The O'Malley Brides (29 page)

“I wondered who’s car that was in the driveway.  Tess, it’s nice to see you,” he said coming up behind Rebecca’s chair and kissing her
on the top of her head.  “How
was
Juliana
? Did she miss me?” Mason asked grinning.

“Actually she snuck her boyfriend in to see her while you were gone,”
Rebecca teased
.  “He’s a nice kid, but much too old for her.  I told her she would have to be careful because her Daddy like
s
to spank little girls who don’t behave.”

“Very funny, a
nd I don’t spank children, only grown women who act like children,” Mason replied calmly, “and really only one in particular.  How’s the family
,
Tess?  I hear you’re staying at Rory’s house.”

“Where did you hear that?  Tess is it true?  Are you a Rory a couple?”

“My brother and I talked this morning,” Mason answered, noticing Tess’s blush.  “I guess maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it.  Sorry Tess.”

“No, it is fine.  Yes, I am living at Rory’s house.  Actually he has asked me to marry him, but we have not told anyone yet.  I think he plans to tell his family on Thanksgiving.”

“Then you said yes,” Rebecca squealed coming around the table and pulling Tess up for a hug.  “That’s wonderful.  We’ll be there for dinner on Thanksgiving, but I won’t breathe a word.  I’m so happy for both of you,” she continued. 

“
Congratulations
to you both,” Mason added with a smile.  “You couldn’t find a better man than Rory.”

“That is true,” Tess agreed.  “
Rory is a good man,” she continued, her eyes lighting up.

Rebecca paused, weighing whether she should warn Tess about the O’Malley men.

Finally she opened her mouth and it just sort of fell out.

“You do know
Rory is a lot like Mason
,
right?  Well, actually they all are,” she stated.  “I swear it’s some type of genetic defect.”

Mason scowled.  “What happens between other couples is no business of yours.  Don’t embarrass Tess,” he ordered, tugging on her ponytail.   “I’m sure if she agreed to marry him, she knows exactly the type of man he is.”

“Oh, lighten up
,
Mace.  Tess is my friend.  I just want to make sure she knows what she’s signing on for,” she retorted, sending him a glare. “Girl
s talk about this stuff.
”

“If this is going to turn into’ girl talk
,
’
I think I’ll make my exit,” Mason said with
an
exaggerated shudder.  “
Tell Rory I’ll see him in at dinner and you really should do something about the cobwebs in your hair Tess,” he stated fixing Rebecca with a questioning look as he walked by Tess.  “Whatever were you girls doing while I was gone
, hm
m?”

Rebecca walked Tess to the door.  “Thanks so much for helping me,” she told her, hugging her goodbye.

“But we did not even fine the book,” Tess whispered back.

“That’s alright.  I know where it’s not and I still have a few weeks to find it.  Tess, I hope you and Rory will be very happy, but I have to know that you understand.”

“I know Rory will be head of his household and I know he will probably discipline me at time
s
.”

“How will you handle that, Honey?” Rebecca asked, genuinely concerned.

“I intend to be very, very good,” Tess answered honestly
,
kissing Rebecca’s cheek and heading down the walk
.

Rebecca burst out laughing.  “Don’t we all?” Rebecca called after her.  Too bad that was easier said
than
done.

Rory found Tess standing on the top step of a ladder, washing the ceiling in the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” he
demanded
, t
he mail he’d had been shuffling through forgotten.

Her back was arched, her little butt sticking out as she struggled to reach as far as she could without moving the ladder.

“Making mashed potatoes,” she replied.

“Babe
,
seriously,
sarcasm?” he asked as he plucked her from the ladder with one arm around her waist. Walking across the room he flung the mail onto the counter before setting her down gently before him.  Staring down into her eyes, one eyebrow raised, Tess recalle
d what she had told Rebecca that
very afternoon.

“Sorry,” she said, reaching her arms up around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.  “Why are you home early?”

“I was going to be in court, but it was postponed.  I thought we could run a couple of errands,” Rory replied, putting his arms around her waist and lifting her from the floor so they were eye to eye. 
“Now this is the way you should be greeting me when I come home, not with a sassy mouth, but with you sweet lips.”  Kissing her thoroughly Rory kept her dangling, her feet quite a distance from the floor as need swept through her.

“I am sorry,” she offered, nibbling on his lower lip
,
“but I thought it was a stupid question.”

“Did you
,
now?  Well, you may be right, but I don’t want to come home and find you up on a ladder like that again,” he informed her firmly.  “We’ll get the guys over here on the weekend to help if we can
. 
Lord knows
I’ve
given up enough weekends to help them.  If not we’ll hire someone to come in.  I don’t want to see that again
,
Tess and I mean it.”

Searching h
is face, Tess decided it was
an order and not a request.  “Okay,” she breathed against his lips
pulling his mouth closer. 

Rory smiled and met her lips
, happy she didn’t argue
further.  There was no way he wanted to have to correct her today of all days. 

“Good girl,” he approved, giving her a sweet slap on her bottom before he set her down.  “Now go get cleaned up and put on something pretty.”

“Where are we going?” Tess asked, automatically keeping her hands over her butt.

“It a surprise, now hurry up
! W
e only have a
couple
hours before the stores close.”

“What store?”

“Grrr,” he growled backing her towards the bedroom.  “Are you always going to be this nosey?  Can I not surprise my bride?”

