by Joannie Kay
"I am warning you, Miss Chambers. You will dismount right now or I promise I will make you regret being born."
"I promise you there is no place on earth you can crawl that will keep my father from finding you!" Amanda bravely declared, turning up her chin.
"You saucy little bitch!" From the enraged look in his dark eyes it was obvious he intended to harm her, but the sound of approaching horses caught his attention. "You are saved this day, Miss Chambers, but we shall meet again and it will go the worse for you. Think about that as you await your punishment." He turned his horse and raced away.
Amanda had no idea who was approaching, but she was grateful. She recognized several of Thorne's ranch hands, and quickly learned she was in danger of another sort!
"What are you doin' here, Miss Chambers?" one of the older hands asked. "Haven't you put the Boss through enough hell already?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," she answered.
"It's plain as can be that you turned him out," another cowboy accused. "He ain't hisself no more."
"What are you...? I did not 'turn him out'!" Amanda was indignant at the very suggestion. Robert Thorne was the one who left her high and dry!
"Then why is he so moody, girl?" the older man asked.
"That is what I want to know!" she told them, her temper asserting itself. "And, you all can stop looking at me like that! I am the one he stopped seeing without so much as a word of explanation, and I damned well want answers." The men weren't expecting to hear that and they looked at each other in confusion. "While you are trying to sort this out, could you please ride with me to the house so I can tell Rob I know who is trying to kill him...? The man just accosted me and I am sure he would have done more than threaten me if you hadn't come along." She got down to fetch her hat and stuck her finger through the hole on the brim. "He shot at me."
"You come along, Miss Amanda," the older man said, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of the shooter. "We heard the shot. Did you get a look at him?"
"I can draw his picture and we'll hope that Rob knows who he is," she replied. "After I tell him a thing or two...!" she murmured, but after a few seconds of thought she knew precisely why Robert Thorne was ignoring her! "Damnation!" she whispered. It was the only explanation that made sense, and why her Papa was determined to keep her away from Rob. They were in on this together! It was another 'protect little Mandy' scheme! Amanda was suddenly furious and she wanted to confront Rob with the truth and dare him to deny it! "We are going to ride," she warned the men a mere second before she urged Glimmer to a fast gallop, leaving the men to catch up or stay behind.
The closer they got to the ranch house, the angrier Amanda grew. It was another case of Rob and her father deciding what they thought best for her, and it didn't matter to them what she thought of the situation.
Rob heard the running horses and knew something was wrong. He jumped up from his desk, and was out the door in a moment's time. He was displeased and yet happy to see Amanda. She looked beautiful to him as she quickly dismounted and ran to him. He steeled himself to turn her away, but he certainly did not expect her to slug his jaw with her tiny fist, and he did not expect to see stars when she did! "What do you think you are about, little girl?" he demanded, resisting the urge to paddle her behind.
"You and my father were in on this together! You both are so high and almighty that you know what is best for silly little Amanda. After all, she is just a woman so what could she possibly know or understand? You fool! You damned fool! You have put me through hell the last few weeks! I wondered and wondered what I did wrong! While you sat over here on your throne feeling justified for breaking my heart! Damn you, Robert Thorne! I never want to see you again! Do you hear me? Stay out of my life!" She turned and ran to mount Glimmer, but the older hand blocked her.
"No, Miss Mandy. You can't ride out of here."
"Move!" Amanda glared at him. He still didn't budge, and she kicked him hard on the shin. While he hobbled on one leg, another man grabbed her shoulders and shook his head 'no'. "Let me go!"
"Allow her to leave now," Rob ordered, wondering at his men's temerity.
"Boss, stop her," the older man insisted. "She was shot at!" He pulled the hat off of Amanda's head and poked a finger through it, watching Rob's face drain of color, except for where the little redhead struck him, and by his reckoning, the Boss had it comin' to him.
"Amanda, when did this happen?" Rob asked calmly, his voice reflecting none of the fear he felt.
"I don't answer to you, Robert Thorne!" Her green eyes were flashing.
