Under Rory's Discipline

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Tess stood at the end of the long white runner.

The church was packed with people and the organ was playing soft, sweet music.

Four-year-old Caitlin almost vibrated with impatience, her blonde curls quivering as she waited for Tess to whisper that it was time for her to start down the aisle, scattering flower petals as she walked.

Caitlin’s pink dress perfectly matched the ring of flowers and baby’s breath in her hair.

The gray satin dress that Tess wore was short, sleeveless and full with a wide pink satin band around the waist. The design was vintage and certainly appropriate for this family, Tess thought irritably.

A pillbox hat with a gray net veil perched on top of her recently shorn locks and gray satin pumps completed the outfit.

Tess swished her perfectly cut angled bob, enjoying the feeling of the weightlessness of it.

Two feet of silky black hair was on its way to make a wig for cancer patients and she felt damn good about it.

Too bad if Rory O’Malley didn’t like it, she thought, as she narrowed her eyes and sent a glare to the front of the church wondering where the hell the groom was.

“Stop fidgeting,” Molly O’Malley leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “It won’t help and the crinoline will make it worse.”

Tess bristled. Sometimes it was so annoying that Molly knew everything. When she first met Patrick’s wife she thought it was cool that Molly was gifted. Lately, she felt just the opposite. It was galling that not only had Molly warned her about cutting her hair, she knew what happened this morning.

Tess blushed as her eyes darted around the area to see if anyone else had overheard.

“They didn’t,” Molly whispered again. “But someone will figure it out if you don’t stop acting like your ass is on fire.”

“My ass is on fire,” Tess hissed back wanting to slap the grin off Rory’s face as he watched her discomfort. Quickly he turned, walked up the side aisle of the church, and disappeared into the anteroom.

“This is Nick and Maggie’s day. Please try to get through the wedding and reception without killing my brother-in-law.”

“I’ll get through it while at the bar … standing. But I cannot promise not to kill him afterwards.”

Molly’s soft tinkling laughter drew a few curious looks but she and Tess just smiled sweetly until the guests turned around.

* * *

Mason Kord peered into the small mirror in the church's anteroom and plucked another gray hair out of his head. The way things were going, his hair ought to be pure white by the time his very pregnant wife, Rebecca, had their first child. He tried to talk her into staying home. Rebecca was two days past her due date and Mason was beginning to wonder if their daughter would ever come. Rebecca, insisting she felt fine, flat out refused to miss the wedding of Mason’s brother, Nick and their good friend Maggie.

Mason almost had to tackle her to get the blue high-heels off her before she could get out the door.

Frankly he didn’t care if “they perfectly matched her dress” there was no way in hell she and his child would be tottering around on stilettos today.

Although he towered over the petite blonde, at this point in her life it seemed she hadn’t an ounce of fear, or good sense for that matter.

Nine months ago, he would have helped her see the error of her ways.

Come to think of it, nine months ago he probably would have enjoyed the view of her terrific legs in the sexy shoes.

Mason went to the door and looked out at the congregation, sighing in relief to see Rebecca still in her seat in the front pew.

“Worried?” Nick asked his blue eyes curious. “Is she still where you left her?”

“She is,” Mason replied with a grin. “But only because Maeve is keeping an eye on her and she knows it. Your future mother-in-law is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Don’t I know it,” Nick laughed. “I’m not sure who is more stubborn, Maggie or her mother."

Sean O’Malley chose that moment to enter the room. “I have to go with Maggie. That girl’s got the devil’s own temper and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Are you sure you want to be marryin’ my daughter?” he asked in his booming voice, grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” Nick answered, looking straight into Sean’s eyes.

“That’s good enough for me,” Sean replied, pulling Nick into a bear hug and slapping his back.

“Nothin’ a good lickin’ now and then won’t fix,” he whispered before he released him.

“I best be gettin’ to my daughter. No sense startin’ a ruckus before we even get goin’.

It’s proud I am to have you for a son, Nick.

Take good care of her and the children. Ah, here’s Rory and Patrick.

