The Cure for Cabin Fever

by Beth Bennett

  The unmistakable click of a shotgun being cocked made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her arm froze in mid-throw. Crouching down behind the rock, her heart began to race. Slowly peeking over, she saw a man in a heavy overcoat step forward. The horse behind him gave a whinny and tossed its head. He aimed the shotgun right at her and called across the creek. “Come out whoever you are or I’ll shoot.”

  Chapter Two

  Laurel swallowed hard. People in Colorado were serious about guns. She thought about the missive Jeremy had tacked up at his house. ‘Don’t worry about the dog, Beware of the owner.’ Having no desire to get shot, she stood slowly with her hands raised. She squinted her eyes. The figure across the creek looked vaguely familiar. Great Jehoshaphat! There was that stupid bright green John Deere hat! It was that rude jerk from the store. Laurel dropped her hands in anger and yelled. “You big idiot, put that gun down before you kill somebody. Oh my God, what the hell are you doing? You scared me to death!”

  James lowered his weapon with an aggravated motion and un-cocked the shotgun. “What are you doing out here?” he demanded.

  Laurel wrinkled her nose and shouted back. “I live here you jerk. I just moved into Ida Danner’s cabin. It belongs to me now.” She stuck her tongue out at him and rudely hollered. “Say howdy to your new neighbor.”

  James rested his shotgun in the crook of his arm. “You’re ruining my property. That sign cost me $300 and you better stroke me a check here and now.” James began crossing toward her and Laurel moved back, holding her hands out in a motion to make him stop.

  “You just stay right there. Do I look like I carry a checkbook when I go for a walk? What kind of ninny puts up a sign like that anyway? Don’t you know this is free range country?”

  James stopped mid-stride. He gave her a look that would curdle milk. “Only part of it is free range and this part isn’t. Even if it were, that doesn’t give you the right to destroy my property. You’re such a little smart ass. I ought to teach you a lesson.” Keeping his eyes glued on hers, James began slowly leading his horse by the reins. He arrogantly informed her, “I’ll follow you home and you can write my check when we get there.”

  Laurel gasped at his words. She was so angry she could barely speak. Her voice grew higher in pitch. “I wouldn’t write you a check if I was court ordered to do it!” By the time she was finished with the sentence she was screeching in rage.

  He paused and looked lazily back at her. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered. She felt her face flush red as her hands balled into fists by her side. The jerk crossed his arms and then had the audacity to shake a finger at her.

  “You write that check, smart ass. Or I’m going to take it out of your hide.”

  What was he talking about? Ooh, she couldn’t stand him. The arrogant look he was giving her made her want to take a rock and give him a good pop right in the face. That’s just what she decided to do. If Laurel had been thinking straight, she would never have done such a thing. Letting her anger take over, she reached down to her little pile, grabbed a rock, and threw her missile as hard as she could, aiming for the center of his head. If James hadn’t had quick reflexes, she would have hit him dead center.

  With a slow methodical movement, James turned his back and placed the gun securely in the holster on his saddle. He suddenly turned and took off at a run, straight towards her, splashing through the creek. It took Laurel a second to realize she had missed and he was headed her way. She gave a little yelp and turned to run, but he was already on top of her. Laurel began screaming her head off, but James ignored her. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the edge of the trees near the creek. He bent down still holding onto her and picked a switch from a nearby bush. Continuing to hold her wrist, he pulled her toward the rock she’d been hiding behind. When she realized his intent, she went limp and fell on the ground. James swore, but did not release his hold. He dragged her across the ground, picked her up and bent her over the rock. Taking the switch, he whipped her across her jean clad bottom. The stripe that fell across her cheeks brought tears to her eyes.

  “Stop it right now, you son of a bitch!”

  “I’ll have no talk like that from you, young lady.” James took the switch and struck her again. “I bet you show a little more respect to me the next time I ask you to do something.”

  He was showing absolutely no mercy. The switch fell across her bottom again. James proceeded to lay stripes all the way up and down her legs. Over and over the switch rained down as he wielded it with gusto before every whack.

