A few minutes later, the two women were seated on chairs beneath a large canvas awning, their lunch before them. Picking up her first jumbo corndog, Quincy dipped it in the large puddle of mustard she’d squirted onto her plate. Abby had chosen a sausage on a stick, her plate sporting a much smaller dab of barbeque sauce.
Quincy reached across the table, her yellow tipped dog in the air. “I propose a toast,” she said. “To a successful shopping trip.”
Abby nodded and tapped her sausage against the corndog. Giving her aunt a grin, she added, “And to naughty girls who enjoy nice fat weenies.”
Quincy grinned, waving her corndog again. “Even if they lack several inches of being a foot long. Hmph, a man must own that food cart.” The two burst into laughter again and then bit into the unhealthy but absolutely delicious flea market fare.
Unseen by the two, Henry grinned as he tossed the wrapper from his hamburger into the trash. Watching the very attractive woman’s mouth part and seeing the tip of her tongue dart out to lick at the mustard coating her corndog, he felt his cock stir. He wished he’d taken a bit longer to arrive at the lunch stand knowing that his meal would have certainly been far more entertaining if consumed while sitting in close proximity of the two. Forget the treasures that still lay hidden beneath tables or buried in any one of thousands of boxes. The true treasure in life was to find an attractive and assured woman who could make something as common as enjoying a hotdog coated in cornmeal so erotic.
Shaking his head, he tucked the red rag he had been about to discard back into his pocket. While not worth more than a couple of quarters and definitely not vintage, it had increased in value simply by means of being touched by such an enchanting woman. He’d watched her eyes widen as he’d cautioned her for her behavior. She’d delighted him with her quick claim of finder’s keepers and intrigued him with her rather disjointed words of apology. It had been a long time since anyone had so captured his attention and his imagination. His fingers twitched as he visualized his hand splayed across the ample and delectable looking rear belonging to the woman wearing a faded pair of jeans and a smear of mustard in the corner of her mouth.
With a final glance, he smiled as the younger woman reached across the table and wiped the stain away with a napkin. Startled, he felt a bit jealous of the simple caring gesture. Too bad he was moving away from the area as he found himself wishing he would indeed run into them again. Shaking his head at life’s fickleness, he attempted to move his mind back to the chores at hand. Striding off, he looked down at his watch. He needed to pick up the items he’d left at a booth and then head home. He had more boxes to pack before the moving van arrived. Grinning, he hoped he’d have enough room in the van for any final inventory before handing over the keys to his house to the new owners. Not knowing what to expect upon his arrival at his new home, he was determined to accumulate as many new projects as possible. Never the type of man who was contented with just lazing about, he wanted to dive full-time into what used to be just a hobby. With a final look at the two women, and another grin, he shook his head. Perhaps if life was good to him, he wouldn’t need to fill every moment with just one hobby. After all, what was the purpose of retirement if he couldn’t have a bit of fun?
By the time he’d reached his destination and arranged for a pass to drive his van through the market to pick up the furniture he’d purchased, his mind had once again returned to the woman who’d beaten him to the box. He hadn’t been lying when he spoke of its craftsmanship. The wood could use a bit of sanding and definitely needed a fresh coating of tongue-oil, but it truly had been a piece that had been well made. The dovetail joints had remained tight despite its age, the letters stained a bit darker than the surrounding area allowing them to stand out clearly. As he often did, he wondered about the history of the box. Who had carved it and when? What treasures had it stored in its lifetime? More importantly, what treasures would it store in the future? He might not be a man who didn’t claim what wasn’t his, but damn if he wouldn’t like to just this once. Or was it perhaps the box’s new owner he’d like to claim?
Shaking his head, he hoped that his new home provided women of the same caliber as those two he’d left behind at the flea market. He’d miss those monthly jaunts to what was called ‘First Monday’ in Canton, Texas, but admitted he was looking forward to a new beginning. Jeffrey had been filling his head with stories about the community where he’d made his home and had urged him to make the move. Retiring from the oil company where he’d worked for over forty years, and getting what was referred to as a very lucrative ‘golden parachute’, he’d gone through the application process and been accepted. He wasn’t sure if he really counted on being as lucky as his friend, but hearing how happy Jeff was with his new love, Venia, he was eager to give Corbin’s Bend a try.
