Cowboy's Orders (Brides of Juniper Junction Book 2)

by Celeste Jones

  Mr. Foreman

  Windy River Ranch

  Juniper Junction, Wyoming Territory

  If those two weren't watching her like a couple of hawks after a field mouse, she'd have pocketed the letter and delivered it to Jake herself, though she wasn't sure how Mrs. Everett, or Jake, would feel about it. It was clearly work related and ought to be delivered to him at the ranch. It just stuck in her craw to know the two bitter biddies would be delivering it to him instead of her.

  "Here you are." She handed the packet of mail to Aggie but turned it over so the letter to Jake was on the bottom.

  Of course, Aggie flipped it over and noticed the letter to Jake right away.

  "Oh look, Myrtle," she crowed, "a letter for Jake." She turned to Posey with a sickeningly sweet fake smile. "Don't worry, we'll get this to him right away." They snickered and Posey was glad when they turned to leave.

  Just as they reached the door, however, Myrtle spun around. "I noticed a tear in Jake's shirt today at dinner. I'm pretty sure it was there last week too."

  "It's a shame," Aggie joined in, "when a wife is so busy with her career that she can't take care of her man."

  "Yes," Myrtle agreed with a shake of her head. "If a wife doesn't take care of her man, someone else will."

  They left in a cloud of snickers and smugness and Posey stared after them, blood boiling.

  Chapter 10

  Work at Windy River got finished up a bit early for the day so Jake headed home, enjoying the ride back to town astride his mare, Sadie.

  Mr. Conners had asked him to hire a few more ranch hands to work at Windy River and over the last few weeks the extra hands had made a big difference in productivity. He'd gotten to know a few of the new hires and felt confident that they'd all work out, which was a relief. Though he ran things to Mr. Conners' satisfaction and liked his job, the part he disliked was when he had to fire people. Now if it was obvious, like someone stealing or being drunk at work, then it wasn't such a problem.

  But when there was someone who just didn't quite fit in or couldn't keep up with the workload, that's when it was a problem. Jobs weren't always easy to come by and Windy River was known as a good place to work. Fair wages for a day's work and decent accommodations. The food, prepared under the supervision of Mrs. Summers the housekeeper, was outstanding.

  Thinking of Mrs. Summers, though, reminded him of her nieces. They'd brought the mail in to his office that afternoon and had seemed particularly attentive to him, enough that it made him uncomfortable. He knew those two were trouble and he'd struggled not to give them both a piece of his mind after Posey's story of hearing them gossiping about her on their wedding day. But, he'd decided that troublemakers were best ignored, but not underestimated. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they'd upset his bride.

  He'd thanked them for bringing the mail in and then turned back to his work, but they'd lingered. He'd hoped they would take the hint and leave, but they didn't. Finally he had to tell them, "I've got a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind, please close the door on your way out."

  They'd both gasped a bit, but they were not his concern. Yes, they were Mrs. Summers' nieces and as such they enjoyed a certain amount of autonomy. Mr. Conners, widowed for many years, would be lost without Mrs. Summers and they both knew it. Mrs. Summers worked hard and deserved recognition, but she seemed to have a blind eye when it came to her troublesome nieces.

  Thoughts of the sour faced Myrth sisters vanished as he gazed down the street and saw light in his house indicating Posey was home from her job. He was so proud of her, working hard. He thought about the pocketknife she'd bought him with her first paycheck. She did his heart a world of good, that's what. He hated to imagine his life without her.

  When he got home and called out to her, he was gratified when she came running to greet him. “Jake! You’re home early.”

  "The new men seem to be working out just fine so everything got handled fast today. Allowing me time to leave a bit early in order to spend more time with my wife.” He held his arms open, expecting her to enter his embrace.

  Instead, she started unbuttoning his shirt. “Woah, Posey,” he said, “don’t I get a kiss first? Though I don’t have any complaints about you trying to get my clothes off me.”

  "I-I sh-should have mended your shirt,” she said, yanking his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. "I let you go to work with a tear in your shirt. I'm a bad wife."

