Page 58 of Rory: His to Discipline

“I’m going to tell him that it shorted out so I set it out by the curb and the garbage truck ran over it,” she insisted laughing with glee as the girls cracked up. “And no one better tell him any different,” she continued, giving the boys a penetrating stare.

“Rebecca, can I get you something, some hot chocolate maybe?” Tess asked when she could talk once again.

“No thanks, Tess, I wanted to ask you to dispose of this for me,” Rebecca begged, handing Tess a thick black book. “I don’t care if you burn it or bury it in the trash, but I can’t do it at my house.”

Tess opened the book and gasped as she read dates and offenses.

“You found it,” she cried.

“Only by accident,” Rebecca replied quietly.

“Where was it?”

“If you can believe this, it was in the glove compartment of his truck. Apparently, he was afraid something was going to happen to it if he left it at home,” she complained her hands on her hips.

“It was lucky you thought to look there,” Tess replied.

“That’s the scary thing. I didn’t look there. I had to run out to the store and both Juliana and Mason were napping so I decided to take his truck instead of moving it to get my car out.

“I was speeding, just a little,” she assured Tess when her eyes got big, “and I got pulled over. I had to open the glove compartment to get the registration and insurance papers and it fell right into my hand. Thank God, for speeding tickets,” she breathed reverently.

“Will Mason be unhappy about the ticket? Will he know you found the book?”

“I have no intention of telling that sneaky man anything. I’ll send the ticket in, plead guilty and pay the fine with no one the wiser. Can you get rid of it for me, Tess?”

“I will do it right now,” Tess replied walking across the kitchen and shoving the book in the trash.

“Thanks, hon,” Rebecca told her giving her a quick hug. “I have to get home, Juliana will be waking up and I’d rather get home before that happens. If I’m really lucky, they both will still be napping and he won’t even know I left the house.”

“You are much braver than I,” Tess told her, admiration in her voice.

“Not braver, just desperate. There are a lot of dates in that book,” she laughed with a little shiver. “Mason has a long memory and a hard hand, but without that book he’d just be guessing and he would never spank me if he wasn’t sure about why. Take care everyone, I’ll see you all at the wedding if not before.”

Jason had been working quietly in the living room and he called Tess in when everyone started packing up and getting into their coats.

“I found a couple of power strips, Aunt Tess, and I hooked everything into them so when you turn the light switch on, everything comes on at the same time.” He demonstrated it for them and they all watched in awe.

“Thank you, Jason. Thank you, everyone,” Tess said turning off the switch. “I hope Rory will learn a lesson from this, and if not, we will have the most unique decorations in town.”

“That’s for sure,” Maggie agreed, hugging Tess good bye.

“You let me know if my son gives you any trouble,” Maeve told her. “I love the dress you chose, Tess. You will be a beautiful bride,” she continued, kissing Tess on the cheek.

“Thank you, Madre. See you for dinner tomorrow.” Waving them off, Tess locked the door and slid the deadbolt home. It would be better if Rory had to ring the new doorbell, she thought with a smile as she turned the outside light on. He may as well get the full effect.

After cleaning up and doing the dishes she showered, putting her prettiest nightgown on. It couldn’t hurt to look her best in case Rory did not appreciate her efforts. Curling up on the orange chair with a book, she fell asleep.

* * *

Rory stood on the porch, fiddling with his key. Tess left the outside light on and he was glad to see she had followed his instructions regarding her safety. He hated to leave her alone at night, but this time it couldn’t be helped.

As he was unlocking the dead bolt, he noticed the new doorbell and smiled. Cool, he’d been meaning to install one. As soon as his finger touched the button, he jumped back several feet, his hand going automatically to his concealed weapon. Hell, she got a dog, a mean dog, he thought groaning! Feeling like a fool, he looked around to make sure none of the neighbors saw him. Then he realized, there was no dog, just a brand-new doorbell.

The house was dark except for a very dim light coming from the bedroom so he tried to be quiet, figuring she had fallen asleep. Tess had been stressed lately and he knew she was having wedding jitters wanting to make their wedding as perfect as possible.

Thinking she was in the bedroom, he hit the light switch in the living room, planning to grab a beer and chill out for a bit in his chair, maybe watch a little TV. The blast of music and bright lights staggered him. His mouth fell open in shock and the shoes he carried in his hand thumped to the floor.

Tess jumped from the chair, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her long nightgown twisted around her legs and she came close to falling on her face before Rory caught her. Picking her up in his arms, he stood there frozen as his eyes took in the carnival in his living room. His sharp gaze took in every detail. His face had the look of someone coming upon a horrific accident.