Bishop

Chapter 16

Bishop

This is the first appointment I’ve been to and I’m as out of place here as I am at a fancy dinner.Glancing around, I’m the only guy in the place.It would help if there were at least one more, at least then I wouldn’t feel so alone.My dad never taught me how to handle these things and I’ve never been in this situation before.Kinda wish I had dressed better than I did.My jeans and shirt are grease-stained and my boots have seen better days.

“You sure you want me to be here?”I lean over, asking her quietly.

“Of course I do.”She glances over, appearing to be confused.“Why would you think I don’t want you to be here?”

Looking down at myself, I motion to my jeans and shirt.“Maybe I should’ve changed my clothes.”

“No, you are who you are,” she whispers.“I don’t want you any different than the way you are right now.”

“A dirty mechanic?”

“Yes.”She turns so that she’s looking into my eyes.“You work hard.You provide a good life for us and you’re my baby daddy.”

“It’s not always on the up and up,” I remind her, feeling less than I normally am for some reason I can’t explain.

“But you’re still doing it,” she reminds me.“How many of these women sitting in this room are here by themselves because they don’t have a supportive partner?Probably more than you think.Sometimes, I think you forget how I was brought up.I’m used to dangerous and not on the up and up.It doesn’t scare me, Bishop.”

I grin over at her.“Which I think scaresmemore than it should.”

She laughs.“Why?”

“Because you should have a healthy dose of fear about life.It keeps us from doing stupid shit.You, my love, have no fear.”

“I get it from my mama.”She smiles over at me.“Seriously, though, I do have fear.I just don’t show it often.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing it.”

“You did,” she argues.“Last night, when I was asking if I’m going to be a good mother or not.That was fear talking.”

“You know what I mean.”I level her with a glare.“That type of stuff you don’t mind being scared of.It’s the big stuff that could maybe get you hurt that you aren’t afraid of.The type of stuff that could make you a target because of who you are.That shit will get you in trouble and you have no fear of it.”

“I wouldn’t say I have no fear,” she argues.“I have a healthy regard for it but, at the same time, I know when shit’s about to hit the fan.A level head is important.”

“You’re the most level-headed person I know.”

She groans.“Do you remember me taking the pregnancy test?I don’t think I was level-headed then.”

“Again, that’s not a life and death situation.That, at the time, was considered a possible inconvenience,” I remind her.

“Okay.”She folds her arms.“Put me in a life and death situation and I’ll freak out like a proper woman should.How’s that?Then you can be my knight in shining armor.”

“That’s more like it.”I grin.

“Harley Walker.”A nurse calls her name.

Before she stands up, she grabs my hand and together we walk toward the woman smiling at us.

“Harley?”

“That’s me,” she answers, squeezing my fingers with hers.

“Alright, let’s get you in here.”

I watch as the nurse weighs her, asks her a few questions, and then leads us to a room.“You can sit over here next to her if you want,” she tells me.I nod, not saying a word because I don’t know anything that’s going on.Harley gets her blood pressure and temperature taken and is then asked a bunch of questions.