by Maggie Ryan
"But… she started it!" Teresa said stubbornly, jerking her chin from his hold and twisting again to point her finger at Barbara. "All I was doing was making a cake, and Barbara—"
"That's a lie!" Barbara interrupted, pointing her own finger. "You were doing it all wrong. Everyone knows you can't just throw everything in bowl at the same time. I was only trying to help…"
"The ingredients all wind up in the same pan to bake! Besides, how did it help when you jerked the bowl away from me right when I started adding the preserves? Hmmm? Now they are all over the floor! All your helping did was make a huge mess!"
"Enough! This idiocy will stop now! The next one of you to utter a single word gets extra! Go!" Benjamin said, and this time it was his finger doing the pointing. His release of his daughter's arm signaled that Roger should do the same. It still took the two women a moment before they realized they were free. Two heads turned back to their pa, eyes imploring for mercy and yet mouths remaining closed. Remembering how it had felt to be the subject of his own father's unwanted attention when he was a lad, Roger could well understand their demeanor. He watched, hiding his smile when the two began to walk towards the back door, not failing to notice that once they'd donned their cloaks for the short walk to the shed, they slipped their hands into one another's before leaving the scene of their crime.
"I'm so sorry," Catherine said. She'd been so still and so silent that Roger had completely forgotten she was there.
"Nothing for you to be sorry about, Catherine. It's I who must apologize. I don't know what's gotten into those girls." Benjamin's steps paused as he moved towards her. "What is that?"
Catherine looked down at where he was pointing and gasped. "An egg?" Hearing his growl, she quickly added, "I'm sure they didn't mean to hit me. Oh, our customers! I was going to refill their cups…" She took a step towards the stove, picking up the coffee pot, but Ben reached out and took her arm.
"They left, and with this ruckus, who could blame them?" Taking the coffee pot from her and setting it back down on the stove, he asked, "Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
"No, no, I'm fine." Moving towards the corner where the broom was leaning up against the wall, she again found her arm taken.
"No, not this time. The girls will clean up their own messes from now on."
"Ben, I don't mind. It won't take me any time at all…"
"Catherine, I said no," Benjamin said. "I didn't hire you to clean up after my girls." He took the broom from her only to watch as her hands fluttered, as if unaccustomed to being empty.
"But it is my job," Catherine muttered softly. Roger felt like an intruder but didn't move, not wishing to interfere. He was a bit surprised to hear them addressing each other so informally. Watching their exchange, he hid a smile. Evidently, while he'd been courting Ben's eldest daughter, the man had begun his own courting. He'd been aware that Catherine had been one of the many pioneers making the arduous trip west, but hadn't really spoken to her. She was most often standing or working quietly in the background, not interacting with the other travelers. When the events surrounding her supposed marriage had become clear, he'd better understood her reticence to make friends. Wallace had done his best to break her down, and yet, with the truth of his trickery revealed and his death, Roger had watched the woman blossom. He certainly couldn't blame Ben for being attracted to her, as she was a beautiful woman. And, after all, both might be older than he, but they still had a lot of life ahead of them. Benjamin's next statement had him understanding that they might be further along the path of courtship than he imagined.
"I've evidently been far too remiss in my duties as their pa. It's time they remember that there are consequences for their actions, unpleasant as those consequences might be." Roger watched as the older man shook his head when Catherine again attempted to apologize for the girls.
"Catherine, can you honestly say that you don't agree those girls need a thrashing?"
"Well, no, but—"
"Then please do as I ask and let me do my job. I'd hate to have to send you to the shed, as well."
Roger watched as Agatha's mother's face flushed. He held his breath, a bit amazed that the woman wasn't running from the building. It was a well-known fact that the man she'd thought she'd legally wed, Wallace Thompson, hadn't hesitated to treat her unkindly. While Roger didn't have any of the specific details, he was still a bit surprised that she simply nodded.
"I'm sorry. You're right."
