Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Pulling into the side parking lot of The Rose and Thistle, Rory parked the car. Tess was still trying to stop the quivering in her limbs as he walked around to her door. Taking her hand, he pulled her out and right into his arms, her feet several inches above the ground.
“Ten minutes,” he growled nuzzling her neck. “Get what you need for tonight. We’ll get the rest tomorrow,” he told her insistently, setting her on the ground and turning her towards the outside stairway with a light smack on her butt.
“What is the hurry?” she asked over her shoulder, surprised by the time constraint.
“I’m not going to give you enough time to put out the fire I started,” he told her firmly, staring into her eyes, dead serious.
Tess was shocked, it had not entered her mind to relieve herself, but now that he mentioned it, it seemed like a good idea. Nodding, she turned to the stairs, her foot on the first step when she paused. “You are not going to tell Patrick, are you? I do not want to get Molly in trouble.”
“Molly can take care of herself, little one. You should be more concerned about your own bottom. I’m still not happy with the way you took off and left my mother worried sick.
Not to mention me. No, I’m not going to tell Patrick.
Leave your bag at the top of the stairs and meet me in the bar. I’ll carry it down when we come out.”
Tess nodded and proceeded up the stairs, Rory watching until she closed the door.
* * *
The pub was busy for a Tuesday night, but they drew a decent crowd most nights.
Patrick was tending bar and Molly was serving sandwiches to a table of rowdy women in the corner.
She glanced at Rory as she went by and smiled a sweet little nervous smile.
The one he returned wasn’t so sweet. Before he got comfortable on his barstool, the door opened and Maggie and Nick sailed in.
Plopping herself on the stool next to Rory, Maggie shrugged out of her coat and handed it to Nick.
“Hey, I heard you were back,” Patrick smiled. “How was the honeymoon? Nick, did this termagant give you any trouble?” he teased.
“No more than usual,” Nick replied grinning as he took the barstool next to his wife after he hung up her coat.
“Very funny you two,” Maggie replied. “Is this a bar or just a place where men come to act like asses? How about a beer and give one to my brother here, he seems a little grumpy. You lose your woman again?” she asked, laughing.
“What are you doing here anyway?” Rory shot back. “Thought you were going to Ma and Da’s to get the kids?”
“We were, but I decided to stop in, just in case someone needs some moral support,” she smiled, picking up the beer Patrick put in front of her.
“Where are you gonna get some morals, Maggie?” Rory snorted.
“Not from you,” she retorted.
“Behave, Maggie,” Nick warned. “Can’t you go anyplace without trying to stir up trouble?”
“Me?” Maggie exclaimed. “I never find trouble, it finds me, and I can razz my brothers if I want to anyway. It’s in the constitution.”
“I’ll play,” Patrick replied with a grin, his eyes twinkling. “What part of the constitution would that be in, squirt?”
“The pursuit of happiness,” Maggie replied smugly. “It makes me happy. So, did you misplace Tess again, or did she run like hell?”
Rory growled and gave Maggie the eye, sipping his beer as he checked his watch.
Wiping the bar, Patrick winked at his wife as she busied herself, straightening up a few nearby tables. It wasn’t like Molly to ignore the family when they came into the pub, but she had been busy all afternoon so he let it be.
“Did you find Tess?” Patrick asked, curious to find out what was really going on here.
Rory nodded.
“Well, where was she?”
Rory squinted at Maggie, while Nick scowled and Molly hurried behind the bar.
“So, Rebecca and Mason had their baby today?” Molly interjected cheerfully. “You must be thrilled, Nick. Patrick, would you come and give me a hand in the kitchen?”
“Just a second sweetie, so where is Tess?”
“She was at our house, wasn’t she Nick?” Maggie lied. Looking at Molly and frowning at the almost imperceptible shake of her head, Maggie continued. She was in too deep now to stop. “Yeah, she called my cell phone and asked if she could hang out there for a few days and I said sure.”
“Jesus, Nick,” Rory groaned. “What did you do to her? She’s worse than she was.”
“I thought you promised me that if we came down here you were going to stay out of this?” Nick asked, staring sternly into his wife’s eyes.
“Stay out of what?” Patrick asked. “I’m confused. Would somebody mind telling me what the hell is going on? Molly, didn’t you tell me Tess wasn’t at Nick and Maggie’s?” he asked, giving Molly a warning look. “Did you lie to me?”
“No, Tess didn’t stay at Maggie’s,” Molly answered quietly, picking up the bar rag and wiping up nonexistent spots.
Patrick scowled at Maggie before taking his wife’s arm and turning her to face him. “So, Maggie is lying?”
“Well, yes,” Molly replied lowering her eyes.
“Gee thanks, Molly,” Maggie spat. “I was only trying to help.”
“You should have stayed out of it, Maggie. I had everything under control,” Molly insisted, hands on hips, glaring at her sister in law.
“But you didn’t know Rory knew .…”
“Enough!” Patrick shouted. “I want an explanation, and I want it right now or I swear I’ll turn you both over my knee.”
“You can’t do that,” Maggie shouted. “I’m married now and not answerable to either of you two!” she stated looking from one brother to the other. “Isn’t that right, Nick?” she insisted.
“Don’t bet on it, cupcake,” Rory answered, calmly picking up his beer and taking a sip. Maggie’s jaw dropped as she looked at Nick expectantly.
