1883

1883

by Reesa Roberts

1883 by Reesa Roberts A Newsite Web Services Book Published by arrangement with the author

All rights reserved. Copyright © by Reesa Roberts This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission of the author or Newsite Web Services, LLC Published by Newsite Web Services, LLC P.O. Box 1286, Loganville, Georgia 30052 USA [email protected] disciplineanddesire.com

1883 CHAPTER ONE Wisps of acrid smoke drifted underneath the wagon as Laura squeezed her eyes tightly shut and tried not to cough. She pressed herself down into the prairie grass and covered her nose and mouth with her dress sleeve. She could hear the Indians whooping and yelling as they rode their horses around the four wagons they’d attacked, and she knew with certainty that her side had lost the fight. There were no more rifles firing, no more English voices shouting, no more screams of pain and terror. As the wagon above her burned, she prayed it wouldn’t collapse before she could get out from under it; the heat was becoming unbearable. Her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she realized she might have to choose between death by burning, or by tomahawk. She thought the latter would hurt less, but what if they didn’t kill her? What if they took her away and tortured her? She’d heard horrible stories over the last two weeks that had given her nightmares every night. Lord, she prayed, please make them go away! She thought back to this morning, when she’d been riding in the same wagon she was now hiding beneath. She’d been flirting with the blacksmith’s son, Robby, who was riding alongside her wagon. She’d felt carefree and happy, both rare emotions since her parents had been killed a year ago. They’d gone to a wedding reception, and the house had caught fire. The ballroom had been so crowded that only a few had escaped from the mad rush to get out. She’d been told that they’d died from the smoke, and hadn’t actually burned to death, but it had been little consolation to a newly orphaned sixteen-year-old girl. Laura felt nauseous as the

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smoke thickened around her, picturing herself soon perishing in a like manner. She slowly turned her head to the other side, fighting back tears. After her parents had died, she’d gone to live with her uncle, as her father had decreed in his will. Unfortunately, her aunt had treated her badly; making her do more work than anyone else, and constantly criticizing her. Her cousins had tormented her with cruel remarks about her orphaned state. Laura had been given a small allowance from her inheritance, and she’d saved every penny that had crossed her hand, until finally she’d had enough to buy passage to the west. She knew that her mother’s sister lived in northern Montana, and she’d bought a railway ticket to Virginia City, as far as the line went. Then she’d planned to go by stagecoach the rest of the way, but this small group of wagons had caught her eye, and it was only half the price of the coach. Having once spent three hours crushed between two very plump ladies on a coach, the large wagons had seemed much more comfortable. Now she fervently regretted her decision to join the wagon train. They hadn’t traveled two hours before the lead man announced they’d be taking a shorter route, and abandoned the fairly level dirt road to set off across the prairie. After that, the wagon she rode in had bounced and shook constantly, and she’d had a headache all day. She remembered her Aunt Faith, a warm, kindly woman with two daughters of her own, and she wished she were there, safe and sound, instead of fearing for her life here. It had seemed such a good idea, sharing the food and security of a guided trip with the handsome young Robby. Some security! As soon as they’d spotted the Indians this afternoon, three of the other men had immediately galloped away, leaving the others to defend themselves. Laura, Robby, his father, Jim, Andy (the cook), and three other women had been no

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match for the small group of Indians. Robby had shoved her under the wagon and told her not to move. Laura had thought that Indian attacks were a thing of the past, but apparently, the recent constrictions of the Federal Indian Bureau had enraged them into action. She’d read about this in the paper just last month, but sitting in her uncle’s library in a large city, never in her wildest dreams had she thought she’d soon be a victim. Laura’s eyes and throat stung, and she started coughing. Struggling to control it, she waited in agonizing suspense to be discovered, but she heard nothing except the crackling of the fire above her. Maybe they’d left! A few embers floated down and landed on her hand. She shook them off, then cautiously lifted her head a little to see what was going on. The smoke was now too thick to see anything. Then a burning piece of wood fell on her arm and she yelped and jerked away. She discovered that the reality of burning to death was not the same as imagining it, and she rolled quickly out from under the wagon. Laura sat up and froze, not believing what was before her eyes. The three women were lying in the grass, right in front of her, their clothing ripped and dirty, and their bodies bloody and still. She felt her hands shaking as she made herself look past them. Robby was bent backward across a saddle on the ground, an arrow jutting out from his chest. She clapped her hands to her mouth to keep from screaming. Andy was lying face down near the remnants of another wagon, and several arrow shafts protruded from his back. She looked past the burning wagons, across the prairie, and saw no sign of the Indians. All was still and quiet except for the crackling fires. The sights and smells of blood and smoke were overwhelming, and she vomited onto the ground in front of her. Crying, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she looked fearfully

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behind her. There was one covered wagon that hadn’t caught fire! She crawled to it, and pulled herself up to peer inside it. Robby’s father was lying dead on the floor of the wagon, a huge man in life; now he seemed small and frail. Then she heard horses’ hooves pounding the ground, coming closer, and she scrambled into the wagon, searching for a hiding place. A huge trunk was in the corner, and she jerked the lid up, threw out most of the clothing in it, and buried herself under a large woolen blanket. Soon she heard the voices of the three deserters exclaiming over the dead and the ruins. “Wonder what happened to the girl?” That was Robert, a tall young man from Boston. He sounded very afraid; his voice was shaking. “She ain’t here, so the injuns musta got her,” Jack’s voice asserted. He was a short bearded man who’d been traveling ahead of his family to start a homestead. “She’d been better off dead, ah’ll tell ya that.” Laura cringed as she heard the voice of Angus, a large beefy man who’d been hired by the three other women as an escort. Some escort, thought Laura. Although he’d been polite enough around the women, she’d sensed something evil in him, and wasn’t a bit surprised that he’d run off. “That’s fer sure.” “Well, we’d better get what we can carry, and head on north,” said Robert. Laura briefly thought of going with them, but no, she didn’t want to be the only woman among three men that couldn’t be trusted. She shivered and tried to make herself stay still. “Yep. No sense hangin’ around here. ‘Sides, them injuns might come back.” Laura heard the men scuffling about outside the wagon, and then felt it moving as one of them climbed in. She heard things being thrown about, and the sound of someone going through the

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clothes she’d thrown from the trunk. She held her breath and prayed. Mercifully, she felt the wagon rise as the man left, apparently having taken all he’d wanted. After she heard them ride away, she cautiously climbed out of the trunk and peeked out from all four sides of the wagon. The fires had almost burnt out, and it was eerily silent. The sun was setting, and Laura began to wonder what she could do to survive. She wanted to lie down and cry her heart out, but she needed to get as far away from this carnage as possible. She knew that she didn’t want to be a woman alone on a prairie, so she went through the clothing that was left on the wagon floor, carefully avoiding touching Jim. She’d have to wear some of Robby’s clothes. She quickly stripped off her dress and petticoats, and then pulled on a pair of pants. They were a few sizes too big, but she found a short piece of rope and tied them around her waist, and then rolled them up at her ankles. A pair of thick, gray woolen socks fit well enough, and also helped a pair of boots to fit. Laura ripped a shirt apart and used a wide strip to bind her breasts against her chest. Then she pulled on a cotton shirt that hung down over the pants. Increasingly afraid that the Indians might come back, she hurriedly tied some food items scattered on the floor, into a little bundle and emerged from the wagon. She didn’t want to look at her dead companions, but knew she’d have to search for some sort of weapon. There were no guns lying anywhere – the deserters must have taken them. She reluctantly searched the pockets of Robby and Jack and came up with nothing. Then she tugged their boots off, and finally found a small knife in Andy’s right boot. Well, it was better than nothing. Laura saw Robby’s hat on the ground near the wagon, and realized she’d forgotten about her hair. It was braided into two long plaits down her back. She put on the hat and stuffed the braids up in it, briefly considering cutting them off, but unable