  He looked down at his shirt and then at her. "What?"

  She jumped up trying to pull the shirt off his shoulders. "I'll get my sewing basket and take care of it. I just need to get this off of you." She changed tactics and tugged on the cuffs of his sleeves. "Give me your shirt. I need it right now."

  “Come on, Posey. Give me a kiss first.” He put his hands on her waist and tried to put his mouth to hers, but she squirmed and when he tightened his grip on her she kicked him in the shin and wrenched herself out of his grasp.

  “No!” she shouted at him.

  “Woah.” Jake reared back, blinking at his wife and wondering what had happened to the sweet girl he’d left at home that morning.

  “Give me your shirt. Now!” Hands on hips, she shouted at him in a tone he’d never heard from her. If a man had spoken to him that way—not to mention the sharp kick to his shin—he’d have belted them in the mouth.

  Drawing in a long breath he studied his bride. “Posey, you need to settle down and explain yourself.”

  “There is nothing to explain,” she said, her voice a bit calmer but her eyes darting from side to side and her breath came in shallow pants. “I simply wish to mend your shirt. What kind of wife would I be if I let my husband go about in a ragged shirt?”

  “Ragged?” Jake glanced at his shirt. “It’s a small tear. Now settle down.”

  “Don’t you tell me to settle down!” Posey said, her voice rising again. “I need to fix your shirt. Why won’t you let me?”

  She grabbed at the front of his shirt again, though this time he was prepared. He took both her hands and held them in one of his large palms, then stared down at her until she finally met his gaze.

  “I know you have been working hard and you’re tired, but this is no way to speak to anyone, let alone your husband. Now, if working at the post office is causing you to be overwrought and mistreating me, then we may need to reconsider your job.”

  “No!” she shouted at him again. “You can’t take my job away. Just. Give. Me. Your. Shirt.”

  Jake had been patient and that had not gotten him anywhere. He sat upon the sofa and pulled her over his lap, raising her skirts and opening her drawers to expose the globes of her backside. She continued to struggle and rant about his shirt.

  He gave her several swift smacks to her bottom. She stopped struggling and ranting. He continued to swat until her backend was red and she finally relaxed.

  “Oh, Jake, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”

  Finally. He stopped spanking and stood her between his knees. She stared at the floor.

  “Now,” he said, his voice gentle, “please explain yourself.”

  Still, she hesitated.

  “Posey,” he spoke more sternly. “I’ve got all night. But I’d rather not spend it this way. So, tell me what is going on with you.”

  She chewed on her lip and then her eyes met his. She drew in a deep breath and then spoke. "M-myrtle and Aggie came to the post office today. Th-they said that your shirt was torn and had been for a few days and I was a bad wife for working and not taking care of you. I’m so sorry. I’ll mend it right now.”

  "What?" His voice boomed around the house, startling Posey. Maybe she needed a bit of a shock to her system.

  "M-Myrtle and Aggie. They said your shirt was torn and needed mending and if I was any kind of wife, I'd have noticed and taken care of it." She looked up at him and her eyes grew wide. "You look angry."

  "I’m not angry, but I am very disappointed," he st
ated, keeping his voice even.

  Posey smiled. She’d like it better if he was angry with Aggie and Myrtle, but disappointed was nearly as good. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten a spanking because of them.

  "Me too. Those two are busybodies. Do you think you could say something to Mr. Conners and get them fired or sent away or something? Isn't this proof of what troublemakers they are?" She scowled. "Oh, they just make me so angry."

  She had a fleeting image of the two girls being told off by Mr. Conners and her mood improved. Her energy increased and she paced back and forth. "Yes, that's exactly what should happen. I can give you a list of all the mean things they have done and how it's giving Mr. Conners and Windy River a bad reputation to have them around, doing business and errands for the ranch."

