by Joannie Kay
“It’s clear that talking to you is like talking to the rear end of a jackass!” She spat the words at him. “I’m going to see you humbled and sorry you were ever born, Walker Ames,” she promised, her green eyes glittering with pure temper.
“You sure look like a sweet lady, but your mouth is that of a sassy bratty child in need of a soaping and spanking,” he took a threatening step in her direction, but instead of backing down, Jessie glared at him defiantly.
“What I am, MISTER, is furious. I have been mistreated by that damned store owner, the Sheriff, the incompetent Judge, and most of all by you. You are on warning, Walker Ames. I will get even with you when you least expect it. Now get the hell out of here before that sweet old lady comes back in here and gets upset!”
Walker felt rage sweep through him at her words. His hands clenched into fists and he knew he didn’t dare touch her. “You will see me in my study after supper tonight, Jessie. We are going to have a long talk, and you’d best change your attitude by then or I’ll change it for you.” He turned on his heel and walked toward the kitchen door. Just as he reached it, there was a whistling sound, and the knife Jessie had been using to cut up potatoes was stuck in the doorframe, at his eye level! The little witch had tried to knife him in the back!
When he turned, his face was black with rage. Jessie didn’t even flinch, but took a step toward him to say, “I didn’t miss, in case you’re wondering, big man! When I take you down it will be face to face, when you can see it coming. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can bully me, or tell me what to think. It’s been tried before, and I don’t change for any man!”
“You just haven’t come up against the right man… until now, little girl,” Walker said in his deep voice. “You just earned yourself another spanking, and, by God, you’re going to get it here and now, and there isn’t a man alive who’d stop me!”
Jessie suddenly realized that Walker was at the end of his patience. She’d counted on the fact that he knew she was a grown woman to protect her, but Walker didn’t seem to care about that! He was furious with her… and he was going to spank her again… unless she could get away from him! But where to run? To Mrs. Gibbons? How on earth could she stop the man reaching for her with every intention of setting her butt on fire again? She didn’t dare go for Billy, either! He was no match for Walker’s strength! Still, when Walker grabbed her arm to pull her over to a chair he’d pulled out from the table, Jessie put up a fight. She kicked, tried to bite, and twisted her small body, trying to pull away from the grip he had on her wrist. Nothing worked. The big man was just too damn strong, and for the second time that day, she found herself face down across his knee! “Don’t you dare!” she screamed at him.
“Oh, I dare, all right!” Walker promised, bringing his hard hand down on the rounded portion of her skirt. “You bet I dare. I’m going to dare until you’re begging me for mercy!” he declared, spanking again. “You can’t feel one thing through all these layers!”
“No!” Jessie cried out in outrage as she felt him fumbling with her skirts. “No, don’t!” She struggled in earnest, but the arm he had clamped around her waist prevented her from going anywhere. “Please, Walker! Don’t!” Jessie felt like crying at the humiliation of having him bare her once again!
“You threw a knife at me, little girl, and you earned this spanking.” Walker was determined to mete out the punishment he thought necessary, and he had already seen her backside, so as far as he was concerned, she was getting her punishment on her bared bottom… like it or not!
“I wasn’t aiming for you or you would be dead, you big bully!” Jessie declared angrily. “Why can’t you ever believe me?”
“You haven’t done one thing to earn a scrap of trust,” Walker answered, and then tugged her drawers down to her knees. Her backside still showed the signs of the spanking he gave her earlier, and if she could throw a knife at him while she was still wearing that spanking, then he wasn’t nearly firm enough with her that first time! Walker brought his hand down on her left cheek with determination to make this spanking one she would remember for the rest of her life!
“Owwwww!” Jessie yelled. “I’m already sore!” she reminded him, kicking her legs.
“Not sore enough if you could throw a knife at me,” was his reply, and then there was no more talking. Walker spanked hard, alternating cheeks as he turned Jessie’s little bottom a deep dark, crimson. Her sit spots and upper thighs were spanked just as hard, and Jessie was lying limp across his lap by the time he decided she’d had enough. “Are you ever going to do that again?” he demanded in a harsh tone of voice just as Mrs. Gibbons walked into the kitchen and gasped in outrage.
