"You can't go around making decisions like this for me, Helene!" Whitey continued to scold her as he brought the wooden spoon down on her bottom over and over. She needed a firm lesson and he was going to see to it she got one to remember.
"I had to do something, Whitey! I love you!" she declared, crying. "Ouch! I will prove that I am right about you; you'll see! Owwwww!"
"And what if you are wrong, sweetheart?" Whitey asked in frustration, spanking her sit spots even harder than before.
"Owwww! Owwww! Oh, please stop! If I am wrong, then we'll face that and deal with it. I know that Mr. Chambers will help you." She kicked her legs frantically as he targeted her thighs. She would not be sitting any time soon! "No more, Whitey!" she begged.
"If I did something wrong, Helene, I will have to own up to it and do time."
"You didn't do anything wrong!" she insisted, and he was touched by her confidence in him. Whitey stopped the spanking just as her Uncle came through the door, holding a shotgun.
"What the hell is going on up here?" Peter demanded furiously as Whitey helped Helene to her feet.
She quickly smoothed her skirts, embarrassed that her Uncle witnessed her over Whitey's knee with her drawers showing. It was embarrassing as could be! "I did something to anger Whitey, Uncle Peter. I sent out telegrams to see if we could learn about his past. I know Whitey is a good man, but he is afraid that he might be an outlaw of some sort. He is afraid to court me and offer marriage because he doesn't know his name. I love him, Uncle Peter," she insisted, reaching back to rub her posterior.
"No rubbing, little girl, unless you want another tanning," Whitey ordered firmly. "When I give you a spanking, you are going to wear it until it goes away naturally."
"But, it really hurts, Whitey!" she argued. "I'm not going to be able to sit down!"
"Then I did a good job," he told her. "Now stop pouting or you'll get another tanning for that," Whitey threatened, even though he had no intention of spanking her again. Now that his temper had cooled somewhat, he realized that he was too hard on her. She deserved a good spanking, but he should have used his hand instead of that spoon. Helene's intentions were good ones, even if they were misguided.
Peter brought Whitey's attention back to the present. "You won't be tanning my niece again unless you make your intentions known to me first, young man. You go on home now while I have a talk with Helene."
"Sir, what is done is done. It's dealt with, and I wouldn't want you scolding Helene further." Little Helene didn't deserve another spanking.
"I'm not going to scold her, young man. Now you get on home and you do some serious thinking about my niece. If you aren't interested in marrying her, then you will stay away from her, and there won't be any more spanking. I hope that is clear?"
"It is." Whitey picked up his hat from where it fell on the floor, gave Helene a wounded look, and then left. Until he knew the truth about himself, he was going to have to stay away from her, even though that was not what his heart wanted. If he was a smart man, he'd get on his horse and get the hell out of here before he ended up dangling from a rope for something he couldn't remember doing.
"Uncle Peter...! I didn't want Whitey to leave!" Helene said with a pout. "I love him!"
"Girl, I meant what I said to the boy. He is to stay away until he comes to me and declares his intentions. That is final, and if I catch you sneaking around behind my back, I'll take a leather strap to you until sitting is a memory from long ago." His eyes told her he was dead serious. "Best you get to fixing us some supper. Roxy will be eating with us tonight... and moving in some more of her things. Once we speak our vows in a couple more days, the house will be full of stuff!" He shook his head, but the smile in his eyes told Helene he was happy as could be.
"Do you think Roxy would like an apple pie?" Helene asked quietly; she wanted to please her uncle... and make Roxy feel welcome.
"Well, I'm not sure about Roxy, but I know I would, if it ain't too much trouble...?"
"It's not any trouble at all, Uncle Peter," she told him. He headed for the door to go back down to his shop. "Uncle Peter," she called, and when he turned to face her, she said, "Whitey is innocent; I'm going to prove it."
"I hope so, honey," he said, nodding. He couldn't permit the girl to marry a man without a name, and who could possibly be a criminal. And, as much as she loved Whitey, and he loved her, Peter wasn't sure that Helene wouldn't run off with the man she loved! He was going to have to keep a vigilant eye on her, and pray that the answers she got to those telegrams were full of good news.
Rob was thrown from the wild stallion for the third time. It hurt, but not nearly as much as the pain in his heart. He loved Amanda Chambers and staying away from her was the most difficult thing he had ever had to do. He missed her, missed her smile and her laugh. He missed her expressive green eyes. He missed her sweetness and her mischief-making and teasing. She was the woman for him and it was killing him to stay home.
"Boss, it might not be my place to say so, but you've had enough of Spider for one day. Give someone else a crack at him."
"You are quite right, Leo," Rob admitted. "I am going up to the house and tackle some paperwork I have neglected. Do not let anyone but Don or Ernie try that horse; I do not wish for anyone to be hurt."
"You got it, Boss," Leo answered, relieved that Rob took his suggestion well. It was no secret that the Boss was short-tempered right now, and most of the men figured it had something to do with Matt Chambers' fancy daughter. What the spoiled brat needed was a damned good hiding for hurting the Boss, and there wasn't a hand on the Thorne spread who didn't want to deal with the redhead for bringing the Boss low. She got a raw deal from Ted Fox, but that was no reason to take it out on the Boss.
Rob headed for the house, unaware that the woman he loved was close by... and in serious danger.
Amanda looked at the tall man and tried to decide if he was serious. She had never seen him before, but it was obvious he knew exactly who she was. She continued to stare at him, and the gun he was pointing at her. "I do not believe I heard you correctly, sir...?" Amanda jumped when he shot the hat from her head.
"You heard me, Miss Chambers. Get down and take off every stitch of your clothing or I will take a knife and carve you so badly no man will ever look at you again." His dark eyes glittered in anticipation of what he planned to do to her.
Amanda put her hands on her hips, every inch Matt Chambers' daughter. "You are the one who has been hiring men to kill Robert Thorne."
His dark eyes narrowed, and then he shrugged before speaking. "Very astute, Miss Chambers."
"You cannot face Rob but you feel free to threaten a woman...?" she purposely goaded him.
"You dare much."
"I only speak the truth. At least the last man who dared to attack me in this manner had the manners to give me his name..." She sounded as haughty as possible.
"You need a thorough caning, Miss Chambers."
"For speaking the truth?" she dared to ask. "Forgive me, but I am used to dealing with real men, not those who would hide behind a gun and who would hire someone else to do their dirty work."
"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.