Cowboy Caveat

by Vanessa Brooks

  Back at the ranch, Ed hurriedly told Tyler to keep the small boys together in his room and stay there until he told them otherwise. To Lucy, Ed asked that she only speak if questioned. She should only answer the question asked but she should tell the truth. Lucy was worried about that, but she would think on her feet and wait and see what the questions asked by the Sheriff would be.

  Grant and his men pulled up in a flurry of dust in front of the stoop, and they were all armed with rifles. Max and some of the more trusted ranch hands sauntered around the periphery of the ranch house, and they, too, were armed. Ed hailed the Sheriff in an easy-going and friendly way and he waited for the Sheriff to respond, his arm around Lucy’s waist for her reassurance.

  “You were supposed to bring Amy in this morning, Ed. What’s going on?” Grant asked.

  “Why would I bring Amy into see you, Grant?” Ed asked innocently. Lucy gave a little gasp and Ed squeezed her waist in warning. Grant looked at Lucy in surprise. “You didn’t tell your husband about yesterday Mrs. Campbell?” he asked. Lucy flushed pink and shook her head.

  “What’s this? What didn’t you tell me, darlin’?” Ed turned to his wife.

  Lucy stammered and choked out an inaudible reply.

  Grant interrupted Lucy impatiently, saying, “Yesterday afternoon, your sister Amy shot Mr. Henderson when he was out walking in town and he was unarmed. I’ve come to take her into custody, Ed.”

  Ed looked suitably shocked and swung around to face Lucy, grabbing her arm and shaking her. “Why didn’t you tell me when you got back yesterday, Lucy? Why have you hidden this from me?”

  Lucy burst into tears. This wasn’t difficult because she was so overwrought that the tears were genuine. “I didn’t know what to do, Ed, and I knew you would do the right thing and hand Amy over to the Sheriff!”

  “Too right I would! Amy shot an unarmed man! I’ll deal with you later, my girl; now go to your room!”

  Lucy wasted no time in doing as she was bid; she turned and ran inside the house, grateful to her clever and quick-witted husband.

  Ed felt a wave of relief now that he had all his family safe upstairs if things went wrong between him and the Sheriff.

  “Well, is she here or not?” Grant asked tetchily.

  “No, she’s not. I have an idea where she might be, but I’m coming with you, Grant. She is my sister and you can take her in after I’ve spoken to her.”

  “Seems fair enough, but you won’t stop me arresting her, Ed. Now, where’d you think she might be?”

  “I reckon she’s hiding out at our Pa’s old place up near the Red River bend. I’m riding with you. Y’all want some coffee while I get my stuff ready?” Without waiting for a reply, Ed beckoned one of his hands over and said, “Eli, take these good men to Cookie and get ‘em some coffee and biscuits. Tell Cookie to pack supplies for a couple of days on the range.”

  “Sure thing, boss. This way, boys.” The posse followed Eli round to the cookhouse and Ed ran into the house and straight up the stairs to tell Lucy he was going with Grant and his men.

  * * * * *

  Amy and Millie made the train connection at Henrietta in good time and settled themselves into a private compartment. They watched the comings and goings of people outside the train window as they moved onto the platform, some boarding and others departing.

  Suddenly the door into the girl’s compartment was wrenched open and a small tousled-haired boy appeared in the doorway. He grinned at the girls briefly, then he dived under their seat. “Don’t give me away to the old witch, ma’am, please!” he implored as he vanished. He was followed by a thin wiry woman wearing a dirty white bonnet. Her skin was wrinkled and brown and she sported a rather large nose with a wart on one side. She looked so much like an archetypal witch that both girls took one look at her and dissolved in a fit of the giggles. This did nothing to improve the demeanour of the ‘witch’ and she glared at Amy, demanding to know if they had seen a small and ‘very bad’ boy. Amy truthfully replied that she had seen no ‘bad’ boys at all since boarding the train, whereupon the woman spun around and left, banging the sliding door shut behind her.

  “You can come out now; the witch has gone!” called Millie as she leant down to peer into the darkness under her seat. The child stuck his head out and grinned up at them before scrambling out and plonking himself down next to Millie. “Gee, thanks miss, that Miz Cardon’s a real meanie!”

