My brothers-in-law and I occasionally get together for an evening of poker. It isn't a scheduled thing. We only manage it a few times a year. It just happened that our wives had gone on a shopping trip together. That made the perfect opportunity for us to get together for a few hands.
My wife, Kate, has a sister and a brother. On this particular evening, her brother, Timothy O'Malley, had invited Sean Clark to sit in on our game, which was at Tim's house. Tim sat to my left and Sean was across the table from me. Sean and Tim both were lawyers that worked at O'Malley, Preston, and Peterson. That's the area's most successful law firm. Kate's father, Joe, was one of the original partners. Joe bought out the other two years ago and now the firm was controlled totally by the O'Malley family.
Kate and her sister, Patricia, were both lawyers. Patricia, or Pat as she was known in the family, had married Donald Casey, a civil engineer. He sat to my right. He was a pretty upright guy, for an engineer. I got along with him pretty well.
Kate was stuck with me, Jason Henderson. I wasn't Irish, and I wasn't a lawyer. Those two facts had been a source of some family consternation. If Kate's mother, Rose, hadn't taken a liking to me for some reason, I never would have been able to take the shit that old Joe and his son, Tim, piled on me.
I was a mason, a man that worked with brick, mortar, blocks, and concrete. My dad had been one before me and I never really wanted to do anything else. Dad insisted I go to school to learn the trade. I had resisted because my father could lay block all the way across the state and back and be within a quarter inch of square and level. All I had to do was learn what he knew. What more was there?
Well, there was a hell of a lot more that I needed to learn, and learn I did. After two years of school, I joined Dad is his business. I was soon using my schooling to improve the materials and mixtures we worked with. I modernized and mechanized every chance I had. I showed Dad some new, faster methods to build in brick and block. He showed me the difference between slapping up masonry and true craftsmanship. Together we learned to maintain the quality of our work while doing much of it faster and easier.
The business grew and we took on three men to help keep up with the work. I was 27 years old and a partner in a productive, successful business when I met Kate. We had trouble with a supplier that took our deposit money but failed to deliver the materials. I went to the O'Malley law firm to see what options we had in the matter.
Somehow, Kate was assigned our case. She was 26 and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She handled our suit and we got our money back, without going to court. By that time, I was completely infatuated with her. Every time a payment was a day late or a delivery we ordered was delayed, I would try to convince my father that we needed the services of a lawyer again.
"Damn it, Jason!" he finally erupted one afternoon as we were laying blocks for a huge house in the Poconos. "Why don't you just ask her out on a date? It would save me a shit-load of money, and allow me to keep on good terms with my customers and suppliers. I can't sue every Tom, Dick, and Harry we do business with so you have an excuse to see that red-headed girl!"
I was stunned. Why did he think I just wanted to see Kate again? How could he know what I was thinking? Was it that obvious?
"You must think I'm blind or something," laughed my father. "It's pretty clear that girl has you all wrapped up. I was the same with your mother, but I didn't need some flimsy excuse to plead my case. I kept after her until she finally gave up and married me."
"She's a lawyer, Dad," I whined. "I'm a mason. She won't have any use for a guy like me."
"She'll have no use for a damn chicken-shit whiner, that's for sure!" replied my father. "You don't seem to have any idea what women really do want. I admit I'm not an expert on the subject, but I know one thing. You are a damned good mason, maybe the best I've ever seen. You'll never have to apologize to any man, or woman, for making an honest living building things with your hands. She spends most of her time with those soft, backstabbing weasels and she's probably sick of 'em. Be a man. Ask her out, and don't act like a second-class citizen when you do it. If she turns you down, ask her again in a week. It took me two months to get your mom to agree to step out with me."
I spent the rest of the week thinking about what my father had told me. It's funny how it works. When I was 17, he didn't know anything about anything. I felt like just being around him was making me dumber. How did he get so smart in the ten years since?
