Kathleen noticed that the only other people at the table for breakfast were her mom and dad, aunt and uncle and Tom and Regina.

"When are all the other guests arriving?" she asked as she sat down and Aaden sat beside her.

"This afternoon before dinner." Charles replied taking a sip of coffee. Aaden looked around wondering where breakfast was when a maid walked in the room pushing a cart of food. She sat a plate full of bacon, eggs and grapefruit down in front of each person and then walked back out.

"Kathy, dear, that is hardly an appropriate outfit you are wearing." Dorothy said looking over her cup of tea.

"Breakfast looks good this morning." Kathleen said trying to turn to topic away from her clothes.

"It's hardly proper to wear a hat in the house." Charles added, glaring at Aaden. Aaden quickly took the hat off and set it in his lap.

"Sorry sir." he said with a nod. Charles went back to eating his meal. The meal was nearly silent and Aaden couldn't believe how much different this was then meals at his parents house. When all the family sat down to eat there it was all laughter and talking and fighting over the last biscuit…. He was very relieved when Charles finally pushed his plate away and stood up.

"Well everyone, the workers just finished last week putting the finishing touches on my golf course and I would like us all to go and play a round." he said. Aaden's eyes widened as he realized just how screwed he was…. Why couldn't rich people just go out and shoot at pop cans like normal people.. He knew how to do that.

"That sounds like fun." Tom said grinning smugly at the lost expression on Aaden's face. Tom would show this stupid redneck what happened when you stole his wife….

"Aaden are you familiar with the game?" Tom asked. Aaden nodded.

"Of course. What kind of man doesn't know how to play golf." he replied with a smile.

888

The golf course was only about a mile away from the house so everyone paired up on Golf carts and followed Charles down the road. Once they were alone behind her aunt and uncle Kathleen turned to Aaden

"Do you really know how to play golf?" she asked. He shook his head and shrugged.

"Does putt putt with my nephew count?" he asked. Kathleen smiled.

"Why don't we just go back to the house.. You don't have to play golf." she said. She didn't tell him that she was no good at the game either and knew that her family was probably already laughing at the thought of her trying to play again.

"Heck no. I'll figure it out." Aaden reassured her. He had seen the way Tom had looked at him that morning. That damn short ass midget wasn't going to scare him off.

Kathleen nodded and dropped the subject. They made small talk the rest of the way and Kathleen was surprised by how often he was able to make her laugh. She had never laughed much before but then again looking back on her life she had never had much reason too… Now with Aaden in her life everything seemed to look a whole lot better.

They pulled up in front of a tiny building and Charles led them inside.

"Everyone pick out a set of clubs and some balls and then we'll get started." he said. Aaden couldn't tell the difference between one set of clubs and another so he just grabbed a set and a bag of balls and carried them out to the golf cart. Kathleen sat her clubs in as well and a bag of bright pink balls.

"Bright enough?" Aaden asked her pointing at them. She glared over at her mother who was laughing.

"Yes well Kathleen's ball ends up everywhere except where it's supposed to be… We've learned it's best to let her use the brightest balls so that she can find them."

"Too bad they haven't invented golf balls with flashing neon lights on them… That is what she really needs." Tom said with a chuckle. Aaden looked over at Kathleen who was muttering under her breath as she climbed back in the golf cart.

"I'll be right back." Aaden said to everyone. He grabbed the bag of white balls he had chosen and took them back in the building. He came back out carrying a bag of neon green balls that were even brighter then the pink ones that Kathleen had.

"Now we'll both be able to find our balls." he said giving Kathleen a wink. Charles, Tom and Lawrence chuckled and then everyone got onto their carts and drove to the first hole.

Aaden and Kathleen stood in the back and let everyone else go before them. Kathleen noticed that Regina wasn't golfing, instead she seemed to be there just to be Tom's own personal cheerleader.

Tom strutted up to the tee. Aaden looked at him and shook his head. He was wearing yellow plaid pants and a white v-neck sweater. His black hair was full of grease and slicked back on his head… His face was smooth and hair free. Aaden raised a hand to his own jaw which hadn't been that smooth since he'd hit puberty. He looked over at Kathleen.

"You were married to that guy?" he asked with amusement. She slapped his arm.

"I was nineteen when we got married… He seemed like a good way to get the heck out of my parents house… I was stupid." she said. Aaden shook his head.

