Bayou Bishops Box Set: Books 1-12

CHAPTER 4

Patches opened the door to the downstairs apartment, the sound of the shower telling him Tegan was done with her work upstairs. The incident with his Grand Pier had shaken her and he hadn’t been able to talk to her about it. She’d surely undergone quite the personality change in the span of a day. Probably from something big mouth Juliette told her. She was nothing like the cocky chick who’d taken his joint right form his lips and took a puff on it. This Tegan was a lot quieter. More… vulnerable. He was torn between which he liked more.

Sarah continued proving him right for a mate choice. She’d displayed mature, professional, even kindness with Tegan, despite they’d gotten off to a rough start. He couldn’t fault Sarah for protecting him, that was her job and he liked that she was damn good at it. And yet it was Tegan that took him into the fires of lust. Maybe because she was in his shower. Maybe because of her ass. Because of her tits. Her fucking perfect mouth. And all the things that came out of it. He closed his eyes and flung his good boy commitment aside, putting her against that shower wall. He watched the lust-filled rapture in her face as he hiked one of those thick legs up and fucked her. Fucked her into oblivion.

Damn, he definitely fucking needed to jack off. His urges were off the charts.

He took a moment to imagine doing those things with his swamp options only to have his mind rebel, super-imposing Tegan’s fuckingass in every scenario. Apparently, his mind saw it as a vital piece of plumbing in his forever investment.

This Texas fantasy was turning into a wet blanket over his swamp.

He remembered her family had the same tradition with marrying local. And he sure as fuck wasn’t Texan. Which made them a truly fucking impossible fantasy. To jack-off to.

He removed his coat jacket and stretched his neck, still sore as fuck from his brotherly beating. He made his way to his work-out room next to one of the bedrooms, ready to let off some steam. Then it was back to work. Fuck, he needed to bring that birthing kit to that Viking clan in Bullet’s hatch. They had their own mid-wives and not once did any of them enter his hospital. But when it came to mothers, he didn’t care who they were or what their beliefs, he gave them supplies. They never denied them, but he felt like it was their way of keeping peace. They kept to themselves and married in their bloodline only. He respected that. They respected the Bishops, making all well and good so long as they didn’t cross their codes. Or get caught crossing them.

Maybe he’d take Tegan with him. Give her a chance to see the swamps while she was there. And him a chance to collect more material to torment himself with.

He dropped the barbell after twenty-five reps, hearing talking. He made his way to the door and opened it a crack.

“No, I volunteered to help out. The man who runs the hospital is the one I sold the equipment to. I still need to set that up. Oh, just some kind of bat nuisance, I’m not really sure.”

Who was she protecting his privacy from?

“I was just calling to see how you were, didn’t know I needed a reason. Well, I ain’t never been in no hurricane, I’m kinda getting nervous.” She gave a sigh. “Yes,” she drawled in her cute accent. “Yes, Daddy, I know.”

Daddy. His dick jerked at how fucking cute she sounded.

“The man is very nice, he works for the same people you got your modified bike from. Yep, same ones. He’s been a gentleman, really. You will not,” she giggled, making him wonder what brought that. “Well, I was thinking of maybe setting up a shop around here. They have a melting pot of tourists that pass through. I don’t know, I like it, it’s real pretty here. I know it ain’t Texas, silly.” He listened in the sudden silence. “Yes, I will. Yes… I know…. I know that too. Daddy, I will,” she whined quietly. “Don’t call me that. No, I ain’t. Time you let me grow up. I gotta go. I love you, Daddy.”

Another side of Texas Tegan. And his cock approved of every bit. Ridiculous. Now that he wasn’t celibate, his dick seemed to be very busy making all sorts of plans without him.

He opened the door, eager to see what she wore after her shower. Rounding the corner, he ran into her gaze all over his body reminding him what he wasn’t wearing.

“Everybody okay?” he asked, seeing she was back in the outfit he’d first met her in.

Her eyes snapped up to his and she swallowed. “What you mean?”

“I heard you on the phone, sorry.”

“Oh…no, you’re fine. Just wanted to touch base with my Daddy. He worries.”

There was his tough Tegan. He realized how much of an act that was.

“Sarah washed my clothes for me,” she said quietly. “Was very nice of her. Glad she’s one of your uh…dating options.”

He lowered his head.

