"I'll never forget what he did to you," growled Hank. "And I'm not going to let him forget either. On my next trip to England, I'm going to knock his teeth down the back of his throat." He paused, and stroked the side of her face, and then a huge smile broke out on his face. "Rose. I love you. Will you marry me?"
She grinned back at him. "Yes. Yes I will."
"Yeeeehaaaa!" yelled Hank. He took off his hat and whirled it around then threw it high in the air. "She said yes!" he shouted at the top of his voice. "I'm getting married!"
"Hank," giggled Rose. "Sssssh. People will hear."
"Of course they will!" beamed Hank.
"Congratulations, buddy," said a stranger. He patted Hank on the back as he went past.
"Awww. That's so sweet," said a woman.
"It's lovely. Cute," said another.
"I hope you have a wonderful life together," said an elderly lady. "I do so like a nice bit of romance."
Hank and Rose left the airport with their arms wrapped around each other. Rose was buoyant. She didn't have to find him because he had found her! And asked her to marry him! And she had said yes! Life was marvellous again.
He bundled her in to the passenger seat of his car and kissed her again. Sometime later he sat up in his seat and started the engine. "I'm taking you home, little lady. Everyone's gonna love you to bits/"
"Who is everyone?" she demanded.
So he gave her a long list of all the ranch hands, and the names of their wives if they were married, plus the housekeeping and kitchen staff.
"I've mentioned my pa before, and my brother Scott. You'll meet them when we get to the ranch. And at some point in the future you'll meet Uncle Jess and Aunt Betty, Uncle Randy and Aunt Shyla..." He went on, including cousins and second cousins, and the neighbours with whom they were on good terms.
"I'll never remember all those names!"
"You don't have to - just as long as you remember mine!"
---oOo---
They drove through the most beautiful scenery, but Rose was so thrilled to be with Hank, she didn't register anything else. When they approached the Armstrong ranch, Rose stared in delight.
"Wow, Hank. I had no idea you lived anywhere like this. It's fabulous. And isn't it big?!"
"It sure is, but don't you worry, there's plenty of space to be nice and quiet and private," he winked, then honked the horn several times. "You watch - there'll be a welcome committee out in no time."
He was right, too. Rose recognised his father and brother immediately owing to the strong family resemblance. They stood there, smiling, as did everyone else.
"Did they know to expect us?" wondered Rose.
"Hell, yes," said Hank. "Hannah is baking you one of her famous pies. You're our guest of honour."
The next fifteen minutes were chaotic. There were people clapping and cheering, and everyone seemed to be talking at once. There was lots of hugging and kissing and slapping of backs. Rose found it quite overwhelming, but in a lovely way. She took to Scott instantly - he was so like his brother. And Isaac was lovely too. She felt welcome and happy, and sighed happily, resting her head on Hank's shoulder.
"What are we thinking of?" said pa solicitously. "Your Rose must be tired after that long journey. How about you go up to your room and we'll get a drink brought up? And you can take a few hours nap before supper."
"Thank you, Mr Armstrong, that would be nice."
"Call me pa," said Isaac. "I'd like that very much." He reached over and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family, Rose."
She smiled delightedly, then Hank caught her by the hand and took her upstairs.
"You can have the guest room next to mine." She looked at him in a certain way, and he continued. "Some folks around here are a bit old fashioned. They won't know I'll be sneaking in and out of your bed every night until we're married."
"That sounds like fun," she grinned.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to show you around the place properly. But right now... in you go..." he steered her into a lovely bright room with sunshine yellow walls and the palest yellow curtains. "Here we are. As I was saying, right now, I'm going to give you a good girl spanking."
"A what? I thought I was having a nap!" said Rose in mock outrage. "I'm not sure I want a spanking!"
"You'll change your mind soon enough," he said, scooping her up and putting her on the bed.
In a few moments they were both naked, kissing and touching. And it seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to flip her over on her tummy and start spanking her gorgeous butt. He began by running his fingertips the length of her spine, down to the curve of her hips. Lightly, he stroked her firm buttocks, and then gave her a few light swats.
