Mary's Guardian Angel Ch. 01

"Sweetheart, I wasn't aware you know Bible verses. You've never been baptized and I thought you're agnostic?"

"As a writer, I have read the Bible for its historical perspective as our laws are based on Judo-Christian principles. I do appreciate the psalms in particular for their beautiful flow of words.

That being said your Sir demands your obedience"...and he let go of her and took two steps back. "Take your hair down...very nice...drop the hairpins on the floor... now finger comb it...excellent...shake your head. Outstanding...shake it again so your hair partially covers your face...excellent you look incredibly succulent and sexy."

He took two steps forward and put his hands on her waist and looked into her sea green eyes and said. "Stick your tongue out at me." which made her giggle and she caught herself and stopped as she stuck it out. "Give me your best pout, because I'm fixing your hair in braided pigtails." and she did catching herself from smiling and pouted prettily as she put her arms around his neck to be kissed and he did after crushing Mary to him gently and kissing her lips long and deep. "Please sit on the bench my love and I'll get started."

Mary was anticipating ordinary and perhaps childish three-strand braids for her pigtails although Aaron had something a bit more refined in mind for her. He parted her hair in the middle and created double French braids and when he finished and she looked in the mudroom mirror, Mary absolutely adored this casual style. "There you see." he complimented "You look beautiful and youthful with twin braids, my pretty lady, regardless what you're wearing. Shall we go...?"

APPARENTLY AARON WAS MORE THAN A REGULAR CUSTOMER at the restaurant as Mary pleasantly learned because all the waitresses, the cook, and bus boys all knew him and she discovered they were the sons and daughters of the owners, Aleck Nickas and his wife Carina who asked enthusiastically.

"Is there an engagement coming soon, Aaron? For you'll I'll cater your wedding for free. Mary, congratulations! He's never brought a lady here before, and I made Aaron promise he would when found the right one. As we all know, Aaron always keeps his word..."

MARY AGREED WHOLEHEARTEDLY about the Slovakia breakfast although she ordered hers with beef so they could share, each taking a portion of meat from the others plate. This is something the biscuit eater never allowed. Randall ordered what he wanted and she ordered what she wanted and heaven help her if she reached across with her fork to taste from his dish.

After they ate, Aleck and Carina sat and had coffee with them and they made small talk. Aaron said they were going shopping to buy Mary clothes because of the fire. Carina showed them pictures of their grandchildren and before they left Carina hugged Mary and whispered in her ear.

"Now that we've met, I don't believe anything I read about you in the newspapers. I've seen the pencil sketches he did of your church and if Aaron chose you for his lady you're innocent and that's good enough for me..."

THEY SPENT MOST OF THE DAY selecting her clothes together that were to be the basics of her new wardrobe and her hair remained in pigtails. They first went to a farm and family tractor supply store and Mary made her first selections and changed into them; snug blue jeans and a creamy white linen peasant blouse with ¾ sleeves green leaf embroidery on the collar. She traded her black heels for a pair of ladies lace up soft brown leather low heel western boot that fit like a glove. Her last purchase there was a stone washed and faded denim jean jacket that was similar to what Aaron was wearing and like the one she wore all through high school.

'He's so very patient and my husband refused to go shopping with me, including grocery shopping.' Mary thought as they went from Mall to Mall and store to store. 'Aaron prefers me mostly in dresses, or skirts and blouses, but then I shouldn't be surprised about that. He loves to be hugged and touched as do I and goodness, what fun!'

Their many intimate touches and little their gentle hugs and kisses were anything but overt or tasteless that day. He helped her select all her undergarments such as camisoles, baby doll and other nightgowns to name a few including her stockings and garter belts. He insisted on only the best of the best for her and they chose real silk, linen or the finest pima cotton when available. Mary bought new makeup, what she normally used plus sexy or sultry for her Sir when he demanded that look, and hopefully soon for a little scenario she had in mind and a surprise he didn't know about...

AARON DIDN'T WANT TO ALARM MARY or have her worry when he noticed what appeared to be the same woman following them from Mall to Mall.

This mentioned suspicious woman was in her early to mid-forties.

