Jim Woods was smiling as he left the local sports bar with his two brothers-in-law and their cousin. The Bills had just lost to the Chiefs in a very exciting and well-played game. Jim had enjoyed all aspects of the game... the beer, the wings and the caliber of competition.
He had to chuckle to himself at how hard his companions took the loss. They were die-hard Buffalo Bills fans and the loss seem to trigger more than the usual disappointment.
Todd Benton was the older brother of Jim's wife, Marcie. He was still cursing ten minutes after the game had ended, causing Jim to shake his head in amusement. Todd continued to berate the officials, the league and especially the Kansas City quarterback.
As the group approached their car in the back of the parking lot, a man wearing a Kansas City jersey with a big number 15 on it hurried past them. When the man pressed his key fob to unlock his truck door, Todd decided it was a great opportunity to shout profanities at the guy.
"I should rip that fucking jersey off your back. If the refs hadn't been paid off, the Bills would have won that game. Kansas City fans are fucking faggots!"
The man in the red jersey simply laughed at Todd's remarks. "It looks like someone bet on the losing team. If it makes you feel better, those refs don't come cheap. We didn't have enough money to buy a blowout, so we settled for a field goal victory margin. I have to get home now so that I can send another donation to the 'Official NFL Bribe Committee.' Better luck next year."
As he finished speaking, the man turned to open his truck door. That was when Todd hammered him in the side of the head with his fist.
"That fucker will be laughing out of the other side of his face from now on," Todd declared as he rubbed his knuckles.
"Damn it, Todd!" exclaimed his younger brother, Mike. "We barely got out of the parking lot ahead of the police last time. You said you wouldn't pull this shit again."
"He had it coming," Todd asserted. "Everybody knows that the fucking Chiefs pay off the refs. He was making a joke about it.
"What the fuck are you doing, Jim?" Todd demanded as Jim knelt down to examine the unconscious man. "We have to get the hell out of here and pronto."
"Todd's right," Mike's cousin, Pete, stated. "That guy will wake up in a few minutes. He'll be fine, but madder than hell. He'll probably call the cops. Leave him alone and let's get out of here now!"
Jim had dropped down on a knee in an effort to gauge the damage Todd had done with his fist. He felt the man's carotid artery for a pulse and then looked for any bleeding.
"Guys, this man's hurt pretty badly. We can't just leave him here on the freezing cold pavement. We need to keep him warm and call 911. He needs..."
"Fuck what he needs," Todd growled. "Get your ass up and get into the car or we'll leave without you. We can't be here when the cops show up."
"I'm not leaving this man like this," Jim insisted. "He needs medical care. Mike, call 911. Todd, get that blanket out of the back of your car. We need to keep this man as warm as possible until the ambulance arrives."
"Are you deaf, or just stupid?" Todd demanded angrily. "We're not getting involved with this dumb bastard. He got what he deserved. Get in the fucking car. We're leaving now."
Jim couldn't believe that lack of concern Todd exhibited. If the man died, Todd might face manslaughter, or even mur*er charges. It was possible that they all could be found complicit in the man's death.
Jim pointed to his younger brother-in-law. "Mike, call 911. You guys need to grow some balls and help me here. This could get serious real fast. You know we have to help this guy."
"Mike ain't calling shit," declared Todd as he glared at his obviously nervous younger brother. "Mike, get in the fucking car. You too, Pete."
As Jim dug his phone out of his pocket, he heard car doors slam. Todd immediately backed out of his parking spot and almost clipped Jim with his front bumper. The car's tires squealed loudly as Todd floored the accelerator, leaving Jim in a small cloud of burned rubber.
"Holy shit! That guy's nuts," came a voice from nearby. "I'll call 911 and tell them what happened. How bad is that guy hurt?"
Jim looked to his left to see a tall man step around a new looking sedan parked facing the spot where Todd's car had been. The man had his phone in his hand and was already making the call.
Jim removed his coat and placed it over the unconscious man on the pavement. He was more than a little concerned about the blood that appeared to be seeping onto the parking lot from the back of the man's head.
"The dispatcher told me to stay on the line while we wait for the ambulance," the tall man told Jim. "He said it would be about five minutes. We aren't supposed to move the guy because he may have a neck injury or something. Just try to keep him warm and watch for vomiting. It's important that he doesn't aspirate it."
Jim watched over the injured man for what seemed like hours. He finally heard the siren of the ambulance as it approached the parking lot.
