Peppermint Sticks for Susie (12 page)

"I saw her and she looked defiant, not dejected," he told her.

"Because Alex was here. She was dressed in black! Jenny wears pretty clothes, not black! She didn't have one single curl in her hair, either! She had it pinned back and into a tight roll. It tells me how upset she is and how dark her mood. Alex has hurt her deeply and he needs to be apologizing to her." Alma was indignant.

"Alma, it is not our place to interfere. They must find their own way... or not. It is not for you to tell them what to think or what to do. You disobeyed me and disregarded my wishes, and now you are due a punishment of your own."

"I do not agree with you, Peter," she told him, raising her chin to look at him. "I was trying to help Jenny and I just hope that Alex isn't too stupid to swallow his pride for a moment and see how upset she truly is."

"Alma, I am not going to discuss Jenny and Alex's relationship. I am discussing the fact that you disobeyed my express orders not to meddle. You may stand up and remove your skirts and take down your drawers, and then you may hand me your hairbrush. You need a lesson that will stay with you for a while." Her face drained of color and for a moment he thought she was going to faint.

"Oh no, Peter! I could not bear that! Not my hairbrush, please. He did that," she whispered, and burst into tears.

Peter did not need any further explanation. He was the uncle who took her and her Ma in after her Pa died. He was cruel to both her and her Ma. He punished her for every little thing and her Ma was made to watch and then she was punished, too. They finally ran away out of sheer desperation and her Ma worked as a seamstress to support both of them until Alma got hold enough to help out. "I am sorry, Alma. I wish I did not need to give you a spanking, but I do. I will not use your hairbrush, however, but will fetch a wooden spoon from the kitchen. You do as I said while I am getting the spoon. I do not wish to make this spanking more than it has to be," He left the room, hoping Alma would obey him, and that he could do a good enough job of it that she would respect his wishes from now on. His being so ill for so long had taken a toll on his marriage, and it was time he asserted himself again.

Alma was shaking as she removed her dress and her petticoats. She was left standing there in her camisole and drawers and she was untying the string on them when Peter returned carrying a wooden spoon. She immediately noted that he did not have the biggest one and she was grateful. She did not want a spanking, but she did disobey Peter and he was right to insist she accept the consequences. "I don't think I can say I am sorry for saying what I said to Alex, Peter, but I am sorry that I disobeyed and upset you. I know I earned a spanking, and I want to thank you for not using my hairbrush. It would devastate me if you did that," she whispered the last.

"I love you, Alma, and I do not wish to harm you in any way. I take no joy in punishing you. Now then, turn around and lower your drawers and bend over and place your hands on the mattress. Keep your hands there until I am done spanking you. I will add extras if you get out of place for any reason. Do you have any questions, Alma?"

"No, but what about Susie? I wouldn't want her to come in on us."

"I checked on her and she is sleeping soundly," he answered with a smile. "I've no wish to embarrass you in front of our daughter, wife."

"Thank you, Peter," Alma said gratefully. While she did not wish to obey him, she did as he asked and soon her bare bottom was sticking up and out and waiting for him to spank it with the wooden spoon. Alma knew it would hurt. Peter was slowly regaining his strength, and if he put that strength into this spanking, she would feel it for some time.

Peter did not believe in procrastinating. He drew back his arm, and brought the spoon down with a crack that seemed loud in the small room. The spoon left a bright red oval on her right cheek, and he nodded in satisfaction. He'd had doubts that it was heavy enough to impart a good lesson, but the larger spoon seemed more like a club. He wasn't about to use it on her!

Alma felt the burning spot immediately and tried not to cry out in pain. She didn't want to act like a big baby, but it did hurt something awful. Peter continued spanking her and she found it increasingly harder to keep her hands on the bed and simply stand there and let him spank her over and over, Not only did he spank her bottom, he spanked just below, too, and it hurt even more. Finally, she couldn't take any more. "Please, not there, Peter! It hurts too much! Please be done now. Please! It hurts. It really hurts!"