“Sorry, I forgot I was stepping back. I’m just making small talk. She’s real nice though, just wanted to say that. A good fit for you, I mean. Everything you said. I misjudged her.” She tore her eyes from his chest and took a seat at one of the dining table chairs behind her. “So we need to see about your brother now? I like to stay busy. Get him tagged and taken care of. Set up the app for you.”

“Can I grab a shower first? Was waiting for you to finish.”

“Well, duh,” she said in a sweet tone before nodding. “I see your bruises are turning beautiful.”

Mmm. “How long you think it’ll take to get that tag in him, and everything set up.”

“Well, I tagged fifty steers a day, it’s a jiffy,” she snapped. “Five minutes I’d say. Mostly figuring out the best place to put the tag then the app set up, I’m gonna say an hour, maybe two, depending on what system you’re operating. If it’s windows, we’re good, if it’s a mac, we’re looking at twice that. I hate macs.”

“You and me both,” he grinned, enjoying the fight she put up to keep her eyes off of him. She was losing and he loved it. “Thought you were talking to a boyfriend at first,” he said, making his way to one of the chairs at the table and sitting next to her.

She flustered and he wondered if it was his nearness or the boyfriend. Maybe both. “Not a boyfriend,” she said, or confessed. “Not yet.”

“That’s a real shock.”

She sputtered a laugh with that sexy half grin. “Why?”

“Just imagined you’d have one.”

“Why?” she pushed, her cute twang pinging his cock.

“You need me to tell you that?”

Her curiosity lost to her sudden inhibitions, and she lowered her gaze. “I don’t need anything like that,” she muttered. “I was just curious why you thought it is all. No biggie.”

“Some people don’t know how beautiful they are. Thought you might be one is all.”

She gave a shy, nervous laugh, pushing hair behind her ear and looking at everything but him. “I mean…looks ain’t everything. I sometimes wish that, anyway.”

She looked in her lap now, her answer engaging his more demanding curiosity. “I can relate. I get tired of being wanted for strictly my gorgeous body too.”

She gave more sputtered laughs. “You are a Mr. October,” she regretted to inform him, heat in her gaze.

“And you are a Miss Texas.”

She wet her lips, her smile getting bigger. “And single. Well…I am.”

“I’m not married, yet.”

Her smile faltered and she narrowed her gaze, lowering it. “You ever have a girlfriend before?”

“No,” he said, wanting very much to talk about exactly that. “I haven’t. You?”

The daring question hung in the air while he silently willed her to play the information exchange game with him. “Nothin’…long term.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t…sleep around I didn’t mean that, I meant the boyfriends I had were very short term. Didn’t take me but a week to figure I didn’t want anything long term with them. Or they didn’t.”

He realized the latter was more truth than the former.

“I had two girlfriends in my entire life. When I was thirteen and sixteen. The one at sixteen, I lost my virginity. And I use the term lost because it was definitely a gamble I should’ve never taken. Lesson learned.”

“Sorry to hear that. Sixteen is a pretty dumb age for most people.”

“I wasn’t dumb at sixteen,” he assured. “But I did make a dumb choice.”

“Well, I’ve made dumb choices but none that ended in the loss of my virginity. And I’m not ashamed of it,” she said.

Fucking virgin. “Why would you be?” he wondered, curious over her beliefs with that.

“Because in this day and age, you’d swear it’s some kind of mental illness being a virgin. I didn’t say I was altogether innocent, now,” she added, as if she couldn’t stand having a clean sexual record.

So she’d fooled around. How far, he wondered. He fucking wanted to finger her.

“You must be nervous having to…do all that stuff that goes with dating. But it’s like riding a bike, I’m sure.” She closed her eyes briefly. “That did not sound right. I don’t see those things as flippantly as riding a bike.”

“Good to hear.” He remembered their classes. “The men are required to take classes,” he said.

“Classes?”

“To learn or re-learn how to ride that bike. For those who need it.”

She struggled to hold his stare. “Are you gonna…” Again, she closed her eyes with a sigh. “Not my business.”

“I don’t need the classes but I’m taking them.”

“Why?”

He decided those twangs in various words were an official turn on. “They’re mandatory.”

She gave a look of surprise. “Wow, I…I like that. I think it’s smart. But…you don’t think you need them?”

“I don’t think I do, no.”

She nodded, her curiosity peeking out with a tugging smile. “Cause you’re a doctor? You know more than most men?”

“Yes that.”

She eyed him more now. “And? You sound like you have more than knowledge.”