She was tall with a trim and lithe figure and had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. The woman's hair was styled differently each time he looked for her.

It was either pulled back in a low ponytail, or down and loose and that got him to thinking and raised his suspicions.

When he first noticed her, this woman's hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing dark grey slacks and a hip length white blouse that was long enough to conceal a firearm in an IWB or paddle holster. She wore a different color blouse when he saw her again in another Mall. At the previous Mall she was wearing tinted glasses and her hair was down. Now she was wearing a different style of tinted glasses, had a ponytail and wearing a dark green woman's rain parka when he caught a glance of her as he walked into Victoria Secrets.

The only constant was her black crossover walking running shoes and dark grey slacks. She always positioned herself in such a way that he never had a direct look at her. There was always an object or people partially blocking his view.

He suspected she was one of the detectives, Dana Lacey, who arrested and publicly embarrassed and shamed Mary so Aaron decided to turn the tables on her.

While they were in Victoria's Secrets he said. "Mary, I want you to do something for me as your Sir and no questions asked. Will you please sit in the changing room until I send you a text message on your cell-phone to come out." and she did.

Aaron made a small purchase and included a brief note to the store's logo bag before he walked out of the store into the concourse. In front of the store was a large rectangular planter box above the skylight with rows of benches along its perimeter. It was a veritable indoor jungle of large leaf flowering tropical plants, ferns and ivy. Aaron sat at one of the benches facing the storefronts. He took the bag out of his pocket and stretched and put his arms on the back of the bench.

He waited a few minutes and discreetly reached behind and pushed the small bag into the green foliage. He waited a few more minutes and got up to glance at the plants as if to make sure his package wasn't visible. He then took out his cell phone to text Mary before walking back into Victoria's Secrets which was their last stop before grocery shopping.

After they left the store, Dana called her partner and when he arrived they continued their surveillance focusing on the planter and they waited out of sight from different vantage points to see who came to retrieve the drop...they waited until the mall closed. She cursed Aaron under her breath for the enclosed note that read, 'Dana, we're going grocery shopping after we leave the mall. Here's some under cover underwear for you to wear. It'll help you from being seen and I've included a pair for your partner.'

Embarrassed and angry, with her anger rising in temperature to red hot and seething at being mocked, she angrily shoved the bag and its contents into her parka's pocket ending the surveillance now that she was made. Aaron's purchase was two pair of novelty bright red panties with the word [bimbo] printed in white bold letters on the front and back of them...

MARY NEVER HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL time grocery shopping in her life and Aaron as well. They both had a grocery list and went their separate ways meeting when they passed in the aisles. They stopped to kiss after comparing their lists while planning their meals together as they shopped for the next two weeks.

He was taking her clamming the next day and he bought extra butter for steamed clams, as well as the bread crumbs, bacon, celery and onion for baked clams' casino.

They stopped for coffee and a bagel before they returned home from shopping and later on, Mary made him her mother's famous meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and homemade apple sauce with pecans.

They did their dishes together and at sunset and reclined on a blanket in the sand holding hands and watching the contrast of pinks and orange and purples as the sun dipped below the horizon of the ocean. Aaron didn't join her for bed right away. He had all these ideas bouncing around in his head and stayed up well past two in the morning writing them down...

THEY WENT OUT CLAMMING together the next morning and what a wonderful adventure she had with him harvesting the ocean's bounty. They collected 2 pails of quahog clams getting wet and she didn't mind a bit. They were Aaron's favorite hard shell clam and they separated them by size, smallest to largest; little neck, cherry stone, top neck and quahog the largest.

She learned regardless of the different names they were the same species of clam and the names described how large they grew with the largest ones best suited best for frying or in chowder. They ate the smallest ones raw as appetizers with a few drops of Tabasco sauce. They steamed or made clam casino with the others as their main course with a cold and fresh traditional Caesar Salad with anchovies...

MARY WANTED TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION with her attorney and dressed tastefully and conservatively as if attending a Sunday Church Service. She wore a waist hugging long sleeve knit Maxi- dress in a vibrant emerald green with a V-neckline, modesty panel, shirring at the shoulders and a side knot with ruching at the waist.

