That Thursday Kathleen and Christy made the long drive to Lexington to go dress shopping for the wedding. Aaden and Craig had ridden together in Craig's truck to work since Aaden's had refused to start that morning. They were heading back to Aaden's house after a long day at the mill and when they pulled in the driveway they saw that the women were still gone but there was a shiny black Mercedes Benz sitting in the driveway.

"Who the hell is that?" Craig asked as he turned off his truck and pointed at the man standing on the porch wearing a suit and tie with a huge bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Tom." Aaden replied.

"Kathleen's ex? What the hell is he doing here?" Craig demanded. Aaden wondered the same thing. The man had a hell of a lot of nerve showing up at his house. Aaden didn't say anything as he and Craig stepped out of the truck and walked up to the porch.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aaden demanded. Tom was clearly nervous but Aaden had to give the man some credit when he didn't back down.

"I'm looking for Kathleen." he replied sticking his nose in the air as if he smelled something bad… Aaden was about to comment on that before he realized that he and Craig had just put in nine hours at the sawmill and probably were smelling pretty nasty. Then again maybe Tom's nose was in the air because both Aaden and Craig towered over him in height.

"I'll go get started looking at your truck." Craig said and walked back down to the driveway.

"She ain't here." Aaden replied to Tom. "She's gone with Christy buying a dress for our wedding." He walked into the house and turned and glared at Tom when he followed him inside.

Tom looked around the kitchen and living room and his eyes fell on the ten point buck on the wall. Aaden followed his gaze.

"Yea I shot him." he said matter-of-factly. "With a gun. The gun is in the closet. Wanna see it?" he asked as he slammed his lunch bucket down on the ground. Tom shook his head and looked back at Aaden.

"No that's quite alright. So Kathleen has been living here has she?" he asked looking around. Aaden could tell Tom wasn't too impressed with his house and Aaden felt like knocking that smirky little grin right off his perfectly groomed face.

"Yea she's been living here. We're getting married in about two weeks.. Ya oughta come." Aaden said crossing his arms over his chest.

"No thank-you." Tom replied. Aaden looked at Tom and the flowers in his hand and felt the onset of fear.

"Just what are you doing here?" he demanded. Tom walked over and sat down in a chair at the kitchen table.

"I need to talk to Kathleen." he replied laying the roses on the table.

"Those flowers for her?" Aaden asked leaning against the wall with his arms still folded over his chest. Tom nodded. Aaden shook his head.

"Man, you got a lot of nerve coming to man's house with a bouquet of flowers for his woman." he said his voice as hard as stone. "Especially when that man has already knocked your damn teeth down your throat once."

"I have yet to understand why you act like I am the bad guy. You are the one that stole a man's wife away and yet you act like I am in the wrong."

"Are you kidding me?" Aaden demanded. Kathleen and Christy walked to the open door but Tom and Aaden didn't notice them. They watched the confrontation. Tom was sitting at the table in a high dollar suit and tie, his hair perfectly styled on his head and a smug superior look on his face.

Aaden on the other hand was wearing a pair of blue work pants, a ripped up Budweiser t-shirt and mud and dust covered work boots. His brown hair was an unruly mess and his face was covered in dirt, dust and stubble. Kathleen wished no one else was here because most days she loved making love to him when he was fresh in from work .. She found his ruggedness to be the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.

But right now she was in shock.. What the hell was Tom doing here with a bouquet of roses? And exactly how much longer would it take before Aaden who looked ready to kill jumped from the wall and ripped Tom's head clean off?

"No I am not kidding you." Tom said his voice remaining arrogant and calm. "My wife and I were going through a difficult time and you took advantage of that." Despite the anger on his face Aaden chuckled and shook his head.

"You sure are a dense one." he said. Kathleen saw Toms face flash red and knew Aaden was breaking through his arrogant façade.

"Excuse me?" Tom demanded.