"Love pats," he said.
"Nice," said Rose. "But a bit harder, please."
"Oh it will be my pleasure," he grinned, and began spanking harder, watching as his hands left pink marks on her creamy skin.
Rose loved it. It turned her on hugely and she found herself bucking, raising her hips to meet each blow. She mewled in pleasure, and when he explored her secret places with his fingers, she purred. He teased her, alternately spanking her bottom, and then circling her clit. The spanks would be soft and gentle, and then hard and fast, taking her breath away. She didn't know what to expect or when, his hands felt so good.
To her surprise, he flipped her over onto her back and raised her legs, and began spanking her in the diaper position. Rose squirmed, her face flushed red with embarrassment.
"How naughty," she whispered. "It leaves nothing to the imagination."
"It's one hell of a view, lady," said Hank. "And the view is all for me." He delivered a few more spanks to her bottom and then concentrated on her pussy, tapping it lightly, parting her lips so that he had immediate access to her clit. He dipped his finger into her honey pot and used the same moistened digit to spank her clit lightly. She screamed in pleasure as she came, and then laughed afterwards for no reason in particular.
"Nice?" he asked her, a quirky and loving expression on his face.
"Ohhh - VERY nice," giggled Rose.
They tasted each other, kissing and stroking, and at some point Rose snuggled up against him. He was hard and warm and welcoming and comforting. She closed her eyes and savoured the moment. Very soon, she was fast asleep.
"Welcome home, darling," whispered Hank.
---oOo---
The next couple of days were sheer bliss. Rose was her charming self and she immediately won the heart of the ranch hands, and the women loved her too - all except Mary Lou who was green with envy and made every attempt to keep out of sight. Hank showed her round the ranch and introduced her to many of the visitors. They in turn were delighted to meet Hank's English bride to be.
On the third afternoon of her stay at the Armstrong ranch, Rose and Hank joined some of the paying guests on a trail ride through some of the most spectacular vistas of the Texas hill country. They set up tents during the late afternoon, at a spot where Nathan and Matthew, two of the ranch hands, were waiting with a chuck wagon and Kayla who had prepared the best cowboy cuisine known to man. There was three-bean casserole with crispy bacon, chicken wings, steak and salads, a lovely spiced cake with bourbon pecan frosting, plus the famous chocolate brownies.
After supper, Matthew lit a camp fire where everyone gathered round, sitting beneath a blanket of silver stars, while Nathan strummed on his guitar and sang ballads.
"Ok folks," said Matthew. "I guess it's about time to turn in if you want to. All we ask is that you don't go wandering far from camp. There are predators out here and we don't want any of our guests ending up as lunch for a coyote or a bear."
"Do coyotes eat people?" asked a wide-eyed woman from New York.
"No, ma'am. But they're intelligent, wily creatures. Attacks on humans are uncommon and they wouldn't likely cause serious injuries owing to their relatively small size - but they can be aggressive. As for bears - well, they can be a real nuisance if they get a taste
for human food. Don't have food in your tent, put anything in the metal boxes on the chuck wagon."
People began to disperse. Hank went to the chuck wagon and had a chat with Nathan. It was then that Rose remembered the candy bars in her pack. She decided to to eat them at once, not wanting to let any hungry bear get a scent and come looking for a snack. Slipping one bar in her jeans pocket, she opened the wrapper of the other and bit into it.
"Oh but I just love chocolate," she said to herself softly, and took another bite, savouring the taste. The night was warm and welcoming, lit by the brightest stars she had ever seen twinkling overhead. She wandered along the trail, happily eating her chocolate, looking up at the stars, and looking at the shadowed landscape with its humps and hollows and dips, and tree-lined areas and wide plains, and mountain ranges in the distance.
From out of the darkness came a series of long haunting cries that echoed eerily in the night air. Rose stopped in her tracks. What the hell was that? She peered ahead but could see nothing but trees and rocks and shadows. Nothing moved. Then the calling sounded again, this time to the right of her - and very close too! Rose took fright and raced ahead, desperate to get away from the coyotes - she assumed that's what they were - maybe a pack of them out hunting. There came a scrabbling and a pattering noise quite close behind her. That did it. Rose took off at top speed, running just as fast as her legs would carry her. She blundered ahead, not knowing where she was going or what she might encounter.