"That was pretty quick," stated the man who had summoned the ambulance. "Three minutes is a good response time in this neck of the woods."
Jim was surprised that the ambulance crew knew the man who had called 911. "Hey guys, this man was struck on the side of his head by a sucker punch from a distraught Bills' fan. His head kind of bounced off the macadam when he went down. He hasn't been conscious since."
"Thanks, Greg," replied a member of the ambulance crew as he examined the still unconscious man. "We'll relay that to the doctor on duty."
Jim watched in silent admiration as the crew quickly and professionally treated and back boarded the victim before loading him into the ambulance. Within a few minutes of pulling into the parking lot, the emergency vehicle was back on the road and headed for the local hospital.
"My name's Greg Andrews. I'm a detective with the police department," the stranger revealed as he offered Jim his hand.
Understanding swept over Jim as he shook with the man. "You're with the police? I suppose that you'll have to grill me about this clusterfuck."
"Not tonight," the man Jim now knew as Greg Andrews replied. "I'm off-duty and I had a couple of beers. I'll be a witness on this one.
"Unless I misunderstood what happened here, you need a ride home, which I'll be happy to provide. That was a good thing that you did, especially in the face of strong pressure to bail on that injured man."
"What's going to happen now?" Jim asked nervously. "Will Todd be in trouble?" How about the other guys? What about me?"
"Like I just said, I won't be handling this incident. A lot will depend on how bad the guy was hurt and how pissed he is. If he isn't seriously hurt and doesn't press charges, it won't be too bad."
Jim nodded in understanding. "So, if the guy has brain damage or dies, things will get serious real fast?"
"I think that's a safe assumption," Greg responded. "How about getting in my car and I'll drop you off at home. It's getting cold and I promised my wife I'd be back by midnight. It doesn't look like I'll be keeping that promise."
Jim was quiet most of the ride home. As they pulled into Jim's driveway, he asked, "How come you didn't ask me for names and addresses? It seems like you'd need to know a few things about those guys."
"Jim, I'm a detective. I assure you that we'll be able to work with the information we have and determine who the actors are. I realize that you're not very popular with the other men in your group at the moment. It would be a lot worse if you couldn't deny dropping a dime on them. The truth is that you didn't tell me anything and I didn't ask. You have plausible deniability.
"I don't know how much good that will do you. There would definitely be some hard feelings if you rolled over on them to the police. You acted honorably and I don't want you to suffer unduly for doing the right thing."
Jim had been worried about that exact situation. Todd would assume that Jim reported him to the police and would throw a major tantrum. Todd was the family's fair-haired boy who could do no wrong in their eyes. The fact that he'd had numerous brushes with the law over the years, couldn't hold a job and had two children out of wedlock didn't diminish his position in the Benton family.
Jim undressed and slid into bed next to his sleeping wife, Marcie. He was too worked up over the events of the evening to quickly fall asleep. He lay awake for another hour thinking about his situation and how Marcie and her family would react if the police showed an interest in Todd.
Marcie's family was a fiercely loyal group. It was one of the traits Jim found most appealing in his wife. She was dedicated to family. He believed that dedication would translate into her being a great mother and a faithful wife. The downside to it was that her loyalty was essentially blind. It didn't matter what kind of dumb shit Todd or Mike were involved in; she would support them to the end. If Jim had trouble with Todd and Mike over this incident, Marcie's loyalties could be torn. That was something Jim hoped to avoid, although he didn't think this situation would blow over quickly. Todd had seen to that with his senseless act of violence.
Marcie's father had always treated Jim with a certain amount of disdain. Jim was just under six foot in height and weighed in at 180 pounds. Todd, Mike and their father, Jerry, all stood well over six foot and tipped the scales at 230 or better.
When Jim started dating Marcie seriously, Jerry Benton had put in a good word for him with a local electrical company. That helped Jim get the job. He had recently celebrated his second wedding anniversary and his third year of employment with Smith Electric.
Jim felt he could earn more if he signed on with a larger company from the next town over, but he worried that it would cause the Benton family to think he didn't appreciate their efforts in helping him secure his job. For that reason, he remained with Smith.
He and Marcie lived rent-free in a small cottage Jerry Benton had inherited from an uncle. This allowed them to save a substantial share of their income for a down payment on a home of their own. Jim often told Marcie how much he appreciated her family's generosity.
