by Nora Nolan
Aaron pitched in, "I thought we'd need to post additional men at each swing station from here to the fort. We can wire the fort and they can supply more men than we'd be able to provide. We should post men at vulnerable points between the stations, too, in the places where an ambush would be possible."
"Good idea. We'll put extra guns in the stage and on top of it, too. Matter of fact, they need to do that for extra protection from Rawlins on Monday. I'll run up to Caleb's and send the wires. You two go on with your honeymoon."
"Oh, that reminds me. We need to grab a marriage license and take it to the preacher." He got one from the drawer. "Come on, Evie, we can leave the groceries here."
Evie complied. As they walked to the parsonage, she told Aaron she hoped she wasn't wrong about all this and it ended up they were going to all this trouble for nothing.
"It would still be all right. Better safe than sorry. It happens all the time; we act on leads that don't pan out. But I have a feeling if they said enough for you to suspect something, then it's worth taking seriously."
They visited for only a few minutes with the Copperfields after getting the paperwork signed, then made their way back to the jailhouse. Aaron filed the signed license in the file drawer where they held all the civil documents. Then he picked up the tow sack of groceries and showed Evie the shortcut to their house through the back door of the jail. She thought it was curious that there were two jail cells up front and two more back there. He explained that they were built at different times. Years ago, there was only the front room with the two cells. The town grew and Saturday nights got wilder, and the need for more cells became pressing. He explained they ended up liking it this way because the criminals couldn't conspire when separated. It was also convenient the one time they had a couple of women locked up while they also had men in custody. She hadn't even considered female criminals.
"Women can be every bit as mean as men, let me tell you."
She cast a mischievous look up at him. "I guess those are the ones who don't have a man to take a belt or spoon to their backside when they need it."
He let out a deep laugh, followed by a thoughtful sigh. "God knows I was itchin' to do it when those two women were in our cells. I suspect Jim may have used a belt on one or both of them, I can't be sure. The last morning they were here, they were both docile as lambs when I came in. Something definitely had happened to change their tunes, but nobody would ever say what it was. I think Jim never told me because he really didn't have the right to do it, although I don't think any judge or attorney would have found any fault with him. Believe me, those women were asking for it—practically begging for it."
"I can't imagine what that must have been like. I still can't even imagine women criminals."
By this time, they were at the house, and he emptied the sack on the table. He showed her where he stored things as he put the items away but told her she was welcome to reorganize everything to her liking, since it was now her home and her kitchen and she was Mrs. Glover, the lady of the house. She liked the sound of that. When they were done with the groceries, he picked up the spoon. "Just not too sure what I want to do with this yet." He set it down on the table then went to lock the front door and pull the shades. "Wouldn't want anyone to walk in on us, you know, on our honeymoon."
She wondered what was going on, because he hadn't even locked the door or pulled the shades last night. She watched as he poured himself a whiskey then sat down on the couch and leaned back, propping his feet up on the big padded footstool. He looked even taller leaned back like that.
"Wife, stand right there." He pointed to a spot just past the footstool, right in front of him. She moved there. "Now, slowly take off your clothes while I sit back here and watch."
She didn't think she'd have a problem doing this when they'd joked about it earlier, but now that it was actually happening, she felt terribly self-conscious. She started with her shoes first. She was bare under them; she didn't have any stockings, only the bulky men's socks that had belonged to her brothers. Her dress buttoned down the front to below the hip line with a little fabric self-belt that also buttoned at the waist. She undid the belt buttons, and the sides of the belt dropped to her sides where they were attached. Next, her hands went to her neckline, and she wasn't surprised that she was shaking just a little bit. She slowly unbuttoned each one as he'd directed. His only reactions were to redirect his gaze from her eyes to her hands and back and to sip his drink. When they were all undone, she slowly pulled each side from her shoulder and let the dress fall to the floor. She was about to pick it up when he said, "Leave it."
She straightened back up, looking at him for direction. "You aren't done yet. Lift up your shift and show me your bloomers. That's it. Real slow. Now turn around so I can see the back, too. All that pretty lace and ribbon, hiding those places that belong to me now. It'll be all right with me if you don't wear bloomers every day, except on those days when you need to."
"Is that an order, sir?" she asked as she cocked an eyebrow.
The 'sir' and the question made his hardness even firmer. "Oh, good girl." He grinned. "No, I wouldn't order something like that, but I do love the idea of having quick and easy access to some of my favorite parts of you. Now turn around and face away again, then untie them and slide them down to the floor."
She did, bending over as she let them slide down, giving him what he thought was a million-dollar view. One of these days I might fuck that ass, too. "Now turn back around and walk over here." Aaron took his legs from the footstool and spread his knees to allow her to stand between them. He got the hem of her shift and pulled it up, over her head, then let out a moan of appreciation at her naked body. Then, he leaned forward and played with her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers. She put her hands on his, but he didn't want them there right now. "Put your hands behind your head."
"What?"
"Behind your head. Lace your fingers together. Stay like that until I tell you differently. Right now, I want to enjoy you without your hands getting in my way."
"Oh, all right."
"I really liked that "sir" thing you did a few minutes ago." It was only a suggestion, but he hoped she'd take it as a request.
