The Suspicious Mr. Greenley (6 page)

Steven swept her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold, and didn’t put her on her feet until they were in their bedroom.  She looked at the beautifully handcrafted bed, chest of drawers, and vanity… and the matching wardrobe.  “Oh, Steven!  Beautiful doesn’t begin to cover how lovely this room is!  I am so amazed that you made this with your own two hands!  And the quilt!  It’s handmade, too!”

“Do you really like it, sweet one?”

“No, I don’t like it, darling, I absolutely
LOVE
it!  She walked over to the bed and saw their names, beautifully carved inside a heart.  “Ohhhh, Steven, I am going to cry!”  She ran her hands lovingly over the headboard, and then the quilt, and he watched as she slowly made her way around the room, touching each piece of furniture, and trying to memorize it forever.  There was also a rocking chair, and a chest at the foot of the bed.  The tables beside the bed were made by him as well.  She finally looked at him, and he was shocked to see she was indeed crying out of sheer happiness.  “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I will be eternally grateful that I am yours.  Thank you for sharing your heart with me, Steven.”

This time when he took her in his arms they knew there would be no holding back.  Steven was gentle with her and Kady Jo knew she would never forget the first time they made love… in their own bed in their own home.  They made love often through the night, and when morning came, they made love again.

It was afternoon when they heard William’s car pull into the driveway.  He and Elsie climbed out, and each of them grabbed an armful of gifts to carry inside.  Elsie was startled when she looked up and saw Steven standing beside her.  “When did you get home?  William and I wanted to bring your gifts over and…”

“Don’t let Mama fool you, son.  She’s dying to see that bedroom furniture you’ve been working on since before you brought Kady home from Columbus!” William teased his wife.

“We didn’t go to Columbus,” Kady told her mother.  “We just wanted everyone to think we did so they wouldn’t come here and ruin our peace and quiet!”

“Now that was a good idea,” William grinned.  “Of course, if we’d knowed, we wouldn’t have come over here today…”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Steven said graciously.  “Kady, we’re going to have to figure out where to put all of these things.”

“Oh, we’ll find a spot for all of it,” she smiled at him, and then showed her Mama the bedroom. 

William heard her exclaiming over each piece and said, “I’m going to have to hire you to make us something new or I’ll never hear the end of it!”

They didn’t stay long, of course.  And, William waited until they were on the road to ask, “Kady Jo looked okay to me… Did she say anything?”

“Don’t be silly, William.  Steven treated her well and she could hardly wait for us to leave!”

William gave her a smile and said, “Think we could find some time alone for us today, Elsie?  I figure that Kevin and Kyle should be able to look after the two little ones and Keith, too.”

“A nap sounds good,” Elsie smiled.  If they weren’t careful, they would be looking for another name that started with K in a few more months!

“Would you mind?” William asked, in that disconcerting way he had of reading her mind.

“Not a bit… You…?”

“They’ll keep us young, darling.”

* * *

They were into their third month of marriage when the inevitable happened.  Steven told Kady Jo ‘no’ to going to a party one of her girlfriend’s was having at their summer cabin.  It was an hour drive to get there, was to last all afternoon and into the night, and Steven said he couldn’t afford the time off from work.  He had a special order for a birthday present, and he needed every spare second to get it done on time.  He also made it pretty clear that they needed the money.  When Kady asked if he minded if she went alone, he told her the truth, “Yes, I mind.  I don’t want you driving home alone on roads you don’t know very well.”

