Page 9 of Rory: His to Discipline

“I cannot tell you,” Tess told her firmly.

“Why not? Aren’t we friends?”

“Yes, we are friends, but you, my friend, have a big mouth.” “Moi?” Bridget asked with an offended look on her face.

“Yes, you,” Tess answered, not buying the innocent act for a moment.

“I don’t know how you can say that. Haven’t I always gone out of my way to make you feel welcome here?”

“Yes, of course you have.”

“Haven’t I tried to help you every time you get in trouble?”

“Yes, you have,” Tess admitted, remembering last week when Rory had been looking all over the house bellowing her name. Bridget had taken her hand and pulled her down to the cellar until he had given up.

“If I promise not to tell a living soul, will you please tell me what’s wrong? I only want to help you, Tess,” Bridget told her truthfully. “I’m sorry about the stuffing thing. If Rory starts with you, he’ll have to go through me to get to you.”

Tess smiled despite herself. “Like picking you up and setting you out of the way would be a hardship on someone as strong as Rory.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can kick and scream loud enough to bring the whole family running. Believe me, I might be small, but I’m powerful,” Bridget continued flexing her arm muscle and wiggling her eyebrows until Tess laughed.

“All right, I will tell you, but you must swear to me that you will never tell another.”

“I swear,” Bridget told her, hand over her heart.

Tess took a deep breath. “I think I have a crush on your brother,” she said quickly before she could change her mind.

“Oh God,” Bridget responded, uncurling her legs and flopping back on the swing. “I was afraid it was something like that.”

For several minutes, only the tiny squeak of the swing could be heard. Finally, Bridget sat up and turned sideways to face Tess.

“Rory, I hope? Well, actually I don’t hope, but it would be better than if you had a crush on Patrick.”

“Of course, Rory,” Tess replied shocked. “Patrick is married. Mi madre would be rolling over in her grave.”

“Okay, sorry, sorry. Look, Tess, I really care for you and I would like for you to be my sister, but the men in my family, they’re well … different. Oh, I know they’re attractive in a caveman sort of way. No, not that. What I mean is if you like tall, strong, big men, then I suppose they would appeal to you. No, what I mean is … they all have a very a … dominant nature. Sort of.

“Oh, I’m not saying this very clearly at all,” Bridget continued, watching the panicked expression on Tess’s face. “Okay, I’ll just spit it out as best I can and then you can ask me any questions. They have this antiquated notion that the ‘husband’ should rule the house,” Bridget continued, taking Tess’s hand.

“Tess, they spank their wives.”

“All of them?” Tess asked in disbelief.

“Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you, all of them, even the ones who aren’t related except by marriage.”

“Even Nick?”

“Yes, Nick, Mason, even Noah. I know. It’s hard to even wrap my brain around it.”

“Why? Why do they do this?”

“I don’t really know. They think the husband should be the head of the household and that the wife should … God, it’s hard to even say the word, but they think the wife should obey.”

“You are kidding with me, right?”

“No, Tess, I’m not. That’s why it’s very important you understand if you already have a crush on Rory.”

“And the wives, they are okay with this … this spanking?”