“I’m not a sexual pro, if that’s what you’re wondering. But I know all the important basics. The rest would be learned with the woman I’m with.”

She nodded a little then a lot. “Makes sense. Smart too. I like it. I mean I like all of this…swamp stuff. The marriages, the codes, the way everybody looks at it.” She gave a light chuckle. “It’s a darn shame one can’t choose where they’re born.”

He nodded a little. “It really is.” He let himself burn for five more seconds while considering her words. She was right about that. Where you were born shouldn’t matter in certain affairs. He’d picked three women to court from the swamp. He’d see that through and give it a fair go. But if Tegan was there from some roll of the fate dice, then he would find that out. “Gonna grab that shower.”

****

Tegan watched Dr. Dirty Water go grab that shower, while she grabbed her scattered hormones still raging. Momma help me, his ass in those jeans. Her stomach flip-flopped at everything he’d said. He said fairly point blank that she was gorgeous as he was. Called her Miss Texas. Mercy, if she was as gorgeous as him? She was damn gorgeous. She sat there with boiling cheeks and big ole grin. Her grin faltered as she recalled his overall presence sitting so close to her in that chair. His fine ass at the edge, legs open, naked, sweaty chest needing all her devoted attention. He’d been cock-sure from the moment she met him, but lord have some mercy on her Texas soul, it had surely doubled.

She sucked in a breath and shot up. He was making a delivery he’d said. With her. Just her? She should go check on Becky while waiting. She was sweet as cream pie and scared as a lamb, poor thing. She was all by herself while the other two mothers had a flock of women with them. Mothers, sisters, aunts. Both Becky’s parents had died, and she was an only child with a husband who left childbearing to the women. Bless her heart, she thought that was okay, but it surely was not. These mandatory husband classes needed to be swamp-wide, not just Twelve wide. A woman should never be alone for something as big as having a baby. Sure, it was her third, but still. And she was scared because the last delivery was hard and long at home. Patches had to go, and he saved her life and the baby so this time, he insisted on her being closer. Judging by the light in Becky’s eyes, she was very happy he had. And she was a week overdue.

She knocked on her door. “It’s Tegan,” she called.

“Come in.”

She entered, returning Becky’s big smile. “Coming to see if you need anything?”

She shook her head. “I’m so good,” she said, looking like she might want to cry over it. “I get spoilt whenever I come to Dr. Patches’ hospital. And you know he wants to do a maternity ward with all sorts of fancy stuff for the mothers? Their own bathrooms and everything. He mentioned water births,” she gasped with wide eyes. “I ain’t never heard of such a thing.”

“Really?” she said, her heart skipping around in absolute joy at hearing such a thing about him. He was enough man for a dozen dummies. “He’s so sweet, isn’t he?”

She nodded with a little smile. “He’s getting married you know.”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Tegan said, grinning at how she seemed proud about it. She moved the blanket off her feet. “Swelling’s better, I think?”

“They feel better, thank you.”

Tegan grabbed the bottle of baby oil from the nightstand. “How about a good ole Texan foot rub-down?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that!”

Tegan laughed at the huge smile and light in her eyes. “I surely do. You were gonna tell me about names.”

She sucked in a breath, lacing her fingers in her lap. “If it’s a boy, we’re naming him Jeremiah Jacobs, and if it’s a girl, I’m calling her Gracelynn Savanah.”

“Gracelynn! I love that name!”

She squealed and nodded. “Me too. Burt likes it too and it ain’t often him and I agree on such things.”

“Who came up with the boy name?”

“Oh, he did. He gets to name the boys,” she said with an affectionate smile. “That’s our deal.”

Tegan giggled. “And you have two girls?”

She nodded, covering her smile briefly. “You know I don’t care but for his sake, I’m hoping this one’s a boy.” She whispered it like she worried the baby might hear and be offended. Lord this woman was too adorable.

“Healthy and strong is all I care about Miss Becky.”

She nodded a lot with her tinkly laughter. “Indeed, Miss Texas.” She suddenly gasped, her face falling. “Is that inappropriate to call you?”

Mercy, did she look that bothered? “Of course not,” she assured.

“I been hearing the nurses say it, so I thought it was your nickname. I’ll call you whatever you like.”

“Tegan or Texas is fine,” she said, wondering now why they’d refer to her as Texas. Was that what Patches called her? Surely not to everybody.

