Life at the Ranch

by Malone, Misty

  “Yes. I'm sorry.”

  “I'm sorry, too, because that tells me you don't trust me enough yet to share your problems with me.”

  “I do, but I didn't want to bother you with it. It's my problem, I need to deal with it.”

  “So this attitude is how you deal with it?”

  “Okay, so I didn't deal with it very well. But I didn't think it was fair to complain to you. I need to find a way to deal with it.”

  “I wish you'd let me help you do that. Honey, I want you to share your problems with me. If all we do is talk about them, you'll feel better. But I might be able to help you with it in some way. I know I can't if you don't give me that chance. I want to keep you safe, but also happy. I want the chance to succeed at that. But you have to trust me enough to tell me when you have a problem. All you said was you had a problem at work. You wouldn't tell me any more than that. If you can start trusting me, I might be able to help. But if you don't trust me, we'll never know.”

  She was quiet while she thought about his words. “I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way. I didn't want to trouble you with my problems.”

  “But that's what I'm here for. If we're going to share our lives, that includes everything; good and bad.”

  Kayla nodded her head, and tears started flowing again, which told Wyatt she got his message now. “I'm going to finish this spanking now, and while I do, you think about what I said. This is where dealing with your problem yourself got you. Next time try coming to me with it and let's see if we can get you a better outcome.”

  He immediately started the spanking again. He wasn't spanking hard this time, knowing she was already sore and it wouldn't take much to reignite the fire. Tears flowed from her eyes, and he was pretty sure she was learning the lesson he meant to instill in her now.

  When she stopped fighting the spanking, he stopped. He rubbed her back a few moments while she caught her breath, then gently helped her up and onto his lap. She hissed when her bottom met his jeans, but wriggled around a bit and found a position she seemed to like a little better, and settled in. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.

  “Are you okay now?”

  His quiet, soothing tone did as much to help her calm down as anything, and she nodded. “Feel better, more relaxed?” Again, she nodded, but he saw her face blush. He never could understand why the fact a spanking calmed her down seemed to embarrass her, but it always did.

  He continued talking in his soft, soothing voice, knowing how well she responded to it. “Good. You know, I think we can both learn something from Bo and Alicia tonight.”

  “What's that?”

  “How important trust is in a relationship.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, think about it. She was afraid something was going to happen, and she wanted him to have a solid alibi. Being seen in a public restaurant, especially on a security camera, is a real good alibi. So she did what she had to do to get him there.”

  “I was surprised he went. I thought he was staying at the line shack all night.”

  “He did. But she called him, and asked him to go out. He didn't want to, but she kept insisting. He could tell she was almost desperate, so he questioned her. She asked him to trust her. He told her if it turned out to be nothing, she could expect a spanking. She agreed.”

  “She did? She hates his spankings.”

  “As much as you hate mine?” he asked with a smile.

  She rubbed her bottom and smiled up at him. “We're neither one fans.”

  “I know,” he admitted, “but it helps both of you. Anyway, she agreed because she felt strong about it.”

  “But what if nothing would have happened? Would he have spanked her?”

  “I guess we'll never know. But she trusted him, and agreed to it.”

  “And he trusted her and went to Rocky's,” she said quietly, thinking aloud.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “They really are good for each other, aren't they?”

  “They make a good couple.” After a minute of cuddling, he added, “As do we.”

  “We just have to work on that trust thing a little more.”

  “Yes, we do,” he agreed. “Are you ready to hear why I thought we needed to leave when we did?”

  “Yes. I really am interested in it now.”

  “I thought I might be able to change your outlook,” he said with a small chuckle. “When they realized what had happened, and how good it was that they were at Rocky's last night, and that this whole ordeal might be coming to an end for them, I could see the emotions in their eyes. They couldn't stand close enough to each other, and their eyes were on each other the whole time. They needed some time alone, to be together, to hold each other. That's what I was trying to give them.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I am such a fool.”

  He reached around and smacked her bottom once. “I don't want to hear any more negative comments about my girl.” He kissed her forehead. “You were upset about your job and didn't notice those things. That doesn't make you a fool. But now I'd like to talk about your job. What exactly is happening that has you so upset?”

  “I might lose my job.”

  “Why, and when? At the end of the year?”

  “When that factory shut down in town, that took away a pretty good chunk of tax money that was going to the schools. The state also made cuts last year, so the school's really hurting. But what bothers me is how they're doing it. There are teachers there that the school's received all kinds of complaints about, but they've been there long enough that they have tenure and the school can't hardly get rid of them. So the younger ones, that parents are happier with, are the ones that will be laid off. Even though we make sometimes literally half of the older teachers. Does that make sense? They could lay off one poor teacher with tenure and save as much money as if they laid off two of the younger ones that parents rave about.”

  “That doesn't make a lot of sense.”