That Friday, I was waiting in the parking lot when Kate left her office. I hadn't had time to change after work. I was sweaty and streaked with dust from head to toe. I had made up my mind that day to ask her out and I decided if I went home to clean up first, I'd lose my nerve.
"Hello, Kate," I began. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm.."
"Jason Henderson!" laughed Kate. "I remember you very well, Jason. Are you having another problem with your suppliers?"
"I'm having a problem... thinking about anything but you all the time, Kate," I answered honestly. "I was wondering if you'd go out to dinner or a movie with me?"
"I hope you'll at least take a shower first!"
I hadn't seen Kate's brother, Tim, come up behind me. He had listened to the conversation that I thought was private.
"So, Sis, are you going to go out with this hard working man? Maybe he'll take you to McDonalds and then a documentary on how the Hoover Dam was built. If he lays a hand on you, we'll all know. There'll be dusty fingerprints all over you!" he remarked snidely.
I had determined he was Kate's brother from his looks and his comments, so I knew that knocking him on his ass would be a mistake. Still, it hurt too much to laugh, so I decided to try to salvage some pride by just leaving. Then I thought about what my father had told me.
"Kate, will you go out with me?" I repeated.
Kate looked at me, and then at her smirking brother. She took my hand and tugged it.
"Walk a ways with me, Jason. We'd don't need this jackal listening in on our conversation, do we?" she asked rhetorically.
I walked across the lot with her to a small park. She sat on a bench and motioned for me to join her.
"Jason, you've just met my brother, Tim. I love him, but he's snobbish and self-centered. My dad is pretty much the same. Whenever boys, or men now, come to my house to take me out, the two of them really are like jackals. If I agree to go out with you, you'll be ridiculed and insulted by them. No matter who shows up to take out me, or my sister, Pat, they aren't good enough," sighed Kate.
"Ask yourself if you think being with me is worth the misery and torment you'll be experiencing. I'm telling you this because I'd love to go out with you, but I don't want you to take a beating from my family. If you've changed your mind after meeting Tim, and what I just told you about my family, I'll understand," she concluded.
"Would seven o'clock be okay?" I asked.
That was the beginning of a difficult courtship. Her brother and father were as miserable a pair of bastards I had ever encountered. They did everything they could think of to discourage me, but I kept coming back. I was in love with Kate and nothing could dissuade me. We were married just over a year and a half later.
It took a while, but old Joe and even Tim eventually came to accept me. I know that having the two children, Mary and Joey, sure didn't hurt my family standing any. It's funny how the worst son-in-laws can create the best grandkids. Kate's mom, Rose, had been my strongest supporter, right from the start. I never knew why, but I was grateful for her kindness. After 17 years of marriage to her daughter, Rose treated be like a son.
Kate's cousin usually made the fourth in our card games. He couldn't make it this time, so Tim had invited Sean. He was a problem. He had diarrhea of the mouth and an extremely high opinion of his persuasive skills with the ladies. He was Tim's best friend and had even dated Kate a few times before she went to law school. He was a pain in my ass!
"In the six months I've been back in Montrose, I've fucked at least ten different women," bragged Sean. "And seven of those women are married. There's something about banging another guy's wife that really gets the blood pumping."
"It sounds more than a little dangerous, Sean. If you don't get shot first, you could be involved in lawsuits and other legal problems," suggested Don. "As a professional, your reputation could be destroyed."
"No guts, no glory!" laughed Sean. "The 'bad boy' image is good for business. Men fear me. Women know I'm a fucking machine and seek my counsel."
"You could hit on the wrong wife, Sean. She could complain to the old man," insisted Don. "He'd toss your ass out in a second for bothering a married woman."
"Old Joe won't be running the firm much longer," Sean responded easily. "Timmy will be sitting in the big chair pretty soon and he'd never listen to baseless allegations made by some jealous husband, would you, Tim?"
"I'd do my best for you, Sean, but you'd be well advised to not find yourself in that position. My sisters will have a lot of input with decisions regarding the firm," reasoned Tim.