  Laurel hated to give him the satisfaction of crying, but it was going to take more fortitude than she possessed to be quiet during this punishment. She cried out with each strike and by the tenth, she was sobbing her heart out.

  James threw the switch on the ground and let her go.

  Laurel stood up and lurched toward her cabin. She didn’t really know which direction she was going. She only wanted to get away from him. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision and she stumbled over a tree stump. Taking a moment to gulp, she stayed on all fours hoping to get control of herself. Laurel heard a sharp whistle and the sound of horse hooves behind her. Before she knew what had happened, James bent down and jerked her up by the back of her jeans. He tossed her over his saddle face down. Without another word, he jumped up behind her and took her home. After a few minutes, they reached her cabin and he gently lowered her to the ground near the front steps. Tipping his awful green cap, he took out for his house without saying a single word.

  Laurel stared at his back as he rode away toward his fancy new cabin. She was furious. She struggled to swallow the huge lump in her throat. Tears continued unchecked down her cheeks. Embarrassed and completely overwhelmed, emotions from the last few weeks rushed forward and Laurel began to sob uncontrollably. She sat down on the front steps and lay her head down on her arms. Deep pain-filled gasps began to shake her little shoulders. She had never been so sad and humiliated in her life.

  Lost in her own misery, Laurel was unaware of James’s presence until she finally raised her head. For some reason, he had turned his horse around, dismounted, and now stood just a few feet away. She gave him a deep scowl and put her head back down. Wrapping her arms tightly around her face, she managed to croak, “Leave me alone.”

  Laurel heard James sit down beside her on the steps. Her temples pounded from crying so hard. After several minutes, she slowly raised her head and wiped her nose with her coat sleeve.

  Doubly embarrassed because of the whipping he had given her as well as her emotional display, Laurel looked down at her feet. “I’m… uh, I, don’t know what came over me. My aunt just died. I, I’m fine, please leave me alone.” Her breath came in big jerky gasps and her face was as red as a beet.

  “Ma’am,” James began as he stared down at her. “I’m so sorry. I knew about your aunt. She was always good to me. I was planning on coming by, and I’m sorry I didn’t.” He reached up and took his cap off then ran his hand through his hair in a worried motion. A determined look crossed his face. Pressing his cap back on his head, he reached out and pulled Laurel into his lap. He firmly pressed her head to his shoulder and patted her back.

  Laurel was totally shocked. His lap was surprisingly comfortable, and the jacket he wore felt good against her cheek. She let out a deep sigh and began to cry all over again. The comfort of his embrace was like a balm, and Laurel let herself relax for just a few minutes. She finally pushed away and tried to stand up. James loosened his hold and let her go.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered. “I’m going inside now.” Laurel wouldn’t look him in the face as she turned and made her way up the steps. She quietly closed the door and set the lock. She watched through the kitchen window as he slowly rode home.

  Laurel was still steaming four weeks later. Every day she thought about her neighbor across the way and every day she felt more frustrated. She was used to getting her way and no one had certainly ever spanked her before.
She had no idea what to do about it. She was embarrassed that he had whipped her, and she was absolutely furious that she had let herself squall like a baby in front of him.

  How satisfying it would be to find some way to get even. Every idea seemed more ridiculous than the last. She thought about going to the sheriff, but was too embarrassed to tell him what had happened. She could just see herself explaining to Sheriff Blanton. “Well, you see, sir, I was throwing rocks at his stupid sign. He got mad and whipped me with a switch, and I couldn’t stop crying.” Laurel groaned, it looked like he was going to get away with it. She decided the best policy would be to steer clear of him even if that wasn’t easy to do. Buena Vista was a small town that got even smaller in the winter. She snorted at herself. She’d be damned if she’d hold up in her cabin all winter just to avoid the jerk. She would go about her business as usual and if she happened to run into him, she’d just ignore him.

