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“No, we’re at Maggie’s. Her and Spook went, uh…camping.”
“Camping, huh,” Mah-Mah said. “I sure hope he’s not rushing that kind of thing.”
“Oh, that’s exactly what he’s doing. Ever since they got back with Cherie, Sahvrin has been…”
“Stupid?” she helped, sounding pissed.
Beth let out a breath, sitting on the toilet. “I get that he’s scared, Mah-Mah but…I don’t like how he’s handling these fears. I feel like he doesn’t trust me to do what’s best or right and that he needs to force me or trick me into it. He doesn’t need to do that,” she whispered, wiping her stupid tears. “I would do anything for that man.”
“Oh honey,” she whispered. “I know damn well you would. I know he knows that too but like you said, that fear is stealing all his common sense. He’s terrified because he loves you so much, you realize.”
“I do,” she strained, nodding. “But…I don't want him to force that. I need to find a way to give him what he needs without him…taking it.”
Mah-Mah let out a long breath. “Well…I may not have all the answers, but I got ears to hear you. I’m sure we can put our noggins together and figure something out.”
“And it’s not just me, it’s Maggie and Cherie and now even Tully.”
“And it’ll be the same for every woman after,” Mah Mah mutter-assured. “Gonna have me a cup of coffee before this boy makes me hit the whiskey. And his father ain’t no help,” she assured. “Probably where he gets it. But I think you’re on the right track just so you know. It ain’t no good to be forcing that kind of thing from a woman. Not when it’s a gift she’s supposed to give.”
“A gift I crave to give,” Beth clarified around shaky breaths.
“Of course you do, you’re an angel,” she explained gently. “So, naturally, that’s what you need to do.”
Beth wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Do what?”
“You don’t let him take it.”
“How do I stop that?”
“Well, for one, he can’t take it if you give it to him first.”
Beth rose up at the stir of hope. “How? He wants us to do that…gauntlet thing. All of us.”
“No, what he wants is for you to fail it so he can force you to do something you’re already willing to freely do. And how do the other women feel about all this?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t had a chance to talk to them.”
“We need a meeting,” Mah-Mah announced, sounding ready to have it that second.
“Maggie and Spook are supposed to be back in two days,” Beth remembered.
“What about Cherie and Tully?”
“Not sure.”
“Gonna have to hodge-podge it. Do what we can while we can. Did he mention when he wanted the Gauntlet to happen?”
“Not a definite date but he’s sounding very ASAP about it. Is there anything you can do by way of the Bishop codes? Some…loophole?”
Another sigh. “Hmph. Not without this turning into a tit-for tat tug-of-war.”
“So, how do I give him what he wants before he takes it? I’ve already told him I’d give it. Put it in writing and everything.”
“The only way I can see this working is by beating him at his own damn arrogant game.”
Beth paused, curious.
“You’ll need to do those Gauntlet Trials and pass them. Then you can turn around and put yourself in that little love prison of his and hand him the keys to that door.”
