《The Renaissance Man》


 The Dance

    The weekly flea market which used the cities fair ground was filled with vendors that Saturday morning in March. Every nook and cranny of space was being used by them to the max. Each one of the vendors were selling what they had in order to make a dollar as it appeared the foot traffic was in a spending mood. Being a warm spring day had brought the people out of their houses. It was nice to see so many without their winter coats.


    The added plus was that a group of the area¡¯s farmers and small businesspersons were selling items they either grew or manufactured to sell. Homemade soaps, fresh bakery items, honey, maple syrup, and herbs were just a few of the available products on hand for the prospective customers. Some of the early spring vegetables were starting to show up to the customers delight.


    If I had not been here for a purpose, I would have picked up some of the fresh cheese and garlic bread, a banana loaf, and a peach cobbler from the Amish ladies who were dressed in their usual attire. Their products had the reputation of being top notch. As a result, they were usually sold out of some items if you did not get here early.


    The flea market ran every weekend from the first of March until then end of June. Then would reopen after Labor Day when the dog days of summer had begun to wind down and go through the end of November.


    The heat of the summer had caused a lot of tourists money they could not afford when the frying of an egg on the road stunt was pulled on them. The only other time it was closed down was when the Semo fall fair was running.


    I was here for another reason. I was on the hunt. I work as an investigator for the State¡¯s Attorney General¡¯s office out of Jefferson City. My area of coverage includes this region, so we had set up my regional office in the Cape Giradeau police department.


    We were working on a tip that stolen antiques were being sold in our area by an multi layered interstate organized crime ring that focused on antique furniture. It had come from the Attorney General¡¯s office in Tennessee.


    In crosschecking with representatives from the two other states involved we had learned the crime ring would steal items from the upper class in one state then sell the items as antiques in the other two a couple of months later because they knew those looking for them had moved on to other things. Until recently we had nothing with a serious way of identifying something easily. About three months ago a break in had netted them something we could trace.


    Today I was dressed as an older gentleman worn down by time and life. I was hunched over and walked as if I could not straighten up. It clearly looked by my appearance that the years of life had taken its toll on me. The makeup and molded body parts I wore accented my image making me appear that my age and time had physically broken my body down.


    My old worn and faded hat contained a small video camera that could record everything. No one would be able to see my real age as the facial actors makeup I had applied hid any traces of what I looked like. Tight skin like gloves covered my hands which would have been a sure give away.


    I used a weird-looking homemade thing with four wheels on it as a walking aid which appeared to have an oxygen tank on it with a breathing line leading up to my nose. It actually carried the pieces I need to convert it into something that could be used to transport objects in.


    I was looking for three Hungarian carousels made in the late eighteen hundred stolen from a well-known former country star out of Nashville. Two of my favorite songs of his called eight by ten and still had been two of my father¡¯s favorites as I was growing up.


    I deliberately walked slowly to enhance my image while pushing the aid in front of me. The running shoes I had on needed the laces tied up because they appeared to be untightened. The way I walked made it appear that I was having a hard time keeping my balance. I was one row over from the food vendors which ran down the middle of the grounds when I saw them.


    At the moment there were two very well dressed nice looking ladies inspecting them very closely. Both were dressed in a style and class that was well above the normal attendees. It was clear to see that from the vender''s point of view, they had the appearance of having a lot of money.


    No doubt the vendor was going to try to milk these ladies for as much money as he could. Looking over the area they were in I noticed the six vans with out of state plates, parked around the cab with a twenty two foot container trailer behind it. It led me to believe that the tip had been right. I turned on the hidden video cam and made sure that it caught all the Tennessee plates.


    One of the females was a few years older than the other. Both were quite good looking. I could tell from their appearance that they seemed to be related because both seemed to have style, grace, and mannerisms that showed their closeness in relationship.


    I moved in closer wanting to hear what the older one of the two was discussing while trying to talk the vendor into bringing his asking price down. She spoke like she had knowledge about the items she was bargaining for. I knew I had to find a way to make it appear that she did not.


    The older female a redhead had a nice shape to her curved frame, was dressed in black dress slacks, wearing two inch heels, with a soft yellow sweater that covered the upper body part of her body. I could see the outline of her cleavage, which implied she carried plenty. What caught my attention was the fact that she wore truly little make up because she apparently didn¡¯t need it.


    The other female was more like the younger generation dressed in a top that exposed the ripeness of her female breasts. I mentally asked myself if she was dressed that way in order to draw attention. To me she had dressed a bit extreme and lacked tact and modesty. She had yet to learn that leaving a little hidden left a lot for a man¡¯s imagination. It implied that she was not yet comfortable in who and what she saw in the mirror and was still experimenting in finding her image.


    I slowly knelt down as if time had made it a chore for me to get down and back up again to inspect them as my camera continued to record. I lifted the first one up on an angle to see if I could find a serial number. My camera captured it. I repeated the process on all three. I smiled. It was a gold mine. I had found what I was looking for.


    I had a serial number that matched.


    The original owner had put a small plate on the bottom of them with an identifying number. Now I had to find a way to buy them. I began to tap on them to make it appear that I was listening to the sound it made while holding a tin box that I pressed down and released. It created the sound that I wanted and implied that the bottoms were made of cheap metal. By the look in the vendor face I knew I had captured his interest.


    The older lady wasn¡¯t happy with my interruption because the vendor wasn¡¯t willing to negotiate any further on the price because it appeared to him that he had another person interested.


    Finally, she said, ¡°I give up, let¡¯s go Tina,¡± as she started to walk away.


    I mumbled in a slow broken English. ¡°Good thing you did because these are not real but cheap Russian imitations made in the nineteen-thirties.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that¡± the one named Tina asked?


    That was when it came to me. I could use the owners identification number to my advantage, so I replied, ¡°The Russians put serial numbers on their imitation of the originals and since we can¡¯t prove they work I would only by them as salvage for parts,¡±


    The vendor''s face went white so did the lady¡¯s face who was trying to buy just one.


    ¡°To find out if the ivory looking horses are real you would have to disassemble it and put back together again. The sound echoing from the bottom implies a thin section of wood has been glue to a section of tin.¡±


    ¡°So, what would you be willing to buy them all for,¡± the vendor asked?


    I mumbled, ¡°at the most a hundred bucks. If you bought them for more than that they must have seen, you coming.¡±


    I watched him take his cellphone out of his side pocket. I knew that I had created some doubt about them which was what I wanted. After tying my shoelaces, I slowly began pretending to struggle to get back up to a standing postion. The older lady came over and offered her support as I used the walker to help to pull myself up.


    After making a quick phone call that became quite heated, he said, ¡°If you can take them with you, sold. We can¡¯t afford to have imitations questioning the quality of the rest of our products.¡±


    I paid the man with five twenty-dollar bills which I did slowly so that I didn¡¯t give myself away . Making sure I caught his face in the camera as I counted them out to him. Less than five minutes later my weird walker was dismantled and reset. It was now a long cart with four wheels.


    The three, two-foot-high, three feet wide wooden carousels with horses made of ivory were now strapped down and were being gently pulled by me. I was being very careful as I did not want to damage the glass, they were encased in. Even though there had been a lot of damage done to them caused by transportation I knew they could be restored because the ivory looked tired but had not been touched. I had shut my video camera off by using an app on my cell.


    I deliberately cut between the vendors to get into the food section as I headed back towards my truck. What I came looking for had been found. The vendor and I would be meeting again later that day. The heat of the day was getting to me as underneath the body molds I was beginning to sweat.


    I was now walking faster than I had before because of the amount of people surrounding me hid me among the crowd. I was looking forward to getting out of my disguise and getting into my everyday clothing. That was when the same two ladies who had watched me purchase them started to approach me. I quickly turned the cam back on.


    The older lady was a natural redhead whose curls in her shoulder length was being twisted and turned by the mid-morning breeze. Her look and build reminded me of the actress Maureen O¡¯Hare who had starred with John Wayne in the movie McLintock. With those sparkling blue eyes, vibrate smile and the determination to match I knew she was going to be a handful.


    Just by watching that movie on reruns I knew how I would have to handle her if the impression she was giving me was right. If she acted the way that Maureen had in the movie McLintock I would have my hands full. My gut was telling me that she would, so I would have to act towards her the same as John Wayne did. I would have to stand my ground.


    ¡°You are a crook and I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± she said rather loudly as she came to a stop directly in front of me. Those nearby came to a complete stop. The last thing I needed was this idiot drawing attention to me that I did not want.


    I mumbled, ¡°Get lost lady¡± and continued walking at a slower pace because I wanted to make it appear to those who may be watching that she was harassing an old worn down man.


    She grabbed my arm trying to keep hold of me. I pulled it loose and stepped to the side of her in an attempt to get by her. I could see her temper rising as she swung her right arm at me. Those watching us could hear how hard it landed on the side of my face.


    ¡°Calm down young lady. You have no idea what you''re getting yourself into,¡± I mumbled to her while trying not to react.


    She started to swing again, so I straightened myself up until I was completely upright. It threw her for a loop which caused her to lose her balance and fall into me. I learned that I was about two inches taller than her in her heels.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since a youngling as soft as yourself threw herself at me. Thank you for giving me that thrill again,¡± I mumbled while laughing. ¡°But if you were trying to make an old man, feel young again it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    My smart assed remark seemed to inflame her anger more.


    Her next swing landed on my left cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s three, don¡¯t do it again,¡± I mumbled with a stern voice.


    I pushed past her and moved on. A few more minutes and I was at my truck which was a small cargo van with a raised back. The same type that the delivery services used. That Lady was persistent and just would not give up. She was still right beside me like a dog who had found a bone. I had reached the point that I had enough of her ongoing interference.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling nine one one,¡± she said, ¡°there never were carousels made in Russia. I know I just Googled it.¡±


    I could not argue that point because I knew the lady was right. I just needed the vendor to believe that so I could purchase them as cheap as possible.


    ¡°No call _ ___ ___ ____ and ask for Beth and put the speaker on,¡± I mumbled and said, ¡°and explain the situation to her.¡±


    I opened the back of the van and began loading the three carousels into it along with my equipment. Beth asked her who she was and how she got this number. As I listened to her explain to Beth what had transpired, I finished putting every into the back of the truck. I got a smile on my face because I knew what was about to come.


    Once Trish was done speaking, I turned in front of Miss know it all and spit the two marbles, I had in my mouth out. The two ladies were shocked that I could do something they considered gross.


    ¡°Hey, Beth, have you got her name and all the basic¡¯s,¡± I asked in my clear normal voice? Beth said ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Then tell this halfwit just who I am.¡±


    ¡°Trish, His name is James Scott Tait. Let me put it this way, he¡¯s an undercover investigator who works out of the state¡¯s Attorney General¡¯s office,¡± Beth explained.


    It was fun watching this miss know it all twit go into complete shock. Maybe she just realized that she had bit off more than she could chew.


    ¡°Beth, I will forward by email a video I just shot. I found those stolen carousels we were looking for and bought them,¡± I said with authority. ¡°Let the captain know there are about six different groups of vendors working together. All from out of state. I got visuals of their vehicles plates. Let me know via my cell when the team is ready to come in. I will join them in the takedown. Run a background check on this lady. I will detain her until you get back to me before I decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking of charging her with,¡± Beth asked?


    ¡°Three accounts of assault, a charge of interference with an officer in the line of duty, aiding and abating in the process of a crime. I got it all recorded with the video I¡¯m about to send you,¡± I said in anger. ¡°The way these two are overdressed they were not shopping for products but looking for the kind of trouble that comes with two legs. She¡¯s a BBBB and that means trouble. With the mood this twit has put me in I¡¯m going to give her exactly what she wants.¡±


    ¡°Scott, calm down,¡± Beth said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you this angry.¡±


    I ordered Trish Malley to stick her hand out. The way she was looking at me said it all. Taking the cuffs out I cuffed her right hand and attached it to the step-up support handle at the side at the back of the truck. She went to speak. I hushed her.


    ¡°The best thing you can do for yourself is to remain quiet and don¡¯t say a word,¡± I said. ¡°The last thing you want to do right now is dig the hole you¡¯re in deeper.¡±


    I could see a slow burn showing up on her face. With that temper, if she weren¡¯t worried, she would have let me have it.


    I took off my hat which had the long scraggly grey hair attached to it. My natural short thick dark brownish black hair stood out in all its glory going everywhere. Both the ladies seeing me realized that I was disguised with makeup. Trish and the lady with her watched as I took the chip out of the hat¡¯s hidden compartment. Reaching into a sports bag I pulled out my laptop turned it on and sent the video in. I then upload a copy into the laptop. I took out the original chip and bagged it, marking it as evidence.


    From the sports bag, I pulled out another chip and made a copy of the video to the chip.


    ¡°How do you know Trish?¡± I asked the younger lady with her.


    ¡°She¡¯s my older sister. My name is Tina,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, if your parents sent you with her to chaperone her it didn¡¯t work. She still got herself in a lot of trouble,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t ask a dimwit to look after a halfwit at any time.¡±


    ¡°We were just killing time this morning before our lunch date,¡± Tina said with a smile.


    ¡°This is a copy of the video I took today,¡± I said while handing it to her. ¡°Her lawyer may find it useful. I¡¯d offer it to the halfwit, but she most likely would lose it.¡±


    Tina started to laugh. ¡°She actually not that dumb.¡±


    ¡°After what she did to me you would have a hard time convincing me of that,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to give her a break, are you?¡± she noted.


    ¡°At this moment in time I cannot afford to,¡± I said, ¡°If the crooks are spooked it could us cost thousands in additional costs to capture them.¡±


    With that, I walked around to the front of the van and turned the box lights on. I came back and climbed into the box explaining I was going to get out of the rest of my disguise. I pulled down the back door from the inside.


    It took me about ten minutes. I could hear the two sisters talking about the situation the older one was now in. The body molds were built into the clothing. Taking the makeup, false nose, and beard off took most of the time. I used actors lotion to wash it off of my face. Making sure that I did not miss a spot thanks to the small mirror I had hanging on the side wall.


    Once done I stepped out fully clothed wearing blue jeans with a custom made weighted blue jean long sleeved shirt. My handgun was secure in a hidden pocket. I now looked like I normally did.


    I came out to find I had two incredibly surprised ladies looking at me. My appearance had changed that much. At age thirty-three, I still had a lean straight frame with no body fat since I worked out regularly. I had inherited my mother¡¯s side of the family genes and was six foot two. I turned and pulled the door down locking it.


    My cell rang.


    ¡°Hi, Beth, What''s up.¡±


    ¡°Scott it will be about three hours before they can get there. Some of the guys have to go home and get changed. The captain doesn¡¯t want us coming into the fairgrounds uniformed. We don¡¯t want them to have a chance to run because of our appearance,¡± Beth said.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok I will stay and watch,¡± I said, ¡°if they haven¡¯t been spooked.¡±


    ¡°As for Trish Malley. She is a registered nurse, aged twenty-nine, never married. Works in the Southeast hospital maternity ward. No history of anything. Go easy on her,¡± Beth suggested. ¡°I have seen the video, I too Googled, what she said was the truth. I just think her anger got to her because you seem to be able to push her buttons. It is also clear by your reaction that she did the same to you. Think about it before rushing to judgment.¡±


    ¡°Ok thanks,¡± I replied ending the call.


    I looked at Trish Malley with a fresh set of eyes thanks to Beth¡¯s third party wisdom and decided I was overreacting just as much as she had.


    I undid the cuff on the support handle then took it off Trish Malley''s wrist.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a break, I¡¯m dropping all the charges except for one, because of your very public harassment of me the crooks may have been tipped off,¡± I said. ¡°If we have a successful takedown the only remaining charge of interference will be mute. If not, I will arrest you where you work on Monday. You''re free to go.¡±


    I went and turned the box lights off, locked the doors, and I started to walk away.


    ¡°James, wait for me,¡± Trish said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving your side until I know for sure I¡¯m not going to be charged.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think our appointment is important too,¡± Tina asked?


    ¡°Yes, but this horse¡¯s ass can do anything,¡± Trish said. ¡°He¡¯s already shown it. If I am going to be facing charges, I am going to know what it is for. This way, he will have to take me in today instead of Monday.¡±


    I had refused to stop so Trish had to run to catch up to me.


    ¡°Are you always so cold and rude James?¡± Trish asked when she got to my side.


    ¡°Scott, I use my second name and I don¡¯t get friendly with those I may have to charge,¡± I said. ¡°I have to keep it straight and clean.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we will just say if anyone asks that I am being detained until it all plays out,¡± Trish stated. ¡°Tina call Mom and cancel the luncheon.¡±


    We headed towards the food court where there were several picnic tables available tied down with stakes and chains. I picked the one that allowed me the best view of the vendor I had bought the stolen goods from. I asked the ladies if there was something they would like to eat. They both said they loved sausages but the vendor who sold them did a poor job cooking them that they would do without.


    I smiled, then pulled out my wallet and handed it to Trish saying, ¡°Go to the juice vendor and ask him for three of his Scott specials. If he refuses payment open my wallet, show him my badge and ask him if he is trying to get you further in trouble.¡±


    I got up and said, ¡°I will meet you back here if Tina will keep our seats.¡±


    A few minutes later I returned with the sausage vendor carrying four plates. Trish had already returned with our cold drinks. Once I had set down the ones, I was carrying I took my seat.


    ¡°He tried just as you said he would,¡± Trish said as she handed me back my wallet. ¡°He helped me carry them back. On the way, he told me you were a good man and disclosed that without your help he would not be here today. I guess he was trying to make me feel better about my situation without prying.¡±


    I introduced Barry to the ladies. Then I asked them to taste the four different styles the sausage were prepared in and give us their honest opinion. Both had their favorites but in general thought, they were all a big improvement from what they had tried before. It made Barry smile when they said they would have no problem buying any of them. Barry thanked me over and over again before I had a chance to explain.


    ¡°Barry those are your wife¡¯s recipes that you refused to try,¡± I said. ¡°Go close up, cut your losses for this day. On your way home pick up some roses and beg her for forgiveness for being such a stubborn ass.¡±


    I watched him walk away and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how a sweet woman like his wife could fall in love and marry an asswipe like him.¡±


    ¡°Are you always this opinionated?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°Only with those, I feel comfortable with,¡± I said. Tina laughed.


    We had been there about an hour making small talk without revealing too much. When Tina spoke. ¡°We have an incredibly determined lady walking this way. She appears to be looking right at you Scott.¡±


    ¡°About five foot six, long brunette hair, blue eyes, most likely wearing skintight blue jeans that accent her sexuality while wearing a white blouse with a yellow butterfly embroidery sewn in around her right shoulder,¡± I said without looking.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s Linda,¡± I said. ¡°I swear she can smell my scent a mile away. She¡¯s the daughter of a good friend of mine. I could be a needle in a haystack and that girl would find me.¡±


    I watched Trish and Tina''s eyes as Linda walked towards me picking up speed. I could tell that they were checking the female walking towards me out as if they were sizing her up. When she reached me, she stood behind me wrapping her arms around my neck. Then she leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Are you going to introduce me as your girlfriend, Scott,¡± Linda asked?


    ¡°Linda this is my mistress and her sister, their names are Trish and Tina!¡± I said with a straight face. ¡°You can figure out for yourself which is which.¡±


    It was interesting to see the two T¡¯s trying not to tell me off.


    Linda stood straight up. Her face got determined as she spoke in seriousness. ¡°Ladies if this is true then we have a real problem. I will not let you be involved with this man, He¡¯s mine! I¡¯m going to marry him in just over two years.¡±


    ¡°Dream on girl, I¡¯m too old for you,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°After all, Linda if I was a couple of years older, I could be your dad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he could,¡± said her father.


    I turned to see him and his wife. ¡°Hi, Bill, hi Marge good to see you again. Trish and Tina, I¡¯d like you to meet Linda¡¯s parents.¡±


    After Bill had sent his daughter and wife to get them all some fries and cokes, he said, ¡°we were stopped for a red light. When she saw your truck. She was out of the car and over the fence before the light changed.¡±


    ¡°You got a nice looking daughter Bill how old is she,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°Sixteen a week ago,¡± he replied noticing their surprise. ¡°I know she can pass for twenty at least thanks to him.¡±


    That was when I caught the questioning look from Trish. I frankly didn¡¯t give a dam.


    It was then my notification signal went off. I read the text, it said ten minutes. Marge and Linda had returned we were all chatting as a group. When my cellphone rang, I stepped away to answer it noticing that Trish was watching me. I returned to say it was time for me to go back to work.


    Before leaving I winked at Trish and said, ¡°it¡¯s turned out to be a good day for someone after all. It appears that she is now off the hook.¡±


    We moved in, the six of us to take the group of about fifth teen down. I got jumped and was trying to take two men down when their wives decided to join in, in an attempt to stop me from arresting them. A crowd of watchers had started to gather. I had gotten one down and had started to cuff him when I felt a knife penetrating my shoulder blade.


    At that moment Linda said, ¡°Scotts been hurt I got to go,¡± and started to run off towards me. Trish told Tina to run to their car and get her medical first aid kit out of the trunk. Linda pushed through the onlookers. Her parents and Trish followed.


    ¡°Get your hands off of my man you two bitches,¡± Linda yelled.


    One of the women still fighting with me turned and went towards Linda while holding the knife. Linda rushed towards her and kicked it out of her hands. Her second kick knocked the wind out of her. Before she caught her breath, Linda kicked the side of her face knocking her out.


    ¡°One down one to go,¡± Linda said as she pulled the second female off me throwing her to the ground. As she was getting up Linda kicked her hard forcing her down again.


    I handed Linda a couple of plastic hand ties, told her to tie their hands up behind their back and take their right shoe off. While I secured the second man.


    Afterward, I walked over to her as the crowd watched in complete silence. I was completely oblivious to the fact that I was bleeding.


    ¡°Thanks, Lynn,¡± I said. ¡°For saving my ass.¡±


    I noticed that she had started to cry so I pulled her into my chest figuring she was coming to terms with what had just happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time you called me Lynn and acknowledged that I am a woman with all the feeling,¡± she said. ¡°Now give me a proper thanks like you would if I was your woman.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, if I did that your dad could rightfully throw me in jail,¡± I replied.


    Bill hearing what I said, said: ¡°Give her what she wants Scott. After what she did, she deserves it.¡±


    I leaned down lowering my head to her as she was raising hers. I held her tight and gave her a deep long French kiss as if she was my woman. Then I started walking away.


    ¡°Scott!¡± Linda said. ¡°I will no longer believe that you don¡¯t believe in love because that kiss showed the real truth about how you feel.¡±


    I turned and faced her. ¡°Lynn I never said I didn¡¯t believe in love. I said because of my family''s history that its best for all that I don¡¯t allow myself to love. Sad to say it¡¯s still true.¡±


    By this time Tina had brought back Trish¡¯s medical bag. Trish ran up to me as I was walking away.


    ¡°Scott take off your shirt now!¡± Trish said.


    ¡°No!¡± I said turning to face her as she set the bag down. ¡°I don¡¯t show my man titties to anyone especially a lady I just met.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± she said as she slapped me then proceeded to rip off the sleeve at the shoulder. After checking the area out, she said the wrong side and ripped the other side off.


    Still not satisfied she grabbed my shirt from the front and ripped it apart and pushed what was left off of my shoulders. She then pushed me down into a chair and sat on me so I could not easily get away.


    Looking directly into her eyes I was impressed. It had taken this bitch less than two minutes to ruin my custom made shirt.


    ¡°You got a two-inch knife wound in the back of your shoulder,¡± Trish said. ¡°It does not appear to have done any permanent damage, but you will have to go to the hospital to get it stitched up. I will bandage it up.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the equipment needed to stitch it up,¡± I asked?


    She said yes, but I have nothing to ease the pain. I told her to go ahead and do it. I said there was no way in hell I was going to the hospital. It took her about ten minutes to get it all done. I pulled what was left of my shirt back onto my shoulders. By that time, she had put her medical stuff away. Standing back up I grabbed her and forcibly put her over my knee.


    I slapped her tush three times with the palm of my hand while telling her never to hit me again. Then I released her. I hadn¡¯t hit her hard, but I surely had embarrassed her. Being Irish her temper flared. The four letters swear words that came out of her mouth could have made most men blush. She picked up her medical bag and was going to knock off my head with it.


    ¡°Knock it off you two,¡± The police captain said. ¡°From what I have seen you both have been behaving like immature children. Now both of you put your hands out in front of you.¡±


    To our complete surprise he put a cuff on my right wrist and attached the open side to Trish''s left wrist.


    ¡°These items will have to be watched over until we can bring in the trucks to load the stolen goods up. You two either volunteer and agree to stay cuffed together until we get back or its jail until we see the judge on Monday,¡± The captain said.


    ¡°I guess were volunteering,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± said Trish.


    The captain had a strange smile on his face as he walked away. Trish and I found two lawn chairs and sat down. Both of us were feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I felt like I was in detention because of something I had done,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m the one that started it all,¡± Trish said. ¡°After all I was the one that accused you of being a crook.¡±


    ¡°We were both at fault,¡± I said. ¡°You came on like Maureen Ohara and I responded as if I were John Wayne.¡±


    Trish started to laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that movie too. You called our behavior just about right.¡±


    Tina walked over and took a few pictures with her cell. ¡°Mom and dad won¡¯t believe this without proof. Hell, I saw all it unfolded and I¡¯m still having a hard time believing it.¡±


    ¡°How long are we going to be stuck here?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°They will stay away until the crowds peters out, so I figure around seven to eight pm,¡± I responded.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Sis take my medical bag and my purse. Be back at seven tonight to pick me up,¡± Trish said.


    Linda walked over and looked at us before speaking. ¡°Dam I wish I had known that all it took was a set of cuffs to get you to spend time with a woman I would have bought a set long ago.¡±


    As soon as Tina left, we started taking a closer look at some of the items the illegal vendors had been selling. There was a lot of older furniture of good quality. Some in good shape some not. I learned that Trish had a good eye to what was quality but had no clue as to age or period. Two sets caught her attention the first was a couch and a love seat. The second was a dining set. The table needed a major repair. Most would look at it and pass on it because of it.


    ¡°It''s beautiful,¡± Trish said. ¡°But if you stripped it to repair it, it would lose its Fatima and be worth a lot less.¡±


    ¡°Not if a true master in the restoration of old furniture was doing it,¡± I said.


    We had our moments, but we got through them. The hardest was when Trish had to go to the bathroom, but we got through that difficulty. I had to use my badge to clear the bathroom so she could use the stall while I stood with my back to her.


    By six that evening, a lot of the vendors had packed up and left because the traffic had petered out, so Trish and I walked back to my van and brought it down.


    I called my next-door neighbor¡¯s son Brad. I asked him to stop at my house to pick me up a t-shirt, a twelve-pack of beer then asked him to pick up two large Pizzas from Papa John¡¯s and be at the flea market by seven.


    Brad and Tina pulled in at the same time. I introduced them to each other, as I paid him for the pizza¡¯s that were still quite warm. It turned out they were both going to the local university. When Brad saw the cuffs, he had to ask. Tina went into great detail explaining it all while we ate and drank beer. Brad had to say so it took a set of cuffs for Scott to spend major time with a female.


    Both Trish and I picked up their instant attraction to each other as we ate until we were all more than full.


    It was almost eight when the team showed up. The captain said sarcastically it''s nice to see you two did not kill each other as he undid the cuffs. He once again had a huge grin on his face as he grabbed a slice of the leftover pizza. I asked him about it, and he said he would explain it to me, in due time.


    I opened up the back door so they could take possession of the three carousels into evidence. We talked for a few while I took my ripped shirt off, slid the t-shirt on then put back on the remnants of my shirt. It took them about forty minutes to take anything that would allow us to identify who it belonged too. I got the boys to load the couch and sofa Trish liked into the back of my van before they left.


    We asked the ladies to climb into the van so we could hand up the dining set to them. Once we were done, they climbed out of the back of the van.


    ¡°Trish where do you want this furniture delivered to,¡± I asked? ¡°I talked to the captain, since it can¡¯t be traced, we decided to give it to you because you were a good sport about it all. What''s left will be picked up in the morning for the annual police auction.¡±


    ¡°Let me make a phone call first and I will answer you,¡± Trish said as she opened her cell.


    ********


    ¡°Tina take my car and meet me at our parents,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Do not park in the driveway. Scott will have to back his van in so we can unload it.¡±


    ¡°How are you getting there,¡± Tina asked?


    ¡°I will ride with Scott,¡± Trish replied. ¡°That way I can direct him.¡±


    I wondered why Tina seemed surprised by that thought.


    Her father had moved his vehicles out of the garage so we could move the furniture in. As Brad, the ladies and I unloaded it he took pictures of it with his cell and sent them to somebody. We put the couch in first then used the old newspapers to provide protection for it. That allowed us to lay the love seat in reverse over it. We brought the table in and did the same with it. That allowed us to gently layer some of the chairs on top. The two captain chairs we set in front.


    Trish then introduced me to her parents, John, and Hellen Malley. Tina had gone in and brought out a few cans of cold beer. Out of curiosity, her dad had to ask me what happened to my shirt.


    ¡°These are the facts. A lady I had met for the first time walked up to me and asked me to take off my shirt. I refused. The lady said fine. Then she slapped me hard on the face. While I was dealing with that, she ripped the right sleeve off. Looked for something, not seeing what she wanted she quickly ripped the other off only to find the same result. She grabbed the front of my shirt and tore the buttons off as she opened it up. Slid what was left of my shirt over my shoulders,¡± I said. ¡°Then she pushed me down into a lawn chair and sat on me. I was impressed because it only took her about a minute to ruin what had been a custom made shirt.¡±


    ¡°What did the lady want?¡± John Malley asked.


    ¡°You have to ask Trish that,¡± I said with a smile that only he could see.


    ¡°You Asshole you just had to say that¡± Trish said in laugher. ¡°Scott was bleeding from a knife wound in his shoulder. Scott, you better let me look at it again to make sure it¡¯s not infected.¡±


    I sat on the step and took my torn shirt off. Then I pulled my T-shirt off.


    Under the porch light, she washed the excess dried blood off while saying. ¡°There appears to be no infection and its healing well.¡±


    Tina saw the look of puzzlement on her parent¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Trish met Scott this morning when she tried to arrest him. She did not know he was a police officer working undercover,¡± Tina said while still laughing. ¡°You will not believe what these two did to each other today. They both ended up being cuffed to each other. Believe me, this is one day my sister will be teased about for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°The knife wound I received while arresting members of a stolen goods ring. Mr. Malley your daughter has a strong right. That was the fourth time she had hit me, and I had had enough,¡± I explained. ¡°I was so mad. Still reeling in the pain from being stitched up. That I physically turned her over my knee and spanked her tush.¡±


    Her parents both gasped.


    ¡°When I let her up, she picked up her medical bag and started to swing it at me,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s when the police captain stepped in and cuffed us.¡±


    ¡°You missed lunch because of trying to arrest Scott are you crazy?¡± Helen asked.


    ¡°Mom this is what Scott looked like when my sister tried to arrest him,¡± Tina said as she handed her cellphone to her. ¡°Scott was undercover, he actually made himself look and act as an old man would.¡±


    Helen had to admit that there was no way anyone would believe the old man was me.


    ¡°Mom I got a video clip that I can show you how they actually met later. Also, I caught the look on Trish¡¯s face when Scott spit the marbles out of his mouth so he could talk like he would normally,¡± Tina said.


    I decided it was time for me to go so I thanked them all for their hospitality and started towards the van. I needed to go load up what furniture was left behind before it disappeared.


    ¡°Scott,¡± Trish said.


    I turned back to look at her. Trish had just picked up a full can of beer as I said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Denny¡¯s at eight,¡± she asked? Before I could say a word, I saw the shocked look on her parents and sister''s faces.


    ¡°Sounds good, but I will be in a disguise again,¡± I explained. ¡°I have to go investigate another swap meet tomorrow because I¡¯m the closest investigator available.¡±


    ¡°How will I recognize you,¡± she asked?


    ¡°Look for this shirt, without the dried blood on it,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What should I wear?¡± She said seriously.


    Not thinking I blurted out, ¡°That depends on what you¡¯re shopping for.¡±


    ¡°You Asshole,¡± Trish yelled as a result of her quick temper.


    Next thing you know there was a full can of beer flying towards my head. I raised my hand up and caught it and slowly walked back towards Trish whose face displayed to perfection, her anger.


    ¡°You know Miss Maureen O''Hara. You and your quick temper have been riding my ass all day. There is only so much that a man can take,¡± I said firmly when I arrived in front of her.


    ¡°So, what, there is nothing you can do about it now,¡± Trish said with a sarcastic smirk. ¡°This is holy ground. You would not dare trying anything here.¡±


    ¡°Lady there is more than one way to skin a cat,¡± I said.


    Her mom went to say something, but her father said, ¡°stay out of it. Let the two of them work it out.¡±


    I was now right up against Trish. We were looking at each other eye to eye. I switched the beer can to my left hand and wrapped my right around her pulling her in tight. Lowering my head, I brought my lips to her and gave her a long tender tongue exchanging goodnight kiss. Meanwhile, I was using my left hand to shake the can even more.


    Both her parents caught on to what I was doing.


    After ending the kiss, I said, ¡°Here¡¯s your beer back maybe that can cool your temper off until the morning.¡±


    I started heading back to go when I heard her snap open the beer can. It went everywhere soaking her down.


    ¡°Dammit Scott,¡± Trish cursed. ¡°You can be a real asshole, you set me up.¡±


    ¡°Especially when one''s temper forces me to be,¡± I said in laughter.


    As John her father walked with me to the truck he asked, ¡°have you two been like this most of the day?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yet you''re holding your own,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I have seen this rodeo before a few times in an old movie called the ¡®The Taming of the Shrew¡¯,¡± I said as I climbed in to drive off.


    I guess it hit John as funny has he started to laugh and was still laughing when I left their driveway. As soon as he went back into the back yard, he got confronted about what was so funny. He refused to explain.


    ¡°Dad, did your insurance adjuster friend give you any names that I could use to restore the furniture,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°He texted me five or six good names but there was only one he would recommend if you wanted it back in mint condition,¡± John said. ¡°The problem is two-fold with him. He does it for favor¡¯s owed down the road and he is almost impossible to get a hold of.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°James Scott Tait,¡± Her dad responded.


    John was puzzled. Trish was sitting there not saying a word, yet she had a huge smile on her face. Tina walked over and sat beside her. Taking her hand.


    ¡°What''s the problem Sis,¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been nine years since I got stood up at the altar and swore off of love and romance,¡± Trish said. ¡°Then he had to kiss me after all the bickering we have done. How can I work with someone I¡¯m attracted too when I swore off of those types of relationships?¡±


    ¡°Sis you¡¯re not afraid of him. You both share for different reasons the same fear. That¡¯s why you find yourself bickering with him. Like he is with you. That fear is bonding the two of you together,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°What fear, your full of it, I¡¯m not afraid of anything neither is Scott,¡± Trish responded.


    ¡°Yes, you both are afraid of falling in love. Scott admitted that to Linda today. We both know that she would marry him if he would let her. I just wish I knew her story.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you later, I learned about it while Linda was helping Scott,¡± Trish said quietly.


    Standing up Trish said. ¡°Before we all go into to see how Scott and I met I want to tell you, Dad, that I will get James Scott Tait to help me restore the furniture.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that,¡± John asked?


    ¡°That¡¯s Scott¡¯s full name,¡± she said. ¡°I just have to figure out how to approach him about it.¡±


    They watched the video clip from the start to the finish. Trish¡¯s father felt it was a hoot. Then Tina sent an email to her mom containing all the clips she had taken. All four of them watched what Tina had shot. From the meeting of me by the truck until I had taken my disguise off. She had captured the fight from when Linda entered the brawl until right after I had spanked Trish.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that lady named Linda,¡± Asked Helen?


    ¡°Mom she¡¯s sixteen years old. Her maturity is years beyond what is normal,¡± Trish said. ¡°When she was twelve, she got involved with some sixteen and older-aged boys who took advantage of the situation. They ended up having a party at her parents¡¯ house that went overboard. Scott saved the day for the family by stepping in and agreeing to be there while she was under house arrest for the summer. During that summer she had to work with him as they repaired the damage.¡±


    ¡°It was during the second week of school that Linda¡¯s parents were called in by the school counselors. Because of the change of her personality, they thought she had been sexually assaulted. After going through all the hoops and whistles the professional determined that Scott had been the first person to treat her as an equal.¡± Trish continued, ¡°He taught her to think all things out. To use her senses as assets, and how to protect herself. Tricks about life that would take other¡¯s years to learn, she learned that summer. Her maturity level was years above other students. On the last day of her house arrest, her parents arrived home to find she had cooked the complete dinner herself. Her father a master chef was blown away with how well it was done.¡±


    ¡°Every male person Linda meets gets compared to Scott. Its result is that she has convinced herself she is in love with Scott, and no one is going to prove to her anything different. She took judo classes and excelled. From what her father said she¡¯s about to get her black belt,¡± Trish said. ¡°That¡¯s why she stepped in to help.¡±


    ¡°Wow how does that affect Scott''s relationship with her parents?¡± asked John.


    ¡°He tries to avoid Linda as much as possible,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Yet sees her parents a lot. Scott has helped him at times during special events when needed. Mom I need to borrow those old used blue jeans you wear when cleaning the house. Scott thought I was overdressed so I am going the complete opposite tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Scott has always walked alone,¡± Brad said. ¡°My parents thought for years that he was gay and tried to limit my association with him. The clip I took of him kissing Trish clearly showed his reaction and will erase any doubts my parents have.¡±


    Helen and John were lying in bed trying to digest the day. For the first time in almost nine years, their daughter Trish had become involved with a man.


