Chandler: Bishop’s Snowy Leap – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance (Bishop's Snowy Leap Book 2)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “This mark is on all of us, correct?” Sasha told her that she assumed so. “Right, another one of those things that we’ll have to test it to be sure. I want you to go with me. I need to have a conversation with my mother. While there, if you want, I’ll be with you when you tell your family. Deal?”

  “Yes, excellent. You saved me from having to beg you to go. By the way, I’ve spoken about this with Sippy a little. Not as much as I have you, but she had the general idea. I don’t think she’s overly happy about the fact that someone did this without asking her. I think she just needs to realize the implications of what she’s been gifted with. Like seeing her grandchildren grow up and have children.” Raven said that she would come around, or they’d knock her around to it. “I think that she will without blows, don’t you?”

  “I do. And to be honest with you, I’m terrified of Sippy. She has that quiet way about her that makes you think that she doesn’t have all her marbles. But once she opens her mouth, you know that you’ve hit up on a shit storm that you’re never gonna get cleaned up after.” Sasha told her that she was very colorful at times. “Yes, well, I hang around men a great deal when I’m working. They tend to forget that I’m a woman and not one of the guys. In the business world, I’m top dog. When it comes to being gentle and understanding, I’m at the bottom of the list. I’m shadowing you in the ways of being a nice bitch.”

  “Thank you, I think.”

  Raven asked Molly and her grandma if they wanted to go with them. As the four of them loaded up in the car, Holly and Molly said that they’d wait for them in the car when they went to see the mothers. After that, Raven said they’d have a nice big lunch, as the guys were all busy.

  “Also, I have to figure out some things about getting my shit together about how to take care of our house. I tried just running the vacuum this morning and nearly killed myself in doing just the upper floors. We have a staff, but I hate to bother them about just sweeping when I’m capable of…. Well, in a regular house, I’m capable of doing it on my own.”

  “Use the staff, Sasha. The people that are there are all the ones that I had when I lived there. You just ask them for something, and they’ll bend over backwards in getting it done. They love working for the two of you. I still keep in contact with some of them.” Holly laughed. “My goodness, now I know what Sherman meant when he said that you were looking to fire them all. I just couldn’t for the life of me figure out what he was talking about. You’ll have enough to keep you busy now that you and Chandler are married, and he’s going to school and working.”

  “I will then. I didn’t want them to think that we were taking advantage of them.” Raven laughed and said that she loved to trip them up sometimes by asking for something outrageous. “They still came through for you, didn’t they?”

  “They really did. I will admit that here lately, I’ve been using the help a great deal more because I seem to be exhausted all the time. Sawyer told me that I’d get used to it. But I have to tell you— Hang on ladies, we’re going to go and get Sippy. We need her on this outing as well.” Raven did a U-turn, and they made their way to the farm. The house that Sippy and Saul had decided on was being built now. “I’m really glad that they decided to have a new home. And here. It’ll still be like coming home for the guys, don’t you think?”

  “I heard they were having four extra bedrooms put in. For the children. I’m so jealous of that thought. I’ve decided to do the same, so I can have the kids over all to myself too.” Raven looked at her grandma in the rearview mirror when she said that, her heart breaking that Grandma was moving out. “I’ll be close, Raven. Sawyer and I have been plotting. I’m going to build back there on your property that butts up against the orchard. I’m excited about being able to have fruit whenever I want it.”

  After having to convince Sippy to come along with them, they headed to the jail. Getting it over with on an empty stomach seemed the way to go, especially since Raven was having so much trouble keeping food down, and Sasha had an excitable stomach. Raven would have to remember that, an excitable stomach. It was perfectly apt for what Sasha had, and a kinda nice way to say puking all the time.

  ~*~

  Chandler decided that he loved being a vet more than anything else that he could have become. The fact that he’d had to put down a horse this morning didn’t deter him from his passion. The horse was suffering, and the only way to make him better was to put him down. It was, he knew, one of the hardest things he’d have to deal with.

