12 Naughty Days of Christmas - 2016

by Jenny Plumb

  “Hello, Senator Tucker. What can I do for—”

  “You!” the corpulent man bellowed, pointing past Jude directly at Callie, who was still sitting on the sofa.

  Jude’s temper flared and he moved over, blocking Callie from the man’s view. “I’ll thank you to speak to me, Senator, not to my wife.”

  The senator’s face was red with anger. “That scamp you call your wife is a thief! I will be reporting her to the marshal, and I just thought I should give you fair warning, man to man.”

  “What in tarnation are you talking about?” Jude asked, his anger deepening. If anything, Jude should have reported the senator to the marshal for stealing Callie’s satchel during their journey. The contents of Callie’s satchel were of sentimental value, and the senator had stolen it out of pure spite. No one doubted that he was the culprit, but no one had witnessed the theft either. So much happened in the days following their arrival in Sacramento, including him and Callie getting hitched, that they’d decided to let the theft slide. Now the senator was threatening to bring in the law against Callie? Jude was not about to allow something so preposterous.

  Spittle formed around the senator’s mouth. “I saw that good-for-nothing shickster in town today, loitering around Eva’s Restaurant. Then, what do you know? I come out of the restaurant to find my horse missing.”

  “You think Callie stole your horse?” Jude felt incredulous, then irate. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his temper and the burst of fear that shot through him. “That’s a very serious accusation, Senator. You must be off your blasted rocker.”

  “I don’t think it’s me who’s off his rocker, Driver. I’m not the one who married a barrel-boarding lowlife.”

  Jude’s hands closed into fists. The urge to clobber the man at his doorstep was nearly uncontrollable. “Leave, Senator, before I do something I won’t regret, but you surely will.” He took a step back to close the door, then stopped. “If you dare speak of Callie in such a manner again, you’re going to find yourself in a world of pain the likes of which you’ve never known. I swear on a stack of Bibles, you hurt her again in words or deed, I’ll forget how much I hate violence.”

  He closed the door with a thud and stared at it for a moment, gathering his thoughts. She wouldn’t steal a horse, would she? Callie had stolen before, but it wasn’t anything close to the value of a horse, and she’d promised him she’d never steal again. Stealing a horse, even temporarily out of spite, might mean jail time. His chest constricted painfully at the thought. Callie had grown up in an orphanage where she was frequently locked in a closet at the hands of cruel Mrs. Bentley. He couldn’t bear to see her locked up again, no matter what she’d done.

  He turned to find Callie staring at him with wide, fear-filled eyes.

  “He thinks I stole his horse?” she asked in a small voice.

  Jude scrubbed a hand around his beard. “Appears so. Did you? I know you don’t like the senator.”

  “Of course I didn’t, Jude.” Her lower lip quivered, and she looked distraught. Wringing her hands in her lap, she stared down at them.

  “Look at me, Callie Mae.”

  She lifted her big green eyes and gazed at him with a pleading expression.

  “If you were involved in a prank or practical joke, you need to tell me. People go to jail for that kind of thing when it involves something as valuable as a horse, and I need to know all the facts in order to protect you.”

  “Jail?” she repeated, her eyes flooding. “I don’t want to go to jail.”

  Jude remained stern, though he was tempted to gather her into his arms. He knew the mention of being locked up would terrify her. “I would do everything in my power to prevent that from happening, but you need to be completely honest with me.”

  “I am being honest.” She sniffled. “You don’t believe me?” she asked, sounding like her heart was breaking.

  Jude strode to the sofa and sat next to her. As soon as he wrapped an arm around her, she burst into tears. He sighed deeply and pulled her onto his lap, where he could hold her against his chest.

  “I believe you, honey,” he said soothingly. He mostly did. A small amount of doubt was still present, and that was likely because of her recent deception to him. He had planned to punish her for the cooking lies, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so now that she was scared and sobbing in his arms. He stroked her unruly blonde hair and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

  “I can’t be locked up, Jude! What if the senator tells the marshal I stole the horse and the marshal believes him?”

  “I doubt the marshal would believe him, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have proof. Don’t worry, sweetheart. Calm down.”

  Despite his admonishment not to worry, Callie’s fear didn’t subside and she didn’t calm down. That night when they went to bed, her fear grew worse and her night terrors appeared. That ailment had been kept at bay for some time, but the mention of jail brought back her trauma over being locked up for endless hours in a closet.

  Jude held her trembling body close and murmured comforting words as they came to him, all the while wishing great misfortune on the horrid man who had accused her of theft.

  Chapter 4

  Callie woke up to Jude stooping to kiss her forehead. His beard scraped against her skin, tickling her and causing her eyes to flutter open. She sat up, surprised by the bright light streaming through the bedroom window. Usually she woke up before dawn, but it had been a restless night and she hadn’t slept well. Jude was already dressed and ready to leave for the range.

  “How are you feeling this morning, darlin’?” he asked.

  She rubbed her eyes with her fists and blinked to adjust to the light. She felt tired, but her terror from the previous night was gone. “I feel all right,” she said, yawning. “Thank you for holding me last night. Just like old times.” She offered him a smile.