    ¡°What¡¯s attracting those two to each other is the question I can¡¯t figure out,¡± she said to her husband. ¡°Their bickering and snipes show that they are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is,¡± he responded. ¡°Our daughter is finally starting to let go and heal. Scott has gotten her mind off of what happened. Perhaps it¡¯s because Scott treats her as an equal not just as a woman. Give them a chance to work it out between themselves and stay out of it.¡±


    ¡°I will, I promise. It was my pushing that caused what happened in the first place. I¡¯ll not make that mistake again,¡± she said.


    ----------------------------------


    I noticed Trish standing by the entrance to Denny¡¯s talking to a gentleman as I drove in. I was in a modified old Ford farm truck with a flat deck on it with wooden rails down the side. It had been used in parades and had a few bells and whistles to it that could not be seen. For years it had been used in a circus for the clowns. I had bought it used. Restored it and modified it. In the back was a rocking chair permanently tied down.


    Using sound effects, I could make it sound like the engine was on its last breath. It would blow blue smoke out of the rear end or behind the back seat and make farting sounds on command.


    The outfit I was wearing made me look like a good ole local boy from the south. It gave me a big ass, wide thighs, massive forearms, and wide thick shoulder blades. I wore a long black hair wig tied with a ponytail at the back. Matching trimmed beard and mustache. A pair of John Lemon style sunglasses and a St Louis Cardinals baseball cap on backward. My now sleeveless blue jean shirt with no buttons hung off my shoulder in all its glory.


    I stepped down out of the truck knowing that Trish did not see me. Walking towards her I noticed the person she was talking to seemed to be quite interested in her. I reached the step up to the entrance and stood beside the man who was talking to her before she saw my shirt. She broke into a smile.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said to the gentleman with her. ¡°Is this young lady your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No, we just work together,¡± The man said.


    I said good and moved in towards her. After removing my sunglasses, I pulled her into my arms and lowered my head giving her a deep good morning kiss. The man with her was stunned.


    ¡°Well, I can take that off my bucket list,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± he asked?


    I replied, ¡°I have always wanted to kiss an angel good morning.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your purse,¡± I asked Trish?


    ¡°No purse, identification, and money with a cellphone in the pocket,¡± Trish replied.


    Without a word, I bent over, picked her up throwing her over my shoulder and started walking back to the truck.


    Giggling she said, ¡°You goofball I wanted breakfast. Stephen the man I was talking to is part of the security team at the hospital. We are going to be the talk in the halls tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Brad called me last night. He¡¯s having breakfast with Tina later, so we got together and did some planning. I¡¯m taking you for breakfast now and when we are leaving Brad will arrive with your sister and clean up after.¡±


    We got into the truck, and I started it.


    ¡°Trish open up the glove box and switch the second lever up,¡± I said.


    I slowly back out of the parking spot as the truck backfired. We drove around towards the exit but had to come close to the entrance of the restaurant before leaving.


    ¡°Get ready to flick the fifth and sixth lever up when I say go,¡± I stated.


    When I said go the back of the truck was right beside Stephen. The sound of a large fart could be heard, and a puff of blue smoke appeared. To those entering it was believed that Stephen had let one.


    As soon as I hit the main drag, I had her turn the sound effects off. Trish was shaking her head. We drove through town ending up on a small ridge above the local casino. Brad and I had erected a huge tent over the picnic table. We had brought a gas flat grill and set it up. It gave us an elevated view of the mighty Mississippi River as it flowed south.


    The first thing I did was pour us both a glass of champagne and orange juice in a flute glass. We talked about general things as I made us both three egged cheese omelets with peppers and onions in them. Fried some sausage rounds and home fries on the side. I even had some handy wipes for cleanup.


    ¡°You surprised me with everything you did this morning,¡± Trish said. ¡°You turned a meeting for breakfast into something special. The rest of the day is going to be boring after this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to go with me to the swamp meet if you like, but it will take us two hours to get there so it is going to be around three before we get back,¡± I said.


    We were soon on the highway driving south heading for Tennessee. Trish and I were still keeping our conversations lite. We were heading to a small town just south of where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers melded into one. It was around noon when we pulled in. I found a spot to park. We were strangers to the locals. Reaching behind me I took down the banjo I had hanging up in the back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been given a contact here to meet. He¡¯s an old-timer so I got to approach him in a way that won¡¯t seem out of place,¡± I said. ¡°Those I am looking for will be watching for anything because of what happened yesterday. Trish I am going to play a tune of the banjo and if he responds we know he¡¯s here.¡±


    I sat in the rocking chair and played for a bit. As soon as I quit the contact started. It was not long until we had our own version of dueling banjo¡¯s going on. Finally, after about twenty minutes I lifted my hands up in a sign of surrender. As I was getting down a lady walked up.


    ¡°My father wants to meet you,¡± she said. ¡°I want to thank you for getting him playing with emotions and passions again.¡±


    We followed her across the parking lot. The elderly gentleman was standing there.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯d been schooled like that,¡± I said while holding out my hand.


    He laughed and replied as we shook hands. ¡°It¡¯s been just as long since I¡¯ve been pushed like that. You play like an old-timer young man.¡±


    He opened up a side on his work truck and pulled out a two-gallon jug. Pulling out the cork he said. ¡°Have a taste young man.¡±


    I tipped it to my mouth leaned my head back and tasted it. Holding it in my mouth and gargled with it before allowing it to flow down my throat. Not to be outdone he did the same then handed it back to me. I took a second and handed it back to him. He offered me a third one.


    ¡°No way. Your mash is like a woman¡¯s breast one¡¯s not enough but three would be too many,¡± I said honestly.


    He roared. ¡°What¡¯s brought you down this way?¡±


    ¡°The missus picked up a set of dining chairs and table she wants to restore this winter,¡± I said. ¡°Wants to find a full-sized hutch to complete the look she¡¯s going for.¡±


    ¡°Barbie would it be okay if we went with them?¡± he asked his daughter.


    ¡°You guys go ahead, and we will follow.¡± She responded.


    We had gone through about half the meet when Trish¡¯s eye was captured by a hutch that had a china section sitting on top. She said to us over this way. By the time we got there, she was looking intently at it. I heard her ask the vendor how much. He replied with a price that seemed too high.


    ¡°Now if you think we''re going to pay that for something that I might have to junk because I can¡¯t un wedge that drawer you have been smoking something,¡± I said.


    ¡°But dear,¡± Trish said catching my drift, ¡°it¡¯s a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°That might be but not with my pocketbook. If they could have gotten it out, they would have,¡± I replied.


    We ended up picking it up for less than half because I became the hard ass. The vendor who sold it to me I recognized from the photo the city detectives had sent to me. The two ladies carried the top us men carried the bottom. After covering it in protective blankets I strapped it in. I went off and made a phone call. Letting the old man know I raised three fingers up.


    I heard Barbie whisper to Trish he¡¯s a keeper thank him for helping my dad to get out of his grieving for a while.


    We got into our truck to head back. I warned everybody before we left that the old girl would backfire till it warmed up. Trish made sure it did. She even added in a couple of puffs of blue smoke herself.


    I told her once we were out of sight that the local police officers would be coming in at three. The information gained in interviews last night had revealed this as part of the ring. The authorities in Arkansas would get the remaining one.


    I asked her about the hutch and what attracted her to it. She explained that when her grandmother was a child, she had signed the bottom of a drawer on her grandmother''s antique hutch they had just bought. The wedged drawer might be it.


    When we got back to Cape, I stopped in at Ace hardware and picked up some bee¡¯s wax. Then swung into Walmart to pick up some dental floss and a package of long thin sewing needles.


    She had called ahead to ask her dad to move his vehicle so I could back in. Before pulling off the tarp I pulled out two small a-frames built into the back setting them up three feet apart. After unwrapping the two parts to the hutch. We set the lower half down and pulled out all the drawers except one wedged in. The reason it was stuck was something had gotten stuck behind it.


    Trish watched me thread the sewing needle with the dental floss then push it through the beeswax. Carefully and slowly, I waxed down the side that was wedged tight. I had to rethread and repeat the process numerous times. Her two nephews asked a bunch of questions as they watched me work. As soon as I had my hand underneath the back of the drawer, I told Trish to slowly begin pulling it out. The beeswax worked. It was slow and hard but what had been wedged in finally fell as the drawer corrected itself and came out.


    I had one of the boys catch a video of what we were doing. As soon as the drawer was safely out. Trish reached in and pulled out a small jewelry box. She opened it up to find a diamond necklace. We then moved the last two items into the garage.


    We went to the police station to turn it in and explain how she came into possession of it. The police officer was shown the video the boys made. As the officer filled out the report, I quietly flashed my badge. So, at the bottom of the page, he wrote verified by ¡°Mrc¡± before signing it and giving Trish a copy.


    ¡°If it''s not reported stolen. It will be returned to you within six months,¡± The officer said.


    Trish whispered, ¡°Does the initials ¡®Mrc¡¯ mean Mr. Claus?¡±


    The officer replied. ¡°I can¡¯t honestly answer that?¡±


    We went through the drive-through window at Dairy Queen and ordered milkshakes. I told Trish to turn on levers 3 and six. All of a sudden, a fart could be heard coming from the back seat with a flicker of blue smoke.


    The woman at the service window face showed her total disgust.


    ¡°Sorry Mame, I apologize, I told the wife not to feed our boys'' refried beans for breakfast. Now boys apologize to your mom,¡± I said.


    Following my lead, the boys said together, ¡°Sorry Mom!¡±


    As soon as we left the window the boys broke out in laughter. Trish I could see was blushing from embarrassment while laughing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fell for that,¡± she said.


    ********


    When we got back to Trish parents place the boy''s parents were there. I grabbed the sports bag off of the floor. Carrying it with me I placed it on the edge of the picnic table. Opening it up I took out an ice cream bucket and asked Trish to pour a little dish soap and warm water in it. Trish went in with her sister to get it from the kitchen. I took off my torn shirt and laid it on the table along with my wallet.


    ¡°Sis it''s nice to see you with a man, but what do you see in that fat man,¡± Trish¡¯s sister asked?


    ¡°I see the man inside. Remember,¡± Trish said with a chuckle, ¡°we were taught not to judge a book by its cover. I can¡¯t believe you are that shallow.¡±


    When the two ladies came back outside, I had the boys named Billy and Bobby grab one sleeve each. When they did, I told them that when I counted down from three to zero, they were to pull has hard as they could. I counted down and the boys pulled as hard as they could which caused my whole costume to come off in two sections. Both boys fell to the ground. Leaving me with nothing on but my shorts and shoes. I asked them to place the two pieces in my truck. Terri and Robert looked at me in amazement. It appeared that I had just lost one hundred pounds. Trish started laughing.


    ¡°I was as shocked as you were the first time, he took off his disguise,¡± Trish said.


    Trish than handed me the bucket of warm water which I used to help take my beard and mustache off. Then I removed the wig.


    ¡°Terry and Robert, I want you to meet Scott,¡± Trish said. ¡°Scott this is my middle sister and her husband. They are Billy and Bobby''s parents.¡±


    I shook their hands.


    I went to the paved driveway and told the boys that once I soaped myself down to spray off all the soap with the garden hose. In less than five minutes I was done. I grabbed the sports bag and went into the garage to change. When I came out fully dressed, I called the boys over.


    ¡°Open up my wallet and tell me what you see,¡± I said?


    ¡°A badge you¡¯re a police officer,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m an investigator that¡¯s higher than a detective,¡± I said. ¡°Your aunt helped me on a case this morning. As you see at times, I have to wear disguises. I need you to promise to me that if you ever see me in a disguise that you will not approach me.¡±


    The boys agreed.


    ¡°Ok sis,¡± Terry asked. ¡°How did you meet him? Was it at work?¡±


    ¡°I presume mom told you why I did not make lunch yesterday?¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Only that you got tied up with the cops,¡± Terry replied. ¡°Was that Scott?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it all started out because I tried to arrest him,¡± Trish said with a smile.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± Terry said.


    ¡°Oh yes, she did,¡± Hellen and John said. ¡°We got a video clip that shows it. It¡¯s a wonder these two didn¡¯t kill each other. What amazes me is the Scott was not afraid of coming back for more,¡± John added.


    ¡°So, you spent the whole day with him yesterday, and most of the day today,¡± Terry stated. ¡°So, what''s the difference?¡±


    ¡°Today so far Trish has not lost her temper,¡± I said. ¡°I count that as a blessing because that means that I have not had to act like John Wayne.¡±


    ¡°But that did not stop you from embarrassing more than once today although I must admit it was in fun,¡± Trish responded with a grin.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s learned that as hard as she can dish it out you will give it back,¡± John said. ¡°I had told my wife to leave you two alone to work it out and it appears to have worked because you see each other as equals.¡±


    ¡°Since we didn¡¯t get to celebrate your birthday yesterday, Trish, we thought we would do it today,¡± Helen said. ¡°Tina said Brad and she will be here after she gets off of work at six. Scott, we are expecting that you will stay.¡±


    ¡°All things considering, I think this whole weekend has been one of the craziest birthdays ever,¡± Trish said. ¡°This one just because of all the twist and turn will be hard to beat.¡±


    ¡°What I want to see right now,¡± said Terry ¡°is the video clip of how you met Scott.¡±


    We watched as all of them went into the house to watch it. Trish got us each a beer and sat down beside me on the step.


    ¡°Dad called an insurance adjuster friend last night to find out who he would recommend for the restoration of my furniture. He gave him five or six good names but said the best would be you,¡± Trish said. ¡°He said you were hard to find, only did it for a favor down the road.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Teach me how to do it,¡± Trish said. ¡°With my schedule, I have a lot of free time to work on it.¡±


    ¡°The problem is the full garage is still not enough space. You could attach a partial temporary addition using a tent style of formation that could only be accessed through the garage door,¡± I said. ¡°Otherwise, you will have to find a place to rent.¡±


    ¡°You can use the garage and add the tent section if you want to Scott,¡± John said as he stepped outside. ¡°We can park our cars outside until you two get it done.¡±


    Trish looked at me with her excited eyes.


    ¡°Before I say yes or no, we best talk to the neighbors,¡± I replied. ¡°We don¡¯t want complaints about noise and air pollution.¡±


    Since we had can cover¡¯s on our beer. Trish and I walked door to door to talk to all the neighbors. It took us about an hour to walk around the block. Most were very appreciative of our forethoughts and gave their blessing on our proceeding. Trish asked me why we did it. I said it makes them aware at times that there will be chemical smells in the air at times and cuts down the curiosity factor. We learned later that Helen got six phone calls from the neighbors letting them know how thoughtful her daughter and boyfriend had been.


    When we got back John and I went into the garage, and I explained how I would have to reinforce the outside wall to give it extra support. I would have to drill three holes from the inside out across above the garage door frame for a pipe attachment. The garage would, in fact, become the fourth side of the tent.


    That¡¯s when I learned he had always wanted to put a sidewalk down the full length of both sides of his driveway. He showed the lumber he had stacked behind the garage he had bought over the years to build a proper outside patio area. It was still wrapped up in its original shipping wrap.


    At six they started getting the meal ready. Brad and Tina showed up shortly afterward. Before we sat down to eat Trish had to open all the cards and gifts. That was when I told I would teach her what she wanted to learn.


    Trish got up and ran into my arms giving me a hug and a deep kiss.


    Terry looked at her mother who was smiling and walked over to her. She whispered in her mother¡¯s ear, ¡°can we actually believe this. Trish has not done something that spontaneous in years.¡±


    Helen whispered back, ¡°each of them has their own wounds and that kinship in spirit is helping them both to heal.¡±


    Before I left John had given me the spare key to the garage.


    ********


    Trish was taking a needed break after the morning rush in the maternity ward. She was behind the counter entering information into patients'' files. Her co-worker was also her best friend and had been since before they started high school. Jennifer was already married and had two growing daughters. As Jennifer came around to sit beside her, she heard Trish softly humming. Jennifer remembered well the last time she had seen her girlfriend this happy and that was an hour before she got left at the altar.


    ¡°Okay stop for a minute Trish and tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Everyone is asking what¡¯s got into you this morning. You¡¯re not being you. You¡¯re acting with the excitement you had in life when we were starting out in nursing school. It must have been one hell of a birthday on Saturday.¡±


    Just then Stephen showed up, back in his uniform saying, ¡°I wondered if you would be here today Trish after the way I saw you being carried off by that redneck rube yesterday.¡±


    Jennifer watched as Trish started to giggle. Soon it was a loud laugh. Trish¡¯s eyes were sparkling in the thrill of life. Jennifer hoped whatever was going on kept happening for her best friend.


    When she got control Trish said, ¡°The whole weekend was planned down to the littlest detail. It got thrown away because I had two hours to kill and went to the swap meet. In anger, I tried to make a citizen¡¯s arrest of an undercover investigator. One thing led to another. Before it was over, I was cuffed to him for six hours.¡±


    Trish started laughing again. ¡°Stephen that redneck rube you saw me get picked up by was him in another one of his disguises.¡±


    That led her to explain in general what happened during the weekend over the rest of the day. Of course, Jen had lots of questions. Jen was in awe that Trish had stitched up Scott without any pain medication only to end up being turned over his knees and spanked. It had caused her to wonder what he looked like.


    It was four o¡¯clock in the afternoon when I walked into Southeast Missouri Hospital. I looked like any construction worker did after a hard day¡¯s work. I needed to leave a message with Trish. I had gotten Brad to skip school to help me dig out along both sides of the Malley¡¯s driveway using a small bobcat and frame it in. We put in the wiring for yard lights and all needed accessories by tying it into the electrical box in the garage. We moved the excess dirt over to the area where John had said he wanted to put in a patio, leveled it out, and pressed it down to compact it. We also built a drainage system to take the excess water off the floor when it rained before we poured the concrete.


    At one pm the cement truck and the pumper truck arrived. It took about an hour to pour it and level off both sections. The owner of the concrete company had owed me a favor and I had called it in. It was quick-dry, and you could walk on it after four hours, but it needed until Wednesday to cure.


    Trish was not at the counter so I said I would wait. It didn¡¯t take long till I saw her walking down the hallway.


    She saw me and her face brightened up. ¡°What are you doing here,¡± she said.


    ¡°I need you to tell your parents that they can park in their driveway, but they can¡¯t walk on the poured concrete till after nine o¡¯clock,¡± I said. ¡°By the way you look good in pink.¡±


    ¡°I work this week three twelve-hour days, Next week will be four,¡± Trish said. ¡°Can we put the tent up on Thursday.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me, the freshly poured concrete will be cured by then,¡± I said. ¡°See you then.¡±


    Trish watched as I headed out. So did Jennifer. She was pleasantly surprised to see that we were both attracted to each other.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Scott,¡± Jennifer said, ¡°not bad, not bad at all. It must have been interesting to be cuffed to each other for a few hours and unable to get kinky.¡±


    ¡°Neither one of us are looking for love,¡± Trish said. ¡°We¡¯re just becoming good friends.¡±


    Jennifer said to herself that it is likely what you¡¯re both saying to yourselves, but the body language and the open attraction towards each other are saying something else. Jennifer decided right there and then that her best friend was beginning to fall in love again even if she didn¡¯t believe it. It had begun the moment they stopped fighting themselves on Sunday.


    Helen and John pulled into their driveway to discover why Trish had called them. On both sides of the driveway was the freshly poured sidewalk with protection tape all around. After getting out of their car they walked down to the city sidewalk to come in through the yard. Both of them were surprised to see the concrete slab poured for where he wanted to build the patio with the gazebo on top of it.


    All the rest of Jennifer¡¯s and Trish¡¯s workweek the talk was about the changes they were seeing in Trish. She was still her professional self but a gentleness they hadn¡¯t seen before was coming out. It had blown Jennifer¡¯s mind when Trish asked on their last shift where the best place was to by some stylish tank tops and blue jeans. She had not worn blue jeans since she had gotten stood up. It was as if she had become a dotting aged spinster overnight. For the first time in years, Trish was looking forward to being off.


    Just before four o¡¯clock Trish called the Cape police department and asked to speak to Scott. She was informed he was out in the field. She asked the person to put her through to Beth in dispatch and was connected immediately.


    ¡°Beth speaking how may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Beth Its Trish Malley, I need you to get a message to Scott,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°That I can do, what is it.¡± Beth asked?¡±


    ¡°Tell him my number is ___ _____ and have him call me, thanks,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Not a problem I will have fun teasing him about this for weeks,¡± Beth replied. ¡°Have sent the text message to him already. Is it about what happened last week because I can inform you no charges have been laid.¡±


    ¡°In part,¡± Trish said. ¡°When the captain finally uncuffed us, we had become friends.¡±


    ¡°Trish, what¡¯s this? Nobody said anything about this. Can I add your number to my contact list and call you later?¡± She asked. ¡°I want to hear the juiciest details.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Trish said.


    Jennifer said, ¡°so you two were so sidetracked by each other that you didn¡¯t even get each other¡¯s phone number.¡±


    ¡°Look it just didn¡¯t come up,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Then explain why your blushing,¡± Jen responded.


    --------------


    Trish finally got her breakfast at Denny¡¯s. She had an omelet with hash browns. I had their Grand Slam. She told me her father wanted to talk to me about the cost of the cement. On the ford flatbed, I had some tools, equipment, pipes, and the tent tied down. I had bought it years back from a store that sold used military supplies.


    We unloaded it then went to the lumber yard so I could get the lumber I wanted to use to reinforce. The first thing I did was to reinforce the bay doors wall. Then I measured and marked the spot where I would need the three holes drilled through. The middle one came out just below the roof. Once that was done using two ladders, we bolted the pipe holders in. We had to redo one because we got one installed with the wrong side up.


    It took us two hours to put the frame up, I got a kick out of Trish making sure that the top pipes were level as I adjusted the height of each pole following her direction below. We started in the middle because it was the highest one When it was framed out. I reinforced the top with sections of pipe that snapped in place that had both ends shaped like a c. While waiting for help I moved my tools and equipment in after I had laid down a tarp to cover the concrete driveway.


    Brad showed up about two in the afternoon. I had the six-line winches set up. We started by throwing the rope up and over from the front. Trish watched as we wound the winches causing the tent material for the front to rise from the outside up over the frame onto the roof. When it was stretched tight, we locked the winches in place with a hand lock. We repeated the same for both sides. There was a thin line still open at the center of the top. The final thing to be done was to throw the top cover on and snap it down. While we did that Trish strapped up the window coverings after rolling them up.


    Brad and I built a frame out of pine two by fours, for the chairs measured to be as high as Trish¡¯s waist. We designed it so two of the legs of the chair would fit in hole cut for them while the back of the chair rested on top. By turning the chair over we could hand sand every part of the chair that needed it.


    We could use the same frame when we started to reapply the natural color or stain using the same items as they were made when originally done. That was what most did not understand about restoring antique furniture. You had to imitate the material, stains, and paints as close as possible to what was used when the piece was originally created. If you did not it became worthless.


    When Brad left, I parked the truck on the road. Trish and I using her car ran to the market to pick up steaks, baking potatoes and the ingredients for a salad. We were busy in their kitchen preparing it when her parents got home.


    When John got the chance, he asked he asked how much he owed me for the work that had been done. I said the wood was basically nothing and the concrete cost me nothing as I had called in a favor that was owed me from the owner of the cement company.


    The attorney general was pleased to see that I was using some of the banked time off I had built up. It allowed Trish and me to work on her project straight for four days.


    -------------------

 The Two-Step

    Part 2: The Two-Step


    We had been hard at it for six weeks; Trish and I were making satisfactory progress. When it was possible, I had arranged my works schedule around Trish¡¯s. She had proved herself to be quite the enthusiastic student. I was impressed because she was willing to spend the hours needed to speed up the two different projects. We were doing our normal early clean up on a Sunday when I got a phone call from one of the au pairs employed in our city.


    The young lady I had met during a safety class for those new to the area that were freshly hired from overseas to work for the elite within our community. She had wisely kept my business card. She believed that the child she was responsible for was being stalked when they were out in the park. She told me what time they would be there the next day. I told her to go about her day as she would normally and promised that I would be there checking things out to see if her fears were right.


    The local park she referred to was one of the few that catered to preschoolers so I knew I had to come up with a disguise that would blend in with those who used the area. So, Trish and I discussed in humor the clothing I would wear. Little did we know that the one she sarcastically joked about would be close to what I came up with.


    I had learned over the last few weeks that family was particularly important to the Malley¡¯s. They got together every Sunday rain or shine for supper regardless of what was going on. As a result, Trish and I had to shut down early on that day.


    I found everything about Trish¡¯s relationship with her family intriguing because for me it was an eye opening experience. I had never seen such closeness or trust expressed so freely in my life. It caused me to do a lot of reevaluating about my walk in life.


    ********


    At nine o¡¯clock Monday morning I was walking through Southeast Missouri Hospital carrying a dozen yellow roses in a nicely styled white vase heading for the maternity ward. I had two reasons, I wanted to make sure I passed the public¡¯s image of what I had made myself up to be, and I wanted to surprise Trish.


    I thought I looked surprisingly good dressed up as a female wearing a reddish-brown long-haired wig with a dark ruby red lipstick on my lips. I wore one inch opened toed heels, a very feminine pair of blue jeans with a feminine boyish styled sweater blouse to cover the body form I was wearing which had a built-in girdle. I had the appearance of being well endowed in the breast department which were hidden thanks to the style of the clothing I was wearing.


    I had my favorite shirt hanging off my shoulder as if it was a scarf, along with a shoulder purse. The eyelash makeup had thickened my lashes and added much needed length making them a feature that stood out. It forced one to look more at my eyes than my whole face. I had even gone to the extreme by trimming and shaping my eyebrows like most females do. Little did I realize that the boys I worked with would tease me about them for weeks. Blush, actors makeup, a chin extender, and a spray of powder had changed the basic shape of my face.


    As I worked at changing my image, I used my memory of my aunt Cathy to guide me as I used the trade items to create the look I was going for. Between getting dressed and made up I had wasted three hours. With the work all done I looked like any other woman did. I was pleased with the result but needed to test it out before I went into the field.


    A lot of men were taking a second look at me as I walked through the hospital halls heading to the elevator to take me to the floor Trish was on. It was weird because it was something I could see myself doing especially if a nice looking woman caught my eye. That told me I had done a better job at camouflaging myself then I thought.


    The false fingernails helped to slender my small hands. I had even applied red nail polish to all my nails. Trish thought it was a hoot that her wrists were bigger than mine. The Malley females in general all thought I needed some meat on my bones.


    As I got on the elevator one of the hospital staff security guards joined me. I recognized him as the one that had been chatting with Trish that first weekend. The poor man could not help himself and tried to flirt with me. Like a woman would I gently shot him down. We walked down the maternity hall together towards the nurse''s station. I asked to see Trish Malley.


    Jennifer the nurse working with her went to the door behind the nurses station and told her she had someone wanting to speak to her. Trish came out and her mouth dropped in total surprise as soon as she saw my shirt. It was nice to see those blue eyes sparkling in delight.


    My voice lessons during university years was paying dividends because I was using it them to alter my voice. It had taken me about half an hour of rehearing before I found the tone I liked. When I spoke I sounded like I was a transplant from England.


    ¡°What are you doing here,¡± Trish asked while smiling.


    ¡°Just dropping these off for you before I head out in the field,¡± I said in a soft feminine voice while handing the flowers to her.


    Trish accepted them with a big smile then set them on the counter. Turning back to me I leaned down and wrapped her in my arms giving her a deep exceptionally long sensual kiss before walking away.


    ¡°Damn Trish, I never knew you were into girls.¡± I heard Stephen the security person say loudly as I waited for the elevator. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why I was never able to discern some interest from you. I just wasn¡¯t your type.¡±


    I had to bite my tongue, so I did not laugh because I though the whole situation was quite comical.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± said Trish as she looked over at Jen who was still in awe of what she had witnessed.


    ¡°I got a video of it,¡± Jen said, ¡°and I still don¡¯t believe it. I thought until today that we shared everything. I did not have a clue. How long have you swung both ways?¡±


    Just as the elevator door open Stephen had caught up to me. Thankfully, he was going up and I was going down.


    Trish read the card; it said some roses for a ¡®rose¡¯ S.


    ¡°Jen that was Scott,¡± Trish said. ¡°But no one will believe it. He did it again. I¡¯m going to be talked about all day because a lot of people saw it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, it was,¡± Jen said. ¡°I bet that¡¯s what you tell everyone. Sorry that voice was just too soft for it to be a man. Is the lady a friend of Scott¡¯s and does he know you are using him as a shield?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was,¡± Trish said, ¡°and I can prove it.¡±


    How?¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°If he wants me to know it''s him, he always wears the shirt I tore off of him that first day we met,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Text it to me so I can add it to the other two disguises I have of him.¡±


    ¡°Nice try, but it¡¯s not going to work,¡± Jen said. ¡°I have to admit I¡¯m surprised that you would say that because I have never known you to just out and out lie.¡±


    Trish realized that if her best friend Jennifer didn¡¯t believe her no one would. For the rest of the day, she had to endure unwanted looks and whispers behind her back. Even from some of her patients. Trish leaned that the truth did not matter. Believe came from seeing and there was no argument in what they saw.


    It was about four fifteen in the afternoon when Trish got called into one of the patient''s rooms because her girlfriend was on tv.


    Trish yelled, ¡°Jen you got to see this.¡±


    They rushed in together to discover I had stopped a kidnapping in progress, and it had resulted in two men from out of state being arrested. The female reporter was asking me a lot of questions which I was answering in my female voice.


    ¡°Detective any concluding thoughts,¡± The reporter asked?


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know how you ladies do it. I never realized how much work and effort you go through just to make yourselves look this good. I will never ever complain again about how long it takes for my girlfriend to get ready to go out. I can¡¯t wait till I can get out of this bra and girdle,¡± I said using my normal male voice. ¡°They are too damn uncomfortable and irritating.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a man,¡± the reporter said in shock. ¡°Did you get yourself looking this good by yourself? Have you always been able to alter your voice?¡±


    ¡®Yes, I learned how to alter my voice as I minored in drama at school and no my girlfriend helped me get dressed like this, but it has come with a hook,¡± I said.


    ¡°What''s that.¡± The reporter asked.


    ¡°I have to go on a girls night out with her dressed like this in the future,¡± I said.


    The female reporter lost it in laughter and said: ¡°To his girlfriend can I borrow him for a night dressed like this? I¡¯ve always fantasized about being with another woman.¡±


    That interview would be replayed during the five pm, six pm, and the ten pm news because not only did it cover a major story but entertained the public too.


    Trish lost it and started laughing while saying ¡®I¡¯m going to get Scott for this. The looks I had to endure today because of what he planted into their minds will be with me forever.¡±


    ¡°You, said it was Scott, but I did not believe it. Hell, no one who saw him kissing you did,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°You two and your ongoing relationship are going to be talked about in the halls for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Now you know why our developing relationship is so hard to explain,¡± Trish said. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure it out. Each time I see him in disguise it is like another side of him is opening up. Each one revealing something about him that I did not know.¡±


    ¡°Is he a complex man?¡± Jen asked.¡±


    Trish thought about that for a while and then said, ¡°More a private man. He has to be in his line of work. When he is working, he is extremely focused. Even with the furniture, his mind is on what he¡¯s doing. Yet when he is showing me how to do something, he explains why it is best to do it that way. It¡¯s like he is always trying to answer every question I might have before I ask them. A lot of what he knows he has learned by trial and error.¡±


    Jennifer sent the video to Trish¡¯s mother saying you got to see what I took today. Then added watch channel twelve news to figure it out. Then she forwarded a copy of the video to Trish.


    Trish texted me saying can my girlfriend take me out to Red Lobster for dinner. When I read it, I broke out in laughter. I texted back; be there to pick you up at seven.


    Jenifer had to show the girls who were replacing them the excitement of the day when they came in early to prepare for the shift change and to get updates on what was happening. It was about five to seven when I showed up. Trish had texted Tina not to pick her up. It was common for Tina to be driving her sister''s car.


    It''s not very often a man gets introduced to three females while dressed in drag, but I did. For a few minutes, I was the center of attention. Everyone and their uncles had to get their picture with me including some of the new mothers. Of course, they all had to tease Trish a lot by asking her when we were going on our girls night out. She replied in a strange town on a long weekend. We walked out of the hospital hand in hand.


    ¡°I was thrilled when you brought me the flowers,¡± Trish said, ¡°but no one would believe it was you until one of the patients caught you on the four o¡¯clock news.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t think it out,¡± I said, ¡°I should have. I promise to be more thoughtful in the future.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, the day went by fast,¡± Trish said. ¡°I bet a lot who saw us will be totally shocked when the watch the news. The new mothers had something to discuss besides what was happening with their newborn babies. Every one of our patients had to ask about how we met.¡±


    We sat across from each other as we ate dinner. Trish could not get over how good I had made myself look. After dinner, we had gone back to the apartment Trish and Tina shared. It was about ten when I left.


    In doing follow-ups the following day the au pair informed me that the husband''s wife was in the hospital because she had given birth to another child. I texted Trish asking about her. She had delivered the previous night. The two we had in custody that afternoon during questioning had confessed that they had been hired by the husband to take the child as he was planning on a divorce. He wanted the fake kidnapping of the child as a bargaining chip.


    Trish texted me a six-thirty that her husband had shown up to see his wife and new daughter. I radioed in for a team, and they met me. We headed up to take him into custody. I had Trish tell him that there were problems with the paperwork, and he needed to go straighten them out. As soon as he walked out, we arrested him. What would end up happening to him would be up to the DA.


    For the next hour, I spent the time walking the lady through what I knew. It opened Trish¡¯s eyes to what is not shown about the job from the mass media.


    ********


    Over the last three months, we had de assembled the sofa and love seat so we could take them to the upholstery shop. It had been a slow and lengthy process removing all the dowels. Because of the size of them I had to custom make replacements for them for when we put sofa and love seat back together.


    The upholstery shop had to make from scratch some of the metal parts needed for the repairs to the support system and order the material used to cover them from France. Trish was amazed as I made the stain and paint, we needed as close to what they had used back then. We tested each batch on scrap pieces of wood and compared the result to the pictures we had taken. I also had bought fifty lbs. of black tea leaves, not ground which had led Trish to ask a lot of questions.


    We had soaked a lot of the pieces in a huge vat to take off the years and years of painting and repainting from the original pieces. Then the fine sanding to smooth out all blemishes and rough spots we found. Trish was still worried about the huge gash in the dining table which was now completely clean of all the paint.


    Trish had noticed me bring a small sander with a collection bag with it into the garage with a metal container of a special goop I had made. Along with a bunch of peacock feathers and some exceptionally fine glass straw like sticks. When she asked what the items were for, I said for the fixing of the table. Once I started working on it I could not stop until it was finished. I told her it was a slow and deliberate process that required time and patience.


    Out of the blue, there was a knock at the garage side door. It was one of the neighborhood kids from a block over needing to talk to me. The young eleven year old boy had snuck out of his parents¡¯ house. His father was holding his mother and sibling¡¯s hostage with a gun  and if he wondered if there was something I could do about it. I headed over to his parents¡¯ house after telling the boy to stay with Trish. Trish called dispatch and told them what was going on.


    The backdoor of the house was open, so I quietly entered after removing my shoes. I could hear voices, so I carefully edged my way towards them. From the sound of the man¡¯s voice, I discovered the father was a man that I knew. As a former vet he had a history of going off his meds and doing stuff like this. That told me that he may mentally be lost in a time period he had relived many times.


    I had almost reached him and was preparing to disarm him when he turned to face me. To his surprise his automatic response caused the gun to fire. The bullet ended up hitting me in the right shoulder. Still not completely out of it mentally he dropped the gun saying he was sorry. It allowed me to quickly cuff him.


    Within minutes re-enforcement were there to take him into custody, and I was on my way by ambulance the hospital. The bullet had gone clear through and was stuck in the upper part of the wall. I asked Ted, Beth¡¯s husband to let Trish know what was happening and gave him my keys to give to her.


    By the time she got to the hospital, I was already in surgery. The operation went well. It was when I was in recovery that the problems started. I had awoken, got out of bed, and was putting my clothes back on. The nurse working in the recovery room at the time told me I could not do that. I told her quite rudely where to go and how to do it. She called the doctor who tried to stop me, and he found out the hard way that it was not going to work. In a panic, they called security.


    When Trish saw Stephen and a couple of other security guards coming in, she asked what was going on.


    ¡°A cop just awoke from surgery and insists he is going home,¡± Stephen said. ¡°They want us to restrain him and tie him to the bed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother I will handle him. It¡¯s Scott, Stephen but since I don¡¯t have my hospital identification with me and I¡¯m not family I will need you to escort me in,¡± Trish said.


    Stephen did as she asked. Trish found me standing against the wall refusing to cooperate with anyone and arguing with two of the hospital staff. I had already got my blue jeans on and was working on putting on my boots.


    Trish walked up to me and slapped me. Everybody was shocked. ¡°Scott,¡± she said with a firm voice, ¡°you get back in that bed right now. You''re just too weak to go home right now and you know it.¡±


    I looked at her in anger and said, ¡°Fine, but if I am going to die, I¡¯ll die with my boots on.¡±


    I moved over and sat on the bed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay dressed like that, your clothes are all bloody and may be contaminated,¡± Trish said. ¡°So, you''re going to have to get out of them.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body. I will when Brad has brought me some underwear and clean clothing from home,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to wear a hospital gown that allows everybody access to my ass.¡±


    ¡°Scott when was the last time you were in a hospital as a patient?¡± Trish asked me having realized that something else was going on inside of my mind.