“You seem bothered,” she complained quietly. “What’s wrong? Oh mercy, that feels like heaven right there.”

Tegan smiled, working on her heel. “I know the people here are very close and particular about outsiders,” she muttered. “And I sure don’t blame em’ one bit. We’re the same kind of people in Texas. You gotta prove you’re worth your salt. It’s how we protect each other.”

“I don’t say it,” she whispered, “but I think it’s because you’re so pretty and Dr. Patches has an eye on you.”

Wow, everybody was seeing things but her. “Well, I came here to help and that’s what I’m doing. Not here to steal anybody from anybody.”

“I’m as traditional as they come and I know they all want the men to pick from the swamp, but when it comes to love, it ain’t right to stand in the way of that. Love don’t see color, culture, or creed,” she said with pure delight in her sparkly blue eyes.

“You’re right about that,” Tegan agreed while realizing. “I guess I can see why they’d be upset seeing as the leader got with a northerner and one of his Twelve got with another northerner. Least that Seer got with one from local.”

She nodded. “Cherie is local but not lifetime local.”

“Makes a difference?”

She nodded a lot.

“Gotta be homespun,” Tegan said, moving to her other foot now.

“Right. But it’s getting kinda ugly if you ask me,” she said extra quiet.

“How you mean?” Tegan gently pried.

“There’s a lot of women in the swamp that signed up for marrying one of The Twelve. So far, only two picked a swamp girl, the other four picked out of towners. Including the leader,” she reminded with an extra low whisper like it might be the biggest sin of all.

It all had Tegan grinning. She put the oil back on the stand and opened the drawer. “How about I brush that pretty hair of yours?”

She literally busted out laughing. “Pretty! Swamp-sakes my hair’s wilder than a gator sippin’ gas.”

“You are funny!” Tegan laughed, sitting at her hip.

“Oh!” She took Tegan’s hand and put it on her huge belly, pressing her palm.

Tegan gasped at the hard ball moving across her whole palm. “I felt it!”

She nodded a lot with her half-moon eyes of joy. “He’s strong.”

“You think it’ll be a boy?”

She shook her head against her pillow, smile fading. “I don’t rightly know,” she said, obviously not really caring.

Tegan turned at the knock on the door.

“It’s Patches,” he called.

“Oh!” Becky gasped, smoothing her hair while Tegan stood and fixed her covers. “Am I presentable?” she whispered.

“You’re radiant!” Tegan assured in a whisper, holding back her laugh.

“Come in,” Becky called.

The door opened and in walked the doctor. “Well, if it isn’t Mr. October, November, and December,” Tegan dared, getting a huge laugh from Becky and an actual blush from Patches. A-freakin-dorable.

“How’s my favorite mother to be?”

Teagan grinned at how thrilled Becky was with him. “You say that to all your mothers,” she said, patting his hand when he held hers. “How ready are we ready for this little one?”

“Ready last week,” she sighed.

Teagan realized he was taking her pulse while holding her hand, how freaking amazing was he? “Pressure’s good,” he said, leaning and placing his cheek on her forehead then straightening. “Temp feels normal.”

Becky smiled at him the entire time, watching him examine her belly next. “Doesn’t she have amazing skin?” he said, pressing gently along the outer edges.

“So amazing,” Tegan agreed, moving to the other side, and taking her other hand. “Did you hear the possible names for the baby?” Tegan asked Patches.

“I believe Patches for a boy or… Patches for a girl?” He grinned at Teagan then Becky who filled the room with her musical laugh. “What?” he wondered. “It could work. Burt would love it.” He covered her belly back and tucked it in. “I’m going make a delivery and will be back in a couple hours to do fun doctor things to make sure everything is ready. Try to take a nap for me?”

She nodded, her smile so pretty and big. “He’s got the best bedside manners,” she whispered to Tegan.

“I see that. I’m taking notes.”

“Uh-oh,” he said, giving her a real smile that stole her frikn breath.

“I might have to barter me some of this,” she said, wagging her finger at the bed.

He added a real laugh, and it had Becky and her giggling like smitten little girls.

“Alligator boots for a delivery?”

She put her hand out across the bed. “You heard him,” she said to Becky. “You got yourself a deal.”

He held her gaze and shook her hand. “That’s a Bayou Bond right there. Size twelve.” He added a wink, and she pulled her hand away, glancing at Becky who beamed from ear to ear. Have mercy, she saw all that and then some.