"Yes, sir, whatever you say, sir." She didn't mind playing along since she could see how much Aaron was enjoying this.
"Oh, very good girl." He continued rolling her nipples that were now presented even more prominently. He got them good and hard then pinched them and kept doing that tighter and tighter. Evie was breathing heavier and trying not to complain, but occasionally, he would twist or pinch her until it hurt a little. He'd back off and roll and rub them then before doing it again. He wanted to get her used to a little discomfort mixed in with her pleasure. Pain was reserved for punishment, but discomfort—that's a whole other exciting prospect.
"Spread your legs for me." He put his hand down there and found her natural juices dripping down the insides of her thighs. "Hmm. I thought so. Are you ready for me, sweetness?"
"Yes!" she practically shouted.
He stood her up and began walking her back to the kitchen table. "Am I allowed to move my hands now?"
"Not yet. Now, bend over the table, tits all the way down on it; that's it. Stay like that." He kicked off his boots and socks as he unbuttoned his britches, and soon, he was naked. He came up behind Evie. "Spread your legs out, baby."
He saw the spoon beside her head. "Oh, you know, in this position, I could either wallop your ass with that spoon, fuck you like I did last night, or fuck your ass. What would you choose?"
That got her attention. "Oh, please, fuck me like last night! I need it, Aaron. Now. Please!"
"There's that greedy girl again. I think I'll give you just one of these, so you can see what Harriet went through this morning. Just in case you decide you want to disobey me."
He picked up the spoon and stood to her left. He rubbed her ass then put the spoon against where he planned to strike it on the plumpest r
oundness at the underside of her cheeks. He tapped the spoon against her before raring back and letting her have it. Her howl could have been heard all the way to the jailhouse. Indeed, it probably would have if the windows and doors had been open.
"Do you plan to mind me, knowing how that feels now?"
"Yes, sir! But please fuck me now. I need it more than ever!"
"Yes, ma'am." He pushed in hard and fast. "Did that lick make you hotter?"
"I'm not sure. It hurt even more than when you spanked me with your hand, though. One might have made me want it more, but I'd be afraid of a whole spanking with that. Poor Harriet!"
That answer was exactly along the lines of what he wanted to hear. Now to give her a hint of the other thing he'd mentioned. While he pumped in and out, he rubbed across her back and shoulders before settling his hands on her hips. From there, he spread his hands out and rubbed all around her cheeks. He let his right thumb delve into her crack and linger on her crinkled ring, gently applying pressure.
"What are you doing?"
"Just exploring. Does that hurt?" he asked, knowing it didn't.
"No, just feels different…and dirty. It's embarrassing. Please don't."
"No, sweetie, I already told you nothing about sex or our bodies should be embarrassing between us. We're husband and wife. Not anything we could possibly do should embarrass you. We don't have to do this right now, but we'll work on that embarrassment thing."
"Well, how?" He loved that they were having this conversation while he was pumping away. It seemed to keep him going when, otherwise, he would probably have spent by now.
"I think you'll have to do more things you find embarrassing and uncomfortable, until it doesn't bother you anymore."
"No, Aaron, please, no."
"It's just me, Evie. You need to get over that kind of thinking." He reached around to her nub, and she was soon making those little mewling noises he loved. He let her get fairly close, then he stopped. He heard her frustration. He adjusted her stance by spreading her legs a little more and urging her up on her tiptoes. "That's it, baby, tell me how it feels."
"It's so good. I love it when you touch me like that, and this angle, it feels a little different than last night."
"Good, baby, good. We've got lots of things to try." He let her get closer before stopping again, and again, she whined.
"You want to come?"
"Yes!"
"Hmm. Not just yet."
"Please!"
"No, can't let it happen. Not until you agree to my methods."
"What?"
"My methods for getting you over potentially embarrassing things." He increased the tempo and pressure of his fingers on her bud. He could tell when she neared her climax, and he stopped and stilled his own hips, too, giving her no movement at all.
"No, please, don't stop! I want it!"
"You know what I want."
"That's blackmail!"
"That's compromise. Give and take."
"All right! All right. I'll agree to try embarrassing things. And ass things. But please, fuck me now!"
"Yes, ma'am." He rode her to a very fine conclusion, already planning some of the games and exercises she'd just agreed to. He hadn't dreamed he could get a wife to submit to his particular proclivities. Now that he did, all he had to do was figure out how to make her crave them.
THEY SPENT the afternoon in more fun and games, and Aaron was shrewd enough not to push his lovely wife any further in regard to her fears. The rest of the day was devoted to the more conventional aspects of newly married life, and they both reveled in it. They got sweatier and nastier that afternoon, took a long, leisurely bath together after a bite to eat, then they got all sweaty and worked up again into the night. When she reached out to him in the wee hours and woke him for sex, he felt lucky, horny, honored, desired, and a little humbled that she was his. His wife. His.
CHAPTER 7
Sheriff Larkin greeted them when they walked into the jailhouse the next day. "Good morning, lovebirds! I didn't expect to see you for another day or two."
"I just wanted to check and see if you heard back from the fort. Any plans in progress?"