    I said, ¡°never, I have stayed away from them ever since I was seven. I watched them take my parents, and the next thing I remember was seeing them in a pine box.¡±


    ¡°Scott, do you trust me?¡± Trish asked as she took my hand in hers with her eyes looking directly at mine.


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± I replied. ¡°You would not have gotten away with hitting me if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then I will be here to walk you through it,¡± she said, ¡°until they let you out.¡±


    When she said that I laid back down on the bed and started to calm down. The fellow hospital staff was amazed.


    The surgeon asked Trish who she was.


    Stephen said, ¡°She¡¯s one of the best nurses this hospital has on staff.¡±


    ¡°What''s your relationship with Scott?¡±


    Stephen stepped in saying, ¡°Those two have not figured that out yet so just consider them good friends. Scott appears to be the type of person that trusts no one so thank god that Trish was here to unwind him.¡±


    When I awoke in the room, they had assigned me Trish was there watching over me. The nursing staff came in to check up on me. After they had left Trish sat down on the bed facing me.


    ¡°Scott, you know about my childhood, it¡¯s time you opened up and told me yours,¡± Trish said. ¡°I need to understand where your fear of hospitals comes from.¡±


    ¡°I was seven years old when I got awoken by my dad one morning and told to get dressed. When I came downstairs, he was waiting for me. He told me he had done an awfully terrible thing because he had lost his temper. He calmly made me breakfast and watched me eat. Afterward, he took me outside to the front step with the phone. He said I want you to promise me son, that when I go back inside you will call the police to come to our house. Remember always that in life there is always a price to be paid for what you do. Today I have to pay for mine in a way that best for all concerned. Remember always that your mother and I have always loved you,¡± I said. ¡°While I was talking to the police officer, we both heard the shotgun going off.¡±


    Trish had tears running down her cheeks.


    ¡°My mother and father were still alive when the ambulance took them. Her lover my dad''s best friend was not. He had come home from work early because of a power failure at the plant and caught them in the act. I learned years later they died on the operating table,¡± I explained.


    Trish now understood why Scott had said to Linda that it was best because of his family¡¯s history that he did not allow himself to love. He had seen the cost of love at its worst and still did not see the emotional sides that had been in play.


    ¡°My maternal grandparents took me in, but my grandmother could not stand to look at me, because I reminded her of what my dad had done to her daughter.¡± I went on, ¡°my grandfather and I made part of the barn loft into a one-room apartment for me to live in because my grandmother would only allow me in the house to eat and shower.¡±


    ¡°I knew that I was just a burden to them and was not really wanted. With no tv, I had to develop other things to occupy my time. I found myself attracted to wood. A semi-retired farmer to the north of us became my best friend. It was he, that gave me his skill and knowledge about furniture and all things wood,¡± I explained.


    ¡°It was worse at school and on the bus. Everyone knew who I was and what my dad had done. Most parents didn¡¯t want their children having anything to do with me, so I had very few friends growing up,¡± I said. ¡°That had drawn the neighbor to the north and me even closer.¡±


    ¡°One night while he was visiting his married daughter¡¯s family there was a house fire caused by an electrical shortage that gutted most of the kitchen. The house insurance provider wrote the whole thing off. I helped him tear it out and thought most of the cupboards were savable, so together we moved it into the free space in my loft,¡± I explained. ¡°I spend hours and hours on it and finally had got it back to where you thought it was brand new. He also had given me his huge dining set that had been written off at the same time for the same reason.¡±


    ¡°When I turned fifteen the lawyer for my parent''s estate which was now mine contacted me through my school. My mother had life insurance of two hundred thousand dollars and after settling all the debts and selling all the assets with interest it had reached almost three hundred thousand dollars,¡± I said as a paused before going on.


    ¡°My maternal grandfather had given me a hand written note that said when I turned sixteen, I was on my own. I had the lawyer using my grandfather¡¯s note start the procedure to have my name changed and have me legal declared as being self-dependent,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wood rot had eaten at my grandparents'' kitchen for years. When she fell through the floor, they gutted the whole thing and rebuilt it. My death uncle who was ignored by the family and I talked in sign language,¡± I explained. ¡°The family had enough to reframe the kitchen, drywall it and do the floor but not enough to finish the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I took my uncle to the loft and showed him the finished kitchen and dining furniture that I had there. He thought it was beautiful and asked me if I had restored it. I said yes and told him to take it for the house. He warned me that his brothers and sisters would take the credit,¡± I said noticing how attentive Trish was being. ¡°I said that it didn¡¯t matter because in my eyes I was paying for my room and board.¡±


    ¡°The day I turned sixteen they had finished the project, Granddad and Grandma could now move back in,¡± I said. ¡°I legally had a new name and was independent. I had placed my meager belongings which were basically hand me downs from extended members of my grandparents family in the back of my uncle''s truck while the family was showing my grandparents the finished project. I asked him to drive me to the nursing home where my former neighbor now lived.¡±


    ¡°Before leaving the truck, I gave a letter to my uncle and asked him to hold it till his father came looking for me,¡± I disclosed.


    ¡°I went to introduce myself to my best friend with my new name. I had taken his last name as my own. James was the first name of my death uncle and Scott was my father¡¯s first name, ¡° I revealed. ¡°That night began the journey that brought me here. I bought the property I own via a tax sale while I was going to school and made a living tearing down buildings.¡±


    Trish just held my hand till I went back to sleep.


    To Trish, what she had just learned explained so very many things. On the way to the hospital, she had been too worried to drive so Ted had driven her. Trying to get her not to worry he had revealed that Scott was indeed the mysterious Mr. Claus. A man who had appeared thirteen years ago leaving much-needed help on needy doors in the month of December. He had started small but each year his charitable deeds kept growing as did his reputation.


    Trish understood now that her Scott was a Renaissance Man not by choice but by circumstances of life. Many who had terrible things happen to them in childhood carried on doing bad things throughout their adult lives as if it were a learned behavior. Scott had turned it and forced himself to become a better person. While he slept, she quietly wept while wondering why she was brought into his life.


    When her sister Terry was expecting the twins, she and her husband had lost everything because of fire at the apartment building they lived in. It had been him that had given them a fresh start. There was no explanation of how they were chosen or why. It was something her sister still talked about today. Over the years in her eyes, Mr. Claus had become a god.


    Mr. Claus¡¯s Representative, a priest had shown up. He had gotten them a new home with no money down that they still owned and got them a no-interest loan for five years. That had allowed them to bring their total debts down fast.


    When they opened the garage doors, they discovered all the household items needed to start a life. All they got from Mr. Claus was a note that said always remember to pass it on. Three or four times a year some family in some ways were brought back by the magic of Mr. Claus.


    She called her younger sister and explained what happened. Told her what Scott wanted Brad to do. Both of them were there when I woke up along with her parents. Brad had brought me plenty of clean clothing. The shooting had happened on Sunday. The following Wednesday while Trish was working, I was released.


    She came down after work to discover I was gone. She phoned Brad and Tina who knew nothing and was beginning to panic when her mother called. They had come home to find me working in the garage using my one good arm.


    A few minutes later Trish was watching me from the garage door working on the table. I had sanded down the top of the table saving all the fine wood dust and had been working for hours on healing the wood by slowly bringing it back to life. Using a peacock feather, I bushed a smidgen of the goop into the gash in the table. Then poured a bit of the dust in front of me. I blew it softly into the gash using the fine glass straw-like tubes in the same direction as the lines in the wood went. Covering it with a dish towel I ran a hot iron over it. Then I would repeat the process all over again.


    I talked to the wood as I was working on it as if it were real. For me, it was my way of healing myself. When my dear friend saw me doing that, he said ¡°your probably one of the few that believe anything created by God has a soul.¡±


    Trish watched me for an hour repeating the process before entering her parents¡¯ house. During that time, she realized that Scott would be a great husband and father if she was so inclined. She felt a sense of sadness because he like her had sworn off of love. She talked with her parents explaining what I was doing.


    Later she knocked on the garage door and said, ¡°Scott come you have to eat and drink.¡±


    As I unplugged the Iron and resealed the goop up, she noticed the large deep gash was almost gone.


    ¡°If I had not seen it, I would not believe it,¡± Trish said. ¡°Does anyone else know this technique?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s a dying art form. If it had not been for my life¡¯s journey, I would not have learned it.¡±


    Trish watched me as I ate the three toasted egg and cheese sandwiches with gusto. I had to admit that I had not realized how hungry I had been.


    ¡®How much longer do you think it will take you?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°About an hour or two if everything goes smoothly then two days for it to cure,¡± I answered her with.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the goop?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°Boiled down tree sap with a clear dry industrial hardener mixed in,¡± I said. ¡°The heat from the iron helps the dust, and goop meld into one without tainting anything. The natural sugar in the wood helps in the healing of it.¡±


    It took longer than I figured but it was done. After cleaning up I went out and laid down on the lawn just to rest for a few before heading home. I ended up falling asleep. Unknow to myself Trish had noticed me and brought out a blanket and a pillow because she wanted to make sure that I did not catch a chill. After laying down beside me so she could watch me for a few she covered us both up before falling asleep.


    ********


    Helen and John Malley were dressed having a quick bite to eat and a coffee before heading out the door to go to work when they noticed us asleep in the back yard. Trish was tight against me. Sometime during the night, I had wrapped my arm around her as her backside was against my body.


    ¡°When do you think they will realize that they¡¯re falling in love with each other,¡± Helen asked?


    ¡°Not knowing much about Scott¡¯s past that¡¯s an unknown,¡± John said. ¡°Both have kept their thoughts to themselves. Their own stubbornness is stopping them both from admitting anything. He trusts her completely because no one else could have convinced him to stay in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t figure it all out soon,¡± Helen said, ¡°I may have to sit down and have a talk with my oldest daughter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± John replied, ¡°I will not allow what happened the last time to happen again. Stay out of it because time will allow them to work it out.¡±


    ¡°Well, the sooner the better. The suspense of it is starting to get to me,¡± Helen said. ¡°I don¡¯t want them waiting too long because it will end up with one of them walking away.¡±


    ¡°Better to have it fall apart naturally then to feel responsible for interfering only to have it all blow up in your face,¡± John stated. ¡°Remember you still haven¡¯t let go of the guilt you feel because of what happened.¡±


    ----------------


    We had put down three coats of stain and paint depending on how it had originally been done. All the wood had now been restored to its original condition when the pieces were first created. After giving them time to thoroughly bind together we had them spread all out over the place laying on thick carboard in the back yard. Thank God it was a warm summer day.


    I had spread out the bulk tea leaves over the spots where according to the pictures we had taken before starting where the touches of Fatima needed to be restored. This was the tricky spot. If you over soaked the bulk tea leaves, it would cause running, if not enough moisture it was a waste of time. The key was keeping the leaves damp at all times. The acid and oil in the leaves would mix into the fresh paint creating the naturally aged look we wanted.


    Since I was off because of injury Trish took some of her permanent time off earned and used it to be with me. She set the clock timer on her phone to remind her to check on the water level of the leaves and had four or five spray bottles for misting when needed.


    With that all done we started on the second project of the day. Trish held the beams that were going over her parent''s patio as I bolted them into place. Once completed I went to work using a drill and wood screws to build it with a few modifications. Her parents had never noticed that in our spare time we had been precutting the wood. In two hours, I had it built.


    That allowed Trish to take down the flower boxes off the flat deck. From the side of the porch, we had placed every four feet a ten-foot high pole in an L shape layout which we had added panels of a lattice type on both sides. It started where the patio started and stopped at the side entrance of the back porch of her parents¡¯ house.


    With a spray painter It took half an hour to stain it. When it was dry, we gave it its second coat to make sure that it would stay. Trish thought it was beautiful. Then I did it again applying weatherproofing to protect it from the heavy rains that always came. On the outside wall, we planted a mixture of spring and fall wisteria. That way her mother could have her favorite flowers blooming all year.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Over the pathway, we laid down a double layer of industrial-grade metal screen mesh eight feet wide. It was designed to allow water to flow through it but would stop anything from growing up. The grass underneath would eventually rot away. Trish set the flower boxes she had bought where she wanted them before we laid down the six inch wide three inch deep yard stones. Then we filled the section with store-bought bags of cedar mulch until we had it completely filled. The red cedar would kill anything that found a way to come to life.


    Trish and I moved their unfinished picnic table which we had stained to match into the new building. I then had moved his barbeque equipment into the now finished gazebo once I had done a power wash on it and reconnected everything. We were sitting there drinking a cold beer when they pulled into the driveway with another workday behind them.


    They came around the corner between the garage and house to see the finished project. It was one of those things they had spent hours talking about but had never done. Trish was incredibly pleased by her mother¡¯s tear-stained eyes and whispered she is trying hard not to lose it.


    ¡°Before you two say anything, we did it because you refused to charge us rent for the space we used,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Mom you will have to decide for yourself what you want for your flower boxes and find the soil to put in them.¡±


    ¡°Scott lets go to the store and pick some fresh steaks for supper,¡± John said. ¡°We will do them up on the barbeque when we get back.¡±


    So off we went. I realized that he had felt that his wife needed some private time with her daughter, when we pulled into the legion, I knew what I thought was right. After a couple, we swung by and got the steaks.


    Helen hugged me just a bit too long when we got back before whispering, ¡°over nine years ago the daughter I raised died, thanks to you, for being the way you are she was brought back to me.¡±


    For three days we babysat the furniture before we started putting it all back together. I swung by the upholstery shop and picked up the restored pieces which were all wrapped tightly in bubble wrap. It was a labor-intense job because it all had to be hand-stitched. Finally, I packed up all my tools and equipment I had at the house because we were done. Using Murphy¡¯s furniture oil, we shinned them all out. Trish was in awe of how beautiful it all looked.


    Trish was surprised when her dad¡¯s friend the insurance adjuster swung by to do an appraisal for insurance purposes on what we had done. While I was off doing something, the adjuster asked Trish if he could take her picture. She asked him why?


    Two reasons he explained. ¡°I need a permanent record of the prot¨¦g¨¦e of Scott whose getting credit for this restoration. I always keep a permanent record of whatever a restorer has done. The quality of what was done proves just how good you are, and my wife wanted a picture of the woman she believes has captured Scott¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think of the restoration?¡± Trish asked with a growing sense of pride.


    ¡°Perfection as always the two of you spared no expense. The material alone on the seventeenth-century French sofa and love seat had to cost at least ten thousand. It was hand-stitched as was the original.¡±


    Trish was stunned, she had no clue that I had spent so much.


    ¡°Can I ask you what your plans are for it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s my mother¡¯s birthday we will be moving it into their house in the morning. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t let them see it as it was being done,¡± Trish explained.


    ¡°Young lady that is one hell of a birthday gift,¡± he said.


    ********


    Friday was a zoo. The three Malley daughters removed all the China and accessories from the dining room as Brad and I removed the living room furniture and the removed the current dining room furniture. We moved the restored stuff in reverse doing the dining room first. We had finished storing the old furniture in the garage when my universe came crashing down.


    We had successful lowed the tarps of the tent and packed them on the truck. Brad had just finished loosening the bolts and taking them off on the inside of the garage. I in a rush bumped into a pole bringing the whole frame down on me. Trish came rushing out after hearing the crash to find me out cold underneath all the aluminum metal.


    ¡°Goddammit Scott!¡± Trish screamed in tears as she reached to hold my head. ¡°You die before me, and I will kill you.¡±


    Brad and Tina worked at getting the pipes off me and loaded unto the truck. Trish had gotten underneath my head and was holding it in her lap. For Tina it was the perfect time to confront her sister.


    ¡°Trish, why did you say what you did to Scott?¡± Tina asked in an attempt to get her to finally admit her feelings.


    ¡°When I saw him lying there, I finally realized I want to spend the rest of my life with him,¡± Trish finally admitted as her tears flowed freely. ¡°He¡¯s what no man has ever been before. My one. I love him.¡±


    ¡°Have you told him that?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°I think she just did. Look at Scott¡¯s arm,¡± Brad said. ¡°Tina lets go into the house and give them a few minutes alone.¡±


    I had reached up and was pulling Trish¡¯s head down. I could not help but notice her tear-stained butter cup eyes because they were so consuming.


    ¡°I feel the same way, but I needed to hear it from you first,¡± I said, ¡°until now I was fighting myself, not willing to admit it.¡±


    Tina and Brad had finished putting away all the dishes in the China cabinet. Tina had reminded Brad that they could not use one particular drawer, so they worked it all in. It was now about four in the afternoon. When Trish walked in through the back door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Scott?¡± Tina asked as she took a quick picture of her sister standing there with grass stains all over her clothing and her hair going everywhere. With a huge grin on her tear-stained face.


    ¡°He went to my car to get Mom¡¯s birthday card,¡± Trish said. ¡°We are going to say the furniture is from the family.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± said Tina, ¡°you can¡¯t, it was your love that you and Scott put into this that makes it too personal. They will know the truth so don¡¯t lie about it.¡±


    I walked in and handed Trish the card bag. Brad threw me his keys and said catch. Tina captured a picture of how wild I looked.


    ¡°We are so happy that you two finally figured it out,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°You two need to go get cleaned up,¡± Brad said. ¡°So, take my car and I can pick it up later from your place on the way home. We are almost done in here, so it won¡¯t take long to finish loading the pipes and poles.¡±


    I handed him my keys for the truck.


    Trish went to say something, but Tina stopped her.


    ¡®Look Mom¡¯s going to be an emotional basket case tonight when she¡¯s seen all of this,¡± Tina said. ¡°The first person dad will call is you. So go get yourself cleaned up and ready for it.¡±


    Trish took out the card and wrote it into it. Then she wrote Mom on the envelope before inserting the card back into it.


    We thanked them for their help and head out. I headed for Jayson¡¯s Jewelry in downtown Cape.


    ¡°Why are we here?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°To get you your promissory ring,¡± I replied. ¡°Besides, I have something I have to pick up.¡±


    The item I ready to pick up was something I had decided to give to Trish out of friendship. It was to thank her for working with me while working on the furniture. It now had a different meaning because of the change in status of our relationship.


    We found the one she wanted. The clerk processed the purchase and went into the back to pick up the finished order that I had already paid for. Then it was off to her apartment where she had a quick shower and got changed. She had gotten dressed as if we were going out for the night for something special. I thought that when we got to my place, I better do the same. She grabbed her purse, and we were on our way.


    We pulled off the interstate on the exit ramp for Marble Hill or Jackson and turned right to head back into Jackson. Taking the first right we drove about a mile when we approached my house.


    ¡°Look!¡± said Trish, ¡°that¡¯s my aunt''s favorite house in December. The way it is decorated during the season she says it looks like the perfect Christmas cottage. The way those tall trees flow in the wind is stunning.¡±


    She watched me slow down and take the next driveway in then turn in between the row of trees she had bragged about.


    ¡°You own the Christmas cottage?¡± she said in amazement.


    ¡°Yes, what you see from the road is the side of the house,¡± I explained as I drove in parking the car in front of the house. Trish was surprised at how large it was.


    We walked into the house together. Stopping at the kitchen I threw Brad''s keys on the counter. I was pouring her a glass of wine and was making myself a Scotch and water when Ruby Jackson came down the stairs.


    ¡°Hi Scott, I¡¯m almost done then I will be out of here,¡± Ruby said.


    I smiled seeing Trish questioning eyes because I could sense a bit of jealousy.


    ¡°Ruby, I want you to meet Trish,¡± I said. ¡°Trish, Ruby is the captain¡¯s wife, and they own the franchise for ¡®Molly¡¯s Maids¡± in this area.¡±


    The look of relief and then a great big smile came over her Trish¡¯s face. It was fun watching Ruby come to the realization of who Trish was.


    ¡°It looks like my husband was right when he cuffed the two of you together,¡± Ruby said.


    ¡°Ruby, can you plan to make up the second master for Trish and set it up with whatever she uses,¡± I asked?


    ¡°I can get it done tonight if you can spare Trish for a few,¡± Ruby replied.


    ¡°Go ahead I will head up and get myself cleaned up for the evening,¡± I said.


    While I was showering and getting changed. Rub showed Trish the second master. It had a huge queen size bed so old it still had the heavy metal frame at the bottom. I had set the queen size box springs and mattress on top of them. A matching dresser with mirror, two full-size dressers and two nightstands to complete the set.


    On one side was a walk-in closet and a laundry room with its own linen closet. The other side of the bed was the master bathroom with the sunken built-in tub. Trish picked out what she wanted on the bed and told Ruby the basics she had at home in her bathroom. Ruby texted the list to one of her staff and said it would be here in an hour.


    ¡°Trish when my husband saw the two of you were behaving that day it reminded him of us,¡± Ruby explained. ¡°His captain did the same thing to us. We have been married for over thirty-five years. When we got engaged the captain gave me the cuffs we wore. We had it framed and put under glass.¡±


    ¡°Ruby this is the promissory ring I just got,¡± Trish said as she showed it to her. ¡°Not even my family knows yet.¡±


    ********


    I had gone to the big garage and taken out the fully restored nineteen sixty-four Chevy impala and put the top down. I had it parked in front of the house. I came back into see Ruby giving Trish a tour of the house.


    ¡°Trish said ¡°I am amazed at the quality of furniture you have. Did you restore it all yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and a lot more over the last ten years. The two floors beneath this are also filled with what I have restored,¡± I said. ¡°I ship three or four items a year to auction them off it helps to pay a few bills.¡±


    Trish got a tear in her eye because she realized that it was his own sweat and tears that provided him the funds to do what he did. For a man who said it was best not to love. By becoming Mr. Claus, he shared his love in a way that could be seen by all.


    ********


    John and Helen pulled in from another long day at work. Tomorrow would be the day the family celebrated her birthday. Tonight, they would go out for a late dinner just the two of them. John was surprised to find the tent was gone. That meant they had completed the work and that all was left was to repair the three holes. Helen had gotten the back door opened and he followed her in.


    He went to the cupboard and prepared to pour them a before-dinner drink. He had just joined her at the kitchen table with the bourbon and cokes as she read the birthday card from the envelope that had been left on the kitchen table. Instantly her tears started flowing freely. He took the card out of her hand and read it.


    Mom! ¡®Happy Birthday¡± Scott and I have ended our former relationship. Your birthday present can be found in the dining room and in the front room. Love you, Trish, and Scott. Ps. Scott and I are now a couple in love trying to work our hang-ups out.


    No wonder his wife was crying. She was letting go of the personal guilt she had held because of what had happened years ago. She was also getting her ultimate dream because her eldest daughter had once again found a way to allow herself to be in love again.


    Knowing the only way his wife was going to be able to calm down was having her eldest daughter in front of her. He picked up the phone to call her.


    I listened while Trish was on her cell. Her sister had been right. Her mother hadn¡¯t even seen the furniture she had just read the card. Trish said we were on the way. I grabbed a twelve-pack of red, white, and blue. It had been a cheap popular beer back in the day. You could still by it as a specialty beer but only at the retail shop of the plant that made it. Running out through the front door I leaned in and placed the beer on the floorboards behind the front seat.


    Twenty minutes later we pulled into her parent''s driveway. Together we walked into the kitchen through the back door. John looked relieved to see us. Trish went to her mother to start to get her to calm down. John offered us a drink. Instantly her mother started to calm down.


    ¡°When did you two work it out,¡± Helen asked.


    ¡°I heard a crash, ran outside to see Scott out cold beneath all the tent poles,¡± Trish explained. ¡®I blurted out Scott if you die before me, I will kill you. Tina confronted me with that thought. I admitted that Scott was my one, and I loved him. Scott awoke to hear me and said he felt the same way.¡±


    As we all drank our Bourbons and Cokes, we decided to go out for supper. I suggested we go to a family restaurant in Marble Hill that they had never heard of.


    ¡°It''s an old fashioned pizza place that does pizza the Italian way. The pizza is actually a covered pie. Between the four of us, we will have difficulty eating an extra-large one,¡± I said. ¡°Even on a Friday night, we will get right in.¡±


    That sold it, I said that since my car was behind, we will take it, but that John could drive. So out we went ready to climb in. When Trish¡¯s parents saw the nineteen sixty four Chevy Impala convertible that we were going to go in they had to walk around it before getting in. It was black on the outside with a red interior.


    ¡°We double dated with Shelia and Eve Brown back in the day. Eve¡¯s father owned one that looked like this,¡± John said. ¡°We spent hours driving the back roads listening to the hits of the day. The memories you have reminded us of just made this day more special for us.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to tell you what or where the dimmer switch is if we need it,¡± I respond as I open the back door to let Trish slide in. ¡°Drive to Marble Hill like you would in the old days.¡±


    Once we were out of the driveway, I had Trish¡¯s Mom open the glove box. ¡°Sirius play the hits from the do-wop days and early sixties.¡±


    As we were leaving town, I pulled out two cans of beer and handed them to Helen.


    ¡°They still make this,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s all we drank back in the day. We could get six cans for a dollar.¡±


    Trish and I were tight as two bunnies in heat in the back seat watching the show in the front. Trish¡¯s Mom was in her glory reliving in spirit those days. She would sing along with each song she knew. Believe me the way she was belting them out left me with the impression that she knew all of them. Trish and I were caught up in the moment and were sneaking kissing when we could. We thought we were getting away with it, but we were wrong.


    ¡°If you two kids could stop what you are doing for a moment and pass us another beer,¡± John said joyfully, ¡°it would be appreciated.¡±


    We¡¯d been busted by the rearview mirror. As we entered the ¡®Hill¡¯ I made a phone call. As we parked the car a young ten year old boy of African American descent approached us.


    ¡°Hi uncle Scott,¡± he said. ¡°I was surprised to see that you¡¯re not driving. Do mom and dad know you¡¯re coming?¡±


    ¡°Nope going to surprise them,¡± I said while handing him ten dollars. ¡°Watch the car and get rid of the empties.¡±


    We entered the restaurant and found our seats. The place was steady but not overly busy. The server a young lady of East Asian decent came to our table from behind me.


    ¡°Misty, we want a pitcher of beer and an extra-large Scotts special,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uncle Scott. What a surprise. It¡¯s good to see you. Were mom and dad expecting you?¡± she asked.


    I stood up and hugged her tight.


    ¡°No were celebrating a birthday and decided on the lark to come here,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Whose birthday?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s mother,¡± I replied. ¡°Misty this is my girlfriend Trish and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Malley.¡±


    Misty introduced herself to them then said in fun, ¡°You got yourself a girlfriend, gee I was hoping you were waiting for me. I will get mom to bring the pitcher so you can surprise her, and I will give Dad your order.¡±


    Misty came back with the four beer glasses. Her mother following right behind. As she put it down, I said. ¡°Hello Shania, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    I stood up. Trish was surprised to see that Shania looked like us.


    ¡°Shania I would like to introduce you to Helen and John Malley and their daughter Trish,¡± I said. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to wonder Trish is my girlfriend.¡±


    After exchanging greeting Shania said, ¡°Trish how did you get him to stop running?¡±


    With a smile and a laugh, Trish said, ¡°It took the police captain to handcuff us to each other for six hours.¡±


    We were still chatting with her when her husband came out with the special on a large stand. The three Malley¡¯s were surprised by how thick the covered pie was. Misty ran to get us our plates and silverware. Witt is an army vet who had lost part of his leg thanks to a bomb. I had been friends with both of them for years.


    ¡°Hi Scott,¡± Witt said, ¡°it¡¯s good to see you again. Shania why are you smiling.¡±


    ¡°You win, we will be adopting two more as soon as we can make room for them,¡± Shania replied.


    ¡°Nah you''re pulling my leg,¡± he said. ¡°You told me that we could adopt two more when Scott got a girlfriend because you knew that would never happen.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Trish said. ¡°You stand corrected because Scott gave me this today.¡±


    Trish held out her hand showing all the promissory ring to all. Her mother started to tear up.


    John said, ¡°it''s just a ring.¡±


    Helen said emotionally, ¡°Yes but it says everything.¡±


    Witt would not allow us to pay for anything because he was getting his dream, more family. The two new children they would be adopting would bring their blended family to a total of eight. It was after eleven before we got out of the restaurant. The future in-laws and Trish had to admit it was the best pizza they had ever eaten.


    We were on the way home driving the back roads. Each of us holding an open beer in our hands. Trish¡¯s mother was standing up dancing to the music in the front seat while singing as loud as she could. I had my feet outside of the car as Trish and I were laying in the back seat necking like teenagers in heat. That¡¯s when the flashing red lights and siren started. John pulled over and shut the car off as Trish and I quickly sat up.


    The officer approached the car with his flashlight on. Checked out the people in the front seat. Saw the open beer cans. The turned the flashlight towards us.


    ¡°Jesus Christ Scott it''s you,¡± Ted said. ¡°Give me a few I have to talk to the boss about this.¡±


    Ted came back and said, ¡°Trish, Beth wants to talk to you.¡± Then he handed her his phone.


    ¡°Hi Beth,¡± Trish said. ¡°I guess we went overboard we were having a double celebration.¡±


    ¡°Oh really,¡± Beth said, ¡°so that was why Scott, and you were caught making out in the back seat.¡±


    ¡°We were celebrating my mother¡¯s birthday and the fact that I got my promissory ring today,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Oh my god. Congratulations. Ok we will make this as painless as possible, but Ted had called in to say he was stopping a vehicle. Scott and you dinner at my place a week from Saturday. Who else knows?¡±


    ¡°Nobody,¡± Trish said. ¡°We want to keep it as quiet as possible for now because we both have things to work out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me now let me talk to my husband,¡± Beth said.


    A few minutes later Ted came back and asked John for his driver''s license. When he came back with it. He had his ticket booklet open.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a fifty dollar fine for failing to have your load properly secured,¡± Ted said. ¡°I will have to follow you home so keep the beers out of sight and keep the music turned down to a reasonable level.¡±


    If there were ever four adults who felt young and foolish, believe me, we were it. Let me tell you being followed by police kind of kills the mood.


    When we pulled into the driveway Ted drove on. That¡¯s when we lost it and started to laugh.


    ¡°Being stopped in a nineteen sixty-four Chevy impala convertible with us all acting like we had no problems in the world and walking away with just a fine,¡± John said, ¡°is something I will be smiling about for weeks.¡±


    ¡°I will pay for the ticket John,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh no you won¡¯t I am going to write the cheque to pay the fine, frame this and put it on a wall,¡± he said firmly.


    Helen turned and looked at us and said, ¡°Thank you for making this a birthday that I will never forget.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet mom we are now going to show you your birthday present,¡± Trish said.


    Once we got her inside, we had her close her eyes. John led his wife into the dining room which Trish had entered to turn the lights on.


    ¡°Open your eyes Mom,¡± Trish said.


    The dining room set looked beautiful. It was the first time they had seen it set up since we had unloaded it weeks before. The China cabinet, the hutch, the table, two captain chairs, and the six normal chairs fit into the room perfectly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this,¡± Helen said, ¡°it¡¯s too much. You should keep it for your future.¡±


    ¡°Mom stop,¡± Trish said, ¡°Scott owns the Christmas cottage and its filled with antiques as fine as these.¡±


    ¡°Now close your eyes again we will lead you into the front room,¡± Trish said.


    Trish went into the front room. The girls had done a real wonderful job rearranging everything. The old and the new seemed to belong together. John led his wife in. When she opened her eyes, we all heard the gasped sounds coming from her throat. The seventeenth-century French furniture set was the centerpiece of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, the rose pattern is quite unique,¡± Helen said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how stunning the set is. I think I might be afraid to use it.¡±


    ¡°The material is as original as it could be but with one difference,¡± I said. ¡°I had both pieces scotch guarded against possible stains.¡±


    Helen walked over to me and hugged me before kissing me on the cheek. Then John and I left them and went back into the kitchen where he noticed the appraisal files sitting on top of the fridge. He looked through them in detail before saying anything.


    ¡°You knew all along what you had given to Trish,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that it would cost more to replace them than what they''re worth. You¡¯ve been in love with her since that first day.¡±


    ¡°She had captured me when her nose flared just before she hit me for the third time. I knew that she was a lioness who would die to protect her cubs,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°For a moment I thought with her temper she would blow flames.¡±


    ¡°Well, Son you got a Texas mickey coming for taming the shrew!¡± John said.


    ¡°You will need those files to put a rider on your insurance policy,¡± I said, ¡°they have to be listed like expensive jewelry.¡±


    We had heard Trish and her mother go upstairs. When they came down Trish was carrying a brown large Macy¡¯s bag with items in it. I noticed her tap her wrist with her finger. I realized she was telling me it was time for us to go. I stood up and we said our goodnights.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked as soon as we were out of the driveway.


    ¡°Home, I got a new bed I want to try sleeping in tonight,¡± she said as she slide over beside me. ¡°Mom is so wound up she will be keeping dad up half the night.¡±


    ¡°Dad saw the appraisals on the furniture and decided he¡¯s not going to tell your mother,¡± I said, ¡°because if he did, she would be afraid to use it.¡±


    ¡°How much is it all worth?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Even in the depressed market we are going through now the love seat and sofa because of the quality of the material used is very rare,¡± I explained. ¡°Each piece of the set is appraised at about thirty thousand dollars, but to replace it would be around fifty thousand each. The dining area furniture as a set is worth about fifty thousand, if pieced out you could get about seventy thousand. Replacement via auctions  is around eighty thousand.¡±


    ¡°You knew what it was worth,¡± Trish said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°If I had of you would never have gotten me to help you,¡± I said. ¡°Because you would have not touched it.¡±


    John and Helen were getting ready for bed. In her excitement, she had completely let it slip past her what Trish had revealed. Scott owed the Christmas cottage. That place was renowned for the message the Christmas decorations display would imprint on those viewing it. Those in the upper-middle class would use it to base what they would do for Christmas from it. During the season that house was must-see.


    ¡°John I just realized that karma has given back twice as good to Trish and Scott for what they have gone through,¡± Helen said. ¡°it''s not if but when they will get married.¡±


    John laid there waiting for her to say something else but when he turned to look at her, she was already sleeping. It had been an emotionally exhausting day for her. It wasn''t long until he joined her.


    As soon as we got home Trish headed up to see her bedroom. Ruby had done a wonderful job. The satin sheets had been turned down to allow her to slide in. The heavy quit was folded and lay at the bottom of the bed. Trish first hung the clothing she had taken from her mother¡¯s house. The housecoat and nightwear she had made for marriage plus a few other pieces of clothing. Going into the bathroom she saw it was stocked with everything she had asked for. Before changing into her full-length nightgown, she removed all the makeup off her face and washed.


    When she came back downstairs, she discovered me laying on the couch watching a movie. She joined me. It didn¡¯t take long till we fell asleep.


    ********


    I¡¯m not sure who woke up first, or if we did it together. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. When we finally got off the couch, I started coffee while Trish checked her messages. She had eight from her mother and two from her younger sister. As she dialed her sister first, she put the speaker on.


    ¡°Hi sis, just a warning, Mom knows you didn¡¯t come home last night. She called me because you were not answering your phone,¡± Tina said. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Things couldn¡¯t be better. I¡¯m with Scott,¡± Trish said. ¡°We just woke up. How is our mom?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s ecstatic. Dad says she keeps walking into the front room and the dining room as if she is trying to convince herself that it¡¯s all real,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°Are you going to be joining us for our typical birthday lunch at Terry¡¯s today?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m working from eleven to seven,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°Then I will tell you why moms so ecstatic today. Scott bought me my promissory ring last night. We broke the news to her over dinner,¡± Trish said. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, I find myself looking at it constantly.¡±


    ¡°Congrats to the two of you. We could talk but it looks like mother is trying to call me so I¡¯m going to shut it off while I shower and get ready for work. Love you bye,¡± Tina said before she hung up.


    I handed Trish her coffee which she drank black. She took a sip of it and smiled as I put creamer and sugar in mine. I then leaned over and kissed her before saying, good morning love.


    Then Trish¡¯s phone rang again. ¡°It¡¯s my mom here we go again.¡± Throwing on the speaker. I listened.


    ¡°Good morning mom, Scott and I just got up. Happy birthday,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Thank you, we were wondering if you and Scott could help us move our old furniture over to Terry¡¯s and Robert¡¯s,¡± Mom said. ¡°Or do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Mom our apartment¡¯s full, and Scott¡¯s house would not compliment it,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Outside of the modern kitchen and living room which is furnished it¡¯s                                      all filled with antiques.¡±


    I nodded my head and lifted two fingers up and then hit my wrist with them causing Trish to chuckle.


    ¡°We can be there around eleven Mom,¡± Trish responded. ¡°If that¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Once the boys have loaded, we will order our lunch and go and pick it up,¡± Helen said. ¡°By the time we get there they should have it all done. I will call Terry to let her know were comming.¡±


    I quickly made us a couple of bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches for breakfast. At eleven we pulled into her parent''s place. John and I started loading their furniture. John was looking forward to getting his garage back. Once loaded we headed over.


    Terry¡¯s and Robert¡¯s house was fairly modern. It had an island in the kitchen where they could sit six. We would be setting up her parent''s dining set after moving her current table and chairs to the garage. Roberts''s younger brother was coming to get it. Their couch and chair would go downstairs in the boy''s playroom.


    There was one big problem Robert told me. It was the shrine Terry had in the corner. He explained that she built it to remind them how much an unknown man had done for them all. Over the years every time Mr. Claus was mentioned in the papers it was added to.


    ¡°Do you want it taken care of for good?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hell yes, you never forget the blessings you been given, and we do try in our own way to pass it on. I just don¡¯t need a reminder shoved down my face every day,¡± Robert said.