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to make herself do it. Taking a deep breath, she started on her trek, back the way they’d come. She remembered that they’d crossed a little stream bordered with trees not too long before the Indians had attacked them. She began to follow the bent blades of grass left by the wagon wheels. It was almost dark now, and the sun was just a crimson strip across the horizon. Laura hoped that she didn’t end up walking in circles, for she could barely see the grass. She sat down facing south, and waited for the stars to come out. It wasn’t long before they appeared, becoming brighter by the minute in the cloudless black expanse around her. She looked up and tried to remember the constellations her father had taught her. Standing up, she held her arms out to each side. The North Star was behind her, and she got her bearings. She then trudged determinedly on, stopping every five or ten minutes to be sure of her course. Laura tripped more times than she could count, either kicking a rock with her too-big boots, or stepping into a hole or rut in the soft earth. The grass was as high as her knees, but it hadn’t seemed that high when she’d been riding in the wagon. At one point, she heard something running through the grass, not too far away, and she crouched down with the knife ready, heart pounding and holding her breath until the noise faded away. Probably just a rabbit, she scolded herself, and continued on. It seemed hours before she finally heard the babbling of the little stream ahead. She didn’t think she’d ever been so thirsty before in her life, and she hurried to reach it. Laura tripped again just as she reached the bank, and fell sideways, feeling a sharp pain in her left forearm. Ignoring it, she stretched out toward the water and cupped her hands for a drink. It was so cool and fresh; she drank what seemed like a gallon before her thirst was quenched. Laura found a tree with low branches, and climbed up until she got to a spot with three stout

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branches together. She lay down in the crook of the trunk, and tied herself to it, with the rope about her waist. She used the bundle for a pillow and was soon sound asleep, exhausted from her long ordeal. Laura awoke to a severe muscle cramp in her right leg. Her neck and arm hurt as well. She started to move, and then froze as she heard voices directly below her. “Sam, hold onto that horse before it pulls the wagon over!” Laura slowly turned her head and looked down. A young man was trying to keep a huge black horse from running to the stream, while he struggled to unhitch the traces from its harness. Finally succeeding, he led the horse to drink. Laura saw two more men talking together about twenty yards away. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, until they approached Sam, right below her. “How much further is it ‘till we get home?” asked Sam, looking at the tallest man. “About two more days, unless another wheel breaks.” The man sounded disgusted. Laura could only see the top of his hat, but she imagined his expression matching his tone of voice. “Good. I can’t wait to start breaking the colts!” Sam pulled the horse back to the wagon to hitch it back up, while the other men stood quietly below her. Then she saw Sam leading two colts to the water. They looked like yearlings to her, but she didn’t really know that much about horses. He had his hands full; both animals were jumpy in their eagerness to get to the water. The two men stood and watched, laughing as Sam struggled to keep them under control. “Why didn’t you bring one at a time?” the shorter man asked. “Just trying to save time!” Sam was shouting over the colts’ splashing in the stream. It wasn’t long before they’d pulled him over, and he landed square on his buttocks in the middle of the water.

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The men laughed, and even Laura stifled a giggle as Sam tried to get up, slipping on the rocks. Laura turned her head again, and her bundle fell from the tree! She looked down in dismay as it hit the taller man’s right shoulder. He jumped back, saw it roll a few feet away, and then looked up right at her! Laura froze, petrified with fear. She pulled her hat on tight as she stared back at the man. He had the most amazing silver-gray eyes, underneath black expressive eyebrows. He had a mustache that blended into several days’ growth of beard. “I’ll be damned,” he said, still staring at her. “Come on down from there.” Laura saw the other two look at the tall man, then up at her, their faces registering surprise. She didn’t move. “Come on, now, we won’t hurt you,” said the tall man again. “Wonder what he’s doing, sleeping up in a tree?” Sam asked the tall man, as if he’d know. “I don’t know, but he doesn’t stand a chance out here all by his lonesome.” This came from the shorter man, whom Laura could now see, had a kindly face with brown hair and eyes, and a full beard. “Come down here; you can travel with us,” said the brown haired man. Laura could not make herself answer, certain that her feminine voice would give her away. “Are you heading north?” He tried again, and she gave a small nod of her head. She reached back and untied herself from the tree trunk, hearing the taller man laugh. She straightened her left leg and almost cried out in pain. She moved slowly, stretching her muscles until she got all the kinks out. She tentatively put one foot down on a branch, but stopped to think a moment. Could she trust them? What if they found out she was really a girl? Would they take advantage of her? Maybe it would be better to stay here and follow from a distance. But then she thought of the Indians, and resolutely started to

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climb down. When she got to the ground, she went straight to the stream to drink. As she put her hands in the water, she saw her mother’s wedding ring twinkling on her right ring finger. She slipped it off and put it under her tongue as she drank, hoping no one had seen it. Laura stood up and warily eyed the three men. Sam was tying the colts to the back of the wagon while the other two watched. She slipped the ring into her pants pocket and buttoned it shut. She wondered if Sam was a servant or if all the work just fell to him as the youngest and weakest. If so, she would probably have to do most of the work now, but she was grateful for a safe passage, and set her mind to chip in as well as she could. Sam hauled himself up onto the driver’s bench on the wagon, and the two men turned to look at Laura. She stared at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing she’d seen all day. She didn’t want anyone scrutinizing her face. She hunched her shoulders forward a little; her bosom still seemed to protrude even though her breasts felt smashed tightly against her ribs. “What’s your name, boy?” Laura heard the question from the shorter man, but was afraid to answer. She’d just have to keep playing mute. She didn’t look up at him, but spying a stick a few feet away; she picked it up and drew into the mud on the creek bank, L O N N I E. Oh, Lord, why’d she pick a sissy name like that? Her cheeks felt hot as she stood back up and stepped away from the crude letters. “Lonnie,” said the tall man. “Obviously, you can’t talk. Strange, seeing as you can hear, but I suppose you’ve got your reasons.” Laura shivered, feeling he could see right through her little charade. “I’m Dalton Garrison, and these are my brothers, Sam and Jack.” Laura nodded, but continued to avoid looking directly at any of the men. So, Sam was the younger brother, and not a servant. She went to retrieve her knapsack and then watched

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Dalton and Jack get their horses that they’d left a little way down the stream. They headed off at a trot, and Sam turned the wagon around to follow at a slower pace. None of them looked back at her, and she quickly dashed back to the stream to relieve herself. Feeling much better, she trotted to catch up, stumbling now and then, until she was about thirty feet behind the wagon. She found that she could walk fairly fast and not have to run to stay with it, but her feet were burning in several spots from the ill-fitted boots. About an hour later, they came across the ruined wagons. Laura hung back, unwilling to experience the horror firsthand again. She sat down in the grass, put her head down, and held her hands over her ears. She didn’t even want to hear them discussing what might have happened. After a while, she looked up to see Dalton approaching Sam’s wagon, and she got up to start walking again. “Lonnie.” She heard Dalton’s voice behind her, but she’d already forgotten her new name. Then he was beside her, catching her arm and pulling her around to face him. She stared at the ground. “Were you with these people?” His voice sounded kind and pitying. She nodded her head, and turned to go. “Lonnie, do you have any other relatives?” She shook her head no. “Where were you heading?” She shrugged her shoulders, staring at his boots. “No wonder he can’t talk. Must be in shock or something,” she heard Jack say from the wagon. “He ought to ride in the wagon; he looks awfully tired.” Dalton took her by the elbow and pulled her gently toward the wagon. But Laura didn’t want to ride in it; her memories of Robby and the massacre were too fresh. She pulled her arm back and stopped, shaking her head no. “He’s not only tired,

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he doesn’t have any sense left, either,” said Dalton, his tone now stern. Laura hung her head and didn’t move. “Lonnie, are you coming with us?” She nodded her head. “Then you need to ride in the wagon. There’s no reason for you to walk. We’ve got a long way to go.” She shook her head again, and saw him tense up. “Come on, Dalton, just let him walk if that’s what he wants,” called Jack. “Well, I guess if he wants to wear himself out, that’s his business.” Dalton stalked off and mounted his horse. “Let’s get going. We don’t want to run into the Indians that did this.” He cantered off, leaving them behind, and Laura glanced up to see Jack getting back onto his horse, and Sam climbing up onto the wagon. She started walking again, but her feet were hurting so badly now, that she couldn’t keep up. She dismally watched the back of the wagon as it got further and further ahead of her. They hadn’t traveled more than ten minutes, when she saw Dalton galloping back toward her. She stopped and stared at the ground as he approached, wondering why he cared if she were left behind or not. He reined up beside her. “Lonnie, you’re going to have to get in the wagon. We’ve got to move faster because those renegade Indians might still be around here.” Laura heard his impatient tone, but she couldn’t make herself ride in the wagon. She sat down on the ground cross-legged, hoping he’d give up. Then she saw his feet hit the ground. “NOW, Lonnie.” He strode over, hauled up by her arms, and threw her over his shoulder! She just managed to grab her hat and pull it on tight as she felt it slipping off. “Damn, stubborn boy,” she heard Dalton muttering as he marched toward the wagon. She couldn’t fight him; her hat would fall off. She should have cut her hair last night, but had been much too exhausted to even think of it again. She