About time you two showed up. Where’s Jason? ”

“He was right behind us, Da,” Patrick answered after giving Nick a slap on the back and shaking Mason’s hand. “So, you’re really going through with it?” Patrick teased. “I hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for. My sister will give you a run for your money.”

“To tell you the truth, I can’t wait to make her my wife,” Nick answered seriously. Rory snorted while bending down to check his tie in the mirror.

“Looks like I’m the only one left with a brain, well, me and the kid here,” he continued, wrapping an arm around Jason who had just come through the door.

“But I do appreciate your taking the red-headed terror off my hands, Nick. Another few months of her shenanigans and I might have had to re-enlist, just to get a break.”

“I wouldn’t crow too loudly if I were you,” Patrick advised with a smirk. “Your single days might be numbered if the way you look at Theresa means anything.”

“Don’t bet on it, bro,” Rory shot back, frowning. For some reason that made all the men start laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing,” they answered together, all grinning as they headed out the door to await the bride and her bridesmaids.

Mason took his seat beside Rebecca, with Jason next to him.

It was hard to believe he had a nephew. Good Lord, did he have to be hit over the head with it?

Jason was the spitting image of his brother Nick, yet he’d never put two and two together.

He sure hoped he was going to be a better father than he’d been as an uncle.

* * *

Finally, the organ music changed and Tess recognized it was time.

Father O’Connor had entered through a side door and was standing at the altar.

Slapping a smile on her face, she whispered to Caitlin who took off like a shot out of a gun.

Great clumps of flowers were thrown onto the carpet as she ran halfway down the aisle before remembering her instructions.

Slowing to a crawl, Caitie began to drop an individual petal for every step she took.

Eventually she made it to the front pew where Maeve O’Malley pulled her granddaughter onto her lap, assuring her that she had done a fine job.

Colleen, Noah, and Bridget were in the pew behind Maeve minding the younger members of the O’Malley clan and Caitie wiggled around until she could grin at Lilly and Rose in triumph.

Tess came down the aisle next, with Molly a good distance behind, eyes twinkling as she winked at her handsome husband, Patrick. Taking their places to the right of the altar, the congregation stood and turned to watch the bride and her father.

Sean O’Malley was a big man and he dwarfed the woman beside him.

He was proud to be walking his daughter down the aisle and relieved to be delivering her to such a man as Nick Kord.

Maggie had been widowed, leaving her with three children to care for.

Nick was the father of Maggie’s oldest son, Jason, but no one had known it until recently as she had guarded her secret well.

It was quite a hullabaloo when Nick found out and he immediately began to court the high-spirited widow.

In Sean’s opinion, Nick was exactly the kind of man his daughter needed.

Loving and generous, Nick was also firm and provided the stable environment Maggie required.

Sean was a firm believer that a husband was the head of his house and he had no doubt Nick would never abdicate that position.

Maggie O’Malley Cassidy, soon to be Maggie Kord, looked lovely as she walked down the aisle with her father.

Tess loved Maggie’s ivory satin dress accented with rum pink cutouts along the hem.

The vintage style suited her perfectly as did the short veil.

All eyes were on the bride and her father as Tess took a moment to glance at Rory O’Malley.

He, too, was watching his sister and Da approaching the altar.

Damn, why did he have to be so good looking, Tess thought.

Six foot four of mouthwatering sex appeal, with his black hair and clear blue eyes, Rory affected her like no one else ever had.

A detective on the police force, Rory was a no-nonsense kind of man.

Several years in Special Forces had given him an appreciation for rules and structure that served him well in his chosen profession.

Feeling her scrutiny, Rory looked at Tess and wasn’t surprised to see her quickly stick out her tongue. Despite trying to hide a grin, his look scolded her without uttering a single word and she quickly turned her eyes back to the bride.

Tess tried to pay attention to the ceremony.

She loved Maggie, Nick and their three children, Jason, Todd and Caitie, and was very happy for them.

The heat coming from her bottom was distracting though, and several times she glared reproachfully at Rory who simply raised his eyebrow in response.

His expression clearly said, well you asked for it, and she wondered how she had come to understand him so well in a few short months.