Chapter 2
How about a swim before dinner?” Abby asked as Quincy unlocked the motel room’s door. “I feel as if I’ve spent the entire day rolling about in the dirt.”
Untying the ribbon of her new sunbonnet and tossing it onto the bed, Quincy nodded. “That’s not far from the truth. I should have bought my bonnet at the beginning of the day. Not only did I get sunburned, I feel as if I’ve gained ten pounds from all those cobwebs and dust under those tables.”
Hearing her niece snort, Quincy braced her hands on her hips. “And don’t you even dare mention those corndogs. Good grief, why in heaven’s name did you let me eat two!”
Abby laughed as she lifted her suitcase onto the second bed, unzipping it to pull out her bathing suit. “Far be it for me, your favorite niece, to stand between you and a wiener.” It was Quincy’s turn to snort as she groaned.
“Okay, I accept the blame. Now I’ll have to swim a dozen laps to work them off.” Abby’s giggle had her smiling. “Good thing you are far too polite to point out that a hundred laps isn’t enough to pay for even one of those evil, calorie laden monstrosities.”
“We may be on a business trip, Aunt Quincy, but there is no rule that states we can’t have some fun.” She paused and rolled her eyes. “We can eat a little junk food, do a bit of harmless negotiation, even let a naughty word slip and no one will smack our butts if a little rule is broken.”
“Speak for yourself, missy. I haven’t had someone in quite some time to call me on breaking any rules. Though I did feel guilty for cursing today. Do you think he noticed?”
Abby looked at her aunt. “You were the one who apologized for it, remember? He didn’t even say a word.”
“I know, but if you’d seen that look he gave me. Oh, it caused my skin to pop out in goose bumps. Reminded me of your Uncle Joe.”
“Really? Goose bumps, huh? That’s very interesting.” Abby grinned. “And here I thought you got all flustered and squirmy because your cowboy threatened to spank you.”
Quincy felt her face heating. “He is not my cowboy and even if he was pretty darn good looking, it’s not as if I have to worry about running into him again. I’m being a good girl and thinking about exercise.” Hearing Abby giggle, she rolled her eyes. “Get your mind out of the bedroom, young lady. I was talking about swimming.”
“Oh, Aunt Quincy, times have changed. There are far more possibilities than just the bedroom.”
“Do not sass me, Abigail, I may be old but I’m not dead, though too much exercise might kill me.”
“You’re not old, you’re vintage,” Abby quipped. “Besides, we’ve got miles and miles left to walk off a few calories. We’ve really only just begun! We still have days to treasure-hunt. It amazes me what people consider to be junk.”
“One man’s junk is another woman’s treasure,” Quincy quipped as she unzipped her own suitcase. “If you keep being sassy, you might be walking home because I’ll not hesitate to fill up your seat with that treasure.”
“Nope, we’ll just have to rent another van,” Abby countered with a grin. “Besides, if I’m sassy, it’s because I’m related to you.”
The two grinned
across the beds at each other, Quincy envisioning vans piled high with found items waiting to be added to the inventory of Auntie Q’s Antiques. After changing into their suits, both adding cover ups, Abby picked up the bonnet and held it out to her aunt.
“You did get a bit of a sunburn, so you’ll need this. Although you have to admit, it is quite a clash of fashion and time periods. Perhaps we’ll find one of those old-fashioned swim suits to go with your bonnet.”
“I didn’t realize you were a member of the fashion police,” Quincy said as she took the hat and once again tied the ribbon beneath her chin. “Just be glad I no longer go skinny-dipping.” At Abby’s gasp, she smiled over her shoulder as she walked out the door. “Well, at least not since your Uncle Joe caught me with Earnest Tanner that is.”
“Oh, I’ve so got to hear that story,” Abby said as she grabbed the key and the two towels before following.