"Well, then I'd just have to fuck them into agreeing, wouldn't I?" chuckled Sean.
I tossed my cards down on the table and stood up.
"I'm through with this game, and this arrogant asshole!" I declared.
"Hey, it's not my fault that you can't satisfy your wife!" Sean shot back. "I just supply a service for wives that need to be fucked properly, and I bet Kate fits in that category."
"You miserable, worthless prick!" I hissed. "If you ever even look at Kate cross-eyed, I'll rip your fucking heart out and shove it up your ass!"
Tim and Don both stood and started talking to me.
"That's just Sean's humor," soothed Tim. "Don't take it personally, Jason. He didn't mean anything by it!"
"The hell I didn't," snarled Sean. "You can't expect a fucking bricklayer to understand women or be able to please them. Women like men of power and influence, men with savoir faire, if he even knows what that means."
"You pompous weasel!" I spat. "I've had my say and you've been warned. Stay away from Kate!"
"Well, I'm not shaking, cement-boy! I've decided to accept your challenge. I'll be fucking your wife within a few weeks," predicted Sean. "She'll forget all about you and your little dick by the time I finish with her."
I started around the table but Tim and Don both jumped in front of me.
"He's just trying to save face," reasoned Don. "Kate wouldn't give him the time of day and you know it. Don't let his mouth and your temper get you into a world of trouble."
"Well, fuck you, too, Don!" yelled Sean. "Just for that, I'm going to fuck Pat, too. I'll show those two cunts how a real man fucks a woman."
Sean was spraying spit as he spoke and his eyes were darting around like some kind of rodent. I now found myself placing a hand on Don's shoulder to restrain him. I wasn't sure Don could handle Sean. Besides, if it was going to head down that road, I wanted the honor of tearing the fucker apart.
"The game is over," declared Tim. "I'm asking both of you, Don and Jason, to please leave. We all need to cool down."
I realized Tim was right. We did need to back off a little. Besides, it was Tim's place. When a man asks me to leave his house, I leave. When I tell a man to leave mine, he damned well better be moving before I finish my sentence. That was a basic belief of mine. A man's house, his castle and all that.
Don and I turned and headed for the door. Don was still muttering and I wasn't feeling much better. That Sean was a miserable prick.
I decided not to mention the whole affair to Kate, at least until things settled down and I could decide on my course of action. Of one thing I was certain. Sean would regret any harm or pain he brought to my family.
Monday evening rolled around and Kate met me at the door with a cold beer and a bunch of questions.
"I hear you left the card game early Saturday night, Jason. Why was that?" fished Kate.
I'm not good at telling lies. I had thought the whole thing over and decided to just tell Kate the truth. She was a smart, capable woman and would keep Sean at bay.
"I left early because Tim asked both Don and me to leave," I replied honestly.
"There's a hell of a lot more to it than that, isn't there, Jason?" Kate insisted. "You threatened Sean. You told him to stay away from me, didn't you?"
"I think of it as a warning, not a threat, Kate. No man tells me he's going to fuck my wife; not while I'm still drawing a breath," I replied calmly.
"I'm sure Sean didn't use those exact words. He told me all about how hostile you were to him. He thinks that you're still jealous because I dated him long before I met you. Tim pretty much agrees with Sean's version," revealed Kate. "You lost your temper and made too much out of an innocent comment, didn't you?"
"For some reason, Tim has his head so far up Sean's ass he can't get enough oxygen to feed his brain. They both seem to think your father's about done with the firm and Tim will be the next O'Malley to rule the business. Sean's going to sit at his right hand; fuck Tim's sisters and anyone else he can get his dick into. That's pretty much the gist of the conversation," I responded.
"Jason, I know that can't be accurate. Pat and I will have a say in any decisions regarding the company and Tim knows it. Sean has to know that as well," reasoned Kate.
