Big Catch

by Cathryn Fox

  “I am.”

  “Is that why you were checking Cecil?”

  “Yes, and he’s going to be fine.”

  “So, you’re my doctor now, too?”

  Alyssa straightens. “Well, if you need me when I’m here, then yes, I’ll be your doctor.”

  Ty closes the book in front of him. “Okay, guys. Get to work on your homework, and Bray will be back next week to test you.”

  “Are you not staying for tea?” Becca asks as she comes back.

  “Thanks, but we have to get home,” I say.

  Home.

  Aly fits so easily into our lives, and when she’s inside the villa, it suddenly feels like a real home—one I never had growing up, never thought I could have, yet I always craved.

  Becca takes Aly’s hands into hers. “Thank you so much.”

  “Anytime.”

  “We need more good doctors like you around here.”

  “Thank you,” I say as the boys grab their pencils. Ty stands, and we all follow him outside. The sun shines down on us as Ty asks about Cecil. Aly explains while we walk back to the center of town to gather the others.

  As we stroll down the street, Alyssa points to a store. “I want to make a quick stop in there before we head back. I saw a cute purse I want to pick up for my friend.”

  “Sure,” we say in unison, and as she steps away, a female voice behind us catches us by surprise.

  “Hey, strangers.”

  “Jennie,” Ty says.

  She puts her hands on his shoulders, flashes her lashes at me, then looks back at Ty. “Long time no see,” she says, her gaze straying to Alyssa. “You guys haven’t been around in a while.”

  Ty casually removes her hands from around his neck. “Been busy.”

  “With her?” she asks, a dark spark of jealousy in her eyes.

  I catch a glimpse of Alyssa in my peripheral vision. Her steps have slowed, and her eyes are narrow as she takes in the way Jennie is touching Ty. My pulse jumps in my throat. Jesus, if I didn’t know better, I’d say the girl I’m trying hard not to fall for is looking at my best friend the same way Jennie is—with total and utter ownership.

  Chapter Six

  Alyssa

  “Morning, birthday girl.”

  “Morning.” I scramble to sit up when I see that now familiar grin on Ty’s face. He’s in play mode, and I love it. “What’s going on?” I pull the blankets over my naked body, my mind going back to last night and all the amazing things I did between these sheets, up against the wall, in the shower… Yesterday, after our shopping excursion, tending to Becca’s son, and soaking up the sun, I spent the rest of the night in bed with these two incredible men who continue to teach me that playtime is just as important as work time. Truthfully, though, they both make me feel special, and that’s not something I’ve ever really felt before. How on earth am I expected to go back to normal after time in their arms?

  “Twenty-five years old today,” Ty says, his smile spreading.

  I eye him skeptically. “Are you planning on giving me twenty-five spankings or something?”

  Before he can answer, Bray comes in with a cup of coffee for me. I accept it and take a much-needed sip.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t like that idea,” Bray says, his sexy grin doing the most ridiculous things to my body.

  I blush, thinking about the way I squirmed when he gave me a hard slap last night, then lift my head to feign innocence. “What makes you say that?”

  He laughs, and Ty joins him. “Oh, maybe the way your nipples are puckering.”

  I glance down and see the bed sheet has fallen, exposing my pert nubs. “I…I…” Oh, hell, what was the point in lying? These two could see through it, anyway. “Maybe I do like that idea,” I say boldly.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get your spankings,” Ty says.

  “But that’s not epic enough for a twenty-fifth birthday,” Bray adds.

  “Bray—” I begin, a warning in my voice. What are these two planning?

  He holds his hands up. “You trust me, right?”

  I look at the two men who have been taking care of me, and feel an inherent trust that affects both my body and my heart. My pulse kicks up a notch as everything inside me flutters.

  Careful, Alyssa.

  “Yes,” I say.

  “So, while you were sleeping, we came up with an epic idea.”

  I take another sip of coffee; I’m pretty damn sure I’m going to need it before he tells me what they’ve been concocting. “Go on.”