“Probably and yes,” Tess squealed, darting into the bedroom and slamming the door.

“You’ve got twenty minutes,” he shouted.  “Then we’re leaving no matter how you’re dressed, or not dressed, whichever the case may be.”

“Tyrant,” she shouted back through the door laughing, but she was fully dressed in nineteen.

The flirty black skirt was just long enough, that he didn’t insist she change it, but barely.  Silky black stockings and black heels accented her lovely legs.  A soft rose sweater hugged her breasts in a way that made Rory wish he had not even mentioned leaving the house, but today was special and she looked beautiful.

Driving downtown Tess badgered him about their destination until he turned his stern gaze complete with the tell-tale eyebrow on her. Huffing in annoyance
,
she finally sat back against her seat and kept quiet.  Rory pulled into the parking lot of a small but well respected jeweler and shut off the car.  Tess waited as he walked around to her door and helped her out.

“Rory…” she began.

“Hush Babe,” he instructed her as he led her into the building.  An hour later they left the store, a gorgeous
one carat diamond solitaire twinkling on her finger.  The wedding bands were being sent away for engraving, but would be back in ten days, the clerk assured them. They had an early dinner at a quaint little Italian restaurant, ordering wine with their meal to toast their happiness.

Tess could not seem to take her eyes of her sparkling ring and Rory was amused, until she spoke.

“Really Rory, you did not have to insist on such an expensive ring.  We have so much to do to the house and…”

Rory cut her off.  She had tried this argument in the
jewelers
and
he had slipped his hand down and patted her ass in warning. “Tess, do you like the ring?” he asked quietly.

“It’s beautiful
. 
I love it, but…”

“The
n
shut up, Babe
!
I’m not a pauper and I can certainly afford to buy my bride a nice engagement ring.  I only plan on getting married once Tess, and I want to do it right.  I’ve waited a long time for you.  Now I don’t want to hear another word about the damn cost.”

“But…”

Rory rolled his eyes and shot his napkin on the table.  “If you say one more word
about it,
I swear to God I’ll…”

Tess held up her hand and zipped an imaginary zipper across her mouth
.  Picking at her salad she gave herself a good talking to.  Not everyone had to watch every penny like she’d had
to do.  Rory had planned this to surprise her and now she looked like an ungrateful miser.  Tess loved him so very much but she had disappointed him and ruined his surprise.  Besides arguing with him in the store, she had made him angry here with many more people around.   Had she hurt his pride by implying he could not provide for her? 
Watching him from beneath her lashes
,
Tess could see the tick in his jaw.  Raising her head she looked at him sadly.

“Rory?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

“Aw hell,” he growled.  Swiftly he stood and picked Tess up out of her chair, settling her on his lap.  Pulling her to his chest he rocked her gently as she buried her face in his neck. Glancing around the room his fierce expression dared the other patrons to approach him.  No one did.

“Tess, Babe
, please don’t cry.  I’m sorry I scolded you.  It’s just that I love you so and you question everything I do for you.  I think we need to get married right away.  I can see this whole thing is stressful for you.  Do you want a big wedding?  I know you have no family here, but I would be willing to fly your sister in from California
,
if that’s what you want.  You
have frie
nds from school you can invite…”

“No, I want a small wedding, very small,” Tess whispered, her body trembling as she fought the
urge
to start sobbing.

“We could go to the
Justice of the Peace
next week, or I could ask the Mayor to marry us?  Whatever you want Babe,” Rory assured her, patting her back.

“I would not want to hurt the family
,
Rory,” Tess sighed, hiccupping.  “Can we get married at you parents’ house?”

“When?
”
Rory asked reaching in his pocket for money.

Tess picked the first day that came to her mind.  “Christmas Eve,” she whispered.

“Perfect,” Rory answered throwing some bills on the table and standing.  “Let’s go home Tess.  We need a little privacy.  Setting Tess on her feet, he grabbed her coat.  Rory dabbed her eyes with his handkerchief and wrapping his arm around her steered her firmly towards the door.

One brave elderly woman stopped him with a hand on his arm as she spoke to Tess.

“Is everything alright
,
dear?” she asked, concern evident in her wrinkled face.  “Do you want me to call the police?” she continued
giving Rory a suspicious glare.

“He is the police,” Tess replied with a small watery smile.  “We just got engaged,” she continued, giving the diamond on her hand a little wiggle to catch the light.  The last thing in the world she wanted was for anyone to think badly of her future husband.

“Oh,” the woman replied smiling.  “Well then good luck to you
,
dear,” she continued, patting Rory’s arm in understanding.  “I hope you’ll both be very happy.”

“Thank you,” Tess whispered as they went through the door.

Chapter 17

Thanksgiving Day dawned crisp and clear.
Maeve had the turkey in the oven
before they went to Mass.  Bridget, as always, volunteered to stay
home and keep an eye on things
.  T
he
rest of the family met at Church for the Mass
.
Maeve looked
around at her family with pride
.  Rory and Tess were there as well as Maggie and Nick and their kids. 
Colleen,
Noah and their children
arrived a few minutes late, probably because Colleen was off sneaking a cigarette somewhere her husband couldn’t find her.  Colleen thought she was pulling something over on them, but Maeve intended to put a little bug in Noah’s ear at some point today.