The only fly in the ointment was the dismissive way Jerry and his sons treated Jim. They seemed to think that Jim was lucky to have married into their family. Jim felt that he wasn't shown the respect he had earned as Marcie's husband and a family member.
Jim left for work before Marcie woke up for her teaching job, so he didn't have the chance to tell her about the dumbass move her brother had made the previous evening.
"Todd told me that you got all mad while watching that stupid football game and clocked some random Kansas City fan," Marcie practically snarled as he entered their home after work that afternoon. "What's wrong with you, Jim? You could have put our future in jeopardy. Were you that drunk? I didn't think you even liked the Bills."
Jim was stunned by Marcie's allegations. "I never hit anyone. That was your big brother Todd who felt the need to sucker punch a guy cheering for the Bills. You can ask Mike or Pete."
"I spoke to all three of them this morning after you left for work," Marcie revealed. "They all said the same thing. They were concerned that you might have lied to the police and that you would try to blame one of them for your drunken actions."
Jim was reeling as he listened to Marcie recite her family's version of the events at the sports bar. The three of them had sobered up and were now worried about police involvement. That fear prompted them to toss him under the bus. They had no idea that there had been a very reliable witness to the entire debacle. They thought that all they had to do was agree on a story and stick to it.
"Do you believe that bullshit story of your brother's? Think about the ramifications of what you're about to say," Jim cautioned.
"They all had the same story, Jim. They're my brothers and my cousin. I've known them all of my life. How could I not believe them?"
"You just answered your own question," Jim declared. "You've known them for your entire life. How many times have they been caught lying to you and your parents? How can you believe them over me?"
"They just want what's best for you, and for me. You've never been in trouble. They have and you know it. The courts would go easy on you while my brothers would get much stricter sentences if they took the fall for you. With the three of them testifying that you threw the punch, it'll be a slam dunk. You know that they can't lie for you when they're under oath in court. They're giving you a chance to confess and get out of this mess with as little pain as possible."
"Marcie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your brother, Mike, is an asshole. Your other asshole brother, Todd, is a sociopath. He's completely fucked up. He doesn't care about anyone or anything. I bet he used to torture animals as a kid."
"Now you're lashing out in an attempt to save yourself. This isn't your finest moment, Jim. Dad said you wouldn't listen to reason. He's going to be here in a few minutes to speak with you. I just hope he can help you see the light," Marcie stated.
"This should be interesting," Jim replied. "The entire Benson family is of one mind. I should take the fall for that pathetic piece of shit brother of yours. It's not going to happen, Marcie."
"Jim, why are you being so stubborn? I'm just asking you to do the right thing. You've always been the one to say that there's no substitute for the truth."
"There you go. You're making my point again. I tell people they should tell the truth. Todd has never uttered those words. I have no criminal history, not even a speeding ticket. Todd's been in several incidents which eventually led to his arrest. Who the fuck do you think might be lying here?"
By this time Jim had come to the painful conclusion that his wife was as willing to toss his ass under the bus as the rest of her family. Two years of marriage hadn't convinced her that he was honest and law abiding. Over twenty years with her sociopath brother hadn't convinced her that he was a lying piece of shit.
Jim was suddenly feeling old and weary, although he was in his mid-twenties. Marcie's decision to back her brother's bullshit story hurt more than he would have guessed. Her loyalty to her family didn't appear to extend to him. He was her husband, but still an apparent outsider.
Suddenly, Marcie's father, Jerry, stepped through the front doorway. He glared at Jim for a minute before speaking.
"I'm here to get this mess straightened out," he stated. "Jim, you're going to tell the police that you hit that guy because he was spouting off about the Bills. You had too much to drink and lost your temper, but you're sorry it happened and you want to apologize for lying in your police report."
Jim's temper flared immediately. Marci's father believed that Jim had ratted on Todd. In Jerry's misguided mind, Jim had created the problem and needed to take the fall. He didn't even ask Jim for his version of the events that led to the situation the family now faced. Jerry was convinced that Jim had spoken to the police. That was more damning to Jerry than the fact that Todd had sucker punched a random KC fan.
"No, you miserable old bastard. You're going to get the fuck out of my house. You're going to go home and get that sick fucker you raised to the police station as soon as possible," retorted Jim. "Now shut the fuck up and get the hell out."
Jim was furious at Marcie's family. He wasn't certain if they believed Todd, or if they were simply trying to save him serious jail time, even if it was at Jim's expense.