  She turned to Jake feeling triumphant and expecting him to be equally angered and motivated to get rid of them. Instead he just watched her, his dark eyes following her every move, his mouth a straight line and his brows furrowed. She stopped pacing the room and stood in front of him. "Do you want to write any of this down? Oh, no. I'll go and talk to Mr. Conners with you. Yes, that's a much better idea. I'll get my wrap." She headed for the door but Jake didn't move. She turned back to him. "Aren't you coming?"

  He shook his head slowly from side to side and gestured for her to return and stand in front of him.

  He was right. It was too late to do it today, but first thing in the morning... oh, she could hardly wait to tell Mr. Conners about those two.

  When she looked at Jake, though, he did not seem to share her enthusiasm. Of course, they hadn't treated him horribly. They were always sweet as pie when he was near. Made her sick to think about their two-faced ways. Trying to manipulate her man.

  "We should just wait and talk to Mr. Conners in the morning," she said. "I guess I got ahead of myself."

  "Oh, I'd say you did that for sure." Jake nodded, his gaze never leaving hers.

  "Well, let's have some supper and then I'll mend your shirt."

  He shook his head.

  "You're not hungry?"

  "We have other things to take care of before supper."

  "Oh, your shirt." She reached for it. "I'll have this fixed in no time."

  Jake captured her hands and drew them away from his shirt, holding both of hers in one of his. "Look at me, Posey." His voice stilled her in her tracks and she met his gaze, trying to decipher his mood. He was sure acting strange.

  "No one is going to talk to Mr. Conners about anything, especially not Myrtle and Aggie."

  "Bu-but—"

  He held up his hand. "Stop that right now, Posey. I am not concerned at all with how those two behave. But, I am very concerned about you."

  "Yes! They are horrible to me. They need to be stopped."

  "That is not what I'm talking about, Posey, and if you'd be quiet and listen to me for a minute, you'd understand why."

  "What's there to understand?"

  He spun her around and landed a swat on her backside. Then another.

  "Jake!"

  "Now," he said, turning her to look at him again, "pay attention to what I'm about to say, Posey. On our wedding day you let those two get you all riled up, remember?"

  "Y-yes," she said, dread filling her.

  "And didn't I tell you then that they were just a couple of busybodies and not to pay them any attention?"

  She did not like the way this was going. "Yes."

  "So, what happened today?"

  "I did what you told me not to do and let them get under my skin."

  "That's exactly right. So you did something that I told you not to do. That you agreed not to do."

  "Yes." A pit formed in her stomach.

  "And then you let them bother you so much that you acted like a lunatic. You worried me, Posey."

  "But they said—"

  "I don't care what they said."

  "But your shirt."

  "Yes, there is a tear in my shirt. Do I seem to be losing any sleep over it? Do you think I don't have other shirts with tears in them? Or that I can’t mend my own clothes?”

  "But—"

  "That's three times you've said 'but' while I've been talking. Your butt is going to pay the price. So think carefully before you interrupt me again.”

  She nodded. “Oh." The flesh on her bottom tingled. This was not going to end well for her. All this on top of a stressful day of dealing with Aggie and Myrtle too. They did nothing but cause her grief. And now she was going to get a spanking and they got away with it. Again.

  Jake rebuttoned his shirt and then took her hand and led her to the kitchen. He sat on one of the straight backed kitchen chairs and pointed to a spot on the floor between his knees.

  Posey obeyed and moved to stand at the place he indicated, though she wasn’t happy about it. Stupid Aggie and Myrtle. Always causing her trouble.

  “You’re gonna get a spanking, Posey, a real spanking, not just a few swats to get your attention, and to remind you,” he raised one finger, “first, not to pay attention to what Myrtle and Aggie, or anyone who is causing trouble, has to say.”

  “Yes, Jake,” she whispered.

  “Second,” he put up another finger, “to make clear to you that if I have something to say to you, whether it’s about my clothes, or my meals or anything else, you can count on me to tell you. Going around guessing what’s on my mind, or worse yet, assuming that other people know what I’m thinking, is disrespectful to me and only leads to trouble. Do I treat you that way?”

  “No.”

