Matty was sitting on a comfortable lounger on her veranda. Her legs were up on a padded ottoman and she was covered to her waist, by a heavy, knitted, wool blanket.
She watched Bill, as he added more birch wood to the large stone fireplace, that was built into the veranda.
"Have I told you today that I love you?"
Bill walked to her and bent down, kissing her gently on the lips.
"Probably, but I never get tired of hearing it."
"I love you," Matty whispered.
"So very much."
"You okay baby?"
"Yea," Matty nodded.
"Just trying to shake all this shit that happened today from my system."
"Well you relax."
Bill took her stemless wine glass.
"More mulled wine?"
"Please."
Bill went into the house, but returned moments later with another wine for Matty.
"You look pretty serious."
Matty took the wine and sipped it.
"Was just doing some checking on our legal rights as it pertains to protecting our village."
Bill sat in the chair next to her.
"What have you found out?"
Matty took a deep breath.
"I think we may have backed ourself in a corner."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, according to the law and keep in mind that in Canada we do not have the same rights that they have in the States, but ...
we do have the right to protect our property and use reasonable force to do so."
"What do they consider reasonable force?"
"Well there lies the grey area."
Matty looked at the screen.
"I sent an email to my old professor. He got back to me right away and he says this:
In Canada, you can use reasonable force to protect your personal dwellings and businesses. You are allowed to make a citizen's arrest and hold the person until the police arrive.
In the case of firearms, you can use them, if you are reasonably sure that the person entering your home or business, is armed. It is not recommended that you discharge the firearm, but you can use it to detain the person.
You cannot carry a concealed firearm for protection, but you can retrieve a properly stored firearm if you feel you or yours are in danger.
Charges can be brought against you, if bodily harm is suffered, and it will be left up to the courts to decide of the force you used was reasonable. There have been cases of homeowners detaining intruders, while brandishing a firearm and in the cases where the firearm was not discharged, the charges were usually dropped."
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Tuckamore Bay
General FictionMatty Dove had 18 months to try and find a buyer for her late grandmother's lighthouse. A buyer who, she hoped, would not only buy the lighthouse, but love the village so much that they would invest time and money into saving the community. In 18 mo...
