Cowboys Know Best (16 page)

“Why did you do it,
Zio
? You promised mama to protect me if
Babbo
could not. You told me you were like a brother to her. And
Babbo
… he trusted you with his life,” she asked, squatting next to his bleeding body after kicking his gun out of reach.

“You look like your mama. I loved her. I could not have her but I could have had you as a daughter. You refused my son,” Don Piccoli coughed out as his lifeblood slowly drained from him.

“You know how Joey was,
Zio
. An evil, sadistic man. I could never have been happy with him.”

“You could have… changed him.”

“No. Only he could have changed himself. He did not want to. You would never have allowed your own daughter to suffer in his hands,” Perl said angrily, staring at the man responsible for tearing away her family.

“Si… forgive me, Perlita?” Don Piccoli begged, clutching her hand tightly.

“Only God can forgive you for what you have done. I wipe my hands of you and your family,” Perl said, releasing him from debt as he took his final breath, and his grip on her hand fell away. She stood slowly and felt a familiar arm wrap around her shoulders.

“Are you alright? You terrified me,” Hank said, pulling her tightly into his arms.

“It’s over, Hank. He ended my old life but, because of that, I have a new one. We can both live now.” Perl reached her arms to hold his waist and press her cheek against his drumming heart.

“Does that mean…” there was pain in his voice, “that you want to leave? There is no reason to be afraid to go to Las Vegas now.”

“Leave? Why would I leave? I love you! And I love this town. For the first time, I have a home where I am more than a show piece. I want to live with you, Hank Billings, and have your babies. Leave?!” Perl was yelling now, slapping his arm angrily and her hands flying in the air as she launched into a series of phrases in Italian which he could only guess were far from complimentary.

“What’s all this racket?” Dennis demanded, coming up from behind them. “Young lady, you are in so much trouble once I know you’re ok!”

“I’m fine, Dennis. Just giving Hank here a piece of my mind. He suggested that I might want to leave!” She was still raging and throwing out exasperated Italian curses.

“You are not going anywhere, little girl, except across my knee for not minding me!” Dennis scolded, relieved that she was unharmed and that the events had not altered her saucy attitude.

Perl kissed his cheek. “I think you might have to wait until my husband is done with me. By the way, where are the other half of Don Piccoli’s men? I thought there were two cars spotted?”

“Hmmm, we’ll need to find them. Perlita, you are not to leave Hank’s side until they are found. Understand?”

“Yes,
Nonno
. That’s Italian for grandfather,” Perl said sweetly, kissing his old weathered cheek with affection. “Watch out for my traps if you take the back road. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Dennis flushed with pleasure as she kissed both cheeks again. He rode off in his squad car, accompanied by several men, in search of the missing goons. When they arrived at the fence posts, they could see what was left of the mutilated vehicle, an angry longhorn bull snorting at a tree as it kicked up clouds of dust, and the legs of several very frightened men clinging to the tree for dear life.

“We are going to have to deputize that bull,” Dennis laughed, picking up his radio and requesting help. Within an hour, Diablo lifted his snout and began to gallop in the direction of the ranch, wagging his huge head lustfully as he sought out a ready cow. The four men were easily taken into custody and returned to the county jail for pickup by federal agents. Dennis smiled in satisfaction, knowing that his little family was finally safe.

Now to deal with the second portion of family duties…

Chapter Eleven

“Gentlemen, I must remind you that I promised to give a concert tomorrow night in honor of the town helping to save my life,” Perl said nervously later that evening as she backed away from Hank and Dennis. They had just finished a hearty meal of ravioli and garlic-flavored toasted bread, and had then ordered the nervous young woman into the living room.

“You’ll sing standing up, little girl. A sore bottom will certainly remind you of what everyone sacrificed for you,” Dennis scolded, rolling up his sleeves. “I promised you a licking for disobeying me and I fully intend to give it to you.”

“
Nonno
, please. I’m sorry I didn’t listen, but I couldn’t let the people I love be harmed,” Perl beseeched, looking helplessly at Hank as Dennis sat in his favorite straight backed chair. “Plus, Nana is due here any minute.”

