Chapter 9

The next morning Sean was still in healing sleep (I may have put him there initially but I think Eimile kept him there) and Bran was in temporary exile with one of the married cousins. The men folk were grudgingly allowed to reenter their homes and had come in from the fields for lunch. Most of us were eating with Coln and Mary when a car pulled up outside.

"Visitor," Mac called out from the front room. Coln walked out and the rest of us followed.

"Oh, bloody hell," he growled when he looked out the front window. "It's Tom." We all looked at Niamh who just stood there serenely.

"Ah expected this," she said. "Ah didn't expect him to be overjoyed at being separated from his dole. Ah'll go out and talk to 'im."

"Do you want me with you?" I asked.

"You're sweet," she said running a palm down my cheek. "But ah have to do this meself."

"I'll be on the porch if you need me." She just smiled and walked out the door. The rest of us followed but stayed back letting her go down to meet him near the driveway. Tom Callahan was all smiles and had a big bunch of flowers in one hand. He opened his arms wide and tried to kiss her but she put one hand against his chest and pushed him away.

"This is all just a mistake, my love," we heard him say. We couldn't hear what Niamh replied but whatever it didn't sit too well with him. First he tried pleading then when that didn't work he started yelling about how it was all her fault. Finally he started getting angry and I felt myself tensing. Leanne must have felt it too because she took her arm out of mine and placed her hand in the small of my back. Niamh didn't yell, she didn't scream but what she said must have finally set him off because he threw the flowers down and really started shouting.

"There's another man!" he screamed. "Is that it? You've been sleeping around on me, you slut!" With that he slapped her hard across the face and she tumbled to the ground. I don't even remember leaving the porch.

Leanne told us later Coln started coming behind me when Mary reached up and grabbed his ear.

"Stay right here, Coln Geallaigh!" she ordered him. "Her man will take care of 'er."

"Her man is beating 'er!" Coln grimaced trying to pull away.

"No, the man that use to be her husband just beat 'er," Mary said sharply. "And 'e won't be doing that long. Her man is running to protect her. Get yer boys ready. There'll be another mess to clean up soon."

Of course I didn't hear any of this. I was running as fast as I could and wondering if I should just pull down and shoot the motherfucker. I decided not to but it was a close call. Tom saw me coming, grinned and had just enough time to get into a fighter's stance. He took a roundhouse swing at me that I ducked and the rest is, as they say, history.

Tom Callahan may have been a brawler but he wasn't worth a shit as a fighter. As his swing flew over my head I kept it going with a little push. Two rabbit punches to the kidney and the side of my boot to the back of the knee and he was down on his knees holding his back and yowling in pain. I moved around in front of him and I'll be damned if he didn't try to stand up.

Never! I repeat, never! Hit a man in the face with your fist. It may make you feel better but I'm betting not enough to cover the pain of a broken hand. Besides a forearm works even better and you can put a lot of power behind it if you know what you're doing. One smash and he was toppling over like a felled oak. He lay there dead to the world flat on his back with his legs from the knees down doubled under him. He was out of the picture so I ignored him from then on and rushed over to Niamh.

"Are you all right?" I asked breathlessly as I pulled her hand away from her face. I felt like going back and doing an Eimile on his ribs when I saw the welt he had put there and the cut lip. She looked at me kind of dreamily and then wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me one hell of a kiss.

"Ah love ya," she sighed when she finally pulled back.

"I love you too," I said. "But we need to get something on that."

"Plenty of time," she replied smiling. Taking my hand she walked over to her unconscious husband and looked down in disappointment.

"Damn. Ah really wanted 'im to hear this," she said. "Ah wish ya could hear this, Tom. This is the man ah've slept with, many times, but we haven't made love, yet. If ah ever see ya again ah'll have 'im beat ya till ya haven't a whole bone in yer bloody body." With that she turned and still holding my hand walked back towards the house. About halfway back I had to drop Niamh's hand when I was hit by a little tornado. At a dead run Leanne jumped and wrapped her arms around my neck and legs around my waist and didn't seem inclined to release either of them. Reaching out she barely touched Niamh's bruised cheek with one finger causing Niamh to wince.

"Come along, luv, we need to get that taken care of," she said her head resting on my shoulder. Niamh glanced back at her husband still lying in the drive; he was just beginning to emit some pitiful moans. "Let someone else take out the rubbish," Leanne said firmly. Seeing that both hands were unnecessary to hold my little tumor I grabbed Niamh's hand again and pulled her gently towards the house.

"God Almighty!" Finn whistled as he, Seamas and Coln looked down at Tom Callahan with James Mac Giolla Phadraig standing behind them with an amused expressing on his face. "Is 'e always going to be leaving 'is mess behind fer us to clean up? Ouch!" he yelped as Seamas smacked him lightly in the back of the head.

"Watch yer tone, boy," Seamas said casually. "Yer speaking of yer new cousin there and 'es not a good man to get riled, it would appear. So, Coln, call fer the medical or cart 'im in ourselves?" he asked cocking his head.