  Laurel stayed busy trying to get the cabin ready for winter. Seeing to the cabin’s winterization was like a dose of medicine. It took her mind off the grief and helped her forget about James Caulderfield and their last altercation. There was so much to do. She put extra coverings over the windows, but what she really needed were new windows. She was running out of time, and new windows would have to wait for spring.

  Inspecting the house from the outside one day, Laurel spotted a small piece of roofing that needed patching. Aunt Ida had extra shingles stored in the shed for just such a problem. Laurel had never patched a roof before, but how hard could it be? She decided to gather some nails and shingles along with the ladder stored in the eaves of the shed. The ladder was big and heavy. It went up two stories. The patch problem was near the edge so she wouldn’t have to climb on the roof. Just get close with the ladder.

  Finding a carpenter’s apron, she filled it with nails and piled it along with some shingles on the ground. Going back to the shed she looked up. How had Ida gotten that ladder up in the eaves? She thought about Mr. Big Britches across the road, too bad he was such a jerk. He was tall enough to get it down. Laurel looked around. There were some old apple crates strewn about. She decided to stack them on top of one another. She gave the crates a shake. They wiggled and wobbled.

  Deciding how many she needed, she stacked three on top of each other and placed another at the base to use as a step. Placing a foot on the first crate, Laurel carefully inched her way to the top of a very precarious perch. Her long soft curls had fallen in her face, and she couldn’t see what she was doing.

  ***

  James Caulderfield couldn’t stop thinking about the little tart living across the road. He had never met a more insolent young lady. Feeling abject shock at her behavior in Jeremy’s store, he was completely outraged by her display at the creek. Too bad such a little smart ass came in such a cute package.

  He didn’t like the way they had left things the last time they saw each other either. He would never forget how she sobbed, broken-hearted on her front steps. It almost made him regret whipping her. He also couldn’t get the image of Laurel Danner’s fine backside out of his mind. He went to sleep thinking of her bent over that rock. He would love to do something else to her besides spank her.

  He inquired about her in town and found out as many details as he could. She was an easterner all right, but knew her way around the west. He also found out from Jeremy that her nickname was Sassafras. He could not think of a more perfect name for the little smart ass. She was stunningly beautiful. She had a heart shaped face with lovely green eyes framed by thick lashes. Her nose turned up at just the right angle and soft, sweet lips, bowed perfectly together. Thick honey brown hair flowed past her shoulders. She was small but perfectly formed. Her jeans fit her to a T. James felt his pants tighten when he thought about her.

  Jeremy had told him about the loss of her parents and on top of losing her aunt, Laurel must surely be having a hard time. He wished he’d known about all that before he flew off the handle. They had gotten off to a rotten start, and he was feeling very sorry he had added to her troubles. Never in his life had he ever met anyone who deserved a spanking more, but still, he would have preferred to offer her comfort. He hoped she would accept his peace offering of some chocolates he had bought in town. Jeremy told him which ones were her favorites.

  James decided enough time had gone by. He would make peace. They lived right next door to each other for Pete’s sake. He would be the bigger person and be the first to extend an olive branch. He pulled up to Laurel’s cabin and knocked on the door. No one answered so he tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Cracking it open, he called out. “Laurel, uh, Miss Danner, can I come in?” No answer. Listening carefully, James heard a noise from around back. He set the candy down on the porch and went around to the shed. He heard Laurel’s voice swearing.

  As he turned the corner, he could see Laurel’s high rise of apple crates. Somehow she had managed to clamber up to the top one. She was reaching for a ladder above her and paid no attention to the terrifying instability of her hastily constructed tower.

  Without thinking, James roared, “What the hell are you doing?”

  Startled by his yell, she turned toward him. The slight movement caused the weight distribution to shift and the apple crates began to tumble down along with Laurel. A high pitched scream left her lips, and James rushed forward to try to catch her. He was hit with several sharp crates, but he managed to pluck her from the deluge before she hit the ground. He rolled with her in his arms and came to rest on bits of broken wood in a cloud of dust.