“Damn it, Maggie, for once quit digging yourself in deeper,” he told her firmly.
Turning to his brother, Patrick pointedly ignored both his wife and sister. “So, I take it you found Tess?” he asked.
“Yeah, I found her,” Rory answered.
“Where?”
Rory didn’t speak. He merely pointed over his head and waited for it to sink in.
Patrick looked at the ceiling as if he expected to see Tess strapped to the rafters. In the next second, he fixed his wife with a hard stare. “Molly, I can’t believe you lied to me, angel. Why would you do that?” he asked, genuinely confused.
“No, Patrick, I didn’t,” Molly insisted taking his arm with her small hand. “I wouldn’t do that.” It was breaking her heart to see Patrick hurt.
“Yes, you did. I specifically asked you if you told Tess she could stay in the apartment and you said no. Geeze, Molly girl, don’t make this any worse by lying again.”
“I did not lie to you. You asked me if I told Tess she could stay in the apartment for free and I said no. That was the truth.” Little bells rang as Molly stamped her delicate foot in frustration. “I didn’t tell her she could stay for free, I charged her rent!”
“How much rent?” Patrick asked, determined to get to the truth.
“Does it matter?” Molly shot back.
“It might, how much?”
“Patrick .…”
Patrick didn’t say anymore, but the look in his eyes was compelling and Molly shivered. She hated disappointing her husband and there was no doubt in her mind that there would be consequences, despite the fact that she hadn’t lied to him, technically.
“A dollar a week,” she admitted.
Rory snorted and shook his head. Chances were pretty good that all three of these women were getting their bottoms spanked tonight and as far as he was concerned they all deserved it; Tess for running away, Molly for hiding her and Maggie for jumping in and lying about it.
“Rory, is Tess up there now?” Patrick asked, taking Molly’s hand firmly in his.
“Yes, she’s getting some of her things together. She should have been down here by now.”
“Would you mind watching the bar for a few minutes? I’ll send Tess down the inside stairs.”
“Sure, take your time,” Rory answered, almost wishing he could work up some sympathy for Molly.
He loved her like a sister, but he couldn’t forget how sick with worry he had been, not knowing where Tess was.
Granted, Molly hadn’t lied, but she had withheld the truth.
Rory was pretty sure Patrick was about to take care of that omission right now.
Walking behind the bar, Rory washed his glass and poured a soda. He wanted to be running on all cylinders tonight and he was already beat. It had been a long couple of days for him.
“Want another beer, Nick?” he asked.
“No thanks, Rory, we need to be heading home. Come on, Maggie.”
“I want another beer,” she told him as he walked away to get her coat.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?” she asked annoyed.
“We still have to pick up the kids, and there are a few things we need to talk about, so no,” Nick informed her, holding her coat out for her to slip her arms into.
“Wow, I guess the honeymoon is over,” she complained, jumping off the bar stool and taking her coat out of his hands.
“Sweetheart, I love you more than anything in the world but there’s an old saying, ‘Begin as you mean to go on’ and that’s just what I’m going to do,” he told her, twirling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. “Take care, Rory. See you soon and tell Patrick and Molly we said goodnight.”
“Will do, buddy,” Rory replied, grinning at the bemused look on his sister’s face as her husband led her from the bar.
Tess came around the corner into the bar just as Maggie and Nick were going out the front door. She was dragging a large duffel bag and Rory glanced at his watch.
“What took you so long?” Rory asked suspiciously. “I hope you weren’t taking care of anything you shouldn’t have.”
“Shh, Rory, do not say such things,” she answered embarrassed. “Why did Patrick and Molly come upstairs? Was that Maggie and Nick just leaving?”
“Pat had some things he and Molly need to get straight,” Rory answered, sitting a glass of white wine in front of Tess. “Maggie and Nick stopped in for a drink.”
“Oh, I guess Patrick knows Molly let me stay here. Is she in very much trouble?”
“A fair amount I would say. Don’t worry about it. Molly knew what she was doing.”
“I cannot help but feel responsible. If it were not for me …” she trailed off, looking at the rafters as if she could see what was going on up there.
“Tess, babe, stop it,” Rory scolded. “It’s all over and done with now and you know how much Patrick loves Molly. It will be fine. Why don’t you go check on that table in the corner and see if they need another drink?” Rory suggested as he moved down the bar to take care of a couple of customers.
For the next hour or so Tess served drinks and a few specials while Rory tended and stocked the bar. Patrick and Molly came back downstairs holding hands.
“Sorry we took so long,” Patrick told them gruffly, taking Rory’s place behind the bar. Molly avoided looking at them, her hair covering the side of her face.
Tess was twisting her hands. “I am so sorry I put you in an uncomfortable position, Molly,” she offered. “I hope you did not have a hard time dealing with .…”
Molly swung her hair back and grinned. Winking at Rory, who had actually begun to feel somewhat sorry for her, she wrapped her arm around her husband, pulled him close and gently bit his ear.
“No, not too hard of a time,” Molly purred as Patrick’s face became almost as red as his hair.
Rory snorted and took Tess’s hand. “No, I can see that. Patrick, you are such a wuss,” he laughed. “Come on, babe, let’s go home.” Rory picked up Tess’s bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“You worry about your woman and let me worry about mine,” Patrick shot back. “At least I can find mine.”
“True,” Rory admitted, shooting a look at Tess as he steered her towards the door. “Night you guys.”
“Goodnight.”