  “You know, I think unions can be a good thing, but this teacher's union is out of control. That doesn't make any sense to me. Some of the teachers that the parents complain about are teaching the areas that bring the school's average down on that national testing they do. But the school can't get rid of them. Things like that are taking the fun out of teaching for me. It's become just a job, and I dread going some days now. Everyone's complaining about the money issue. Even if they don't lay teachers off at the end of the year, no one can buy anything this year. It's tough to teach when you can't buy supplies for the classroom.”

  “I didn't realize it had gotten to that point,” Wyatt said. They discussed her situation, and by the time they finished, she had to admit she felt better.

  Chapter 13

  Kayla wanted to go back to the ranch to talk to Bo and Alicia after she and Wyatt talked about her job, and he agreed. They congratulated them and shared in their excitement.

  Alicia went to the kitchen to get some iced tea for them after they'd visited for half an hour. “Do you want to help me, Kayla?”

  “Sure.” She jumped up and went to the kitchen with her good friend. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” she asked when they got to the kitchen.

  Alicia chuckled. “Was I that obvious? Sorry. I did want to talk to you, though. You seem different from when you left. Is everything okay?”

  Kayla blushed, but answered honestly. “I am different. I was pretty stressed out and in a bad mood, but Wyatt took care of that.”

  “He took – oh, no.” Alicia's face turned pink, as well. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I am. Don't tell Wyatt because I'd never admit it to him, but I actually feel better. Well, all except my butt.”

  “So that's why you sat in the soft, cushy chair?”

  “Absolutely. I was afraid Wyatt would pull me out of it, but he knew why I sat there, and he allowed it. He winked at me. He really is special.”

  Alicia had to smile at her friend. “Sounds like a woma
n in love.”

  “I think I am,” Kayla admitted.

  “I think you are, too. Otherwise you'd never be saying things like that shortly after he spanked you.” The two giggled, and got the tea to take in the living room.

  * * *

  As soon as the ladies left to get the tea, Bo turned to Wyatt. “Kayla seems more relaxed. Everything okay?”

  “It is now. She was pretty uptight about a problem she's having at work. We had a little discussion, and she feels much better now.”

  “Funny how a discussion always seems to help them,” Bo said with a grin.

  “It is. You know, it's odd, though. She hates them, but it helps her. I know she feels better afterward. Don't tell her I said that, though, or she'd be upset.”

  “Alicia's the same way. I won't tell Kayla you know if you won't tell Alicia I know.”

  “Deal.” The men shared a smile as the women came back in with iced tea.

  * * *

  The sheriff came out to The Winding Waters early the next morning, while they were having breakfast. “I have good news this time,” he started off. “Your alibi is solid. The waitress remembered the two of you, saying something about her nails. But we were able to pick you up on a security camera at least four different times throughout the evening, so you're good.”

  Bo looked relieved. “That's good, but what about Brooks' conversation. Anything there?”

  “We're waiting on the judge to sign a search warrant. Once we have that we're going to check his phone records on those two dates and hopefully we'll find a number he talked with both days. We'll find out who that is and do some checking into that person, see what we can find out before we bring him or her in for questioning.”

  “Any idea how long that will take?”

  “I know you're anxious, Bo, and I don't blame you a bit. But this may take a few days. We’ll do a background check and try to connect them with Brooks, and also see if we can find any connection with you.”

  “I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, Sheriff,” Bo said tentatively, “but wouldn't it be quicker to find out whose phone it was and then just take them in for questioning?”

  “It would be quicker, but what if they simply say Brooks is a friend, he talked to him those days, and several others, but doesn't know Bo and had nothing to do with any of this? We don't have anything on him then and we have to let him go. We investigate, find something to tie him to it, but when we go back to bring him in, he's gone. We've tipped him off and he ran.”

  “I guess that would be a definite possibility, wouldn't it?”

  “Yes. I know it seems like it will take too long, but just remember, you have an alibi that we're satisfied with. You're not a suspect, so sit back and let us do our investigation. Clint's going to be doing some of the looking into the person's background. He's really pushing for us to be thorough, have some information on the guy before we bring him in to talk. That way we won't have to let him go.”

  “Okay, that does make more sense,” Bo admitted. “I'll trust you and Clint and sit tight.”

  Over the next couple days he tried to do just that, but it was difficult. Every time he saw Brooks he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything to him. The sheriff insisted they didn't want to talk to him too early. He might inadvertently tip off the person responsible. He and Clint both agreed it would be better if he didn't know there was even an investigation ongoing.

  To attempt to get his mind off the burglaries, he threw himself into the ranch, and helping Alicia get ready for her grand opening. She had a few additional items, like utensils, to buy yet. They went shopping for them and put them in place.