"That's why he has to fuck you and Pat into seeing things his way. He seems to believe that once he dips his wick in the O'Malley girls, they'll do his biding just for another chance at his wonderful cock. It looks like your fate is sealed. At least it looks that way to Sean."
"Jason, Tim is my brother and would never condone those words or actions from Sean!" Kate replied indignantly. "You've blown everything all out of proportion. I never knew you to be jealous before."
I reached down and put my hands under Kate's arms and lifted her up to me so her face was very close to mine.
"Kate, I love you more than you'll ever realize. That said, I'll never tolerate any infidelity. Nor will I stand by and allow that asshole to attempt to ruin my family. Make no mistake about that. I can see where you might think Tim and Sean would have more couth than to have said what I told you. I'll give you some slack because Tim's your brother and you love him. Just don't fall for Sean's bullshit," I warned.
"You're such a big strong man, holding a little girl like me up like this. Do you think I'm afraid of you, Jason Henderson?" laughed Kate suddenly. "I know you love me completely and will never hurt me. The kids are at Mom's tonight so I suggest you either put me down or show me why I don't need another man, if you're up to it, that is!"
That's the way it was with Kate. She would drive me crazy and annoy me with all kinds of asinine stuff and then suddenly demand I make love to her. I think it was her way of being certain I would listen to her as well as to keep me mollified. It always worked. I carried her into the bedroom and made her realize I was all the man she could ever need. At least, I thought I did. She reinforced my belief that I couldn't love her any more than I already did. I know that.
As time went on, I noticed that Kate seldom mentioned Sean. That troubled me. She worked with the guy every day. Why didn't she ever talk about him?
I became closer to my brother-in-law, Don, after the blow-up at the card game. He was furious that Sean would imply that Pat would even consider being unfaithful. Sean has really gotten Don's Irish up. Whenever Don and I got together, we'd discuss Sean and what we thought he was doing, and with whom he was doing it. Don told me that he had asked Nancy Wahl, old Joe's secretary, to keep an eye on things and let him know if anything seemed amiss. He even went so far as to tell Nancy why he was so interested in the politics of his wife's work. Don had quickly ascertained that Nancy had no use for Sean Clark and was happy to help.
Thus far, Nancy had seen nothing unusual. The lack of information about Sean Clark's activities simply caused me to worry more, rather than less. Had he suddenly become a choirboy? My gut told me the he couldn't change his stripes that fast or easily. I watched Kate closely and was extremely attentive to her. She seemed to enjoy my attention and I was rewarded for it more than a few times after the lights went out.
The family had planned a big party for Rose and Joe's fiftieth anniversary. All the kids, grandkids, cousins, nieces and nephews and hangers-on were to attend. In Irish families, you never missed a family party without a written excuse from a doctor.
Kate and Pat had been taking care of most of the arrangements, with some help from Tim and his wife Ann. Tim had met Ann when she worked for the firm as a temp one summer. No one ever suggested to Tim that her pedigree wasn't acceptable to the family, as he had done to Don and me when we first started courting his sisters. The fact that Ann's last name was Ryan seemed to go farther in the O'Malley family than Don's last name of Casey. I never could understand why that was.
The party was to be on Friday, July 15th, the very day Joe and Rose had been married, exactly fifty years prior. I noticed that Kate was tense on the Wednesday before the party and it only seemed to get worse as the date of the party grew closer. She spent a lot of time at her parent's house and on the phone, making certain every possible problem was covered. I guess that's why she was such a good lawyer. She worked hard to avoid any surprises in court and it carried over into her everyday life.
It was noon on the Friday of the party when I got a call from Don.
"Jason, Nancy just called. She told me she overheard part of a phone conversation of Sean's. He was telling someone to meet him at The Tuck'Em Inn at 3 PM today," revealed Don. "I don't know where Pat is and if I call her cell she can tell me she's anyplace she wants. Do you know where Kate is?"
"I know she had to run some last minute errands, like pick up the flowers and stuff like that. I'll tell the guys I'm quitting early and swing by the motel before three. I'll let you know what takes place," I promised Don.