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arched her back to keep from bouncing against him, and found herself nose to nose with his horse, which was patiently following him. Then Dalton stopped and dropped her buttocks first onto the wagon bed. There was only a little space between several large crates, but she was small enough to fit. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and her hat down again. “Now, stay there,” Dalton’s tone was firm but not mean. He sighed. “Lonnie, we can’t leave you here to be killed by the Indians, or worse. You’ll just have to come with us until we find out if you have any relatives. I certainly hope you start talking soon.” With that, he mounted his horse again, and rode off. Laura felt the wagon shift as Sam clucked at the horse. The two colts sniffed at her curiously, then went back to trotting to keep up. Laura remembered riding on the wagon yesterday and talking to Robby. A vision of his mangled body entered her mind, and she shut her eyes against it. It was no use; she couldn’t sit in the wagon and not think about those horrible events. She cautiously slid off the end of the wagon and started walking again. She kept up for a while, staying between the two colts, but she couldn’t do it for very long. She was soon several hundred feet behind and again saw Dalton galloping toward her. Sam stopped the wagon. Dalton pulled up beside her and jumped down from his horse. Without saying a word, he took something from his saddle, grabbed her arm, and pulled her near the wagon. She stumbled along until he stopped near a large rock and released her. Laura rubbed her arm and stared at the ground as he stood before her. “Son, you’ve got ten seconds to tell me why you won’t ride in that wagon!”. Laura winced at his angry tone and hung her head, desperately wishing she could talk. However, to do so would jeopardize her disguise. The seconds ticked away, and then she heard Dalton

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take a deep breath. “All right then, I’ll have to assume you’re just being pigheaded and stubborn!” He sat down on the rock, and pulled her by the arm, over his knees! Her heart pounded in her ears, and she held on tightly to her hat as it started to slip off again. She was going to be whipped, and there was nothing she could do about it! She kicked her feet up and tried to twist herself off his lap, but he held her down easily, and she saw him raise up a piece of thick, well-worn leather. Dalton thought she was nothing but a stubborn little boy who needed a lesson in obedience! Then the first searing blow hit her buttocks, and a line of fire filled her senses as Dalton methodically struck her ten more times. WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! Laura heard herself screaming, and felt tears burning her eyes as she stubbornly held onto the hat with both hands and kicked her feet up. Finally, he stopped, and said, “Well, your vocal chords sure work! Now, tell me why you won’t get in the wagon!” Laura only sobbed quietly, trying not to make any more sounds. Dalton hauled her up by the shoulders and pulled her to the wagon again. She let go of the hat long enough to scramble back into the little space on the bed, where she drew up her knees and hid her face from him. “If you get off that wagon this time, I’m going to tan your hide again and tie you on there!” he lectured her, and then he mounted his horse and rode off at a gallop. Laura felt the wagon start rolling, and she began to cry in earnest. Her buttocks were burning! She managed to roll herself into a ball on her side, and she eventually fell asleep, no longer thinking of Robby, just the aching of her bottom and the angry look in Dalton’s silver eyes…

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CHAPTER TWO “Lonnie,” Laura heard Sam calling her. She pulled her hat down firmly and slowly sat up to see him untying the two colts. “We’re stopping to eat. Get out and walk around some, okay?” She nodded her head and stretched her arms, wincing from the unexpected tenderness of her muscles. She was relieved to find that the ache in her buttocks was much diminished, and she crawled to the end of the wagon to get out. Standing up on shaky legs, she looked around. The flat plains had merged into rolling hills with occasional outcrops of rock, and there was a deep, wide stream bordered by tall trees and bushy undergrowth about thirty yards away. Laura walked down to the stream and scooped up some water in her hands. It was cool and fresh, and she drank hurriedly while looking around for somewhere to relieve herself. Just as she began to walk along the bank, she saw Dalton urinating into a bush about twenty feet away. She felt her cheeks flush rapidly, and turned away to see Sam watering the colts to the same little dance they’d done this morning. “Lonnie, why don’t you take Sonny down to get a drink. That’s the horse that’s hitched to the wagon,” she heard Dalton say behind her, but she didn’t dare turn in his direction. Good grief, she thought, that horse will probably kill me. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to raise his ire again, and she cautiously approached the big black gelding. She put her hand out toward his bridle, but jumped back quickly as he snorted at her. Sam laughed loudly as he led the colts past her. “Lonnie’s afraid of a horse!” he guffawed. Laura felt miserable. She glared at Sam, and approached the horse from the side. She unfastened the traces from his harness, and then cautiously patted him along his side until she reached his head. She determinedly grabbed his bridle, and he snorted

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again, but stayed still as she tried to figure out how to unfasten him. She unhooked several little metal buckles, and discovered that she’d freed him from all his bindings when he started moving toward the water. Laura hastily grabbed a bunch of his mane and trotted beside him, hanging on tightly. She was terrified that he’d step on one of her feet, and she tried to stay as far away as possible while not letting go. She could hear Sam laughing at her. Finally, they reached the stream, and the big animal ducked his head to take a long drink. The sound of the water redoubled her urgent need to relieve herself, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She pulled her hat down on her head firmly with her free hand. Suddenly, her hand was jerked up, as Sonny straightened up to look around him, apparently having quenched his thirst. Water dripped from his mouth and nostrils, and he snorted it all over her. She stifled a cry for help, and tried to pull him back to the wagon, but he wouldn’t move. Dalton came down to the stream then, and raised his eyebrows as she stood beside the huge horse with a death grip on its mane. She watched him walk over to his horse and get a strip of leather. Oh Lord, she thought, I’m going to be whipped again! He approached them very slowly, and she hung her head, but he calmly slid the strap around Sonny’s neck and led the horse back to the wagon. Laura breathed a sigh of relief, but her bladder was about to burst. Sam was only a dozen feet away, sitting on the bank chuckling, and then she heard Dalton call her name. She knew she would never make it over there without wetting her pants. Thinking fast, she purposefully slipped on a rock, and fell down into the water, which covered her up to her waist. She stared angrily at Sam’s uproarious laughter as she relieved herself into the rushing water, with no one the wiser.

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Feeling much better, she got up and splashed out of the stream and up the bank toward Dalton, who was waiting patiently beside Sonny. He showed her how to hook the horse back up, and then had her demonstrate the correct way to unfasten the traces from his harness, and not unhook his bridle. Dalton stood so close to her that she could smell his male scent, and it was very pleasant. She was shivering from the cool breeze against her wet pants, but felt something else as well. A steady warmth burned in her stomach surely, she wasn’t attracted to him? He was very handsome, she’d give him that, but he’d just thrashed her backside only a few hours ago, and she ought to hate him for doing that! As his hand brushed across hers, fastening a buckle, she felt a sudden strong emotion and labeled it as anger. Why, she’d get even with him somehow; who did he think he was, treating her like that? Dalton suddenly put his hand around her wrist and pulled her arm out straight. They both stared down at the blood oozing from a gash in her forearm. Laura suddenly remembered falling on it the night before. He led her back to the stream, wet his handkerchief, and handed it to her. All thoughts of revenge left her mind as she cleaned the cut and then tried to rinse the blood out of the cloth before giving it back to him. He waved it away, though, as they heard Jack calling them for lunch. Jack handed out some bread, cheese, and salt tack, and they all sat down in the grass to eat. Laura sat a little apart, keeping her head down as she rapidly ate her portion. She finished first, and quietly waited for the others while trying to sort out the jumble of emotions in her head. The pain and sadness from the Indian attack were fading somewhat as she became more familiar with the three brothers. Dalton was obviously a kind man, even though he clearly expected obedience or else, from the others. Jack was gentler, and didn’t seem

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opposed to Dalton’s authority. Sam still had some growing up to do; why else had he taunted her about her lack of skill with horses? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sam’s loud laughter. “Why, I’ve never heard a boy scream like that before! He sounded like a stuck pig!” She glared at him, while he chuckled so hard that he almost choked on his bread. “You’d think he’d never been whipped before! Sounded like a damn girl, that’s for sure!” He was almost rolling in glee, and Laura noticed that Jack was stifling a grin, too. However, Dalton wasn’t laughing. “Sam, cut it out,” he said sternly. “The boy probably hasn’t ever been disciplined before. And he won’t talk to defend himself. Leave him alone.” Laura felt her ears growing very hot as anger boiled up inside her. Screamed like a stuck pig? Couldn’t defend herself? Sam didn’t stop, though, and continued, “What a mama’s boy! Ha, ha, ha!” Suddenly Laura’s pent-up anger, fear, and pain exploded inside her. Jamming her hat down firmly, she leaped up, almost growling, and threw herself at the laughing boy. Since Sam had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, laughing hard, her element of surprise worked. She knocked him over backward and scrambled up to sit on his chest while pummeling his jaw with her fists. He still had his bread in one hand and his cheese in the other, and apparently didn’t sense enough of a threat to even let them go. He laughed until she caught him on the nose. She watched in great satisfaction as his expression changed from glee to pain. Then she felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as she was lifted up and once again found herself over Dalton’s hard thighs. Instinctively, she held onto her hat as his heavy hand fell upon her still damp pants. The pain was incredible, but she refused to utter a sound as he smacked her at least a dozen times in rapid succession. WHACK! SMACK! SMACK! WHACK! WHACK! Then he dumped her on the ground and

