Bayou Bishops Box Set: Books 1-12

CHAPTER 11

Tegan’s pulse was at a non-stop sputter with the approaching hurricane. The winds were picking up and it was still an hour till official landfall. She spotted Tater on the porch and hurried out, hooking her arm in his.

“Look at that, Babygirl,” he said, showing her the hurricane on his phone screen. “Thing is a monster. We’re feeling these bands here,” he said, showing her.

“My land, it’s massive,” she muttered.

“You scared?” he asked, angling his grin at her.

“Terrified!” she admitted. “I asked Patches to show me what it’s like and he had past footage of a bad one over here. Made me wanna run back to Texas!”

He chuckled. “Which we both know you’re not doing since you’re in love with the good Doc?”

She let out a breath, desperate to confess it to somebody besides herself and the inside of her skull. “I might be a little more than in love,” she said, getting a whole body turn out of him with raised brows.

“Really?”

“Really, really.”

“Daddy ain’t gonna like that,” he warned lightly.

“Troy or Torin neither,” she already knew. “What about you?”

He slid his phone in his back pocket with a grin and shrug. “Well, he’s got a swamp dragon, and a land dragon that is fuckin’ kickass. He’s a doctor of all trades, and damn good looking even by my standards. Hell yeah, I’ll marry him.”

She giggled, shoving him. “He’s all mine.”

“Is he?” he wondered. “Cause you got some scary competition in these swamps looks like.”

“As long as Patches wants me, I don’t care.”

“What kind of trouble you started earlier, anyway?”

“I didn’t!” she cried. “They cornered me, mocking my Texan accent and everything.”

“They did not,” he said in mock offense. “How dare they.”

“Now I got to rope and tie a damn alligator over it.”

“What!?” he laughed. “Why?”

“Because she said I couldn’t. And if I do, she’ll get off my fat, fine ass.”

He laughed real big at that. “There you go, own that big ass Texas pride.” He leaned closer. “But tell me…you know who in the world that fine-ass Julette is dating?”

“Nobody,” she gasped, realizing. “I love her, she’s my hero. She came to my rescue back there. I thought she was gonna throw down with them bitches on the porch, and I was ready to yank some hair.”

“Something tells me that’s how casual conversations might go around here,” he muttered with a laugh.

“They are a different breed of people, that’s for sure. But I doubt they’ll ever accept me.”

“Nah,” he said. “They will.”

“Wow and to think the leader of The Twelve married a Northerner. Wonder if they know a good portion of their people ain’t happy about that?”

“I wouldn’t count on that.”

“Count on what?”

“The whiners are loud but usually of little number.”

“I hope so. God, to be an outcast would be damn miserable.”

“Ya’ll can always move to Texas.”

“He’s the doctor for the whole hoard! Would be like yanking people off of life support.” She shook her head. “I’ll find a way to get them to accept me.”

“I have no doubt you will,” he said, putting his arm around her.

“Tegan, Dr. Patches needs you in Becky’s room,” one of the nurses said, out of breath.

Panic bolted her through the door, and she raced through the corridor to her room, bursting in without knocking, finding them laughing. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Patches said, “She was just asking where her favorite nurse was.”

A breath left out of her, and he laughed.

“You thought she was having the baby?”

“Well, yeah! You said they could with the hurricane!”

He laughed real big. “It won’t be that fast if she does.”

“Don’t say that!” Becky scolded him.

“You’re right,” he said. “Better be ready to fly on a moment’s notice. Miss Tegan, when you’re done here, I need you downstairs.”

Her womb jerked so hard, she put her hand on it. “Be right there.”

The second he left, Becky went serious. “What in the world is happening out there? I’ve been hearing bits and pieces all day. Sarah is in a foul mood too,” she hissed.

“Why you say that?” she asked, ready to be pissed.

“Well, she already don’t hide her true feelings for the nobodies except when Dr. Patches’s is around but shoo, today she was downright scary.” Her eyes were wide.

“Scary how?”

“The kind of scary I don’t want around me when I’m having a baby scary,” she whispered extra quietly.

“That two-face lying whore of a starvin’ heifer,” Tegan muttered.

“What’s it all about?” she whispered, glancing at the door. “Is it about you and Dr. Patches?” She smiled. “I know he likes you, I can see it. I bet Sarah can too.”

“Oh, she can. And Martha and Geraldine came gang up on me today playing all nice but they was anything but.”

“Those are some mean ones. I can’t believe Dr. Patches picked them for dates,” she barely mouthed like he was dumb as a box of beans.”

“Is she ever mean to you?” Tegan wondered, the idea about to make her go off.

She waved the whole thing off. “Nothing serious. Childish stuff. She does her job fine but her bedside manners with me are telling when Patches isn’t around.”