Jerry gave Jim a slow, wicked smile. "This is my house, you ungrateful little prick. You live here because I allow it, but I've changed my mind. I want you to get your ass out now."
"You'd throw your daughter out just to get to me?" Jim asked in amazement. "What kind of father are you?"
"Marcie can stay," Jerry replied. "You have to leave. I'll allow you back in after you admit to the police that you're the one who tagged that asshole in the parking lot."
Once again, Jim found himself stunned almost speechless. "Marcie, would you stay here if your father throws me out? Would you do that to us?"
"It's just temporary, Jim. Dad said you could come back once you do the right thing. If you do it now, you'll be sleeping here with me tonight," Marcie responded with a weak smile.
"Aren't you forgetting about little incidentals, like jail, lawyers, courts, time wasted, and my reputation? Does all of that mean so little to you?" Jim asked softly.
"You know I love you, Jim. I just want you to do right by my family. Why is that so hard for you to understand?" Marcie asked.
"I guess it's just like how you can't understand that Todd's a fucking sociopath and your father's a complete asshole," Jim stated. "I guess I need to go find a place to stay. Have a great life, Marcie."
"I should mention that I spoke to Ben," Jerry informed Jim. "He wants you to take some time off work. He said that once you get your legal problems solved, you can go back."
Ben was Jim's Boss. Jim had been hired on his father-in-law's recommendation. Jerry and Ben had been friends since grade school.
"You fucked up my marriage, my home and my job?" Jim asked in disbelief. "If this weren't happening to me, I'd never believe it was possible. Jerry, you really are a piece of shit. You're very willing to ruin your daughter's marriage in an attempt to keep your dumb fuck son from going to jail.
"The irony is that he deserves to be in jail. Hell, he needs to be in jail. Prison is the ideal environment for that deranged fucker," Jim declared before turning and walking out the door.
Jim checked into a cheap hotel for the night. He was up early, had a hearty breakfast and waited for his bank to open. He was the first customer of the day. He withdrew exactly half of all the funds he and Marcie had managed to save and opened an account in his name at a bank across the street.
Then he made the drive to Bridgetown. By noon, he had a new job which paid more than the one he left at Smith. He was pleased to learn that in his two years working for Smith Electrical he had gained a reputation for doing a job professionally and right the first time. Jim's father had always told him that people with skill and the willingness to work will always be able to find a job. Jim now realized how true his father's words were.
Jim spent the afternoon buying enough work clothes to last him a few days. He was surprised and delighted when he was asked to report to work the next day, so he rented a room in another cheap hotel located closer to his new job. Jim's new boss had explained that they were behind on several jobs. Jim was going to be busy. He was told that he'd be able to work as many hours as he could manage, within reason.
Jim had turned his phone off when he left the house after Jerry and Marcie had tried to threaten and cajole him into taking the rap for good old Todd. As he sat on his motel bed, he went through the large number of voice mails and texts recently stored on his cell.
Jim ignored and deleted Marcie's messages. He saved one from his former boss at Smith Electrical telling him that he was laid off indefinitely. The one message that surprised Jim was from Beth Schuler. She was Marci's maternal aunt.
Jim called her back immediately. Of all of Marcie's relatives, Beth was the only one Jim actually enjoyed.
"Jim, thanks for calling," Beth began. "Things are certainly stirred up in the Benson abode today. Todd, Mike and Pete were all asked to stop in at the police station. Of course, Jerry got them lawyered up before they went in this afternoon."
"I'm surprised it took this long," Jim admitted. "I thought the cops would have dragged Todd in the next morning after he pasted that poor guy. How's the guy doing? Have you heard?"
"He sustained a concussion and had a nasty gash on the back of his head, but he's going to recover," Beth replied. "You failed to mention to Todd, Jerry or even Marcie that there was a witness to the incident in the parking lot. Why is that?"
"The only questions I was ever asked were what in hell was wrong with me and why would I sucker punch the guy," Jim answered. "I was accused and convicted by Marcie and Jerry without any preamble. I told them that Todd was a sociopath, but they're in denial."
"Their lawyer thought that he'd make his case about how the witness was in the bar watching the game so he was probably drunk and unfit to testify. The video shut the lawyer up really quick."
"There was a video?" Jim asked. "Who took that?"
