“Paddy?  What time do you think we should leave?”

“We’re fifteen minutes from the Brat Bar.  Did you tell Louisa when we would arrive, pet?”

“No, but she said the gang was usually all there by five-fifteen; kids and all.”

“Great.  Let’s go for five-thirty.  Give them a few minutes to settle in and order.  Maybe five-forty-five would be better,” I suggested.

“I like five-forty-five.  Then we’re pretty sure they’re all settled in.”  I like the way Lucia thinks.

Five-forty-five on the dot, we walked into the Brat Bar.  Louisa noticed us right away and tapped Carl on his shoulder.  He was working the grill, so he waved as Louisa approached us.

“Hey, you two.  It’s so good to meet you.  Paddy, I’ve heard about your sixty-yard field goal a hundred times if I’ve heard it once.  And you, you must be Lucia.  You’re a very pretty girl, nice going, Paddy. 

"Go in there and shock the hell outta them.  I’ve been waiting for this.”

We followed Louisa to the room the gang was in.  Lucia and I stepped into the room.

“OKAY, BOYS, YA TAKE YOUR KNEE!” I said with pride.  I was on me knee, and Lucia was on me right with her hand on me shoulder.

The guys stood up, then knelt on the floor.

“For St. Ignatius and for Father Fitzgibbons.”

We stood up, and me mates surrounded me.  Hugs and handshakes were everywhere.  Finally, I had the chance to introduce Lucia.

“Lucia, me bride.  These are the best damn mates a guy could have.  I’d trust any of them with your life.”

They all hugged Lucia and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.  Now the rest of the introductions began. 

It started with Andrew saying, “I’d know that brogue in the middle of the train station in Dublin during rush hour. Damn, I’ve missed ya.”

They moved the chairs around so we sat at the head of the table.  We were talking over each other when Louisa and Carl came into the room.

“Okay, settle down.  Carl and I have a little something for your reunion.  Ready, Carl?”

“You bet.”  He smiled.

Louisa set the glasses around, and Carl popped the champagne.  Everybody cheered as the golden bubbly filled the glasses.  When everyone was served, Carl and Louisa left, leaving a bottle and a half of champagne for us.

Tommy tapped his glass, and we all stopped talking.

“I think since Andrew knew Paddy the longest, I think he should toast.”  Everybody cheered and clapped.

Andrew stood up and held his glass.  “To a guy who was always there, and a better friend you could never find.  To our mate, Patrick Michael O’Flynn.”

Everyone shouted, “Hear, hear,” stood, and clapped.

“And to his wife, Lucia.  We welcome you to our family with open arms.”  More applause and cheers.

Things settled down.  Louisa came in for our orders and patted Lucia on her shoulder.

“Are you going to tell the story of Paddy’s sixty-yard field goal again?” Louisa said a little sarcastically.

Mark T. spoke up.  “No, not tonight.  Tonight, I want to tell MY favorite story about your husband.”  More cheers.

“In the game against Cleveland for the State championship, there was a time when Paddy punted the ball away.  As usual, it was headed for the stratosphere and the two-yard line.  Their punt returner started up the middle of the field, and their defense held us. 

"We couldn’t  get out to stop the one guy who had the ball.  He was running up the sideline.  The only one between the two-hundred-sixty-pound running back and a goal was Paddy.  The kicker is not the biggest guy on the team; at the time, Paddy was about one ninety at best.

"Well, Paddy put his head down and charged this refrigerator on legs.  Paddy put his shoulder into the guy's midsection, and the ball came loose.  That started a rugby match for the ball in midfield, which we recovered.

"After the play, Cleveland’s trainers went to see about their running back, who was still on the ground, five or six yards back from where Paddy made contact.  Everybody was cheering.

"Now, Paddy was walking up the sideline back to the bench.  The look on his face- well, you didn’t want to cross him at the time.  As he was walking past Father Fitzgibbons’s, Paddy mumbled, 'Ya ain’t fucking scoring on my punt, ya bastard.'"  Everyone at the table started to howl with laughter, Lucia most of all.

“My Paddy said that in front of Father?”  Lucia was in tears with laughter.

“Yes, I swear he did,” Mark T. said.  “But when Coach told him what he did, Paddy dropped to his knees and said the Act of Contrition, right there on the sideline.”  Everyone was red-faced with laughter, especially Lucia.

Then Mona asked, “Did ya get the three Our Fathers and two Hail Mary’s, Paddy?”

“I only got the three Our Fathers,” I said quietly.  That left the room in shambles.

“Lucia, your hubby is everything you see.  Nothing fake, just Paddy O’Flynn.”  Andrea squeezed Lucia.

Lucia looked at me.  “Now, do you think?”

“Why not, luv?”

“I’ve wanted to meet Paddy’s friends.  He always talks about all of you; it’s almost like you’re his brothers and sisters that he didn’t have.  But we, well, I need your help.”

Cynthia stepped right up.  “What do you need, sister?”

“My dad threw me out when he found out I was seeing Paddy.  He said no whore was going to stay under his roof.  It broke my momma’s heart.  I left and went to Paddy.  I didn’t run away from home; I ran to the man I loved.

"We slept in separate beds that night.  The following day, we were married by the Justice of the Peace.  That night, he made me his wife.  He is the most adoring man I have ever met.  My Dad is a mean bully, and even my mom moved in with her sister.  The other gas station in the area will not service him.