  “I thought you’d be squeamish about that horse of Mr. Tailor’s. You did that right well.” Doc Joe had been with him all day, but he could see that the man was starting to wane a little. He’d never realized how old the man was until he told him today. He was nearing ninety. “I hope you’ll let me finish here by saying that I’m going to leave you my practice, Chandler. My kids don’t want it, and they surely won’t know what to do with all the equipment I’ve collected over the years. Leaving it to you, they all agreed, is about the best thing this old man could do.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” He told him to say that he’d take it. “Yes, I will. I can’t thank you enough for this. I mean, I never expected this.”

  “I know you didn’t. That’s what makes it all the nicer for me. I could see you turning down work close to here so that you’d not bother my practice. But I’m tired, and I don’t know how much more of running around in the middle of the night I can take.” They shook hands on the deal. “The only thing is that the building belongs to my great-granddaughter now, Penny. Her grandmamma Wendy owned it first. She had it in her head about twenty or so years ago that she wanted to have herself a nice little shop to sell her things. Don’t know now nor back then what things she was thinking of selling, Wendy is about ten times the laziest person that you’ve ever met. I’m thinking that’s why my great-granddaughter is so busy all the time. She doesn’t want to be thought of as being like her father either, I’m guessing. Not that Wendy is a bad person or anything. But she’d rather sit around and watch television than to get out and be something. Those two boys of Wendy’s are about as bad as their mother, I’m guessing. Tony is my great-granddaughter’s father. James is Wendy’s other son. Tony never married, but somehow he ended up with that child. Penny is making a name for herself too. She’s a weaver. Never seen it done until she came along and gave me a quick lesson on it. Never seen the likes, I have to tell you.”

  “Is that the great-granddaughter that is getting married soon? I saw something about it in the paper.” Doc Joe said that was the one. “Congratulations on that. I’m sure you’re wanting great-great-grandchildren just like her.”

  “So long as they ain’t a bit like Dutch. He’s his mother’s son, that’s for sure. The lot of them are little shits. I think they’re marrying into the family on account of them thinking that we’re some kind of rich. We ain’t. Penny has herself a nice nest egg, but she is far from rich. Dutch Donnelly, you know him?” Chandler told him that he didn’t think he did. “You’d remember him if you did. He’s not all that tall and has a gut on him like he drinks beer a great deal, as I’m sure he does. Straw hair. Not the color, but it looks like it’s as soft as the crap is. He’s got himself three brothers that are just like him, and he’s got him a sister too. She’s smarter than all of them put together. Don’t have much to do with them either, I don’t think. Her name is Emmie Donnelly.”

  “I think I heard of her. She’s the new bank manager downtown.” Doc said that was her. “It’s a wonder they don’t have her try and let them in the bank some night the way you talk about them.”

  “I’m sure that it ain’t for lack of trying to get her to cooperate. Emmie and Penny, they’re good friends last time I heard. But I think that there is a strain there with Emmie trying to get Penny to change up her mind on marrying her brother. I hope they can work it out and that Emmie can convince my great-granddaughter. There are more fish in t
he sea than a dumbass like Donnelly.” Chandler laughed with Doc. “You tell me something there, son. You tell me why it is that people just don’t pick out the right person for themselves. Martha and I, we had us a good life. Married nearly seventy years when she passed on. Yet there are folks out there that go into marrying with a chip on their shoulder and a prenup that says that if we don’t work things out, you get shit, and I get to keep all my toys. Damn people. They should take a lesson from shifters like you and your family. Never met a family more in love with being in love in all my days. And that’s a good long time if you ask me.”

  “As you said, I think that people—not all, but a large part of them—are going into things with their eyes closed. Or, more than likely, with their noses glued to their phones. They see online or wherever about how this or that marriage is working because of some stupid idea. Then they try it. When that doesn’t work out, they just give up. I say that talking is the best way to make sure that things are out in the open. You know Raven, don’t you?” Doc laughed and said that everyone did. “Right. Because when she has an idea or a problem, she gets to the heart of things. Today, she and my wife are going in to talk to their mothers. Now there is a group of nasty women. But they’re going to tell them off, and when they’re done, they’re all going to have lunch together. It’s done and over with them. My mom is learning to say what she thinks too.”

