Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“Anyone see Tess?” Rory asked; his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans as he leaned against the kitchen door frame.
Maeve looked up and glanced absently around the kitchen. Bridget was drying supper dishes and Colleen was searching through her mother’s recipe book.
“No, darlin’, I haven’t seen her since dinner.
Do either of you girls know where Tess is?
” she asked, not really concerned. Both women looked his way and shook their heads no, but Rory noticed that Bridget did not meet his eyes.
“Have you checked her room? She was lookin’ a wee bit peaked today.
Maybe she’s not feelin’ well,” Maeve suggested.
“I did,” Rory answered. “She’s not there. Bridget, do you know where Tess is?” Rory asked again, walking into the kitchen to stand directly in front of his sister. “Bridget!”
“Geeze, Rory, no. I don’t know where she is. I didn’t know it was my turn to watch her,” Bridget finished sarcastically, still not meeting his eyes.
Rory ground his teeth in frustration. He’d wanted to talk to Tess all afternoon, but had never been able to get her alone.
A couple of hours ago he got involved watching the football game with his Da and brother and the time slipped away.
Now she was nowhere to be found. Bridget was lying, of that he was absolutely certain, but why?
“Bridget, I’m not playing games here, if you know where she is you better tell me,” he insisted, his blue eyes fixed directly on her.
“Rory, darlin’, Bridget says she doesn’t know where Tess is,” Maeve scolded him gently. “Why don’t you go find Molly? Tess went to the store with her a while ago; maybe she knows what her plans were.”
Rory was fuming as he left the kitchen and began looking for Molly.
He told Tess they needed to have a talk and she managed to avoid him all afternoon.
It was time to make some decisions. Their relationship was headed into much more intimate territory and he would not make love to her under his mother’s roof.
He’d like Tess to agree to move in with him or at least move into her own place.
Now that she worked most of the day at Nick’s law office and late afternoons at Maggie’s helping out with the house and the kids, she should be in a much better financial position.
If he couldn’t talk her into moving in with him, which is what he would prefer, and his mother would hate, he was certainly able to help her out with expenses.
Finding a suitable apartment in a good neighborhood shouldn’t be too hard.
Rory knew just about everyone on the City Council.
Surely someone would know of something decent and available.
The most delicate problem would be getting Tess to agree.
Rory could be very diplomatic, when he wasn’t rock hard with lust. His gut told him to go upstairs and pack her clothes, throw her over his shoulder when he found her and cart her off to his place, but unless he wanted his fifty-seven-year-old mother whacking him with a broom and telling him he was going to "hell in a hand basket," that wouldn’t work.
So, he decided he would win her the old-fashioned way; he would plot and scheme to make her his. If all else failed, he could always go back to plan one and wear a thick leather jacket to minimize the damage. But first he had to find her.
Heading back up to her room, Rory took the stairs two at a time. Tess would know exactly how pissed off and worried he was when he got his hands on her. She could bring the whole house running with her screams; it wouldn’t stop him from paddling her ass.
Everything looked pretty much normal. Tess didn’t have a lot and from what he could guess she never had.
The knick-knacks around the room were all still in place, but they were there before she came.
A sinking feeling made him make his way to her closet.
Throwing open the door he stood there staring, feeling gut-punched.
Her clothes were gone. Walking to her dresser, he pulled the drawers open: nothing, not a damn thing.
Cosmetics were still scattered on the top of the vanity, but they could be Bridget’s.
Tess wasn’t much for make-up. Stumbling to the bed he sat down.
For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure what to do.
Indecision wasn’t part of his nature, nor was fear.
Rory was a full-steam-ahead kind of guy.
With his incredible strength and sharp mind, he could usually make things go his way.
If that wasn’t enough, the force of his will was the kicker.
Rory didn’t give up, not on anything. He’d be damned if he let Tess be the first. No half-pint woman, with no more sense than to sleep on a park bench, was going to take him down even if she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, and even if he did want her more than he’d ever wanted anyone else.
Rory grabbed her pillow and threw it across the room.
How dare she take off without a word? His mother would be hurt, the girls too.
He got up and snatched the pillow off the floor to replace it and saw the pink envelope for the first time.
She must have hidden it under the pillow for his mother to find.
Tearing open the envelope he sat down and began to read.
Dear O’Malley Family,
I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for me.
I finally got to know what it was like to live with a real family.
You took me into your home and treated me with love and kindness.
I will never forget you and hope I will see you soon.
I am sorry to leave this way, but I did not want to fight with ‘you know who’.
I will still be working for Mr. Nick and Maggie, so I will stay in touch.
I cannot tell you where I will be living, but I have made temporary arrangements.
Please do not be angry with me, I love you all so very much. Someday I hope to have a large wonderful family of my own.
Theresa Elena Martinez
“Well, hell,” Rory cursed violently and left the room, slamming the door behind him. In the kitchen, he slapped the letter on the table in front of his mother so hard her coffee cup trembled on its saucer.
Maeve picked up the letter and shooed Caitlin and Todd out of the kitchen.
Sliding her reading glasses up farther on her nose she began to read, Colleen over one shoulder and Bridget over the other.