"Sure did. They're sending half a dozen men to Rawlins to accompany the stage the whole way. Two will ride in front, two each side, and two will bring up the rear. There will be additional men at each station along the way. There are also going to be teams assigned to patrol between each station. Once the stage passes and clears the stations and patrols, those men will continue to accompany the stage until it gets to the fort. That'll be the best-guarded stage in history."
"Good plan." Aaron nodded his appreciation of the thought that went into the strategy.
Evie voiced her reservations. "I hope I didn't misunderstand what they said. I'll feel awful if all these actions are taken, and nobody tries to rob it." She wrung her hands a little bit.
"Evie," the sheriff assured her, "don't worry about that. Even if it doesn't pan out, it's a good exercise for the enlisted men. We can't ever ignore any leads. We have to act on information if at all possible, and there are many times when things don't happen as expected. Sometimes we get bad information, and other times, the bad guys just change their plans. You did the right thing by telling us. I appreciate it." He turned to Aaron then and added, "Aaron, they're going to have enough enlisted men to take care of things. The men have orders to bring the culprits here regardless of where they attack the stage between Rawlins and the fort, since this is the only town with a jail. At least one of us needs to be at the jail around the clock, starting on Monday. I've already talked to Amy, and she's planning to make sure we have food here to eat at night or anytime we get hungry. I'll take the first night's watch, and we can trade off nights after that."
Evie spoke up. "I can provide food, too!"
Aaron smiled his approval at her eagerness. "Thanks, sweetie. Sure, Jim, I'll be happy to stay here."
Amy Larkin walked in and was warmly greeted by her husband. She said hello to Aaron and walked over to Evie and hugged her. "I'm so glad to see you, Evie. I would love for us to get together and get to know each other better. And I enjoyed your wedding so much. It reminded me of ours in many ways."
"Well," the sheriff interjected, "you can start now. How about joining us for lunch over at Mama Mary's? We can do some more planning for next week."
Aaron accepted the invitation and they all made their way to the restaurant. Once they ordered and had their drinks and bread, conversation turned to the plans to catch the Goodacres. Occasionally, Evie and Amy had their own side conversations about what food to prepare and when to bring it.
It was during a lull in the conversations that the front door opened, and Evie was the first one to see the new customers walk in. She muttered a little "Oh" under her breath and looked at the others at the table, covering the smirk on her face as she spoke. "It's Harriet and her husband and the wooden spoon." A few titters arose from other restaurant patrons. Sure enough, Harriet was holding the big wooden spoon with both hands, as if it were a prized item. To her credit, she held her head high and seemed to take the scrutiny of the townsfolk in stride.
Harriet and Arthur went to a table just behind Evie and Aaron's chairs. The spoon and Harriet's handbag were both placed on the table to Harriet's left. It was obvious to those within earshot that their conversation was strained and that Arthur was annoyed.
"Harriet, I've told you already. We must extend our stay and I will not allow you to travel home alone. You simply have to stay here with me, and that is that. I don't want to hear another complaint, nag, whine, or gripe from you about it. I've had enough. Do you understand me?"
She spat the words out in an angry tone, "Yes, sir."
"Temper your words, madam. Try that again."
Harriet breathed a long sigh and managed to soften her tone considerably. "Yes, sir. I understand."
"Good. Now we'll hear no more of it."
The sheriff and deputy and their wives exchanged a
mused looks. That would have to do since their table was so close, they couldn't make any comments about Harriet and Arthur without them overhearing.
Amy restarted the conversation at their table on the safe topic of weather. They chatted about how inclement weather might affect the safety of the stagecoach in the upcoming week. Jim had a lot of tracking experience and explained how heavy rains would be a problem, but intermittent light rains might be of benefit as long as the roads and grounds didn't get too muddy. He gave some examples of how hoof and footprints remained in the light mud and left better trails to follow. If there had been no rain, many of the tracks would have disappeared and he might not have found criminals in the past as quickly.
Their attention was captured when they all heard Harriet's voice rising as she grumbled, "But, Arthur, you work all day, and I only see you at mealtimes and late night. I get bored! Please let me go home."
Silence followed, and it seemed as if the entire restaurant awaited Arthur's reaction. He stood up. "Madam, bring your spoon." He turned and walked toward the kitchen.
"Arthur, no!" Harriet shrieked. But Arthur continued walking. When she realized he wasn't going to stop, she scrambled to grab her spoon and follow him.
Once inside the kitchen door, he addressed Mary, "Miz Mary, may we borrow your kitchen again?"
Mary looked up and saw the couple, Harriet, with her spoon in hand. She nodded. "Sure, sure. Let me grab these plates to take out." Mary delivered the plates to the appropriate table then joined the sheriff and deputy and their wives at their table.
The dining room got fairly quiet; everyone was expecting the sounds of a solid and effective shellacking to erupt at any moment. They didn't have to wait long. Arthur clearly meant business. Several rapid-fire blows were delivered without pause. A high-pitched wail came from Harriet and grew into loud, continual sobs. There was a break during which her cries continued and Arthur's muffled voice was heard. Then the licks continued, and again, they were delivered with no pause between.