“No,” Jessie answered. He tugged up her drawers and then set her on her feet in front of him. She looked at him with tear filled, defiant eyes and then said, “No, I won’t ever do that again, Walker Ames. The next time I won’t aim for the door frame. It will be you that takes my knife!” She marched over to the door frame, reached up high, and yanked the knife from the wood, and then wiped it off on the apron she was wearing before returning to the potatoes she was cutting up.
“Walker, how could you do such a thing?” Mrs. Gibbons scolded him. “You have no right to do that! You are not that young woman’s husband or father, and I am going to tell Judge Slater. He is going to make you do the right thing and marry her since you have compromised her!”
“I wouldn’t marry that little witch if it meant going to prison for the rest of my life, Mrs. Gibbons,” he stated, and then stomped toward the kitchen door. He turned then and said angrily, “And just remember, girl, you and I have an appointment in my study after supper tonight. That attitude is going to get you strapped if you don’t mend it right quick.”
“Go straight to hell, Walker Ames. You might get away with making rules for those boys out there, but you’ll find I don’t bend to any man!” Her eyes were brimming with tears she refused to shed. Her backside was hurting so much all she wanted to do was throw herself on her bed and cry for a good long while!
“Someone needs to teach you some respect, Jessie,” Walker told her as he started for her again, but Mrs. Gibbons stepped in front of him.
“You are not going to spank this young woman again, Walker, or I swear I will walk out of this house and never set foot inside again!”
Walker looked down at the angry lady and after a moment he nodded, “You’re right, ma’am. My apologies. I’ll go and chop some wood and get my temper under control. I’m sorry for upsetting you.” Walker headed for the door before he got himself into trouble he couldn’t get out of.
Mrs. Gibbons hurried to Jessie and took her in her arms to comfort her. “Oh, child… You must learn to still your tongue. I’ve never seen Walker act like that! He’s always so calm and patient! Why don’t you go upstairs and lie down for a while? I know you are in pain.”
Jessie shook her head ‘no’. “I want to help you with dinner, Mrs. Gibbons. Really. I’ll be fine now. I need to keep busy.” If she didn’t keep busy, she would head straight into the big man’s study and help herself to one of the many guns he kept in there. She knew how to use it, too! “I’m hungry, and the sooner we get this meal ready, the sooner my tummy will stop growling!” Another thing she wasn’t about to forgive the Sheriff for was the fact he hadn’t fed her one single bite. It was almost three days now since she’d had anything to eat, except for the coffee and the toast Mrs. Gibbons fed her earlier.
“I am going to give someone a tongue lashing for the way you were treated in that jail, dear. I am incensed,” the good woman fumed out loud as she bustled around the kitchen, working to get the meal ready by noon, the normal time to serve dinner. Jessie listened and let Mrs. Gibbons rant. She hurt too much to open her mouth to agree or disagree. She pitched in and did exactly what she was told to do, her mind plotting many different ways to make Walker Ames sorry he was born!
As Jessie was setting the large dining room table with the set of dishes Mrs.
Gibbons told her were the everyday dishes, she heard the boys filing inside the house, and their laughter as they talked and washed their hands before coming to the table. She finished her job, and went back to the kitchen, and realized she was the object of their scrutiny.
“This is my sister, Jessie,” Billy introduced her. “Jessie, you already met Jake. This is Jeremiah, Edward, Lee, and Denver. Jake and Edward already served their time, but Walker said they could stay on as long as they want to. Lee got here a few weeks ago; Jeremiah’s time is up next week, and he’s planning to move on. Denver has six months left, like me.”
Jessie put a smile on her face for the boys. It wasn’t their fault that she was unhappy with being here, or that she detested Walker Ames with a passion. She wasn’t about to make them feel bad, and it was easy to see they were nervous. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I hope you’re all hungry. Mrs. Gibbons and I have been busy fixing a ton of food!” she teased.
