Cowboy Caveat

by Vanessa Brooks

  Ed and Ethan both started to speak at once. Ed raised his voice to a shout. “I cannot believe you haven’t told me any of this!”

  “To hell with all that! WHERE IS AMY RIGHT NOW?!” Ethan bellowed

  Lucy snapped her mouth shut with a stubborn set to her jaw. Ethan dived across the room, pulled his sister to her feet and shook her until her teeth rattled.

  “What are you doing!” Lucy squeaked.

  “I’m going to paddle your backside, that’s what, and I won’t stop until you tell me where Amy is.....that’s what I intend to do!”

  There was a loud click as Ed brought up his rifle to his shoulder. “Back away from my wife right now, Ethan Walker,” he said quietly. “No one handles my wife like that – not even her brother!”

  Ethan dropped Lucy’s arm and she scuttled over to stand behind Ed, who lowered his rifle and broke it, making it safe. He turned to face Lucy, a vein throbbing in his neck and his jaw clenched. Ignoring Ethan completely, he took his wife’s chin gently but firmly in his hand and tilted her face up to his own. He looked deep into her blue eyes before asking her, “Now then, darlin’, where are Amy and Millie?”

  Lucy bit her lip, unsure what to say. Ed gave her a moment to think, and then he took hold of her upper arm and gave her a little shake. “Now you listen, and listen well, my girl. I am going to take my belt to you for this stunt, regardless of what you say or do right now. You know why and you know that you deserve it but Lucy, be warned, I will also do as Ethan suggests and paddle the hell out of your backside unless you tell me where my sisters are right this minute and darlin’, I promise you I won’t be stopping until you tell me the truth - DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

  Lucy shivered and nodded, shocked. Never had Ed spoken to her in that way before, and he had never laid a finger on her before either. Well, apart from a frisky little hand spanking for not coming home when she had said that she would but that was when they were first married. It had been kinda sexy at the time, but this was completely different.

  Lucy had never seen Ed like this before. “I-I can’t tell you until tomorrow morning where they are, I’m so sorry but I-I promised them, Ed!”

  “Not as sorry as yer gonna be, darlin’,” Ed growled, his face tight with fury. “Wait outside, Eth. I’ll come tell you what I find out in a short while.”

  “Make sure you give her a hard whack from me!” Ethan added, giving Lucy a triumphant glare as he donned his hat and banged the door on his way out.

  Ed turned to Lucy and pointed to the kitchen. “In there, now!”

  Lucy pulled her robe around her. She was naked underneath it, and she had never felt so vulnerable before. Ed pulled a chair out and away from the table and sat down. He pulled Lucy to stand between his thighs and held her hands firmly in both of his.

  His tone had softened a little. “Last chance, Lucy. Fess up, and I’ll go easier on you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Lucy jerked her head up in surprise.

  “Yes ma’am. I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me even after all that lovin’ tonight an’ you still said nothin’ – well darlin’, that’s gonna cost you, because I intend to make darn sure you never, ever, keep something like this from me again. Now, you gonna tell me where those girls are or not? Your choice.” Ed quirked his eyebrows in question.

  Lucy tried to pull her hands out and away from Ed, then stamped her foot when she found that she could not.

  “I’m taking that as a ‘no’, darlin’.....over you go!”

  If Lucy was surprised by how quickly she ended up over her husband’s hard lap, she was downright shocked when he pulled her robe aside and his hand descended with a resounding slap on her tender white bottom. “When you are ready to spill the beans just call out Amy’s name and I’ll stop smacking, understood?” Ed said. Lucy mumbled something, then shrieked when two hard spanks landed across the top of her thighs. “I asked you a question and I expect a clear answer back from you, Mrs. Campbell!”

  “Yes!” squeaked Lucy, loud and clear.

  “Yes what!”

  Lucy wriggled uncomfortably, replying quickly, “Yes sir!”

  She remembered the drill from when her father had spanked her many, many years ago. She didn’t like it then and she sure as hell didn’t like it now especially since this was her own husband spanking her!

  Ed was genuinely enraged with his wife, but he was also hurt that she didn’t trust him enough to do what was best for Amy. He had never been a man given to spank his wife but now he felt justified in teaching Lucy the error of her ways. Her actions had a consequence and this was the consequence, a darn good spanking! He smacked and slapped his squirming wife’s cute bottom until she resembled a ripe and rosy peach.