"It turns out that the officer at the bar had a new car that had a dash cam. He had it wired so it could work with a motion detector even when the car wasn't running. The entire fracas took place right in front of that car. It was all on video," Beth stated.
"How did you find all of this out?" Jim asked. "You seem to be in the loop on this."
"Marcie's mother is disgusted with the entire situation," Beth revealed. "She and I are the only two members of the family who knew you couldn't have done what Todd tried to sell us. I'm very disappointed in my niece, Marcie, but pretty happy that my sister, Connie, was able to separate fact from fiction on this one.
"I told her years ago that I didn't think Jerry had what it took to be a good husband and father when she married him, but you know how that goes. When a relative advises a girl to avoid a boy, the girl always has to prove everyone wrong."
"Thanks for the support, Beth. I appreciate it. I was bitterly disappointed in Marcie, too. She chose to believe a violent and proven liar over me," Jim said.
"In retrospect, it worked out pretty well when Jerry decided to ruin my marriage, my living arrangements and my job. I have a better paying job with Bridgetown Electric. I'll start looking for a place to live this weekend. Once I get a divorce, I'll be looking for Marcie's replacement."
"Jim, you know that I still live in Chester. That's only about ten minutes from Bridgetown. Would you consider moving into that big apartment over my garage? I'd feel a lot safer if I had a trustworthy man on the property. I could also use someone handy to make some repairs and improvements."
"Are you serious, Beth?" Jim asked. "I just told you that I'm going to divorce your niece. Your nephew is in some serious trouble and he'll probably blame me. Your brother-in-law is a contemptible asshole in my opinion. You don't want to be in the area the next time I run into either of those two."
"Jim, I've been telling Jerry and Connie that Todd was a sick puppy for years. I thought they'd have him committed after what he did to my cat years ago, but they insisted it was just a childish prank that went a bit too far. I know what Todd is. I have no illusions regarding him."
"What about my divorcing Marcie? Are you going to be all over my case for that? I know you love her to pieces, but her disrespect and downright contempt for me have made it impossible to stay married to her."
"I don't want to interfere in any way with your marriage, or your divorce," Beth replied. "I do wish she had played her cards differently. You're a fine man. You were a good husband. She's the one who failed that relationship.
"Can you come by tomorrow and at least look at the apartment. It's going to need paint and elbow grease, but that's never bothered you."
Jim quickly accepted. "If you're willing to risk Jerry and Todd getting royally pissed at you, I'll take you up on that offer."
The next afternoon found Jim checking Beth's spare apartment. It was going to require drywall and paint, along with furniture, but he liked how close it was to his new job.
"If you're still serious about me living here, I'll take it," Jim declared to a smiling Beth.
"That's great, Jim. I'll let you stay the first six month's rent free for fixing the place up. It'll take a lot of work, but I know that you'll do a good job with it."
As Beth was speaking to Jim, a car pulled into the driveway. Jim was quite surprised to see that it was Marcie's car. Jim had to admit to himself that Marcie was a beautiful woman even while wearing her school teacher clothes. He was reminded why and how he had fallen in love with her.
Marcie trotted up to Jim and threw her arms around his neck. "Jim, I missed you so much. Mom convinced Dad to let you back into the house. You can come home now!"
"How did you know that I was here, Marcie? I didn't tell anyone I was coming here." Jim was looking directly at Beth with suspicion as he asked Marcie the question.
"I used that locate a phone app we downloaded last year. It showed me exactly where you were."
"I'm going to move into your aunt Beth's apartment. Would you like to live here with me? I'm going to fix it up so it'll be a lot better than the cottage of your father's. We'll be paying Beth rent so no one will be able to toss us out."
Jim mentally kicked his own ass for asking Marcie if she wanted to move in with him. He had hoped to hear her version of the situation along with a sincere apology for the things she had both said and failed to say, before getting back together with her. It was just that he loved her so much he struggled to hold her hurtful words and deeds against her.
"I don't think Dad would want us to move in with Aunt Beth," Marcie replied. "He's never gotten along with her very well. It would look like we were choosing her over Dad. He promised that he won't tell you to move out again."
Jim looked at Marcie like she had two heads. "How can you even think that I'd move back into Jerry's house. He'd just throw my ass out the next time he got pissed about something. His promises don't mean a damn thing. I'd have to be an idiot to give him leverage over my life again."
"He'd never throw you out once we started having babies. He'll want to be teaching them how to play baseball, football and basketball. That's how Todd got so good at sports," Marcie stated.