Kady felt like she was a kid all over again, and accused him of trying to manipulate her every move.  Steven said that wasn’t true, but since she was going to have an attitude, she could just keep her backside at home the entire weekend, except for going to church on Sunday.  Kady felt obliged to prove to him she could do as she pleased.  While he was busy working in the shop, she took his car and drove off.  Steven was using his saw at the time and didn’t hear her leave.  When it got later, he realized that Kady should have called him for supper long before now.  He went inside and found a brief note on the table telling him he wasn’t her boss or her father and if she wanted to go to a party, she was going!  He searched high and low for the keys to his truck, but they were nowhere to be found.  All he could do was wait…

* * *

Kady wasn’t having fun.  At first, her temper sustained her through the drive, but all of the questions about why she was alone set her on edge.  She was part of a couple now, and Steven should be with her.  Doris’ father made things even worse by saying that the roads around the lake were tricky at night, especially if it was foggy.  He didn’t like the idea of her driving home late at night by herself.  Some of her other friends were spending the night, but Kady knew that Steven would worry if she didn’t come home.  She ate a sandwich for supper and then said she was going to go on home and check on how Steven was doing.  Doris’ father seemed relieved, and Kady had to wonder if he had some idea that she’d left her husband stranded at home because he’d tried to ground her for the entire weekend.

The drive home seemed to take forever, and Kady knew she needed to apologize for losing her temper and behaving like a child.  If the situation were reversed, she would be furious with Steven.

There was no light on in the shop, which meant he was inside the house.  The kitchen light was on.   She started for the house only to have Steven appear out of the darkness.  He held out his hand.  “Keys, now.”  She handed them over.  “You won’t be needing these for a very long time, Mrs. Greenley.  Your driving privileges are revoked until I can trust you again.”

“Steven, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to apologize.  “Please don’t be angry.  Give me a chance to explain…”

“What is there to explain?  You disobeyed me.  You disrespected what I had to say in favor of doing what you wanted to do.  You left me stranded here with no way to get to you if you needed help.  You didn’t even have the nerve to come to me and tell me you were leaving; you sneaked off like a bratty teenager.”

“I really wanted us to go.  It was important to me, and you wouldn’t even consider it!  When I asked to go alone, you said ‘no’, and it made me feel like a little kid who has to have permission.  And grounding me for complaining!  That was terrible of you, and that is why I took the keys to the truck.”

“And one of the reasons you are getting a spanking to remember.”

“Nooooo!”  She stomped her foot.  “I didn’t even have a good time, and it’s all your fault!  I don’t enjoy going anywhere without you.  It wasn’t fun, and all anyone wanted to talk about was you!  We couldn’t go on the lake because it was too choppy, and I just wanted to be with you.  So I came home.  I planned to tell you how sorry I am and I was going to make it up to you.”

“How do you make it up to someone for worrying them sick?” he demanded.

“You stop being a grump for one thing!  I’m not a little kid; I can go places if I want to.”  It was the wrong thing to say.

“I am not a grump.  I am, however, a husband with a wife who needs a lesson in obedience.  March yourself right inside that house, Mrs. Greenley.”

“Aren’t you even going to give me a chance to make this right, Steven?  I said I was sorry!”

“No, you aren’t sorry yet, but you soon will be.”  He guided her into their bedroom, and lying on the chest at the foot of their bed was a paddle.  It wasn’t the one her brother fashioned out of a piece of old kindling and presented at their wedding.  No, this paddle was made of an expensive piece of hardwood by someone who knew what they were doing.  And that someone was right behind her and intended to use that new paddle on her backside!

“I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary to use this, Kady Jo, but I can see now that I’m going to need to keep this paddle handy throughout the years.  Take off your clothes and put on your nightgown.  No panties, either,” he added.  “When I spank you it will always be on your bare skin.”

“You don’t need a paddle, darling.  Your hand hurts plenty enough!” Kady Jo told him.  “Seriously, the last time you spanked me I was sore for a week.”

“We are married now, and I won’t tolerate what you did today.  Leaving without telling me.  Leaving me stranded.  Going to a party I said ‘no’ to.  Defying a small punishment I gave you because of your attitude…  All reasons for a good spanking.  Add them together, and it means a paddling.  Hurry up and get over here.”

“You are too angry right now, Steven.  Please wait until later.”