"Are you ready to promise me you will keep your opinions to yourself and stop interfering in Alex and Jenny's problems?" he asked, continuing to spank her sit spots with firmness and determination to make his point,

"I promise I will try, Peter. I didn't know I was going to say anything this time! I didn't plan to, but it just popped out when he asked if she was still pouting! She wasn't pouting, she was hurt... and he wasn't being fair."

"I can see it is too soon to stop this spanking," he told her.

Alma gasped in shock when Peter wrapped his left arm around her to hold her wiggling bottom in place. He spanked even lower and the backs of her legs were his next target. The spanking seemed to go on and on forever, in spite of all her pleading and promises. Peter didn't stop the spanking until every inch of her backside was a deep dark red and she was sobbing and limp. "If you meddle again, wife, you will get another spanking, and reminders every night for a week. Do you hear me?"

"Yes!" She bawled. That was when they heard Susie's voice calling out.

"You get back into bed for a while. I'll get Susie some breakfast and keep her entertained while you pull yourself together, sweetheart." He leaned down to kiss her. "I love you, Alma."

"Am I forgiven, Peter?" she asked, her voice small and quivery.

"You were forgiven before I spanked you, Alma. I love you, and the lesson was because you can do better than you did. Now, you rest a while." He kissed her again and then gave her some privacy.

Alma quickly took a peek in the full length mirror and was shocked by how red and sore she looked. She knew it burned like she'd backed into the stove! Poor Peter! He must be really upset with her to do this. She pulled up her drawers, and then went over to the bed and lie down. She cried herself to sleep, wondering when she would be able to sit again, and wondering how she would face Alex and Jenny?

* * *

"Jenny, we are not going to the store. I've already seen Angus and told him that we needed some time to discuss certain matters,"

"There is nothing to discuss, Alex. I was wrong to do what I did, and you have effectively punished me by being so angry and making that anger known to Alma and Peter. I wrote your essay, she reached into her skirt and pulled out the papers she folded neatly, and pushed them at him. "Please take me to work now; I do not believe there is anything further to discuss."

"Jenny, you are behaving as though I have done something wrong."

"I did not say that, Alex. I just don't think I am the right woman for you, and I am asking you to leave me alone. I cannot face such disapproval and anger from the man I marry. It is too difficult to bear. I admitted to my fault, and I told you I was sorry... all true, but you still refused to give me forgiveness, and made it clear to the Beckleys that I misbehaved and was to be left alone. I cannot handle such disapproval. It is very harsh, Alex."

"I feared being too harsh with you if I dealt with punishing you last evening, and I also needed to hurry after those two men. I was too late," he told her. "I found them dead. Jenny, do you have any idea at all how lucky you are that you were not found anywhere close to them? You couldn't have born watching them be tortured from your hiding place."

"Oh my!" She looked at him in horror. "We should have followed after them right away; it is my fault you did not get to question them. I am sorry!" she whispered.

"Jennifer, what do I need to do to convince you that I want you nowhere near the rustlers? I am terrified that someone saw us riding out to the O'Malley Ranch, and will wonder what we have seen. That is why I do not want you alone, not even for five minutes. That is why I don't want your window open. Shutting it wasn't meant as part of a punishment."

"You switched me so hard that I can barely move," she told him. "It hurts to walk, and I can't sit down."

"Then how did you write this?" he asked, holding up the papers she handed him.

"I was lying on the bed and did it," she answered. "Please, Alex... Don't switch me again! I couldn't bear it."

"I intend to use a strap," he told her, patting his belt. Her green eyes immediately filled with tears. "Are you really so sore, honey?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. Alex, I need to be forgiven."

"I forgive you, honey. I forgave you yesterday when you said you were sorry."

"I'm so relieved," she said, smiling. Then she looked around her in surprise. "Why are we here?" she asked, recognizing the jail from the first time he brought her here. That time he turned her over his knee and spanked her! Surely he wouldn't do that again...?

"We are here because we needed some privacy and this is the only place I could think of that we could arrange for that." He barred the door, and made sure the thick door to the cells in back was tightly shut. The last thing he needed was for Lefty to see the pretty redhead and start cursing her and spewing hate. "Now then, little lady, I think you managed to earn another spanking yesterday by giving vent to that temper of yours. You also risked your safety again. I can't ignore that."