"That's better," Benjamin said, reaching behind her to deftly untie the sash around her waist in order to remove the stained apron. He gave her a quick hug. "You go read or just rest for a bit. After I tend to the girls and they tend to the kitchen, you can come back. Not until then, you hear?"
Despite her acquiesce, Roger could see the uncertainty in the woman's expression as Catherine looked around the room. "I bet Agatha would love to have you visit," he offered, happy to see Catherine's instant smile. "She and the others are over at Doc Williams'."
"That's a wonderful idea," Benjamin said. "Why don't you go visit your daughter, and I'll come get you when the kitchen is clean?"
"If you're sure," Catherine said.
"I'm sure."
"I'd be glad to walk you over," Roger offered.
"No, I'd prefer you remain here," Benjamin said for her. "I'll walk Catherine down, and then we can have a little chat ourselves when I get back." When Roger couldn't help but glance towards the door through which the girls had disappeared, the older man chuckled.
"Believe me, it might have been a while, but I haven't forgotten that having to wait a bit to pay for naughtiness makes the lesson all that more profound when it's delivered. I owe you an apology, son. You had the right idea the other day, and I just didn't want to face the fact that I've allowed my daughters to become so unruly."
"No apology needed, sir."
"Yes, it's needed. Tell me, are you serious about my Teresa?"
"I'm quite serious, sir," Roger said with absolutely sincerity. "In fact, I was hoping to have a discussion with you."
"Good. I'll be back and we can have that talk."
The two left, leaving Roger alone in the kitchen. It appeared that fate had decided that the discussion he'd been practicing for during the past several weeks would be held a few hours earlier than he'd planned. Grinning, he had to admit that though the girls had certainly made a mess, their tantrum had created an opportunity he was not going to miss.
Chapter Nine
"Stop pacing," Barbara said as Teresa made another trip across the floor of the shed. "You know Pa is always threatening to thrash us but hasn't since Ma passed."
"Even if that's true, I'm more worried about Roger," Teresa confessed, pausing in her walk to look out the window. "I've never heard him sound so… so stern."
"Don't fret. He might be your beau but he has no authority over you. Besides, all we have to do is apologize and promise not to fight again."
Teresa shook her head, her brown curls swishing across her back with her movement. "I don't think that will work this time. I mean, Pa was yelling, and Roger… well, he already warned me last week. No, this time, I truly think we are in serious trouble!"
Barbara shrugged, showing that she wasn't all that concerned as she settled herself on the only chair in the room and gave a soft giggle. "Pa's bark has always been worse than his bite. He'll calm down. Besides, he wasn't happy when Roger threatened to spank you in front of the whole town."
"He did not!"
"All right, not the whole town, but a lot of people heard him. My point is, Pa wouldn't allow him to lay a finger on you then and he won't now. It will be fine, just wait and see."
"I hope so," Teresa murmured, turning to make another trip across the wooden planks. "I just hate all this waiting."
She'd made at least another thirty laps back and forth before movement outside the window had her steps freezing. Her gasp drew her sister's attention.
"What is it?"
"They're co
ming."
"Well, we knew he…" Barbara paused, standing and moving towards Teresa. "What do you mean, they?"
"Pa and… and Roger."
"Why would Roger be… oh, my! You don't think… Pa wouldn't. He wasn't serious… Oh, Tessie, what are we going to do?"
Her sister sounded far less cavalier about the upcoming discussion with their pa, and something was telling Teresa that she had every reason to be concerned. She had no immediate answer to Barbara's question, as she was thinking of only one thing. Both men, young and old, were wearing the same exact expression on their faces, and they definitely weren't ones that said, "All is forgiven." Fragments of past conversations with Roger rolled through her mind—for the first time, she understood what the expression of "flesh crawling" felt like as she could feel her bottom tingling and squirming as if ants were crawling beneath the muslin of her bloomers.
"Tessie?"
