's and credit cards. From then on, we can go anywhere you want, Téa."

"Anywhere I want?" she faltered. "I want to go home--to Llanview," she thought. "Uh, I hadn't…I don't know."

"You don't have to decide right now," he said in a calm voice. "It will probably take five or six days before they can get everything ready for us. In the meantime, we have to keep a low profile. Alamos isn't exactly on the major tourist trail, but there are enough Americans around that we have to be careful." He looked her up and down, secretly marveling again at her natural beauty. She wore no make-up, her undressed hair was pulled up simply in a ponytail, her clothing was a shapeless gauze dress, but she was still stunning enough to turn every male head in the building. He had a sudden mental image of slipping the dress over her shoulders and exploring the creamy flesh with his tongue…. "OK, then, I'll see you at dinner." He turned abruptly and started toward the door, breathing hard.

"Wait, Todd!" cried Téa, reaching for his arm and pulling him back. "I want to go with you." She sounded desperate, although she tried to lighten the mood with a smile. "I'd like to explore the town. It seems charming."

Todd shook his head, recognizing that she was terrified of being abandoned again. He reached out a hand to caress her cheek, steadying her, reassuring her. "Delgado, no. You've been through so much--the crash, the starvation, taking care of my sorry ass when I was stupid enough to step on a scorpion--just let them pamper you for a while, huh? Go take a nice hot shower for as long as you want. Have a massage. Do all that chick stuff with your hair and face." He stepped closer to her, staring into her eyes. "And I give you my word, my promise, that I'll be back in a couple of hours. Then I'll take you around and show you anything you want. And I'll buy you the best dinner this town has to offer--no iguana meat, I swear."

Téa stared back for a few seconds, then reluctantly pulled away. She felt better, but nothing was ever going to entirely erase that fear of losing Todd. Not after he had just disappeared from her life without a word after their aborted wedding night. Not after he had almost died in the desert. She sniffed to hold back the rising tears. Noticing a well-dressed Mexican matron eyeing her peasant dress with disdain, she laughed nervously. "I'm afraid the local taco stand is about the fanciest place I’m fit for. At least until I can get to a couple of those stores we saw."

"You look….uh….fine, Téa. Trust me. And tomorrow you can shop 'til you drop." This time when Todd turned and left, Téa let him go. Then with a reluctant sigh, she followed the bellhop to her room.

*********************************************

A persistent pounding woke Téa from a deep sleep. She looked around groggily, temporarily forgetting where she was. Sometime during her nap, the sun had gone down, and she scrambled around looking for the light switch. Realizing that she was wearing only the terry robe provided by the hotel, she pulled it a little tighter and opened the door a crack.

A pleasant-looking middle-aged woman greeted her in Spanish. "Good evening, Madam. I am Señora Obregon, the proprietor of the Muñecas Boutique. Your husband instructed us to bring his purchases directly to you, and assist you in any way we can." Téa noticed several garment bags that the woman carried cradled in her arms. "Cristina, ven," ordered the woman, and a slender young girl stepped forward carrying several cases in each hand. Téa looked from one to the other, confused.

"My…my husband?" she asked, dazed.

"Si. Señor Tomás." She pushed past Téa with an authoritarian air and began unzipping the garment bags, laying the contents out on the bed. She eyed Téa knowingly. "He is a very handsome man. The Señora is a very lucky lady." Téa stared in consternation as the woman winked. Meanwhile, Cristina placed the cases on the dresser and began setting out supplies.

"What is all this?" asked Téa in confusion as the women continued taking over her room. Señora Obregon extracted several exquisite outfits from one of the bags, held them up for Téa's appraisal, then hung them in the closet. She tossed the garment bag to the side and began unpacking the next. Téa was staring stupidly, when Cristina approached.

"If you please, Madam," she asked softly as she gently pulled up Téa's arm and tried several shades of make-up on her until she was satisfied that she had a good match. The third garment bag held all kinds of lacy lingerie--nightgowns, bras, panties and even a bikini bathing suit or two. Mrs. Obregon folded them neatly and expertly placed them in the dresser drawers. Next, Cristina offered several samples of the finest french perfume, allowing Téa to choose her favorite. Finally, the last garment bag was opened.

"Wait until the Señora sees this," said Mrs. Obregon in hushed tones. She removed an exquisite white cotton dress. It was sleeveless and about calf-length. The neckline was covered with the finest white embroidery, allowing the most elegant effect. Téa drew her breath in sharply.

