An excerpt from Closer To Home Chapter 18:
Badass Bane Shaw: On Leaving A Church Service
After the service, Shaw was listening to sweet little Mrs. Eileen and her mostly deaf husband, Mr. Harold, when he eyeballed Bronagh chatting with Martin. Martin leaned in and kissed Bronagh’s cheek. Martin was Shaw’s height, six foot, well dressed, and a nice looking man. Shaw watched Bronagh shake her head, disagreeing with Martin, as he stroked both of her arms with his hands. Martin turned and glared at Shaw. He looked at Martin long enough to let him know that he saw his glare, before turning his attention back to Mrs. Eileen.
Bronagh had mentioned her plans for a spring garden to Mrs. Eileen, and the sweet old lady insisted on giving Shaw some gardening tips. Shaw slipped her hand over his arm and turned her frail frame slightly so that he had a straight line of sight to Bronagh. He nodded politely and asked the appropriate questions, but he continued to watch Bronagh with Martin. Martin’s face was red. Bronagh’s body language suggested Martin was trying to convince her of something she thought impossible. She shook her head again and started to walk away. Martin grabbed her arm and she stopped and listened to him impatiently. Martin paused and glared at Shaw again before continuing to talk to Bronagh. She finally pulled away and walked directly to Shaw. He said goodbye to Mrs. Eileen and Mr. Harold, promising he would give them an update on the garden plans.
“Are you OK, darlin’?”
“Fine.”
After years of experience with hot-tempered women, Shaw had learned when a woman said “fine,” with a hard “f,” it meant nothing was truly fine, and it was wise to tread carefully in the quest to figure out what was really wrong. He’d also learned ignoring the hard “fine” was worse than exploring the problem. Men are stupid that way. They never learn. He knew this because he was incapable of learning much about women and their moods. Shaw finally learned about the hard “fine” after years of hearing it from different women, and because it was usually directed at him.
He watched Bronagh exit the church and spotted Martin making his way toward him. Shaw lingered until Martin was next to him matching his slow gait.
“She told me she’s in love with you,” Martin said.
Shaw nodded.
“She says you are good to her.”
“I try to be,” he answered.
“You’d better be,” he warned.
Shaw looked at Martin hard.
“I’m in love with her,” Martin said.
“I’m not surprised,” he said.
“Do you love her?”
Shaw shook his head in frustration. “What do you want from me, man?”
Shaw saw Marsh rise from his motorcycle seat. He’d been watching Martin and Shaw. Then, he saw Bronagh look at Marsh. She stopped half way to her car and looked back to see Martin and Shaw talking.
“I want you to give her up,” Martin said.
“That’s not happening.”
“I can give her more than you. We grew up together. We are alike. I know what she needs. I am what she needs,” he said.
“Then it’s too bad that she’s in love with me.”
Martin shook his head. “How long have you been seeing Bronagh?”
“A little more than two years.”
“I see the way you look at her. You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?”
Shaw stopped walking and looked at Martin. “I don’t know you, man. Is that any of your business?”
“I think you just answered my question. She comes to church here and sits through these sermons when the whole time she’s living in sin, with you?”
“Oh, absolutely!”
Shaw could see rage in his eyes, which is exactly the reaction he wanted.
“Unbelievable! My precious, Bronagh is having an affair,” Martin said, in a cavalier tone.
Shaw started to walk away, but he turned back to Martin.
“She’s not your Bronagh. And she’s not my wife, not yet. She makes her own choices and she always will. Something for you to think on, Martin, when she is my wife, you won’t put your hands on her like you did today. And to answer your question about my love for Bronagh? I’d kill for her. So, do you really think I give a
**** about your self-righteous judgment?
Martin was indignant. “Self-righteous?”
Shaw stood a little closer and let Martin study his black eyes. “I see the way you look at her, too. You’re the one festering on the lust in your heart, friend. I’ll paraphrase it for you: ‘Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery.’ Sin is sin, friend. Look it up Marty, it’s in one of the Gospels.” He started to walk away for the second time, but he couldn’t resist tuning-up this prick, just a little more. “Something else that might help you out. Talk to The Almighty about it, Martin. Trust me, it helps. I call out God’s name every time Bronagh rides my big dick!”
He turned and walked to Bronagh, put his arm around her neck and they walked the rest of the way to her car. He looked back at Martin as he opened the passenger door for Bronagh. Martin had taken notice of Marsh, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of Martin. Shaw walked to the driver’s side of the Cadillac and got in, as Marsh started his bike and revved the engine for good measure.
“What was that about?” Bronagh asked.
“Nothing much.” he said.
“You OK?”
“Fine.”
“Fine? Fine? Really?” Bronagh said.
“Yeah,” he said. “Marty and I just needed to clear the air.”
“Is it cleared?”
“Oh, yeah. Crystal clear,” he said with a smile and pulled out of the parking lot wondering why women couldn’t resolve the hard “fine” that easily.
Continue Reading: http://www.amazon.com/Closer-Home-Book-Crime-Drama-ebook/dp/B0157G0J8Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452605875&sr=8-2&keywords=closer+to+home 4.5 STARS