  “I bet that’s a scary thing right there.” Instead of answering him, Chandler just laughed. “You’re a good boy, Chandler. Always have been. Why, when I saw you the first time, you were no more than about five or six years old. Brought me that old skunk telling me that I needed to fix him up. Never seen such an animal take to someone like that thing did to you. And it never once sprayed no one in your home either, I’m betting.”

  “No. Stinky—that was his name. He only had to protect me one time, and the bigger kids left me alone. I think that smell is still lingering a little on the Jefferson boys. I’d not thought of that in a long time. I used to bring you all kinds of things like that back in the day. Some you could save, others you helped me bury. You’re a good man, Doc.” Doc thanked him, and they both watched as his dad pulled into the circular drive of the office they were both sitting in front of. “Dad? Everything all right?”

  “Sure. I was wondering if you and the others—you can come along too, Doc—wanted to have us a nice dinner out tonight. The womenfolk, they’ve done their duty by their mothers, thank goodness, and now they’re having them a blast at the restaurant in Columbus. Thought you all would like to join me for a steak dinner or something.”

  “Sure.” Before they could make much more than some arrangements, the office phone rang. While he sat on the porch with his dad, Doc went in to answer it. “I was just reminiscing with Doc about the animals that I used to bring him. I can’t believe that I’ve wanted to be this my entire life.”

  “I despaired every time your momma told me that you’d brought home another patient. I was always glad when I found out it was usually just a wee little thing.” Dad asked him about his work. Chandler said he was having a good go at it. “I’m glad for you, son. I heard you had to put down one of Mr. Tailor’s horses this morning. He’s going to need some help come summer. Now that you’re a married man, you not going to be helping out around town with your old man?”

  “I don’t think I’d want to anymore, Dad. Spending time with a special man like you? What will people say about me?” They both laughed. “You know that all you have to do is call me and I’ll be there. Even Sasha wants to learn how to drive one of the bigger tractors to help out. She thought that if Molly could do it, she could as well.”

  “No reason to think that she couldn’t.” Both of them stood up when Doc came out of the building. They could both see that he’d been crying. “What is it, Doc? What can we help you out with? Anything, you just name it.”

  “My daughter. Wendy. She’s been killed.” Doc nearly fell to the porch and would have had Chandler not grabbed him. “I was just talking to you about her, Chandler, and then she goes and gets herself killed. I know that I complained about her a lot, but I did love her to pieces. Her kids are going to be devastated for sure. The police told me that she was on her way back from the store when she was playing around on her phone and ran herself up under a semi. They know that was what she was doing because she was on the phone with the police when it happened.”

  “What was she calling the police for, Doc? Someone threatening her or something?” Chandler looked at his dad when he spoke. “Come on, Doc. I’ll run you home. There ain’t nothing going on around here that needs your attention. Chandler here will close up for you.”

  “Chandler, you don’t mind, do you?” Instead of answering the elderly man, he helped him to Dad’s truck. “I just don’t know what I’m to do. The police said that I’d have to notify her kids on this. Wendy has her two kids, and then there is her brother and sister, Thomas and Cheryl. I have to call them. Will you stay with me, Saul, while I call them?”

  “Of course, I will. Come on now. I’ll even make you a bit of dinner.” Doc mentioned their plans. “They was only plans, Doc. Nothing earthshattering. I’d much rather be with you than to be sitting around with a bunch of kids that don’t have the sense to get in out of the rain sometimes.”

  Dad winked at him. Chandler knew what he was doing—making small talk while Doc thought through what had just happened. When they pulled away from the building, Chandler reached out to his family to let them know what had happened.

