by Joannie Kay
“I’m the one with the badge. He’s mine,” Tanner said, and then looked at Jessie, “I mean it, young lady. I’ll toss you in jail if you don’t let me do my job. I owe you this one!”
As it was, John Evanston was already in jail when the group reached town, and Angie was standing guard over the prisoner.
“Young lady, what is this?” Tanner asked in disbelief when he saw his sweet Angie wearing pants and a deputy’s badge pinned to her shirt. He put his two prisoners into the cell next to John Evanston’s, and then turned to the pretty blonde to demand answers.
“He,” Angie pointed at Evanston, “told Ginny Wilcox that Doc asked him to give her a powder to mix in my tea because I was looking peaked and he was worried about me. He claimed that Doc didn’t have time to stop by the restaurant himself because he had to go and deliver a baby! That’s why I was sick yesterday and not at the bank with Jessie! He planned the robbery, Tanner. I was suspicious and asked questions, and you know the Rudy Brothers, right? Evanston went to them and told him he’d bought thirty head of cattle from Reuben Westfall, and asked them to cut them out for him and take them to the stockyard. He knew Westfall would send for you to report the rustling, and he knew it would get you out of town, Tanner! Since you were already out after Jessie and Sam, I pinned on this badge and went to bring him in!” She nodded proudly.
Jessie clapped her hands, but Tanner was not amused. “You shouldn’t of done that, young lady. It wasn’t safe.”
“Fiddle!” Angie turned up her chin, and then she looked at Jessie, “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed some pants, Jessie. Mrs. Gibbons helped me find them.”
“Mrs. Gibbons knew you were going to do this?” Walker was stunned.
“She wanted to help, too.” Angie giggled. “But I persuaded her to take care of little Andy instead.”
“We are going to have a private talk about this, young lady,” Tanner promised, and something in his dark eyes gave Angie a warning tingle, and she realized the man meant to tan her bottom.
“You wouldn’t dare!” she whispered.
“You’ll soon learn different,” Tanner promised.
“I demand to be released!” John Evanston yelled angrily from his cell.
“I would love for you to be released, Evanston,” Walker said, his voice deep and deadly as he looked at the other man. “Tanner, let the man out. If there is anything left of him after five minutes, you can lock him up again.” Evanston quickly moved to the back of his cell and sat down on the bunk, his chin wobbling as he realized Walker wanted him dead for what he’d tried to do to his wife.
“He isn’t worth it, Walker,” Jessie said softly. “If Tanner doesn’t need us further right now, I’d like to go home. I’m not feeling well.”
“Jessie!” Billy yelled as she fainted, but Walker moved quickly and caught her. He swept her up into his strong arms and headed for Doc’s office, Billy, Sam, and Angie right behind him.
“Doc!” Billy called out as he raced ahead to make sure he was in his office.
“I’m here, son. What’s the problem?” the frazzled man came into the waiting room.
“Jessie fainted,” he replied as Walker entered, carrying his wife.
“Bring her in here, Walker,” Doc ordered. “Was she injured by those bank robbers?” he asked in genuine concern.
“No, she wasn’t. She was fine, and then she said she didn’t feel well, and fainted.”
Doc looked at all the anxious faces in the treatment room and said, “All of you clear out and let me examine Jessie. That means you, too, Walker,” the man said gruffly.
He opened a vial and held it under Jessie’s nose. She twisted her head to avoid the smell, but it brought her out of her faint. “Ugh, that stuff stinks,” she whispered, trying to sit up. “What happened?” she asked, confused.
“You fainted, Jessie. Feel better now?” he asked with a smile.
“I’m fine. I just felt a bit woozy, and then I woke up here,” she explained. The doctor asked her a few other questions, and then smiled when Jessie told him what was ‘wrong’ with her.
“I think you are probably right, honey. We can make sure if you wish?” he asked, and Jessie agreed. It didn’t take him long to confirm that Jessie was pregnant.
Walker was pacing the floor and silently going crazy while he waited for the doctor to come and tell them what was wrong with Jessie. He was stunned when the door finally opened and Jessie preceded the doctor from the treatment room. He hurried to her side in case she was inclined to faint again, and Jessie looked up at him and giggled.
“I’m just fine now, Walker. Let’s go and put the money in the safe and reassure folks their money is all accounted for. AND, it would be nice to get something to eat. I’m starving.”
“Did you faint because you haven’t eaten?” Walker asked in his deep voice.
“Probably,” she said with a smile. “I’m fine, Walker.”
“Doc?” he looked at the other man.
“She’s fit as can be, son. Go feed her now.”
Walker kept a watchful eye over his wife and gradually relaxed when she appeared to be fine. He sent Billy and Sam on to the ranch to let Mrs. Gibbons know they were all safe and sound, and then helped Jessie and Angie put the bank to rights. They left the door open, even though it was a Saturday, and folks popped in and out to check on Jessie and tell her they were relieved she was safe. Walker insisted they leave for the ranch after a couple of hours, and Jessie didn’t argue.
Apparently Tanner was watching from the jail and he captured Angie’s arm in his hand and said, “I’ll be bringing Angie home later, Walker.”
“Fine,” Walker said with a nod. When Jessie started to protest, he gently lifted her and put her on the seat of the buggy she’d driven to town the day before. “Shush now, Mrs. Ames. Angie needs to settle this without our interference.” He tied his stallion to the rear of the buggy and then climbed up beside Jessie to head for home. He wanted some time alone with her… They needed to settle a few things between them.