Aaron chose the emerald green to bring out the color of her green eyes. She was wearing a garter belt for the first time. Her stocking were neutral and she was wearing black pumps. Mary's silky and thick long auburn hair was swept up in an elegant French twist. Her makeup was minimal and refreshingly natural as always and of course she was wearing her pearl earrings and gold cross.

The first meeting with Mary's attorney, Joseph Graves, was a long and formal one. Aaron warned her he will be all business. He also warned her not to take anything he asked her personally at this meeting. The attorney's questions were many and probing. His legal secretary took notes while he walked Mary through everything she did starting one month before her arrest, including where she drove her Lexus Sedan during that time period for any reason whatsoever.

After the meeting, Joseph dismissed his secretary and requested Mary wait outside of his office to talk to Aaron privately.

"I don't say this often about women, Aaron. Mary is a classic lady in every sense of the word as well as beautiful. I'm including in the way she comports herself and dresses and especially the sophisticated way she wears her hair up like that.

My Isabelle wore her hair up in a French twist and Mary reminds me so much of her." he sighed. "I see the way you look at her." Joseph observed. "You're in love with her aren't you?"

"Totally and unquestionably, Joseph." he admitted, "and she loves me as much if not more."

"Well son, I remember you telling over coffee there will never be another Shinako and you were resigned and adamant. You said you'd never allow yourself to fall in love like that again. You declared God was a crutch. What happened to change your mind except the obvious? Are you going to tie the knot with her eventually?"

"Yes and in a church when the time comes. Mary's Christian faith and belief in God is absolute and unshakable despite all that has happened to her. She is brave and resolute and faced down those Detectives with her quiet resolve and I'm proud of her for it. She cares little for wealth and material things and I'm humbled by it."

"Good, invite me to the wedding. Will you attend church with this lovely Christian woman after you're married?"

"Yes every Sunday or whatever it takes to make her happy."

"Are you open to the idea of being baptized?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead, Joseph. I'm not even sure I can profess to be agnostic anymore. I'm in limbo between two worlds of belief." he replied remembering his dream.

"What about children, Aaron, you're both young enough?"

"Yes, I've thought about that. Mary wanted children and her dirty flea ridden skunk and soon to be ex-husband didn't and had a vasectomy without telling her.

It will be my privilege to have children with Mary." Aaron admitted. "My house is certainly large enough for a big family. Frank and Marie will be delighted. Frank's daughter is too immersed in her career and creating wealth. She most likely will never marry."

"If you don't believe in God after your first child is born, and especially when you hold your tiny miracle for the first time my boy, I'll be very surprised with you..."

THE MEETING THE NEXT DAY was without the attorney at their home on Long Island Sound. He was a private investigator and a retired FBI Agent by the name of Michael Graves and Joseph's brother. Mary liked him immediately and he asked more questions while taking his own notes and they reviewed the transcripts from the first meeting with the attorney.

Ten days later Mary signed the papers finalizing her divorce. Without Randall to contest it was a mere formality and Joseph had the connections to push it quickly through the system. He was less serious or formal that day. He was actually quite charming and personable and insisted on taking them out to lunch.

Mary's appetizer was the most marvelous lobster bisque she ever tasted and at those prices it better be. Her herb encrusted lamb chops with roasted red peppers and a medley of other roasted vegetables were to die for. Aaron and Joseph did most of the talking though, having much to catch up on over coffee with Bailey's as their after dinner drink.

The fourth meeting with Joseph and Michael was very productive. Michael was able to get a copy of time-date tapes from the security cameras at White Dove Hospice. Mary spent a few hours there volunteering her time every other Saturday morning praying with and comforting the people at the end of their days. The tapes showed what appeared to be a thin middle aged man wearing the brown uniform of a well known delivery company approach Mary's vehicle.

He was pushing a hand cart with 2 large boxes on it. The security tapes showed him opening the trunk and placing the items resembling those the detectives found there, and then seen walking out of sight of the cameras with empty boxes.