  Finally, he stopped and pulled Lucy to her feet. Lucy felt utter relief that it was all over. She’d had quite a day all in all, and right now she just wanted her bed.

  “Go to the wall and fetch me the wooden butter pat.”

  Lucy’s head snapped up at Ed’s request. “Huh?”

  Ed had been thinking about his promise of a paddling and realized that he didn’t have any such a thing as a paddle. As he spanked Lucy, he had glanced around the kitchen and his eye had fallen on the wooden butter pat, hanging innocently on the wall. Larger than a hairbrush but similar in shape to one, it was embossed on one side to pattern the butter and flat on the other side, perfect for correcting wayward wives.

  “You heard me, Lucy, the butter pat hanging on the wall...now!”

  “Land sakes, Ed, you spanked me already. I’m tired and I want to go to bed!”

  Ed shook his head at his wife. “OK then, darlin’, where are Amy and Millie?”

  Lucy clamped her lips tight; she couldn’t trust herself to speak in case she weakened.

  “Just as I thought, Little Miss Stubborn – go fetch the butter pat. You ain’t helping your case none by dawdling.”

  Lucy slapped her hand down on the table and stamped her foot.

  “NO... I’ve had enough, Ed! I’m going to bed but I promise I’ll tell you come morning where both of them are!”

  Lucy spun away and made for the door, shrieking as she was grabbed from behind and hauled back into the kitchen. Ed dragged his wife around the table to snatch the butter pat from the wall. There then followed quite a struggle in which somehow Lucy ended up without her robe on. While Ed ignored Lucy’s invective insults and her snapping teeth, inside he was stunned that his usually demure little wife had attempted to bite him! By jiminy, she’d pay for that!

  Ed flung her buck naked across the table and placed a hand firmly in the middle of her back. He raised his arm and smacked her bottom repeatedly with the butter pat. Shocked by the scalding sting that the swats elicited, Lucy wailed and kicked, but for all her struggles, Ed held her fast and delivered a painful lesson in obedience to his wife’s now tender posterior.

  After a while Lucy was blubbering and begging Ed to stop, her bottom afire. Ed gritted his teeth and carried on heating her derrière with ruthless resolve; this was no time for half measures.

  When Lucy could truly take no more, she sobbed, “Amy, Amy, Amy,” over and over until at last it was finished. Ed helped his wife off the table, whereupon Lucy hopped from one leg to another, dancing frantically whilst rubbing her sizzling bottom. Ed pulled her hands in front of her and held them in his.

  “No rubbing ‘til you tell me where they are,” he told her firmly.

  Lucy sobbed quietly and mumbled Rose’s name.

  “They are at your friend Rose’s place?” Ed asked urgently. Lucy nodded, exhausted. Ed handed her the robe and said, “Put that on. I’ll go tell Ethan”

  Ethan looked from the sniffling Lucy still frantically rubbing her painful behind, to Ed, respect written all over his face. “Way to go Ed, good job well done!” Lucy glared at her brother and snapped, “Shut up Ethan!” Ed gave her a glowering look which silenced any further comments she was about to make.

  “Alright then, what was yo
ur plan of escape for the girls?” Ed asked her, the tension rolling off him. Lucy sighed and gave in fully, telling them what they wanted to know but adding a plea that the girls be left to catch the train in the morning as planned. Ed nodded at his wife when she had finished her tale.

  “OK, Lucy, up to bed with you now, we’ll take it from here.”

  “What?” Lucy whined. “No I wan...”

  “LUCY!” Ed thundered and pointed at the stairs. “GO! You need to sleep - if only to gain strength to face the rest of your punishment tomorrow!”

  Lucy glared at her husband, but as he made a slight move toward her, she scurried quickly away and up the stairs, tears beginning to leak from her eyes and pour down her cheeks.

  When Lucy disappeared up the stairs, Ed heard the slam of their bedroom door as it shook the wooden house. Gritting his teeth, Ed mentally made a note of that to add to tomorrow’s lesson, and then he turned to Ethan.