"I think we are about to be soundly thrashed," Teresa finally said, squeezing her sister's fingers as they both stood at the window, their hands once more linked together.
***
"You sure you know what you're getting yourself into, son?" Benjamin asked as he and Roger walked towards the shed.
"I'm sure I love your daughter, sir," Roger answered. "I've loved her since that first day I bumped into her outside the mercantile."
Ben nodded. "That's how it was with Priscilla, their ma. I knew from the moment I set eyes on her that she would be my wife. I was talking more about what is going to happen inside the shed. I have to confess that since I've been without their ma, I let any real discipline slide. It's taken me far too long to recognize that my sweet girls have become quite the little manipulators when it comes to facing consequences for their choices."
Roger gave the man a glance and then looked at the shed again. Deciding that he wanted no confusion about the role he soon hoped to assume as Tessa's future husband, he said, "If you mean do I understand that naughty girls need a firm hand, and that those two have earned themselves a good thrashing, then yes, sir, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into."
Ben nodded his approval. "Good, I love my girls with all my soul but I have done them a disservice and intend to rectify that today." Reaching the door, he paused for a moment. "Tessie is not only practically a mirror image of her ma's beauty, she has the same personality. Prissy had a good heart but, well, to be honest, she was a very spoiled little lady. It took me a long time to figure out what she needed, and to understand what she actually craved was for me to set some boundaries. Her parents never bothered, but once I had, and made sure I enforced them, she became the sweetest gal on this earth." After another short pause, he looked over at Roger. "What I'm trying to say is that this is a big step, son. Take this opportunity to impress upon Teresa that if she doesn't shape up, she'll pay a price every time. I just wish I hadn't let it come to this. My girls used to be such absolute angels."
"Teresa is still my angel," Roger assured him. "The moment your daughter agrees to place herself in my hands… to become my wife, I promise you that not only will I love her for the rest of my life, I will protect her, do everything within my power to make her happy and, yes, to assure her that it would be in her best interest to behave like the woman she states she is."
Benjamin clapped him on his back. "The quickest way to prove you are serious is to ensure that her behind is tender for a few days. Just don't be surprised when she turns into a little hellcat when she discovers that batting those pretty eyes and making sweet promises won't work this time… or any time, if you know what's best. Ready?"
"Yes, sir, and thank you for your trust and your blessing."
"You've earned both, son." With a wry grin, he added, "And you might not want to thank me just yet." Before Roger could respond, Benjamin opened the door to the shed and the two men stepped inside.
The first thing Roger noticed was that, obviously understanding they'd gone way too far this time, the sisters were presenting quite the united front. Both stood, hands clasped together, eyes meeting their pa's for a moment before lowering to gaze at their feet.
"We're really sorry, Pa."
The words were softly spoken, any anger or fight having fled with their trip to the shed. Roger allowed who he hoped would soon be his father-in-law to take the lead.
"I'm sorry as well," Benjamin said. Both girls looked up, eyes widening for a moment, lips curling into soft smiles as they gave each other a quick glance. It was apparent to Roger that hearing those words had both women believing that forgiveness had been granted. He fought not to shake his head, knowing that such belief was about to be dashed.
"Teresa, Roger has something he'd like to speak to you about," Benjamin continued. "The restaurant is closed until dinner, so why don't you escort him into the parlor?"
"Oh, thank you, Pa," Teresa said eagerly.
Benjamin didn't say anything as she dropped her sister's hand and moved towards Roger. Roger gave her a smile, took her arm, and led her right back out the door. He could almost hear the gears turning in her sweet little head, thinking she'd escaped a thrashing she had to know she deserved.
"I don't know how you did it, but thank you, Roger," she began to gush the moment he closed the door behind them. When he didn't speak, she turned to look up at him. "I admit, I saw your face and well, I was a little worried for a moment."
"I hope you know I would never do anything to harm you, Teresa," he said, patting her hand that was tucked into the crook of his elbow.