His face was partially hidden by his delivery cap and dark sunglasses and he sported a short beard and mustache. The mentioned delivery company's policy is all men must be clean shaven. Mary commented he resembled one of the mechanics from the Lexus Dealer who always wore a traditional dark blue New York Yankees ball cap.

Further investigation by Michael disclosed he was the man on the tape. The mechanic had a gambling problem and was deeply in debt. When pressured he admitted to being paid by Randall to place those items there.

At that point the detective's case and their physical evidence against Mary started to unravel like a frayed tightrope with a hippopotamus on its hind legs walking across wearing a tutu and carrying a tiny pink parasol.

With the mechanic's testimony and other evidence discovered by the private investigator all charges were thrown out. Nonetheless the two detectives and especially Dana remained convinced Mary was involved somehow and possibly Aaron as well and she wanted to get even with him.

Immediately after the court hearing, Detective Lacey and her partner was arguing loudly about Mary with the new assistant district attorney, Elizabeth Strickland.

They were in the hallway of the courthouse when Aaron and Joseph walked up to them. Aaron offered the assistant DA his hand to introduce himself while ignoring the two Detectives. "My name is Aaron McCloud, Ms. Strickland. I couldn't help overhearing your public conversation with these bumblers."

"It's none of your damn business, wise guy." the male detective, Wayne Cagney, interrupted, getting in between him and the assistant district attorney and going nose to nose with Aaron. "You're interfering with a police investigation and an open case and you can be arrested for that. Given your relationship with Mary Sheppard, we're looking very carefully at you now as you also have ties with the Art Gallery."

"You have a vivid imagination, Barney." Aaron replied calmly staying nose to nose with him. "It's Ms. Brown now for the record and the FBI have taken over since you and your girlfriend Thelma-Lou here botched things so badly." and he pulled the business card of the lead FBI Agent out of his pocket and gave it to the female Detective Dana Lacey. "Ms. Brown and her attorney Mr. Graves are scheduled to meet with them."

"Fuck you, asshole, this isn't over and you're involved in this somehow." Detective Lacey said double teaming and getting into the portion of Aaron's face not already taken.

"Always the professional, I see." Aaron replied smiling "Although it appears someone has a potty mouth because her red panties are in a bunch and she can't take a joke." Detective Cagney continued to stare hatefully at him as Lacey walked away red-faced hating Aaron more than ever. "We're having our own news conference shortly, Detective and we invited Channel 4 & 13 News. I'm sure you'll both enjoy that public embarrassment and that's not all. Just wait until you see my guest editorial in the New York Times. It will do wonders for constipating any future promotions."

"And I will add, Elizabeth." said Joseph, "If your Office pursues other charges or these detectives come anywhere near my client again, I'll consider it police harassment and further violations of her constitutional rights."

He turned and said to the remaining detective. "You can be sure I'll take the appropriate action Detective Cagney and be certain to tell your partner what I said." Joseph was in on Aaron's little joke and was laughing inwardly thinking 'red- face- red panty bimbo partner...'

AS LUCK WASN'T THEIRS' THAT AFTERNOON, the detectives were swarmed by reporters thrusting microphones in their faces and this time they had absolutely had nothing to say. In their rush to get away from them they raced out of their parking space only to clip the bumper of the Channel 4 News Station's Mobile Van with their unmarked sedan injuring the camera man and running over his expensive camera. Cagney immediately got out of the vehicle and ran to attend to the injured man and called for an ambulance. Lacey put their vehicle in reverse and backed into another car that had the right of way creating another news story...

THEY TOOK JOSEPH OUT FOR A STEAK DINNER to celebrate, although being on a diet he declined dessert and left to get an early start for the drive to his cottage on the River as everything was packed and ready. They ordered one dessert each. They chose cherries jubilee and chocolate mousse and sat close and cozy in their booth drinking espresso and sharing their desserts while they talked and he told her about the panties in the planter.

"Aaron, you're terrible!" she said laughing "I wondered why I had to wait in the dressing room, although she deserved every letter of it beginning with B and ending with O. Does she think I'm still guilty or you're somehow involved?"