  “What did you do to make her mad?” asked Amy curiously.

  “She was just born cussed...but I guess a spider down her neck upset her a mite!” The boy chuckled and his light brown eyes twinkled with merriment. Amy and Millie burst out laughing.

  “So is she your aunt or something?” Millie asked the boy, who it seemed had spotted the picnic and appeared to be mesmerized by the wicker basket full of goodies.

  “Um, no, she’s the warden; can I taste some vittals outa that basket?” He was already reaching with small grubby hands toward the lid.

  “I will get you a ham biscuit but look - your hands are filthy!” Amy pushed his grubby hands away and pulled out the promised food, handing it over with a small checked cloth.

  “You said ‘warden’...what are you, a child criminal?” Millie asked, intrigued.

  The boy cocked his head on one side and told them he was an orphan being moved to an all-boy institution from the mixed one he had been living in up until now. Millie was horrified.

  “You mean your parents are dead and you have no family?” she asked.

  The child nodded, his mouth full of ham and biscuit.

  “We are orphans, too, but we have an older brother and sister-in-law who look after us. We are going to see our grandmother for a visit,” Millie told the boy. “I am Millie and this is my older sister Amy.....what’s your name?”

  “Luca, Miss. Can I stay with you and visit your grandmother, too? I won’t give you no trouble, please Miss?” Luca asked eagerly.

  “How old are you, Luca?” Amy asked the small boy. Surely he couldn’t be much more than six; he was so slight.

  The boy chewed his mouthful and swallowed before answering. “Um, I guess I might be seven?”

  “You mean you don’t know?!” Millie was shocked. How could any child not know its own age?

  “No one ever told me, I guess.” The boy looked embarrassed and Amy quickly handed him a peach to cover the awkward moment. The child took it gratefully and bit into it, seemingly unaware of the juice running down his chin. Amy passed him a red-checkered napkin to wipe his mouth.

  The door was suddenly wrenched open and all three swivelled their heads toward the opening. Amy gave a cry of recognition and flew off her seat to Ethan, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. Ethan’s arms came around Amy in an instinctive protective action and, relieved to find her in one piece, he hugged her close and kissed her hair, breathing in her sweet scent. His eyes closed with relief – Amy was safe in his arms where she belonged. For a moment Ethan forgot his anger with her and savored her presence. She was home to him as no other could ever be.

  Amy spoke first, still holding him. She raised her face to study his handsome features. Amy hadn’t realised how much she had missed her fiancée and the security he bought to her by his strong, reassuring presence. Amy also knew Ethan well enough to read the fury building behind his steady hazel gaze as his eyes locked onto hers.

  “Ethan.... darlin’!” she breathed.

  Ethan quirked a brow at his intended. “Yup.” He held her away from him and looked her over for any sign of damage; she certainly looked none the worse for her adventure. “Do you realise that today should have been our wedding day?” he asked her, his eyebrows lowered over shadowed, disappointed eyes.

  “Well, of course I....” Amy started to say, but was quickly interrupted by Ethan.

  “You also realise that you could have been up on a murder charge if Henderson had died? As it is, the man is pressing charges against you for attempted murder!
”

  “I suppose Lucy blabbed did she....and told you where we were?” Amy pulled away from Ethan irritably.

  Ethan was incredulous. Did Amy really have no idea of the seriousness of her situation?

  “My sister very stupidly and stubbornly refused to tell Ed or me anything at all until Ed spanked her good and hard with a butter pat until she could take no more and finally gave in, confessing everything,” Ethan told her in a low voice.

  Millie, who had been following the proceedings with great interest, butted in, exclaiming, “Ed spanked Lucy? But Ed never spanks!!!”

  Ethan, who had forgotten the presence of the others, so intent was he on speaking to Amy, nodded and said, “Yup, she was foolhardy for not telling him when he first asked her where the two of you were. She got no more than she deserved....say, who’s this?” Ethan cast his gaze over a round-eyed Luca, who was staring at him, entranced by the arrival of the big handsome cowboy with such a deep Texan drawl.

  “Oh this is my friend, Luca - Luca say howdy to my brother-in-law, Ethan Walker. He’s Amy’s fiancé!”