Rob knew it was time to apologize, even though he detested doing it in front of his men. It was embarrassing and humbling. "Mandy, please calm down. I wanted to keep you safe, and it was a poor way to go about it. I am sorry and I apologize. My only excuse is that I love you so much I thought it would be easier to stay away from you than take the risk you could be shot by accident. The last few weeks have been the loneliest of my life."
"This is where you forgive the man, Miss Mandy. He means what he says," the man she kicked looked at her and said in a loud whisper.
"I can speak for myself, Mister!" she snapped.
"Papa was in on this with you, wasn't he, Rob? That's why he's kept me from riding over here?" she asked.
"Yes, I informed him of my decision, and he reluctantly agreed. "I am surprised you gave him the slip to ride over here," Rob said with a smile, taking a step in her direction.
"It wasn't easy," she said, and then pointed a slender finger at him. "If either of you had bothered to tell me you thought I could be in danger, I could have taken precautions. As it is, I was accosted on my way here, and your men saved my life."
"What happened?" he asked, looking once again at the hat Rex had on his finger. When she just glared at him, he turned to Rex and asked, "Rex?"
The man stopped rubbing his leg and said, "We got there after he done rode off, Boss. We was busy jawing with Miss Mandy for a few minutes before we heard the truth, and by then he was gone." He had a sheepish look on his face as he waited for Amanda to tattle on him and the others. They'd be lucky if they had jobs once Thorne learned what they said to her.
To Rex's surprise, Amanda smiled at him and said politely, "I haven't thanked you men yet, but I am truly thankful, and I know that Papa will be, too."
"We heard the shot, Miss, and figured we should check it out," the younger man said earnestly.
"I am grateful, too," Rob said sincerely. "Thank you, men." He paused and then said, "I would appreciate it if you would see to it that Glimmer is cared for. I'm going to take Miss Chambers inside and see if we can figure out who is behind this." He offered her his arm, and was thankful when she slipped her arm through his. He had had all the public humiliation he could stand for one afternoon.
"I could make us some coffee," he offered once they were inside.
"I'd rather have something stronger," she said firmly as she walked over to his liquor cabinet and helped herself to a glass of sherry. "You really hurt me, Rob," she admitted.
"Yes, I know."
"No, I don't believe you do know. I have cried over you!" Her pretty green eyes were brimming with tears even now. "I have never cried over any man!"
"I am truly sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, moving to take her in his arms. "I hurt, too. I was so lonely, and I thought I was keeping you safe from all of this. Mandy, I punished us both, and I regret your tears. Will you forgive me?" he begged of her.
"Yes, I forgive you, Rob. I love you too much not to forgive you!" When he lowered his mouth to hers, she kissed him with longing and passion, feeling as though she was 'home' once again, and all was right in her world. "Rob, you must promise me you'll never pull something like this again!"
"I promise." He was sincere. "I do not think I could have survived much longer without you in my life, sweetheart."
"That is why I had to ride over here today, Rob. I needed to know why... what I did wrong...? I wanted t
o promise I would never ever do it again," she explained. "I have been so miserable. Papa is ready to shoot me," she admitted.
"I doubt that," Rob held her close for a moment, "but I suspect he felt like doing this..."
Amanda was shocked when Rob suddenly flipped her through the air and she found herself pinned to his side, dangling over one arm. Rob's deft fingers went to her gun belt, and it was soon lying on his desk. "What are you doing?" she demanded, knowing full well what he was doing. He was going to spank her!
"My jaw stings, little girl," he announced, and proceeded to give her a dozen sound spanks on her jean clad bottom. "Now, I might have deserved that punch, but ladies do not go around punching men! Is that understood, young lady?" he asked sternly."
"Yes! I am sorry I struck you, Rob! I was just so angry and frustrated... I didn't plan to do that; it just happened!"
"I believe you, sweetheart," he whispered, smiling. "Now, then, there is another matter that I shall not let pass."
She immediately knew what he was referring to. "But, Rob, I only wore the jeans because you were being so difficult. I had to do something!" she insisted.