An hour later, they were back in the room. “Why don’t you shower first? I want to give Harris a call, and then I’ll shower and we can decide where to go for dinner.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Quincy agreed, gathering up the items she’d need as well as a change of clothing. “Are you going to do that Skypy thing?”
Abby gave her an inquisitive look. “I was planning on just calling, why? Did you want to model your new bonnet?”
Flapping her hand, Quincy headed towards the small bathroom. “Harris has far more beautiful things to look at. I was just wondering if I needed a really long shower. But if there aren’t going to be any visuals involved, I suppose a regular shower will do.” She closed the bathroom door on her niece’s laughter and smiled. She was having the time of her life traveling with Abby; she felt years younger and it wasn’t simply from the exercise she’d forced herself to do in the pool. Her niece was not only a beautiful young woman, she had been graced with a beautiful heart and soul. Quincy considered herself to be blessed to have a niece who also enjoyed their special time together. Sharing stories and laughter with someone you loved was a treasure that could not be found in any flea market or purchased for any amount of money.
Turning on the water, she stripped out of her wet suit, flinging it over the shower rod to dry. Before stepping into the tub, she turned to glance at her backside. It was with a sigh, almost of deep longing, that she ran a hand over her pale butt. It wasn’t the fact that her body looked far different than it had when she’d been young. Time was a precious gift and she realized it did come with a price. Though willing to pay with a body that had a few more wrinkles and a few additional pounds, she wasn’t ready to fork over her desire to truly live quite yet. Today’s encounter with a cowboy capable of making her tummy flip had her thinking of things she’d left behind a long time ago. She might have been teasing about the ability of cell phones to actually show people on the screen, but she thought it quite wonderful that though loved ones were separated by hundreds of miles and even by a country’s borders, they had the technology to gaze into the face of the one special person in their life while on the phone. Before stepping under the spray, she wondered if the man who had caused her blood to race had even given her a second thought. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she chided herself as she lifted her face to the water. “I’m sure he has far better things to think about other than a rude old woman.” Still, as she washed her hair, wincing a bit as her fingers found the slightly swollen lump that had appeared, she saw his blue eyes and that cocked eyebrow again. Well, she might be an older woman, but, by God, she still had a pulse.
They chose to walk down the block to have dinner at the diner. The motel manager had stated that the place offered good hearty fare at reasonable prices. The word had obviously spread as the place was quite crowded. “Do you want to try somewhere else?” Abby asked as they looked around.
“Not unless you do,” Quincy said, moving to a bench when a couple rose, their name having just been called.
Abby sank down beside her aunt. “I’m fine right here. The food’s got to be good if it’s this crowded.”
Dinner was as delicious as promised. They both chose a bowl of soup and a large Cobb salad in repentance for the fried food they’d gorged themselves on earlier. As Quincy stabbed at a piece of lettuce, she huffed. “The things we do to keep our girlish figures.” Abby had the grace to agree and they both had to admit the food was delicious even it if was actually healthy.
Now that the fear of being overheard wasn’t as acute since they weren’t in extremely close proximity to others who had also decided to take a refreshing swim, Abby leaned forward after their mugs of decaf coffee had been delivered. “So finish your story. You and Earnest were stranded on some rock because of a fish.”
“Have you ever seen an alligator gar?” When Abby shook her head, Quincy smiled. “Well, let me tell you, it might be just a fish, but it has a long snout with rows of razor sharp teeth, hence its name is quite appropriate. The one circling that rock was at least five feet long.”
Abby shuddered as she nodded. “Okay, I can easily picture it now. Did you ever see Earnest again?”
“Oh yes. It was a small town so there was no avoiding each other,” Quincy said, stirring a packet of Splenda into her white ceramic mug. “The second your Uncle Joe started wading out to the rock, Earnest jumped into the water. He probably set a record getting to shore. The moment Earnest’s feet touched ground, the scoundrel grabbed his clothes and high-tailed it out of there. Should have known he’d cut and run. I can picture it even now. I think he was far more frightened of what Joe might do to him than what that alligator gar might have done.”