It was some time later that she stopped to catch her breath. The night was still and quiet. The howling of the coyotes had ceased. With a sigh Rose wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Thank the Lord for that," she said aloud. "I'll head back to camp now."
But where exactly was camp? She turned and pondered. She scratched her head and bit her lip. She was hopelessly lost. At first, she remained calm, not allowing herself to panic, but as the night closed in around her and a cloud obscured the starry skies, she shivered in fear. So when she heard the crack of dried twigs she thought it was some wild animal tracking her. In a panic she scrambled up a tree. If it was a coyote, the darn thing wouldn't be able to climb a tree to get to her - she hoped.
The snapping noise came closer, and it seemed to Rose that it was the jaws of a ravenous beast on her trail. She whimpered in fear. And then the noise drew nearer. Whatever it was was moving rapidly and closing in fast.
"Rose? Rose - you there?"
Rose breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Hank! Hank! I'm up here!"
"What the hell are you doing up there?!" Hank came to stand at the bottom of the tree and reached up for her.
"I was escaping wild animals. I got lost. Oh Hank, I was so scared!"
"And so was I," he said grimly, swinging her down. "You were told not to wander far from camp. You were told not to bring food with you - yet I found this half eaten candy bar on the trail back there."
"Well," she explained. "I just thought that I'd eat it before a bear got it."
"No Rose, you didn't think at all. You disobeyed and put yourself in danger and had me worried sick."
"Oh. Sorry."
"You will be, lady," said Hank. "Speedily unfastening her jeans, he pulled them down, and her panties too."
"Hey!" protested Rose.
"You know what's coming next, I presume?"
"Oh shit. I guess I'm in trouble."
"Too damn right, and you get an extra five for that potty mouth."
"Oh but - ow!"
Rose yelped as Hank's big hand descended.
"Yeow! It's too dark to do any spanking."
"No it's not. I can manage perfectly well."
True to his word, Hank whacked her naughty bottom. Back at the camp site, the ranchers and guests smirked and nodded when they heard the unmistakable sounds of a good spanking. It was a well known fact that a good spanking was the way to treat disobedience and bad attitude and a whole heap of other things besides.
"Music to my ears," grinned one guest. "You just can't beat the sound of a hand on a bare fanny."
"Don't I know it," said his wife. She smiled ruefully. Beneath her jeans was one bottom still sizzling hot from the paddling she had received the night before.
---oOo---
The tantalising smell of coffee woke Rose from her slumbers. In spite of a well spanked bottom - or perhaps because of it - she'd had a wonderful nights sleep and was feeling refreshed and bouncy, though still a bit sore. It seemed that Hank and spankings went together like bacon and egg. Still, she had to admit, she had deserved it last night, and if he hadn't found her, a bear might have, or a poisonous snake or something equally horrible.
So all was forgotten and forgiven and the slate wiped clean. Kayla made a breakfast to die for and everyone tucked in and ate hungrily. After that it was back in the saddle for a long ride, making their way back to the ranch in time for lunch.
Rose winced as her sore bottom bounced on the saddle. Hank caught her eye and grinned. Rose stuck out her tongue at him.
"You'll pay for that later, you bad girl," he whispered in her ear.
"I'll look forward to it then," she retorted. "I might even pull your ears to get you in the mood." She looked at him and grinned.
Hank grinned right back and told himself for the one hundredth time, that he was one very lucky guy.
---oOo---
The next day dawned bright and clear. Hank woke Rose with a steaming cup of coffee and a kiss.
"Morning, sleepy head. Drink this then come down for breakfast. Hannah's making pancakes."
"Oh lovely. Pancakes with maple syrup?"
"Uh huh. Now she knows you have a taste for them I expect we'll be having them on the menu every day."
"She's a treasure. I love her pancakes." Rose sipped her coffee. "And I love you too, Hank Armstrong."