"I understand," he stated matter-of-factly, and she sagged in relief. "Now I have to do something... And I believe you know what that something is, since I promised you what I would do if I caught you wearing these particular pants again!"
"No!" she gasped, but in the next instant, Rob's hard hand spanked against her sit spots, and it was obvious this was not going to be a little reminder spanking. He was perfectly serious, and determined to make his point about her wearing britches. "I'm sorry, Rob!" she offered immediately. "Please don't spank me. I still have to ride home!"
"And a sore ride it will be," he agreed, continuing the spanking. "Are you going to wear these pants again?" he asked a few minutes later. Amanda was sniffling now, and he was sure he had made his point.
"No, I won't," she promised. "I was in a snit when I put them on today... I think I wanted to see if I could get a reaction from you," she admitted the simple truth.
"And now you know," he said quietly, helping her up. He pulled her close and then kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Amanda, and I want to marry you as soon as possible. Do you believe me?" he asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.
"I believe you, Rob," she said. Her eyes were still shimmering with unshed tears, but he saw love reflected there, too. "I want to marry you, too."
"I must deal with this situation first; I cannot permit this bastard to harm you as he nearly did today." He ran his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away the dampness. "You will need to obey the restrictions I set for you until he is captured. Will you do this for me?"
"If you insist," she reluctantly agreed.
"I will insist with a switch if I must," he said quietly, but she knew he meant the words.
"I can obey you without a switching," Amanda immediately decided. She'd already felt a switch on her tender backside, and had no desire to repeat that awful experience.
"I know you can, but will you...?" Rob was not about to give her a loophole.
"I will... as long as it does not take too long to bring this man to his knees."
"What can you tell me about him, sweetheart?"
"He is an arrogant creep," she replied, but then picked up a pencil from his desk, took a piece of paper, and started sketching from memory. When she was satisfied, she handed Rob the paper.
"I should have known..."
Chapter Eleven
"You recognize this man, Rob?" Amanda asked in surprise as Rob looked at the drawing she'd made. His dark eyes were staring at the drawing in obvious distaste, and Amanda was positive that he was furious and trying to control his temper.
"Yes, I do." His voice was low, but reflected his anger. "He blames me for his son's death."
"I don't understand, Rob. Why would he blame you?"
"Because I am the one who shot him, Mandy," he answered softly, and then said, "I need to get you home. You should be safe there as long as you obey your father and remain inside your house. Sir Gregory Flockton's hatred runs deep, and if he can take you captive he would do so and love every moment of torturing you because he has learned from others that you mean the world to me."
"I won't permit him to take me captive, Rob. I am rather good with a gun as long as I am wearing one, and after this, I will be sure to have one in my hands when I am riding."
"You will not be going riding at all, Amanda. It is not safe, and I must insist that you stay inside and keep the doors and windows locked. I want your Father to post a guard as well. There is no sense in taking chances."
"I am not going to live as a prisoner, Robert Thorne!" Amanda's green eyes were flashing. "We've already been through this, and I am not afraid of this Sir Gregory Flockton!"
"I will speak to your father, Mandy. I am sure he will give me his support."
"I refuse!" Amanda declared, stomping her booted foot for emphasis. "Papa can agree with you all he wants, but I am my own boss, and I am not going to hide inside the house just because you fear what this man might do!"
Amanda saw Rob shake his head and in the next minute he picked her up and flipped her over the arm of his sofa. While he held her squirming body down with his left hand, his right hand went to the buckle on his belt, and within seconds he was sliding it through the loops on his pants. Amanda heard the sound and it filled her stomach with dread as she recalled the beating that Ted Fox gave her! She did not want a strapping, especially on top of the firm spanking he'd given her such a short time ago! "No, Rob!" she ordered. "Don't you dare think you are going to take your belt to me! I haven't done anything wrong!" There was a whistling sound and she felt the doubled leather land on the seat of her tight jeans. "Owwww!" She couldn't prevent herself from crying out. "You already spanked me and I'm sore, Robert Thorne! Stop!"