    ¡°Done let me take the fall,¡± I said. ¡°It might be hot and heavy for a while but by the end of the day you will be free of it for good. Just follow my lead when we get back in the house.¡±


    Robert and I carried the hutch in and pretended to get into an argument over where we should put it. After saying this was not solving anything, I went over to the shrine in the corner and started to rip it down.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Terry said with emotions, ¡°That¡¯s my way of paying respect to him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve made a man who can be as big an asshole as me your god. If he were here right now, he would be doing what I am doing because he would not approve of it.¡±


    I continued ripping all the stuff up putting it on the kitchen island. Robert and I then continued on as dad passed the rest of the items down to us and we took it in. Terry had gone to their bedroom in tears. Once outside to get more stuff Robert thanked me.


    When we were done moving the furniture, I went back to close up the back of the truck.


    Terry followed me out and said, ¡°You may be Trish¡¯s friend but your no longer allowed in my house.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it,¡± I said, ¡°fine by me.¡±


    Robert, John, and I were sitting in the garage drinking a cold beer when Trish and Helen pulled up. As they walked to the house the stopped and said come on in lunch is here.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Robert said. ¡°Since Scott can¡¯t go in as long as he is here, we won¡¯t be going either. Under the circumstances, it might be best to plan to eat out here.¡±


    ¡°What happened,¡± asked Helen?


    ¡°Scott tore down your daughter¡¯s shrine, and has been excommunicated,¡± John said. ¡°We are all so glad he did.¡±


    Nobody could understand why Trish started giggling, even her mother looked at her in puzzlement.


    ¡°Relax, let me go put my sister in place,¡± Trish said. ¡°She¡¯s about to get gum sacked with some truths. Let¡¯s go in mom so I can talk to my sister in private while you get things set up for lunch.¡±


    No sooner had Trish gone into the house when Terri was on her. I learned later I was given every foul name she could think of. When Trish got tired of the bull shit, she landed a right on her cheek.


    ¡°Just shut the ¡®F¡¯ up,¡± Trish said. ¡°I¡¯ve I had enough of you bull shit. Follow me to one of the bedrooms.¡±


    As she did Terry said, ¡°Why there is nothing you can say that is going to change my mind on anything.¡±


    Once they were in the master bedroom Trish closed the door.


    ¡°Scott knows very well what kind of man Mr. Claus is and why he is that way,¡± Trish said. ¡°He lives his life just trying to make sure the good he does outweigh the bad. Nothing more nothing less.¡±


    ¡°How in the hell would Scott know how Mr. Claus thinks?¡± Terry said. ¡°Nobody knows who he is.¡±


    ¡°Scott does because it¡¯s another one of his many disguises,¡± Trish said in complete honesty. ¡°He was the priest that came into your life, and he gave you both a second chance. He was the one behind the five-year interest-free mortgage you got. I still do not know how or why he chooses those he helps out. Just be thankful that he does.¡±


    ¡°If that is true, why didn¡¯t he tell me,¡± Terry asked?


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned he has never admitted it to anyone,¡± Trish explained. ¡°I myself discovered it by accident and still was not sure until someone else verified it.¡±


    Between tears, Terry asked. ¡°Who all knows?¡±


    ¡°A few police officers who work with him, me and now you. When I told him, I knew I had to promise to keep it a secret. Now I expect you to do the same,¡± Trish said. ¡°It works so well this way because it allows him the freedom to live his life the way he wants. I want you to make peace with him.¡±


    ¡°Sis that will be easy to do,¡± Terry said. ¡°We all know how much my family owes him. I promise sis If you do anything to hurt that man, I will kick your ass all the way to Mexico.¡±


    Trish followed her sister back into the kitchen to see her reach up to the cupboard above the fridge and pull down an expensive bottle of scotch. Taking a glass, she put some ice in it and cracked open the bottle of scotch. After pouring some in she added some water and headed out towards the garage carrying the drink with her. Terry was going to do something she hadn¡¯t done for years and that was to apologize to a man who wasn¡¯t her father or husband.


    ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Helen asked Trish.


    ¡°Just the facts she needs to know,¡± Trish replied, ¡°before her judgment becomes her belief.¡±


    No sooner had she said that John and Robert were coming through the door. They explained that Terry wants to talk to Scott alone.


    Terri still had tears in her eyes when she spoke. ¡°Trish told me. Why didn¡¯t you just tell me?¡±


    She handed me the drink as I responded. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have believed me. You needed to be shocked out of the reality you were in. Sometimes it¡¯s the only way one can see the truth.¡±


    ¡°You are right, I wasn¡¯t ready. It took Trish giving me her right to force me to listen,¡± Terry said. ¡°Just so you know you¡¯ll always walk on water in my eyes. My husband and I owe you so much. Let¡¯s go in and eat.¡±


    ¡°Nah it¡¯s been a while since I had an argument with one of the Malley women,¡± I said. ¡°Can I milk it a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Sure, make fun of me now,¡± she said. ¡°We don¡¯t want the food to get cold so let''s go eat.¡±


    Trish and her mother had picked up the barbeque for lunch. We had chicken, ribs, baked beans, and fries. Surprisingly for some reason, it was better than normal. When they told me where they bought it, I knew why. The had ordered it from Bill¡¯s restaurant.


    Terry and Robert''s sons we learned were with his parents for the weekend. During the meal, they discussed going to the legion dance that night. I asked Trish if she was going, and she replied she hadn¡¯t gone in years. Then she surprised her father.


    ¡°Dad, is it too late to get one more set of tickets?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know let me call Stew and ask?¡± he responded.


    We heard John learn that there was none available as they were sold out. I knew better. The legion management always held some back in case important people decided they wanted to come.


    ¡°John give me the phone,¡± I said. ¡°Let me talk to him.¡±


    John handed me the phone and before I spoke, I turned the speaker on.


    ¡°Stew, Its Scott. Do me a favor I want you to stop scratching your ass, sit down and pay attention,¡± I said in my normal strong voice. ¡°The tickets John was looking for were for me and his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Nice try Scott but that¡¯s bullshit. Tina is too young for you to look at, Terry¡¯s married, and the ice princess has shot so many men down that it''s believed by most that she¡¯s a close closet lesbian,¡± Stew replied.


    ¡°Stew it¡¯s Trish, answer me this. Do you know what is meant when Scott describes a woman as a ¡®BBBB¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for shooting my mouth Trish,¡± Stew said. ¡°When we tried to set him up and failed, he would just say she¡¯s not a ¡®BBBB¡¯ I¡¯m safe. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the first day he met me back in early March Scott said I was a ¡®BBBB¡¯ and that meant trouble,¡± Trish said. ¡°Last night I accepted his promissory ring.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Stew said in shock. ¡°Give me an hour and swing by and pick up the tickets. My wife is not going to believe this, I¡¯m having a tough time coming to grips with it.¡±


    I said, ¡°thanks Stew¡± and hung up.


    Terry looked at her mom and said, ¡°Is this is for real.¡±


    Helen replied, ¡°We were having dinner together when we learned about it last night. I have been floating on air since I came home last night.¡±


    Both of them started to tear up out of the joy they were expressing. Robert stuck out his hand and said congrats. I took it and said thanks. Trish had to show Terry her ring.


    Just as we were pulling out Robert''s brother drove in. Sitting with him in the passenger side of his truck was Linda.


    ¡°Trish looks like we will have to watch out,¡± I said. ¡°That is, one pissed off young lady who¡¯s going to be on the warpath.¡±


    ********


    When we pulled into Stew¡¯s place both he and his wife were at the front door waiting to invite us in. Dawn had to see the ring first thing. Stew had to pour us all a drink, so we ended up having a Rye and Coke.


    ¡°Scott, I better warn you, Lacy and her boys are the band that is playing tonight,¡± Dawn said. ¡°You know the moment she sees you you¡¯re going to be asked to sing a few tunes.¡±


    ¡°Look, let her know I will do four songs at the start of her second session,¡± I said, ¡°but the catch is she has to have the band back me on a fifth with a rift of three or four cords which I will disclose to them.¡±


    Stew tossed the tickets in front of me. I went to get my wallet out. He said to put it away it¡¯s our way of saying congrats to the two of you.


    ¡°Dawn do you still have time to make a special liquor run before you set up the bar for the night?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For you yes,¡± she said. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Enough medium champagne for eight and everything that goes with it,¡± I said. ¡°Not only did Trish get her ring yesterday, but it was her mother¡¯s birthday. We are celebrating both tonight.¡±


    Her eyes lit up and she said, ¡°you willing to pay for the equipment and donate it to the legion?¡±


    ¡°Of course, as long as you don¡¯t go overboard,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°What songs will you be singing,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°According to Lacy, years ago Scott was hired at a concert as a grunt,¡± Dawn explained. ¡°The artist playing was known for the playing of the blues. During a break in the concert, the artist overheard Scott say anyone can play someone else¡¯s song. A true blues player can turn any song into the blues.¡±


    ¡°So, when the artist came back on stage, he called me out,¡± I said. ¡°He didn¡¯t figure I¡¯d do it. I came out with a bottle of red wine in my hand, took the hat off his head stuck it on mine and sat down at the piano. I placed a single bottle of red wine on it and started playing a blues version of Neil Diamonds ¡°Red Red Wine.¡±


    ¡°Lacy said when he started the song the crowd went silent, by the time he was done there were audible sounds of weeping. It was if they could feel his pain,¡± Dawn said. ¡°The only instrument used was that piano.¡±


    Trish said ¡°If you were that good at playing music? Why didn¡¯t you pursue it?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t what I wanted in life,¡± I said. ¡°I had other dreams to chase.¡±


    It brought memories back to me of sitting at the piano at the neighbors to the north practicing the scales as he began teaching me his second love. For nine years twice a week I had trained on the piano. Peter had loved my hands because they were so delicate and agile.


    Trish took my hand in hers,¡± I¡¯m glad you did.¡±


    It was almost four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, we quickly went to Trish apartment and walked out with a bunch of clothes. I had to make five trips carrying her clothing on hangers to load them on a bar I used to tie thing down with at the back of the box. Thankfully, the dance started at nine.


    Trish had to have a bubble bath before dressing after we had moved in all of the clothing she had brought over. I had her take a flute of wine with her. I went and put the truck back into the garage and brought out my ford explorer for the evening. I then went up and got ready.


    I was in awe when Trish came down the steps dressed for the evening. She was wearing a long length low cut red dress with matching heels. Her red hair hung down resting on her shoulders. I had never seen her look so elegant. I was wearing black dress pants a blue shirt and a black sports coat.


    When we arrived, everyone was there before us. During the band¡¯s first break while at the bar to get more drinks, I passed John the gift I had for Trish. I told him that I was going to be called up to sing five songs. When I sang the fourth song by ¡®Johnny Nash¡¯ I wanted him to give it to his daughter. Sure, enough I got called up by Lacy.


    I started by saying that there were four stages to the blues. The first was right after the breakup. I did my version of ¡®Good time Charlies got the blues.¡¯ The second was when time had taken you to the bottom. I had placed a bottle of red wine on the piano. I sat down and started playing Neil Diamond¡¯s Red Red Wine making it a blues version. It sounded like the piano itself was weeping. At times while using one hand only on the piano I would grab the wine bottle and drink out of it. The way it came across it appeared that the wine was now my lover.


    The third was the stage of nothingness. To illustrate that I sang a song made famous by Johnny Cash, Sunday Morning coming down. I watched John pass the gift to Trish as I started the fourth. The envelope covering the small card said to my ¡®BBBB.¡¯


    I watched her open the envelope and read the flower sized card inside. It read to my beautiful bewitching bitchy bitch with love.


    I started by saying that the fourth stage was when you started living again. I sang the song I can see clearly now.


    Trish had handed the card to her mother. I watched as she read it. She still had a smile on her face as her tears flowed.


    I said, ¡°it is only after this journey is over that you realize you did it to yourself because you did not know what love was at all.¡±


    That was when I had the band play the rift. Trish walked up to me with her tears flowing until she joined me on the stage as I wound down the ending of the song.


    To the good ole boys who still call me a friend. Let me leave you with this warning as this song ends. When you see that Beautiful Bewitching Bitchy Bitch walking towards you, run. For the moment, your eyes meet hers a lifetime of Woman trouble has begun.


    I led Trish on the dance floor. As the band played at my request lady in red. No one joined us but they gave us a stand ovation when we walked off the floor.


    We got back to our table. John and Robert had gotten the champagne. We toasted Helen and congratulated her.


    ¡°Trish, you got to admit that Scott described you to a T when he called you a ¡®BBBB¡± Helen said with pride. ¡°I love it. Now open the gift.¡±


    I watched as Trish unwrapped it slowly. Inside was two earnings that said ¡®BB¡¯ and a silver necklace with an ornament that said ¡®BBBB.¡¯ Both were made of small even diamonds.


    Tina help Trish put the necklace on after she had put the earrings on. All the ladies thought the set was beautiful. Trish after smothering me in kisses had to run to the bathroom to see how she looked.


    My girlfriend''s mother looked at me while smiling and said, ¡°Well done.¡±


    ********

 Learning to waltz

    Terri followed her excited older sister who was walking so fast that she appeared to be running into the lady''s washroom taking her cellphone with her. As Trish looked in the mirror Terri took a couple of quick image shots catching both her and her reflection in the mirror. Trish¡¯s face was glowing. Terri could tell that Trish was being memorized by what she was seeing. It was definitely going to end up being an eight by ten framed photo by the end of the weekend. Terry decided at that moment to make one up for each of her sisters and their mother. Trish¡¯s image in the mirror captured how stunning she and her new jewelry looked.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Trish said as she looked at it for the first time. ¡°I have never seen anything quite like it. The tiny gold leaves design the encases the lettering is something I have never seen before. It¡¯s as if it was custom made for me. I don¡¯t think there another one like it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did sis to deserve a gift like this,¡± Terri said, ¡°it¡¯s totally unique because in all the jewelry catalogues, I¡¯ve looked at I have never seen another one like it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not,¡± a young lady who was washing her hands at another sink said.


    Trish looked at the young lady and recognized her as the clerk that had served them when Scott and she had picked out the promissory ring.


    ¡°How can you be so sure,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°My boss who owns the franchise of Jayson¡¯s Jewelry designed it for Mr. Tait at material cost working on it after normal store hours,¡± the young lady explained. ¡°I learned that Mr. Tait had done a major repair on something valuable for my boss for a favor down the road. He told him while showing him the finished product that he still felt it still wasn¡¯t enough value to make up for the value he had received. I was told that Mr. Tait said it is to me because the who I¡¯m giving it to means everything to me.¡±


    Trish smiled when she heard that because she knew that Scotts sweat, and demanding work had a direct link to what she was wearing. Turning to the lady she asked, ¡°Do you know how much it cost?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, it would cost me my job, even though I have a good idea,¡± The young lady said. ¡°The owner at Jayson¡¯s has appraised the set for twenty-eight thousand dollars for insurance purposes and arranged to have it insured through corporate against loss. I think it¡¯s incredibly beautiful, elegant, and unique. It truly looks stunning on you. Klaus said Scott had designed the layout, style, and the lettering before he asked him to take on the project. Klaus must have enjoyed doing it for his friend because he went to jewelry row in New York City to hand pick the small diamonds, he used in it. He didn¡¯t want to take the chance that the ones that would be shipped to him wouldn¡¯t be of the same quality. Is it ok if I take your image to show him? I think he would enjoy seeing it being worn by whom it was intended for.¡±


    Trish said yes so, the lady did.


    That was when their cousin in name only walked out of  one of the washroom stalls and said, ¡°Why did Trish pick a lousy loser like Scott to become involved with, he¡¯s been afraid of women for years. At least that¡¯s what I believe. Others thought that most of us were not good enough for him or that he was gay and is too ashamed to admit it.¡±


    ¡°Fran Brown, you take that back now,¡± Trish said in defense of her man. ¡°Scott is twice the man you¡¯ve ever had and like the slut you are they try you out once and run.¡±


    Those words hit Fran like a ton of bricks. Trish did not know how close she had hit to the truth. Fran had been searching for an honest relationship with a male for years and so far, had not found one. She didn¡¯t yet comprehend that when you earnestly stopped looking for it, one would find you.


    She refused. Terri stepped in and slugged her a big one while saying, ¡°We are all hoping he¡¯s going to be part of the family. Speak ill of my future brother in law again and I will kick the shit out of you. Got it, bitch. You can talk gutter trash about anyone but our Scott. To the Malley family, he¡¯s untouchable.¡±


    ¡°Terry lets finish this once and for all by taking it outside,¡± Fran said, ¡°It¡¯s time you learned you¡¯re not as good as you think. Scott¡¯s shit stinks just like everybody else¡¯s, so shut your mouth until you get off the high horse you¡¯re riding.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Trish go back to the table and cover for me while I settle this for good,¡± Terry said in anger as she took off her wedding rings handing them to her. ¡°Tell Scott I expect a slow dance with him when I get back from cleaning up the trash.¡±


    Trish smiled. The feud between these two had been going on since the early days of high school. Both Terry and she had kept their distance from Fran because of that very reason. Fran was going down big time, but she didn¡¯t know it. By accident she had chosen the wrong night to shoot her mouth off. It wouldn¡¯t be a fair fight. Terry had her faith in Scott to back her and that would carry her to an easy win. Fran would learn the hard way just how painful it could be to go against a woman and her living god.


    Fran all her life believed she knew everything. It was an attitude that had resulted in bringing herself a lot of unnecessary problems. One had been job security and a career. Her mother, her aunt Shelia explained it all by saying she was still trying to find herself. Trish saw Fran for what she was a self-centered demanding bitch who only realy cared about one thing and that was herself.


    I was out on the dance floor with Dawn when Trish returned to our table. The glow on her face seemed to fill the legion hall.


    Dawn said, ¡°we have had two rounds bought for the whole table. It seemed some wanted to show their appreciation and thank you for your performance. Let me know when you¡¯re ready for them. Lacy had asked me if I could find out if their band could have the last song you had sung.¡±


    I said, ¡°Inform them I said it''s theirs with no strings attached.¡±


    I would learn later that they had decided to record my whole session with them while they played and that they figured the song I had just made up could be a huge hit because it in total looked at the female male relationship with a bit of sarcasm.


    Dawn decided she wanted a second dance, so we stayed for another song. John and Trish joined us on the floor. I walked her back to her table after we were done. Stew and I shared a few words when I escorted his wife back to their table. He had to admit that he had to see it to believe it. He now had no doubt that Trish and I were in love, and that we were in a committed relationship.


    As soon as I got back to our table Robert had Trish headed to the dance floor. Helen said come on Scott it is our turn. We were dancing a slow one.


    She whispered to me, ¡°You two have made this one of the top five events in my life without even trying. Everyone we know has been telling me how much my daughter Trish has changed, and they are right. I have to give you all the credit.¡±


    I replied, ¡°We both have changed, your daughter has convinced me to love as I did her. Although I have to admit we both ended up doing it the hard way.¡±


    ¡°Just remember it is believed that those who have experienced the worst when they find that one true love that there will never be any reason to doubt. No matter what test is thrown in front of them by life,¡± Helen said. ¡°I¡¯ve been floating on air since you came into Trish¡¯s life. Each time I turn around you and Trish do something to keep sending me higher. Calling her a beautiful bewitching bitchy bitch fit her to a T until you, by being you changed her. That¡¯s shown us all the real power of love.¡±


    As we walked back to our table I added, ¡°Sometimes no matter what we try to do to get over something that has left us in a lot of personal pain we find that nothing works. We learn to live with it, but it¡¯s always there. I think Trish and I accidently meeting each other the way we did was the trigger that allowed us both over the months as our relationship grew to let go of what we were both carrying.¡±


    Helen turned and looked at me and said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of wisdom in those few words. I think you might have been a surprisingly good writer because your able to express your thoughts with a common sense that seems to be lacking in our society.¡±


    When we had returned to the table Terry had rejoined us. Before I could sit down, she said it¡¯s my turn Scott. Brad took Trish out to the floor.


    We were dancing when I whispered into her ear ¡°Nice job in the cleanup but you missed a few spots of blood in the grooves where you finger and hands meld. I hope it¡¯s not because of something serious.¡±


    Terry blushed and said, ¡°Figures a cop would notice it. The bitch I had it out with has had it coming for a long time. It¡¯s sad because she is a close cousin. Please don¡¯t tell Robert. He wouldn¡¯t understand and would be upset about it for weeks. Unfortunately, this was one of those few times I could not turn my cheek and walk away. What she delibrately said just pushed me over the edge.¡±


    ¡°How bad was the damage?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s on the way to the hospital with two black eyes and a possible broken nose,¡± Terri said with a huge grin. ¡°That bitch from now on I hope will watch her mouth. Either way I don¡¯t think she will ever speak a terrible thing about my future brother in law again.¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°If you need an alibi, you got one.¡±


    When we left the dance floor Terri was face was beaming so much that Robert said, ¡°if I had not have seen it, I would not believe it. From hating to having a great relationship in just one day for most is an impossibility.¡±


    I knew that Terry¡¯s and my relationship to this point had him wondering what Trish had said that would cause things to work out this way.


    Finally, Trish and I got back on the floor for a couple of slow dances before Lacy and her boys finished for the evening. At the very end Trish and I were again called out on the floor. This time using a wireless mouth mike I had to sing Lady in red as Trish and I danced. This time the whole dance floor was filled with couples.


    The band closed the evening by announcing that it was Helen Malley''s birthday and sang happy birthday to her to end the evening. As we prepared to go home, we all agreed that because of the busy last two days we all had that we had covered the usual family Sunday dinner.


    Trish on the way home said it had been a long time since she had enjoyed dancing so much. I agreed saying that I felt the same way before adding that this weekend had indeed been a busy one. I was looking forward to spending the day on Sunday doing nothing but unwinding.


    Trish finally got to sleep in her new bed for two nights in a row and spent a few hours on Sunday organizing things to set up things the way she liked them.


    I drove her to work Monday morning as she explained what changes she was going to bring into our home to give it that feminine touch. I had to laugh because she was telling me without saying it aloud that she expected us to get married.


    ********


    Jennifer had sensed something was up with Trish as soon as she got to work on Monday morning. Her attitude made it clear that Trish was worried about something but was not saying anything. For some reason, Trish was being noticeably quiet. It had been almost three weeks since she had seen her. Although Jenifer tried all morning during quiet moments, she could not get her girlfriend to open up. Jen was beginning to believe that her worst fear was true. Trish and Scott had broken up.


    The more she witness her friends conduct that morning the more she believed that Trish was returning to the way she became after she had gotten stood up at the altar. A cold distance firmness seemed to consumer and as a result her appealing personal qualities disappeared. If that was true, she was going to find out directly from Scott just what happened.


    Even some of the new mothers who had had come into the maternity ward while Trish was off were asking if she was normally cold and distant. Jennifer explained that she believed she had something troubling on her mind and until she worked out, she would be direct and blunt as if she lacked tact.


    It was just after the lunch hour rush was over when most of the events of the day and doctor¡¯s visits were done that all hell broke loose. A nice looking lady had come in asking for Trish. Just looking at her gave one the impression that she was a determined woman who was here for a pacific purpose. Whatever her problem was it involved her best friend.


    It appeared that the lady had something profoundly serious on her mind. Jen estimated the age of the lady to be in her mid-twenties because of how well she dressed and carried herself. It was clear that she came from the upper class in society and was used to being catered to. When Trish saw her, she approached her carefully. It told Jen that these two women had history, and something outside of the hospital was behind what was up.


    The two of them had been in a deep discussion for quite a while. Some of the new mothers were standing at their room entrances while holding their babies trying to figure out for themselves what was going on between the two ladies.


    Jennifer could tell the conversation was becoming very heated between her girlfriend and the mysterious lady. Yet neither one appeared to be backing down. Both were being very careful talking seriously with a quietness in their voice so neither could be heard by others. Since no one appeared to be winning Jen thought she should contact security in case things got worse. The last thing the ward needed to see was a catfight break out in the open and it appeared by the two¡¯s body language that things were headed that way.


    Just as she finished making the call, she heard the lady say something to Trish that seemed to rile her girlfriend up. Forgetting where she was she spoke in her normal voice.


    ¡°Look, Linda,¡± Trish said loud enough for everyone to hear, ¡°As I explained to you earlier Scott helped me restore some antique furniture as a gift for my parents. We had to move some of my parent''s furniture to make room for what we had completed. That¡¯s why we were at my sister''s on Saturday. What I do with Scott is really none of your business. You and I both know that no one owns Scott. He is his own man who will do what he wants. So, based on who and what he is why would you think we are in love with each other?¡±


    ¡°I have loved him for years so back off of my Scott. As I told you before he is mine. I saw with my eyes how close you were sitting to him and how you looked at him. You¡¯re not going to convince me that you¡¯re not in love with him,¡± Linda said. ¡°You and I are going to have a major problem if I see the two of you together again. Back off of my man. I won¡¯t warn you again.¡±


    Jennifer had to smile after hearing that because it answered the question of the possibility that Scott and Trish had broken up. These two females were arguing over the same man. The last time she had seen such intensity was when they were in high school. It ended up with both of them losing the man. Jennifer would have to ask her girlfriend what Scott¡¯s relationship was with the lady.


    If you compared the two from a man¡¯s point of view, they were both quite attractive. Both seem to have the same dominate features and personalities. That told Jennifer what Scott saw in both of them. What she couldn¡¯t figure out was if he knew Linda first, how in the hell did he end up with Trish as his girlfriend.


    Trish was getting tired of this conversation because it was going nowhere. Linda could not be persuaded to drop it. Trish was ready to end it any way she could even if it ended up costing her job. She was not going to give Linda a chance to think she was wining the argument by backing down.


    Stephen had noticed them as he walked down the hall. Trish was looking very frustrated so he thought he would step in.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Stephen. ¡°Does this lady have a reason to be here Trish?¡±


    ¡°No, not really, she¡¯s just worried about a situation that doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Trish responded, ¡°except in her juvenile mind.¡±


    Stephen took Linda¡¯s arm and started to move her off the floor. The next thing he knew he was flat on the floor. Linda had her one-inch heel resting on the crotch area of his body. If she applied pressure, there would be major damage. Never in his life had he been taken down so fast.


    ¡°Touch me again Mister and you will lose your balls,¡± Linda said with a lot of authority. ¡°Believe me asshole I will do that. All you have to do is go for it by trying to do something stupid. The only man who is allowed to touch me is why I am here. Your coworker is trying to steal him from me and I¡¯m here to stop it. ¡±


    ¡°Lady you''re crazy I¡¯m going to charge you for this,¡± Stephen said in anger. ¡°Nobody makes me look like a fool.¡±


    ¡°Go for it! You¡¯ll lose. I will just say you touched me inappropriately,¡± Linda said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that at my age the court will agree with me.¡±


    Trish could see the confusion Stephen was dealing with, so she thought she better clarify things so that he did not go and do what Linda wanted him to.


    ¡°Think about it Stephen for a minute. I was right next to both of you and saw nothing,¡± Trish said. ¡°Linda moved that fast. Linda just turned sixteen a few months ago. She is legally still a minor who is well on her way to getting her black belt in the martial arts. The last thing you need is to be accused of assaulting a minor. Whether true or not it would cost you your job. I will get Linda to let you up so you can escort her out. Do not attempt to touch her again.¡±


    ¡°Let him up. Now. Linda this conversation is over, go home,¡± Trish said with a stern forceful voice. ¡°Come in here to hazzle me again without a valid medical reason and security will be called to escort you out.¡±


    Linda let Stephen up. Trish watched them closely until they entered the elevator wanting to be sure that Linda was leaving. Jennifer could see the change come over Trish as soon as the elevator door closed.


    ¡°Whew! I¡¯m glad that¡¯s over. I¡¯ve been waiting for that to happen all day,¡± Trish said with a huge smile. ¡°It went better than I thought. Neither one of us is going to jail.¡±


    ¡°Okay girlfriend,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Out with it all. If that was a sixteen-year-old girl, then I¡¯m a monkey¡¯s uncle.¡±


    ¡°Linda is a girl who has had a serious adolescence crush on Scott. She saw us together last Saturday. A few years back Scott bailed the family out of a tough situation. The cost was that Linda matured in a lot of ways to fast because of the time he had to spend supervising her. He taught her things over that summer that took most of us years to learn like what our appearance says about ourselves. As a result, every male she meets is compared to my Scott.¡± Trish then reached into her pocket and slid a ring onto her finger. ¡°Linda believes she is in love with him and no one can convince her that she isn¡¯t. Scott and I expected this to happen because she would never confront him, but we did not know when.¡±


    ¡°A promissory ring,¡± Jennifer gasped. ¡°Scott and you?¡±


    ¡°I got it Friday afternoon,¡± Trish explained. ¡°I had to hide it until I had confronted Linda. I¡¯m going to have to call her mother and let her know about what just transpired.¡±


    ¡°Details,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°We had just finished moving the furniture into Mom and dad¡¯s house. Scott and Brad were taking down to the tent they had erected so we could work on them. When the support structure came tumbling down, I ran out in a panic. Scott was buried underneath a bunch of pipes completely knocked out,¡± Trish explained. ¡°I lost it big time because I was afraid that he was dead. I said something that Tina had to question. That¡¯s when we finally admitted to each other that we were in love. I got the ring that same afternoon.¡±


    ¡°How did your mom take it,¡± Jen asked. ¡°When she found out.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s ecstatic. It¡¯s going to take her weeks to come back down from the clouds to the planet earth,¡± Trish said. ¡°Mom and Dad learned Friday night when we took them out for dinner. Since the day I brought Scott into our lives she has been flying. She believes that Scott brought me back from where I mentally was. Dad is having a lot of difficulties in dealing with her emotional swings.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is seeing the old you,¡± said Jen. ¡°Just like I am. Perhaps its best I explain that it¡¯s like time has reversed the changes in you that came as a result of that horrible day.¡±


    Trish thought about it and had to admit to a point that they were right.


    I arrived about ten to seven to pick Trish up. Her sister Tina was there bringing Trish two large Macy bags of her clothing. She and Jennifer were in a discussion about what happened between Trish and Linda. I listened with keen interest as Jennifer explained every detail.


    Trish had gone into the back room behind the nurses station and pushed her hair back behind her ears so that everyone could see her diamond earrings. She had also pulled out her necklace from beneath her uniform. She walked out and stood beside me.


    ¡°Okay Ladies, can I have your attention for a minute,¡± Trish asked.


    The three other nurses looked at her and me.


    ¡°This is Scott, my intended. He gave me my promissory ring on Friday,¡± Trish said. ¡°Then on Saturday, I got this gift, my new earrings, and necklace which I am wearing. To make it simple I¡¯m off the market and I¡¯ve already started to move in with him.¡±


    After congratulations and oohs and awes by all, Jen said. ¡°Scott, when do I get the chance to sit down with Trish and you to get both sides of your story.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Since your schedule is the same as Trish why don¡¯t you come to our place for lunch on Thursday. Bring your bathing suit and I will open up the pool.¡±


    ¡°We have a pool,¡± said Trish. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hidden beneath the large patio deck you thought was extreme,¡± I said. ¡°The deck opens up to reveal it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need direction to get to your place,¡± Jen said with a smile.


    I watched Trish text her saying we live in the Christmas cottage.


    Jen looked at the text message and said, ¡°Is this for real, I love that place. My daughters and I go look at it during the season at least three times.¡±


    I nodded my head to confirm that it was.


    Trish handed her sister the phone and let her read the text. Tina said, ¡°Brad lives down the same county road with his parents. That explains why he has a key to your house and knows the alarm code.¡±


    ¡°Here Scott,¡± Tina said, ¡°I should hand these to you. Trish, should I start advertising for a roommate starting in September for the school year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think you should,¡± Trish replied. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a December Bride.¡±


    Tina looked at me and mouthed when. I mouthed back September.


    ********


    Jennifer found our place after calling Trish for directions on where our driveway was. When she came through the break in the Canadian Hemlock trees, she discovered how huge the place was. Trish greeted her at our front door. I was preparing to open up the pool, so I was moving the patio furniture around to safe areas. Using a leaf blower, I made sure the whole area was swept clean.


    The first thing Jennifer said, ¡°The place is so confusing when you drive by it looks like a little cottage yet when you actually pull into its hidden driveway you find the place is huge.¡±


    ¡°It took me a while to accept the fact that the side of the house is built into the side of a small hill, so what your seeing is the second floor that has an outside entrance,¡± Trish explained.


    I showed Trish the controls for the deck.


    ¡°Trish this picture on the wall covers the buttons for the pool,¡± I said as I swung the door open. ¡°The top button is to open it up the bottom is to close it down.¡±


    ¡®Who¡¯s that picture of, I see a family resemblance,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°My Uncle James and his wife,¡± I replied. ¡°That was taken over thirteen years ago.¡±


    Both Jennifer and Trish were surprised to see how the deck lowered itself down and retracted back beneath the rest of the floor. With that done I went and set up the equipment for the pool while the ladies got changed. The pool went from three feet to eight feet deep with steps down on the shallow side and had a hot tub pool at the back.


    I made them a couple of glasses of orange juice and champagne before changing into my trunks. I left them on the kitchen counter while they toured the house. Jen seemed really impressed with what Trish was showing her. I started doing the prep work for lunch while Trish and Jen talked. Trish went through everything from the day we met not leaving out the littlest detail.


    I asked Trish to answer my cell while I was in the pool and let me know if I couldn¡¯t return their call later. I was in the deep end when I heard my cell phone go off. Thanks to the ring of the cellphone, I knew who was calling before Trish answered the phone.


    I heard her say, ¡°This is Trish I am answering Scott''s phone for him.¡±


    After a few seconds, Trish loudly said, ¡°A Mrs. Patricia Roseburg says they want it.¡±


    ¡°Tell her that I want it in my own name, and I will call her back after I have made lunch,¡± I replied back.


    The next thing I heard was Trish explaining to the lady who had called me who she was. Pat, I knew would be grilling Trish to the tenth degree. Since I knew that Patricia would be excited beyond believe I knew she would be trying to figure out why now? What had changed in my life to allow this? For years she had been trying to get me to come out. Now I was giving her permission to actually do it.


    As I was climbing out of the pool to start cooking lunch Trish finally got off the phone.


    ¡°Who is Pat and what was that all about?¡± Trish asked me. ¡°When I told her what you wanted to do, she grilled me with everything she could think of.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a marketing editor for a publishing company that I am under contract to as a ghostwriter for various projects,¡± I answered.


    Trish in surprise said, ¡°How long have you been doing this?¡±


    ¡°For a few years,¡± I replied. ¡°I do most of the writing when winter starts coming in and manage to get one book done when it starts to thaw. This year because I was inspired, I wrote a second book and had submitted it a few weeks ago for their consideration.¡±


    ¡°Would my mother know her,¡± Trish asked? ¡°She¡¯s been in the printed material distribution business for years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. You will have to ask her,¡± I said.


    Over the meal, I learned that Jennifer had been married for over eight years. Trish had been the maid of honor at their wedding. She had two daughters aged eight and six. Her husband¡¯s name was Ron. It came out that Trish and she had been friends since grade eight. Jen found it a hoot on how Trish and I had met.


    ¡°When she told me the major highlights, I thought she was exaggerating but those videos proved me wrong,¡± Jen said. ¡°These last few months it¡¯s been a joy to witness a lot of my girlfriend¡¯s personality shine like it used to. Scott It¡¯s hard to comprehend that your minor was drama in school, but I must admit it serves you well in your chosen field.¡±


    After lunch, I returned Pat¡¯s call to her. There was one big problem in her eyes. I was no longer under contract. My obligation to them had been filled. Thus because of my success under my pen name a discussion began on terms and conditions. I would never accept their first offer. It took two weeks of heavy negotiations before a deal we both could live with was finalized.


    ¡°Trish, can you get another permanent time off day in two or three weeks?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I have lots of hours,¡± She said, ¡°but why do you want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Pat, I have to go to New York City,¡± I explained. ¡°I would like you to go with me.¡±


    ********


    Early Sunday morning I got up before sunrise because I could not sleep. I texted Trish a quick message saying I was going out to my workshop. The coffee is set up to be made you just have to turn it on. I added, ¡®when you come out of your bedroom door this morning clap your hands.¡¯


    Afterward, I brought in and set up the surprise I had for her outside of her door. I had made a special stand for it and had the item I had purchased and restored under lighted glass. I did it because I knew that kids would want to touch and play with some of the restored items and since they were so delicate, I wanted to make sure they were protected. Once I plugged it in it was ready to go. When she clapped her hands, everything was set up for it to begin working. I thought I was doing something cute. I was proved quite wrong.


    I had been hard at work on another ongoing project that took time as each ivory horse piece had to be taken out, soaked, and cleaned. By doing that I was able to bring the colors the equipment the wore almost back to the point of when they were new. The wooden poles they rested on were in various stages of disrepair. The Swiss-made mechanical parts for the three pieces had all been bought at once. The wooden parts were spread out all over the table identified and labeled to where they belonged. As I had torn it apart, I had written the road map on the brown paper covering the table to put it back together correctly.


    Some of the wooden parts I had to remake from scratch. Making a small wooden piece sometimes took longer than making something big. This was the second one I was working on for Trish. To most, who saw me doing something like this they would say it was a waste of time and effort. To me, it was a way of restoring or bringing back its history for all to appreciate.


    I must have dozed because the next thing I knew in my eyes I saw Brad and a police officer in uniform. The police officer detained me by cuffing my hands behind my back. I knew this was normal if they were called into a domestic situation. I was wondering who would make a call about this place and why? Then I thought that this could be an inside joke.