"Bullshit!" Don shot back. "I'll be at the corner coffee shop by my office. Pick me up on your way."
The problem was, it wasn't on my way. It was already after two and picking up Don would cost me valuable time. Still, he had kept me in the loop.
"Okay, Don. Just be sure you're there and ready to jump in when I pull up. We don't have any time to waste!" I replied as I hung up and started for my truck.
It was ten to three when I picked Don up in front of the coffee shop. I nodded to him and quickly pulled my truck back into traffic. It was going to be close.
I pulled into a convenience store parking lot adjacent to the motel at one minute before three. I pulled into a space that afforded us a good view of the motel and it's rooms. It was an older business with about twenty units, all facing the parking lot in front of us. I turned the engine off.
"There he is!" exclaimed Don. "The bastard looks pretty happy, doesn't he?"
Sean seemed to be whistling as he strolled up to a room. He swiped the key, entered, and closed the door. Don looked at me as if to ask what we should do. I was considering the situation. Should we barge in on the bastard? What if he was there with a woman other than one of our wives? What if the woman hadn't arrived yet? Don and I hadn't really thought the whole thing out very well.
"I don't want to do anything stupid and wind up in jail, Don," I reasoned. "Let's wait and see who else comes or goes. Chances are the damage, if there is any, has been done by now."
"That's just what I was thinking," agreed Don. "This probably isn't the first time Sean has had a rendezvous with whomever. Man! I sure hope it isn't one of our wives!"
We probably sat there for fifteen minutes with nothing happening. Then Sean stepped out, closed the door and walked back to his car. He sped off while Don and I continued to wait. About five minutes later, the door opened again and a woman stepped out.
"Son of a Bitch!" exclaimed Don as we both watched Kate walk rapidly around the side of the building. My heart was beating so hard it almost deafened me. My life was ruined and we both knew it.
"Jason, let me have Pat talk to Kate, okay?" pleaded Don. "You know she can't really like that asshole! It was just a terrible mistake. I bet she regrets it already!"
"She sure as hell will pretty soon," I growled as I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Don was still trying to calm and placate me when I pulled up in front of his office.
"If the shoe was on the other foot, Don, what the fuck would you do?" I finally demanded as he was exiting the truck.
"It'd be rash and I'd regret it later. I know that," argued Don. "You're smarter than that, Jason. Think of the kids if not yourself."
"Why the hell didn't Kate think of the kids?" I demanded. "I'll take care of this my way!"
I may not have been Irish, but a cold beer always helped me relax, and to think. I pulled into a local watering hole and downed a couple. I couldn't come up with any sort of clever solution to my situation. I realized I wasn't the clever type. I just put my head down and waded in. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, but it was my way.
The importance of Kate in my life was beginning to register. She was more than just a good lay, and she really was good. She was my friend, my purpose in life. I suddenly felt totally alone and adrift. My heart ached like it never had before.
My cell phone rang. It was Kate.
"Jason, where are you? You're supposed to be here at Mom's before this. It's after five and everyone's wondering where you are," she admonished.
I considered telling her to go to hell, but then thought better of it. What better time to let her know that I knew what a whore she was and for her whole damn family to find out, too. That'd give the old bastard, Joe, something to celebrate!
It was too late to change out of my work clothes. Then I decided what the fuck did I care. If working for a living bothered the O'Malleys so much, I might as well piss off the whole fam damnly.
In ten minutes I was walking into the back yard of Kate's parents' property. My jaw was set and my temper was at the boiling point. I had seen Sean's Mercedes parked out front. This was going to be a great party!
"Jason! Let's have a drink! I'm buying," called Don before I could locate Kate or Sean.
It was obvious he was trying to head me off. He was going to try to calm me done and I was having none of it. I ignored him and kept walking around the corner of the house. That was when I ran into Rose.
"Jason! I'm so glad you made it to the party," she beamed. "It wouldn't have been any fun without you."