"There ain't no damn excuse for you, you son of a bitch. You think I don't know what kind of fucking man you were to her? Why don't we both be men here and cut through the damn bullshit? You were a lying, cheating abusive bastard and you kept Kathleen under your damn control by making her feel like she was worthless or some damn shit like that. I have had enough of your arrogant ass. I'm usually a pretty easy going guy but I've had enough of your smart ass remarks and your damn accusations! I didn't steal your wife from you. You lost her all on your own without any help from me. You treated her like she was trash and I was smart enough to see what you couldn't." Aaden's voice sounded calm but Kathleen could hear the anger in it. Tom didn't hide his anger as well as Aaden. He jumped from the chair his face turning ten different shades of red and he started at Aaden with his finger pointed up at his face.

"I won't put up with some uneducated redneck talking like that to me. You're lucky I didn't have you thrown in jail when you punched me at Kathleen's parents house. You think you know Kathleen but you don't. She is attracted to you now because she thinks that you are something new and different from what she is used to but pretty soon that will wear off. She has always had the finer things in life and will want them back. You can't give those to her can you, Aaden? I can." Tom was standing a foot from Aaden now with his finger pointed up at his face. Aaden still had his arms crossed over his chest and wore the same calm look on his face.

Only the intensity in his eyes showed the depth of his anger.

"Are you attached to that finger friend?" he asked calmly. "Coz you're fixing to lose it if you don't get it the hell out of my face." Kathleen decided to interrupt before this situation could turn violent. She knew that Aaden would kill Tom and as far as she was concerned Tom just wasn't worth it.

"What's going on here?" she asked walking into the kitchen with Christy on her heels. Aaden and Tom both looked over at her. Aaden's expression and posture didn't change but Tom quickly replaced the anger on his face with a look of affection as he picked the flowers up off the table and walked over to her.

"I brought these for you." he said quickly. Kathleen took the flowers and without looking at either Aaden or Tom she threw the two hundred dollar bouquet out the open door.

"Thank you." she said. She walked over to the kitchen table and laid her dress bag down on it before going to the cupboard and grabbing the old cast iron skillet that mamaw had given her earlier in the week. She started peeling some potatoes to fry and Tom looked at her with shock and wondered what had gotten into her. He had been married to the woman for nine years and had never seen her act this way. Christy sat down at the kitchen table. She looked around at everyone in the kitchen and realized that the tension in the room could have been cut with a knife.

"Do you think we could have some privacy?" Tom asked glaring over at Aaden. Aaden's control broke then. He started across the room toward Tom, his face reddening.

"You got some damned nerve you son of a bitch! To come into my damned house, bringing flowers for my damned woman and then tell me to leave? How bout I throw your damned hoity toity ass out in the dirt and we see how much fucking nerve you've got then?"

Kathleen quickly ran around the counter and stepped between the two men putting her hands on Aaden's chest and looking up at him. Again he was surprised by how much control she had over him with just a simple touch.

"Aaden, it will be ok. Why don't you go on out and help Craig with your truck and I'll worry about Tom?" she asked gently. Aaden shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him." he replied.

"She's not alone because if that prick thinks I'm leaving the room he's crazy. I've seen the results of his temper on her too many times." Christy said from her seat at the table. Tom mumbled something under his breath.

"See… what if he tries something?" Aaden asked running a finger over her scarred cheek. Kathleen smiled and covered her hand with his.

"I'm not that helpless woman he remembers. Thanks to watching UFC with you the last few weeks I know a thing or two." she said with a teasing smile. "And I know how to shoot a gun now." she added. Aaden couldn't help but smile at her. Christy and Tom both noticed how they looked at each other.

It was as if everyone else in the room disappeared while they looked into each others eyes.

"You ain't gonna….. I mean if he… You won't leave…." Aaden couldn't seem to get the words out through the fear in his chest. Kathleen felt her heart break just a tiny bit at Aaden's doubts. She didn't know how he could think that she would leave him. She had never given him any reason to doubt her love for him. She raised on her toes and kissed him gently.

