Page 45 of Rory: His to Discipline

Tess turned and took Rebecca’s hands. “Are things not good here, Rebecca? Is Mason so hard to live with?” Concern for her friend was foremost in her mind.

Rebecca laughed. “Not as long as he gets his own way, then he’s a perfect husband. But, if I do anything he has expressly forbidden, it’s not pretty. He thinks he is on safety patrol, 24/7. Of course, I have to admit I was not the easiest pregnant wife to look after,” she began chewing on her fingernail. “I don’t think I was horrible, well, not too horrible, but he had that damn expecting manual in his hand like it was the Bible.

“Don’t do that, Rebecca, it’s not good for you or the baby, dear. The book says that you need to do this, Rebecca. I don’t think that’s a good idea, honey. Maybe you should do it this way,” she mimicked. “You have no idea how badly I want to stick that book up his a … Well, anyway, that’s why I need your help. Do you remember the limo ride from the church to the reception?”

Tess nodded. “Most of it, why?”

The main thing she remembered was how badly her ass burned, sitting on the damn crinoline, but there was some conversation between Molly and Rebecca that she had not fully understood.

“Mason kept a whiteboard on the back of our closet door on which he recorded my um … lapses in judgment during my pregnancy, if you get my meaning? Periodically, I would accidently-on purpose brush against it, wiping off the most significant ones like climbing on a ladder to change a light bulb or mowing the lawn when the temperature was close to one hundred degrees, that kind of stuff.

“Once, I picked up his beer and took a couple of swigs. I thought he was going to have a stroke and I had to listen while he reread about the danger of drinking while pregnant from that damn book. I’m not stupid and I would never do anything to harm our child, but I was so hot and I picked up the beer without giving it a thought. He acted like I was a lush, squirreling away in the closet with a bottle of bourbon, geeze!”

Rebecca was pacing, her blonde ponytail bobbing in time with her steps. Going to the window she pulled back the curtain and peeped outside before she continued.

“Anyway, that day in the limo, Molly told me that Mason had another copy of that list in some type of book. I need to find that book, Tess, before my six to eight weeks are up.”

“Even if we find the book and destroy it, Rebecca, will Mason not remember what was written in it?” Tess asked, thinking Rory would if he were in a similar situation.

“Possibly,” Rebecca admitted, chewing her nail again, “but surely not all of it. My God, Tess, that book will keep him busy and my ass red for months … maybe years! No, I have to find it and destroy it. I’m willing to take a few spankings if I have to and I probably deserve more than a few, but not for everything he wrote down. Hell, Juliana will be heading off to college before he gets through,” she moaned, peeking out the window again. “So, will you help me, Tess?”

“Yes,” Tess replied slipping out of her coat and tossing it on the couch. “Where do you want to start?”

Rebecca gave a little jump and clapped her hands. “Good, I’ll never forget this, Tess. If you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask.”

“Let us locate this book first, Rebecca,” Tess answered with a grin.

They searched everywhere. Rebecca went through drawers while Tess crawled under beds and climbed to reach the highest closet shelves. Methodically they went through each room as quickly as they could, replacing each and every item as precisely as possible. Rebecca had the baby monitor clipped to her jeans in case the baby fussed, but Juliana slept through the whole process.

They took a short break, gulping down a soda and then Tess climbed a small ladder and heaved herself into the attic with a flashlight. She had only been in there a few minutes when Rebecca hissed up to her.

“Tess. He’s back. Hurry up and get down here.”

Rebecca held the ladder steady as Tess wiggled her butt out of the opening, stretching the toe of her sneaker until she could touch the top step. Quickly climbing down, Tess hung the ladder in the cellar and they were both sitting at the kitchen table, trying to catch their breath when Mason walked in.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rebecca paused, weighing whether she should warn Tess about the O’Malley men. Finally, she opened her mouth and it just sort of fell out.

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

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