“Mrs. Gibbons takes good care of us,” Edward said with a smile. “Walker sees to it that we don’t ever go hungry, and Mrs. Gibbons is a great cook.”
“She sure is,” Billy added with a big smile. “Jessie is, too,” he told the other boys. “She makes the best chocolate cake in the world.”
“Well, that is good to know,” Mrs. Gibbons said with a smile. “I’ll have her bake a chocolate cake this afternoon for supper. Now, you all go and take your seats while Jessie and I bring in all the food. Did you see Walker?” she asked.
“I’ll go and get him,” Billy offered, but Walker came inside right then, accompanied by Judge Slater and Sheriff Tanner Graves.
All three men looked unhappy, but Walker remembered his manners and said, “Would it be possible to set two more places at the table, Mrs. Gibbons?”
“I don’t have time to eat,” the Judge growled in his testy voice, leveling his eyes on Jessie. “Young lady, do you have any idea of how much trouble you are in?”
Chapter Three
Jessie glared at the Judge and replied, “Do you realize I haven’t had anything to eat in over three days? Not that damned apple I took, and not one bite of food while I was held in that jail! I don’t care how long you have to wait, I am eating now, and that is that!”
“Don’t get sassy with me, girl!” Judge Slater snapped angrily.
Jessie filled her plate, ignoring the man.
“Jessie, we need to get this settled,” Walker stated, feeling sorry for her as she shoveled in food. She was obviously so hungry she didn’t care what anyone thought of her table manners.
“Walker, I am seriously going to hurt anyone who bothers me before I’m through eating.”
“Sit down, Judge, Sheriff,” Mrs. Gibbons ordered firmly. “You need to eat, too, and your discussion with Miss Jessie will go better on a full stomach. I cannot believe the shabby way you three men have treated her, and you can bet I am going to insist that she be fairly treated now. Sheriff, how could you hold any prisoner that long and not feed them a bite of food?”
“If she would of told me she is a she and that she hadn’t eaten, I would have fed her, Mrs. Gibbons, but she was stubborn, rude, and a pain in the butt,” he stated, his cheeks red at the scolding he was receiving from the older woman.
“If you would have shown her a scrap of kindness then perhaps she would have known she could trust you, young man,” Mrs. Gibbons didn’t stop her scolding, even though she plunked plates on the table for the Judge and the Sheriff. “Now then, please sit down and eat. I, at least, know how to treat guests in our home.”
Jessie had to smile at the Sheriff’s look of chagrin, but she wisely kept her attention on her own plate and enjoyed eating. The food was not only filling, it was very good. She noticed that all the boys, including her brother, were quiet, too. “Mrs. Gibbons, this is really good. You’re a wonderful cook.” She paused long enough to compliment the other woman. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Thank you for the compliment,” Mrs. Gibbons was pleased.
“Jessie, you need to slow down,” Walker said softly. “You don’t want to eat too much if it’s been that long since you’ve eaten, or you’ll get sick.” When she raised her flashing green eyes to him, he added, “I learned that the hard way when I was a kid. Slow down some, and drink some milk. I don’t want you to suffer…”
Jessie realized he was sincere, and she nodded. “Thanks for the warning. You’re right, I don’t want to be sick.”
“Do you know who robbed the stage, Jessie?” Billy asked her.
“I don’t know their names, honey, but I will recognize them if I see them,” she reported. “I intend to find them, too,” she added darkly. “I want Mama’s locket back…”
“Are you the missing lady from the stage holdup between here and Staley?” Tanner asked suddenly. “The Sheriff over there thought the gang carried you off somewhere when they didn’t find you.”