"Patrick is a fair man.  The times he and my Dad clashed, he gave the old bully options: to be left a bloody mess on the doorstep or in the street.  Other options are a trip to the ER, the ICU, or the coroner’s.  Paddy isn’t just bullshitting.

"So, having said that, I don’t have friends, and I don’t have a bridal party for our wedding at St. Jerome’s.  I asked Paddy if he wanted the wedding at St. Ignatius, but he insists that St. Jerome is my parish and the wedding should be there.

"I need help.”  Lucia sat down and started to cry.  I cradled her in me arms and held her close.

Tammy said, “What’s the problem.  When do we show up for your wedding?”

Stacey chimed in. “We have a flower girl and a ring bearer.  What else do we need?  Oh, who will be your maid, or Matron of Honor?”

Hank stepped up.  “I think since Andrew and Paddy go back a ways, he should be the Best Man, and Allison should be the Maid of Honor.  What do you all think?”

Jack said, “We have a problem.”  They all looked at him.  “We don’t know the date.”  They all started to laugh and throw napkins at him.

“It’s going to be simple.  I’d like the guys to wear a suit, and the ladies a Sunday dress, you know what I mean.”

“Damn, I bet I’d look great in a double-breasted suit.” Kathy pushed her tits out and grinned.

“Bullshit!” Janet announced.  “Those belong to me, and don’t you forget that.  Those tits are mine, Kathleeen Willians.”  Janet turned to face Kathy.  We were all roaring with laughter.

“But she does have a nice Sunday suit I approve of.”  Janet was a little calmer, but it only added to the laughter.

“Okay, all joking aside.  Lucia, when do you need us there?  You have your bridal party.”

“August ninth, after the ten o’clock Mass. We’ve cleared it with Father Ryan. Will that work for all of you?”

Everybody agreed at once. The date and time were set in stone.  But Hank was about to ask the question nobody wanted to bring up.

“I hate to be the asshole in the group, but are you concerned about what your dad may or may not do?”  Hank’s question brought reality back to the room.

“Well, yes, in a way,” I said, with a grin.

“Okay, give.  What have you got up that Irish sleeve of yours?” Mona asked.

“Well, a nun said she would help.  Now I know that doesn’t sound like a barrier against a raging Italian, but when I tell you her name, you may reconsider.”  Lucia giggled.

“Sister Bruno said she would take care of any interruptions.”  I left it there.

“Sister Bruno?  You’re kidding?” Tommy said.

“I am not kidding you.  I have seen her.  She was a drill sergeant in the Army before her calling.  Rossi won’t have a chance.  She means business.”  Everyone lost it.  The room was filled with laughter and hollering.

The bairns were getting tired.  The Mams and Dads had partied a bit longer than usual.  Of course, Louisa and Carl didn’t mind.  They were getting their little families together.  Lucia said we were going to stay for a while.

We said our ‘good nights’ as each family left.  Lucia and I went into the main bar and found a quiet little corner table.

Lucia had a quiet smile on her face.  I knew what was going through her mind.  I reached across the small table, and she took me hand.  She squeezed me hand and kissed it.

“Paddy, my Paddy.  I love you so much.  You love me with all of your heart.  You give me anything I want, you protect me, you watch over me.  I want to give you everything a man should have.  And that includes a son.” 

There was love and hope in her eyes.  Her soft features said, ‘I love you’, in every way possible.

“Aisling, a son or a daughter would be a blessing coming from you.  We’ll just have to see what our life has in store for us.  When you do bless us with a bairn, I’ll have someone to help you with whatever you need around the house.”  Wrong statement.

“Patrick Michael O’Flynn, I’ll not have another woman in my home.  You took me for your wife.  I will take care of our home, our child, and my man.  And I will not change my mind.”  Lucia has a way of making her point verbally and with facial expressions.  I just agree.

We stayed for two more drinks.  Louisa was very kind to us.  She gave us champagne glasses with today’s date.  A reminder of our reunion with the gang. 

We thanked Louisa and Carl for their hospitality and left a nice monetary thank you.  Lucia and I went back to our bridal suite.  She just stopped and turned to me; her expression was so tender.

“Paddy, you are wonderful.  You fix everything.”  She held me face in her hands and kissed me ever so softly.

At the door of our bridal suite, Lucia stood in front of me.

“You do not have to carry me across the threshold.  I want you to be able to do that on our wedding night.  But you don’t have to wait for anything else that you may have in mind.”  Her shy smile turned into a seductive grin.

“I’ll see what I can think up, my gorgeous, Aisling.”  I kissed her softly.

“Being married to you, it won’t take you much time to come up with something that will wear me out.”  Lucia chuckled and opened the door.

I had a wonderful idea, having a shower and a shave.  But why not make it a loving shower?  A little shower and a lot of loving.  I thought me bride would go for that.

I didn’t say anything or make a move to show me hand.  I just got ready for the shower and watched Lucia as she undressed.  It was difficult to keep me thoughts away from me cock, though.

I went into the bathroom and adjusted the water.  Lucia was putting up her hair for the shower.  I walked up behind her, put me arms around her waist, and kissed the back of her neck.

“Would ye care to join a lonely bloke in a shower?  He promises to be a gentleman,” I whispered in her ear.

Lucia turned around and put her arms around me neck.

“I would love to join a bloke in a shower, but not if he’s going to act like a gentleman.  He may be gentle, but not a gentleman for me,” she purred and kissed me softly.

I took Lucia’s hand in mine, and we got into the shower.  I wrapped me arms around her waist, and she hugged my neck. Our lips and our bodies met.  We were drifting into our world of love.

To be continued