“Well, that’ll change,” she assured. “If I have anything to say about it and I think I will.”

She gasped. “I heard Juliette earlier. She was taking up for you?”

“She was, thank the good lord.”

“I love her so much,” Becky said with a proud, tight smile. “Everybody does.”

“Not according to Geraldine.”

Another poo-poo hand wave. “They’re so dumb, them girls. Most of the women have families and don’t act like them. These ones are special,” she whispered with a giggle that made Tegan smile. The woman suddenly opened her arms. “Come here, you look like you need a hug.”

Tegan hurried over and took it, the little act of kindness filling her heart way up. “Thank you for accepting me, Becky. You’re my only friend so far. Besides Patches and Juliette.”

“Grand Pier really likes you too,” she said, nodding like she knew she worried about it. “He’ll get over Sarah as soon as he knows Dr. Patches’ feelings for you.”

“Mercy, I sure hope so.”

“You better go find the good Doctor. I know he’s waiting for you.”

Oh heavens, she really did know what he was up to. “I’ll be checking on you regularly,” Tegan assured. “You’re in my hands now.”

Becky gave a happy clap. “Good! Oh, I do hope this rascal comes out and meets us soon,” she said, stroking her belly. “Get!” she shooed.

****

Tegan opened the apartment door and Patches turned, pulling her inside. “New plan,” he said, locking it. “I’m telling Grand Pier about you. I don’t want to wait, I can’t stand hiding you from anybody. I want the fucking world to know.”

He wrapped his arms around her and smashed his lips against hers with a moan before opening his mouth and really kissing her. “I called my Eveque,” he said, kissing her at a different angle now.

“Why?”

“To tell him my decision.”

Her pulse spiked with fear. “What…did he say?”

He pulled up, smiling at her. “His actual words were, ‘Mon Dieu, my Litte Patches is getting married.’”

“Little Patches?” Love overwhelmed her and she ran her fingers in his hair, getting serious. He did too at seeing it.

“They’re having a hurricane party at the Basilique. Most of The Twelve will be there, even the married ones with their wives.”

She wondered why he was telling her that.

“I wish I could take you. Show them arrogant fucks that I won. I got the most beautiful woman on the planet.”

“Oh my land,” she whispered, pulling his mouth to hers and kissing him.

Her back hit the wall and everything erupted in a hurry. “Yes, fuck me,” she gasped, hiking up her dress when he undid his. She got out of her panties right as he pinned her neck to the wall and shoved her leg up. “Do it,” he ordered, kissing at her mouth.

She needed no explanation as she reached between them and took hold of his huge cock, placing him at her opening.

“You ready?” he asked, his breaths thick at her mouth.

She couldn’t speak, only nod, her need coming in tiny whimpers.

He shoved all the way in and his mouth opened on hers, his hot gasps burning before he devoured her. “I’m going to fuck you so hard now,” he swore, winded, his hand tighter on her neck.

“Yes,” she barely shot out, ready to orgasm just from his words.

He pulled out and gave another hard thrust, groaning and feeling her neck with his fingers, his growl catching her shriek. “Fucking love when you scream like that, baby.”

“Forrest,” she gasped, loving the feel of being pinned by his hand and cock against the wall. “You’re being so mean.”

His mouth opened wider with a groan as he pulled out and shoved in again. “You’re being so fucking bad.”

“Punish me,” she begged weakly. “Make my pussy take your big cock.”

His mouth hardened with a seethe and he turned into a bucking bull, his cock a jackhammer against the deepest part of her. God, she was shrieking and couldn’t stop and again, he wanted exactly that it seemed. He wanted the world to know what he did to her, what he made her feel. She didn’t hold back, she told the story straight and true and with all her heart.

The sudden pounding on the door brought another kind of scream from her it was so loud. “Sorry to interrupt,” Tater yelled. “But I was told to tell you about some kind of water pipe breaking and one of them mothers.”

“Shit!” Patches pulled out of her and pulled on his pants. “One of the mother’s water broke.”

“Oh my God!” Tegan cried, stumbling into her clothes.

“Coming,” Patches yelled.

“Yeah, I’ll let ‘em know,” he said, laughter in his voice.

“Which one?” Tegan wondered. “Is it Becky?”

“That would be nice,” he whispered, yanking his t-shirt over his head. “Except for this fucking hurricane.”

She remembered his fears with that. “You got everything ready though, so it’s gonna be fine.” She grabbed his face before he opened the door and kissed him. “You’ll be amazing, and we’ll all help!”

Even as she said it, that dreadful premonition in his eyes gnawed up her guts. Lord, he was scared and that was more than a little intimidating to see with somebody strong as him.