“She hasn’t even boarded the train to come down here yet, so that ploy is not going to work. Count your lucky stars she’s not about. She would switch your bottom without even blinking an eye,” Dennis said firmly. “You seem to have conveniently forgotten that the people you love did not want you to be harmed. Hank isn’t going to help you,
bambina,
so stop looking at him like that.
”

“I am not a baby… Hank, tell
Nonno
to stop trying to use Italian terms to make me feel guilty.”

Hank just shrugged, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall to watch his little wife try to weasel her way out of her spanking. Dennis simply beckoned and patted his lap. Seeing she was not eliciting any sympathy, she dragged her feet as she approached the older man.

Dennis wrapped his arms around her and landed a kiss on her cheek. “I’ve never had a family except for Hank here. Now I have you and all the babies you are going to give us one day. Don’t you dare do anything to mess with that. Now once I am done here, you are to take your husband to your room and start making me a great-grandpappy, understand?”

“Yes,
Nonno
… But… OW!” Perl screeched as he pushed her across his lap and landed a sharp, solid smack to her trouser-covered backside. Her protests grew as her pants were yanked down to her knees, followed by the peeling down of her panties. Her wriggling bottom reddened quickly under Dennis’ firmly applied hand, and soon matched the color of her face as he scolded her like an errant child.

Hank smiled, leaning back and crossing his arms as he observed his pretty wife getting a well-deserved bare-bottom spanking from her
Nonno
… Both the prospect of soothing that beautiful back-end and making lots of babies appealed to him.

* * *

Perl stood sniveling in the corner of their bedroom as Hank saw their friend to the door. With a knowledgeable grin, Dennis said his goodnights and good lucks before driving away. Hank chuckled, watching the taillights disappear into the night.

“You can’t say I won’t give it the old college try, old friend,” he muttered to himself before bounding up the stairs. He smiled at the bright red, curvy backside of the still whimpering young woman with her nose to the corner.

“Keep that hand off that backside, missy. My, my… Dennis really gave you something to think about, didn’t he?” Hank asked, sitting on their bed and kicking off his boots.

“It hurts,” Perl sniffed sadly.

“I’m sure it does. And you aren’t done, either. Don’t give me that look. You put yourself in the line of fire… literally! Do you think I can just ignore that?” Hank scolded. “Well? I’m waiting for an answer.”

“No, Hank. I’m sorry.”

“Who are you kidding, Perl? The only thing you are sorry for is that you have a sore bottom and you about to get another spanking. Come over here, wife.”

Sullenly, Perl dragged her feet until she stood between the rock hard thighs of her husband. She slowly lifted her chin to look into his worried blue eyes, her lower lip quivering enticingly, making him just want to take it between his teeth and gently suck.

“I love you. I wanted the nightmare to end. I’m sorry.”

“I’m just so grateful that nothing happened to you or anyone else. You are truly my life, my little Perl. I intend to show you how much I need you. Strip,” came the firm response.

Perl blushed furiously as she slowly removed the dangling trousers and panties that were bunched around her ankles, and then pulled off her sweater and brassier. Hank pointed to her socks and those soon joined the other clothing on the pile on the floor.

Hank kissed her deeply, running his hands along the length of her body, stopping at the swell of her generous hips. His thumbs nearly touched each other as he rested his fingers on her hips bones and cupped her stomach gently.

“I want to see this belly grow fat with our child and I want these,” he touched her breasts tenderly, “filled with milk to feed him. I want to hold you while you suckle our baby.” His voice was choked with emotion. “You risked taking that chance away from me today. You put your life… our life together… in terrible danger.”

“I know.” Perl felt a heavy, hot tear drip down her generous nose.

“Unlike other times in the past, today you didn’t disobey me out of selfishness or a childish need to get your own way, and I know that. You disobeyed for what you believed in your heart was a good reason. I know that you wanted only to help protect the people you love. You need to learn, though, that I know what is best for you, and you need to learn to obey me even when you do not agree with me. I hope the spanking you got from Dennis helped to teach you that, because I don’t think I have the heart to discipline you further, my beautiful Perl.”