  Old times was merely a month ago, but it seemed like much longer. Before they’d gotten married, when Jude first learned that Callie suffered from night terrors, he’d set aside all concerns about propriety and held her during their overnight stays at the swing and home stations. He’d remained a gentleman, but after they were married, Jude told her how difficult it had been for him to hold her during the long nights without doing anything else. “You’re just so squeezable,” he said to her later, through gritted teeth. “I could hardly stand it.” Jude made up for those moments of frustration. Now that they were married, scarcely a night went by without him giving her a good roll in the hay.

  “Are you going to brand the rest of the herd with Billy today?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yes, honey. What are your plans?”

  She scooted off the bed and padded over to the dresser. Opening the top drawer, she said, “I aim to do the cleaning today. The floors need sweeping and the windows need washing.” She removed some clean drawers and a petticoat from the dresser and draped them over the armchair.

  Jude sat on the bed and pulled on his boots. “When I get home, we need to finish the discussion we started last night before the senator interrupted.”

  Callie instinctively covered her bottom. She remembered the tone Jude had been using during the discussion and worried that she was in trouble.

  “That’s quite the frown you’ve got on your face,” Jude commented. “Are you worried about the senator’s accusation?”

  Her frown deepened, and a flash of fear crossed her eyes. “Oh, Jude! Do you think the marshal will arrest me while you’re away?”

  “Of course not, honey. He’s not going to arrest you, period. If it would make you feel better, I’ll go have a talk with him and find out what’s going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they catch the real thief today. There are not many places you can hide a handsome palomino like the senator’s.”

  Callie relaxed a little. “I’d be mighty appreciative if you did that.” She knew he would do everything in his power to protect her from the senator. Now if only someone would protect
her bottom from Jude.

  After he left for the range, Callie dressed in her Sunday best and walked to town. Instead of going to Eva’s Restaurant first thing, she headed for Billy and Annie’s house. In a way, Callie thought of Annie like an older sister, ever since the other woman had wisely informed Callie that Jude was sweet on her.

  Annie opened the door upon hearing Callie’s knock. “Hello there! Come on in, dear.” She opened the door wider and waved for Callie to enter. “How’s the blushing bride doing? Sit down and tell me all about married life.”

  Callie sat on the sofa. “I’m doing well, thank you, Annie.”

  Annie sat across from her and frowned, studying her face. “You look a little tired, upset even. Is anything wrong?”

  Callie considered confessing to Annie that she didn’t know how to cook and had been deceiving Jude about it ever since they’d been married, but just like with Jude, her pride wouldn’t let her. She wanted Annie to think highly of her.

  Callie sat up a little straighter. “I’m fine. I didn’t get much sleep last night is all. The reason I’m here is because I was wonderin’ if you and Billy would like to come to our place for Christmas dinner. I’d love for you to celebrate with us, and I know Jude would be pleased too.”

  Annie smiled. “That’s awfully generous of you, Callie. I’d like that very much. I think I can speak for Billy too. He’ll go anywhere there’s a hot meal. What can I bring?”

  Callie felt a pang of excitement and nervousness. She’d have to ensure that this was the best home-cooked meal ever, so as not to disappoint her friends. Despite all her mishaps in the kitchen, she was still fairly confident she could pull it off.

  “Just bring yourselves,” Callie said gleefully. “I’m so excited. It will be a barrel of laughs, the four of us together again.”

  “I have no doubt about that,” Annie agreed. “I insist on bringing something, though. How about I bring a pie?”

  Callie thought for a moment. She had planned to teach herself to how to bake pies and bread as well as how to roast a chicken. It was a lot to learn in a short amount of time, since Christmas was only three days away. She decided she might as well cross one of those things off the list. Smiling, she said. “I don’t think I can refuse a pie from you. That would be just fine. I’m tickled pink that you’re coming. We can share memories about our time on the line.”

  Annie grimaced. “Most uncomfortable journey I ever went on. I still felt like I was bumping around for days after we arrived here.”

  Callie shrugged. “I guess I don’t think about the discomfort. I only think about how Jude and I got sweet on each other.”

  “It was lovely to watch,” Annie said, her grimace transforming into a smile. “The tough driver falling for his mischievous passenger.”

  Callie sighed and smiled too. “I was a lot of trouble to Jude, but he still fell in love with me. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

  “That’s good, ducky, but I imagine he feels like he’s the lucky one. You are a real gem, you know.”

  Callie felt a moment of sadness. She didn’t feel she deserved such praise, and she knew for a fact that Jude had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to the two of them. What kind of wife doesn’t know how to cook? She tried to comfort herself. That was about to change. Thanks to the latest newspaper, she now knew how to bake bread, and she had a few days to figure out a few more dishes.

  After saying goodbye to Annie, Callie walked to the general supply store and purchased yeast. Next, she walked to the butcher’s shop and purchased two chickens. Finally, just in case her efforts were disastrous once again, she stopped by Eva’s Restaurant and bought two meals to go.