    ¡°Brad, what¡¯s going on,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Trish called Terri crying. Terry could not get a word in because Trish kept calling your name over and over,¡± Brad replied. ¡°Terry got the impression something serious had happened to you and that Trish was at fault. Terri had her husband call Tina who called me. It looks like someone panicked and called the police. I got here just in time to let them in. The police found Trish at the top of the stairs to the right sitting on the landing crying her eyes out. The female officer started dealing with Trish and we came looking for you.¡±


    So, the three of us walked back towards the house.


    ¡°Any idea whats this is about Scott,¡± Brad asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t a clue, Trish was still asleep when I came out to the shop,¡± I replied. ¡°But I will have a better idea when I view the situation.¡±


    So, by the time we walked into the house, there was a huge crowd. All of the Malley family kids and all, the two police officers, Trish, Brad, and I. The female officer was trying to get Trish to calm down but when she saw me, she started crying hysterically again. I knew what had happened. Trish was reacting just like her mom would when she was emotionally overwhelmed by something. Everybody was looking at me because I had a huge grin on my face.


    ¡°Helen and Tina please can one of you go upstairs and turn to the right. The police officers need to see what''s on Trish¡¯s phone,¡± I said. ¡°If there is not enough light just clap your hands and the light will come on.¡±


    All of us watched the two of them go upstairs. We saw them clap their hands when they hit the landing. The light on Trish¡¯s surprise came on. The Hungarian carousel started spinning. The ivory horses began moving up and down as if someone were riding them. It¡¯s hidden music box started playing. Helen and Tina started crying. I could see Trish starting to cry even harder as she tried to break herself free.


    The female police officer watching what was happening before her eyes had the ¡®wtf¡¯ look on her face.


    ¡°You bought one of them for Trish?¡± Helen said directly to me with tears in her eyes, ¡°and restored it before letting anyone know.¡±


    I smiled, nodded my head as Trish broke free from the female police officer who had lost focus and ran to me.


    ¡°It''s truly a beautiful piece. It¡¯s nothing like it was when I first saw it,¡± Tina said. ¡°No wonder Trish is behaving this way. When she saw it, she had to know that she had captured your heart that first day.¡±


    The police captain Ray Earl Jackson and his wife Ruby walked in because no one had closed the front door dressed as if they were going to church. They had heard the call over the radio while getting dressed to go out.


    The captain says to the female police officer, ¡°Have you see the video clip where a woman tried to arrest the undercover cop?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir I have!¡± the female police officer said. ¡°Everyone who has seen it thought it was a hoot because both of them for some reason appeared to have the other persons number.¡±


    ¡°The lady you were holding on to is her,¡± he said. ¡°The man you have cuffed is that undercover cop. The carousel that is playing upstairs I helped Scott buy from the insurance company¡¯s asset recovery section was one of the ones she accused him of stealing.¡±


    The male police officer uncuffed me and said, ¡°Sorry sir we did not know.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around Trish tight. Trish looked at me through her tear-stained buttercup eyes. I knew she was emotionally overwhelmed because it showed her how much I loved her.


    I said to him, ¡°That¡¯s okay better safe than sorry. You were following the book as you should. When you fill out the report on this call could you put a copy in my mail slot?¡±


    The officer agreed to.


    ¡°Trish was trying to call you,¡± Terry said. ¡°And hit my name by mistake. I am so sorry I overreacted. I thought that my sister had done something to you. So, I am going to go up and look at it.¡±


    Ruby said, ¡°Earl, Trish got her promissory ring a week ago last Friday.¡±


    Earl smiled took out his key ring and took the key for the set of cuffs off. He walked over with the cuffs and key in hand and handed it to Trish.


    ¡°Next time young lady when you want to put Scott in cuff¡¯s, you can do it yourself. Instead of finding a way to involve us. Congratulations you two,¡± The captain said with a smile a mile wide. ¡°Beth has taken a lot of us to the cleaners because of this. Mr. Claus is going to have a considerable size donation from the police department this month.¡±


    Ruth and the captain said their goodbyes and left with the two police officers close behind them. I told the rest to go and grab their bathing suits and I would open up the pool. Afterward, Trish and I went up the stairs and looked at the carousel by ourselves.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You did wonders with it, it is truly beautiful,¡± Trish said. ¡°When did you find the time?¡±


    ¡°It was much like working on the furniture,¡± I said. ¡°The time needed for things to dry and or get stained numerous times slows down the process.¡±


    ¡°When did to decide to buy it?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°After that first weekend we spent together,¡± I said. ¡°But it took two independent appraisers evaluating the items before the asset recovery division got serious because the man hours needed to restore them would bring their cost beyond what they were insured for.¡±


    ¡°Dam you Scott,¡± Trish said before kissing me. ¡®You¡¯re spoiling me too much.¡±


    We soon had ten around the pool and somehow it slipped out that I was taking her to New York for a few days. I had fun playing in the pool with my future nephews.


    Little did anyone know that a lot of Sunday family get togethers over the years would be around the pool during the dog days of summer.


    ********


    We were flying into a small airport in a private jet that had picked us. The airport was still thirty minutes by air from the hotel we would be staying in. Trish was surprised we were not landing in a well-known airport.


    I explained that was because we had not used a commercial airline which cut down a lot of wasted time. She was concerned to find out that the rest of our trip would be done by helicopter as the hotel we were booked into had a helicopter landing spot. It was now going on four o¡¯clock New York time.


    Trish was memorized by the view as we flew over the city. She had seen it on film, but this was surreal. I learned it was also the first time she had been in a helicopter so it explained why she would not let go of my hand. For a small-town girl, this was a real thrill. As we started our descent down to the landing spot for our location, she got really nervous. I told I had felt that way the first time I had flown in a helicopter which seemed to help calm her. We had a dinner date with the publishers rep and her husband set for about seven.


    Pat had arranged adjoining suites for us which pleased Trish because it would allow us the freedom to move back and forth without having to use the hallways. Everything was being paid by the publishing company. They did things like that for their clients especially when they needed a signature.


    As soon as we landed the bell hops were there to take our luggage to our suites. Each of us was presented with a key card. I went to give him a tip and he refused it saying that it had been taken care of. I smiled because the publishers were doing everything to ensure that I did not back out at the last moment. I learned from Patricia later that night that there had been rumors that I had been approached by competitors.


    Trish unlocked her side of the door to my side. I did the same. We were both surprised by how big the hotel suites were. It was her first time in the city. It was nice to see her so excited for it allowed me a glimpse of what this city had once been to me. We both had time to unpack and get ready.


    At a quarter to seven, we headed down on the elevator all dressed and ready to meet our hosts for dinner. I was wearing a three-piece Italian black suit with a soft blue shirt but no tie. Trish was in a white dress. She had barrettes in her hair to keep it off her face. Her red curly hair shoulder length was stunning like always. She was wearing the diamond set I had given her. I thought with how beautiful she looked that she could walk into a room and have it stop.


    Pat was dying of a bad case of curiosity ever since she had first talked to Trish. She had to see for herself what kind of woman had finally captured my heart. Most of the staff who worked under her would have jumped at the chance to date me. If I had of asked them. Now she was meeting my intended for the first time.


    When I had called her back, she had all sorts of questions. Like how, when, and where? Only she had known that I had made it clear that I would only allow my name to be used when and if I found my one.


    With each book that came out, the demands got greater for my identity to be revealed. My latest called ¡®Winters Desire¡¯ had been on the best sellers list for five weeks. Pat believed that ¡°Tearstained Buttercup Eyes¡± that was being rushed to print when released would be the best yet. We had spent hours trying to produce a book cover design. It was my idea of eyes in the darkness looking down over a small rural town from the eighteenth century that we went with.


    I wrote about what I knew. The hardships of life and applied my stories to a simpler time of life before the machine age. The loneliness of living a life in a certain way, because of a different view was a background theme in most of what I wrote.


    What Trish did not know was that I wanted to use her eyes. I had deliberately brought Trish with me to prove to Pat that her eyes were perfect for it.


    As soon as we stepped off the elevator, I could see them getting off one of the couches in the sitting area. Pat and her husband Kurt Roseburg were an older couple who had always lived in the city. Their children were all around my age. I could see that Pat had dressed to make an impression. Kurt came across as not giving a dam. I had always thought he was a man after my own heart.


    Pat¡¯s face glowed when she saw us approaching. But it was on Trish that her eyes were focused. I had told her that she looked like Maureen O¡¯Hare, but she had to see it to believe it.


    After introductions, we were escorted to our seats in the hotel''s upper-class restaurant. We ordered our before dinner drinks while deciding what we wanted to eat. Trish had never tried escargots. I told her that they would be done with cheese but would still be slimy. That cut that idea down flat she was from meat and potato country.


    Pat and Kurt decided to have the braised lamb, with garlic red potato and asparagus. I ordered prime rib with onions, baked potato, and a side salad. Trish ordered spaghetti, tomato sauce, meatballs, and garlic toast.


    During the meal, Pat got to know a bit about Trish. Trish had to tell her the highlight of our story. Trish showed Kurt and her, the disguises I had worn. Including the one of me in drag. Pat did not know that I worked in wood or that I worked for the state as an investigator. When she started telling the part of her finding the carousal she teared up. Pat''s eyes lit up. I realized that she now saw what I had seen.


    ¡°Trish we would like to photograph your eyes for a book cover we are designing would you be interested?¡± Pat asked.


    ¡°Depends on what it requires, and how long it would take,¡± Trish replied.


    ¡°We could do it in one day. Our makeup artist would blacken your face,¡± Pat explained. ¡°We would be using multiple cameras to get the right shot. We could get it done with one shooting which we could do on Friday.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Scott, do you think I should do it?¡± Trish asked.


    I replied, ¡°I see no reason why you shouldn¡¯t as I will there at the office to taking care of some paperwork.¡±


    Before the dinner was over Trish decided she would do it. I think it was when Pat said it was my book cover that she wanted to use her eyes for that got her to agree to it.


    The rest of the evening went well. Trish and Pat seemed to jell well together. Kurt, a lawyer, and I got into a great discussion about the latest stunts being pulled by the federal government. We both agreed that most of the politicians needed to be led off a cliff before things would get better.


    On Thursday we spent the day going to see the Statue of Liberty and toured the well-kept Ellis Island Park. That night we went to an early show, and both enjoyed it. We had an early night because Friday was going to be a hectic day.


    Trish and I arrived at the publisher''s corporate office at six am. After signing the contract for the shoot Trish went to have her face prepared. Pat and I talked about a little request I had. When I explained what it was and how little it would cost, she gladly agreed to it. Pat and I went line by line through my contract with the corporate lawyers. We had just about finished signing the agreement when the art department called. Trish was unable to cry.


    I was amazed to see that they had fifty digital cameras set up in various places all linked into one computer. Trish was sitting alone in a chair that was placed in front of a black screen. Every piece of clothing she was now wearing was midnight black. Even her red hair had been tied back and covered. We were all hidden behind one-way glass. They had her face completely black.


    ¡°Is there any way I can get her to hear my voice?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, all you have to do is press down on the base of the mike and speak,¡± One of the staff said.


    ¡°Then gentlemen get ready to shoot,¡± I said as I pressed down on the mike. ¡°Trish remember when I left the message to clap your hands when you came out of the bedroom.¡±


    Looking at her I could see the tears starting, so I added. ¡°What you did not know is that I bought all three. The second one is almost done.¡±


    It was quite the sight as the camera¡¯s caught her eyes and tears from all different angles. One of the crew said its quite amazing she really does have tearstained buttercup eyes. When they said they had captured more than they needed I walked into where she was and took her into my arms, holding her until she calmed down.


    During the next hour, Trish and I were both in the makeup room being worked on. They wanted numerous shots of us together dressed in different pieces of period clothing. They thought that having the back cover tying into the theme of the book while introducing me would be another advantage.


    We must have put on ten outfits each before they called it done. Pat was really pleased with the results. Using the in house computers we spent about an hour reviewing everything that was shot before settling on which ones to use.


    To celebrate Pat and her husband took us out for supper. It was nine at night by the time we got back to our room. After getting changed into my pajama¡¯s I poured us both a glass of wine to unwind. Trish came in her full-length housecoat and together we watched our new favorite movie ¡°McLintock.¡± It did not take long until we fell asleep.


    Saturday, we went to Tiffany¡¯s just to satisfy one of Trish¡¯s childhood dreams. During the day Pat called to confirm that what I wanted had been done. Then added the catch that the back side of the book cover was going to have three different images depending on which part of the country the book was bought in.


    That evening we took in another show.


    ********


    Pat and Kurt had breakfast with us Sunday morning and gave Trish the two thousand dollar cheque and told her that with every book sold she would earn ten cents in royalties.


    For me, they had six framed copies of the images being used for the book cover without printing on them. Behind the side that held Trish''s eyes and the eighteenth-century village was a letter of authenticity proving what they were.


    Basically, the letter of authenticity said that it was one of six limited proofs of the book cover¡¯s design without the printing. Pat told me that all who had a part in the final decision has signed the back of the photos. I knew although it cost very little the proof in a few years would be worth some money if the book was as successful as we thought it would be.


    After saying our goodbye¡¯s, once again we climbed into the helicopter to begin our journey home. Trish made me promise that we would come back. Trish seemed to be a lot more relaxed as we descent in the private airport to transfer to the plane that would take us back home. We cleared Cape airport at about two o¡¯clock I had Trish wait at the curb while I went to bring the car around.


    Unexpectedly we stopped in at Trish¡¯s parents. Helen had brought home her mother for the day from the nursing home she lived in. At the age of eighty-six, she was still a spry lady. Although her body was slowly failing her mind was as sharp as a whip. For a woman of her age, I was surprised at how good she actually looked. While most went gray her hair had a distinctive silver tinge to it which served to make her look impressive.


    When she saw me the first thing, she said in French was, ¡°If I was my granddaughter''s age, I wouldn¡¯t kick him out of my bed.¡±


    I responded in French, ¡°Does anyone else besides me know what you said?¡±


    That caused her to break out in laughter. ¡°Trish, are you going to introduce me to your young gentleman.¡±


    Trish did and her grandmother and I got into a long friendly discussion in French about how Trish and I had met. Every question she asked I answered to her complete delight.


    We were still in a an earnest chat when Trish brought the drawer out to show her grandmother.


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡¯ her grandmother asked. ¡°That¡¯s my signature I remember as if it was yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Nana, Scott and I found it at a swap meet and we restored it,¡± Trish explained. ¡°It¡¯s now part of Mom¡¯s new dining room.¡±


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± She asked.


    John and I had to lift the wheelchair and her up over the stairs into the house. I wheeled her in as Trish led the way.


    We all got kind of choked up when Trish¡¯s Nana started to cry. ¡°When we were in ¡®the great depression also known as the dirty thirties,¡¯ money was tight when my grandparents were forced to sell it to keep food on the table. What you have here looks as I remember it from back then.¡±


    Trish looked over at me with a sense of pride. I think her grandmothers words had struck a deep chord in her heart because she said, ¡°Nana Scott and I fell in love while restoring it. I did not realize that working beside him would tare down all the defenses I had built for my own protection.¡±


    Nana wheeled herself over to it and touched in a loving gentle way. I could tell she was reliving a tender memory. Then she turned and looked directly at me.


    Nana stared at me for a few then said, ¡°Your initials used to be ABG until you took your new name to put the shame you carried because of others behind you. I see Trish and you having six before I end my days.¡±


    Trish saw my face go white because there was no way anyone knew. The words Trish¡¯s grandmother had said had been the truth. Everyone else had also seen my reaction. I knew that they had suddenly discovered they had a lot of questions that would need to be answered.


    Trish came to me taking my hand and asked. ¡°Is it okay that I tell Mom and Dad about what Nana was referring to?¡±


    I nodded my head in an affirmative manner.


    Trish told the three of them the history of my life as I listened. I was surprised because she had remembered most of everything. Trish started explaining everything as I explained it to her. If she was unsure about something she asked me, and I explained it as calmly as I could. All got the sense that in ways it still affected me to various degrees.


    Nana put it all in perspective when she said, ¡°Trish should always consider herself blessed to be able to go through life with this man. His values are forged in steel, his strength unbending, and his love for humanity is unending. He is a young version of what men in our society used to be. They were called the ¡°greatest generation¡± now you may understand why.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad, and Nana there''s one more thing you need to know about Scott,¡± Trish said. ¡°When we celebrated mom''s birthday lunch at Terry¡¯s, I was forced to tell her something that I am going to reveal to the three of you today. But what I am going to disclose goes no farther. Scott is also Mr. Claus.¡±


    I¡¯m not surprised,¡± said Nana. ¡°It had to be someone with great compassion for the hurting to do something like that. I always knew that the person behind the mirage was doing it because of what they had gone through.¡±


    John and Helen were stunned. They had often wondered why Trish had described Scott as a Renaissance Man and now they understood why. Scott was a throwback to the type of man that had gone through the World War one and two. One who did what he had to do and did not talk about it. All of them had developed a mental toughness that left their stories untold.


    From the day they came home to the day they died they were, for the most part, the silent ones. Yet the achievements they gave to this country made it the envy of the world. They in their departing were taking something that would be lost forever their love, respect, and faith in America.


    John felt immensely proud to have the possibility of having that kind of man as a son in law.


    Helen looked at Trish through tears and asked, ¡°How long have you know that fact?¡±


    ¡°The day Scott and I brought the hutch and china cabinet home I was suspicious,¡± Trish explained. ¡°When we went to the police station the officer wrote in the report verified by Mrc. It made me wonder why? When I asked the officer making out the report if Mrc was Mister Claus all he said was I cannot answer that question. It was revealed to be true when I was on the way to the hospital because Scott had been shot.¡±


    Before anything else could be said we heard a car drive-in. We knew more of the family had arrived. Since we were going to have a barbeque, we had to get Nana back outside.


    By five we were all talking a break before starting to prepare supper for the tribe. I walked back to the ford explorer and brought the pictures out. Trish and I passed them out. I left ours in the car.


    ¡°We went to New York because Scott is about to have a book published under his name. Until now he has been what they call a ghostwriter,¡± Trish said. ¡°What you each got is a copy of what the cover will look at from the back and front without any of the print.¡±


    Helen was the first to open it. She gasped and said, ¡°Are those your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I even got paid for it. New York was wild and exciting,¡± Trish said. ¡°There was so much I would love to do but the time was short, so I got Scott to promise to take me back.¡±


    ¡°What''s the name of the book?¡± Helen asked.


    ¡°For marketing purposes, we can¡¯t tell you,¡± I said. ¡°The publishers are keen on keeping that and who I am secret for as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then can you give me the name of some of the books that you worked on,¡± Helen asked?


    ¡°If I did that would give away what the publishers trying to hide,¡± I said. ¡°I can tell you that the print media has been trying to find out who I am for years. Sales of the series I worked on have grown for years. With each new edition, the demand overall for each title keeps growing.¡±


    Over the next hour Trish¡¯s mother mentioned every series she thought of, but I would not budge an inch. Just before we were leaving Helen said to me privately, ¡°You can be a real horses ass but I love you anyway.¡±


    ********


    Trish had come on at the start of her last shift for the week to learn that there was a new mother in the maternity ward. She had come into the hospital via the emergency department. Her babies had been brought into the world just after one am that morning.


    The note on the file said that Mrs. Carla Woods was to be released the next day because of not having medical insurance. The department head had given the order. Trish noted that the mother was from out of state and had no permanent address.


    I was busy with the state parole system getting ready for the next session by reading the files of those up for review when Trish texted me. Part of my job thanks to the Attorney General was serving on the parole board. I have a situation here that needs the help of Mr. Claus¡¯s priest, Trish¡¯s text said. Having perked my interest I called her and got her to send me the information via an email. It appeared to be that the department head of the maternity ward was being a real bitch. By what was revealed to me it became clear to me that she had no clue as to what the hospital and my charity had agreed to.


    At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, a Pastor identified as John showed up in the maternity ward. He was being escorted in by Stephen from Security by special request from Trish.


    According to what Stephen had written down in his report a young mother had shown up in an emergency in labor with no health insurance. Having delivered two twins, she was now in the maternity ward but because she had no insurance, they were releasing her and the premature babies in the morning. Stephen had it noted that the young lady had asked Trish if she knew a pastor in desperation. It was Trish who had arranged the visit.


    Trish led the pastor to the ladies'' room wearing a knowing smile. No one else we thought could tell it was me. Stephen stood by waiting until I was done.


    About an hour later the pastor left the room only to be escorted down to billing by Stephen. He paid in full the new mother¡¯s bill using a debit card and made arrangements to cover any future costs. An hour later he had found her husband near the car they were sleeping in to get his side of their story.


    They had moved from three states away after selling everything. Dan Woods had gotten hired by the Jackson County Sheriff¡¯s department and come down to find out that the county had cut the budget because of general overspending. The job offer had been rescinded at the last minute.


    It became complicated even more because she had begun labor a month early. Since they had just arrived in the state, they had not even found a place to rent.


    A phone call had him being interviewed by the captain at four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. He had been hired before the interview had even taken place. The captain had talked to the Sherriff of Jackson County whom he had known for years. Mr. Claus had committed to covering his wages for up to two years. That would allow the city time for a position to become viable because of normal nutrition.


    For the city it was a win win situation because it would ease staffing complications during organized events and bring a bit more balance on assignments which would cut down the need for overtime. Plus, there was no additional cost that they would have to get city approval for.


    The pastor took the man after he was hired to meet a real estate agent about a new house that was for sale. When he was told that he was being offered it with no money down and a five year no interest loan thanks to a local charitable organization he went for it.


    They would sign the paperwork and transfer the title in the morning. He was informed to make sure that he was back at the new home he had agreed to purchase at one pm the next day.


    Trish texted me to say she was working late because one of the nurses had called in sick. I didn¡¯t realize it, but the husband had witnessed me answering her with the words mission completed. We got the family a fresh start.


    At eight that evening he walked into his wife¡¯s room to tell her the good news. Trish could hear the sobs of joy coming from the room.


    At ten that night a truck pulled up at the house the couple would be buying. Before the back door was up eight police officers were there to help unload it. Everything went into the garage. The real estate agent locked the place up after the police offers had left leaving a white envelope on top of one of the major items on her way out.


    ********


    He was there at one pm after signing the paperwork with the keys to his new house. Every police officer who was not on schedule and those spouses available were waiting for him to open the garage doors. When he did, he found everything that would be needed for them to set up the house. He was in shock.


    ¡°Everyone here has been helped by the Mr. Claus foundation over the years,¡± The captain explained. ¡°You¡¯re just the latest one. We can¡¯t have our newest employee worried about other things when he¡¯s on the street. Somewhere in that pile will be a thousand in cash to help you buy whatever he has missed.¡±


    After the crowd was gone and the house basically set up to go the captain and his new employee were sitting at the kitchen table.


    ¡°Captain I know that Mr. Claus¡¯s first name is Scott and that his girlfriend is a Registered Nurse named Trish,¡± Dan Woods said. ¡°Why are they doing all of this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Scott for over thirteen years, and I still have no answer to that,¡± The captain answered. ¡°Scott and Trish each in their own way have always walked alone. Their kindred spirits in a lot of things. It has helped to bond them together. I can tell you that he started out fixing antique furniture to finance a lot of his charitable deeds. Now he has a bank account in which those who wish to contribute can do it via their branch by asking the tellers to transfer the funds. Each of us pays him back by passing it along.¡±


    ¡°That explains why a lot of the furniture is of superior quality and made to last,¡± Dan said. ¡°He¡¯s repaired and restored a lot of this himself. I hope he will be willing to call on me if he needs help.¡±


    ¡°I will add your name to the list of volunteers,¡± The captain said. ¡°Last December we helped Mr. Claus deliver Christmas to a lot of poor families throughout the area.¡±


    After the captain left, he unpacked the car while reflecting on the changes in his life. As an African American, he had beaten the streets so had his wife thanks to a black pastor who never had given up on them. Never had he expected to be blessed by stranger like this. Both he and his wife had been trying to find a way to thank the couple for a future they thought they would never have in a way that they couldn¡¯t refuse.


    He proudly changed into his new uniform as a police officer of the Cape Girardeau police department for the first time and drove over to the hospital to surprise his wife with the blessings they had received.


    As he stopped at the nurse''s station, he found out that Trish was off until Monday. That gave him and his wife time to plan. He walked into his wife¡¯s room wearing his new uniform knowing he had found a place they would always call home.


    The Sunday family get together was interesting because Trish kept getting asked repeatedly why she looked full of pride every time she looked at me. She laughed with joy saying can¡¯t I just be proud. Of course, she could but her look was over the top and the family had no qualms telling her that.


    ********


    On Monday morning the administration department of the Southeast Hospital received a letter from the lawyers of Mr. Claus''s foundation. They were ending the three million dollars yearly grant for the maternity ward because of their possible endangerment of Mrs. Carla Woods¡¯s premature babies. The lawyers explained everything in detail proving that their own conduct verified that the funds were not being used for what they were intended for.


    At eleven am Stephen was up explaining what he knew. He had to disclose that the department head had informed Mrs. Carla Woods directly. He also informed the admin department that he had been with Pastor John when he paid the bill by debit card and arranged for all further bills be sent directly to James Scott Tait, a director for the Mr. Claus Corporation. Stephen also informed them that Trish Malley was Scott¡¯s girlfriend.


    The head of the financial department¡¯s face went white. He now knew his job was on the line. As soon as Stephen left his office, he called Human Resources and informed that departments head of what had been done. They spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what to do.


    Trish had texted me to swing by the hospital even though she was now driving our ford escape regularly. I pulled into the visitor¡¯s parking lot and headed in. Stephen was in the lobby and approached me.


    ¡°Admin is in a panic,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I got asked a lot of questions about Mrs. Carla Woods'' situation and I told them all I know. They made it clear that my employment was not in danger, but I was left with the opinion that more than one person is. Do me a favor let Trish know.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem Steve,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for keeping me in the loop.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he replied. ¡°I thought but was not sure that Pastor John was you.¡±


    ¡°What gave it away?¡± I asked wanting to know.


    ¡°The way Trish looked at you,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s never looked at a man the way she looks at you.¡±


    I laughed and headed up. Stephen was right. It was time I stepped up and asked her dad for a couple of favors.


    Trish was waiting for me. The switchover had started in staff. I could tell there was something playing on her mind.


    ¡°I asked you to come because Carla and Dan want to talk to us both,¡± Trish said. ¡°I think they know. He¡¯s in her room with the twins. She¡¯s going home tomorrow. Dan starts his first shift on Wednesday.¡±


    Together we walked into Carla¡¯s room.


    ¡°We are here,¡± Trish said holding my hand.


    ¡°We would like to introduce you to first our daughter Trish Anne Woods named after you Trish and my wife''s middle name,¡± Dan said.


    ¡°This is our son named Scott Evan Woods,¡± Carla said. ¡°Evan is Dan¡¯s middle name, and we were wondering since we have no close family here If you two would be willing to accept being their godparents.¡±


    I noticed the tears forming in Trish¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°We would be honored to accept that responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Jen, can you come in here for a moment,¡± Trish yelled.


    Jen came in and said, ¡°What''s up.¡±


    Handing her cellphone to Jen Trish said, ¡°I want you to take photos of Scott and I holding the twins.¡±


    Dan handed little Trish to me and gave little Scott to Trish. Jen took a couple of shots then showed them to Trish for her approval.


    ¡°What are the baby''s names?¡± Jen asked. ¡°Have you decided so we can fill out the paperwork tonight.¡±


    ¡°Scott Evan and Trish Anne, ¡°Dan said. ¡°We¡¯ve named them after their godparents.¡±


    ********


    It was just after Labor Day weekend that I stopped into the Sterilization plant that Trish¡¯s father was general manager of in Jackson. Their anniversary was coming up in about ten days. I had come to ask his blessing for his daughter''s hand and to ask for a huge favor. He gladly said yes to both.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how we''re going to pull this one off,¡± John said. ¡°It will have to be something unexpected and happen at the last minute. The wife already knows we''re going out for dinner then to the legion dance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy, I will be flying out on Thursday night. I will forget to take my cell phone,¡± I said, ¡°because I have to pick something up in New York on Friday. I will call your secretary about four o¡¯clock in the afternoon claiming I¡¯m flying in on Saturday morning for a surprise inspection of the plant on behalf of your employer¡¯s insurance company because of the renewing of their multi-million dollar liability insurance.¡±


    ¡°Helen knows its reviewed every few years,¡± John stated, ¡°because a representative always comes out to do an inspection on behalf the insurance company to ensure that we are performing the way were supposed to and that our equipment is current and up to date. It should be easy for her to accept that providing she doesn¡¯t remember the last time it was done.¡±¡±


    ¡°It would be a good idea that you let Helen know about the renewal negotiations,¡± I added, because that way what happens won¡¯t seem so unexpected. You just have to remember that as far as Helen and Trish are concerned the insurance representative is going to be stuck in Cape overnight. That is why you will have invited me for supper and to the dance.¡±


    ¡°Okay that will work but what do I tell Helen?¡± asked John. ¡°Without tipping our hand.¡±


    ¡°Just promise her that it will be an anniversary that she will never forget,¡± I replied, ¡°and if we pull it off it will be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard on Trish not knowing where you are,¡± John said. ¡°Both of them will be worried sick.¡±


    ¡°I will call Trish Friday and talk to her claiming I¡¯m stuck at the capital in unexpected meetings for the weekend,¡± I said. ¡°She will not know about New York because that¡¯s where I am getting her engagement ring and wedding band.¡±


    It was a hectic time at the hospital. The head of the maternity ward after a two-week investigation had been terminated. No explanation was given, but the staff rumor mill was filled with explanations.


    ********


    It had gone as we planned. John and I were sitting across the street drinking coffee from where his wife and daughter were getting their hair done. As we expected Helen was not impressed with her husband¡¯s employer this weekend. After picking me up at the airport in my disguise created by Pat¡¯s art team in New York we had loaded my luggage and the box I brought back with me in his trunk.


    I wore a full facial mold over my face. The zipper at the back was hidden by my grey-haired shoulder length wig. The lens I wore had changed my blue eyes to a pale light green. The outfit I was wearing over my normal clothing gave me a slight potbelly which made it look that I really did not watch my weight. They had added thickness to my hands and more body hair to match the thickness of my full beard which was now basically gray.


    ¡°Trish is upset that you have to spend the weekend at the capital and are unable to explain what it was about,¡± John said with a chuckle. ¡°Helen is just as frustrated because she feels our anniversary is going to hell, as a result, she been taking it out on me. She sarcastically said that I have kept my word to make this an anniversary that she will never forget. Right now, in her eyes I will be in the doghouse for weeks. When I told Trish, what was happening she agreed to go for supper with us and share a dance with you tonight only because it will help to keep her mind off of you.¡±


    ¡°Good that is what we want,¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to step on her toes. Brad is ready to help us take off my disguise when the time is right.¡±


    ¡°When will I know when that is,¡± John asked?


    ¡°The moment I get tossed the cordless mike from Lacy because she¡¯s playing tonight,¡± I replied. ¡°Make sure that either Terry or Tina are shooting it.¡±


    ¡°Every time you take her up on the dance floor, I will have it recorded. Stew and Dawn have promised to make sure of that,¡± John said. ¡°Lacy has arranged that if things go as planned for a lot of the females in attendance to stand up and sing.¡±


    The first session of the dance was over; I had yet to get Trish on the floor. The whole evening had been a damper affair as no one was enjoying being there. Finally, I got Trish to the floor talking like a Texan with a drawl to my voice. We were in the middle of a waltz when I deliberately stepped on her feet being the lousy dancer I was. The second time I did it Trish started to walk away holding her frustration and anger in. Lacy threw me the wireless mike.


    ¡°Well dam! The Maureen O¡¯Hare that I know is getting soft,¡± I said in my normal voice. ¡°The woman I thought I knew would never walk away. She would have stood her ground and let it go with both barrels pointed at me.¡±


    Trish stopped in her tracks as soon as I spoke turned around and let me have it with a mixture of tears and anger. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, you did it again. If you think this is funny think again. I have been worried about you all day. Boy, are you ever going to pay for this stupid stunt? Wipe that stupid grin off your face. Now!¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen your assistance please,¡± I said still grinning. ¡°Trish can you please hold the mike.¡±


    Trish hesitated for a moment trying to decide if she should just walk away leaving me standing there looking like a fool before taking the mike from me.


    Her Dad and Brad came over and helped me out of the outfit. I took off the wig and had her father unzip the mask. I slowly took it off my head. Brad handed me a towel so I could wipe down my wet face and remove the false lens from my eyes. They quickly moved my stuff away.


    Taking the mike from Trish I said while still smiling, ¡°Just how long do you plan to make me pay for this stunt?¡±


    With her nose starting to flare up and her face getting red in anger she said, ¡°For the rest of your life you asswipe.¡±


    ¡°Is that a promise, you¡¯re planning to keep?¡± I said sarcastically.


    ¡®Yes, it is!¡± Trish said in an anger that was growing bigger every time I opened my mouth.


    I said, ¡°Good it makes this part easy.¡±


    ¡°Makes what easy?¡± Trish asked as her father stood by watching.


    I got down on one knee and took out the small ring box out of my pocket. ¡°From the day I met you, I knew you were the one. The moment your nose flared you had me. So, I had to make sure that passion was there when I asked you to become my partner forever in the walk of life. Trish Nicole Malley, will you stand with me before our family and friends to say the vows that will make us one.¡±


    Trish had tears in her eyes when she looked at her father, ¡°Dad you were in on all this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, he asked for your hand just after the fourth,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why I was able to promise your mother an anniversary that she would never forget.¡±


    ¡°Put the ring on my finger, of course, I will marry you,¡± Trish said while trying to keep control of her emotions.


    I stood up and slid the engagement ring on to her finger. As soon as I did that a group of the legion ladies stood up and began singing ¡°Chapel of love.¡± I took Trish into my arms and gave her a long deep kiss. As soon as it was over the tears started.


    Dad and Brad went to the bar to get the champagne and glasses that we had ready. I looked over at our table. Trish¡¯s mother and sisters were showing just as much as emotion as Trish was. Dad and I had done it pulled it off perfectly. What had just happened was the last thing they expected.


    Trish whispered to me, ¡°I was expecting this, but the way you did it caught me completely off guard. I love you dearly. I¡¯m surprised that dad was able to keep this all a secret from mom.¡±


    ¡°When we worked it all out, I told him just to tell your mom that it was going to be an anniversary that she would never forget,¡± I said. ¡°By the tears of joy in her eyes we can safely say she won¡¯t.


    ¡°How did you know that when I was young that I would hear the song and say the man I¡¯m going to marry will have the song played?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°Your sister Tina told me over one Sunday dinner,¡± I explained. ¡°I also made sure that we had this all recorded by three or four different people in case one forgot.¡±


    As soon as the girls finished singing Trish turned on the mike and thanked them all for making this moment so special because that song had been part of a childhood dream. As we walked back to our table hand in hand, we got a standing ovation.


    John and Brad were already back. John had moved over to sit beside his wife who was begging for his forgiveness for treating him like an ass all day. I quietly had to chuckle because he was milking it for all it was worth.


    Before I even sat down Helen got up and gave me the biggest hug, she had ever given me and said so loud that everyone could hear. ¡°It no more John and Helen it¡¯s Mom and Dad.¡±


    Brad did the honor and passed out the champagne. Trish was busy showing everyone her engagement ring.


    I sat down as Dad raised his glass, ¡°A toast to Scott and Trish for making this an anniversary that my better half will never forget.¡±


    ¡°Or live down,¡± Helen added.


    Everyone roared then Terri said to her husband, ¡°If you ever conspire with those two you will be in the doghouse for months. What those two put those girls through today was despicable.¡±


    Dad and I laughed.


    I looked at John who has a smile and a grin on his face and said, ¡°Thank you for your help, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Any time, son,¡± he replied.


    Terry said I want to dance with my future brother in law so off we went. During the two-step, we chatted.


    ¡°Scott, I hope you realize that you have made my mother¡¯s and my dreams for my sister come true tonight,¡± Terry said. ¡°How in the hell did you get my father to keep a secret?¡±


    ¡°I knew how much he loves your mother,¡± I said. ¡°Love overcomes all, and I banked on that.¡±


    ¡°Love you my favorite brother in law to be,¡± Terry said as she kissed me on the cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the only one,¡± I responded with a laugh.


    When we got back Tina said, ¡°okay my turn¡± and off, we went.


    While I was gone Trish got out my cellphone and had turned it on. The first thing she saw was a text from Pat asking if she said yes. Trish texted back; its Trish and yes, I did. Pat texted back right away; Congrats will call tomorrow. When I returned to our seat Trish showed me. That is when I told her I had gone to New York to buy her ring set from Tiffany¡¯s. The art department helped me come up with this new disguise.


    When the band was on their second break Dad helped me move my stuff from the back of his truck into the back of the ford escape. We were both gloating about how well we had pulled it off.


    Before going back to our table, I slid into the bathroom and removed the makeup off of my hands. I was just leaving when I ran into Stew who told me that both he and his wife had shot everything from different angles along with two others, and that they would forward the best two videos to me in the morning.


    ¡°We really thought she was going to kill you,¡± Stew said with laughter. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing she didn¡¯t have anything in her hands. With her mood at the time, she would have thrown it at you. We thought that if she had she would have proven the reputation that all redheads have.¡±


    ¡°I learned a long time ago that her bark is worse than the bite,¡± I replied.


    When we got home after parking the car we went into our house. I lifted her up into my arms and carried her up the stairs. Once reaching the landing I stopped.


    ¡°Left or right,¡± I said, ¡°Which one will be our master bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Right, you got less stuff to move,¡± Trish replied.


    We would always remember the first night we slept together and how we were woken up.