As she spoke, Rose wrapped her arms around me and I leaned over to give her a kiss. It occurred to me that Rose was one person I didn't ever want to hurt, but the shit was going to hit the fan. When it did, there was no controlling who got splattered.
I looked over Rose's head and spotted Sean by the bar. He was waving his drink around as he told everyone within earshot some bullshit story. I stepped around Rose and headed for Sean.
He saw me coming and my glare must have given him an inkling of what his future held. He placed his drink down on the counter and straightened up as I got close.
"I warned you, you miserable prick," I hissed. "Now it's time to pay the piper."
From nowhere, his right fist shot out and struck my chin. My head snapped back and I heard crunching noises coming from my neck. I shook my head to clear it. Then I just smiled at Sean.
"I guess Kate told you everything!" snarled Sean. "I knew the bitch wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut."
As he spoke he bounced another right off the left side of my face. Everything had gone silent, except for the sound of his fist meeting my flesh. I wasn't exactly the most popular person in the O'Malley clan, but Kate was pretty near the top. Sean had just called Kate a bitch at her family affair. Even as I reached up to rub my cheek, it occurred to me that Sean didn't spend a lot of time around very many real Irish families or he would never have maligned Kate.
Then I grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket and swung him around and against the wall of the nearby tool shed. He hit the building so hard I briefly wondered if it was going to collapse. I propped him up with my left hand and pulled back my right. This fight was about to end!
"Jason!"
It was Kate. She hadn't really yelled so much as she used that tone that she reserves for very serious offenses. Instinctively, I held still with my right fist poised to erase Sean Clark's good looks.
"Kate, I'll deal with you later," I rasped. "Right now I'm kinda busy."
Suddenly Kate stepped in front of me with her head against the arm that still propped up Sean.
"Deal with me later?" she repeated. "I don't know what you think you're saying, Jason, but you'll deal with me right now!"
"This prick just admitted everything, Kate. Not that it mattered," I added. "I saw you leave that goddamn motel today."
Kate flinched like she'd been struck. She raised her chin and looked me in the eye as she spoke.
"If you believe I would ever betray you, for this piece of shit, or for anyone, then you should beat me, too. Go ahead, Tough-guy, I deserve it if I did what you claim! Slap me around!"
I had never seen Kate show so much emotion. Her lip quivered and her voice wavered as she spoke to me. She knew she could cut my heart out with a garden tool and I wouldn't lift a hand against her. Still, I began to feel a nagging doubt.
"If you trust me, love me like I think you do, you'll let him go and allow me to explain. If I mean so little to you that you'd toss me to the curb for something you think might have happened, then go ahead and clobber the jackass. Smack me around while you're at it because any woman that would cheat on a husband as loyal and devoted as you are, Jason, deserves no better," she concluded.
Now I was really between a rock and a hard place. Sean was getting his wind back and beginning to squirm. If I was going to deck him, I needed to get it done. Still, what if Kate hadn't cheated? What if there was some other explanation for her being in that motel?
I looked at Kate and I knew I had no choice. I couldn't give up on her. I couldn't refuse her anything. She still did things to me when she stood so close, even after all these years. I released Sean.
My head snapped back again as he swung a haymaker over Kate's shoulder that connected with my left eye. I'm a pretty rugged guy but that shot made my knees turn rubbery. I heard Kate curse, followed by some meaty thuds. I'd been around enough fights over the years to know what that sound was. I felt Kate's arms wrap around me, helping me keep my feet, as I staggered back. Once again I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't see much out of my left eye, but I didn't need 20/20 vision to see that Tim O'Malley was whipping the living shit out of his former best friend. Don and a couple cousins grabbed Tim and pulled him back from Sean.
Tim was breathing hard and was as red as a man could get. He slid his hands over his face and took a deep breath.
"Guys, show this cowardly bastard the highway and be quick about it! I won't be responsible for my actions if he's still in my sight in ten seconds!" he declared.