She felt another tear drop as Hank pulled her across his denim covered lap. She gasped when, instead of the harsh sting of discipline, she felt the tender touch of her lover. Gently he caressed her silky, hot skin, his finger tracing the outline of the prints left by Dennis’ callused hand. Reaching between the plump swells, Hank plunged his finger deep into her moist treasures, stroking in and out and marveling at the texture and strength of her muscle as she clamped spontaneously down upon the probing digit.

“You’re mine, Perl,” Hank announced, his finger teasing the hardening nub. He felt a flow of wetness cover his hand and began to spread it between her cheeks. She yelped as the tip of his thumb began to penetrate her most private place, slowly inserting itself to the knuckle.

“Hank… you can’t…”

“You’re my wife. I can. And when we get pregnant, I will. Often.”

She protested half-heartedly, finding herself falling into a wave of pleasure as he pressed his thumb deep into her bottom hole while his middle finger rubbed her throbbing, hungry clit. Her heart swelled with as much delight as her body, realizing how he stated the idea of having a baby… When
we
get pregnant…

“Hank… please… more…” she began to pant. “I want… you… in me… Now.”

“Like this?” he asked, stroking his thumb solidly. She could only nod.

Hank grinned, placing her on her knees on the bed and removing his rigid pole from his pants. It already was glistening with dew, but he made sure to cover the head with the copious juices of Perl’s passion.

“Are you sure?” he asked, the tip seeking the tight, virginal entrance as he continued to stroke her clit. Perl pressed her bottom back against him, making him gasp as she eagerly engulfed the bulbous head. He was thick and long, but Perl could only focus on the dizzy sensation of being filled to the deepest part of her soul. Thoughts of ‘not being proper’ were vanquished as she moaned with ecstasy.

Hank stroked his wanting member slowly… deeply… and with dedicated purpose of bringing them both to the ultimate bliss. His body tensed as he neared his release and a roar erupted from his throat as he plunged himself to the hilt. Perl added her own song to their coupling as she collapsed under his weight, his groin pressing against her still very hot and very sore bottom.

“Are you okay, my love?” Hank whispered in her ear, hoping that Perl was not discouraged from pursuing that ‘experience’ again in the future.

She turned to look at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

“More than okay. I truly feel… owned. Do we have to wait until we’re pregnant to do that again? I mean, can we practice before I get huge?” Perl asked hopefully, feeling his member slowly slide from her body.

Hank nestled close to her, holding her back snugly to him. “Heck, no, baby, we don’t have to wait. We can keep practicing as much as you like. Whenever you like,” he purred into her ear, “and however you like. But right now, how about we get some sleep and then try again tomorrow.”

“Until we get it perfectly right?” Perl giggled, holding his arms around her chest as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

He kissed behind her ear. “It’ll take a lot of practicing to get there. I think it’s best we do just that.”

“You cowboys always think you know best, don’t you?”

He answered her with a kiss on her shoulder, drawing out a contented sigh from his beautiful and adoring bride.

* * *

“Can I get you anything, Nana?” Perl asked as the two women sat in front of the fireplace with Cherry nestled between them, her head in Perl’s lap. Nana was teaching Perl how to knit now that the days had quickly turned cold for early December.

“Just some tea, my dear,” Nana winked.

Grinning, Perl put her knitting down. “Hank! Hank, honey, would you please put some water on for tea?” she called out, leaning back on the couch. “HANK!”

Hank stuck his head into the room. “What are you bellowing about, Perl? I’m trying to finish my books.”

“Henry Joseph Billings! Is that the way to speak to a lady, let alone your wife! Go make us some tea!” Nana ordered.

Hank growled and turned to obey. Several minutes passed.

“Hank? Honey, could you please bring me a blanket. It’s cold in here?” Perl yelled out, suppressing a giggle, “Haaaannnkk!”

“I’m making tea!” he yelled back.

“Get the girl a blanket, Henry! What is wrong with you?” Nana barked. She chuckled as she heard Hank stomping up the stairs. He brought the blankets down and proceeded to hand them to the two women, glaring at his grandmother.