"But, you just said you forgave me!" she reminded him.

"I do forgive you, but you still earned a good hiding and you're going to get one to remember."

"I'm too sore!" she whispered, backing away from him. It was the wrong thing to do. Alex was used to dealing with criminals and he easily snagged her wrist and pulled her to him. He sat on the corner of the Sheriff's desk and then bent her over his left thigh. "Noooo!" she wailed. "Don't, please!"

Her arguments availed her of nothing. Alex flipped up her skirts, and then he unfastened her drawers and pulled them down to her knees. That was when it was his turn to be shocked. "Oh my God!" he whispered. "Jenny, I had no idea!" He felt tears sting his eyes as he saw the state of her backside. She was bruised, and her backside was still covered in red lines. Her poor sit spot was an angry red and she needed some healing salve to put on it right away. "I know you said you were hurting, but I had no idea you were bruised like this, honey. I was much too harsh with you." He gently pulled up her drawers, tied them, and then he gently pulled down her skirts before standing her on her feet in front of him. "I'm very sorry, Jenny, honey. Your skin is very sensitive, and I am a jackass for not realizing how easily you would bruise. I would take it all back if I could," he swore. "Please forgive me. I give you my word that this will never happen again. If I must spank you, I will just use the flat of my hand."

"You aren't going to punish me now?" Jenny asked tearfully.

"You have been punished more than enough, just like you said. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, honey. I can understand why you were so upset yesterday afternoon when I made you sit on the saddle in front of me. I feel like an ass."

"You didn't know I was telling you the truth; you thought I was trying to excuse myself and talk you out of punishing me again, which I was," she said with a little smile. "I didn't know until this morning when I looked in the mirror just how badly bruised I am. I wish you wouldn't read the essay I wrote. I was just trying to protect my backside and I didn't mean what I wrote about not seeing you again." Her eyes were sincere. "I was feeling so sorry for myself when I wrote all of that."

Alex took it out of his pocket, ripped it into little pieces and threw them into the trash can beside the desk. "There. We start this part of our lives over again. I wish we didn't always have to learn from mistakes, and I wish this mistake wasn't so painful for you. Would you allow me to take you to see the doctor, honey?" he asked hopefully.

"No! I would be too embarrassed!" she admitted. "Mr. MacGregor sells some healing salve that will help. I'll get some today."

"Very well. I will walk you to work, and then come for you at lunch time. Do not leave the store by yourself, or with someone I don't know well, honey. I fear for your safety."

"I will be careful, Alex. I promise." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "If anyone would have told me this morning that you would understand and make me feel loved, I would have doubted them. I cried all night because I thought you were disgusted with me, and that I'd ruined our chance at happiness."

"You felt abandoned, and I did not mean for that to happen. I wanted you to think, but your thoughts didn't go where I felt they would. You spent time wondering if I would beat you with a switch all the time, and fearing me. Now I understand why Alma is so upset with me."

"I didn't tell her anything," she insisted.

"I'm sure you didn't have to. She probably heard you crying and felt helpless to do anything because her husband insisted she follow my wishes. I won't ever leave you like that again. I made a huge mistake this time."

"You are forgiven, Alex," she said softly, reaching up to caress his cheek. "We forgive each other and we learn from our mistakes."

He smiled and then leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, and then more passionately. They were interrupted a few minutes later by a knocking on the door.

"Who's in there?" the Sheriff called out.

"Oh shoot," Alex muttered. "It's me, Sheriff," he called. He gave Jenny a few moments to fix her clothing and hair before he opened the door. "Clyde, I needed to borrow your office for a bit. Jenny and I needed to have a private conversation," he stated.

"I hope that conversation taught you not to go chasing after rustlers, young lady," Clyde scolded. "When Alex couldn't find you in town yesterday he was real scared. You mind him now, hear?"

"Yes, Sheriff," Jenny accepted the scolding as due.