Three sets of eyes looked accusingly at Rory as he leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. Nobody asked who ‘you know who’ was, they all knew exactly to whom Tess was referring.
“Rory O’Malley, what did you do to drive that poor wee lamb out on her own?”
“Nothing that I wouldn’t do to her right now if she were here,” Rory shot back with a growl. Well maybe not.
“Sean. Sean, come in here and speak to your son,” Maeve ordered, sticking her head out of the kitchen door.
“Why is he my son when you’re put out with him and he’s your son when he’s sportin’ a new medal or citation? Now, what is it, darlin’? Can’t a man have a moment’s peace in his own house?” Sean asked striding into the kitchen. “What’s this all about?”
Maeve stood with her hands on the table and leaned towards Rory. “Rory, what did you do to Tess?”
Rory tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling, silently counting to ten.
“Did you spank that girl?” Maeve demanded.
Colleen and Bridget stood frozen in place, both wanted to go, but morbid fascination held them. Rory getting in trouble was almost unheard of and neither wanted to miss a word of it.
“Yes,” Rory shot back. He never raised his voice but there was a danger in the calmness just the same. “I spanked her. It wasn’t the first time and I doubt it will be the last. That’s no reason for her to leave without a word to any of us.”
“Sean! Do somethin’!” Maeve insisted, stomping her foot in agitation.
“Well, just what would you like me to do about it?” he asked, beginning to feel some sympathy for Rory.
“I don’t know, but ‘tis your fault. You should have raised your sons better than to think they can just upend any woman they want over their knee.”
“You’re right, darlin’.”
“Of course, I am,” Maeve agreed primly.
“Rory, is Tess just any woman?” Sean asked, looking directly into his son’s eyes.
“No.”
“Is she your woman?” Sean asked patiently.
“Yes,” Rory answered softly. “She is my woman.”
Sean laughed and slapped his big hand down on the table as he stood. “Well, then there you have it,” he told his wife jovially.
“There I have what?” Maeve asked looking from one man to the other. She had the funny feeling she’d been bamboozled.
Sean sighed and rubbed his head. “Do I really have to explain it to you after nearly forty years of marriage?” he asked in disbelief.
“Apparently so O’Malley, ‘cause I’m sure not thinkin’ what you're thinkin’,” Maeve informed him, hands on hips.
“A good man takes care of his family. He provides for them, guides them, comforts them, and loves them. Sometimes love is not hugs and kisses, darlin’.
Sometimes love is a firm hand applied to a naughty bottom, as you well know.
Now, I don’t mean to be embarrassin’ you my love, but since you seem to want to talk about this in front of the children, I’ll talk.
You’ve been over my own knee more than a time or two and our marriage has been better for it. ”
“Sean,” Maeve gasped her face red with shame. “How could you?”
“Hush, woman. There’s no shame in submittin’ to your husband.
I’m not a tyrant,” he continued looking at Bridget and then Colleen.
“I love your Ma and always have. The pain of a spankin’ is nothin’ compared to the pain of watchin’ a loved one go off in the wrong direction or damage a marriage so it cannot survive.
” Sean stood and pulled Maeve into his arms. “We’ve raised our family, darlin’.
Given’ them the best we could. I’ve always tried to set a good example and so have you.
Now, we must let them be and hope we’ve taught them right.
If Rory’s lady needs a lickin’, then so be it.
‘tis not our business, do you understand?”
Maeve nodded and buried her face in her husband’s arms. Colleen and Bridget told their parents good night and slipped out of the room. This was not their business either.
Finally, Maeve raised her head, wiped her tears and turned to face her son. “Your Da’s right, Rory, ‘tis not our business and I hope you’ll be forgivin’ me for how I behaved tonight,” she told him sincerely, her voice quivering.
“I love you, Ma; I think I could forgive you about anything. I never meant for this to happen. I had no idea Tess would take off like this and I will tell you there’s more to it than just a spanking. I will make this right. She belongs to me and I intend to see she understands that.
“I better get going. Good night, I’ll talk to you soon.”
Rory bent and kissed his mother’s cheek, patted his Da on the back and quietly left through the back door.
Sean pulled his wife back into his arms and rocked her gently side to side. It hurt him to see her cry, but every now and then he had to rein her in, for her own good and the good of the family.
“How about I take my little Irish whirlwind upstairs and show her a thin’ or two,” he growled in her ear.
“Oh, be off with you,” Maeve giggled as she struggled to get out of his arms.
“I’ve also heard tell of such a thing as an erotic spankin’. My personal belief is the man just wanted to get his hands on his wife’s behind, but you never know do you, darlin’?”
Maeve gasped. Sean released her, mostly so he could see the lovely blush on her face. “Where would ya be hearin’ such a thing, Sean O’Malley?” she asked as she began to back away from him.
“I think it was on 20/20 or some such show,” he told her as he slowly advanced on her, his eyes sparkling with deviltry.
“I think you’re full o’ malarkey,” she informed him, just before she turned to run.
Sean almost had her too, but she was too fast for him. It didn’t matter, he thought, as he locked the doors and started up the stairs grinning. She would be in their bed, just where she belonged.