“They had plans of that sort. I outran them.” Jessie was only too aware that some of the boys at the table were too young to understand the situation, and she chose her words carefully as she slowly sipped her glass of milk. “I am fine, thanks to a Mrs. Clarissa Bolton. She gave me some clothes I could travel in without being recognized in case I came on that gang again, and she fed me. It took me two days to walk to your town, and I was hungry. I tried to find some work, but no one would hire me. And, the man at the bank wouldn’t give me the time of day so I could wire for money. I am not impressed with the people around here,” Jessie stated bluntly, “with the exception of Mrs. Gibbons. She is the only one who has shown me one scrap of kindness.” She rose from her seat with as much dignity as possible, and then smiled wickedly as the men all struggled to jump to their feet. “Excuse me. After you’ve finished your meal, we will discuss this situation, and you may rectify your mistake, Judge.” She walked away, anxious to escape their accusing eyes, and even more anxious to get up off the chair and give her aching, burning bottom some relief. Walker spanked her hard, and she was positive she was still wearing handprints on her delicate skin. Sitting still through the meal had been torture.
“Did you lock up your guns, Walker?” Billy asked nervously.
“No!” Walker wasn’t amused.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Jessie is mad as hell at all of you, excuse me, Mrs. Gibbons,” he apologized for his language. “You’d do best to say ‘sorry’, and let it at that,” he warned solemnly. “And Mr. Evanston at the bank made a big mistake by refusing to talk to Jessie. She won’t ever bank with him now, and she’ll probably open her own bank and put him out of business,” he predicted.
“Son, it takes money to open a bank.” Tanner chuckled out loud.
Billy just looked at him and shook his head. “You don’t know Jessie.”
“She is a very nice young woman,” Mrs. Gibbons stated firmly. “The three of you owe her a sincere apology.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Walker said immediately. He’d never seen his housekeeper so angry and ruffled in the couple of years she’d worked for him. He looked at the boys and said, “If you are finished eating, take your plates to the kitchen, and give Mrs. Gibbons a hand cleaning up, then get to your studies. I believe you all have papers due tonight, and I want them turned in on time,” Walker reminded them. He smiled at the groans. “Education is important,” he repeated, as he did every day.
“Some of us have enough education,” Jake stated.
“You know my rules, son. As long as you choose to stay, you’ll keep on learning, just like I do. The more you educate yourself, the better off you’ll be.”
“Okay, Walker,” Jake nodded. “Come on guys. Let’s get these sissy dishes done. Billy, you wash today,” he growled.
“I wash every day,” Billy stated with a grin.
“You’re girly with your hair that long,” Jake told him, grinning right back.
“Mrs. Gibbons, would you ask Jessie to come to my study so we can talk in there?” Walker asked as she started to leave the
room with a handful of dishes.
“Of course,” she replied.
“Oh, ma’am, thank you for dinner. It was fine as usual,” he said, remembering his manners.
Tanner and the Judge offered compliments, too, and she smiled graciously, and then went to tell Jessie she was wanted.
The men settled into chairs in Walker’s study. “This situation is not to my liking,” Judge Slater commented. “Clearly, Miss Bridges has been wronged, and if I were treated the way she was, I would have taken an apple, too. She doesn’t have much reason to like any of us,” he admitted.
“I wonder why she didn’t tell me the truth?” Tanner asked.
“Because you are a man; because you were angry at the time; because you told me to shut up when I tried,” Jessie stated from the doorway as she entered the room. “How would you feel if you were a woman my size, alone in a cell with a man your size? I wasn’t armed… and not about to let you know the truth about me! I thought the Judge would listen at my so-called ‘trial’.” She turned her flaming green eyes on the Judge and said, “What kind of man holds a trial the way you do, sir? You didn’t give me a chance to speak in my defense! You pronounced me guilty… and sent me off with a strange man to do God knows what to me… and without even looking me in the eye first?”
“Jessie, hold off there. Judge Slater’s wife is very ill and he wanted to get home to care for her. She isn’t long to be with us,” Walker said quietly. “You were caught red handed stealing, and the Judge thought you a little boy who needed some guidance and a helping hand. He was trying to give you a real chance at life by sending you with me. He knows I don’t hurt kids. I help them.”
“Miss Bridges has a right to be angry with me, Walker. I haven’t been myself lately… I apologize for not giving you the opportunity that is your right by law, young lady. My Annabelle would scold me for this for sure,” he smiled slightly. “Now all that remains is to deal with this situation as is right and proper. Walker has admitted that he has compromised you while in his custody, and there is only one remedy for that.”