Jim smiled at the thought of being a father, but found himself uncomfortable with the possibility of Jerry having any influence on his children. Jim realized that he didn't like the thought of it. He was quite certain that Jerry wasn't fit to be around kids and especially not around his kids. Then Marcie administered the killing blow. "Todd could show our boys a lot about sports, too."
"Marcie, you do realize that Todd hates me, right? You should also know that I'd never let Todd be around my kids for any reason. To be honest, I'm not sold on our kids being exposed to your father. I have no respect for him. He's a bully and he's the one who made Todd into the asshole he is today.
"Todd's in legal trouble and could wind up in prison. I don't think we should subject our children to his obvious character flaws, to put it mildly."
"Dad's lawyer took care of that problem. Dad gave that guy Todd smacked some money to forget the whole thing. Todd just has to do a hundred hours of public service. It's all settled."
"Seriously?" Jim asked in disbelief. "All your father had to do was spend some money and the problem was solved? He didn't have to ruin my marriage, my job and my living conditions? What an asshole!"
Just as Jim finished speaking, he saw Todd's car pull up next to the curb. Jim swung his attention back to Marcie with an angry glare.
"I told Todd where you were," Marcie admitted. "He said that he wanted to settle any differences the two of you have. He's my brother and part of our family."
"Therein lies the problem," Jim muttered as he turned back to face Todd as he approached.
"Hey, Jim," greeted Todd as he came to a stop in front of Jim. "I just wanted to clear the air between us. We're family and need to get along."
Todd stopped talking and suddenly turned his attention to Marcie. He acted startled at something she was doing. Jim could barely repress his grin, knowing full well what Todd was planning. As Jim took a step backward Todd's fist flashed past his face, missing him by several inches.
Jim quickly moved toward Todd and hammered him in the kidney area with a left thrown as hard as he was able. Todd gasped in pain. Jim's right hand delivered a similar blow. Todd dropped to the sidewalk and Jim grinned even more when Todd cried like a little bitch.
"You're so predictable, Todd. I saw how you sucker punched that guy in the parking lot. I was expecting it, which sort of ruins the effect, doesn't it? You're a chickenshit punk. If I ever see you anywhere near me again, I'll have to assume that you mean me harm. You won't like my response to that perceived threat, believe me."
Marcie had gone to her knees to tend to her brother. "You didn't have to hit him. He never even touched you, Jim. Why are you like this?"
Jim felt as if fog had just lifted from his head and he was able to see clearly. "Marcie, we're through. I'll be fair in the divorce, but we're done.
"I'm finally seeing things as they are. You have as many issues as the rest of your family. I don't want any kids of mine to inherit those personality disorders and I certainly don't want them subjected to the kind of crazy that's in your family."
Two years later, Jim was thinking about his brief marriage and whirlwind divorce while visiting his new girlfriend. Marcie had agreed to the divorce with a simple split of assets. Jim had been told by Beth that Jerry had insisted Marcie get the divorce so she could find a man who would be more in line with her family's traditions and values. That objective made Jim chuckle whenever he thought about it.
Jim was now dating a dark-haired woman with an athletic build. Heather wasn't as physically attractive as Marcie, but she had an inner beauty Jim found irresistible.
He was washing up in the restroom at her family's house when he overheard Heather talking to her two brothers in the back yard. "Jim's the guy for me and I don't want you two to screw it up. He had a bad experience with his first wife's family. That will not be happen here. Do you both understand me?"
"Sis, we like Jim. We see how he looks at you. As long as he treats you right, we'll get along great," Heather's older brother replied. "He's going to show me how to wire our nursery before the baby's born. Audrey has been after me to get it done and Jim overheard her last week. He offered his services and Audrey accepted immediately. She thinks you hit the mother lode with that guy."
"Other than the fact that she married you, Audrey's a very good judge of character," Heather replied with a big smile. "Jim's an honest, hardworking man like my dad and my brothers. He seems to think I'm pretty acceptable. Mom and Dad like him, too."
Jim had a big grin on his face as he went out to join Heather and her family. He had never considered how important, and telling, a woman's relationship with her family was until after he had foolishly married Marcie. He now realized it was a huge consideration. A woman raised in a family where she was valued and respected was far more likely to make a faithful, dedicated wife and mother. Jim wrapped his arms around a surprised Heather and hugged her to his chest as she squealed in delight.