"No you were just young…" Then he looked over at Tom was wiggling his butt like a ballerina while lining up his shot. "Ok so maybe you were a little dumb but not stupid." Kathleen laughed lightly and without thinking about what she was doing leaned into Aaden's shoulder.

His arm automatically went around her and pulled her closer. Tom hit the ball and sent it flying more than halfway down the fairway.

"Great shot, Tom!" Charles congratulated him. Tom didn't hear him though he was too busy glaring over at his Kathleen leaning into that stupid redneck.

"It's your turn, Kathy." he said matter-of-factly. Kathleen blew out a breath and grabbed a club and a ball from the golf cart.

"Good luck." Aaden whispered to her. She was too nervous to smile though and she walked over and set her ball on the tee. Taking Kathleen golfing was a favorite past time in her family… Kathleen was the single most uncoordinated person any of them knew and they had a blast watching her try to hit the ball in a straight line.

She could hear Tom saying something behind her and she heard Regina giggle. Kathleen was mid swing when that giggle reached her ears and she lost concentration and missed the ball completely.

"Haha!" Dorothy said loudly. "Seems she hasn't gotten any better!"

"Oh yes she has dear.. She only missed it by one foot that time." Charles replied with a chuckle.

"Laugh it up you guys." Kathleen said as she set up and took another swing. This one missed as well and sent a clump of mud and grass flying through the air. Kathleen heard the laughter grow louder and felt tears of shame and embarrassment filling her eyes.

"Kathleen, never was good at anything physical…. I learned that while we were married." Tom said to Regina. Regina giggled and Kathleen felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks. Just when she knew she was going to completely break down she felt two strong arms wrap around her and a solid body pressed up against her back.

"I'm here, Kathleen. I'm not laughing." Aaden whispered in her ear. She could feel her blood pumping hotter and faster at the feel of him up against her. And she could feel her heart filling with love and gratitude as he stuck up for her. No one else had ever done that.

"What are you doing, Aaden?" Charles asked stepping forward. Aaden glanced over at Tom.

"I figure maybe the reason she's not very good at physical things like….uh.. Golf.. Is because she ain't never had a good teacher." he said matter -of-factly. Tom's face flashed five different shades of red and he took a step forward.

"Oh and I suppose you think you're the one that can teach her how to.. How to…. How to play golf?" No one needed to ask whether or not Aaden and Tom were really talking about golf. They knew that they weren't.

Kathleen didn't know what to say or do… She had never been in a situation quite like this before. Aaden put his arms and hand over hers and gripped the club. Their bodies were so close together that Kathleen could feel every inch of him pressed against her.

"Work with me love. We'll show them how this is done." Aaden whispered so only she could hear. She felt her heart stop beating when he called her love. He guided her arms and the club up in the air and then swung it down. It made contact with the ball which flew straight and true down the fairway landing a good ten feet further than Tom's ball had made it.

"Yea, I reckon I'm just the kind of teacher she needs." Aaden said to Tom as he moved away from Kathleen.

"Thank you." Kathleen whispered to him. He grinned at her and then grabbed his own club and ball off the ground.

"My turn." he said. Kathleen could practically see the smoke pouring from Toms ears but he kept his mouth shut. Probably just as well seeing as how Aaden was a foot taller and probably close to a hundred pounds heavier.

Aaden hit the ball and it flew straight down the fairway landing beside of Kathleen's.

"I thought you couldn't play golf." she said as they climbed back into their golf cart and drove down to the balls. He shrugged.

"I'm a quick learner and I like any game where I get to knock the crap out something with a big metal stick." Kathleen just laughed.

The rest of the game went well and they soon found themselves at the ninth and final hole. Everyone had taken their shots other than Kathleen and Aaden. Kathleen put her ball on the tee and took her stance. She was about to swing when she looked over at Aaden and felt her blood boil red hot and angry.

Regina in her skimpy tight sweater with her boobs all but falling out was leaning up against Aaden and laughing. She kept running her hand down his arm. Kathleen gave Aaden credit because he did seem to be trying desperately to get away from her. Doing everything short of just taking off running.

No one else was paying any attention to her or to Aaden and Regina. Her father, uncle and Tom had wandered off toward the tree line deep in conversation about the current drought and her mother and aunt were busy drowning themselves in thermos's that she was sure didn't just have water in them.

Regina pressed herself up against Aaden's side and he jumped back but she just kept at him. She rubbed her big fake plastic breasts against his arm and suddenly Kathleen had seen enough. She quickly covered the short distance between her and Regina, grabbed the woman by her curly brunette pony tail and ripped her away from Aaden.