“God, you must have been so embarrassed,” Abby said, sitting back and shaking her head. “I mean, I can’t even imagine how humiliated I’d be having to come out of the river stark naked. Whatever possessed you in the first place? Women were so much more, um…”
“Prudish?” Quincy offered. At Abby’s nod, she continued, a contemplative look on her face. “It might surprise you, young lady, that people have been doing things a bit naughty and daring since the beginning of time. To be honest, I didn’t give it a lot of thought. It was sweltering and I’d grown up with Earnest. Heck, we’d seen each other naked before. It’s not as if we ever even thought about each other in any romantic context. It just seemed like the logical thing to do. We’d picked berries and were sticky and hot. The creek was right there, so why bother getting your clothes all wet?” Pausing to take a sip of her coffee, she smiled. “I admit I was awfully embarrassed when Joe simply scooped me up, flipped me over his shoulder and started swatting my hiney. Then I got as mad as a wet hen and demanded he put me down or I was going to tell my father he beat me.”
“Oh, no! Did he? Put you down, I mean?”
“Oh yes. He put me on my feet once we got to shore and gave me a choice. I could either accept a spanking, not a beating for my foolishness from him or he’d march me home, make sure my father knew exactly how I’d been discovered and take what was sure to be a much stronger thrashing.”
“What made you decide to let Uncle Joe spank you?” Abby asked, her voice low as not to carry across to other diners.
Quincy smiled. “I think it was a combination of things to be perfectly honest. I mean, Joe didn’t hesitate to walk into the river. It was as if he felt helping me was far more important than any danger. And well, the moment he first swatted my backside, it just felt right somehow. I don’t suppose many women would agree with me, but it felt as if I just knew this man would never let me come to any harm as long as he was around. Does that make any sense?”
“Absolutely. After all, look where you both wound up. How many women have aunts and uncles who actually moved to a spanking community?”
“Only those lucky enough to understand the dynamic for what it truly offers. I might have walked home with a sore tushie that was as red as the raspberries we’d been gathering, but by the time I was in bed on my tummy, I realized Joe had won both my respect and my heart that day. He busted my butt many more times bef
ore he ever saw me completely naked again on our wedding night, but I’ll never forget that first trip across his knee.” Her soft smile had Abby smiling as well. “Your uncle was never a foolish lad. He was always so strong and so assured of himself. He made a fine police officer. I’m just very glad he saw past a silly young girl to find a woman who loved him with all her heart.”
Abby reached across the table and laid her hand over her aunt’s. “He was a good man. I’m sure you miss Uncle Joe a lot.”
Turning her hand to give Abby’s a squeeze, Quincy smiled. “I do but life does go on. Joe wouldn’t want me to wallow in self-pity and though he spanked me a thousand times, I’ll never regret a single moment. Just as you don’t seem to regret moving to Corbin’s Bend and finding your own Joe. Harris is a wonderful man, and I pray you two will be as happy as Joe and I were.”
After paying the check, they walked arm and arm back to the hotel. Quincy went into the bathroom to prepare for sleep while Abby turned down both beds and quickly changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a pair of Harris’s boxers and one of his tee shirts. The first night of their trip she’d told her aunt that if she couldn’t curl up next to Harris, she could inhale his scent and pretend his arms were wrapped around her. Quincy had smiled and nodded, stating she understood perfectly.
Quincy returned and crawled into bed.
“Is my reading going to bother you?” Abby asked as she powered on her Kindle.
“Not at all. I’d join you but I am a bit tired,” Quincy said, fluffing up her pillow before laying down her head. “What are you reading?”
Abby felt her face flush. “Um, just a romance book.”
“Hmph,” Quincy said, turning onto her side. “I think it’s time to join my book club. Don’t you know that there are thousands of sexier books available online? Try entering ‘erotica’ or ‘domestic discipline’ in the search engine and you’ll be amazed at the choices. If you want, I can recommend a few authors.”
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