  “No, what?”

  “No, sir.”

  “And finally, you shouted at me and kicked me in the shin.”

  Oh lord. Had she really done that? Yes, she had. She moaned with regret.

  “That’s right. Now, get over there and bend yourself over the table.”

  With a sigh, she got into position.

  “Now, reach up under your skirts and untie your drawers.”

  She gasped and turned to face him. He gave her a scowl and motioned with his finger for her to do as he’d told her.

  Her fingers quivered and she pulled the bow too hard and made a knot, but she managed to complete the task, her drawers falling in a whoosh to the floor and puddling around her feet.

  “Good. Now kick them over here.”

  She paused. Wanted to resist, but thought better of it. Jake’s usual demeanor was calm and controlled, but he was no pushover and she knew better than to test his limits. Lifting one foot out of her drawers, she used the other to kick the garment across the floor. Jake picked them up and examined them. Posey groaned with embarrassment.

  “Your drawers are damp, little Posey. Does being naughty excite you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  Jake moved to stand behind her. He rested his hands on her bottom, squeezed. “You’ve been a bad girl, Posey.” The way he was massaging her backside sure didn’t feel like she’d been a bad girl. But, that was just to get her to relax because he lifted her skirts and heaped them on her back and then spanked vigorously. His hand was so large that it easily spanned nearly her entire backend, each swat coming down like a coal shovel against her tender flesh.

  “Oh. Ouch. Jake!”

  He rested his other massive palm on her lower back, keeping her right where he wanted her. “Complain all you want, Posey, but you’ve earned yourself this spanking and you know it.”

  “Yes. Oh, I am sorry, Jake. I’m so sorry.”

  He smacked her upper thighs, first one and then the other, bringing her up to her toes. “Are you going to pay attention to gossips like Aggie and Myrtle any more?”

  “Noo. I promise.” She sniffed back tears. Her entire bottom felt like a hot griddle.

  “I’m glad to hear it. Now, are you going to make assumptions about me and what I’m thinking or what I want?”

  “No. Never,” she wailed.

  “Good.”

  He paused and she wondered if she dared to look around to see what he
was doing, but decided she ought to stay put. The last thing she wanted was to earn herself some more swats on her already flaming bottom.

  Jake put his knee between her thighs and pushed them wider. Then she felt something touch her pussy lips. “Oh,” she said.

  “So, little Posey, what do you think I want right now?”

  “To give me a special thank you?” she asked, hopeful.

  He chuckled. “Not exactly. You better brace yourself, honey. This is gonna be hard and fast. Leave you no doubt about who is in charge around here.”

  Posey mewled deep in her throat and gripped the far side of the table. Before her hands had fully grasped the edge, Jake pounded into her, just the way he’d promised, hard and fast. She gasped for air as his cock shoved deep into her, lifting her up to her tiptoes and moving the table a few inches across the floor.

  “I told you to hang on, Posey,” he growled as he pushed into her again and again, leaving her gasping for air. Her pussy ached from his rough treatment but she found she loved it. Needed it just the way he was pounding into her. Making her pay.

  When he finally came with a growl, sending his seed spurting into her and down her thighs, she reached the heights of ecstasy too, with a groan and a gasp.

  Jake collapsed over her, bracing himself on his forearms. They stayed that way for a few moments as they caught their breath, then he bent down and touched his lips to her sensitive spot just below her ear where he placed a kiss before whispering in her ear.

  “I forgot to tell you that you weren’t allowed to reach your climax.”

  She giggled. “Oh, I guess it’s too late for that.”

  Chapter 11

  The next day Jake returned to his office at Windy River. He'd taken off early the day before to spend time with Posey. It hadn't exactly gone the way he'd planned but looking back, he realized that they had cleared the air on a few things and that was important. Still, just thinking about how Aggie and Myrtle goaded his sweet Posey really set his blood boiling. Nothing he could do about them and he'd done everything he knew to do to reassure Posey of his love and devotion. He hoped the whole matter had been put to rest.