"Go on outside Aaden. This won't take long. I love you." she said. Aaden glared over Kathleen's head at Tom and Tom swallowed hard at the look in Aaden's eyes. Without another word to anyone Aaden turned and stormed out of the house. He made sure to ground his boot into the roses on the porch. When he got to his truck he punched the quarter panel with an angry fist denting the metal. Craig raised his eyebrow at his friend.

"You ok?" he asked. Aaden shook his throbbing hand and nodded.

"Just fine." he replied.

888

"Tom, what exactly do you want?" Kathleen asked walking back around the counter and going back to cutting up potatoes for dinner. Tom cleared his throat and walked around to stand next to her.

"I want my wife back." Tom replied gently. Kathleen snorted and gave an extra hard chop to a potato.

"You lost her a long time ago." she replied. "That woman doesn't exist anymore."

"Kathy…." Kathleen cut him off when she whirled at him waving the knife in his face while she yelled.

"I have always hated being called Kathy! My name is Kathleen dammit!" Tom felt his temper rising but pushed it back down. If he lost his temper with her then he would never win her back. He nodded and took a step away.

"Kathleen, I love you. You are the one and only woman for me. We have nine years of history…."

"Bringing up the worst nine years of my life is probably not the best way for you to get your message across." she spat. She saw his face redden and though she kept her face blank she was smiling inside.

"I understand why you are angry with me. I was not a good husband to you. I made a lot of mistakes but Kathy… I mean Kathleen.. I have learned from them. Life without you is cold and empty. I did not realize how lucky I was when I had you before but if you would please come back to me, my love, I promise I will never take you for granted again." He paused and pulled a ring box from his pocket. He opened it and Kathleen couldn't help but gasp.

It was the biggest ring she had ever seen. A gold band with a giant emerald set in the center and surrounded by diamonds. She looked into his brown eyes and shook her head.

"What are you thinking?" she demanded. "You beat me. You controlled me. You insulted me. You cheated on me. What makes you think I would come back to you?"

"Because I can give you things that Aaden cannot. I am willing to forgive your mistakes of the past few weeks. I know that there is no way Aaden can give you the kind of life that you are accustomed to, Kathleen. I can take care of you. Please forget about this nonsense affair you've been having and come back to me."

"Give me a break." Christy snorted from the table. Tom turned and glared at her.

"Shut up you. This is none of your business. You are nothing but trash." he shouted. Kathleen didn't know exactly what came over her at that moment. Years of his mental and physical abuse topped with him calling her relationship with Aaden a nonsense affair that he was willing to forgive caused her to snap. She grabbed the old cast iron skillet and Tom turned just in time to see it swing through the air and crash into his head. Potatoes went flying across the room as he fell unconscious to the ground.

Kathleen stood over him with the skillet looking down at his helpless body and felt more powerful than she'd ever felt in her life. Christy jumped up from the table at the sight of Tom's body on the floor. His chest was rising and falling but he was out cold.

Christy ran to the front door and saw Aaden and Craig both under the hood of Aaden's truck.

"You guys better get in here! We have a problem!" she shouted. Aaden and Craig were in the house in seconds and standing over Tom.

"What happened?" Aaden demanded softly. Kathleen seemed to come out of her daze then and she calmly laid the skillet on the counter. Craig looked around at the potatoes covering the floor and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm not sure." Kathleen replied to Aaden. "I just snapped."

"Is he dead?" Aaden asked. Christy shook her head.

"No.. Just knocked out." she replied. Craig pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

"Should we call your cousin Billy just in case?" he asked. Kathleen looked over at Aaden.

"Why call Billy?" she asked. Aaden grinned.

"Billy is… uh.. .talented… at hiding things from certain members of law enforcement." he said.

"Like bodies." Craig added. Panic gripped Kathleen.

"Oh my god! Is he going to die! Did I kill him?" she demanded. Aaden shook his head and pulled her into his arms.

"No baby. He'll be alright. Mamaw's skillet has busted quite a few heads." He assured her rubbing his own head and remembering the one time he had back talked his mamaw as a teenager.

Just then Tom groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He sat up and brought his hand to his head as if checking for blood.

"You crazy bitch." he moaned at Kathleen.