  Laurel lay on his chest, wrapped in his arms. Her face was directly next to his and her breath smelled like peppermint. He took in a deep breath and was met with the scent of white flowers. Laurel lay still, nose to nose, staring into James’s eyes. After several long moments, he asked, “Are you all right?”

  Laurel’s hands rested on his chest and when he tightened his arms around her, he could see her eyes grow wide. Her crotch was directly on top of his and her face turned red when she realized the effect she was having on him. Laurel scrambled to stand up. James tried to help. When he placed her on her feet, he realized she had sprained her right ankle in the fall. Laurel limped to lean against the wall.

  “Damn it,” James shouted. He crossed to examine her ankle, but Laurel yelled back.

  “Don’t you touch me! This is all your fault!”

  “My fault! What kind of little idiot are you?”

  Laurel blew her stack. “I was fine until you showed up. I was trying to get that ladder down from the eaves to fix the roof. I swear, I could just kill you.” Laurel began to limp in a circle trying to work the pain out of her ankle. It was a very slight sprain.

  James gritted his teeth. He stood watching Laurel limp around the shed. It looked like her foot would be okay. He regarded the rafters and eyed the ladder she was after. He easily reached up over his head and brought the ladder down without so much as a grunt. Without a word, he leaned it against the house. He tied the carpenter’s apron on, threw the shingles over his shoulder and began to climb up.

  Laurel followed and stood at the bottom shouting up, “You get down from there. This is my house, and I will fix my own roof.” When he kept climbing without so much as a backward glance, Laurel fumed. “Of all the nerve,” she yelled. “You do exactly whatever you want. No matter what anybody else says.” He gave no response and pounded a nail into a shingle. Laurel tried one more time. “I’m going to give this ladder a good shake!”

  James completely ignored her and went on with his work. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her give up and leave. She walked around the side of the house and heard her going up the front steps. He smiled to himself as he thought of the chocolates. Surely she would find them now.

  He was finally finished with the roof around 3pm. James climbed down and put the ladder and extra shingles away. When he went to his truck, he noticed the chocolates were gone from the porch, but the front door was shut tight. He got in his truck to drive a
way and noticed that the box of chocolates had appeared on his front seat accompanied by a rude note. “Thanks but no thanks. TRESSPASSERS NOT WELCOME.” James crumpled the note and threw it out his truck window into her yard. He just couldn’t understand it. He had always been good with women. Most of the time it only took a wink and they were salivating over him. Not this one, everything he did seemed to go wrong. Every time he tried to be nice he ended up making her mad. She interpreted his helpfulness for butting in and his suggestions as bossy. He had to think about this. She had scared the day lights out of him when she’d started to fall off those crates. When she landed on top of him, all he could think about was pulling her head down and kissing her until his tongue touched the back of her throat. Her perfume drove him crazy. James started his truck and as he pulled away, he looked in the rear view mirror. He could see Laurel’s mutinous little face peeking out the front window. He would leave her be for now. The next time their paths crossed, he intended to be ready. He had no idea that opportunity would come so quickly.

  Chapter Three

  A few weeks later, Laurel woke with a headache. The sky outside looked threatening. Ominous gray clouds hung heavy over the mountain. The weather report forecast a huge snow storm coming their way. It was late October, but not too early for a blizzard to be brewing. She wouldn’t be going into town today or any day soon. Laurel sighed, oh well, the better to get some work done. There was plenty of cleaning and organizing to do. The boxes needed to be moved from the house to the shed, and things needed to be given away or taken to the trash. Easily an all day job.

  Laurel thought of snow days growing up. Those were a lot simpler. You didn’t have to worry about work or school, just stay snuggled in for the duration. Ida had told her after October, there was a chance she could be house bound until the winter snows began to melt. That could be as late as April. Looking around, Laurel felt a little overwhelmed. Winter was going to announce its presence, whether she was ready or not. To top it off, she felt terrible. The cold she was nursing seemed to get worse instead of better.