  “I think it’s a good idea that the girls go to our grandmother’s place. She’s an indomitable old lady and they will at least be safe there with her. Sheriff Leason thinks the girls are here, and he’ll fix’ta ride out here tomorrow, but by then the train will have left and Grant Leason will have no idea where the girls are.”

  “That sounds reasonable, but hell, Ed, I don’t like the idea of those little girls travelling all the way to Dallas alone. It just ain’t right! I’m gonna ride to the next stop along and board the train, see ’em safely to your grandmother’s place. I’ll find me a justice of the peace and marry Amy before she causes any more mayhem!”

  “Good idea, and for once, I won’t tell you to go easy on my sister when you catch up with her. Matter of fact, give her a few good smacks from me, would you!”

  Ethan grinned but he was too tense for laughter. “It’s young Millie I feel sorry for, the poor kid, dragged into trouble by Amy. Should I leave her with her grandmother or bring her back with Amy, d’you think?”

  Ed thought for a minute before saying, “I think it would do her good to be with Grandma for a while, and she will spoil Millie in the way a young girl needs, with theatre and music, all the things we don’t have out here. I don’t think you should bring Amy back here, though, not until I wire you that it’s safe.”

  “But I can’t stay at your grandmother’s on my honeymoon. Tell you what: I’ll rent me a little house somewhere and Amy and I’ll stay there until you send word it’s safe to return.”

  Ed nodded. “You’d best bunk down here tonight and set off at dawn to catch that train. I’ll make sure the hands are armed tomorrow morning ready for the Sheriff’s mob when they show up, Christ, what a mess! I’m sorry about your weddin’ day, Eth,” Ed said and put a hand on his brother-in-law’s shoulder in sympathy.

  Ethan shrugged. “I always knew life with Amy wouldn’t be dull, but Ed, I tell you, this sure scares the pants off ‘a me!”

  Ed patted Ethan’s shoulder consolingly; he knew just how he felt.

  CHAPTER 5

  Ethan was gone by the time Ed came down at six, but he’d left coffee on the stove so Ed helped himself to the bitter brew before he set off to the bunk house. After Ed had spoken to Max, his foreman, about keeping three or four reliable hands around the ranch house, armed with rifles, Ed went indoors for breakfast with his children and his brother Tyler.

  They were seated at the table in the kitchen eating quietly, the usual morning hubbub noticeably missing, and Lucy couldn’t meet her husband’s eyes. She placed a plate of eggs in front of him and poured him coffee. Tension rolled off her, and Ed hated it. He watched his pretty blonde wife and thought deeply about how to handle what had passed between them in the last twenty-four hours.

  When the boys had eaten their fill they all looked sideways at each other and scraped back their chairs with a chorus of polite thanks to Lucy. Ed spoke to them gently, “I expect you’ve all heard about Amy shooting Henderson...”

  “Will he die?” Tyler asked a little too keenly for Ed’s liking.

  “No, Tyler, he most certainly will not die. Amy has had to go away for a while and Millie’s gone to keep her company. It’s best that you don’t know where they are. Then when someone like Sheriff Grant asks you the question, you won’t have to lie.”

  “Why’d Amy shoot Henderson, Pa?” asked Ben curiously.

  “I don’t rightly know yet, Ben, but I’m sure she had a darn good reason. Now you boys listen up: the Sheriff and a posse of men are coming over this morning some time, and I want you all to head to Tyler’s room at the back of the house as soon as I tell you to. You go straight there and stay put ’til I give you the all clear, understand?”

  The boys all nodded, the two younger boys round-eyed with excitement, but Tyler looked mulish.

  “I ain’t no kid anymore, and I want to help. I’m your brother, Ed, not your son!”

  Ed grinned at his kid brother. “And don’t I know it, kid! That’s why I’m trusting you with my sons; you keep ‘em safe for me, Tyler, okay?”

  Tyler, flushed with pride, nodded and stood up, gesturing to his nephews to follow him.

  “You got it, Ed; come on, kids, last one upstairs is a GIRL!!” There was a mad scrabbling of feet as the three boys made a dash for the staircase.

  Ed looked at Lucy, who had a smile hovering on her lips, but she didn’t laugh the way she usually would have done.