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stood up over the two of them. She could barely see Sam through her tears, but was satisfied that he was crying too, and holding his nose with both hands as blood ran down his fingers. “There. Now you’re both in pain. I don’t want to hear any more teasing, and I’d better not see any more fighting! Now, get up, it’s time to go!” Laura and Sam both jumped up and went to their respective places, and Jack handed Sam a cloth rag to wipe his nose with. Laura once again found it hard to sit on the hard wagon bed, and she curled up again to sleep as the wagon rolled along. She heard Sam’s voice as she drifted off, promising revenge. She resolved to give as good as she got, despite Dalton’s warning. She no longer felt angry at Dalton, even though he’d just blistered her bottom again. She felt a grudging respect for him; he didn’t know she was a girl, and he was just trying to keep the peace. She saw his handsome face shadowed with concern when he’d seen the cut on her arm, and a warm, fuzzy feeling washed over her. However, as the wagon bumped and creaked, she couldn’t sleep well, and kept waking from nightmares of burning wagons, savage Indians, and mangled bodies. Hours later, she felt the wagon stop. She looked up and saw trees overhead. Must be another stream, she mused, and pulling her hat down, she slowly sat up to look around. Instead of the rugged prairie, though, she saw the trees and buildings of a small town. “Hey, Lonnie!” Sam’s voice floated to her from the driver’s bench, and she turned to glare at him. “I’m gonna get even tonight. Better stay awake!” She turned back around and ignored him. He must be around her age, she thought, but that was where any similarities ended. She wondered what he’d think if he knew she was really a girl, having busted his nose. She grinned, but her glee soon faded as she spotted Dalton on the porch of a nearby

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building, talking to a young woman in a beautiful red velvet dress. Her hair was piled high on her head, and she was wearing bright red lipstick. Laura had never seen that bright of a color on anyone’s lips before. The woman’s cheeks were very pink from rouge, or was she just blushing? She watched Dalton put his arm around the woman’s shoulders and an unreasoning anger surged deep inside her. Laura didn’t realize that she was staring until Jack’s voice surprised her. “Never seen a whore before?” She jumped guiltily, glanced at Jack beside the wagon, and then stared at the woman again. She almost said, “no,” but stopped herself just in time. Jack laughed, “I’m just kidding, she’s not a whore.” Laura extricated herself from the wagon bed and stood up to walk around a bit. “She owns the saloon,” added Jack. Laura didn’t care if she owned the whole town; she didn’t like the way the tart was scratching Dalton’s back and laughing up at him. Laura walked down the short street and back a few times, keeping an eye on Sam, who was still sitting on the wagon. She finally sat down on a bench outside a general store, wincing as she did so. She’d almost forgotten about that last incident. Dalton and the woman were now talking nose to nose; why didn’t he just make love to her right there on the porch, she thought, disgusted. Finally, Jack came over and said they were going to eat dinner at the saloon, and then travel until dark. Laura groaned and stood up to follow Jack. She didn’t want to waste her money eating in a saloon, and she’d never even been in one! Sam tied the horses to the rail and went through the door after Dalton and the woman in red. Laura followed Jack inside, blinking her eyes in the dim lighting. There was a long bar, just like in certain magazine drawings she’d seen. A long

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mirrored glass ran the length of the bar on the wall behind it. She caught a glimpse of herself and nearly jumped, startled by her strange appearance. Her face was streaked with dust, the hat was down low over her forehead, and her clothes were dirty and baggy, but she smiled when she realized that she certainly didn’t look like a female. She saw everyone sit down at a long table on one side of the room. Then she froze as the men removed their hats. Uh oh. This wasn’t going to work at all. She turned and marched back outside, getting onto the back of the wagon to dig out her food from her knapsack. She was afraid that Dalton would follow her back out, so she slipped around to the back of the building and found a bench to sit on and eat. She sorted through the items she’d hastily grabbed from Robby’s wagon. There was some cornbread wrapped in paper that looked all right. One bruised apple, several strips of jerky, and a few pieces of taffy were definitely not enticing. She started chewing on the cornbread and thinking about how to get herself out of this situation. After a while, the woman in red came out the back door to throw out a bowl of wash water. Laura stared at her, unable to stop herself. Catching her eye, the woman came over and sat down on the bench beside her. Laura stared at the ground, her mouth suddenly dry. “I’m Della.” The woman held out her hand, and Laura hesitantly shook it. She started to pull her hand back, but Della held onto it and stared hard into Laura’s face. “You’re no boy,” she said with certainty. Laura’s face fell as she jerked her hand away in dismay. “Please don’t tell!” Her voice was hoarse from not talking for so very long, and she had to clear it to continue. “Please don’t tell them; I won’t be safe if they know I’m a girl!” Della frowned at her. “I don’t know why they haven’t figured it out yet. They must be blind.”

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Then she smiled, “But then again, after the stories I just heard, you’ve been doing a pretty good acting job.” “I think I’ll be okay as long as I don’t lose this hat.” She pulled it off and scratched her head. It felt wonderful. “I didn’t have time to cut my hair.” “I can’t believe that your entire family was killed by the Indians only yesterday.” Della stared at her. “It wasn’t my family, just a group of people I’d paid for an escort to Montana. I just let them believe it was my family, because I had no way to tell them any differently.” “Aren’t you a little young to be traveling without your family? You didn’t run away, did you?” Laura then found herself telling Della all that had happened to her over the past year. When she finished, she was almost in tears. She shifted herself on the bench, wincing at the ache in her buttocks. Della laughed. “You know, you might be better off getting made love to, than getting your backside tanned!” “I did think about that, but I’m saving myself for marriage,” Laura announced in a dignified tone. “Dalton has it in his head that you’re in need of some straightening out! They think you’re only about twelve years old. This won’t get any better, dear.” Della told her. “Besides, you don’t have to worry about the Garrison men. They would never take advantage of an unwilling girl. I’ve known them since we were children.” Laura thought about that for a minute. She would be safe with these men, according to Della. However, she was beginning to like the freedom of being a boy. She could walk down a street by herself. She could make her own way in life. For how long, she didn’t know. Perhaps the Garrisons would hire her as a stable boy or a ranch hand until she made more money, and then maybe she could go to college or something that only men could do!

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Maybe…no, that was silly, of course, she’d never be able to go that far, but she was really enjoying it for now. She told Della as much, and the woman sighed in exasperation. “All right then, have it your way. I won’t tell. But as soon as that hat falls off your head…” “Ooh, would you cut my hair for me? Right now, before they come looking for me? Then I could really look like a boy!” Laura’s eyes shone with excitement, and Della thought about it for a moment. “No, I’m not gonna do that. I think you’ll be found out sooner than you think, and then you’d be an ugly girl instead of a girly boy.” She laughed at her own joke, but Laura frowned in disappointment. “Come on into the kitchen, honey, and I’ll get you some real food.” Della stood up and went inside. Laura pulled her braids up, put her hat back on, and followed her in. She sat down in the warm cozy kitchen, and started to wolf down the plate full of green beans, potatoes, roast, and gravy that appeared in front of her. Then Della handed her a large, cold mug of beer and went back into the saloon. Laura had never had beer before, but she liked the tasty brew and was just finishing it off when Dalton appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Good God, Della, you gave the boy a beer?” His expression was stormy and for some reason Laura found this hilarious. She started laughing and plunked the mug down on the table a little too hard. She heard Della behind him, saying, “I thought he might like it,” in a teasing voice. Dalton turned to glare at her. “And what else did you do to him?” Della laughed with glee. “You’re afraid I’ve seduced him, aren’t you?” This was even funnier to Laura, whose head felt a little fuzzy, and she continued to laugh, trying to keep her tone low. She hoped she didn’t sound like a girl.

