Rob gave her another ten hard strokes before he asked, "Are you going to stop this preposterous tantrum throwing, young lady?"
"Yes!" She didn't hesitate to answer. "I'm truly sorry!"
"You should be, Amanda Chambers. You behave like an undisciplined child most of the time." He stood her on her feet and gave her a hard look. "If you give me the least bit of provocation I will strip those britches from your body and thrash you every inch of the way home."
His brown eyes were flashing and Amanda knew he was serious and would do precisely as he threatened. Subdued, she accepted his hand and allowed him to swing her up behind him. "Hold on," he ordered, and once her arms were around his middle, he headed to the Circle C.
Once his temper cooled Rob was aware of two things; Amanda was quietly crying and she felt good pressing against him. It scared him to realize how close he came to losing her today. He stopped, and stood in the stirrups to remove a clean handkerchief from his pocket. "Here," he offered the square of white linen to her. "Wipe your eyes now and stop this crying."
"I can't. I hurt," she told him, sounding pitiful. "Why are you being so mean to me, Rob?" she wanted to know. "I didn't mean to run into those rustlers. I was so frightened and I thought that one was going to..." She cried even harder. "And then... you... were so... mean..."
"You gave me a bad scare, Amanda," he said softly. "You are safe now," he told her. When she cried even harder, he slid her to the ground, and then dismounted so that he could take her in his arms and hold her close. "You are safe. I promise no one will harm you while I have a breath left in my body." He spotted a rock and led her over there so he could sit and hold her on his lap. He felt terrible when he realized she was actually shaking. It was a reaction to what happened with the rustler who tried to attack her... and instead of realizing that she was upset, he had lost his temper and thrashed her.
Amanda did feel safe in Rob's arms, and she was finally able to stop shaking. "I am sorry, Rob. I should have listened to Papa, but I was tired of being cooped up in the house, and he's been so tired and grumpy and short-tempered... I just wanted some freedom, and I really messed up. I am so thankful you came along and saved me from that horrible man."
"So am I, Amanda," Rob assured her, and then he kissed her again, and it was just as exciting this time as it was before. She must have thought so, too, because she didn't try to get away, and he was sure that when he tried to pull away, she was the one who deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart he said, "You turn me inside out, Amanda Chambers."
Amanda smiled. "You do the same to me, Robert Thorne."
"I had best be getting you home. Your father will have words with me if he arrives before we do." He reluctantly put the pretty redhead on her feet, and after he mounted his stallion again, he carefully lifted her and sat her sideways in front of him. "Is this more comfortable?" he asked.
"Yes," she lied. Her poor bottom was throbbing and she had no one but herself to blame. She did her best not to complain for the rest of the ride home, but was more relieved than she permitted to show when Rob helped her down. "Would you like to come inside and wait for Papa, Rob?"
"No, Amanda. I will ride out and see if they have captured Striker. Do yourself a favor and get out of those pants before your father comes home. And, Amanda, do not let me catch you dressing inappropriately again. You will not like what happens if you do so."
To her surprise he dropped another quick kiss on her lips, and then took off at a gallop.
It was well after dark when Matt Chambers walked into the house. He was tired and hungry and not looking forward to dealing with Amanda. He was surprised when she came running down the steps and hurried toward him. He'd expected her to be asleep by now. "Why aren't you asleep, girl?" he growled.
"Because I was worried about you," she answered, and then gave him a hug before saying, "Come into the kitchen and I will heat some stew for you."
"Thank you, daughter," he said tiredly.
"Did you catch Striker?" she asked as she hurriedly worked to heat food. She poured a cup of coffee for Matt, and carried it over to the table, and put some biscuits on a small plate and sat it in front of him, too.
"No, he got away. Rob ain't a bit happy about it, either."
"Who do you suppose hates him so much he would hire someone to rustle his cattle?"
"How do you know that?" Matt looked at her in surprise.
"It was what that horrid man said before he died. He told Rob he had someone who hated his guts."
"I didn't know about that," Matt admitted while she dished up his stew. "Thank you, Mandy," he said appreciatively.
"Papa, I know I was foolish today. I was tired of being cooped up and I let my temper talk me into going riding alone. I thought I would be safe dressed like a boy and taking a gun with me," she added, pouting.
"Girl, those pants were so tight they were like a second skin on you. You'd best burn the damn things and give me your word here and now you won't be wearing them again, or I'm gonna have to paddle you."
"Please don't even threaten to do that right now, Papa. I acted like a complete idiot with Rob and he lost his temper with me. I can't sit right now!" she said, blushing. "I am sorry I disobeyed you and rode out alone, and you don't need to worry about the pants. Rob hates them, too."
Matt stuffed a biscuit in his mouth so he wouldn't get caught smiling. His eyesight was still better than most people's, and he'd seen the two of them kissing. He wouldn't mind at all having Rob for a son-in-law... at least as long as he wasn't too quick to put a hand to Mandy!
"You'd best get on up to bed, daughter. It's late."
"Okay, Papa. You need to get some sleep, too," she told him.
"Darn right I do, but I'm gonna finish my coffee first, honey. Now go on... Oh, Mandy, I seen that Glimmer is in her stall. She come back on her own?" he asked.
"Yes, she did. Whitey and I looked her over and she's fine, thank goodness."
"I don't want you riding out alone, Amanda. That is a firm order until I say otherwise."
There was no mistaking the threat behind his words and Amanda knew it was a time for compliance. "Yes, Papa," she answered as meekly as possible, and then went on up to bed.
The girl would have had a regular fit if she knew that Rob had confessed to spanking her and warned him against raising a hand to her, Matt chuckled quietly, sipped his coffee, and then put his dishes in the dishpan. Thankfully her temper cooled before he got home, and she had the good sense to say 'sorry'. He was glad it wasn't him who made her too sore to sit this time.
"Bloody hell!" the tall man swore viciously as he crumpled the telegram in his fist. Did nothing ever go well when dealing with Robert Thorne? He was furious, and someone needed to pay for the fools' incompetence. He went to the door of his study and called for the downstairs maid.
"Sir?" She curtseyed as she had been taught to do, thinking the English custom was a little silly, but she needed the job if her Pa was to have the medicine he needed to control his pain.
"Did you dust in here today, Martha?" the tall man demanded, disapproval in his voice.
"Why, yes, sir, I did!" She'd dusted every little bit of wood and made the room as tidy as could be.
"You moved my personal papers?" he asked, his dark eyes raking over her, enjoying the fear that leaped into her blue eyes when she realized she was in disfavor.
"I picked them up to dust and put them back exactly as they were. I didn't read them, sir!" she added the last, her stomach muscles clenched in fear.
"How do I know that?"
"I wouldn't lie, sir. My Pa and Ma taught me better."
"Did they also teach you it was acceptable to snoop through personal correspondence?"
"No, sir! But, I didn't!"
"You are dismissed. And I will withhold your earnings for the past week as compensation for your snooping."
"But, sir, I did not snoop, and I need my wages and my job! Please, sir. My Pa is ill, and he needs medicine."
The man stood and looked down his nose at her, smiling coldly when he saw the fear in her eyes. He kept her in suspense, letting her dwell on the enormity of losing her position. Finally, when a tear leaked from one eye and ran down her cheek, he said, "Very well. I will permit you to keep your position, provided you will accept another punishment."
"I need my job, sir."
"Then you will pull up your skirts, and bare yourself, and lie across my desk for a taste of cane."