  Lucy looked over at Ed and saw him frowning at her; she dipped her head so that he wouldn’t see her eyes fill with tears. Hastily, she began to clear the dishes from the table. When Ed’s arm slipped round her waist from behind, she jumped.

  “Leave the dishes a moment, I want to talk to you, sweetheart. Come here.” Ed sat on a kitchen chair and tugged Lucy onto his lap. She winced slightly and wriggled a bit until she accommodated her sore bottom. Ed couldn’t help grinning at her.

  “Sore?” he asked. Lucy blushed and nodded, her eyes cast down.

  “Lucy, I love you so much, and I love how you run this home. I like the laughter and the noise, hell I even like the mess! I didn’t like breakfast today without all of that. Now, I’m not sorry that I spanked you last night -- you brought all of that on yourself and you deserved it, darlin’ -- but we need to resolve this.”

  Lucy sat up straight and started to reply indignantly but Ed held up his hand to stop her and shook his head, putting his finger over her lips. Lucy closed her mouth crossly but kept quiet.

  “What has hurt me the most, Lucy, is your lack of trust in me and the fact you lied to me. I don’t want to take my belt to you, Lucy, I’m just not that kind of a man, and I think it will drive us apart and make you trust me even less. What I propose is this: I am not trusting you ‘til you trust me. I’m not saying where Ethan is, or what I propose to do to sort out any of this trouble with Amy, until you feel ready to trust me and promise never to lie to me again. I want you to come to me and ask me to spank you for not trusting me with this whole mess.”

  Lucy, who had perked right up at Ed’s declaration, was flabbergasted.

  “I can’t do that!” she squeaked indignantly.

  “Honey, you gotta trust me enough to ask, and, believe me, I will put you across my knee and spank your bare bottom with my hand...but darlin’ afterwards I’m gonna give you so much lovin’ you’ll beg me to it all again. Lucy, there’ll be no more secrets between us after this and if I ever find out you’ve lied to me or kept something from me that I should know, I won’t hesitate to spank your ass all over again, you got that, my girl!”

  Ed slipped his hand under the skein of his wife’s beautiful blonde hair, curling his hand around the back of her neck, his thumb gently grazing her cheek. He drew her face to his for a long lingering kiss; he didn’t think it would be many nights before Lucy came to him. Ed knew his wife’s voracious carnal appetite, and he intended to keep her short on sugar rations until she came to him!

  Lucy was melting into her husband’s kiss and thinking how amazing this wonderful man of hers was. A shout from outside drew
them quickly to their feet and to the door, where they could see the dust churning up around five riders, all armed with rifles, pulling their horses up in front of the house. Sheriff Grant was leading them.

  * * * * *

  Ethan had ridden hard for the past half hour, and his horse was nearly blown. He had to stop and let the poor creature rest. He sat on a fallen tree branch and watched his horse drink from the creek, standing in the cool water up to its forelocks, head dipped, supping up the water greedily. Ethan opened his canteen and took a sip. He had wanted to ride into town to make sure the girls were safe and had caught the train. The risk of one of Henderson’s men, including the Sheriff and his deputies, seeing him and tipping them off that the girls were in town still was far too great a threat. He and Ed decided that it would be better for Ethan to catch the girls in Fort Worth and travel onwards, escorting them to their grandmother’s house in Dallas.

  Tomorrow should have been his wedding day and he was bitterly disappointed at how things had turned out. He was livid with Amy for being so hot headed. If she’d thought more about tomorrow and less about yesterday and revenge, she would have been Mrs. Ethan Walker. Amy would be subject to Ethan’s control as his wife and he planned to do whatever it took to keep her safe. Ethan ground his teeth in frustration at how badly things had turned out.

  He gathered his horse’s reins and walked with him to allow the horse to regain his strength before he rode him again. He had to get to Henrietta in Clay County before the Katy train pulled in and the girls switched from the Wichita train to the Katy going on to Dallas. Ethan’s palm itched, he just so badly wanted to get his hands on Amy so he could burn her backside for this little stunt.

  ~

  Amy and Millie had caught the eight o’clock train without mishap, found their seats and settled in with a picnic that Rose had made up for them to last the trip. The basket was laden with good things and the girls tucked in hungrily.

  * * * * *