  Oh, that poor man. Mom knew the entire family. Chandler thought that she would have. Wendy wasn’t a very good starter, her mother used to say, but she was a good mom. Her kids, they have kids too now that I think on it. I’ll have to sit down to think about what their names are.

  Dad has gone to his house to help him make the calls. I’m here at the office, just waiting for five so that I can close up for him. Doc and I were just talking about his family when Dad pulled up to talk me into going out to dinner with him. I’m guessing that she went fast. She drove up under a semi or something like that, I was told. He shivered when he thought of what might have happened to the older woman as his mom told him that it was a terrible shame. It’ll be hard on them all.

  We should come home. Chandler said that there was no reason for that. There wasn’t anything that any of them could do until the arrangements were made. What do you think? Should we head back of just stay here? I don’t really want to. I’m having a wonderful time with you girls. I know that Holly is as well.

  Like Chandler said, there isn’t anything we can do. It’s sad, but I don’t think that any of us knew the family all that well. The guys might. Sawyer said that he and the others had gone to school with Wendy’s children. We’ll stay here then. I, for one, after fighting with my mother, could use a good dinner out. Janet Stipple isn’t going to bother me anymore after this.

  So they had made their peace with their mothers. Chandler was glad for that. It would go a long way in their long lives not to have to be on the lookout for one of them to come along and fuck things up for them. That was what Sasha had said to him before she’d left to see Raven. Chandler thought the two of them had gotten close, and was glad for it.

  Sasha had told him before they left the jail that her mother was telling her that nothing would stick. Then when she was let out, they’d all be living with her since she’d called the cops on them. There was no way that Katie was getting out of jail. Ever. There were just too many charges against her to think that she ever would. And Pearl had made a deal with the Feds that had her telling things against her mother and brother.

  At four-thirty, a little car pulled up in front of the building. Chandler was outside again, having gone in twice to answer a sales call. The woman who got out of the car had been crying, and he knew that she had to be related to old Doc.

  “Do you know where Grandpa Joe is?” He told her how he’d go
ne home with his dad when the call had come in. “My grandma. Grandpa Joe shouldn’t be alone, so I’m glad that your dad is with him. I’m Penny Harold. Wendy Harold is—was my grandma. You’re…?”

  “Sorry. Chandler Bishop. Your grandpa Joe is letting me work for him while I go back to school to become a vet.” She nodded and looked down the main street to where the building was. “I’m so sorry about your grandma, Penny. If you need anything, just let me and my family know.”

  “Thank you. Will you please tell Emmie Donnelly that I’ve gone to my grandpa’s home? I want to be with him before the others show up.” Chandler said that he’d do that. “Thank you. If you don’t mind, don’t tell the others that I’ve arrived, nor that Emmie is with me. I need their drama right now like I need a hole in my head.”

  When she pulled away, not a minute or two later, Emmie pulled in and asked about Penny. After sending her on her way, it was five o’clock, and he closed up. If any of the other family members showed up, he didn’t leave them a note to tell them where to go.

  He was nearly home when he saw the Donnellys go by him in the opposite direction. He then realized that Penny didn’t mention what to tell Dutch. He hoped that she was going to listen to Emmie and forget about the man, but it wasn’t any of his business.

  Going home, Chandler realized that he was going to be eating alone tonight. Reaching out to his brothers, he invited them to have dinner with him. The only one that couldn’t make it was Wesley. He had a date tonight. However, it didn’t sound like he was all that thrilled to be going on it when he said that if he got done early, he’d meet them.

  Sounds more like a dental appointment than a date, Wesley. Were you set up on this thing? Wesley told them that he had been. Well, have fun. We’re going to be having dinner around six-thirty if you want to come by there before your date.

  I might do that. They were all laughing when Westley told them that this was a mistake and that the woman was nice, but he didn’t have time for dating. I have the last of the crops to bring in, and I don’t have time to be sitting around with a woman that has marriage on her head. She actually told me that she hoped that things would progress quickly with us. She so loves a Christmas wedding. I should cancel.