Regina screamed and held her hands up in front of her as Kathleen stalked toward her with her golf club raised high.

"What is the matter with you, you damn slut! Tom isn't enough for you so now you have to try to get this one too? I will kick your skinny little ass if you ever so much as look in my mans direction again do you understand me? Get your gold digging conniving backside back over to your man and stay the hell away from Aaden." Regina looked scared to death and Kathleen seemed to realize where she was and what she had just done. She looked around and saw everyone's eyes on her. Tom was running to them from the tree line.

"What do you think you're doing, Kathleen!" he demanded taking the club from her. "How do you like it when I swing it around at you?" He never got a chance to even lift the club above his head before a much bigger and stronger arm grabbed the club and jerked it away from him.

"I'll just go put this away." Aaden said. He wrapped an arm around Kathleen's shoulders and led her back over to their golf cart.

"What was that about?" he whispered to her. She had a shocked expression on her face and just shook her head.

"I'm really not sure. I have never done anything like that before. I just saw her over there all over you and I just snapped…."

"You called me your man you know." Aaden said. Kathleen closed her eyes and covered her face with her hand.

"I'm sorry." she said. He moved her hand away from her face and kissed her fingers lightly.

"I'm not." he replied. She looked up at him unsure of what to say and suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder turning her around.

She looked into Tom's eyes and could see his rage. He had always been a mean, angry violent man but usually his future plans of politics kept him from lashing out…Looking at him now she was sure that he was going to hit her.

"You need to be taught a lesson in obedience." Tom said. Kathleen looked around but her mother and father and aunt and uncle had already gone.. They were probably so angered by her behavior they had decided to go back home.

"Tom I….."

"Hush, Kathleen." Aaden snapped from behind her. Tom's eyes looked up at him. "You don't owe this man any apologies or explanations. He ain't nothing" Kathleen looked up at Aaden and wondered where the easy going man had gone. Aaden suddenly looked like a whole lot of pissed off man.

"You…" Tom started but Aaden took a step forward and cut him off. Regina was cowering over on the other golf cart far from the confrontation.

"You gonna teach me a lesson in obedience?" Aaden asked crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at Tom. Tom swallowed hard but didn't back down.

"Maybe I will you stupid redneck! You think you can just come a long and steal a man's wife and he's just going to forgive and forget?" Tom demanded.

"I didn't steal nothing from you." Aaden replied. "You lost her all on your own." Tom stared hard at Aaden for a minute and then puffed his chest out.

"I'm not afraid to fight you… I know karate.. You are nothing more then a ignorant backwoods redneck hick hoping to sink his teeth into a woman with money." Tom spat. Kathleen's eyes widened. She prayed that Aaden wouldn't hit Tom… She looked up at him and was shocked to see that he was smiling. Aaden chuckled.

"Don't you think you're a little small to be calling me names?" he asked Tom. Tom's face turned a brand new shade of red that Kathleen had never seen before.

"How dare you!" he practically screamed. Aaden laughed loudly and put his arm around Kathleen.

"Let's go back to the house ,Kathleen. I think the Chihuahua has had about enough for today." Kathleen let Aaden help her onto the golf cart and as they drove away she looked over at him and broke down into fits of laughter.

"You are something else!" she said as she tried to catch her breath. He was smiling broadly and looked over at her.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"I had no idea a persons face could turn as many shades of red as his turned. I thought for sure you were going to hit him there at the end."

"Naw.. I don't like to fight." Aaden replied. "But I aint scared to bleed neither so lets just hope he takes a hint and backs the hell off." She nodded. "What about you though, Tiger Woods.. Would you have really hit her with that golf club?" Kathleen shrugged.

"I don't know.. Maybe." she said with a smile.

"Does it still upset you that she took Tom from you?" he asked looking straight ahead. She couldn't see his face clearly and he kept his voice blank. She wondered why he was asking her this.

"She didn't take Tom away from me. I gave him to her. I divorced him remember? It wasn't the other way around" She saw him smile and wondered why he cared so much.

"So you attacked her because of me then… Thought she was gonna steal me away?"

"She can't steal something that doesn't belong to me…. I don't know why I acted that way. You're a good friend though for not giving in to her charms out there." Aaden gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. He knew he should just tell her that he loved her… Tell her that he hadn't been interested for a single second in anything that brunette slut had offered him. Tell her that oh yes he sure did belong to her.

But before he could say any of these things they pulled up to the house and Kathleen jumped out.