    ********


    It was Trish¡¯s cell that woke us that Sunday Morning mine was downstairs. She reached over to grab it from the nightstand. Mom and Dad were at the front door.


    ¡°I will buzz you in,¡± Trish said as she hit the app button to unlock and open the door. ¡°You just woke us. We will be right down.


    ¡°It¡¯s ten o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± Helen said to John.¡± What do you think they were doing?¡±


    ¡°If I were their age, I dam well would be making up for the lost time,¡± John said. ¡°Just like we did at their age.¡±


    ¡°John you should not have said that¡± Helen said, ¡°they might of have heard you.¡± John laughed.


    I was the first to make it down the stairs wearing nothing but the suit pants from last night and a pair of flip flops. When dad saw me, he started to chuckle before saying, ¡°Looks like Helen and I interrupted you. I used to hate that when it happened to us.¡±


    I started preparing to throw the coffee pot on. He was carrying in what he called his Texas mickey.


    ¡°It¡¯s not full of whiskey,¡± he said, ¡°I got enough to fill it with Glenlivet 12 Year First Fill Single Malt Scotch directly via the regional sales rep and saved a lot of dollars.¡±


    I knew it had to set him back a few thousand so I said, ¡°The only time this will be used is when you¡¯re with me.¡±


    Mom laid the bag from Harvey¡¯s on the table. ¡°We brought us all their egg, ham, and cheese biscuits for a late breakfast.¡±


    Trish finally descended to join us wearing the housecoat she had made years ago. I got the coffee cups out and poured us all a cup. The four of us went over to the dining table to eat our breakfast.


    As soon as I was done eating, I went up and got changed while the rest of the family chatted. I came back downstairs and went out and brought my luggage in along with the box I had brought back with me. Inside of it were six FedEx security shipping envelopes that were filled. I took it to my small office and brought back out two of them.


    The ladies looked at me with interest as I poured them a large flute glass of orange juice and champagne. I gave it to them and told them to go settle themselves on the living room couch. I brought the envelopes over with a box of tissues.


    ¡°Dad and I are going to go crack open his Texas mickey,¡± I said. ¡°While you two ladies open this surprise gift, I have for both of you.¡±


    I had no sooner left the room when I heard them opening the package. Trish would later tell me at first, they couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. Between the eighteenth-century village and her eyes was the title ¡°Tearstained Buttercup Eyes.¡±  Beneath was ¡°J. S. Tait the Silent One.¡±


    I handed Dad the two glasses and he pumped a double shot in each from the Texas mickey he had brought with him. From the front of the fridge, he added the ice and water. We had just had our first sip when we heard the girls crying.


    ¡°What now?¡± said John aloud.


    ¡°They just got a first edition copy, basically hot off the press of my latest book,¡± I said. ¡°That won¡¯t be officially released until the first of November.¡±


    ¡°So, you wrote a book, that¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± John said.


    ¡°Dad your wife works with the print media,¡± I explained. ¡°She knows who hot and who¡¯s not.¡±


    With that said the girls came into the kitchen each carrying their copy of the book.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one called ¡°the Silent One,¡± Helen said. ¡°I have read and have kept all ten of your hardcover editions. Your books are discussed a lot in our local book club. Why did you pick that name as your pen name?¡±


    ¡°As a child when my parents had guests, I was taught to be seen but not heard when they were entertaining. I submitted my first book using that name and it just stuck,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the publisher¡¯s hype; Winter¡¯s Sigh is expected to break one point five million in sales by year-end. This one whose title is yet to be released is expected to do even more,¡± Helen said. ¡°The big reveal of your identity and the new book is going to be on Fox and Friends on November the first. Retail sales start on the second.¡±


    ¡°Have you read the dedication in the front?¡± I asked.


    Trish opened her copy and found it. She read it aloud. ¡°To Trish Nicole whose inner soul has shown me that when her walk on earth is done, she will be given her angel wings to sit beside God and Jesus in heaven.¡±


    Dad watched, as both Helen and Trish wrapped themselves around me as they delt with the emotional turmoil they were experiencing.


    While holding them I said, ¡°Dad with each new release my older book sells well as each book creates further interest in what I have written,¡± I explained. ¡°Last year for example the total number of books sold thanks to eBooks and hard copies was about three million copies. It averages out that I make about five dollars a copy. On new releases for the first year, I make ten dollars a copy. They are selling so well that the publisher still refuses to print paperback editions.¡±


    Even Trish¡¯s father was having trouble grasping it all. The truth was overwhelming.


    Things had settled down a bit when my cellphone rang. I knew by the tone it was Pat. They listened to me as I talked to her and explained how it had all gone. Then she asked to speak to Trish.


    Pat talked to Trish, and we all saw her eyes light up. Then she said, ¡°it¡¯s too much. Scott and I will have to discuss it!¡±


    I smiled because I already knew what Trish had just been told. When Pat had told me what she wanted to do I had no problem with it. I said her biggest hurdle was going to get Trish to agree to it.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Trish said as she handed her my cell. ¡°Pat would like to talk to you about a business arrangement.¡±


    Mom left us and went off to discuss things with Pat in private. When she came back, she was beaming with pride.


    While dad poured us another Scotch, I refilled the lady''s glasses. The ladies sat at the bar counter. I found a dry black felt pen and signed both of their books. I wrote gifted with love J Scott Tait.


    ¡°Pat wants to pay for our wedding,¡± Trish said. ¡°No matter what we decide to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to look after the arrangement for the pre-launch party because they want to do it here,¡± Helen said. ¡°I told her that I would love to do it, but she best clear it with my boss, so I gave her his cell phone number. Most of the department stores and some of the wanna be¡¯s are some of our clients so we buy some of our hardcover books directly from them already.¡±


    Dad was standing there smiling. All of a sudden, he started to chuckle.


    Trish said, ¡°What are you thinking about dad?¡±


    ¡°When you got your promissory ring, I asked you how many kids you planned to have if you and Scott got married,¡± he said. ¡°Your answer was that you would gladly bring into this world as many as you and Scott could afford to raise.¡±


    Trish was drinking some of her orange juice and champagne as he answered her. It ended up coming through her nose as her body responded.


    ¡°Remember Trish, Mom said she saw you with six,¡± Helen added. ¡°John, do you think we should start looking for a minibus so we can take the grandchildren out?¡±


    I lost it and started laughing so did John.


    ********

 The Grand Ball

    Trish was resting at her nursing station after getting through the morning rush while sipping on the cup of black tea she had made herself. Her mind was recouping from the emotional rollercoaster she had been on all weekend. Being away from Scott and not knowing what was going on made her realize just how much she was in love with him. Last Saturday evening had been the worst but yet the best experience in her life.


    Worrying about her own situation while trying to calm down her mom¡¯s growing anger with her father had been emotionally draining. Looking back at that night made her realize just how much her world had changed since her birthday. In reflection she had to admit that meeting Scott had allowed her to find a way to trust again. She was now wondering if she had been looking for Scott to do something like this would she had caught him.


    Having Scott popping the question out of the blue when she had been ready to kill him had caused her to experience the whole emotional gambit at the same time. At that moment anger, love, relief, and surprise had been felt by her at once. It was going to take a long time for her to accept the fact that her father had conspired so well with Scott. She had turned her ring upside down on her finger, so her new diamond engagement ring remained hidden.


    She was trying to savor a few more minutes of the solitude of feeling protected and secure in a loving relationship that she had given up on ever having. She was waiting for the right time to break the news to her girlfriend Jennifer. In part, she was worried that Jennifer would be overwhelmed with emotions also, because of how far she had traveled emotionally and mentally since her birthday.


    It had been devastating when she realized that Jesse had bolted after standing at the alter waiting for her just before her father and her started the walk down the aisle to give her away. She had still been carrying the hurt and pain the day she met Scott. It made her wonder if she had taken it out on Scott that day because he was the first man who challenged her as an equal more than a female.


    At that time, she had been sure that Jesse was the one, now she was wondering if she had ever been in love with him. Never could she have imagined the love she was experiencing and living with now. When Scott had gotten down on his knee to propose there had been no hesitation or doubt on her part.


    This morning before dawn, she had awakened to see Scott sound asleep beside her. It had caused a sense of peace and tranquility to enter her that she was still carrying inside. Never had she felt so blessed. She was in love with the man that had made love with her last night. Never had she seen her life becoming so complete.


    Over breakfast that morning they had decided on the second Saturday in December as their wedding date. It had been a childhood dream that was now was going to be fulfilled. They had discussed the pros and cons of Pat¡¯s offer. Scott was worried that Pat might want to turn it into a media event. Trish decided to allow Pat¡¯s firm to pay for everything after making it clear to him that they would have the final say on everything.


    ********


    ¡°Jennifer, do me a favor,¡± Trish asked after the morning rush was done. ¡°Open up your calendar on your cellphone to December for me and let me know when it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Ok it''s open,¡± Jennifer said, ¡°But it¡¯s completely blank as it always is this time of year.¡±


    ¡°Type in ¡®Dfgs Mmoh¡¯ on the second Saturday of the month,¡± Trish said. ¡°And be sure to hit save.¡±


    ¡°Okay, done that.¡± But what does that mean,¡± Jen asked?


    Trish turned her ring back up to expose the diamond before turning her swivel chair toward Jen. Holding out her hand she said, ¡°Daughters flower girls, Me maid of honor.¡±


    ¡°Omg your engaged to Scott and have set the date. Congratulations,¡± Jennifer said in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s great. Tell when did this all happen?¡±


    ¡°Better than telling you,¡± Trish emailed the video of it and said, ¡°Watch it on your break then we will talk.¡±


    ********


    Helen Malley walked into her office ready for another normal Monday. Wondering if Pat had already made contact with the general manager. She had just sat down at her desk when her assistant stuck her head in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what going on,¡± she said. ¡°But Mister Big has been here since seven and calling down every fifteen minutes wondering if you were in. It sounds like he has a burr stuck up his butt that is bothering him. I just talked to him again and he¡¯s on his way down. I¡¯ll get you a strong coffee because I think you¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it, best hold all of my calls until he¡¯s done talking to me,¡± Helen said with a smile.


    She was setting the coffee on Helen¡¯s desk when the overall boss walked in. ¡°Would you like me to get you a coffee?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes please,¡± he said in a tone of voice that made it clear that he was in an extremely good mood. ¡°Double cream and double sugar please since I¡¯m going to be here for a while.¡±


    When she returned with the coffee Helen again asked her to hold all calls until their meeting was done. Helen¡¯s assistant noticed that the general manager left Helen¡¯s office two hours later he was wearing a bigger smile on his face then he had when he came in. It was obvious now that something good was happening.


    ¡°Amy grab us both a fresh cup of coffee,¡± Helen said over the intercom, ¡°and lock the busy signal on our phones because we got to start discussing on how to proceed to accomplish a new project our boss has just given his approval on.¡±


    While she waited for her assistant, she texted both Trish and Scott to let them know that on her end it¡¯s a go.


    *********


    Jen came back from her break wearing a huge smile on her face, ¡°Your Dad and Scott got your mother and you really good. The look on your face when Scott first spoke to you in his normal voice is priceless Ms. Maureen O¡¯Hare.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get that frame blown up to poster size for when I throw you your wedding shower,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Captioned with that name and one up of Scott in drag and call him John Wayne. Be sure to tell Scott that I never saw it, but he is right you¡¯ve always looked like her.¡±


    ¡°I should have known something was up because Dad kept telling Mom that it was going to be an anniversary that she would never forget because he had not planned anything different,¡± Trish said. ¡°Up to that point it had been the worst ever. I didn¡¯t have a clue why my father would say that but he was right. I was in complete shock when I heard Scott¡¯s voice. I got so angry at him because of what he had put me through that I was going to knock his block off. Then Scott surprised me by getting down on his knee. It was the last thing on my mind thanks to those two and their scheming.¡±


    ¡°So why was he away for so long then,¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°He went to New York to get his disguise completely made up. He knew in order to pull it off it had to be something that I had never seen,¡± Trish explained. ¡°And to pick up the wedding set for me from Tiffany¡¯s. I realized later that Scott already knew my ring size from when we picked out my promissory ring. They did it delibrately to keep us off balance and confused. It worked because both my mother and I were expecting Scott to propose but did know when. They caught us when we were not looking for it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how your dad was able to keep it a secret,¡± Jen said. ¡°He has a long history of blowing it.¡±


    ¡°Mom thought he was tied up with an insurance rep who was inspecting the plant. He had told her numerous times over the last two weeks that the company¡¯s liability insurance was under review. Then on Friday, he called her to inform her that the Insurance company was sending in a rep on Saturday for an inspection of the plant as they always do when renewing or changes are made. Dad figured it would take most of the weekend.¡± Trish said before continuing.


    ¡°Mom had been bitchy about what was going on all day on Saturday. Dad¡¯s job responsibilities were ruining everything about their special day. Dad did not say a thing he just took all in stride. Mom rode his ass big time because she held him responsible because his employer was ruining their special day. When she saw Scott, unveiling himself in front of us all she lost it,¡± Trish disclosed. ¡°I think, worse than I did. She was still crying when Scott and I made it back to our table. She had been riding my dad¡¯s ass all day and she knew it. In guilt, Mom said she would never live this day down.¡±


    Jen broke into laughing. It had to be shocking for Helen to learn that after all those years of marriage John was able to get one over her. Even before they were married, she had always been able to get him to reveal things that were supposed to be kept secret.


    Just then Stephen showed up. ¡°Trish, I got to warn you, the head of human resources is on his way down to talk to you and he¡¯s not alone. The Chief Financial Officer is coming with him.¡±


    ¡°What do they want to talk about? Do you know?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°Most likely The Woods, Scott, and you,¡± Stephen said. ¡°There¡¯s more to this than we know. Otherwise, they would have called you up instead of coming to you.¡±


    Jen and Trish found something to do quickly on the computers. Trish was reflecting on everything when she saw them approaching and had come to the conclusion that it must involve Scots alter ego Mr. Claus. Trish had already decided that no matter what was said she was going to discuss it with Scott first.


    When they approached her, they suggested that they should go into her former supervisor''s office that way they would have some privacy. Nothing made sense because upper management was never seen on the floors because they had their own private entrance to the hospitals offices. Jen noticed the meeting went on for a long time. When the big shots came out it was clear that were not pleased with how things had turned out. It apparently had not gone as they had planned.


    As soon as they left the floor Jen asked, ¡°What was that all about?¡±


    ¡°The reason our department head was fired was that her conduct cost the hospital a three million dollar annual grant to the maternity ward from the Mrc foundation,¡± Trish disclosed. ¡°They learned from billing that all of Woods medical bills were to be sent to Scott since he is on the board.¡±


    ¡°It seems the grant was to cover cases like Carla Woods and the hospital¡¯s staff¡¯s conduct proved that the money wasn¡¯t being used in the way it was intended,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Stephen had to disclose my relationship with Scott to them when they asked him what he knew about the whole situation. I think the Hospital management is trying to use me to get back on good terms with Mrc because of my relationship with Scott.¡±


    ¡°So, they were grilling you trying to find a way in to perhaps getting it back,¡± Jen said. ¡°That¡¯s low, putting you in the middle like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Trish said. ¡°They offered me the job of being the head of the department.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to accept it,¡± Jen asked?


    ¡°I told them what I am telling you,¡± Trish said. ¡°I cannot give them an answer before I discuss it with my future husband, but I promised to give them an answer within two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they are trying to put you between a rock and a hard place,¡± Jen said, ¡°In order to force you to go along with their plans to get the Mrc foundation to reconsider. From what I know about Mr. Claus I don¡¯t think that¡¯s ever going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that when they saw the size of my engagement ring, they saw their chances of manipulating me going out of the window,¡± Trish said while smiling. ¡°That was when they increased their offer by throwing in a huge raise.¡±


    ********


    Helen had just disclosed to her assistant Amy that with the general manager''s approval she was now assigned to set up and organize a pre-launch book party to announce the release of the ¡®Silent One¡¯ newest release planned for November second. As a result of his approval the party by invitation only would be held the night of the first.


    The books would be coming in bulk under an assumed name at no cost for giving away the night before the official release to the retail market. It was being done this way as a layer to protect them from being stolen well in transport. This added protective level was also to ensure that nothing got slipped out in advance to the public. Helen also informed Amy that his true identity would be revealed on ¡®fox and friends¡¯ earlier that same day.


    During the next week all of their clients would be receiving a special drop of ten copies of every book he had ever written, and a contest box for submitting their name into. The books were already on the way from the publisher. They would have until the third Sunday in October to enter. Fed ex would pick up the boxes and have them delivered back overnight. The winner would win a complete set of all his works plus get an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the launch party on November the first.


    ¡°How in the hell did the general manager swing that,¡± Amy asked? ¡°Everyone is dying to know who the silent one is. The author writes into his stories an emotional tug that you know before the book is done, you¡¯ll have been crying or laughing aloud. Read one of his books and your hooked. You end up learning as you read it a second time just how much you missed when you read it the first time.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t I did, but before I agreed to do it for the publishing firm, I told them I needed his approval. They contacted him at home yesterday to get his approval. He came down this morning to learn just what I my thoughts were and together we put a tentative plan together. As a result, both you and I have been given a ten percent raise effective at the start of the last pay period,¡± Helen said.


    ¡°The boss is so excited for us to be given an honor like this because the media hype about it will be worth millions in free publicity within the media itself. He feels that as a result a lot of publishers will be contacting us to start handling their products. We have to find a location, order catering, decide on decorations, order invitations and to have them all sent out asap,¡± Helen added.


    Amy was in awe. Not only was the ¡®Silent One¡¯ her favorite author but Helen by what was happening had to have a direct connection to him. The rumors about the silent one living in the area had just been confirmed to be true. Amy spent the day trying to figure out just how Helen knew him or her.


    ********


    Trish had gotten home to discover Scott had dinner ready and was waiting. Scott had made meatloaf, potato wedges with cheese, green onions, sour cream, and a side salad. The meal had been delicious. They were in the middle of clean up when her cell rang.


    ¡°My aunt Shelia is calling,¡± she explained as she answered it and turned the speaker on, she said, ¡°this should be a hoot. Her annual birthday party is coming up. That¡¯s why she¡¯s calling. She wants to get over the bad news she expects early.¡±


    ¡°Hi Aunt Sheila, it¡¯s been a while, how are you and Uncle Eve doing,¡± Trish asked?


    ¡°Oh, we''re both doing ok, but enough about us,¡± Shelia said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to keep myself busy so I can just get through it this year.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong you always seem to enjoy making it one of the outstanding events of the year,¡± Trish said. ¡°And they always turn out so well that its talked about for weeks. So, what''s really bothering you?¡±


    ¡°This birthday celebration has got me feeling old because I¡¯m hitting the big five 0. I¡¯m just calling to see if you would be attending my birthday get together this year or not?¡± Shelia said. ¡°Knowing what the answer usually is, I figured I might as well get the bad news over with early.¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t attended in nine years, but this year I think I will attend if I can bring someone with me,¡± Trish said knowing her aunt''s curiosity would be rising fast. ¡°Will the dance be beginning at the usual time of nine pm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming! You¡¯re bringing someone. This is unbelievable. What is going on in your life Trish Nicole?¡± Aunt Shelia asked with excitement. ¡°How come I have not heard anything about this from your mother?¡±


    ¡°Mom has been keeping everything to herself deliberately,¡± Trish said. ¡°She is afraid to say or do anything that might jeopardize what was happening in my life. You know damn well that she really has not let go of the guilt she feels because of what happened years ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with the family history and with what happened I can understand that, but why has she been so distant these last few months?¡± Shelia asked. ¡°If something was troubling her, she would always confide in me.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Shelia, You and I both know that she can¡¯t be around you if she¡¯s trying to keep a secret. Especially if the secret concerns me,¡± Trish said with a giggle. ¡°And what''s going on with my life.¡±


    ¡°Trish you¡¯re not being fair. Answer me this, is the person coming with you a male or a female?¡± Shelia asked. ¡°Friend or something else?¡±


    I was watching Trish as she was having fun playing with her aunt. She exchanged the hand she had the phone in and whispered for a pen and paper. She wrote on it can we loan my dad the Chevy impala on the first Saturday in October. I nodded my head in yes.


    ¡°Aunt Shelia all I will say for now on anything is that on the first Saturday in October at four pm I expect you to be standing with your husband at the entrance to your ballroom all dressed and ready for the evening to meet me,¡± Trish said. ¡°At that time, you will start to get the answers to your questions. During the dance, I promise you that things will be brought out that will bring a bit of excitement to that night in ways you can¡¯t imagine. You can call mom, but she will not answer your questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just under three weeks away, Trish you¡¯re not being fair,¡± Shelia said. ¡°I¡¯m your aunt for god sake show me a little mercy.¡±


    ¡°OK I will give you this,¡± Trish said. ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of changes in my life. One big one is the fact that I no longer live in the apartment with Tina. I moved out and she has a new roommate.¡±


    ¡°What? you moved, when? Trish this is not funny I demand answers,¡± Aunt Shelia said forcefully.


    ¡°I promise you will get them that night. I love you Aunt Sheila, goodbye,¡± Trish said before she ended the call.


    ¡°What is going on in that mind of yours,¡± I asked. ¡°I saw a bit of mischievousness come into your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Shelia and Mom have been distant with each other since you came into my life, for the reasons you just heard,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Aunt Sheila is not actually a relation. She and Uncle Everett were best man and maid of honor for our parent¡¯s wedding, as my parents were for theirs. She knows mom better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Neither one of them is good at keeping secrets from each other. That¡¯s why mom has become distant. She¡¯s afraid she will spill everything to her when they speak and that will put a jinx on everything,¡± Trish revealed before going on. ¡°Mom has also been afraid she is going to wake up one morning to find out it was all a dream. With your help, I think we can mend their relationship and keep my aunt in surprise all night.¡±


    We discussed everything that we knew about their relationship with each other. Trish explained that her aunt Shelia used her birthday party as a way of raising funds for her favorite charity.


    I told her I would try to find all the police reports the local area had on the four of them during their teenage years before they got married and settled down. I had thought by doing that it might help us develop a plan.


    I suggested that we use a scheme I had used in my books. On the night of her birthday celebration, we would tie the past, the present, and the future into a bundle that would keep her twisting and turning all night. By doing that Shelia will end up feeling confused, emotional, and excited because of being off balance and unprepared for what happens next.


    Trish reminded me of the fact that when we took her mom out for dinner in Marble Hill that we had used the Impala. It became important because Eve¡¯s father had owned one and the four of them had used that car whenever they could.


    We also discussed her work situation.


    ¡°Look dear I am not going to tell you what to do,¡± I said. ¡°The money I gave them was to cover people like Carla Woods which they proved by their conduct that they were not doing. I feel the hospital was just taking advantage of me and my giving nature figuring that I would never know what the money was being used for.¡±


    ¡°We just need to keep in mind that we have a lot of choices ahead of us. If you want ¡®au pairs¡¯ so that you can keep working when we have children, we can afford it. If you want to quit and stay at home that¡¯s fine too,¡± I said. ¡°I will support you no matter what you chose to do. Once we have children our priorities will become them and their needs.¡±


    ********


    It was Saturday when Mom and Dad dropped over unexpectedly. Mom wanted to throw some idea¡¯s in front of me concerning the upcoming Book Party. They had been here for about an hour when Dan, Carla and the twins arrived.


    I let them in. Dan and I were assigned the responsibility of carrying in the twins. Carla brought with them all the baggage that every parent has with babies. It was the first time we had seen them since the hospital.


    Trish¡¯s mother loved newborn¡¯s and was all over them as soon as their protective blankets were off of them. Carla like any new mother was busy talking all about her pride and joys. I was surprised by how much they had grown Trish was not.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Trish said. ¡°Dan and Carla, I want you to meet my parents John and Helen Malley.¡±


    They all shook hands and returned to look at the babies.


    Then Trish reached down and picked up one of the babies and handed it to me before picking up the other.


    ¡°Mom and Dad, we wish to introduce you to our godchildren Trish and Scott Woods,¡± Trish said. ¡°Would you take a couple of pictures of us with them? We want to start our first album for them.¡±


    ¡°What, really?¡± Helen said. ¡°Congratulations I guess that makes John and I unofficially great godparents.¡±


    Helen took over like the mother hen she was. Carla and Dan soon found out that both of them and the twins were expected to be at family dinners every Sunday from now on. I stood at the sidelines and watched the show.


    ¡®Is your future mother in law always like this,¡± Dan asked when he came over to stand beside me? ¡°It¡¯s like we''re already considered to be part of the family.¡±


    ¡°The first weekend I met Trish, Helen seemed to know I was going to end up becoming a permanent member of what she considers her family,¡± I explained. ¡°When we disclosed our relationship with the twins. That meant in her eyes you were automatically part of her extended family. Get used to it because she will smother your children with her love as if they were her own.¡±


    Carla came over as Dan and I were making us all something to drink and said ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Dan, we got two babysitters whenever they are needed. Helen wants us to go over tomorrow and go through their attic to see if there is anything stored there that we can use and stay for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I laughed and said, ¡°Welcome to my world.¡±


    *******


    It was two weeks to the day that she had been approached by upper management. Her Aunt''s birthday celebration was happening this coming Saturday. I had set up the second of the carousels in our home. When the third was done we would have them appraised.


    Using the home office, she had typed out her response to the hospital''s offer. After a long discussion with me, I had provided her with the answer without me even knowing.


    ¡°Trish, everything I do I love doing,¡± I said. ¡°Life is too short to waste it on things that help you just to get by. My uncle James was born death so when I could afford it, using the foundation I had the best doctors in North America look at his case without his knowing who was funding it. With the special implants they were able to design and install they were able to give him for free what he never had. He may never be rich but to him, he is rich because he can now hear a bird sing. He has a quality in life that most can¡¯t see because he appreciates the gift of hearing and sees the beauty of it.¡±


    By saying that I had put everything in perspective. It had made her look at her situation with a new freedom. As a result, she in her spare time was helping me restore the third carousel. This last Saturday we had gone out looking for items that we could restore in a short time for those needing families that Mr. Claus could help in December. Everything Mr. Claus did was done to improve those he helped in their quality of life.


    It seemed that there were quite a few that I had come to know over time who if they saw something that was a quality that was worth restoring It would be set aside to make sure that I got the first chance to look at it.


    Most of them would either buy it as cheap as possible or if they got it for nothing sell it to me as cheap as possible because they understood from experience that it always ended up in someone¡¯s hands who needed it. Most of those who worked me in this way believed that I was one of the many of Mr. Claus¡¯ many  helpers.


    Some of these items were found during the hundred-mile yard sale they held in the area every year. Most of these were the average joes who knew that for me the joy was seeing it restored and being used. My network of acquaintances was amazing. Trish finally had a clue how I learned who needed help and when.


    Trish had asked me if I went to auctions. I had replied that I wished I could but with my busy schedule, I really didn¡¯t have time.


    When she told me, she was going to go to work for the foundation full time. I asked her if, she was sure. When she said she was I had tears in my eyes. I felt that she was doing it to support me, and I was overwhelmed by it. For the first time in my life, I utterly understood I no longer walked alone.


    ********


    The letter she was carrying with her to work was her resignation. She would only work until the end of the month of November. That way she would have extra time to look after those last-minute details concerning the wedding.


    She had just come through the doors of the hospital to start her workday as Stephen did.


    ¡°Stephen, can you do me a favor,¡± Trish asked as she took the envelope out of her purse. ¡°Drop this letter off at Human Resources this morning during your regular tour.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Stephen replied as he took possession of the letter. ¡°Can I ask if they will be pleased with your response?¡±


    ¡°Stephen, they put me in the situation with the offer they made that I am always going to be asking if I earned it or was it offered to me because of Scott. As a result, it¡¯s my letter of resignation effective at the end of November,¡± Trish said. ¡°Sadly, they really left me no choice but to leave. I won¡¯t work for anyone under those conditions.¡±


    Stephen smiled and leaned towards her whispering, ¡°I think the future Mrs. Claus is making the right decision. Tell that man of yours if he needs my help for anything, he¡¯s got it.¡±


    Trish stood there for a moment just lost in thought. Stephen wondered if he had said something wrong. Then a glow took over her face with a smile that was all-consuming.


    ¡°Thank you, Stephen,¡± Trish said. ¡°For giving me an insight into something I hadn¡¯t seen. Your words say so much and show a truth about the life I am building with Scott. If anyone asks what I¡¯m going to be doing just tell them that I¡¯m going into restorative work full time.¡±


    Stephen watched Trish as she walked off to start her day. Something had just happened, but he did not know what. He just knew that most around her would be caught up in the happiness she was showing.


    It was around ten that morning that the head of Human Resources came down the Nurse¡¯s Ward holding Trish¡¯s letter in hand.


    ¡°Trish is there any way you would consider relooking at your decision?¡± the department head asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry there¡¯s not,¡± Trish replied with a large smile. ¡°I have found meyself a postion that I cannot refuse. Mr. Claus has approved of me coming aboard and working for his foundation full time.¡±


    The head of the Human Resources department face went white. He had learned because of what happened that Mr. Claus was a private man who lived in the area but remained behind the scenes instead of being in front of it. As a result, he had a reputation that was beyond reproach. He stayed out of sight as much as possible.


    Those who helped him were known to be very protective of him. Push for information and you were shut down fast. For Trish to be offered a position with his organization spoke volumes about how he saw her as a person. No one but a few knew who he really was and that was the way it was going to stay.


    ¡°Well congratulations, I must say that it is we who are losing here. You will truly be missed,¡± The department head said before walking away.


    ¡°You''re leaving and going to work for Mr. Claus,¡± Jen said in shock. ¡°How in the hell did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Jen I can¡¯t answer the question by voice,¡± Trish said. ¡°I will send a text, but you have to promise to erase as soon as you read it and keep it to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay agreed,¡± Jen said wondering why she thought she had to state that.


    Trish texted; on the second Saturday of December, I will not only become Trish Nicole Tait, but I will become Mrs. Claus too.


    Jen read the text looked up at Trish before she let her tears flow. Now the Woods family situation made sense. ¡°How long have you known? Do Terry and Robert know too?¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions the first weekend I met him, but it was not confirmed until he got shot,¡± Trish said ¡°Terry found out the weekend of mom''s birthday. No one else knows.¡±


    Jen smiled and said, ¡°The hospital never had a chance, so when are you leaving.¡±


    ¡°The last day of November is my last shift,¡± Trish said.


    ********


    At ten to four on the first Saturday afternoon In October Shelia and Eve walked out to the hall from their home dressed in their formal clothing for the evening. Shelia was a bundle of nerves because of her anticipation of what was about to start happening. Trish had deliberately left a lot of questions unanswered, and she was dying to know why. At five to four they saw their best friends John and Helen Malley drive-in.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Eve asked as soon as they got out of their car. ¡°We were not expecting you to arrive until later this evening.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Trish called us this morning asking us to be dressed for the evening and to meet her here at four?¡± Helen said. ¡°So, where is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I would like to know John,¡± Shelia said. ¡°Trish left me with a lot of questions without answers the last time we talked. I¡¯m waiting for her because she promise to answer them all this evening.¡±


    ¡°She will,¡± Helen said having knowledge of what her daughter was planning to do. ¡°Trish made me promise to keep everything a secret and to do that I had to distance myself from you. I hope that once you know what I do that you will be able to forgive me.¡±


    Eve said, ¡°Look what''s coming down the country road, everybody!¡±


    They all saw the black Chevy nineteen sixty-four Impala driving down towards them. It was in mint condition and a thing of beauty. To the four of them, it was a walk down memory lane.


    All the times they had been stopped by the police came back. The many times they had been escorted home to have their parents waiting. John now understood what Trish and Scott were doing and why?


    ¡°Were we ever that young John?¡± Eve asked. ¡°It seems like it was a lifetime ago.¡±


    As it approached the driveway it slowed down, signaled for left and waited until the oncoming traffic drove by.


    John said, ¡°I think we''re about to have the opportunity to experience it all over again this very afternoon.¡±


    As it drove up the driveway past the house towards the hall, they began to realize that the driver of the car was Trish.


    ¡°Where in the hell did, she find that car,¡± Shelia asked? ¡°It looks like the one my father in law used to own.¡±


    Trish parked the car six feet in front of them. After shutting off the car she got out.


    ¡°Dad and Uncle Eve, can you please put the hood down for me if you remember how?¡± Trish asked. ¡°Happy birthday Aunt Shelia.¡±


    Eve and John started doing as requested, Trish then walked around and popped the trunk before going and standing beside her mother. Trish could see that her aunt was trying to figure out what was going on because it was the first time, she had seen her dressed in blue jeans in years.


    ¡°Aunt Shelia, the reason moms been distant is because I made her promise not to tell you anything. So, blame me for what''s going on between you two and let it go,¡± Trish explained. ¡°I want you to promise me that you¡¯re not going to pester mom about it, at all. It¡¯s my story and most of it I promise will be revealed to you by me over the course of the evening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on pins and needles for almost three weeks young lady thanks to you,¡± Aunt Shelia said. ¡°I will say I will try not to, but no guarantees.¡±


    By this time, the guys had the hood down and were walking around checking it out. Uncle Eve was filled with the excitement of having this car so close to him. It was noticeable by all when he got quiet as he read the vehicle identification number. The way he ran his finger along its line was very telling.


    ¡°Trish, I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Eve said. ¡°I¡¯ve searched for this car for years. Who owns it?¡±


    ¡°The person you will all be introduced to later this evening,¡± Trish replied. ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°I remember the identification number well,¡± He explained. ¡°My father would always go out and check it to make sure it was the same vehicle that he had allowed me to use when I brought back home. it was his pride and joy. Especially if Shelia and I had been on a double date with your parents and had not got back when we were supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Eve get in the driver¡¯s seat, ladies in the rear. Dad I will need the keys to your car so I can go home and get ready,¡± Trish said. ¡°You also need to get the beer out of the trunk.¡±


    When all four were in the car Trish handed her uncle the keys to the car, ¡°She got a full tank of gas. I expect you to be back at seven.¡±


    Trish saw the look on her uncle¡¯s face. It told her that he did not believe what was happening. When Scott and she had been reading the police reports from back then they had discovered by accident that Scotts Impala had at one time been owned by her uncle¡¯s father.


    As soon as Eve started the car Trish opened up the glovebox and said, ¡°Sirius early sixties plus do-wop music.¡±


    As they back up to head out Trish could see her father twisting the caps off and passing the beers back to the ladies. She went home to get changed and head out to the regional airport to pick up Aunt Shelia and uncle Eve¡¯s parents who had moved to the state of Florida when they retired.


    ¡°Eve said as he pulled out of their driveway, ¡°I always thought this car had a special feeling. Just being back in it behind the wheel empowers me. I thought I was invincible when I was driving it. The girls I could pick up with it before I met Shelia is a story I had forgotten about until today.¡±


    As soon as they were out of sight of the house Shelia turned her face towards Helen and said, ¡°Helen what''s going on with Trish?¡±


    ¡°I got the daughter I thought I had lost over nine years ago completely back, blue jeans and all,¡± Helen said with all the tears flowing. ¡°How, when, and why will be explained by her tonight.¡±


    That one statement had explained a lot of things. Shelia understood how rough a few years that had been for John and Helen. For a long time during that period, they had felt that they had lost their eldest daughter. For it seemed to the four of them that Trish had drew most of herself inside of herself and locked it up tight.


    The four of them drove the back roads as they had back in the days. Eve and John were laughing at their wives as they sang along with every song they knew. It was nice to relive and talk about the good times they had shared back then. It was Eve that realized that time was catching up to them; they were heading back home trying to catch up with the petal to the metal.


    An old classic Beatles song ¡°Twist and Shout¡± was blazing through the speaker systems. The girls were standing up hanging on to the back of the seat jiving to the music holding a beer in their hands when the police siren came on.


    Eve pulled over and cursed ¡°Every frigging time we drove my father¡®s car we got pulled over, and we never learned. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s happening all over again. We should have known better at our age not to behave like young teenagers again.¡±


    As they waited an older gentleman got out of the police car from the passenger side and walked towards their vehicle. A young African American police officer stood back watching the events unfold from behind.¡±


    The older man approached the car and looked at the four sitting in it before saying anything. The four of them were surprised to see who it was. It was the same police officer that had stopped them the most when they were young.


    ¡°Eve, John, Shelia, and Helen. Shit, I can¡¯t believe they brought me out of retirement for this,¡± the former officer said with a sense of humor. ¡°You know the drill pour the open ones out over the side.¡±


    Reaching into the car grabbing the key he threw them to the rookie and said, ¡°Check the trunk, confiscate any unopened booze you find. Then take what''s still unopened in the car.¡±


    ¡°Everett, I told your dad years ago to sell this dam car because you all were good kids. The problem was when you got behind the wheel of this car you all became blubbering idiots,¡± he said as serious as he could. ¡°I never expected you four would prove me right, but today you just did. You know the drill we will follow you back to where you picked up the car. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the four said to the officer.


    The officer said, ¡°Oh, by the way, happy birthday Shelia.¡±


    John looked back at Helen and they both started laughing. The rookie officer had been Dan Woods the latest addition to their expanding family and they all had been set up by Trish and Scott.


    Eve kept saying over and over again, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Seeing Bill again wants me to buy this car even more. I used to think Bill was an ass but in truth he gave us so many breaks that we didn¡¯t deserve back then.¡±


    Sure, enough the police officers followed them back. As they drove in past Eve¡¯s and Sheila¡¯s house the four of them caught the image of Eve and Shelia''s father¡¯s standing together with their arms crossed in front of the hall. Both of them displaying a look that the four of them knew well.