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Dalton turned back to Laura. “I’d better not ever catch you drinking anything with alcohol again!” He threw up his hands in disgust and stomped out to the front of the saloon. “Let’s go!” he shouted to everyone in general. Laura jumped up to hug Della before dashing out the back door and climbing into the back of the wagon. She fell asleep almost immediately, the previously untasted alcohol making her drowsy. She forgot all about Sam and his promise to get even. Dalton halted them several hours later, just as dusk was settling in. They had made good time, and were only a few hours from home now. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to travel at night with renegade Indians still a possible danger. He hadn’t heard of any Indian attacks in the last decade and he wondered what had started the trouble. It would certainly help if Lonnie started talking. He wanted to push the issue, to make the boy talk, but he knew Lonnie had been through a lot of trauma, and he didn’t want to hurt him. He didn’t consider the discipline to have hurt the boy, but rather thought it would help bring him back to reality. He’d never hesitated to use it on his younger brothers when they’d needed it over the years, while his father had gone on long cattle drives, leaving him to be the man of the house. Now those days were mostly over, and his parents, who were still hale and healthy, had hired others to do the cattle driving for them. The family owned a large ranch that covered nearly a tenth of the state, that they had built up over the last thirty years into the richest cattle ranch this side of the Mississippi. The three sons were returning from a visit to their cousins in St. Louis, to bring back some of their mother’s antiques that she wouldn’t trust to be shipped on a train. Dalton looked down at Lonnie sleeping soundly in the little space in the back of the wagon. Lonnie was a very small lad,

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but with some hard work, discipline, and good food, Dalton thought he’d shape up. He wouldn’t be a “mama’s boy” much longer. He wondered why he cared so much about what happened to Lonnie. There was something about him that pulled at his heart, but he didn’t know what it was. Had Lonnie really lost his entire family to the massacre? He just didn’t seem to be that traumatized, other than being afraid to ride in the wagon at first, so Dalton was doubtful. Sam watered the horses and Jack started a fire to sleep by. It was getting quite chilly. Dalton pulled a blanket from a box and threw it over Lonnie, who didn’t stir. May as well just leave him there; he looked comfortable. A little while later, the three men bedded down by the campfire. Sam had first watch. He sat with his back to the fire, making his plans as he waited to be sure his brothers were asleep. His revenge had to be something that Dalton couldn’t pin on him. He thought hard, the pain in his still swollen nose driving his determination. At least the little monster hadn’t broken it. In a few days, he’d be his usual handsome self again. He laughed silently, not really thinking he was handsome. It was the girls in town that thought so. Every time there was a church social or a dance, they flocked around him and his two brothers. Some of them just wanted into the family fortune, he knew, but others whose families were financially well off, flirted with them the same. Sam closed his eyes to concentrate. Laura woke up and tried to stretch, but couldn’t move in the small space she was in. She sat up and sleepily rubbed her eyes. She could see a small fire illuminating a grove of trees, by which the men were camped. Sam was sitting up against a saddle, sleeping, the other two were wrapped in blankets by the fire, and she could hear snoring. Her head hurt and she pulled her hat off a minute to rub it, then put it back on, stuffing the braids back underneath.

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She remembered Dalton getting angry over her drinking beer and the way he’d cuddled up to Della, and how she’d felt left out, almost jealous. She realized she didn’t have any bad feelings about it now, since she’d found out how nice Della was. Watching Sam sleep, she wondered how long she’d have to watch her back. She suddenly knew that she’d have to leave these men in order to have any real freedom. Dalton would try to control her, Sam would try to get even, and Jack would just be caught in the middle. She still felt a little woozy, but her mind seemed clear. She’d take Jack’s horse and ride back to the little town. Once there, she would get Della to cut her hair, and hire her as a cleaning boy or something. She’d be safe there, and wouldn’t have to pretend all the time, only around other people. Della’s feminine concern for her had made her realize how much she’d missed her mother, and she was hungry for more. Her aunt had been horrible to her, always criticizing her, making her do all the dirty work when they had plenty of servants to do it, and always putting her down in front of company. Laura didn’t want to steal a horse, though, and she pulled out the little pouch from around her waist. She had almost thirty dollars left. She hoped that would cover the cost of Jack’s horse. She’d noticed that his horse was the calmest one and thought she could handle him. She wanted to leave a note with the money, but she didn’t have anything to write with. Well, she would just leave the money here in back of the wagon; it wasn’t like anyone would steal it. She quietly slid off the back of the wagon and stretched. Cautiously watching the men at the fire, she crept around to the trees where they’d tethered their horses. Jack’s horse was still saddled, thank goodness; she didn’t think she’d have been able to do it herself. Whispering and petting his neck, she untied the reins and led him slowly away. A few minutes later, she climbed up on his back and

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waited for the horse to move. When he continued to stand quietly, she remembered the reins and reached down to grab them up. She shook them a little and clucked, and then gripped the saddle horn tightly as the horse began to walk. She soon found that if she pulled a little to the side, the horse would walk that way, and she headed east by the North Star. They couldn’t have come very far from the little town. Sam watched Laura sneak off with the horse, unbelieving his luck. This was too good to be true! The little snot was stealing a horse! He wouldn’t have to do a thing but continue to sleep. Of course, Dalton would be angry that he’d fallen asleep while on watch, but he’d be too busy trying to find Lonny to do anything about it. Sam figured that Lonnie’s good fortune was over now. Dalton couldn’t possible want a horse thief among them. Why, the kid would probably go to jail! It was almost time for Jack’s turn to keep watch now, but Sam waited a half an hour longer, to make sure that Lonnie had a good head start. Jack sat up sleepily when Sam shook his shoulder, and looked around. He yawned and got himself a cup of coffee from the tin pot by the edge of the fire. Sam laid down on his bedroll while Jack walked around a bit to wake up. Sam waited in suspense, knowing it wouldn’t be long, now. Then Jack came up and kicked him in the leg. “Ow!” Sam sat up, rubbing his shin. “Okay, Sam, where’s my horse?” Jack was annoyed. “Your horse?” Sam pretended innocence. “What did you do with Brownie? Tie him up somewhere else? This isn’t funny, Sam.” Dalton opened his eyes and looked up at his brothers. “What’s going on?” “Sam hid Brownie somewhere, and won’t tell me where he is.”

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“I swear I never touched him! You probably didn’t tie him up good,” retorted Sam. Dalton sat up and rubbed his head. “Your horse is gone?” “Well, if he wandered off, then why didn’t you hear him leave?” Jack was getting very angry now. “Well, I did fall asleep for awhile. But I sure didn’t hide him!” Sam managed to look a little guilty for falling asleep as Dalton’s eyes narrowed at him. Dalton got up and stretched, and then walked over to the wagon to check on Lonnie. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach when he saw the empty space where Lonnie had been. The horse was gone; Lonnie was gone. Not much to figure out, there. “Lonnie!” He called out loudly, not really expecting an answer. “Lonnie!” Damn that boy! Didn’t he know that taking a horse out west here was a crime as bad as murder? He hadn’t thought the boy capable of doing such a thing, and blamed it on his naivety. He’d probably headed back to Della for some more “mothering”, damnit, and must have thought he could just “borrow” a horse. Well, he was in for a big surprise! Dalton marched back over to the fire, glaring at Sam. “You never heard a thing, huh?” “No, sir! Like I said, I must have just fallen asleep! Lonnie’s gone?” Sam wore a look of innocence that Dalton saw right through. “You let him take Brownie, didn’t you?” “No, sir! Why would I let him take a horse?” Nevertheless, Sam knew his goose was cooked. He’d never been able to lie to Dalton and get away with it. He’d let his desire for revenge override his good sense. Damn! “Well, I’m going to catch up with that boy, and give him a real whipping. I don’t think he really meant to steal the horse. He couldn’t know how serious that would be, because if he did, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it.” Dalton

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turned and went to get his horse. “Jack, stay here with Sam. When I get back, I’m going to tan his hide, too.” He angrily began to saddle up his horse. “No, Dalton, I’m coming with you.” Jack made the statement, and Dalton looked over at him in surprise. No one talked back to Dalton Garrison, especially not a younger brother! However, he saw the look of determination on Jack’s face, and realized that he was a man full-grown, able to make his own decisions. He was nearly twenty-two years old, after all. He nodded his head, and waited as Jack saddled up Sonny, and they rode off at a fast trot. Sam stared miserably into the fire. Why had he let the little runt take the horse? He should have known that Dalton wouldn’t see it as horse theft and that he wouldn’t have been able to fool his bigger brother. Hell, he hadn’t felt the sting of Dalton’s strap in at least a year. The thought of it made him feel very stupid and childish. He was eighteen years old, but suddenly felt like a boy of ten. He sighed, and picking up his rifle, turned his back to the fire. Well, at least he ought to keep a watch out for Indians until the others got back. The moon was only half-full, but they could see shapes and shadows as they trotted across the rough, grassy terrain. They could barely make out the trail the wagon wheels had left in the grass. Dalton was pretty sure that Lonnie would follow the trail. Not surprisingly, about fifteen minutes later they could make out a lone rider up ahead. They saw him head for a clump of trees on the left, and they urged their horses on to catch up. Laura kept the horse at a walk. She wasn’t sure how to make it go faster anyway. It was scary enough just sitting up this high, much less riding faster. She kept a constant watch on what little she could see around her. Every looming shadow or faint noise made her jump in fear. She realized that this had been a very bad idea. Every time the