“You can just come with me, young lady,” Tanner said firmly, walking her down the street and to the edge of town where the schoolhouse stood. He marched her up the steps and inside, and then barred the door from the inside.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, suddenly nervous.
“Dealing with the fact you did something stupid today. Arresting criminals is too dangerous for a sweet lady like you!”
“He drugged me; he sent you out of town, and he wanted Jessie raped or killed! He had to be arrested, and I wanted to be the one to do it!” Angie proclaimed. “Do you realize that if it weren’t for Jessie I would dead? I owe her my life, and I am no coward, Tanner Graves!”
“I didn’t call you a coward. What if Evanston put his hands on you? He tried that with Jessie and Walker slugged him.”
“I wasn’t in danger, Tanner!” Angie insisted, but he wasn’t in the mood to argue, or to listen to what she had to say. He pulled her up to the front of the classroom, pulled out the chair to the teacher’s desk, took a seat, and then pulled Angie down over his lap. “No, don’t you dare! I’m a grown woman… A mother!” she protested.
“You’re my girl, and I won’t let you risk your safety like you did today!” Tanner said, and started spanking the seat of the pants she was still wearing. “I don’t want to see my girl wearing pants again, either,” he added, continuing to spank her bottom until she was over her temper and crying and telling him she was ‘sorry’.
Tanner lifted her and sat her on his lap and held her close, wiping away her tears with his thumb. “I’m sorry that was necessary, honey-girl. Little Andy needs his Mama, and I need you, too. Don’t you ever scare me like that again, hear? I don’t want to have to cut a switch and use it on your bare butt, but I will if I have to. I love you, Angie.” He kissed her then, and to his delight, Angie kissed him back.
* * *
“I am worried about Angie, Walker,” Jessie fretted as they left t
own behind.
“Tanner loves her and he won’t hurt her,” Walker said quietly. “Sometimes a man spanks because it’s what he needs to do… Angie might be tender for a day or two, but she really shouldn’t have pinned on a badge and gone after Evanston, even though I’m proud of her.” He grinned at Jessie. “It was dangerous, and I doubt she’s as experienced with a gun as you are. I would have spanked you for doing it,” he added as if that sealed the deal.
“What if Angie decides she doesn’t want to see Tanner again? Her first husband was strict and harsh with her, and she doesn’t want a man who will treat her like that.”
“Then Angie will have to tell Tanner her feelings on the subject, honey. It isn’t for us to butt our noses in where they don’t belong. Hear me?” he asked.
Jessie sighed, but then nodded. “I know you are right, Walker. I just can’t help wanting things to go right for them.”
“I understand that. I feel the same way.” He put the reins in his right hand and then reached for her hand with his left. “Jessie, I want to talk to you about us. I need to ask you something important. I know I promised you could leave at the end of a year if you wanted… but when I made that promise I didn’t count on loving you as much as I do. Do you think you could change your mind about leaving? I want you to promise you’ll stay forever.” His dark eyes looked at her, his emotions laid bare.
“I wouldn’t have shared your bed if I wanted to leave, Walker,” she said solemnly. “I fell in love with you almost from the first… and everything leading up to that first night together as husband and wife only confirmed what I felt. I am not planning to leave at the end of a year… or ever,” she said, love shining in her eyes.
“I thought I would die when Billy came and told me you’d been taken,” he admitted, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her. “I knew then that I couldn’t survive losing you… and I knew I needed to tell you that. We started out in a different way than most folks, but my love for you is real, Jessie.”
“I needed to hear that, Walker,” she admitted, tears of happiness filling her green eyes. “Especially right now.”
“Why now, honey?” he asked, and then listened in awe as she told him her secret. He stopped the buggy so he could wrap his arms around her and hold her close.
* * *
Annabelle Slater passed in her sleep a few days later, and it was a sad Judge Slater who sentenced Pete and Syd to prison, and gave John Evanston life in prison for all his crimes.
Walker was shocked when Jessie approached Mrs. Evanston and bought out her husband’s bank and their home. She asked Walker and Judge Slater to go with her, as well as Reverend and Mrs. Hopewell. She wanted everyone to be satisfied she was dealing fairly with the woman, and Mrs. Evanston was delighted to sell out so she could go to Ohio and live with her widowed sister. She finally admitted to everyone how her husband treated her, and Mrs. Hopewell was shocked and hugged her, and Judge Slater offered to handle a divorce for her.
Angie and Tanner were married and more than a little shocked when Jessie and Walker made them a gift of the Evanston home. Little Andy would have a nice yard to play in, and there would be room for the three children they would have together.
Lee and Denver finished out their time at Walker’s Ranch and Lee went to live with his brother and Denver finally sent his father a telegram asking if he could come home. His father came to get him, happy to see his youngest son was alive and well.
Sam was ‘family’ and accepted that he wasn’t leaving Walker and Jessie and Billy until he was a man and ready to take on that responsibility.
Walker and Jessie took in boys as needed, and Mrs. Gibbons was delighted when Jessie gave birth to a baby girl. No one was prouder than Walker, however. Little Sarah would be blessed with five younger brothers to boss around, but everyone obeyed Walker’s Rules, especially his feisty Jessie. When she didn’t, he knew how to deal with the situation, and after a day or two with a sore bottom, his Jessie was sweet as could be.
The End
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This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.