"It's lovely," she whispered. The Señora nodded in approval. "Todd…er…Tomás bought all of this for me?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course. He mentioned your misfortune…how all of your luggage was lost, and on your honeymoon." The woman clucked her tongue in sympathy, not noticing how Téa's eyes bugged out in surprise. "He told us to bring everything you would need." Seeing that Téa was still looking dazed, the older woman held out a chair for her. "Now if you will be so kind as to sit down, Cristina will be happy to arrange your hair and help you with your make-up. We'll have you looking your best for Señor Tomás in no time."

Shrugging in defeat, Téa took the offered seat.

*************************************

Turning in front of the full-length mirror to check her appearance, Téa was amazed at the transformation. The effects of the crash and trek through the desert were already becoming less apparent, helped along by the ministrations of Señora Obregon and Cristina. For the first time in a week, she actually felt attractive again.

A message had arrived from Todd asking her to join him in the hotel restaurant. Patting a last curl into place, Téa wrapped a matching shawl around her shoulders and marched out the door.

Todd was waiting by the bar with a pair of margaritas. Hesitating by the doorway, Téa was able to sneak a look at him before he saw her. Apparently, she hadn't been the only one to enjoy a makeover that afternoon. Todd's once scraggly hair had been trimmed to shoulder length and his scruffy beard was neatly shaved into a goatee. He was wearing a natural linen loose-fitting suit with an open collared shirt. Sighing, Téa realized that he looked ten times more handsome than anyone who had recently been at death's door had a right to be.

"Is one of those for me?" she asked softly as she approached, startling him. His head snapped around and his customary scowl quickly dissolved into an open-mouthed look of astonishment. His eyes traveled from her shiny hair piled on top of her head to the tips of her manicured toes in their elegant sandals.

"Uh…you look nice, Delgado," he said, swallowing hard. "The dress looks a lot better on you than on the hangar."

"Thanks…I think. You look good, too, Todd." Although it was dim, Téa could have sworn she saw him blush. "Thank you for all the lovely things. As usual, your taste is impeccable."

"Let's take these to the table," said Todd a little too hastily. "I'm starving." Téa suppressed a giggle and followed him through the bar. She almost ran into his back as he stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter, Todd?" she asked, peering around his shoulder. She gasped. Four Federales had just walked in the door. "What should we do?" she whispered. Todd didn't respond. She looked up at him and was met with a freezing look of betrayal.

"Why am I not surprised?" he said with a cold laugh. "I actually let myself believe…"

"Surely you don't think I had anything to do with this?" she hissed angrily.

"No. The cops just happened to know exactly where to find me." Todd stiffened as the four men headed in their direction. His eyes darted all over the room, but there was only one way out and the Federales blocked it. He tensed, preparing for a fight, but to his relief the four men passed by without even glancing his way. All of them tipped their hats to Téa, however, and continued to stare at her with obvious appreciation as they took seats at the bar. Téa nodded politely then turned to Todd with a glare.

"You thought I'd turned you in, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

"You've done it before," he spat back, leading the way into the dining room. She noticed that he was shaking slightly as he set the margaritas on the table.

"You know, suddenly I'm not very hungry," said Téa, fighting back the tears. "After everything we've been through together you still think I'd betray you." She turned away, preparing to leave, but suddenly Todd reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Don't go, Delgado," he pleaded. "Look, it's going to take me a while to learn to trust you. That's always been hard for me."

"Do you know how hard it was for me to let you leave this afternoon?" she asked, searching his face. "It's hard for me to trust you, Todd, but I did it."

"Then let's just forget all that stuff that happened back in the States and try and start over. A new life, right?" He gave her a little grin while keeping a wary eye on the Federales over her shoulder. "But can we eat now? I’m starved."

Téa couldn't resist him for long. She giggled and shook her head. "Well, some things don't change. Yeah, let's eat, but we're not through talking about the trust issue."

Todd groaned as he took a seat and opened the menu. "That's enough to kill my appetite," he complained.

"Speaking of unappetizing," said Téa opening hers. "They don't serve iguana, do they?"

"Normally they don't, but I had them fly one in just for you," he teased.

"Well, given your luck with planes these days, I think I'm safe."

"That's a low blow, Delgado. How soon you forget that I saved your butt--literally."

"You promised never to mention that again!"

"I lied. I plan to remind you of it at least twice a day for the rest of our lives."

Téa sighed, setting down her menu. "The rest of our lives. I like the sound of that, Todd," she said dreamily. He met her eyes across the table.

"Me too, Téa. Me too."

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