"I will not stop until you agree to stop thinking like a spoiled child, Amanda Chambers," Rob stated clearly. "I am going to give you a small sample of the strapping I will give you if you disobey me and leave your house before I deal with Sir Gregory Flockton."
The belt landed again, this time on her sensitive and sore sit spots. Amanda cried out, and tried to wiggle free of the hold he had on her. She somehow managed to get up and ran around the sofa, evading the long arm he threw out to stop her. "That was not smart, young lady. You have doubled the punishment I planned to give you."
"I do not deserve to be punished because you are afraid for me!"
"You deserve to be punished for your childish stubbornness."
"I do not! I merely stated how I feel, and there is nothing wrong with that in this country."
"Amanda, you are arguing over semantics. You earned a strapping and you are going to get a strapping. If you want to triple it, continue to stand there defying me. I'll give you ten seconds to come over here and bend yourself over the arm of this sofa. If you are not here by then, I will come after you, and I will make you wish you had stayed in place and accepted your due." He glared at her and then said, "I am counting."
"Well, you can stop counting, Robert Thorne! I am not going to come over there so you can use your belt on me! I am already in pain from earlier! I have delicate skin, remember?"
"It is too bad your sassy mouth is not delicate," he countered, and then started counting down, "Ten, nine, eight..." To his utter surprise, Amanda cursed him and then took off running just as fast as her feet could carry her. She was out the front door before he recovered from the shock of her flight. He had never met a young woman with as much spirit as the little redhead. Still, there was a time and a place for such spirit, and when he was trying to save her life and protect her from his enemy was not the time to try his patience.
Amanda didn't need to look back to know that Rob was following her. She'd made the man angry, and he simply needed time to cool off. If she could get away from him now, then by the time he came to see her at the Circle C, he would be in a more reasonable frame of mind. Amanda quickly moun
ted her horse, and took off at a gallop, anxious to get home and to the relative safety her father's presence would provide. She was positive that her Papa would prevent Rob from taking his fear out on her bottom!
Rob was dumbfounded when Amanda jumped on her horse and took off riding hell bent for leather toward home! After all he'd told her about Sir Gregory Flockton she was riding off alone as if she did not have a care in the world. When he caught her, one Miss Amanda Chambers was going to get the spanking of her life! She might not ever sit down again!
Rob was already following her and he was gaining on her, Amanda realized. She urged her mount to run even faster, and knew that if her father caught her riding Glimmer so recklessly, he would take the mare away from her and he would tan her! She made herself slow down to a decent pace, and leaned forward to whisper, "I'm sorry, Glimmer. I was being thoughtless..." The mare snorted and nodded and Amanda had to laugh at how indignant she sounded. A glance over her shoulder told her that Rob was rapidly gaining on her now that she was simply riding and not racing.
Rob was relieved when he realized that Amanda was riding sensibly. He did not want her breaking her neck just to avoid a strapping with his belt. It would not be worth all the fuss. He was soon abreast of her and he reached over to take her reins from her hands. The next thing he knew Amanda slapped his hand with the ends of her reins. "You are not leading me like an errant child! I simply will not have it, Robert Thorne!"
Rob was outraged, and he knew he did not dare stop and deal with the headstrong little brat while they were out in the open and so vulnerable. Sir Gregory Flockton could be hiding behind any or under any rock... just like a snake, and she was putting herself at risk by riding like a wild Indian! Rob could not wait until he got her alone and taught her to have some care. Daring a man like Sir Gregory Flockton was just plain foolish!
Amanda fully expected Rob to start scolding, but he maintained his disapproving silence all the way to the Circle C. Whitey was home and he took one look at the two of them and took Glimmer's reins. "You'd best let me care for Glimmer, Miss Mandy. Your Pa is gonna be plenty upset when he gets back here and finds out that you took off on your own," he added, his voice low and meant for her ears alone. He intended to make sure the Boss knew exactly what Mandy had been doing while they were both gone and no one was here to stop her.
