The Demure Bride(23)

"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.