  He suggested she try cooking a meal there before opening day, so she could find and deal with any problems that might come up. She appreciated the suggestion, and she and Kayla decided to spend Saturday cooking a special meal for the men again. She did all the planning and shopping this time since Kayla was teaching during the week.

  Saturday the girls spent the day cooking and baking while the men worked. They tried out some of the to-go containers she'd ordered to take everything back to the ranch.

  The men were eager to try their cooking again, remembering their first meal they'd made together. Maria had the table set when they got home with the food, but the ladies seemed to be moving extremely slowly, taking their time, not in any hurry to eat. They said hello and gave their men a kiss, and asked about their day.

  Finally, Bo thought he'd waited long enough. “This food smells terrific. Do we get to eat pretty soon, or are you going to keep torturing us?”

  The girls glanced at each other, and Alicia looked at her watch. “Can you wait another 12 minutes?”

  Bo looked frustrated. “Is this another time I should just trust you, or do I get an explanation this time?”

  Alicia had to laugh. “I put the food in the containers to bring them home a little while before we left. I kind of wanted to leave them in there for an hour, so I know what to tell people as far as how long it will stay warm. If they're not warm enough when I open them I'll know how long to tell them to reheat them, and I'll know if they reheat well.”

  Bo gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “I'm proud of you,” he said sincerely. “You're thinking about every detail, and I think it's going to pay off for you. Of course we can wait a little while. That was good thinking.”

  When they'd given the food an hour in the trays, she was pleasantly surprised. The food was still what she would consider warm enough to eat, no reheating necessary. She paid more to get what she thought would be good quality to-go containers, and was glad she had. She doubted anyone would have to wait more than an hour before they were ready to eat, but if they did, at least they shouldn't need to be heated much.

  She was also encouraged by their reaction to her food. She'd made two full meals, wanting to get a feel for how much work it would be and make sure she would be able to handle it all in a timely manner. Kayla helped, but they also took breaks every so often, where they sat down to visit. More than anything, she was there to visit. The girls enjoyed spending time together, and they both liked to cook.

  The day had been very helpful for Alicia. Although she hadn't really had any problems, it helped ease her anxiety. She felt confidant things would work properly and she'd have enough time to do it all. Everyone assured her they really liked the food and weren't just telling her that because they were friends. By the amount of seconds they all consumed, she believed them.

  * * *

  Clint checked in with Bo several times that week, but all he would say was that there was indeed a call made to someone on those particular days, and they were looking into that person to find a connection with Bo. All of them tried to put that case out of their mind and concentrate instead on Alicia's business, which would open Monday.

  Alicia had advertised her business hours as 10:00 to 6:00. She encouraged people to call and order early to be sure there was enough made. She warned that once the amount she'd made was gone, she wouldn't have time to make more, so ordering early would allow her to have an idea how much she would need to make. Most people would be picking the meals up on their way home after work, and in this town the majority of people working the day shift got off between 3:30 and 5:00, so she thought by 6:00 everyone should have had sufficient time to pick their dinner meal up.

  On Monday, her first day, she was there by 9:00, nervous, but eager. She warned Bo she wasn't sure when she'd be home. Her plan was to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen and get it ready for the next day while the last of the food was cooking. She would package the food shortly before people were scheduled to pick it up. According to her well laid out plan, that would mean that as soon as the last customer picked up their food, she could count the money in the cash register, and drop it off at the bank on her way home.

  However, she knew things didn't always go according to plan, and warned him if someone were late picking up their meals she would have to wait. And if she was
rushed and hadn't gotten the kitchen cleaned and ready to go, she would have to do that before she could leave.

  She was thrilled when she got four phone calls ordering dinners by 10:30, but was a little concerned when the phone was quiet for the next half hour. Bo called to check on her and encourage her, which helped. Calls started coming in slowly but steadily, and by noon she was starting to worry about not having enough food. She made what she thought would be plenty of extras for last minute orders, but she may not have as much available for late orders as she'd thought.

  She worried about that, until Bo called again and was able to calm her down, pointing out that selling out certainly wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen. She could always tell her customers she had more last minute calls than she anticipated and encourage them to call earlier. She would remind them that all orders placed by one o'clock would be guaranteed, as she'd put on her fliers and advertisements. All calls after that time would be honored on a first come, first serve basis.

  People started picking up their dinners, and her confidence was building again. Many people were telling her how thrilled they were that they had this option for dinner. She was starting to get busy and having to rush to keep up a little before 4:00, but Kayla came in with a big smile. “Can you use a little help?”

  “Boy, can I,” Alicia said. Kayla washed her hands and jumped right in, helping dish orders up. The two were busy right up through 5:30, when things slowed down considerably. The last few orders were picked up, and by 5:50 they were done. The dinners were all gone, but she'd only had to turn down two requests. Both were nice, saying they understood. One placed an order in advance for the next day.