  Ty leans in to me, presses his lips to mine for a soft kiss. My heart thumps at the tenderness in his touch. “Twenty-five orgasms,” he whispers into my mouth.

  My hands shake, and Bray removes my coffee cup, a huge grin on his face.

  “I…can’t have twenty-five orgasms in a day. No one can.”

  Oh, but I’m willing to try.

  “No, of course not. We’re going to spread them out.” He jabs his thumb into his chest. “But we plan to give them to you whenever and wherever we want.”

  Excitement coils through me. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Please don’t let them be kidding me.

  “We never kid about orgasms,” Ty says, his face deadpan.

  “Never,” Bray agrees.

  Bray grabs my ankles and gives a slight tug, so I’m flat on my back again. “Are you ready for number one?” He’s about to climb over me when someone starts pounding on the front door of the villa. Then we hear voices. Young voices. We all freeze, and an uneasy feeling closes in on me.

  “Becca’s boys,” Bray says, the lust in his eyes flashing to worry.

  All humor fades from Ty’s face. “Shit.”

  The two guys hurry to the front door as I scramble into a sundress. I tie my hair back and rush down after them. When I see Thomas and Vin, panic dancing over their little faces, my heart picks up tempo, fearing Cecil has worsened.

  Vin grabs my hand. “Mama’s having her baby.”

  Going straight into doctor mode, I turn to Tyler, “Get the vehicle started. I’ll grab my bag.”

  A minute later we’re all piled in the van, and Bray speeds to the village a short distance away as I ask the boys questions, none of which they can really answer.

  We make it to the village fast, and we all rush inside. I’m quickly introduced to Becca’s husband, Thomas senior, and he hurries me to the bedroom.

  “Becca,” I say, and take in the sheen on her face. She looks calm—way calmer than I would have expected, probably because this is her fourth baby. Do I dare tell her it’s only my second delivery? “How far apart are the contractions?” I ask, struggling to present calm.

  “Two minutes.”

  I place my bag on her dresser. “Good thing your boys thought to come and get me. How is Cecil?” I ask as I open my bag and pull out my stethoscope.

  “He’s feeling better.” She sucks in deep panting breaths as I look her over and take her vitals. When she lets out a moan, I step to the foot of the bed to assess her progress.

  “Okay, let me have a look,” I say, praying there are no complications. I have no idea how far the hospital is, but with her contractions so close, I’m sure she’ll deliver before we even get there.

  I pull the sheet up over her bent legs, and see the baby is already crowing. “We’re close.” I look to her husband, who has gone pale. “Can you bring me fresh towels and water in a bowl please?” I ask.

  A hand touches my shoulder. “What do you need, Aly?” Bray says softly. I glance up into a pair of the kindest blue eyes, and my heart falters.

  “I’m okay, Bray. Maybe someone can distract the boys.”

  “Ty’s outside with them, playing soccer.”

  My heart thuds harder, and I smile. “Of course he is.” Once again I wonder how it’s possible that these two guys are still single. They are incredible men, who care a great deal about the people in their community and always know just what to do. Becca bears down again, an
d my thoughts return to her. “I need to work now,” I say.

  He drops a soft kiss onto my forehead. “I’ll check on Cecil, and then I’ll be hanging in the hall. Holler if you need anything.”

  Thomas senior comes back with the supplies, and I place the fresh towels on the bed. “Just sit with her and talk to her,” I say. He takes Becca’s hand in his and uses the other to brush her hair from her forehead.

  I pull on my sterile gloves, open a clean cloth and place my equipment on it. “Breath with me,” I say to Becca when another contraction hits.

  She cries and bears down again. “Let’s get this baby out.” Thomas rubs her hands, and breathes with her.

  “If you have another boy, you’ll soon be able to start your own soccer team,” I say.

  Becca grins. “We’re hoping for a girl.” She cries out as a sharp pain hits.

  “Push,” I say and count to ten. “Okay, stop.”

  “You’re doing great,” Thomas says. Then he says something in Creole that I don’t understand. It brings a smile to her face, and that makes me happy.