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horse snorted, she almost fell off from fright. She wished she had a gun to protect her, but of course, she hadn’t thought of that when she’d left. She’d almost decided to go back, when she heard horses coming up fast behind her. She turned around and was relieved to see the outline of cowboy hats on the heads of two men. At least it wasn’t the Indians. She pulled the reins toward some trees to her left and kicked the horse a little. It broke into a trot and she held onto the saddle horn for dear life, loosening her grip on the reins. Brownie, finding his head free, simply headed for the water he could smell. Laura ducked as the horse went right into the clump of trees and stopped at a small pond to drink. She slid off and hid behind the nearest bush, just as she heard the two men ride up. “Lonnie!” It was Dalton’s angry voice, and she breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t a couple of strangers. “Answer me!” she heard him again, closer now, and her heart began to race as she remembered what his anger could do to her backside. She tried to be quiet, but her breathing sounded loud even to herself. Not surprisingly, he walked right to her, and started yelling, “You can’t even imagine how much trouble you’re in, son!” She slowly stood up, and pulled her hat down as she stared at the ground. “Look at me, damnit!” She looked up at him, but couldn’t see his features very well in the dim lighting. “Do you know that horse stealing is a hanging offense out here?” Laura shook her head no, feeling a chill run down her spine. Surely he wouldn’t, couldn’t… “I ought to turn you in to the sheriff at the next town!” Dalton wanted to scare the boy, to make sure that he never contemplated such a thing again. Laura wanted desperately to tell him that she’d left money for the horse, but she wasn’t going to speak unless, or until, her life depended on it. Dalton grabbed her upper arm and marched her to

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his horse. She stumbled along after him, fighting back tears. What had ever possessed her to do such a stupid thing? Dalton glanced at the boy as he paused by his horse, and saw the tears. “I don’t want to see you go to jail,” he sighed, “But I’m not going to go easy on you. When we get back to camp, I’m going to light a fire on your backside that’ll make you think the other ones were just horseplay!” Laura couldn’t hold back the tears then, and they ran down her face as she tried to stay silent. Dalton got up on his horse and held his hand out to her. She put her foot in the stirrup and he pulled her up to sit behind him. Jack tied Brownie behind Sonny, and followed the pair. They went back at a fast walk and it only took about twenty minutes. Laura tried not to touch Dalton as she held on tightly to the sides of his coat, as he’d directed. She could feel the hard muscles in his arms as they bounced against her and knew that he was tense with anger. She could only hope that he’d calm down some on the way back. She felt so nervous about his promised whipping, that her stomach was queasy. Her heart began to race when she saw the fire up ahead. As soon as Dalton reined in his horse, she slid off and ran to the wagon, stopping and holding out her hands out to show that there was nothing in them. She pointed to the wagon bed, but no one understood what she was trying to tell them. She reached across the wagon bed to pick up her pouch of money, but froze as she saw Dalton coming toward her with a long thin branch in his hand. Desperate, she finally blurted out, “Dalton! Wait!” Her voice was hoarse and low, and it didn’t sound very feminine even to her own ears. He kept coming, grim determination on his face, and she turned to run. She wasn’t fast enough, though, and he grabbed her arms, pulling her to the ground onto her stomach. He knelt, putting his weight on her

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upper back. Then, in one swift motion, he jerked her pants down! It happened so fast, that all she could do was struggle ineffectively and yell out “NO!” before a line of fire crossed her upper legs, then her buttocks, and she screamed out in pain. She bucked wildly beneath him and felt her hat fall off, but she no longer cared. The branch fell several more times, caressing her buttocks and thighs in streaks of agony. She got one hand behind her back and felt the sting across her palm as Dalton continued to whip her. “STOP!” cried Laura, nearly hysterical with pain and fear. Jack had just decided to turn his back to the whole business, when he heard Laura’s first scream and knew instantly that it was a woman’s cry. He hurried over to Dalton and saw that the boy now had long brown, braided hair, and a feminine looking bottom! He grabbed Dalton’s arm on the upswing, and pulled the switch from his hand. Surprised, Dalton angrily looked up. “What the hell are you doing, Jack!” “Dalton! Lonnie’s a girl!” Jack stated loud and clear, but for one long moment Dalton only stared angrily at Jack, shocked by his audacity. Then he looked down at the sobbing form with the long braids. “Good God!” Dalton hastily pulled up her pants and stood up, at a loss for what to do for the first time in many years. Sam walked over to gape at the sight of the slender figure with long hair, crying her heart out. Laura didn’t dare move; the pain was bad, but the embarrassment of two or three men having seen her bare buttocks was overwhelming. “I… I paid for... for that horse!” Her broken speech was punctuated with sobs. Dalton sat down, gently pulled her up by the shoulders, and held her to his chest. He really expected her to pull away, but she buried her face into his shirt as she continued to cry. He rubbed her back very lightly,

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afraid now to even touch her. “I paid for the horse! I left money in the back of the wagon!” Jack went to the wagon and felt around on the bed. He found a silk drawstring pouch, which he carried to the firelight. He chuckled to himself as he counted out thirty dollars. That horse was worth at least two hundred, but she wouldn’t have known that. “She’s telling the truth,” he called to Dalton. “Well, why didn’t you tell me that before now?” asked Dalton. “I… I didn’t want you to know that I’m a girl!” she sobbed. “What’s your real name, honey?” Dalton felt her trembling hands gripping the open flaps of his coat. “Laura,” she wailed, unable to stop the flow of tears. Her legs and bottom stung badly. “Laura, I am so sorry… “ Dalton didn’t really know what to say. The girl clung to him like a small child, whimpering and shivering. He picked her up and carried her to the fire, where he laid her down on his bedroll. He covered her up with a blanket and sat down next to her, rubbing her back. Laura was exhausted and fell asleep soon afterward. Sam looked down at her, and shook his head. “I can’t believe she had us all fooled so good!” “Well,” corrected Dalton. “Well, what?” asked Sam. “Fooled so well, not so good.” “Of course it’s not so good. If she could fool us, hell, anyone could!” Sam expressed his annoyance. “Never mind,” sighed Dalton. He’d never been able to get Sam to understand the basics of English grammar, and right now, he was too tired to keep trying. He told Jack and Sam to go ahead and sleep; he’d wake them if he needed them. Dalton sat up for the rest of the night, his guilt and anger at himself a gnawing pain in his stomach. Why hadn’t he realized that she was a girl when he’d spanked her the first time? He could still hear that high-pitched screaming that Sam had teased her

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about. He wondered how old she was, probably no more than fifteen. She’d been through a lot in the past couple of days, but he was determined that things would go easier for her now. His mother had always yearned for a daughter, and maybe Laura would fit right in…

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CHAPTER THREE Laura awoke to the scents of burning wood and fresh coffee. Stretching out her legs, she winced as pain coursed through her. Dalton put his tin coffee cup down on the wagon bed and walked over to her. “Laura? Are you alright?” Laura sat up to see him looking down at her. “No.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “My legs hurt really bad.” He swore under his breath at the pain in her expression; he could have given her some liniment last night. He always carried it in his saddlebags because the ranch hands were continuously getting cut by thorns or barbed wire as they worked. He quickly retrieved the little green jar and brought it to her. “Here, rub this on anywhere it hurts. You’ll feel better.” Laura took the jar and put it on the ground. “I have to freshen up somewhere, first.” She rubbed her eyes on her shirtsleeve and then blinked up at Dalton. He studied her features in the daylight. He hadn’t noticed the large green eyes fringed with long, dark lashes before; she’d kept her face hidden under that hat so well. Her expressive eyebrows were finely arched, and her full lips were pink against her dust-streaked skin. She was a beautiful young woman, and he wondered again how he’d ever thought her to be a boy. “Oh.” Dalton realized she’d been waiting for him to say something. “You need some privacy.” He called to Jack and Sam to ride off for a bit so that Laura could take care of her needs. As soon as they’d gone, Laura got up and hurried over to the group of trees, and Dalton turned the other way. She soon returned and sat down by the fire, covering herself with the blanket as she tried out the liniment.