"I know," she said and then gave a soft giggle. "I never doubted for a moment that you'd rescue me, no matter what Barbara said. Too bad you couldn't keep her out of trouble, as well. I just know Pa will make her listen to another long, boring lecture."
"I don't believe she'll be bored for long," Roger said, wondering if the woman he loved was truly as naïve as she appeared.
"Well, it is awfully nice of Pa to keep her out of our way. What did you want to…" Her words trailed off as they stepped inside the kitchen and he helped her off with her cloak, hanging it on its hook. "We did make a bit of a mess, didn't we?" she said with a shake of her head. "I wonder where Catherine is?"
"She's out," Roger said, not volunteering any additional information.
"Oh, um, then we are in here… alone?"
"Yes," he said succinctly, leading her to the stairs that would take them up to the second floor, where the family made their home.
"Shouldn't we have a-a chaperone?" she asked, only now seeming to wonder what exactly was going on.
"Your pa trusts me, do you?" Roger asked, walking into the parlor and moving towards the small settee. He motioned for her to take a seat.
"Of course I do, but… um, why are you sounding so… I don't know, so serious? It's not because you saw me in some silly little argument is it?"
She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, and he almost chuckled when her thick black lashes began to bat over beautiful hazel eyes. When he didn't immediately reassure her that all was well, he watched her expression change into one of both puzzlement and excitement. He'd remove the puzzlement with his next few words, and could only pray that while the excitement would most likely disappear when she learned exactly what she was about to receive, it would soon return with the knowledge that he loved her with all of his soul. It was time. Taking a seat beside her, he took both her hands in his.
"Tessa, I hope you know how very much I love you," he began.
"I'm so glad, because I love you too!"
"I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear you say that. I want nothing more than to make you happy, to have you at my side as we grow old together." Her eyes lit up and he felt his heart fill. Squeezing her hand, he cleared his throat. "Teresa, you would do me the highest honor by agreeing to become my wife, but I need you—"
"Yes," she screeched, interrupting him as she pulled her hand free in order to throw her arms around his neck. "Oh, yes, Roger! I will be your wife!"
He took a few moments to si
mply hold her close, his hand splayed across her back, his fingers brushing against the soft curls of her chestnut hair. Pulling away slightly, he bent his head towards hers. Though he took her mouth in the gentlest of kisses, his cock instantly leaped inside his trousers. He'd never tire of her small gasp of wonder as he kissed her, or the way she pressed closer to him. It took great will to remember that his future father-in-law had not sent him into their private domain to court his daughter… no, he had a far less pleasurable task to attend to. Pulling away, he took her arms from around him and took her hand in his.
"Thank you, darling, but what I was going to say was that I need to know that you understand that I cannot tolerate the sort of behavior I witnessed today."
"Don't worry," she said, waving her hand in the air, "it was just a silly argument. Barbara can be a bit childish…"
"Barbara wasn't the only naughty one in that kitchen."
Her smile slipped but only for an instant, her hand fluttering again as if to brush away unpleasant thoughts. "I don't want to talk about that. Come, let's go tell Pa that I'm going to be Mrs. Roger Morrison. Oh, do you think he'll announce our engagement at the dance tomorrow night? That would be so wonderful. I want everyone to know that I'm marrying the most wonderful man in the valley!" When she attempted to pull her hand away in order to stand, he tightened his grip.
"Not yet, we need—"
"Why not?"
Roger sighed. It seemed his girl had the habit of interrupting. Shaking his head, he made his tone a bit sterner. "Teresa, please allow me to finish speaking. I'm afraid we have something we must deal with first."
"What?"
Evidently, she was that naïve. "Teresa, there is the matter of the spanking you earned with your behavior."
"Spanking?" Jerking her hands free, she surged to her feet. "You can't be serious; you just asked me to be your wife!"
"I am very serious. I will not tolerate my intended—"
"You will not spank me, Roger Morrison! That's… that's just ridiculous. I am not some… some child!"