  Ethan nodded to the small boy and Luca muttered a shy, “How-do, mister.”

  Ethan turned back to Amy. “Have you any idea of the mess you’ve landed us all in, young lady!”

  Amy snorted in the most unladylike manner.

  Ethan frowned at her and noticed Millie, wide-eyed and drinking in the whole conversation. “We need some private time here, Millie, so you and your friend wait outside please and don’t come back in here until I call you no matter what you hear, understood?”

  Millie nodded, took Luca’s hand and led him out of the carriage, sliding the door closed. Ethan immediately pulled the blinds down so that no one in the corridor could see inside the compartment. He turned to face Amy, who had sat down on one of the long seats and was watching Ethan wearily.

  Ethan turned to gaze at Amy and said, “Okay, tell me what happened, all of it, the truth and don’t leave anything out.”

  Amy looked at her hands and cleared her throat before she begun recounting the bizarre happening of yesterday.

  “We were on our way to the church for my appointment with the Reverend Norman, when Henderson appeared from around the corner and deliberately barged into us, knocking Millie off the side walk and into the dirt. He started to call us names; then something strange came over me and Ethan, I knew, I just knew for sure he had killed my parents. I felt my little hand gun in my reticule, and I just shot him. You know how that silly thing shoots high left?”

  Ethan nodded grimly.

  “I aimed for the bastard’s heart but shot him in the shoulder instead,” Amy said and shrugged.

  Ethan made a sound like a low growl; his jaw was set and he ground out slowly, “Amelia Jane Campbell, you shot an unarmed man on a whim!” He held up his hand to silence Amy as she began to protest.

  “On a whim Amy, because you have no evidence at all that Henderson killed your parents. You have sacrificed our wedding day and put your family in an untenable situation and you seem to have no remorse or understanding of how wrong your behavior was and still is. Now listen up, young lady, ‘cos this is what is gonna happen now.”

  Amy opened her mouth to speak but Ethan stopped her again, this time with a look.

  “If you interrupt me jus’ once more, missy, you will be even sorrier, little girl! In just a moment, I am going to put you across my knee and spank your sorry butt for what you put me and Ed through. I am going to escort you to your grandmother’s house and once we’re there, I’m gonna find me a Justice of the Peace to marry us. After that, I intend to spank you ‘til you can’t sit down for at least a week for shooting an unarmed man. Then hopefully your grandmother will find you a good defense lawyer to fight your case in court. Now then missy, you jus’ come here!”

  Amy wasn’t too worried about being spanked. She considered herself a tough girl, although she was horrified about it happening in a public railway carriage! She tried to tell Ethan but he ignored her totally and tugged her unceremoniously across his well-muscled thighs. He pushed up her dress and petticoats and parted her drawers. Amy blushed and wriggled about with embarrassment. Ethan lifted one of his legs and placed it over Amy’s legs, securing her to him. Amy buried her face in her hands on the train seat and resigned herself to her fate. After all, Ethan had spanked her before, it would soon be over and she knew it was no worse than falling off a horse. The first blow took her by some surprise; surely it hadn’t stung quite like that last time?

  Ethan’s itchy right hand was in its element. He was determined that his wife-to-be would learn a lesson from this spanking, and oh boy, was he going to teach it to her!

  Without any preliminaries, Ethan lit into Amy’s bottom, raining down heavy-handed blows all over until she was rosy pink. Then he began spanking the tender, creased area where her thigh met her bottom. The staccato sound of falling slaps sounded like small gunshots within the confines of the railway carriage, and Amy worried that the whole train knew she was getting a spanking!

  Amy squirmed and tried to kick. This was not what she was expecting at all! Ethan was actually hurting her!

  “Stop, Ethan! Enough now...I said stop!”

  Ethan, far from stopping, continued to scald Amy’s bottom with blistering spanks until Amy was unable to stop herself from crying out with each sizzling swat. She tried to rock sideways to evade the scorching punishment but to no avail. Ethan held her fast and his hand bounced off Amy’s quivering and tender bottom with merciless resolve.

  Amy’s pleas turned to cries for mercy, then just to cries and she sobbed.