“Now, Kady Jo.”  She came to stand in front of him, expecting him to put her over his knee.  He didn’t.  Instead he stood up and said, “Put your hands flat on this chest and the stick your butt out and up.  I want a good target to paddle.”

“Can’t you just…”

“No, I can’t.  You are going to be punished in this manner, Kady.  This is more than a simple disobedience.  I won’t hold you this time.  You will submit by yourself without my help.”

Kady Jo was crying as she did as he told her to do.  She’d never seen Steven so furious with her.  The fact that he wouldn’t even hold her to punish her made her feel so alone, and she suddenly realized how she’d made him feel when she took off without a word.  “I’m sorry, Steven.  I won’t ever take off like that again,” she promised as he lifted her nightgown out of the way.  The lightweight paddle connected with her left cheek.  “OW!” she yelped, jumping up and whirling to face Steven.  “That hurts too much, Steven!  Please don’t paddle me!”

“Over right now, Kady, or that one won’t count.”  He gave her time to get into position and then gave her a second hard crack in the same exact spot.  Kady started sobbing.  The third landed on top of the second, as did the fourth and fifth, and then he paddled the other side of her bottom.  It hurt more than she thought possible.  “I’m sorry!  Please, please stop!  I’m begging you!”

“Do you have any idea how worried I was, Kady?”

“I won’t ever do it again.  I’m sorry I did it this time.  I know it was wrong… and I knew that before I even arrived at Doris’ place.  I just needed time to stop being stubborn.  Please, darling, forgive me?” 

He put the paddle down and then took her in his arms.  “This is where you belong, sweet one, and don’t you ever forget it again.”

Cinder, Ohio

May, 2010

“Look at this, Niecy!” David held up the paddle he found tucked under the mattress of the old bed.  “Do you suppose Granddad ever used this on Gramma?”

Denise looked at her brother and grinned.  “I wouldn’t be surprised.  You know that Mom said he was a pretty strict father, although he loved them fiercely.  He believed in spanking his kids.

“Yeah, he cornered me outside in the shop one day after I gave Mom a hard time about something and he tanned my britches.  I was ten years old at the time and he said he’d better never hear me sassing my Mom like that again.  He made me tell her I was sorry, and I like to think I learned to be more respectful after that.”  His face was red with embarrassment.

“You never told me that!” his twin exclaimed. 

“And have you make fun of me?  I should say not!”  He hefted the paddle again and then looked at his sister.  “Has Pete ever spanked you, Niecy?”

It was her turn to blush, but this was David, and they were truthful with each other, no matter what.  “Yes, he has.”

“And you didn’t hate him for it?”

“No.  Let me try and explain,” she said as she walked over beside him and sat on the bed.  “There is a difference between someone just hitting you because they are mad, or they are out of control and you are a handy target.  Pete spanked my behind because I had three drinks with friends and drove home buzzed.  I was clearly in the wrong, and he gave me consequences.  He did that to show me he loves me, not to be mean or hateful, or hurtful.”

“My God, Niecy!  I’m tempted to flip you over and use this on you myself!” David scolded.  “You know better.”

“I did know better.  I haven’t done it again, either.  It was a few months into our marriage.”  She looked at him.  “So why do you want to paddle Amber?”

“She overdrew our checking account again… overspending, and not paying the bills that should be paid by now.  I’ve talked and talked… I’m thinking I need to follow through with a promise I made her a while back.  I told her I’d paddle her if she didn’t get a grip on her spending.  She hasn’t.”

“Maybe she wants a spanking?  Some women need that extra attention to feel loved, David.  Gramma told me that before I got married.  She’d overheard Pete give me a swat and heard him warning me to stop fussing over details.  She could see I was embarrassed, and she hugged me and said that spanking was a form of loving.”  Denise ran her hand over the headboard of her Grandparents’ bed…  “Take the paddle with you, David.  Tell Amber about Granddad and Gramma.  They loved each other for nearly sixty years…”

The End

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