  I give her a moment of reprieve, then say, “I need you to push again.”

  Tears pool in her eyes as she holds her bent legs and clenches down. “That’s it, Becca.” I count to ten again as the boys play in the street, their sounds reaching my ears.

  The room grows warm, and I wipe my brow on my arm as the minutes tick by. We continue with the push and count to ten pattern for a long time, until Becca is nearing exhaustion. I fear if we don’t get this baby out soon, she’s going to give up on me. I check the time and exchange a look with her husband. He nods in understanding.

  It’s time to really push Becca into getting this baby out.

  “Becca,” Thomas says, then he finishes his sentence in their native tongue. She nods and clamps her teeth together.

  “Okay, Becca, the hardest push you have. We’re almost here.”

  She cries and pushes with everything she has in her. This time I don’t let up. “Push again,” I say. “Push, push, push.”

  The head comes out, and I quickly clear the mouth and airways of fluid. After another big push, the baby’s shoulders slide through. I capture the little body in my hands, and my heart squeezes as she lets out a loud cry. I set her on the towels for a quick examination.

  “It’s a girl,” I announce and reach for my scissors to cut the cord. Both Becca and Thomas start crying and speaking to each other in Creole. I glance at Bray, who is hovering in the doorway, watching me carefully. “We share the same birthday.”

  Bray blinks, and for a second, I think I see water in his eyes. It turns my heart inside out. “Give me ten minutes, then the boys can come meet their sister.”

  Bray heads out, and I quickly clean the baby up and place her on Becca’s chest as I tend to the placenta. Once I have her cleaned up. I remove my gloves and stand back, totally spent. Bray returns and wraps his arms around me, holding me to him, as we watch mother, father, and baby bond. My knees wobble slightly because at that moment, it hits me. I want this. I want this kind of love and happiness. My entire body quivers, and Bray must take it as exhaustion. He holds me tight, and I accept his support.

  “You did great,” he whispers into my ear.

  “How far is the hospital?” I ask.

  “Thirty minutes. I’ll take her.” His big arms go around my waist, and I press my hands to his.

  “I’d like to stay with her, just to make sure she’s okay.”

  Bray nods as the boys all come running in to see their mother. With them is another woman, who introduces herself as Cheri, Becca’s sister. She looks frantic, and I quickly calm her down. As the house buzzes with the birth of the little girl, we load mom, dad, and baby into the van, while Cheri stays to take care of the boys.

  An hour later, while seated in the front of the van between Ty and Bray, a wave of exhaustion comes over me. I let loose a yawn, and Tyler pulls me to him. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just coming down from the adrenaline rush. Plus, I didn’t get all that much sleep,” I add, grinning. I go quiet and think about these two men, the way they are with Becca’s boys. Playing with them, protecting them, teaching them. I want to ask why they don’t have their own families, but really, it’s none of my business. This is just a two-week affair, and I’m not supposed to get close.

  Too late for that, Alyssa.

  “You were incredible back there, Aly,” Bray says. “Just like you were with Cecil last night.”

  “I love what I do, Bray. I love being able to help like that.”

  “I’m sorry you had to work on your birthday,” Ty says.

  I grin. “It’s not work if you love what you do.”

  “True,” he says. “Every day here is like a vacation, too.”

  “I’m just really glad I was here for her.” I fold my hands on my lap, and think about the doctor shortage in this community. “What would she have done?”

  “Probably deliver in the backseat on the way to the hospital,” Ty says.

  I shiver at that. “That would have been horrible for her.”

  Bray’s hand slides across the seat and captures mine. He gives a little squeeze, and when I glance at him, his expression goes so soft. My heart misses a beat when I take in the warmth and tenderness in his eyes as his gaze slides over my face.

  “How come you guys aren’t married?” I blurt out without thinking. When I realize what I’ve done, I try to get the words back. Heck, it’s none of my business. But Bray turns it around and asks the same of me.

  “I guess I’ve just been so busy with school, work, trying to please my parents.” I don’t bother telling them that men see me as a white coat and stethoscope, not a woman—and if they do, it’s as nothing more than a hit it and quit it kind of girl.