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”Ooh, this stuff smells horrible!” she exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. “Stinks,” Dalton automatically corrected. “Yes, it’s awful.” She winced as she began to rub the ointment on. Dalton didn’t bother to explain what he’d meant, as Sam and Jack were now riding back up. Jack poured himself a cup of coffee, and went to the wagon to bring back some biscuits and dried ham. He passed them around, but Laura declined the offer; her hands were covered with liniment. She pulled her pants back up under the blanket and stood up. “It does feel a lot better, thank you.” Dalton nodded to her, rolled up his bedding, tied it to the back of his saddle, and mounted his horse. Sam simply threw his bedroll into the back of the wagon before climbing up to the driver’s seat. Jack doused the fire, got up on Brownie, and started riding north. Laura put her hand up to her tangled mass of braided hair, and looked around for her hat. She finally found it on the ground behind the wagon, and placed it firmly on her head. “Say, you don’t need that hat anymore, Laura,” said Sam. “It belonged to my friend, Robby. He was killed by the Indians back there.” The hat didn’t fit without her hair underneath it, so she stuffed the braids back up, and resolutely climbed into the back of the wagon. Dalton watched her push Sam’s bedding down into a small space on the floorboards, and sit down on it. He wondered if she still had an aversion to riding there. “Laura, we’re only a few hours from home; would you rather ride with me instead of in the wagon?” Laura glared up at him and replied, “I don’t think my backside would be very comfortable on that saddle.” Her icy tone startled Dalton. He nodded curtly and rode off, urging his horse to a fast trot to catch

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up with Jack. Sam flicked the reins and Sonny began to pull the wagon. They rode in silence over the rough ground, and the rocking of the wagon soon lulled Laura to sleep. Dalton rode back a few times to check on her as he mulled over the present situation. Apparently Laura wasn’t just a sweet natured little girl, as her comment to him had revealed. He’d let it pass, since she’d been through so much over the past few days. He wasn’t one to allow anyone to speak to him in that manner, though, especially not someone younger than him. He’d been brought up to respect his elders, and he fully expected others to do the same. He understood that Laura might resent him for the switching, but she’d brought it on herself by taking the horse without an agreed-upon sale. Even if he’d known she was a girl, he would have punished her in a similar manner. It was just the shock of discovery and the baring of her buttocks to the men that had made him feel sorry for her. If she decided to stay with his family, he’d have to make a few things clear to her, and soon. Laura opened her eyes as she heard Dalton say her name. She was still in the back of the wagon, but there were many large oak trees towering above her. She didn’t see anyone and sat up quickly, wondering where they were. Dalton was standing beside the wagon, holding his hand out to her. “We’re at the ranch, now. Let me help you get down.” She took his hand to stand up, and he steadied her as she stepped to the back edge of the wagon. He easily lifted her down to the ground and she leaned against him unconsciously as she looked around in awe. Lush green grass carpeted a lawn that stretched out for several acres, and the surrounding landscape was dotted with oak, maple and pine trees. The “ranch house” was actually a mansion of two stories, built of solid wooden logs

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that met in precise angles. On the long front porch stood a man and a woman who looked to be in their fifties. As she stared, the woman raised her hand and gave them a tentative wave. She felt Dalton wave back, and she put her hand up as well. “Come and meet my parents.” He gently pushed her forward, and she looked down at herself, suddenly realizing how odd it must seem to his parents, seeing their son standing so intimately close to a young boy. Blushing, she pulled her hat off and shook her head, her braids swinging about as they approached. Dalton’s mother’s wave became much more animated. Laura heard Sonny whinny behind her, and looked back to see Sam clucking at him to pull the wagon toward a very large barn about fifty yards away. As they reached the house, Dalton stepped ahead of her to hug his mother, who laughed and cried in happiness. “Well, you’d think they’d been gone for years instead of just a month,” said Dalton’s father. He looked askance at Laura, but she didn’t know how to introduce herself, and just stood dumbly until Dalton seemed to remember that she was there. “Mom, Dad, this is Laura…” He paused, and she realized that he didn’t know her last name. “Laura Winston. It’s very nice to meet you,” she said, and held out her hand. Dalton’s father took her hand and brushed his lips against the back of it, as Dalton said, “Laura was traveling with a wagon train that was attacked by Indians, but she hasn’t explained any of the circumstances to us yet. We found her dressed as a boy and hiding in a tree.” Dalton’s mother immediately took her by the arm and led her into the house, fussing over her like a mother hen. Dalton soon found himself lugging hot buckets of water to an upstairs guest room, at his mother’s insistent request. He hadn’t

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even had a chance to relieve himself after the long ride yet. Laura was in heaven. She floated in the hot scented water, moving only to wiggle a toe or two in pure pleasure. She felt very lucky to have run across this lovely family, and she hoped that she could stay here a while. Mrs. Garrison was so sweet and loving, and was already hinting that she had no daughters and had always wanted one. Laura wondered if she could be that daughter. She felt a pang of regret for her own parents, but realized that her mother would have wanted her to find a new home. She slid down and submerged herself entirely, holding her breath as long as she could and enjoying the feeling of weightlessness, as she’d often done as a child. Mrs. Garrison entered the room a few seconds later. Dalton, a few doors down, had been happily preparing for his own long soak, when he heard his mother’s frightened scream. He ran to the guest room to see her staring horrified at the big copperlined tub. Laura was completely underwater, and not moving! Dalton rushed over, grabbed her under the arms, and hauled her up, jumping back in surprise as she spluttered and splashed about like a caught trout. “What the HELL are you doing?!” she screamed at him, covering her breasts with her arms and drawing her knees up to her chest. Dalton opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it firmly, gave her a damning look, and stomped out of the room. Mrs. Garrison stood waving her hand in front of her face and breathing hard. “Lord, child, we thought you’d drowned! I mean, you were floating in the water, completely still; Dalton was only trying to save you, and…” She sat down weakly in a chair by the fire. “Oh,” said Laura very quietly, and managed to look a little sorry. She started to wash her toes with a bar of lavender scented soap, concentrating

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intently on the task. As she imagined the scene unfolding in her mind, she couldn’t help but find it amusing, and she burst into giggles, laughing helplessly as she leaned weakly against the side of the tub. She laughed so long and hard, that Mrs. Garrison started to smile, and then to snicker, and soon both women were convulsed with laughter. Dalton angrily stripped off his clothes and stepped into the huge tub in his dressing room. He tried to imagine a reason that the girl would play dead underwater, but could come up with nothing. Then he heard the laughing, and then the snorting and guffawing began, floating down the hall to his burning ears. He began to scrub himself vigorously, taking his anger out on his own hapless skin. Then the image of Laura’s naked body suddenly appeared in his mind, and he smiled to himself as he began to think he’d had the better side of the joke. He wondered how she’d hidden those beautiful, full breasts under her shirt… Dalton pushed his thoughts away as he realized that she was too immature for him to think of in that manner. She was probably only fifteen or so, and although many girls married at that age, Laura’s behavior seemed quite childish in comparison to the young women he knew. He remembered her attacking Sam as if they’d both been young children. No, he’d have to think of her as a little sister if she were to stay here. Laura sat straight up in the chair by the fire as Mrs. Garrison brushed out her long hair. No one had done this for her since before her parents had died. She thought of her personal maid, Amy, and felt sad that her aunt had dismissed her as soon as she’d moved in with them. Mrs. Garrison brushed tirelessly until Laura’s hair was dried and hanging softly down to her waist in gentle waves. Then she helped Laura put on some clothes that she’d had in an attic trunk, from when she was younger and thinner. They fit fairly well, but were no longer in

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fashion, of course. Laura looked at herself in the full-length oval mirror, and was satisfied that at least she looked female again. “You’re beautiful,” Mrs. Garrison exclaimed, still fussing over her. “I’m so glad Dalton brought you home to us!” Laura thought she’d better explain her circumstances before Dalton’s mother got the wrong idea. She told the woman everything that had happened to her in the past year, except for the fact that she had an aunt in Montana. She told her about running away from her aunt and cousins who were so horrible to her. She saw Mrs. Garrison’s anxious expression as she described Dalton’s ill treatment of her, while he thought she was a boy. “I was wondering why you had those marks on your legs. Poor dear, do they still hurt much?” “No, ma’am. Dalton gave me some liniment, and it’s been fine since then.” “I’m so sorry that my son did that to you!” Mrs. Garrison looked like she was about to cry. “Oh, no, please don’t be sorry. He really did think I was a boy, and that I’d stolen Jack’s horse. It wasn’t his fault at all!” “I suppose not,” her face relaxed a little. “You’ve been through so much distress, Laura, why don’t you lay down and rest for a while? I’m going to go down and get supper started.” “Oh, no, I feel much better now; let me help you in the kitchen.” “I won’t hear of it. Besides, we have a housekeeper, Mrs. Sanders, who does most of the menial tasks; I just plan the menu and oversee a few things.” “Alright, then. Thank you, Mrs. Garrison, for helping me get freshened up. I feel like a new woman.” “How old are you, Laura?” “Eighteen, last month,” she lied. She had just turned seventeen.