    Helen looked over at Shelia who was blushing. She had to be thinking can this be any more embarrassing.


    The old, retired officer walked up to their fathers and talked to them for a while. When he left the four of them got out of the car. Eve and Shelia were given the talking too as if they were sixteen all over again.


    Trish and I were watching from the house laughing because it was going as planned. Shelia looked like she was flustered, embarrassed, and ashamed as if she didn¡¯t know how to handle what was being thrown at her.


    I went out of the front of the house and got the beer back from Dan and thanked the former police officer for his help in our plan. Bill Conner thanked me for giving him the chance to be in on the sting and for bringing him back for it. I could tell that we had taken a lot of his strength out of him because of his age so I asked Dan to make sure he got into his daughters house safely when he was dropping him off. When I came back Trish was heading out to greet the crowd.


    Trish had a wonderful smile on her face while listening to Aunt Shelia get the big happy birthday¡¯s from her two fathers. Once their fathers headed into the hall. Aunt Shelia spoke.


    ¡°You set this all up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Shelia said to Trish. ¡°Who helped you?¡±


    ¡°It took us a while to find out where Bill Connors was but yes, I did. When my date and I told him what we wanted to do he was all for it. My date for the evening found him through his daughter who still lives in the area,¡± Trish admitted.


    ¡°Here you go, Aunt Shelia and Mom,¡± Trish said as she handed both the ladies one of the two files she was holding. ¡°This is a copy of all the police reports filed when the four of you were caught in a car like this back in your younger days.¡±


    ¡°Oh God! Did you read them?¡± Her mother asked.


    ¡°If I had known back then what I do now,¡± Trish said with a smile. ¡°The things I could have gotten away with.¡±


    Trish was trying not to laugh because both her aunt¡¯s and her mother''s face were beat red. One of the police reports had them caught half-naked with their breasts swaying in the wind while they were standing in the backseat of the car while John was driving.


    ¡°Trish,¡± Eve asked. ¡°Do you know if this vehicle is for sale?¡±


    ¡°You best ask my date for the evening,¡± Trish responded. ¡°I believe you both know him.¡±


    I walked up with the confiscated beer in my hands. I set it on the front hood and began passing them around after opening them. Throwing the caps back into the case. Sheila and Eve could not believe it was me.


    ¡°Scotts your date!¡± Shelia said. ¡°We have known him for years. Our lady¡¯s book club all consider him an adopted son. He has done so much for a lot of us and never has asked for anything in return. When we offer him something he just says he will bank it for when he needs a favor down the road.¡±


    ¡°Here you go Shelia and Eve,¡± I said as I handed them to them.


    ¡°You know Scott how?¡± asked her aunt.


    ¡°I met him when I tried to arrest him,¡± Trish said honestly. ¡°On my twenty-ninth birthday.¡±


    ¡°You''re kidding me,¡± said Sheila.


    ¡°No, I am not,¡± Trish said. ¡°I ended up being cuffed to him for about six hours.¡±


    ¡°Here you go mom and dad,¡± I said handing them the two I just opened.


    ¡°Scott why did you call Helen and John, mom and dad,¡± Shelia asked?


    ¡°Because your best friend told me she would box my ears,¡± I responded. ¡°Until I did.¡±


    Shelia turned and looked at her best friend with questioning eyes before saying, ¡°Helen, you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I did and I would do it again,¡± she answered quite proudly as her eyes started to tear up, ¡°after what he did!¡±


    ¡°Now come on don¡¯t put all the blame on me all I did was ask the question,¡± I said as I gave Trish her beer. ¡°Nothing could have happened if it wasn¡¯t for Trish.¡±


    ¡°Trish!¡± said Aunt Shelia. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Holding up her hand allowing her aunt to see what she wore on her left hand she said, ¡°I said yes.¡±


    Shelia looked at Helen as if what she had just learned was unbelievable ¡°Is this what the secret was?¡±


    Helen in tears said, ¡°I¡¯m still having a hard time believing it. Thanks to Scott I got my daughter back. Do you know how hard it was for me watching their relationship unfold over the last few months? With all the changes in my eldest daughter¡¯s personality I am still having difficulty at times believing it¡¯s actually happening.¡±


    ¡°Next time you need a pinch of reality,¡± Shelia said. ¡°Call me because now I am right up there with you. This is unbelievable because it¡¯s so unexpected. We all had accepted the fact that Trish was never going to get married.¡±


    ¡°Trish and I were wondering if you would like to announce our and engagement publicly tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, I would be honored too,¡± Shelia said. ¡°When did it actually happen?¡±


    ¡°On our anniversary,¡± said John. ¡°It was a complete surprise to Helen and Trish. It¡¯s the first time I was able to get one past them.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Shelia are you still feeling old?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t felt this young at heart in years,¡± Shelia said honestly. ¡°Thank you for that.¡±


    Aunt Shelia hugged her favorite niece. After congratulations Eve told me to name my price. I told him it was not for sale. Helen now free to openly discuss our relationship started telling Shelia about our first weekend together. Once our beers were done, we headed in the hall.


    I stayed behind to put the beer away and to transfer a surprise from the trunk of dad¡¯s car before joining them.


    At the start of the dance, I got up on stage to announce that, ¡°it was on her sweet sixteenth birthday Shelia first met her husband Eve at a junior high dance. Her father had arranged her escort for her sweet sixteenth birthday. He was a son of an acceptable family that was well known in the area.


    At the time of their meeting her date was drunk, disorderly, and was treating her with disrespect. She dumped him but he would not let it go lightly. Eve had stepped in and protected her.¡±


    ¡°During the next dance, he came back to attack Eve for making him look like the fool he was. John seeing him coming stopped him flat, as a result, their friendship started,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That night Helen and John went with them to Shelia¡¯s parents place after the school dance so that they all could explain to her father why she wasn¡¯t being returned by her date,¡± I explained. ¡°The way Eve explains it that was the night that he got her father¡¯s permission to date his daughter.¡±


    ¡°We would like to call Eve and Shelia Brown and John and Helen Malley to dance the very first song the four of them danced together,¡± I said.


    The band began playing the song ¡°Down in the boondocks¡± as the four came on the floor to start the first dance.


    About halfway through the first session before the band took a break The MC for the night came on and said that Ruby needed someone to help her as a dance partner doing the Fred Astaire part to a song called ¡®Let¡¯s Face the Music and Dance.¡¯ If Ruby could still do the routine the Mrc foundation would receive a ten thousand donation.


    I stood up and walked over to her and offered my hand. Ruby and I went to the center of the floor. The soundtrack from the original musical started playing. We were both rusty, but we were barely able to pull it off. When I escorted her back to her seat, I thanked her for making me look so good. The captain got a sparkle in his eye over that.


    Shelia had to get me up on the floor for a slow two-step which suited me fine. I needed to recoup from the routine I had done with Ruby.


    During the first break, I slipped out and brought in the surprise Trish and I had put together for Shelia. Placing it on her guest table were friends signed in without them seeing it I returned to me seat. During that time Shelia and Eve had just gone from table to table to thank all for coming. When they had headed back to their seats that¡¯s when she noticed the package.


    Going over to look at it Shelia saw an image of her parents when they were younger. Putting on her reading glasses she discovered it was a copy of her birth announcement from the newspaper back then. The whole gift was wrapped with copies of that image.


    Then she noticed that the ribbon wrapping it had her date of birth on it. She picked up the envelope sitting on it and opened it up. It too was specially made. The one paged card read.


    Happy birthday Aunt Shelia.


    You will need this key to unlock the mystery hidden within.


    Its secret must be kept until it¡¯s time for it to begin.


    It must be guarded with the strength of your heart.


    Until it¡¯s time for it to start.


    Only then can what you see,


    truly be.


    Love Trish and Scott.


    Shelia teared up and began removing the key attached. She was looking forward to seeing what was inside. Once that was done, she unwrapped the gift very carefully to save the wrapping paper. Inside was a small oak chest.


    Trish and I were watching her as she opened the top up with the key. We saw the total surprise look on her face as she quickly closed it down again. She looked around to make sure no one was looking towards her before she peaked again.


    It was during the third look that it registered. Shelia instantly had tears running down her face and she started calling Eve¡¯s name. Eve came running to her side to find out what was wrong. Very quickly he came to our table saying his wife wanted us. As soon as we got there Trish moved around beside her.


    Whispering into Trish''s ear Shelia asked, ¡°Is it real.¡±


    ¡°Open it up, and look at the back cover very carefully,¡± Trish replied.


    I watched as Shelia did as she requested. ¡°Omg does your mom know. How do I lock it back up?¡±


    I said, ¡°Hold the lid down and pull the key out.¡±


    After she did that Shelia said ¡°Eve take this and lock it in our safe. Trish open the silver chain on my neck and slip the key on with the cross.¡±


    As Trish complied with her wish she whispered and said, ¡°Terry and Fran¡¯s fight was over what Fran said about Scott. Terry asked her to take it back and Fran refused. Terry slugged her hard and Fran said let¡¯s take this outside. When we get married in December, I will be taking two names. Not only will I become Trish Nicole Tait, but I will become Mrs. Claus.¡±


    Shelia had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming out. She was totally in shock. The tears she was shedding were ones of pure joy because Trish¡¯s words had explained so much. Mr. Claus had helped her daughter Fran out a while back. Fran had never been appreciative of the help she had been given. Yet Scott had never said a thing.


    ¡°One more thing Aunt Shelia,¡± Trish whispered. ¡°Scott and I expect you and uncle Eve to come for lunch after your parents go home. That way you get a chance to see our home.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know where you two live,¡± Shelia said.


    ¡°Sure, you do. It¡¯s your favorite house,¡± Trish teased. ¡°The one you call the Christmas Cottage.¡±


    Shelia was unable to move because her mind was still trying to grasp everything that had been revealed. But now with what she now knew it made perfect sense why Helen had been distance. Their friendship would have ended because she would not have believed her.


    Helen having figured out what we had done came over to join us to give her girlfriend the support she needed. Shelia just squeezed their hands until she calmed down.


    ¡°Helen you could have told me, and I would not have believed you,¡± Shelia said. ¡°It still seems too unbelievable even with the proof. Will we ever come down from where we are now emotionally and mentally?¡±


    ¡°Not until they are on their honeymoon, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Helen said. ¡°With the book launch party and the wedding, I¡¯ve got to help to organize it¡¯s going to be a crazy couple of months.¡±


    ¡°Book launch party,¡± Shelia replied. ¡°What are you talking about Helen?¡±


    ¡°The firm I work for is handling it for the publisher because Scott will only allow it if it¡¯s done locally,¡± Helen replied. ¡°So, it¡¯s my baby to put together and promote. For Scott and my daughter, I have to make it perfect.¡±


    ¡°Well, Trish and Scott this building is yours to use if you want it rent-free, for both events,¡± Shelia said.


    I looked at Trish who was nodding her head, so I said. ¡°We accept it for both events only if the ladies book club agrees to help us organize them.¡±


    I thought that her smile could not have gotten bigger, but I was proved wrong. Shelia kissed Trish on the cheek then did the same to me. By the time Eve got back his wife was calmed down.


    During the band''s second session I got to dance with all the Malley ladies at least once. Ruby got me on the floor for a waltz so did Marge who was excited to see that Trish and I had a relationship.


    It was during the second intermission that Shelia took to the mike. ¡°I want to thank all in attendance for coming, but I think an explanation is needed concerning my conduct. My niece Trish Malley decided to make this event an emotional rollercoaster ride for me tonight because I told her a couple of weeks ago that this birthday was making me feel old.¡±


    ¡°At four pm today with some help, Trish took my husband, her parents, and I for a three-hour ride down memory lane. For those three hours, it was as if we were young teenagers again. Even the music that was playing was a blast from the past. We were caught up in it when we got stopped by the police. The moment we saw who the officer was we all knew that the four of us had been set up. He had stopped us so much when we were young that he knew us by our first names. He followed us back to where we had been loaned the car.¡±


    ¡°Upon our return to the hall, I discovered Eve¡¯s father and my father waiting for us just like they did when we were young. Both of them had their arms crossed. Seeing them like that brought back memories of the scolding we got for what we did back then. Just like when we were teens, they once again read Eve and I the riot act.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how old you are when your fathers are standing there with their arms crossed ready to read you the riot act, you¡¯re still that scared little girl.¡±


    We could hear a few chuckles coming from the many quests and friends.


    ¡°I then got introduced in a sneaky way to Trish¡¯s date for the evening. Boy was that ever a surprise. I didn¡¯t even know that they knew each other. It was a man that Eve and I had come to know quite well over the years,¡± Shelia said. ¡°Never if someone had told me could I ever had pictured these two being together.¡±


    ¡°Their secrets were revealed to us who did not know in such an innocent way that I was being overwhelmed emotionally by them to the extreme. But those two were not done playing with my life yet.¡±


    ¡°At the start of the dance, thanks to Trish and Scott the four us relieved how the four of us all met and became friends,¡± Shelia said. ¡°Trish and her boyfriend later gave me a priceless gift that showed me the faith and trust they had in me. As a result of that gift, I was pushed to my emotional limits, and I lost it.¡±


    ¡°Trish and Scott, will you join me,¡± Shelia said.


    We walked up and stood beside her.


    ¡°It is with great honor that I announce the engagement of my favorite niece Trish Malley to my adopted son Scott Tait,¡± Shelia disclosed. ¡°They have set their wedding for the second Saturday in December.¡±


    Everybody stood up and clapped. Shelia waited till they sat down.


    ¡°I have offered them the use of this building to them which they have accepted. It has led to this question. To the ladies of the book club who are in attendance,¡± Shelia said. ¡°I need to know If you are willing to help them plan and organize their wedding and one more event. If you are willing, please stand.¡±


    About twenty-five ladies from all walks in life stood up just as I figured they would. For years the ladies had tried their damest to pay back the favors I had done for them.


    ¡°We will meet here next Friday to start organizing the two events along with Trish and Scott at one pm. Please, this meeting has to be a member-only meeting and by the time we are through it you will understand why,¡± Shelia stated.


    ¡°To my niece Terry, with what I now know if I was you my daughter Fran would still be in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows my favorite author is the ¡°Silent One.¡± In his writing, he always has a scene in which one of the main characters is faced to confront the past the present and the future in a unique way. This is what Trish and Scott did to me tonight. It turned a birthday that I was not looking forward to, into an event that has become one of the top ten in my life. I¡¯m now going to have to reread his works because of what I experienced tonight.¡±


    Fran, who was in attendance, was stunned by her own mother''s comments. It really upset her to see her mother go over and hug Terry.


    Eve came over later to Trish and me and thanked us for making the evening event an unforgettable one for his wife and him. He once again made a ridiculous offer in a second attempt to buy my Chevy Impala.


    Later the MC announced that over twenty thousand had been raised for the Mrc Foundation by the event and that Mr. and Mrs. Brown was matching it.


    *******


    Trish and I were having a lazy Sunday morning lying in each other''s arms cuddling. Neither one of us was in a rush to do anything. Trish was pleased that we had gotten her aunt''s and mothers'' relationship back on track.


    I asked her what she wanted to do for our honeymoon. Her response made it clear that our honeymoon discussion would have to be postponed until after the New year. After all, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be busy spreading Christmas cheer.


    Pat Roseburg flew in on Thursday around suppertime. Trish and I took her out to a classy downtown restaurant then drove back to our home. We set her up in my old bedroom before giving a tour of our house.


    With the three master bedrooms upstairs, all furnished with antique furniture, she found the size of the house quite large. The three bedrooms and the dining room downstairs all done with furniture in the same style she asked me if I had restored them all. I admitted I had gradually done it all over time. Only the kitchen and living room could be considered modern.


    She asked me how much my place was worth. I told her, and she responded why that¡¯s less than half of what my twenty-four hundred square foot condominium cost us. Then I said it comes with twenty acres of land.


    When I bought this place the first thing, I did was plant the property line in Canadian Hemlock, a tree that¡¯s commonly used as a shrub because it grows about ten feet high and when planted four feet apart grows into a thick tight wall. Then I planted a second row to divide the house from the rest of the operation. My workshop, storage center, and secondary garage are all hidden from view thanks to the height of the trees that are quite often used as a privacy fence.


    We were all sitting in the living room sharing an evening drink.


    ¡°Pat, we decided to accept your offer to have the company cover our wedding cost,¡± Trish said. ¡°The place where we are going to have the meeting is where we will be holding the wedding. If it meets your approval, we will hold the pre-launch party there to. We have gotten the use of the building at no cost.¡±


    ¡°The wedding party itself will the maid of honor, two ladies in waiting, two flower girls, and her parents,¡± I explained. ¡°The best man, two ushers, and two ring bearers since it will be a double-ring ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Have you set the date and the wedding colors,¡± Pat asked.


    ¡°The ladies will be in red, I will be in white,¡± Trish said. ¡°Scott will wear black, and the rest of the men will be dark grey. Our wedding date is the second Saturday in December.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow we will be meeting with the Ladies in Red Book group that will be helping us with both the book launch and our wedding,¡± I said. ¡°All of them I have known for years and I trust them.¡±


    ********


    As the ladies walked in for the meeting at Sheila¡¯s they were handed a one-page non-disclosure form to sign on behalf of the publisher. At five after one Pat, Trish, Helen, and I walked in. I introduced Pat once it was established that all those present had turned in and signed the form. She disclosed which publishing firm she represented.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re here to start to help planning Trish and Scott''s wedding, but we would like you to help us prepare the prelaunch party on November 1<sup>st</sup> for the ¡°Silent Ones¡± latest book called ¡°Tearstained Buttercup Eyes,¡± Pat said. ¡°Trish and Scott will be passing out a file and we ask you not to open it until all have received it.¡±


    There were a lot of ooze and awe¡¯s as Trish, and I quickly passed them around.


    ¡°Ladies your about to learn one of the secrets that were revealed to Shelia at Shelia¡¯s birthday party,¡± Helen said. ¡°Please open your files and learn why we are requiring complete secrecy.¡±


    Each of them opened the file that contained a copy of the book cover which revealed my identity. After a few gasps of surprise, Marge said, ¡°I called Bill and booked his restaurant to do the catering and service for both events. He just needs to know how many and the budget to work with.¡±


    ¡°Scott is this Bill acceptable to you?¡± Pat asked.


    I replied, ¡°Bill¡¯s food is always above and beyond. For me, it will be over the top. Ladies, we realize that once the secret comes out there¡¯s going to be a lot of questions. If you are asked just say that friends don¡¯t reveal a friend''s secrets and leave it at that.¡±


    For the next three hours, we were asked questions upon questions. Shelia¡¯s house staff came out with snacks and drinks for us all. A lot of the ladies had pictures taken with me with their cells. Before they left, we collected back all the files so there was no permanent record.


    Marge told me that Linda was recovering slowly from a big heartbreak and only time would help her to move on. Bill had her working as much as possible at the prep table to keep her mind occupied. Pat had explained to Marge what kind of food she wanted for the book release party and gave her a business card so she could be contacted and emailed.


    At five we drove her to the airport and saw her off.


    -----------------------


    We were getting ready to go out on Saturday when Trish got the phone call to come and pick up her diamond necklace. No one had put a claim in on it and nothing had been found in data searches of stolen property. After picking it up we took to our favorite jeweler for evaluation.


    Jayson¡¯s franchise owner was impressed with it. He said the quality of the work done on it was outstanding. He could tell it had been custom made around the turn of the century in the  early nineteen hundred. Based on current market conditions and costs he gave us an appraisal value of twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars because the diamonds of were of good quality. Trish decided that she would wear it for the first time on our wedding day. We ended up purchasing a set of diamond earrings that compliment it.


    We took it home and put it into the safe in our walk-in closet before going grocery shopping for the house.


    When we arrived at Mom and Dads on Sunday we learned that Shelia and Eve had been there most of the day. Mom had to show them all the videos they had of us from day one. Uncle Eve milked the situation referring to Trish and Tina as the dimwit and the halfwit all day. Carla and Dan were the last two to show with their twins. By the end of the day, they got them back after having to pry them out of Shelia and Mom''s hands.


    Terry had taken me aside and asked if I had any special wishes in relation to the wedding. I said no I just wanted to make sure that both sides of the sitting area were used and not reserved for family sides.


    I never noticed that Terry had gotten Trish aside and had chatted with her for a few.


    -----------------


    Cathy Fendley was sitting at the kitchen table when her house phone rang. After answering the call, she heard a woman explain that she was hunting for some relatives of her future brother in law. She said I need to verify that your husband had been born deaf and had just got his hearing back a few years ago. When she affirmed that what the lady said was true. She asked if she could send her by email two pictures to look at. Cathy reluctantly gave her the email address then went to turn on her computer.


    ¡°Look for an email address from [email protected]</a>.¡± the lady said.


    It took her going into junk mail to find it. The first picture was of her, and her husband James taken years ago. It had been the first time in their married life that they could afford to have professional photos taken. The second was a current picture of their nephew Albert who had disappeared years ago on his sixteenth birthday.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± Cathy asked in excitement. ¡°And how is Albert?¡±


    ¡°My name is Terry Helen Carson. Your Albert now goes by the name of James Scott Tait, and he is about to become my brother in law in December. He has your picture hanging on the wall in his house. On the back of it was the name of the photographer''s information who took it. I Googled it and they led me to you,¡± She explained. ¡°If I am right the Mrc foundation paid to have your husband''s hearing restored.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we often wondered why we were given that gift,¡± Cathy responded. ¡°That has never been disclosed since we were sworn to secrecy.¡±


    ¡°Scott as we call him runs the foundation,¡± Terry explained. ¡°Years ago, he helped my family out. Until just recently I had no clue either. My sister explained to me that he had taken your husband''s first name as his, his second name which he uses from his father and his last name from his best friend a farmer to the north of where he grew up.¡±


    Cathy was on the verge of crying. Terry sensed it. ¡°I will call you back in an hour after giving you time to adjust.¡±


    Cathy responded,¡± What''s your cell phone number I will call you after I talk to my husband.¡±


    James Fendley was working on his tractor when his wife came running from the house crying. He was wondering what was up because she had a smile on her face a mile wide. She ran into his arms.


    ¡°Albert is alive,¡± She sobbed.


    James, once he had gotten his wife to calm downed learned what she knew. When he learned that his sisters boy was behind him getting his hearing it had raised a lot of questions and he realized that for the rest of the day his work was done. On Sunday it would be Albert''s birthday. He could not help but wonder if he finally celebrated them.


    His mind went back to the last day he had seen him. They had just welcomed his own parents back into their fixed home. His brothers and sisters were in the house taking full credit for what was done when he noticed Albert beside his truck. He had gladly given him the ride into town not knowing it would be the last time he saw him.


    It had taken a week before his own father came to their farm trying to find out where Albert was. They had talked in sign language about what he knew. Towards the end of the conversation, he handed his father the unopened letter. After reading it he asked in sign if Albert had provided the dining furniture and the kitchen cabinets. He had said yes. It was the first time in his life he had seen his father break down and cry.


    His father had gone to see Albert''s friend in the nursing home, whom he had never liked in an attempt to locate Scott. The only thing the man would say is that Albert had endured all that was thrown at him and had become a solitary man. He was going to find what he has never had with you and that is a life that has value. He¡¯s changed his name and has left his past behind. Rest assured that with the values he holds he will go far in his life.


    When his own father was near death in a private moment, he told him what Albert had written. All he had said. ¡°Best have new kitchen evaluated your most likely underinsured. Room and board paid in full. Your mother and I did that boy wrong all his life and I regret it. Our hate for what his father did was taken out on him. Promise me if you ever see him, you will tell him I¡¯m sorry and that I was wrong.¡±


    His mother was still alive. He needed more information before deciding what he should do. What he had learned since getting his hearing given to him had changed a lot of his views. Most of his own brother and sisters he no longer considered as a family because of their piss poor self-centered attitude towards most things.


    They went back into the farmhouse. He poured them both a strong acholic drink before sitting down beside her. Cathy called the number Terry had given her and threw the speaker on.


    ¡°Hi,¡± said Terry. ¡°I¡¯m glad you called back.¡±


    ¡°Terry, James and I have a lot of questions do you have the time,¡± Cathy said.


    Terry started by telling Cathy and James what Scott had done for her when her twin sons were born. She then went on to talk about the Christmas drop he did every December and how it had grown over the years. Cathy and James were surprised to learn that he had gone into and excelled at being in law enforcement.


    They learned how his love for wood had brought Terry¡¯s sister and him together. They were afraid to love, but by working together on two major projects they had been brought together.


    Terry learned for the first time how bad it was for Scott growing up. They had talked for two hours when Terry asked if they would be interested in coming to where they all lived to take part in a surprise birthday party, they were throwing for him. They said yes. Terry said she would email them the details and three videos for them to watch.


    For the next hour Terry sat holding a tea as her eyes shed for the man who to her would always be a saint. For her it explained so much about the man she loved more than her father and husband. By the time she had settled down she had come to the belief that her future brother in law had been chosen for a pacific purpose that was not yet known.


    On Sunday morning James and Cathy walked through the doors into the Cape Airport to meet Terry in person for the first time. Terry was holding a sheet of paper with their names on it.


    ********


    Trish and I were headed over to her parents. We had spent the last three days working on a lot of minor things on some of the things we would be gifting out during the Christmas season. She was beginning to appreciate the organization and space needed to pull off what we would be doing. For some reason, we had to be there early. I knew it was to celebrate my birthday, and I really didn¡¯t want it to be made out to be a big deal. Trish was well aware of the fact but did not know the reason why.


    It was a warm day. Anyone living in the State knew if you didn¡¯t like the weather this time of year just wait a day or two and it might be completely different. After two days of rainy periods, the sun was out the temperature way up. No winter coat today so I was just wearing a t-shirt with my gun shirt and blue jeans.


    Terri had gotten so sick of seeing its frayed edges that she had sat down and used her fancy sewing machine to clean it up. Embroidered into its pocket was designed by BBBB. She had covered over the buttonhole section with an extra layer of blue jean material stitched in, then matched it on the other side turning a piece of junk into a fashionable blue jean vest.


    Mom and Dad heard us pulling in. By the time we had parked the car they were outside sitting in the patio having a beer when we walked around the corner. Trish said she was going to join them and asked me to go grab us each a beer.


    I was bent over at the fridge reaching for them when I heard James¡¯s voice. ¡°The first drink I¡¯m going to have with you Albert better be stronger than a beer.¡±


    I straighten up turned around and saw both Cathy and James standing there at the entrance to the dining room. All three of us lost it. It had been eighteen years to the day.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your girlfriend and her sister,¡± Cathy said as Trish walked in through the back door.


    ¡°Dad said to get the good scotch out the bottom of his desk. A moment like this deserves the best,¡± Trish said.


    Trish poured the drinks for the four of us while I hugged my uncle and aunt. I then introduced Trish to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go sit in the front room so we can chat,¡± Trish said, ¡°before the rest of the tribe show up.¡±


    ¡°You still leave your mark on what you do,¡± James said as we were walking through the dining room.


    I laughed, Trish said, ¡°Scott leaves a mark where is it?¡±


    James said, ¡°It¡¯s the back leg right side, of both the captain''s chair. You have to turn the chair over to see it. I discovered it by accident on the set he did for my mother years ago.¡±


    Trish set her drink on the table and went and turned the captain''s chair over and saw it for the first time.


    ¡°This table had a huge gash in it,¡± Trish said, ¡°I stood outside while he was doing it and watched him without him knowing. If there is real magic in the world, I was witnessing it that day. I saw him do what was impossible with a patience that went to the extreme. I figure it took him about 12 hours of repetitive procedures to restore it to a point that you would never believe that damage had ever been done.¡±


    ¡°After Scott left my dad had an appraiser come in to look at his new kitchen. The man told him that when he had written it off, he had placed a value of twenty thousand on it. It shocked him to see that it had been brought back to the point of perfection. What Scott had saved was about eighty-five percent of what it had been before,¡± James said. ¡°When he looked at the dining set, he lost it saying he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.¡±


    ¡°Scott¡¯s skill and knowledge,¡± Trish said, ¡°Goes back before the time of the machine and he uses modern things to enhance what he is doing nothing more.¡±


    For the next two hours, we chatted about family history and my new life. I learned about my grandfather''s last words about me. We ended our private chat when we heard Billy and Bobbie asking, ¡°Where¡¯s uncle Scott?¡±


    Terry surprised me once more when I unwrapped her present from her side of the family. She had custom made me a new shirt made in the fashion that her sister had destroyed. It even had the weights on one side to counterbalance the shirt when it was hiding my gun.

 The Wedding Dance

    Trish and I got James and Cathy¡¯s luggage out of her sister''s car and put it into our Ford Explorer before we sat down for the usual Malley Sunday dinner. It amazed my uncle and aunt to learn that we were God parents to two small babies that shared our name. Dan and Carla briefly explained how we met. I noticed that James accepted it without question, but Cathy did not. I thought I might be learning something about my aunt that I did not know.


    While we were driving back to our home when I got asked by my aunt ¡°Scott can Trish and you afford the responsibility of raising someone else¡¯s children when you¡¯re just starting out?¡±


    Trish saw me get a huge smile on my face. I knew my aunt was asking out of concern not for what we were doing but because she was concerned about our own economic wellbeing. She didn¡¯t want to see us going through what they had.


    I replied. ¡°Aunt Cathy I learned young from watching the two of you struggle to build a better life for yourselves while raising children. Even when you couldn¡¯t afford it you would give and do more than you should have. I saw it as a self-sacrificing act done out compassion for those who had less blessing than you did. Trish and I have those same values.¡±


    Uncle James would end up telling me before they left that my aunt felt that I had given her the greatest compliment in her life.


    Since it was already dark when we were heading home, I knew the preset timer would have turned some of the outside lights on. Driving past the front of my property my aunt commented on the cuteness of the little cottage.


    I told Trish I was going to park at the front of the house and unload the luggage from there. When my aunt realized we were pulling into the cottage she was surprised to see just how large it was.


    ¡°What you see from the main road is the side of the house from the second level,¡± Trish explained. ¡°Scott designed it that way to give him privacy. Crooks looking for a place to break into will drive past this because it leaves one with the thought there wouldn¡¯t be anything worth taking because the place appears to be so small.¡±


    I popped the trunk and handed the keys to Trish. My uncle James seeing me doing that commented your house key is for an electronic lock. He and I got the suitcases out and followed the ladies in.


    James followed me as we took their suitcases into the house. With the open layout he could see the antique dinning set with sitting for twelve and the matching two china cabinets and hutches as soon as we entered through the front door.


    ¡°That alone,¡± he said, ¡°explains why you have the kind of locks you do. That¡¯s an exquisite set that looks like it came out a house belonging to the rich and famous.¡±


    ¡°I should have known,¡± Cathy said, ¡°That Peter would have taught you what had value in antique furniture. Now I believe all the things about you that I have heard. I¡¯m sorry but life has taught us not to accept what most others say.¡±


    Trish gave me a look that implied that she knew how she felt.


    James and I took their luggage up to the second floor into what had been my bedroom. He was impressed by the size of it and commented that he couldn¡¯t afford to rent a hotel suite as nice as this. When we had come back down, we learned that Trish had poured us all drinks. With them, in hand, she gave James and Cathy the royal tour of the top two levels.


    ¡°I understand the need for the electronic locks and your security system,¡± James said. ¡°The antique furniture here is outstanding and worth a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Uncle James,¡± Trish said, ¡°Most of this was bought on the cheap over the years during the annual one hundred mile yard sale and restored by Scott himself. The bottom two floors are filled with more just as nice as the ones we use every day, but there is one set I value in the house more than anything else.¡±


    She handed me her drink and clapped her hand. The Hungarian carousel began playing catching their attention.


    ¡°I met Scott for the first time in my life trying to buy them and they were not in this good of condition,¡± Trish said emotionally. ¡°They were a set of three. Scott is still restoring the third one for me.¡±


    ¡°Your sister Terry sent us the videos of how the two of you connected,¡± Cathy said. ¡°We have watched it over and over again. I was amazed by the way Scott could disguise himself.¡±


    We were relaxing in the living room talking about things on my side of the family and what was going on in their lives. For Trish it must have seemed overwhelming because my mother had been the tenth out of seventeen. I quietly texted Trish to get one of my new books.


    My aunt Cathy had a look of pride in her eyes when she said, ¡°The rest of the family would not believe how good your life has turned out to be. Even if they saw it, they would question how you came into possession of what you have. Most extended family because they don¡¯t know you believe you ran off and became a crook as if you were following your father¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    Trish slipped into the office and got one placing it in a gift bag and came back out.


    ¡°Cathy do you still do your reading by getting books from the local library?¡± I asked.


    ¡°All the time, the only set of books I have ever bought is by the silent one, and that was after I had signed out and read his first one,¡± she said. ¡°Those books are about real-life like situations and not designed for the faint of heart. His stories at times can be hard to read because of the problems his characters are dealing with. It¡¯s definitely not an escape from life because they deal with personal situations that we can all relate to today. How he can go from cold and distant to loving and warm with his characters is something rarely seen.¡±


    ¡°The depth of his character development in his writings and the journey with it is a pleasure to see developed through till the end. You can¡¯t help getting emotionally involved when reading his books, for they always draw you in,¡± she explained. ¡°Learning how they work things out provides a lesson for all who discern it and makes them a better person because it forces them to see things in a different light.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Cathy this is a gift from us to you,¡± Trish said handing it to her.


    Trish and I watched as my aunt opened up the gift bag taking the tissues out to discover the latest edition to my growing list of books. Uncle James had to hold her tight as she came to terms with what she was seeing. The book would be coming out at the start of the next month.


    ¡°Aunt Cathy don¡¯t feel embarrassed we all reacted like you when Scott did this to us,¡± Trish said. ¡°The day after we got engaged. Until then none of us had a clue.¡±


    ¡°Trish,¡± Cathy said. ¡°You don¡¯t see it. Scott in each of his books has been slowly healing from the shame, the loneliness, the pain, and the tears brought upon him because of his parent''s conduct and society''s view of the situation at that time. When he writes an emotional scene out, he¡¯s bringing understanding to what happened to him in the past. At the age of seven, his childhood ended. It had to have left questions in him that he¡¯s always been trying to answer.¡±


    ¡°Scott had to become a man in every sense because he no longer had a mother or father to support him. Those who took him in despised him. The reason the farmer to the north was such a good friend is that he taught Scott,¡± James said, ¡°how to work things out in his mind just like an adult would. It was Mr. Tait that gave Scott the tools he needed back then not only on how survive but to build himself a better life. It also explains why your Scott our Albert took his last name.¡±


    ¡°When everything that happened between his parents until their death was brought out,¡± Cathy said, ¡°Most in the family thought if they hadn¡¯t of had brought Scott into the world, they would have quietly divorced. The only reason the two of them stayed together because neither of them would give up custody of Scott. So, family all assigned him the blame.¡±


    Trish gasped at the revelation because it was something she would never have put  together. What Scott¡¯s uncle and aunt said made sense. Divorce back then was not as acceptable as it was today. Society was finding its way to adjust to it.


    Her Scott had been forced by circumstances to grow up long before most others. Now the situation with Linda made more sense to her because Scott was just passing on the life skills he had been given.


    ¡°The kids he had to go to school with were told to cross the street if they saw him walking towards them. Even as an innocent child he was to be publicly shunned. Hell, even his legal guardian¡¯s limited their association with him because of the public¡¯s views,¡± Cathy said. ¡°My mother-in-law to this day curses the ground he walks on. Her hate for him is so consuming that we don¡¯t dare mention his name.¡±


    ¡°The neighbor to the north who became his best friend saved him from a beating he was getting because of what his father had done. Some of them were his own cousins. I never understood until now why I never saw Scott cry,¡± Cathy said with authority.


    Trish was shocked. She looked at me as if she were seeing me in a new light. She grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Billy and Bobbie worship the ground you walk on because of the way you relate to them,¡± Trish said. ¡°I never understood that behaving like a kid and playing with them is giving you something you never had. Through their eyes you¡¯re learning what it was like to be a normal child.¡±


    ¡°One of the first things the neighbor to the north Peter Robert Tait taught me was that in the walk of life we all end up experiencing the same things in diverse ways at different times in our life,¡± I explained. ¡°How we manage it molds us into what we are.¡±


    ¡°The reason no one saw me cry was that he taught me to hold it in until I was alone. Crying was normal, it was part of the grieving and healing process. But to do it in front of those who were trying to harm or hurt you would be giving victory to them and that was what they wanted. Once I learned that it wasn¡¯t long until the kids left me alone,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I have often wondered where your mental toughness came from,¡± said James. ¡°With what I saw you going through I tried to get you to open up and talk but you always held it in. I now understand why. Peter, in all honesty, taught you what most of us had to learn the hard ways for years.¡±


    ¡°Peter Tait taught the little boy to be a man,¡± Cathy said. ¡°It fortified you in many ways. That¡¯s allowed you to accomplish what you have in life. If it became public knowledge, it would prove to all of them still around who knew you back then that you¡¯re a better man than all of them. I hope you are proud of your walk in life because you should be. I know I am.¡±


    Shortly after that, we called it a night.


    Trish and I were lying in our bed cuddling unwinding from the day. For me it had been an epic day.


    ¡°I hope you were pleased with your birthday party,¡± Trish said.


    Getting no answer, she looked up at me to discover that I was quietly crying.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I have celebrated it since I was seven. I found everything everybody did completely overwhelming,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I was able to make it through the day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you realize,¡± Trish said. ¡°It¡¯s clearly apparent in everything you do. You being you carries me. In all that I do.¡±


    --------------------


    Trish called in and was granted the week off by the new supervisor of her department her best friend Jennifer. I called the attorney general and got permission to use banked hours unless something major came up. Trish and I made our guests a breakfast of omelets, bacon, and pan-fried potatoes. After getting dressed we took them for a tour of our estate. Leaving through the back of the garage to the outside.