Several hands grabbed Sean and half dragged him and half carried him around to the front. Tim put an arm over my shoulder and around Kate's waist and guided us toward the kitchen. There were several people standing inside and looking out the open door.
"Give Kate, Jason, and me a few minutes, would you?" insisted Tim. Everyone quickly filed outside. After they left, Tim closed the door.
"Kate, Ann just told me how you intervened today, before she made a really serious mistake. I'm really pissed at her, but appreciate that she had the nerve to confess. To think I thought that bastard was my friend while he was working to seduce my wife. Thanks, Kate!" croaked Tim as he hugged his sister hard.
I was still groggy from the blows Sean had dealt to my face. I struggled to figure out what was going on. Did Sean fuck Ann, too? What did Kate do?
Tim released Kate and turned to me and offered his hand. Not knowing exactly why, I accepted it and we shook.
"I apologize, Jason, for not considering your opinion and terminating Sean the night of the card game. Don told me that you saw Kate leave the motel today. You couldn't have known that Kate had gone there to read the riot act to Ann, not to sleep with that slime ball," Tim revealed. "Obviously, Ann listened to her and left. I'm guessing Kate stayed to have it out with Sean."
"Pat and I both got the seduction dance from Sean, but we had already discussed his tirade the night Jason and Don left your house, Tim. We had to struggle just to hide our contempt. Then we noticed that he turned his charm toward Ann. When she left early today, I had a bad feeling about it, so I followed her," Kate revealed.
"Ann was long gone when Sean arrived. He and I negotiated his departure from the company. He agreed to announce tomorrow that he'd found a better position in California and to give his two weeks notice. In turn, the firm wasn't going after him for any of a number of ethics violations," admitted Kate. "I didn't know that Jason saw me leave the motel. No wonder he was so enraged at Sean!"
"Aw, shit!" I exclaimed. "I screwed up again, Kate! When will I learn to trust you? I embarrassed you in front of your family," I worried.
"I wouldn't say that!" laughed Kate's mother, Rose, as she stepped into the room, followed by Don, Pat, and my two kids. "Everyone was afraid you were going to kill that miserable shit. If Kate hadn't stopped you, Clark would be looking for his head about now and the cops would be looking for you. Not that you weren't provoked, Jason. I wouldn't want to be in any man's shoes that insulted my Kate in front of you."
"I'm proud of Kate for marrying you. I'm proud of her for stopping you from killing that idiot. I knew you'd lose your mad when Kate stepped into the fray," chuckled Rose. "I always could do that to her father, too. You went all doe-eyed and weak when she got close."
"You weren't worried about me killing Sean, Mom?" quizzed Tim.
"Son, you did what you had to do, but let's face it. You're a lawyer. Your hands aren't really very dangerous. Now look at Jason's hands, chest, and shoulders. Clark was in very real danger for a minute there. You handed him a few bumps but he'll be fine in a couple days."
"What about Jason, Mom?" asked Pat. "His eye is swollen closed and there's a bruise on his cheek. Any suggestions to soothe his swelling?"
Upon hearing Pat's words, I realized my left eye was completely closed and my head was hurting more than a little.
"Kate, take your husband upstairs, get his clothes off and get him in the Jacuzzi. I'll send an ice pack up with one of the kids. Then get your clothes off and show him how much you love him. We'll still be partying when you get back," grinned Rose.
"Mom!" shrieked Pat. "Is that any way to talk to your daughter, in front of her children, no less?"
"Pat, don't act all proper with me," laughed Rose. "These kids, as well as my grown children, may as well know a few of the secrets to being married for fifty years. It sure isn't by withholding love and affection from your husband, especially when he gets bruised defending his family. Get upstairs, Kate, and take care of your man!"
It was just less than an hour later when Kate and I rejoined the party and mingled with the guests. I guess everyone there had heard about Rose's advice for long marriages and kidded Kate and me about making certain that ours would last. Personally, I think Rose hit on a successful formula.