"You better watch your mouth friend. Remember what that word got you last time?" Aaden demanded cracking his knuckles. Tom grabbed the counter and pulled himself up. He looked at Kathleen and she could see the red hot anger in his eyes.

"You can forget about my offer." he said matter-of-factly. She pulled out of Aaden's arms and picked the fallen ring box up off the floor. Aaden and Craig both whistled when they saw the ring.

"Damn." Aaden said simply. Kathleen held the ring up and let the sunshine coming through the window shine off the emerald and diamonds.

"Give that back to me." Tom said still holding onto the counter and hoping his head would stop spinning soon. Kathleen shook her head.

"Give me that damn ring. You don't deserve it. It will look better on Regina then it ever would have looked on your fat ass finger." Kathleen smiled and walked over to the front door.

"What are you doing?' Tom demanded. Kathleen raised her hand and let the ring and box fly. Everyone was silent and they heard it splash in the river on the other side of the dirt road. Tom yelled in rage and started across the room toward her but Aaden grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks without a word.

"Damn Aaden. She must really love you because that was one hell of a ring." Craig said matter-of-factly.

"It's time for you to leave, Tom." Kathleen said moving away from the door and motioning for him to leave through it.

"That was a one hundred and fifty thousand dollar ring!" Tom said angrily. Kathleen shrugged.

"Well then maybe you oughta take a swim and see if you can find it." she replied. "Now leave my house. I think I have made it clear that despite what you think Aaden is the only man I want to be with. You think he is a mistake but I love him with all my heart and as far as I'm concerned you are the biggest mistake of my life and I just thank God everyday that you are no longer a part of it!"

Tom looked down at Aaden's hand still gripping his upper arm and then up at Aaden. Aaden's eyes held obvious threat.

"You better just walk out that door and drive on down the road. Make one wrong move around my woman and I will have to give my cousin Billy a call because you'll be a dead man." Tom swallowed hard and though he was pissed he knew when to back down. He nodded and Aaden released his arm. Tom walked out of the house without another glance at anyone and climbed in his Mercedes. He wanted to find that damn ring but there was no way he was going to give these rednecks the pleasure of watching him wade around in the river in his suit and tie. He started the car and drove away without looking back.

"Remind me never to piss you off when you're cooking dinner." Aaden said pulling Kathleen into his arms. Kathleen smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. Craig and Christy walked toward the door.

"We'll go on out and look at that truck.. Give you all some privacy for a minute." Craig said and the two of them walked out the door.

"I'm sorry that I thought you would.. You know… leave.." Aaden said. Kathleen smiled.

"I love you Aaden. It hurt me to know that you didn't know how much I loved you." she said matter-of-factly.

"I guess I just still feel like I'm gonna wake up one morning and find out I've been dreaming all this time. I don't know what I did to deserve a woman like you and I don't know what I would do if you were gone." Kathleen laid her hand on his cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere, Aaden. Ever. You're kind of stuck with me." she replied. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Kathleen's eyes widened.

"I know we're already engaged but I wanted to give you something to make to make it feel more official." he said opening the box. Kathleen stared at the thin gold band and the small diamond that glittered in the sunlight through the window.

"I know it don't seem like much compared to that damn rock the short guy had but…" Kathleen smiled up at him her eyes full of tears.

"It's so much better than that ring was." she said. He gave her a look that told her he thought she was lying.

"I'm serious." she assured him. "This ring is beautiful. It's simple and perfect just like you. Just like us."

"You think we're simple?" he asked wondering if that was a good or bad thing. She nodded.

"Yes. No fancy house. No fancy clothes. No fancy cars. None of that ridiculous life I left behind. It's just you and I living simply. And I am happier than I have ever been in my life." she said. Aaden pulled the ring from the box and took her left hand.

"You sure you still want to marry me?" he asked. She smiled and nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. He cleared his throat trying to get rid of the lump he was feeling in it and slid the ring onto her finger.

"I love you." he said wiping away her tear with his thumb.

"I love you too, Aaden. Forever."