    Behind the double row of Canadian hemlock was another world. Trish took great pride in showing off our woodworking shop with numerous items in the stages of being restored. My uncle James was really impressed. So much so that we spend a whole day working out there together before he left. For both of us it was a labor of love that bonded us together. Then it was into the warehouse where we stored the items purchased or repaired for distribution in the days before Christmas. The third building was my car collection which totaled out at twelve.


    I explained that this year we would have twenty rented trucks making ten deliveries each on the afternoon and evening of the twenty-fourth until they were done. Each truck would have three people in it, and they would receive a thousand dollars each for working that night in cash. For some of those receiving the gifts, it would be the best Christmas they ever had. Each drop was designed for the residences individual needs.


    James and Cathy stayed for four days. I really enjoyed their visit. It was nice to be able to reconnect with ones I considered family. I had Pat send me by overnight courier a few more copies of my book.


    ********


    On Thursday Helen called because she needed a favor. It was her assistant''s birthday and she wanted to do something special. Amy Witt her unmarried assistant was celebrating her birthday and because of what was going on she had forgotten about it. Trish and I agreed to take out for an extended lunch.


    Over lunch, we got into a great discussion about the silent one¡¯s work. Trish was shocked at how much she knew and the questions that she felt were left unanswered. It was her thought that although each book was a stand-alone story. Each one could have a sequel because of the unresolved issues some of the characters were dealing with.


    When the time allowed it, I slipped away to use the men¡¯s room. Then I slipped out to sign a copy of the book ¡®Tearstained Buttercup Eyes.¡¯ We lost track of time and it was almost three o¡¯clock in the afternoon when we got her back to her job. She had been gone for over three hours. We escorted her back in carrying a little gift bag.


    Amy went back to work, and we went into Mom¡¯s office giving her the bag suggesting she wait till the end of the day to give it to her. Mom asked what was in the gift bag. I replied, a signed copy of my book.


    Helen waited until it was just about check out time to call Amy into the office. As soon as she was through the door Helen said, ¡°Best close the door behind you and take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s up?¡± Amy asked as she sat down.


    ¡°I wanted to give you the second part of your birthday present,¡± Helen said. ¡°But first of all, I want to hear about your luncheon with my future son in law and my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Scott and I kind of took over the conversation when I said my favorite author was the Silent One,¡± Amy said. ¡°He has such an immanent understanding of the author''s writing. I was surprised how eager he was in hearing what I had to say and what my views were. I guess we got carried away because it was such a stimulating conversation. He not only listened to my opinions but would ask me what had made me come to that conclusion. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who truly valued what I had to say. I¡¯m sorry for getting back so late.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear,¡± Helen said as she placed the gift bag in front of her.


    Amy removed the tissue and took out the card. Inside were two invitations, one for the book revealing party, and the second for the wedding and reception. She couldn¡¯t understand why the book revealing was included because she would be working it. Helen was pleased to see the expressions running through Amy¡¯s face. She was already thrilled to death. Amy reached in and pulled out the gift box. Opening up the top she discovered it was the book she been counting the days down until she could purchase it. Helen knew she was having a hard time believing it.


    ¡°Open it up and read out loud what is written inside,¡± Helen suggested.


    Amy turned the first couple of pages until she found it. ¡°Trish and I really enjoyed our discussion with you this afternoon. I thank you for the stimulation and insight you have given me. I hope we can do it again soon. Signed James Scott Tait the silent one.¡±


    Amy lost it just as Helen figured she would. In less than a week, the book would be released, and Scott''s secret would be out in the world. When she had suggested this to Scott, he hadn¡¯t hesitated when he learned that meeting him was Amy¡¯s biggest dream.


    It was his idea to do it this way. She now saw the wisdom in his thinking. It had allowed Amy to be herself and not be intimidated because of who he was. Amy had opened up freely in a frank way discussing what she loved about his writings and the need for questions to be answered because of them.


    Amy turned the book over to look at the picture on the back cover. She was clearly in a very emotional moment. Helen understood it was helping Amy to accept what had transpired.


    ¡°I had a three-hour discussion with a man who turned out to be the writer I have dreamed about meeting for years,¡± Amy said. ¡°And for the next four days, I can¡¯t tell a soul about it. How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°It was the day of our anniversary that they got engaged. The very next day my daughter Trish and I learned who he was in the same manner as you just did,¡± Helen explained. ¡°You really can¡¯t tell anyone because they wouldn¡¯t believe you if you did.¡±


    ¡°Any suggestions on how I can explain the glow, the excitement and the thrill I will have on my face when I get home,¡± Amy asked. ¡°My mother is going to question me about what happened to cause that until she¡¯s blue in the face.¡±


    ¡°You can tell that you went for lunch with them,¡± Helen said, ¡°but not anything else.¡±


    ********


    It was after the not so surprising birthday surprise party was over that Amy had gone to the privacy of her bedroom to start reading her favorite author''s latest book. Being the last child at home her mother always went overboard and would until she got married. She had just opened the book when her mother knocked at the door.


    ¡°Amy, can I come in for a moment,¡± She asked. ¡°There is an old picture that I want you to take a look at.¡±


    ¡°Sure Mom,¡± Amy said as she slid the book under the pillow just before her mother started walking in.


    ¡°The last few years of my father¡¯s life were extremely hard for him in a lot of ways. Yet he refused to leave the family farm he had grown up on. He wanted it to remain in the family until his death,¡± Her mom explained. ¡°There was a young farm boy who was older mentally than his years who stepped in and helped my dad as much as he could.


    ¡°The older the boy got the slower my dad became but they bonded tighter than anyone I know. It was as if the young boy was the son that my father never had. They both shared a deep love for wood and antiques. My father said it was like seeing his soul alive in another.¡±


    ¡°My Dad had no son, so he gladly passed on his knowledge to Albert. It was Albert who finally convinced my dad who was eighty-three-years old by that time that it was time he went into the nursing home. His physical heath had deteriorated so bad that he was using two canes to walk with. Albert was afraid he was going to come and find himself hurt and passed out. For the next year, Albert kept the farm up for my dad on his own without being asked,¡± Amy¡¯s mother explained. ¡°If he felt something needed to be done Albert always cleared with him first. His care and attention to everything allowed us to get the maximum value for it after my father¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°On Albert¡¯s sixteenth birthday he came into the nursing home to say goodbye. He had been legally declared by the state as an adult and he had gotten the state court to approve his name change. Albert had changed his name to James Scott Tait.¡±


    ¡°When Albert said goodbye, it was because he was leaving to build himself a new life without the stigma of his family¡¯s past. When you told me, you had met your boss''s daughter and future son in law I didn¡¯t put it together. Do you recognize someone besides your grandfather in this picture?¡±


    Amy stared at the picture for a few minutes before saying a word. ¡°Mom I am going to let you answer that for yourself.¡±


    Amy turned and reached under the pillow getting the book. Before she brought it out, she turned in over so only the back cover of it could be seen. There was no longer any doubt. Albert the boy was now the man named James Scott Tait.


    ¡°Amy the wooden carved bust of my father''s face that sits in the living room that still gets compliment about it because of the skill and the details put into it,¡± Her mother said. ¡°Albert gave that bust to my dad the day he left. He had used Dad¡¯s carving tools for the detailed work.¡±


    ¡°For years I have been storing all of Dad¡¯s homemade curving tools in the garage. It was dad¡¯s dying wish that Albert gets them because to anyone but a master of woodworking, they would be worth nothing.¡±


    Amy got off the bed and captured the image of Scott as a young boy with her cellphone. Then she went down to take a picture of her grandfather¡¯s bust. She texted Helen saying please forward these pictures to Scott as soon as possible along with my phone number.


    A few minutes later Amy and her parents were sitting in the kitchen talking about her grandfather''s life when her cell phone rang. After answering she put the speaker on.


    ¡°This is Amy.¡±


    ¡°This is Scott, it¡¯s been a long time since I have seen a picture of Peter let alone the bust that I made for him,¡± I said. ¡°How is it that you are in possession of them?¡±


    ¡°I was four years old when my grandfather died,¡± Amy said. ¡°Mom says he died four months after you left.¡±


    ¡°Which one of his four daughters is your mother?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He always called her Em, but her full name was Ember Marie.


    ¡°She is the youngest if I remember right,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes, she is but more importantly I need to know how to get something to you from my grandfather,¡± Amy said. ¡°My mom has been holding on to them for years hoping that fate would allow her to find you.¡±


    ¡°If its small bring it with you when you¡¯re going to work,¡± I said, ¡°and Helen will get it to me.¡±


    ¡°Albert, its Em, what we are holding for you is Dad¡¯s old homemade chest and all his hand made carving tools,¡± Ember Marie said, ¡°and a letter he wrote for you. He said to me that only a true master in carving would appreciate the value of the gift.¡±


    ¡°Amy text me your address,¡± I said in excitement. ¡°Trish and I are on the way.¡±


    ********


    As I drove my mind went back to the first day, I met Peter Tait. It had been three months since my parent''s death. My grandparents had gone into town to do their weekly shopping. They had left me in the town park as they usually did because my grandmother did not want to be seen out in public with me. Just looking at me made her sick because it brought back and made fresh what my dad had done.


    Because of her views of me it had made things difficult for all of us until we found our own way of dealing with them. I used the outhouse outside the back of the house, and they left the mud room open when they locked down for the night. That way I could bring in my laundry and use the shower on a daily basis. Granddad always brought me out my meals to make sure I was able to eat if I was not at Peter Tait¡¯s.


    That Saturday a couple of my cousins and a few of their friends decided I needed a beat down. Peter had been driving by just as it started. He saw the two boys holding me and the others taking turns hitting me. To him, it just was not right.


    He pulled over, got out of his truck, and broke it up. He stayed with me until my grandparents returned to get me, which was about four hours later.


    While we talked, he got a piece of wood out of the back of the truck. With a pocketknife, he started working on it. It fascinated me to see it take shape. I ended up asking him all sorts of questions. With a patience, I had never experienced before he answered every question I had. I think we both were inspired by the attention we were giving each other. Later he would say that I had shown more interest in his craft than anybody else in his life, even his own children.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    When my grandfather came back, they had words. I was sent to sit in the back of the truck. I don¡¯t know what was said but from that point on I was allowed to go to Peters place unrestricted whenever I wanted to. From that point on, every weekend and most of my summers were spent at his place. Peter Tait treated me better than those who were related by blood did. My Grandfather was not happy about my relationship with him but never questioned me about it. I believed that the two men hated each other.


    Everything I was today, was because of what Peter Tait had taught me. Instead of playing sports or kid''s games after school I helped him on his farm. During evenings and spare time, he instilled in me his love of wood and what could be created or made with it. Every night he would drive me home to my loft. I did not understand that with each new project we did he was doing it to teach me something new and not because we needed it. Until this day for me, there is no greater joy for me than seeing something I have done being used and enjoyed.


    When his kitchen fire happened because of an electrical short while he was away, I had helped him take the damaged cupboards out. I took the old ones home with his help and the wooden table set that he had built and used for years.


    Together we rebuilt his new kitchen from scratch, and I worked after school trying to restore his old ones. I used the old-world methods he had used on small spots needing restoring in a big way. Although it had taken a long time it had worked. I was able to bring most of it back to what it had been before.


    One weekend I brought over one of the refinished doors to show him how it now looked. It was the first time I had ever seen him cry. When I asked him, what was wrong.


    He said, ¡°nothing these are tears of joy because the student has become the master.¡±


    ¡°When I die, I will go knowing that the skills and knowledge I have will live on in one who will do even better things with it,¡± Peter said. ¡°In life, there is no greater compliment to a man than to know his knowledge will be in another¡¯s hands who will treasure it as he did.¡±


    Trish knew I was being emotional and said, ¡°Are they good memories going through your mind or bad?¡±


    I quietly replied, ¡°Both, if it weren¡¯t for the man, he was, I wouldn¡¯t be the man I am today. Every piece of furniture I have restored or anything I made with wood has been made whole because of the gift of knowledge from him.¡±


    Trish looked at me for a few without saying anything then said, ¡°He was more a father figure to you than any man in your life. I wonder if he knew it?¡±


    As soon as I started backing my flat deck into the driveway Amy and both her parents had come outside to greet us.


    Em recognized me right away and had to give me a big sisterly hug. After greetings they led me to the chest. Em handed me the old skeleton key and I opened it up after pulling it out. Lifting off the top everyone was surprised that it consisted of ten layers of flat trays that pulled out. Someone had wrapped the handwritten letter in its envelope for me in a zip lock bag. I gave it to Trish to hold. The tools were still in pristine condition. It left me with the impression that I had been the last one to use them.


    ¡°Em, I watched your father design one of these, then fabricate the shape with metal. It took days to make one before sharpening them. It was my job to keep the fires burning as he heated the iron so he could forge the metal with various hammers. Each one was designed to make the impossible possible,¡± I said. ¡°To me they are invaluable. Before I even dare to use even one of these again, each one will be photographed, measured, and its pattern laid out. So that I can make another the same way he did if it breaks. Each of these tools is designed to do a particular type of carving. All of them give depth and detail to the finished project.¡±


    ¡°The wooden chest is so unique,¡± Amy said. ¡°Can the years of dust and dirt be removed?¡±


    ¡°Not all of it,¡± I replied. ¡°On this, I will soak it down with Murphy¡¯s Oil Soap two or three times to clean it. What will be left behind is just Fatima gained by age. I believe the last time these tools were used was in the creating of the bust of your grandfather.¡±


    I locked the chest back up, Em¡¯s husband helped me drag and load it on the flat deck. We chatted for a few as I tied it down. The chest with all the tools in had to weigh about two hundred pounds.


    Em led us in to see the bust of her father. Trish could not believe how detailed it was. I was proud of how good it still looked. I pointed out things on it that could only be created by the tools I had just inherited.


    ¡°It¡¯s still an eye-catcher after all these years, I can¡¯t believe half the time how much of him you captured in it,¡± Em said. ¡°Those who see it for the first time ask who he is? I proudly tell the story of who made it, and why.¡±


    ¡°All things work out better when there created out of love,¡± I said softly.


    We went into the kitchen, I read the handwritten letter aloud as Em made a pot of fresh coffee.


    Dear Albert: The day I met you changed my life for it gave mine a purpose again. I felt old, you made me feel young. When your grandfather showed up it answered a lot of questions about you, for me. That day I asked him if I could adopt you from them. He said no, he wanted you to pay for what your father had done. I threatened to have him charged with the willful abandonment of a minor child that day. It forced him to negotiate with me.


    That is why you were ultimately allowed to spend most of your time with me. Em has told me you left our home in pristine condition. Although because of your grandfather mule headedness I was never allowed to call you, my son. In my eyes you are and always will be. When you came to say goodbye, it tore me apart when you said, ¡®My new name is James Scott Tait.¡¯ After you left, I cried and cried. I had never been prouder in my life. I love you son, Dad.


    I guess I had tears in my eyes. I know Trish, Em, and Amy did. Em came over to me and hugged me tight and said, ¡°I guess I finally got the brother I always wanted.¡±


    It took us all a while to calm down. It allowed me to tell them all a few of my most memorable times with Peter some of them quite humorous. Em asked her daughter to scan the letter into the computer so she could send it to her three sisters. She wanted her sisters to know just how close I was with their father and how he had felt about me.


    ¡°Amy, I think it would be okay to show your parents your birthday present from me,¡± I said.


    Amy went upstairs and got the cards and put the book back in the gift box it was in. She brought it back downstairs.


    ¡°After a three-hour lunch today with Trish and Scott I went back to work. Scott took this into Helen¡¯s office. At closing today Helen gave me the card and box in a little gift bag,¡± Amy said. ¡°It contained an invitation to a book launch party and to their wedding. I will let you open the gift box mom.¡±


    We all watched Em open the top of the gift box to see my new book, ¡°Amy, Scott is your favorite author no wonder you came home floating on air.¡±


    ¡°And now as far as I am concerned, he¡¯s my favorite uncle,¡± Amy said firmly.


    ¡°Amy your parent''s invitations will be in Helen''s hands-on Monday,¡± I said.


    When we got home, Trish made us each a large hot chocolate. I sat at the bar counter and reread the letter.


    ¡°If Mom hadn¡¯t asked you for a favor this truth would have never come out,¡± Trish said. ¡°It¡¯s going to take you a while to adjust to this new revelation. How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Like a part of me has been made complete,¡± I said. ¡°Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Very much so, that letter is his blessing for you taking his name, and finally recognizing you for what you were,¡± Trish said. ¡°His gifting his most valued possession to him is his way of passing the torch on to you along with his love for the one in all ways was his son.¡±


    That night I held onto Trish tight. I talked she listen as I told her all about the man who from this day would be called my dad. I think I talked to her until she went to sleep.


    Saturday was going to be another crazy day for us. Helen had drawn the name for the winner of the contest. I had told her that I was going to deliver it to the person myself. Trish insisted that she was going with me.


    ------------------


    We arrived at Aunt Shelia¡¯s and Uncle Eve¡¯s grand ballroom to see how the set up for the event was going. Helen and Amy were busy organizing the event. I was surprised they had brought in copies of every book I had written in case someone wanted to buy one. It surprised Helen when Amy called me Uncle Scott. I learned that today was the major set up, tomorrow the ladies in red would be coming to unpack the cases of my new book and build the displays of them. Along with setting up the additional promotional items.


    Amy took me around the whole building explaining how the layout would be throughout. That¡¯s when I learned that there was going to be close to three hundred flying in from New York in a chartered plane sponsored by the publisher. Amy introduced me to the staff and workers as her uncle as if she¡¯d been doing it all her life.


    Trish had expected Amy¡¯s reaction and had photocopied Dad¡¯s letter to me. While I was with her, she explained everything to her mother after she read a copy of the letter. The set I needed to deliver was in the trunk of her car along with the directions to get there. Trish had to promise to get pictures and text them to her. Once we got it from her off, we went.


    It was a two-hour drive round trip as the address was an hour from Cape straight towards Festus. Getting off the interstate instead of going right to go into the city we headed left going in about thirty miles. Thanks to Google Maps we were directed right to their door.


    The house was nothing to write about. It definitely has seen better years. Yet the yard was meticulously kept. That told me that for this family that money was tight. They did what they had to survive. Learning to live with what they could afford to do. Not sure of what we might be facing I had Trish wait in the car as I approached their front door. Knocking I waited for a response.


    A young lady who appeared to be about seventeen answered the door. I explained why we had come, and the girl invited us in. I waved to Trish, and she joined me. The young lady led us to the kitchen where the family was busy trying to get the propane stove working. It was an older model that I knew well. I was surprised it was still being used.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the stove,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be getting the propane,¡± her father said. ¡°Even though the tank was filled a couple of days ago.¡±


    ¡°That model has a built-in regulator in the back that controls the opening and the closing of the valves,¡± I explained as I rolled up my sleeves after taking off my coat. ¡°Let¡¯s pull it out and take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°My name is Jack, and my wife is Caroline, who are you, and what are you doing here?¡± he said as we pulled the stove out from the wall.


    So, I explained about the contest someone had entered for a set of the works of a certain author and we were here to deliver it to the winner. I then said,¡± My name is Scott, and this is my fianc¨¦, Trish.¡±


    The young lady who answered the door said, ¡°That was me I entered it and put grandma¡¯s name on it.


    After climbing in behind the stove and removing the back panel I asked for a cloth to wipe the dust that had collected off and a water spray bottle.


    After cleaning off the dust I sprayed a little water above the regulator and discovered there was no flow.


    ¡°Jack shut off the tank, were going to have to open the regulator. It can be fixed temporary but will have to be replaced,¡± I said. ¡°What I am going to do will last about five to six months, but it can¡¯t be done again because of how this model is made.¡±


    I explained and showed Jack the inner parts of the regulator. After getting a hairpin from his wife he watched me using a small set of pinchers to cut it to size and screw it in place. It would act like the original one did but the wear and tear on it was so fine that it would end up blocking the valve below making it unworkable. To replace the regulator would cost about seventy dollars.


    ¡°These stoves were built to last,¡± I said as I screwed the back panel on. ¡°My Dad and I had one on the farm. I learned that trick from him. How much land do you have and what are you doing with it?¡±


    ¡°A hundred and seventy-five acres and we raise beef for the market for the most part and do some mixed farming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we did until he died,¡± I said in honesty.


    While his wife was making coffee Jack and I went back to my explorer and got the box that contained the ten books. We talked. He thanked me for saving them a repair call that they couldn¡¯t afford at this time. They were cutting back where they could in order to help their granddaughter when she started university next September as she wanted to become a nurse practitioner. I asked him where she hoped to attend. He told me where she¡¯d been accepted but was taking a year off working to give her an emergency fund when money got tight.


    He carried the box while I grabbed a second bag, and we went back in. Caroline was surprised when she opened up the box. Ten hard covered books all in pristine condition.


    ¡°This is the official invitation for the launch party of his latest book being held in Cape next Tuesday if you would like to attend, please feel free to bring your whole family if you wish,¡± I said. ¡°Formal attire is not necessary. I realize it is short notice but due to circumstances beyond our control we were not able to do this earlier.¡±


    Caroline looked at her husband Jack as he looked back then he said, ¡°We wish we could be we have obligations that night that we can¡¯t get out of, otherwise we would have gladly attended.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± I said. ¡°So, to compensate for our failure please take this.¡±


    Caroline took the bag I had carried in and opened it up to discover my newest title in it. She took it out and gasped in surprise. ¡°How can you do this?¡±


    ¡°Turn the book over and look at the back cover,¡± Trish said. ¡°When we took that picture, I didn¡¯t even have a clue what it was for.¡±


    Caroline turned it over with her granddaughter looking over her shoulder. The Granddaughter said, ¡°This is unbelievable. This never happens in real life.¡±


    I laughed, and said, ¡°That what my future mother in law said when she found out. Caroline open up the envelope.¡±


    Caroline opened the envelope and discovered the wedding invitation and five thousand in cash.


    ¡°Use the money to outfit yourselves in a way you feel you need to for the day and to pay for your expenses to stay in a hotel overnight,¡± Trish said. ¡°The only condition Caroline is that you have to promise to dance with my future husband that night.¡±


    I looked over at Caroline and Jack¡¯s granddaughter and said, ¡°We expect you to be in attendance for the event too young lady. As my dad always said tough time don¡¯t last tough people do.¡±


    Jack walked back with Trish and me to our car. After thanking us he asked me, ¡°How did you know we couldn¡¯t afford to go.¡±


    ¡°I lost my parents when I was seven. The man who took me in did the same thing you are doing with your granddaughter. Sacrificing everything to give her, her dream. How is she related to you?¡±


    ¡°Kristy is my son¡¯s daughter they died in a car accident a few years back. After paying off their debts there wasn¡¯t much left,¡± Jack said. ¡°What was, will be used towards her education.¡±


    ********


    Monday night I flew into New York, Pat and I were scheduled for the final hour of Fox and Friends Tuesday morning. Pat and I handled it gracefully. I had to explain why I had not allowed my name to be revealed until now. When I said I had chosen to keep it secret because I wanted to be sure the lady I fell in love with, loved me for being me and not for my money.


    In less than an hour later, I was on my way home. Trish watched it live while she was at work. The staff had lots of questions for her, as a result, the day went past fast. With the revelation of my identity out the head of Human Resources and the Chief Financial Officer were forced to resign. The Chairman of the Board held them personally accountable for the loss of the Mrc grant.


    At eight pm the doors opened, the ladies in the red book club were dressed to the nines all wearing red full-length dresses and red hats. I could not have asked for a group of better hosts. Copies of my new book were on eight different display tables stocked to the max through the ballroom. Two more huge tables were filled with copies of my other ten. The bar was open the drinks were being poured and the finger food was being sampled. Trish arrived about half an hour later because she had to go home and get changed.


    Aunt Sheila and Uncle Eve were walking around with their pride pushing out of the chests. A reporter for entertainment tonight and a new crew were doing interviews. The ladies in Red Husbands were no longer making fun of the book club. When the Ladies got asked by their spouses how long they had known. They had replied, ¡°friends don¡¯t tell friends secrets.¡¯


    Em, her husband, her sisters, and their husbands all showed up. Helen¡¯s boss was stunned to learn that I was going to becoming her son in law and that I was Amy¡¯s uncle. Between eight and eleven at night we had over five hundred attendings. I ended up signing copies of my books until my fingers got sore. By the time, the evening was over most of the ten other titles of my books that had been brought in were sold.


    Trish had to get a group photo of the Tait side of the family along with their full names and addresses. In a private moment, they had presented me with two photo albums filled with family pictures. Quite a few were of family events that I had attended with Peter over the years.


    Pat and I talked. Pat stated, ¡°You¡¯ve created a curiosity factor that is going to further the sales of your book even more. Have you thought how it''s going to affect your job with the Attorney General going forward?¡±


    ¡°Trish and I have discussed it,¡± I said. ¡°She is leaving the hospital at the end of the month. My niece Amy has given me some particularly good insights about sequels for my first ten books that I will discuss further with you after the wedding. Getting married is making me realize that I need to bring a balance I haven¡¯t had into my life.¡±


    ¡°I think the world of Trish,¡± Pat said. ¡°She¡¯s mellowed you and took away some of your edges. Tearstained Buttercup Eyes in my eyes is the best you have ever written. It''s also the longest by twenty-two pages. Any idea when I can expect the next one.¡±


    I laughed, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it since you accepted the last one. If it goes as planned it should be in your email by the end of February.


    ********


    The grand ballroom looked stunning. Trish and I were doing a tour with Shelia and Eve. Sitting for five hundred was set up at tables set towards the sides of the great room. A red carpet had been rolled out and was in place for the bridal party to walk down. Our guests would be escorted to their assigned table. Chairs were set up so all at the tables had a clear view of the wedding ceremony.


    The stage front had been opened up and the hidden steps pulled out. A huge arbor in which the minister would stand in front was done in red and white poinsettia¡¯s. Hanging down from the top of the arch was a sign that said Chapel of Love. It had been built on wheels for easy removal.


    In half an hour the rest of the troop would be here for the rehearsal. The ladies in the red book club had created an atmosphere that was outstanding. They had combined the spirit of the wedding reception and Christmas into one.


    The grand piano had been moved off to the side. Once the arbor was rolled out the band hired for the night would set up after the curtain came down. The steps would be slid back under, and the head table set up for the evening. The grand piano would be used to play the wedding song as Trish walked towards me.


    The red carpet that Trish would walk down would be rolled up and moved to storage.


    From the ceiling hung streamers of red and white to the walls. Each table had a small flower display of red and white carnations. The rows of tables on each side were three deep.


    Trish and I would stand one step down just beneath the minister. The next step down would be the maid of honor and the best man. In front of them would be one of the ring bearers, and the flower girls. The other two maids awaiting and the ushers each one step lower than the other. With the other ring bearer and flower standing right below the other. It was nice that Jen¡¯s girls were about the same ages as Terri¡¯s.


    The minister and us men watched as the bridal party walked down the carpet. Helen went to take a seat and I said no.


    ¡°Mom you have to come and stand at an angle to the right of the minster looking down at the rest of us,¡± I said.


    She looked at me in complete surprise and said, ¡°But I¡¯m not part of the bridal party.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s why you have been provided the same dress as the rest of the ladies and the flower girls.¡±


    First came the ring bearers taking their spots, then the flowers girl who moved into the step right beneath the boys. The ladies took their position in relation to the men''s positions. Dad and Trish came to the steps. Trish walked up to be beside me.


    ¡°Dad,¡± I said. ¡°After the minister asks who gives her away, I want you to go and stand to the left side of the minister just as mom is.¡±


    ¡°Dad, Scott and I had this all planned,¡± Trish said. ¡°That¡¯s why we got you the same tux as the rest of the men. Mom and you will be also sitting at the head table.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a wedding done like this in my life,¡± John said seriously.


    ¡°It was quite common in the eighteenth century,¡± I said. ¡°When I told Trish about it, she decided she wanted it.¡±


    ¡°John,¡± Aunt Shelia said. ¡°I think it¡¯s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Cherish the honor and respect for what it is.¡±


    ********


    It was five to three, that Saturday my best man Brad, the ushers Terri¡¯s husband, and Jennifer¡¯s husband, were standing there with me waiting. The organist started playing the music I could see my future mother in law beginning the walk down to us. Trish and her father were still hidden from view.


    ¡°Trish,¡± John said as they watched Helen start the walk, ¡°I never believed in fairy tales, but Scott and you have proved me wrong.¡±


    Trish being very emotional was trying to hold them in. In truth, she kind of felt the same way. Her floor-length white wedding gown was beautiful. The necklace we had found  that she was wearing on her neck added to her image. She watched as the last maid in waiting started her walk. Then her father joined his arm with her and started to head in. Just as she entered the grand ballroom the organist stopped playing the right side curtain on the stage opened and a group of eight ladies started singing as the organist started a new song.


    ¡°Going to the chapel and were going to get married. Going to the chapel of love.¡±


    Every female in the bridal party got emotional because they all knew the story related to that song. I thought that Trish would lose it but there were no big sobs just a few tears flowing down her cheek.


    Her dad stopped at the bottom of the stairs and watched her walk up the few steps to stand beside me. She looked right at me with her tearstained buttercup eyes.


    ¡°Who gives this lady away,¡± The minster asked?


    ¡°Her mother and I do,¡± answered John before taking his position above me. The photographer and her assistant were taking pictures and videoing catching the whole ceremony. We had written our own vows. I said mine first she followed.


    I slid the ring on to her finger and said, ¡°With this ring, I thee wed My December Bride.¡±


    Trish slid mine on to mine and said, ¡°With this ring, we begin the walk of life as one.¡±


    The minister then said ¡°I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±


    That¡¯s when I started to relax. Trish looked beautiful. The first thing we did as a couple was to step down and go to her grandmother. After congratulations, her grandmother spoke.


    ¡°When you get the chance, Trish, go through your parent¡¯s attic and look for old pictures of my grandmother if they still exist because I believe the beautiful full diamond necklace is just like one, she wore.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, Scott and I found it jammed in behind a drawer in the china cabinet we bought.¡±


    Her grandmother''s eye¡¯s teared up. Trish held her hand as she spoke. ¡°It was to be passed to me when I got married to be passed on to my first granddaughter on her wedding day. Scott my granddaughter may not know it but she¡¯s already carrying your first and has been for about six weeks.¡±


    Trish looked at me in surprise and said ¡°Maybe she¡¯s right. I just thought I was late because of what we were dealing with.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true then I am retiring from working for the state,¡± I said. ¡°I want to live to hold our grandchildren in my arms.¡±


    We went from table to table thanking them all for coming. The ushers helped to push the steps back into the stage. Staff on hand-rolled up the red carpet to prepare for the dinner. That allowed the head table to be set up. Most of those we talked to had to compliment us for how we had tied Trish¡¯s parents in to be part of the whole ceremony.


    I saw Trish talking to her Aunt Shelia and thought nothing of it. I was busy talking to Jack, Caroline, and Kristy who looked like they fit in. Kristy said the wedding ceremony was the most beautiful she¡¯d ever seen. Then I moved over to the Tait family who was here in mass. I met all of Peter¡¯s daughter¡¯s extended family for the first time.


    My uncle James and Aunt Cathy who were staying with Trish¡¯s parents and I had the chance to talk. Back home they had told all that I had been found and was doing well. When the book had been released after it was revealed who I was. She had a lot of the family over for dinner and showed them the book I had given her.


    ¡°I had James¡¯s Mom read the comments you had written to the whole table during the meal,¡± Cathy said. ¡°When they asked me how we knew you. I said we used to call him Albert. A lot of the family had a lot of guilt on their faces. James and I enjoyed their discomfort.¡±


    ¡°I got the final dig in when I said you know that for me to get my hearing it cost over two hundred and fifty thousand,¡± James said. ¡°It was Albert who paid for it. I think the family went home that night to do a lot of hard thinking because of the message we had given them.¡±


    At five o¡¯clock the servers started to prepare the tables for the huge dinner. Pat and her husband took Trish and me aside.


    Pat informed me that thanks to all the free publicity my latest book had set new records companywide since its release.


    They had six serving areas for the food. The food was over the top. Pat on behalf of the publisher had not scrimped on cost. It was a selection of prime roast beef or salmon steak. a choice of two types of potato styles, brown gravy, buns, three different vegetables to choose from and wedding cake for dessert. Water, coffee, tea, coke, and a glass of white wine. Those who wanted something a wee bit heavier could get if for free from the bar.


    At eight the Master of Ceremonies took the mike to start the dance.


    ¡°Trish and Scott picked a song that reflects their view about the future for their first dance together as man and wife,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a Dr. Hook classic called ¡®Years from now.¡±


    Trish and I walked onto the dance floor as the band started playing our song. We danced with our eyes locked on each other as the quests caught images of us.


    When it was announced for the father-daughter dance the Master of Ceremonies said,¡± Trish chose Bob Carlisle¡¯s ¡®Butterfly Kisses¡¯ and would like all father and daughters to join them.¡±


    I was standing with Helen as they danced. I guess it hit John¡¯s heartstrings because we could see him tear up.


    ¡°He is really an old sentimental fool at times,¡± Helen said emotionally. ¡°It was all he could do to hold it in when the two of you were saying your vows. I don¡¯t think either one of us will forget the view it gave us or what it was saying to all in attendance. People have been commenting on it all night. Most of them see what you two did as a total act of honor and respect.¡±


    When it was time for the Master of Ceremonies to announce the mother, son dance he said. ¡°Scott''s parents both died years ago so he has chosen to dance with Mrs. Caroline Hynes who reflects the value he was raised with. They shall dance to Rod Stewart¡¯s Forever Young.¡±


    Caroline was in shock as Trish, and I approached her. Taking her hand, I led her to the center of the ballroom. As we dance Trish handed Kristy an envelope. Kristy when she opened it started crying. It was a fully paid scholarship for the school she wanted to go to including the dorm room. Caroline¡¯s family saw how full of pride she was.


    ¡°We just want you to pay it forward when you get the chance,¡± Trish said smiling.


    ¡°But why,¡± Kristy asked?¡±


    ¡°Because we wanted to. For Scott, he does it in honor of the man who raised him who never got to call him a son,¡± Trish said. ¡°It¡¯s his way of passing it on.¡±


    As Caroline and I walked back to their table we both could see how proud her husband Jack was.


    ¡°Thank you for making this an evening we will never forget but why is Kristy crying,¡± She asked?


    ¡°My wife gave her some good news while we were dancing,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you hear about it as soon as we''re back.¡±


    At the first band break, Trish went to her aunt¡¯s house with her aunt to change into the going away outfit. It was the same dress that all the ladies in the wedding party were wearing. Eve took the chance to tell me that his wife had a couple of things planned for the next set that I should be prepared for.


    Trish had returned by the time the Master of Ceremonies took the mike, he said. ¡°Scott would like the Ladies in Red Book Club to join them on the floor with their spouses for his personal rendition of ¡®Lady in Red¡¯ written by Chris de Burgh.


    For Trish and me, it was a reminder of the night we got engaged. To on watchers, it was a sight as thirty-four ladies all wearing poinsettia red covered the ballroom floor. As we danced, I sang the song to her again. Trish now understood why I wanted her to go away dress to match the bridal parties. After we finished the dance, the photographer took another few images of the bride and her bridal party.


    It was halfway through the second set that Trish and I were taken by surprise. Rick Springfield joined the band.


    Aunt Shelia and Uncle Eve took the mike.


    ¡°A lot of you know how Trish and Scott stacked my wife¡¯s birthday bash turning into an evening that we will never forget,¡± Eve said. ¡°So, my wife and I conspired as a little payback was due.¡±


    ¡°Nine years ago, Trish got stood up at the alter by a man named Jessie,¡± Aunt Shelia said. ¡°We convinced Rick Springfield to play the song for the man who got Jessie¡¯s Girl. So, Scott and Trish can you please take the floor.¡±


    We took the floor and for the second time that night we dance the song all by ourselves. Trish had tears in her eyes Aunt Shelia had a smile a mile wide. When we were finished the guests, all stood up and clapped. Trish and I were headed off the dance floor when Kristy came up and said it¡¯s my turn.


    As soon as we were finished and before I had escorted Kristy back Amy said, ¡°It¡¯s my turn, Uncle Scott.


    All the Tait family had to get pictures of the two of us dancing. After escorting her back, I headed over to the bar to get Trish and I another drink. At the end of the third session well the band took a break it was time for us to say a few words. I was the first to speak.


    ¡°To the ladies in Red, my dear friends I thank you for making this day the success it is. To my, in-laws I thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. The ushers and the best man are passing out envelopes as a token of our appreciation. Uncle Eve, I couldn¡¯t sell Impala to you because It''s sitting in its new owner''s garage. Use it to build new memories with your best friends dad, ¡°I said.


    ¡°Never would I have believed if you told me that in a crazy wild moment in anger when I tried to arrest a man, I thought was a crook that it could lead to tonight,¡± Trish said. ¡°Yet here we are. I am now married to my best friend, the love of my life looking forward to what''s to come. For both of us, it has been a year of discovery. A time of letting go and healing from things carried from our past. Rest assured that we have to hit the floor running. Scott does not know why yet. Because I just found out today that in about seven and a half months, we will be bringing our first child into the world.¡±


    Everybody clapped. I was in shock. John and Helen were crying. Both sides of the family were cheering. What happens next well that¡¯s another story yet to be discovered.