"Don't fancy the drive meself," Coln frowned and spit barely missing his soon to be ex-son-in-law's boot; he frowned this time in disappointment.

"Medical it is," Seamas nodded. "Might bring the Gardi, ya know."

"Then they can lock the wanker up after fixin 'im, now can't they?"

"Might," Seamas nodded. "Course they might have an issue with the Yank putting 'imself in a squabble between a man and 'is wife."

"They do, then they'll have an issue with me," Coln replied ominously. "Nobody strikes me daughter like that."

"Doubt it'll happen," Seamas chuckled. "Saw a number of the young ones taking pictures on their comps. It'll show clear enough this blackguard struck Niamh without provocation and Martin intervened on her behalf. Ah'll make the call."

"Already on the way, sir," Mac spoke up behind them for the first time.

"He's a quick one isn't 'e Mr. Mac?" Finn asked looking back towards the house.

"In war there's the quick and the dead, me boyo," Mac snorted. "The major's alive. Enough said."

"So, Coln, what ya think of the three of them," Seamas asked cheerfully as they heard the sirens of the rescue squad in the distance.

"Ah don't know what to think," Coln replied glancing at Finn.

"Ach, the boy's twenty years old," Seamas scoffed. "If 'e or any of the others don't see it, they're blind in both eyes."

"Ah'm thinking ah going to stay out of it. That's what ah'm thinking," Coln snorted looking down at the body laying at their feet. "What about yerself? Yer Leanne is the one announcing they're betrothed."

"Ah'm thinking ya have the better part of it and staying out as much as possible," his brother chuckled. "Leanne can take care of 'erself and she didn't appear to be overly concerned with the kiss or the hand holding. Ah'm thinking they'll work it out themselves"

"It's all very strange," Coln sighed.

"Aye," Seamas added still chuckling.

Someone had called the medics which was okay by me. I didn't think I'd broken the fucker's neck but then I have to admit I didn't really give a shit one way or the other. When we got back to the house we were immediately surrounded by a whole throng of the Geallaigh women and hustled directly inside. Niamh was given a cold compress and a couple of pain meds. It was going to look ugly for a few days but they had some things that would reduce the swelling and speed up the healing.

I was bombarded by questions and comments from at least half a dozen female cousins and wives of cousins while the mothers took care of Niamh. They buzzed around like butterflies and I was beginning to get a bit dizzy when Leanne, having detached herself when we came through the door, started to shoo them off, or at least push them back a little. Eimile and Shauna pushed themselves through the crowd and stood beside me with Leanne until Eimile looked down at the sleeve of my shirt.

"Ach, ya've done it again, Martin Leforge!" she scolded shaking her head. "Ya've got blood all over yer shirt! Do ya think we've got nothing better to do than clean up after ya? Off with it! Off with it!"

"I don't really need..." I whined and Leanne gave me the evil eye and shook her finger in my face saying, "Now!" All three of them stripped me to the waist in seconds flat while giggling. I'm sure I turned red when I heard the expected gasps and "Oohs." You'd think they'd never seen scars before. Maybe it was the pistol holstered at my hip come to think about it. I'd been wearing my shirt out to cover it; not that it was a secret or anything but visible hardware has a tendency to make some people nervous so I usually kept it covered when I could. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that.

I was pushed down into a chair while this pack of females circled me like chocolate had just been outlawed and I was the last piece left on earth. It was actually a bit disconcerting. I looked up at Leanne who was standing next to me with her hand on my shoulder and she looked back down at me with the biggest smirk I had ever seen. I had no idea what in the hell was going on. Luckily Shauna and Eimile followed by Betty came out of the kitchen with my still damp shirt.

"Out of here, you trollops! Give the man some air." Betty announced shooing away the giggling gaggle. "And you," she zeroed in on her daughter, "are old enough to know better. Do your bragging some other time."

Bragging? Now I was totally lost.

"Ah don't know what ya mean, ma," Leanne answered so innocently butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"You and your two henchmen here," she muttered. "Poor lad hasn't an idea at all." I was about to ask what in the hell was going on when Coln knocked on the door and asked to come in. Yeah that was strange since it was his door and his house. He said the police were outside and needed to talk to me and Niamh. I started to get up but Leanne and Eimile none to gently shoved me back down while Shauna ran back to get Niamh.

"They can come in here and talk to him," Leanne said. It wasn't a recommendation or a request, it was a take it or leave. I felt movement behind me and looked back to see Niamh and her mother standing behind me. Niamh held the compress against her face with one hand while the fingers of her other hand lightly rested on the back of my neck.

Two people in the uniform of the Irish police entered with Coln and Seamas; one was an older gentleman and the other a younger, although by no means young, woman. I got the feeling she was the more competent of the two. Her eyes took in my gun, my scars, the two woman with their hands on my shoulders, Niamh's hand on the back of my neck and the compress over her cheek; all in that order without a single change in expression.

"You would be Mrs. Callahan, would you?" the man asked Niamh. "And you are Martin Leforge?" looking down at me. We both answered yes.

"We understand you had a disagreement with yer husband, Mrs Callahan and this gentleman interfered with it," he glanced down at me. He must have just noticed my pistol because he instinctively took a half step back.