  He slides me a look when I bring up my parents again. “They put a lot of pressure on me.” I shrug like it’s nothing, but clearly he can see right through that.

  “What kind of pressure?” Ty asks.

  “I love what I do, but it’s not good enough for them. They want me to specialize.” I let loose an exaggerated sigh. “They think they know what is best for me.”

  “Do they?” Ty asks.

  “No.”

  “Sounds to me like they care deeply about you and only want what is best,” Bray says. “All I ever wanted was a family who love me, Aly.”

  “My family is your family, Bray,” Ty says. “What’s mine is yours, you know that.”

  My heart thunders. Did Bray not have anyone? “I know they care. But I’d like to make my own decisions.”

  “Tell them to back off,” Ty says.

  “Easier said than done. You don’t know my parents.”

  Ty touches my face softly as Bray continues to squeeze my hand.

  “True, but there comes a time when a person has to take the reins, shut out all the voices, and do what is best for them,” Bray says. “Life is short. As a doctor, you know that better than anyone. You should be happy, do what makes you happy. That’s why Ty and I moved here. Back in New York, we weren’t living; we were just surviving.”

  “Best decision,” Ty agrees.

  “I know you’re right. My whole life has been about responsibilities. My upbringing was very conservative, and I toe the line, walk the straight and narrow. I’ve never really done anything just for myself.”

  “Until now,” Bray says.

  “Until now,” I agree. Unease moves through me at the thought of going back home. Sooner or later I fear I’ll cave and go the specialization route, even though it’s not what I really want at the moment. Later maybe, but not right now. “I could always be an obstetrician.” Not that my hospital needs another. Here in Antigua, though, sure looks like they could use an extra.

  Bray slides me a glance. “Is that something you’d like, or is that something to make your parents happy?”

  “Both, I guess.” A beat passes between us, then I ask, “What are your parents like?”


  “Mine were great,” Ty says. “Pretty functional.” He casts Bray a glance, concern in his eyes. “Bray didn’t have it so easy.”

  “My father was a bastard. Beat the shit out of me just for fun,” Bray says. “If it wasn’t for Ty and his family, I’d probably be on the streets somewhere.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, my heart squeezing for the abused boy, as I grasp a better understanding of the relationship these two men have. I’d never want to do anything to come between them.

  “My biggest fear is that I’ll end up like him.”

  “Not going to happen,” I say. “You’re a good man, Bray.”

  When they go quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts, I turn the subject back to them. “So why aren’t you guys married?” Beneath the hard bodies and bedroom antics, these two are good men. Correction—great men. “Becca’s kids adore you both, and I see how much you care about everyone in this town, as well as everyone who stays at your villa.”

  “Shh, keep that to yourself, or you’ll ruin our reputation,” Ty teases.

  “So, you’re not interested in marriage or having a family?” I ask, as my mind trips back to our shopping excursion and the way that pretty girl had touched Ty with ownership. Unease and possessiveness races through me as I picture them with anyone but me. I swallow it down. I seriously have no right to feel so possessive. We’re not committed, and these guys can be with whoever they want. They’re not mine.

  “We were waiting for the right girl,” Ty says and from the warm way he’s looking at me I can’t help but wonder if he’s saying I’m the right girl. My heart gives a little jump at that thought, then I quickly push that ludicrous idea aside. This is sex. We’re having fun. Besides, how unorthodox would a trio for life be? Talk about complicated.

  Nothing is complicated in Antigua.

  Bray and Ty exchange a look, then Bray says, “Sometimes you don’t know what you want until it’s right there in front of you.” He pulls into his parking spot at the villa, and kills the ignition. Bray looks at Tyler again. “Why don’t you head upstairs. Run Aly a bath, and I’ll make us all something to eat and bring it up.”

  I make a move to go, and Bray captures my arm. He puts his mouth close to my ear and says, “Don’t think we’ve forgotten about the twenty-five orgasms.”