"And I love you, Rosemary Windsor, my beautiful English rose. However, this morning you'll have to while away a few hours without me. I'm heading out into town."
"Can I come?"
"Not this time, hon. I have a spot of business to attend to then I'll be right back." What he didn't tell her was that he was off to collect the engagement ring he'd ordered. He wanted it to be a surprise.
"Ok," she smiled. "I guess I'll manage for a while without you. I brought my sketch pad. I'll sit outside and be creative."
"Sounds good." He kissed her and left her to get dressed. "Get a move on now - we don't want those pancakes getting cold."
After breakfast, Hank headed into town and Rose went to sit outside with her sketch pad. She worked diligently for an hour, sketching the black stallion Nero in the enclosure. Then she crafted a wonderfully accurate representation of Connor and gave it to him. He was delighted and said he was going to get it framed to hang on his wall.
After that, Rose went inside for a drink of orange juice, and then decided to wander around the ranch. She walked past the dozen or so cabins. By now most of the guests knew her, and anyone who was out and about smiled and waved to Miss Rose.
As she passed by the end cabin, the door opened and out came one of the kitchen staff, carrying a tray of empty dishes.
"Good morning," smiled Rose. "It's Mary Lou, isn't it? I've seen you about the place but I don't think we've been introduced."
For a moment, Mary Lou was still and quiet. English bitch, she inwardly seethed. Then forced a smile.
"Hi. Yes, I'm Mary Lou. It's a fine morning, isn't it?"
"It certainly is. I'm just doing a bit of exploring while Hank's away."
Mary Lou continued to smile, but her eyes were hard and cold as a the beginnings of plan formulated in her mind.
"Well there's plenty to explore around here, that's for sure. Have you been up to the creek yet?"
"No, not yet."
"It's half a mile up ahead. It's great for swimming."
"Oh - I'm not much of a swimmer. In fact - I hate to admit it, but I'm afraid of water. I think it goes back to my school days. We had swimming lessons every week,
and the swimming instructor was horrible. He used to push us out into the centre of the pool with a long pole with a metal hook on the end. And then those of us who couldn't swim would flounder around in a panic, desperately trying to get back to the side of the pool to grab the rail. And when we managed to reach it, he would push us back out again with the pole. I went under several times. I'm sure I almost drowned! It really put me off!"
"Gee that sounds awful," said Mary Lou. Her face wore an expression of sympathy and understanding. "But there's no need to be afraid of the creek. It's not at all deep. You could paddle and get used to the water. Hank loves to swim, you know? You'd better learn to feel comfortable in the water for his sake."
"Oh, I didn't realise that," sighed Rose. There was still a lot she had yet to learn about Hank and his way of life. "But yes, you're right. I'd better put learning to swim on my things to do list!"
"Tell you what," said Mary Lou with a sly smile. "Why don't I come with you? We won't be gone long. No one will miss me."
"Hey that's great! Thanks, Mary Lou. That's kind of you."
"No problem. I'll just leave this tray here and I'll collect it on the way back." Mary Lou set down the tray on the ground outside the cabin. "Come on. It's this way."
---oOo---
Mary Lou rolled up her jeans and paddled around in the water. "This feels good. The water's lovely and warm. Come on in."
Rose kicked off her sandals. She was wearing a pair of shorts and her pale skin had already picked up the beginnings of a sun tan. Slowly, she followed Mary Lou, and to her surprise found that at this particular spot, the water wasn't deep at all. It only reached her calves and it felt wonderful.
"You're right, Mary Lou - it does feel good," she said as she wiggled her toes and kicked a little.
"Great. A bit of a paddle will build up your confidence." Mary Lou glanced at her watch. "Gee - I didn't realise the time. I'd best be off or Hannah will get mad at me. You stay here and get yourself acclimatised to the water. Go further in," she gestured with a wave of her hand. "You'll be fine." But hopefully NOT, she thought with a sly grin. Let the English bitch drown. I won't be shedding any tears.
Love on a Ranch Box Set Page 5