"Ah prefer, Ms Geallaigh," Niamh answered coolly. "Ah am divorcing that parasitic, cheating son-of-a-bitch. He received the notice yesterday and today 'e came to try to convince me otherwise. When ah refused 'e struck me. Martin," her hand now stroked the back of my head, "prevented 'im from doing so again."

"Mr. Leforge, ah assume you have a permit fer that weapon," he asked nervously.

"He's our bodyguard! Of course 'e does," Leanne said dangerously.

"It's in the system, Jim," the female officer spoke for the first time. "The two tall, lanky lads we passed are also permitted. You have two others around here that are also permitted to carry if ah'm not mistaken, Mr. Leforge?"

"I have two others on this detail but they're not here right now," I replied and she nodded.

"Are you stating yer husband struck you without provocation?" she asked Niamh before the male officer could start up again.

"No physical provocation," Niamh smiled. "Ah told 'im ah was throwing 'is cheating ass to the curb and draining 'is soup bowl dry. Told 'im 'e could go back to 'is little sluts and never darken me doorway again. He gave me this as a good-by gift," she said lowering the compress showing them her bruised cheek.

"Do you wish to swear a complaint against him?" the woman asked her eyes tightening when she saw the bruise.

"No," Niamh answered putting the compress back. "But ah do want a protective order against 'im."

"Protection fer you or fer him," the officer chuckled lightly.

"So ah don't have to be hit again before me bodyguard can stop 'im," Niamh replied coolly.

"Is he that stupid, then?" the officer asked with raised eyebrows.

"As a box of rocks," Niamh confirmed with a snort.

"Well then," the female office nodded. "We've seen the recording of the incident and yer injury. The actions taken by Mr. Leforge appear to be justified and reasonable if not judiciously restrained. You'll not swear a complaint against Mr. Callahan but ah've noted your application fer a protective order.

"Ah can see no further reason fer us to be here bothering these folk," she concluded.

"Restrained? But a man is heading to hospital!" the male officer protested. "And this Yank put 'em there fer having a wee argument with 'is wife."

"You hit yer wife when you have a wee argument, Jim?" the woman suddenly looked angry. "Ah think not or ah'd be in ma dress blues attending yer funeral. Ah'm certain of it. Mr. Leforge could have just as easily shot the bastard and be done with it, or do you think that's a toy he be carrying on his hip? Do you think he couldn't? You think those scars his women are showing us came from playing too much cricket as a lad? Don't be daft, Jim! You take this man before the magistrate with what we have here and he's more likely to lock us up. As it is we may be ordered to force a complaint against Callahan our ownselves given what we've seen. Ah assume, Ms Geallaigh, there's a reason you don't want to swear against him?"

"We'll be back on tour in a week or so," Niamh answered calmly. "We've no need fer court to muck about with the schedule. Ah just want 'im gone."

"We'll note that to the magistrate and the chief," she nodded. "Maybe they'll feel he's had his punishment enough. We'll let you know if it turns out differently." The woman winked at me and smirked at the girls before pushing her still-muttering partner out the door.

"Ah think she was flirting with ya," Leanne giggled as she sat down on one of my knees.

"Naw, it was the gun," I shook my head. "Guns have a tendency to make women in uniform get this fuzzy feeling in their stomachs," I teased.

"Is that a gun in yer pocket or are ya just happy to see us?" Shauna cooed and planted herself on my other knee. "It's giving me this fluttery feeling in me tummy and ah'm not even in uniform." She rested her head on my shoulder and batted her eyes up at me.

"My Lord, have all the females in this family gone mad?" Mary exclaimed in exasperation. "You'd think it was breeding season at the sheep station. Get off of that man, ya wenches! Give 'im back 'is shirt and get on with yer selves!" she ordered as Shauna and Eimile laughed and scampered into the kitchen.

"And you," she frowned at Leanne. "Ya should be ashamed of yerself."

"Oh, ah am," Leanne nodded solemnly. "Terrible ashamed."

"Ach," Mary sighed and muttered something under her breath.

"You've known her since we came here and she was a wee one," Betty laughed at Mary. "Did you really expect better?"

"She always been more circumspect, at least," Mary protested.

"True, but now she's claimed her man and she doesn't care." Betty shook her head in amusement.

"Mama, ah'd never willing bring shame down on Martin," Leanne protested and scrunched back against me as if looking for protection.

"We know, sweet one," Mary smiled. "But these last couple of days have been trying ones fer us older folk."

"Aunt Mary, yer not old," Leanne scoffed.

"Sure and you'd be a perfect lady at all times," Mary laughed and then looked at me. "How are ya, lad?"

"Me?" I asked surprised. "I'm fine, never better. Confused as hell but fine."

"The natural state fer a male," Mary chuckled. "At least we can be sure our boys won't be trying any of their roughhouse tricks to test yer mettle. We may not have the brightest lads on the isle but they aren't that stupid. Now you," she looked at Niamh, "ya need some rest and if ya can spare me the time ah'd like us to have a talk later on."