  Outside in the narrow corridor of the train, Millie grinned at Luca, who was wide-eyed. “That man is mighty, mighty cross with your sister!” he said, stating the obvious.

  Millie nodded. “Yup. He loves her, though. Amy’s a bit, well wild, and Ethan is going to marry her. He just wants to keep Amy safe is all.”

  Luca looked confused. “Safe from who?” he asked.

  Millie pursed her lips, “We-e-ell, from herself, I guess. Amy is always in a scrape! Don’t worry, Luca, I like Ethan....he’s alright.”

  “Shall we peek?” Luca asked. They slid the door open a crack and peered through to see Ethan’s arm swinging high, delivering blows all over Amy’s bottom.

  Without breaking his stride or looking up Ethan said, “Unless you want to be next over my knee, Millicent Campbell, I suggest you shut that door right now!”

  Millie, blushing furiously, hurriedly slammed the door closed.

  No sooner had they pulled the door shut than the spiteful Miss Cardon bore down on the two of them; she reached out to grab hold of Luca’s arm and Millie immediately grabbed his other arm. A tug of war began between them with poor little Luca caught in the middle of two screeching females.

  When the ruckus out in the corridor could no longer be ignored, Ethan reluctantly helped Amy upright. “That’s just a taste of what’s yet to come, missy,” he told her before jumping up and opening the door to see what the kerfuffle was about.

  Amy wiped the tears from her face with her palms and then hurriedly rubbed her scalded rump with both hands but she wasted little time on self-pity. She was more interested in what was happening out in the corridor. Amy could hear Millie shouting and another raised female voice.

  Ethan rubbed a weary hand over his face. What was it about females, anyway? They just had to screech. Why couldn’t they just speak instead of this perpetual shrieking all the time? It was one of the reasons he liked Amy so much -- she was quiet most of the time; she didn’t scream and carry on like other women seemed to do.

  “Enough!” Ethan roared, and amazingly, all the screeching stopped. But then Millie and the strange woman began talking at once. Ethan realized that he didn’t understand what in tarnation was going on. He turned helplessly toward Amy and his gaze softened when he noticed how red her wet eyes were and how little fuss she was making over the very harsh spanking she had just received. He was so pro
ud of his stoical girl.

  CHAPTER 6

  Lucy went about her chores, deep in thought about her marriage to Ed. She didn’t want to go to him and ask for another spanking; the whole idea was too demeaning by far. However, after the dreadful spanking he had given her in the kitchen, Lucy knew that it would be a far less painful punishment and Lucy hoped that Ed would make love to her afterwards, as he had done on the one other occasion he had spanked her. Truth was, she had enjoyed that whole episode that other time but not what had occurred last night – oh no, that was a whole other thing! It was a case of pride and Lucy knew it but she couldn’t get herself beyond that -- her pride.

  Up until now, she had run the house and Ed the ranch. They had discussed problems jointly as they arose. Lucy loved the equanimity of the partnership she had formed with her husband. So many men ruled their wives with a switch, and Lucy had pitied those women who didn’t have the relationship that she and Ed had together. Yesterday had changed that and Lucy was shocked by the turn of events. She was deep in thought about the adjustment Ed had wrought within their marriage. Ed had reacted as any other husband would have done in the same set of circumstances but Ed wasn’t other men. Some would have been harsher, she knew, but Ed had punished her and he had made it clear that he would spank her again when he felt the circumstances dictated. This in itself was a huge change for Lucy, who knew hand spanking was nothing compared to the whippings, paddlings and switchings that other women put up with, but Lucy just wanted things to remain exactly as they were before yesterday. She sighed heavily, thinking if only yesterday had never happened and things had gone on as before, with Amy and Ethan getting married.

  Her mind went back to the occasion just after she was married when Ed had spanked her for not coming home after visiting her old school friend in town. Lucy had thought that as a married woman, she now had the right to come and go as she pleased and so she was shocked that Ed had come into town to find her and had dragged her home. He then upended her across his knee and spanked her bottom fully clothed. Ed lectured her the whole way through the punishment on how thoughtless and selfish she had been to leave him worried that something had befallen his lovely young bride.