  Chapter 5

  Callie succeeded at baking bread and felt overjoyed. The chicken didn’t turn out so well. She overcooked it to the point where she could barely chew it, so Callie used the chicken from Eva’s Restaurant for the main course. She was sautéing some minced garlic and lard in a pan to make the house smell like a good meal had been cooked there, when she heard the front door open. She turned and saw Jude in the doorway, taking off his hat. He stepped in and shut the door. Proud of herself for her success at baking bread, she walked toward him with a triumphant grin. However, her triumph faded the moment she saw the look on his face.

  She couldn’t remember him ever looking so stern. Instead of opening his arms to give her a hug and kiss in greeting, he removed his riding gloves, tossed them on the table next to the sofa, and folded his arms in front of his chest. “Right,” he said, “Time for the rest of that discussion.”

  Callie worried her bottom lip. “You look awful angry, Jude. What’s the matter?”

  “I look angry because I am angry, Callie. I’ll get right to the point. You’ve been lying to me for some time now, and it’s going to end tonight.”

  Callie’s heart sank. She’d been almost positive yesterday that he’d figured out her cooking deception, and now she knew for certain. “I’m sorry,” she said mournfully. “I didn’t want you to know I can’t cook. I wanted you to think I’m a good wife, but I know I’m not.”

  Jude moved toward her, took her arm firmly in his hand, and turned her around. He spanked her four times. “You’ll never say those words to me again, Callie Mae. Because of that bit of nonsense, your punishment is going to be worse. I’ve told you more than once that you’re a good wife, and I don’t like my words being ignored.” He released her arm and pointed at the bedroom. “Go to the other room, remove all your clothes, and stand with your nose to the corner. You’re about to get the spanking of your life.”

  She reached back to clutch her bottom, which already stung from Jude’s impromptu swats. She looked at him with wide eyes. “All of my clothes? You want me to take off everything?”

  He placed his hands on his hips. “Did I stutter?”

  “No,” she said in a small voice.

  He raised an eyebrow as she continued to stand in place. She was very reluctant to set in motion the punishment, which she knew was going to be terrible, judging by how serious Jude looked.

  “I’m going to count until you get to the room, and that’s going to be the number of licks with my belt you’ll be getting after the rest of your spanking is finished.” He began counting at a quick beat. “One, two, three…”

  Callie turned and ran, hearing Jude reach “five” when she closed the door. Jude’s hand on her bottom hurt badly enough, and five licks with the belt were going to sting like the dickens. Sighing, she unbuttoned her dress at the bodice. She removed her arms from the sleeves and pushed the dress to a wrinkled heap around her ankles. Next she removed her petticoat. She stepped out and tugged the shift over her head. With an affronted huff, she removed her drawers, leaving her fully naked.

  Jude had never required her to strip out of all her clothes before, and he’d never made her stand in the corner either. She stormed to the wall, feeling embarrassed and a little angry at Jude. It wasn’t enough that she was going to be punished, he also wanted to humiliate her? It hurt her feelings. She wasn’t the best wife, but at least she’d been trying. He hadn’t even given her the chance to offer him some of the bread she’d actually managed to bake on her own.

  Underneath her injured feelings, she knew she deserved a spanking. She’d been deceptive, and lying wasn’t something Jude had ever tolerated. She didn’t think he needed to be quite so serious, however. Why couldn’t he have simply done what he’d done before and turned her over his knee for a painful but quick spanking? Instead, he was making her wait and worry.

  She reached around and ran her hands over her smooth bottom, which was cool to the touch, and imagined what it was going to feel like after Jude’s spanking. She imagined it would feel hot and painful. Jude wouldn’t stop until he felt she’d learned her lesson.

  The door opened, and Callie dropped her hands to her side. She turned her head to look at him, and her eyes widened. He was holding the wooden spoon she’d used to bake the bread. It was cle
an and wet.

  “Did I say you could turn your head?” he asked.

  She faced the wall again. “You didn’t say I couldn’t,” she mumbled defiantly.

  He sighed and walked toward her. Once he reached her, he peppered her bottom with stinging smacks with the spoon, which caused her to yelp and buck against the corner. She hadn’t expected the swats to feel so sharp and painful right away, but the wet spoon packed a stinging wallop.

  “Running your sassy mouth isn’t going to help you, young lady. You’re being disciplined, and I expect respectful responses. Is that clear?” He landed a final hard swat that made her dance from one foot to the other.

  “Yes!” she cried.

  “Yes, what?”

  She let out a breath, puffing up the hair on her forehead. “Yes, sir.” She wanted to turn around and stick her tongue out at him, but she wisely refrained.

  Jude retreated and she heard him sit on the bed. She imagined that he was observing her, and she didn’t like her bare bottom being on display so prominently. He undoubtedly knew this and simply didn’t care about her embarrassment. After a few more excruciating moments spent in silence, he said, “All right, Callie. Turn around.”

  She turned and faced where he sat on the bed. She crossed her hands in front of her womanhood. It was not yet dark and the room held plenty of light.

  Jude noticed her efforts to be modest, and he wasn’t going to tolerate it. “Hands at your side,” he instructed. “You don’t get to hide your body from me.”