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“You look younger than that. If you take good care of yourself, you’ll always look younger than your age.” “Well, I’ve spent the last five years trying to look older, but I’m sure you’re right.” Mrs. Garrison smiled at her and left. Laura took a deep breath and spun around in a circle, feeling happily cared for, even if it was only temporary. Walking over to the bay window with a cushioned seat, she sat down and looked out across the beautiful yards. She saw Jack and Sam carrying a large crate from the yard to the house, and remembered it being on the back of the wagon she’d ridden in. Cattle grazed in a pasture behind the barn, and the two colts were frolicking in an attached corral. To the right side of the house was a beautiful gazebo covered with flowering vines. Laura turned back to her room. Well, it wasn’t really hers, but she could pretend for a while, couldn’t she? She got up and sat on the edge of the canopied double bed. The mattress was soft and springy, and she looked underneath it to see a framed box of metal springs. How ingenious, she thought, and sat back down to bounce a little. The feel of it was irresistible and she was quickly on her knees in the middle of the bed, bouncing harder. Then she got up onto her feet, and jumped up and down a little. This was quite fun; she’d never had a bed this resilient before! Laura jumped higher and her head grazed the canopy’s silky cloth. She jumped from her feet to her knees and back again. She jumped up and landed on her back, then onto her feet again. She pounced onto her hands and knees, and then sprung to her feet. She let herself fall buttocks first, then tried to land on her knees, and then she heard a discreet cough. Laura jerked her head toward the sound and saw Dalton standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, and a mocking look on his face.

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“My mother tells me that you’re eighteen years old,” he stated quietly and then paused a moment. “But I don’t believe it.” He smiled and left the room as Laura jumped off the bed. “Well, I am!” she yelled out the door to his retreating back. Jack came up the hall just then, and stopped to stare at Laura. “My God!” he gasped. Laura looked down at her disheveled dress and hastily tried to smooth it out. “What’s the matter?” “Nothing! I just… I just hadn’t seen you as a woman, that’s all!” He gave her a big smile. “Nice to meet you, Laura.” Putting his hand out for hers, he took it and gently kissed the back of it. Laura felt very flattered and wondered why Dalton hadn’t been surprised at her changed appearance. Then she blushed as she remembered him hauling her up from the tub; he’d seen entirely too much of her as a female, and she hoped he’d soon forget that incident. “It’s very nice to meet you, too, Jack,” she laughed, and took her hand back. “Shall we go down to the salon before supper?” Jack put his arm out, and she took it, letting him escort her downstairs. Mrs. Garrison saw them coming down the main stairway, and rushed up to straighten Laura’s hair down her back. “My goodness, child, what have you been doing?” “Jumping, ma’am.” Mrs. Garrison flushed a little, but made no further comment as she led Laura to the salon, leaving Jack trailing behind them. Sam was sitting at a piano bench, plucking a few keys absent-mindedly, while talking to his father. As Laura followed his mother into the room, she saw Sam’s eyes widen when he caught sight of her. “Laura?” He stood up as she approached, and his mouth hung open in disbelief as she curtsied to him.

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“For God’s sake, Sam, close your mouth,” said Dalton, from his position by the mantel across the room. He held a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other. Sam shut his mouth, bowed to Laura, and then sat back down at the piano. “Do you play, Sam?” Laura put her hand on the piano’s mahogany lid and stroked its smooth surface appreciatively. “No, well, not very well. I really wasn’t much of a student. Do you?” Laura shook her head, not wanting to reveal her proficiency now, when she was getting more attention than she wanted just by being female. She’d actually been playing since she was only five years old, and was considered very talented. She used to play for her parents’ acquaintances, but it seemed so long ago. She felt suddenly sad, remembering her wonderful childhood up until a year ago. “Dalton has all the talent in this family,” she heard Mr. Garrison say. She smiled at him, and then turned to Dalton. “Would you play something for me? I love to hear the piano.” Dalton looked like he’d rather wrestle an alligator than play for her, but he reluctantly crossed the room and sat down next to Sam, who quickly moved over. Dalton began a simple rendition of ”Fur Elise”, and although Laura’s fingers itched to play, she sat down in a cushioned chair to listen. He finished and made as if to leave, but Laura said, “Do you know Tchaikovski’s “Concerto in A Minor?” She herself had learned this piece for her first recital. “No.” “How about a Mozart fantasia?” “No.” “Anything else of Beethoven’s?” Dalton sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get away so easily from her veiled challenges, and stretched his arms before launching into a rousing rendition of the second movement of the Moonlight

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Sonata. Laura was impressed. She listened very carefully for any mistakes, but heard only one throughout the five-minute performance. When he finished, everyone clapped enthusiastically, including Laura. Dalton stood up, gave a bow, and went back to his cordial and cigar. Mrs. Garrison soon announced that supper was ready, and they all filed into the dining room. “That was wonderful playing, Dalton,” Laura told him as they sat down across from each other. “Thank you.” He smiled at her, and this time she saw that it was for real. She wasn’t sure why he’d seemed so annoyed with her. Except for her fake drowning, she didn’t know what could have bothered him so. She hoped she’d soon get a chance to talk to him privately, so she could explain that she hadn’t meant to frighten anyone. She didn’t know why it was so important to her that she was in his favor. Laura looked around the table as the food dishes were passed. Mr. Garrison sat at one end of the table, his wife at the other. Dalton and Jack were across from her and Sam. The food was delicious, and Laura complimented Mrs. Garrison, on her right, on every dish. The older woman blushed and kept saying that she hadn’t cooked it, but Mr. Garrison said that it was her recipes that she’d taught Mrs. Sanders to prepare. Laura enjoyed the general camaraderie all around her as she hurriedly stuffed herself with chicken and potatoes. “Laura, could you eat any faster?” asked Dalton with a straight face. Laura didn’t understand his dry humor. “But I’m already eating fast.” Sam laughed, and she suddenly realized that Dalton had been joking. “Sorry, I’m practically starving!” she said. “The only real meal I’ve had since I left St. Louis about two weeks ago, was at Della’s.”

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“Oh, you poor dear, eat all you like, we have plenty to spare,” said Mrs. Garrison, patting Laura’s arm. Laura smiled at her. “You stopped at Della’s?” asked Dalton’s father. Laura looked around her as Dalton gave a brief summation of their visit to the saloon. The dining room was not pretentious; although a crystal chandelier hung sparkling over the table, the décor was modest and cozy. She liked it very much. The meal was over all too soon, and they all retired to the salon again for a nightcap. Mrs. Garrison sat down by the fire to read a letter, Laura took a chair in the corner, and Sam sat on a long sofa with Mr. Garrison. Dalton poured everyone a brandy except for Sam and herself; they were given some hot tea from a tray Mrs. Sanders brought in. Laura sipped at hers, but it wasn’t what she wanted, and she decided to just ask. “Mr. Garrison, would it be alright if I had some brandy?” Dalton coughed loudly at her request, and Laura glanced at him, remembering his direct order to her at the saloon just yesterday. Apparently, he didn’t want her to drink as a woman, either. Well, she thought, it really wasn’t his decision, and she very much wanted to try another drink; the beer had been delightful. Mr. Garrison smiled congenially at her, and nodded his assent. He’d heard that she was eighteen years old. Laura sat waiting expectantly for Dalton to pour her a glass, as he’d done for the others, but he simply stood at the mantle talking to Jack. Mr. Garrison was talking to Sam and hadn’t noticed Dalton’s failure to be a host. Laura got up and went over to the liquor cabinet. She picked up a crystal decanter and a glass, and carefully poured herself a drink. Dalton gave her a stern look as she stood beside him and brought it to her lips. It smelled like black licorice. She watched Dalton take a big swallow of his drink and she followed suit, choking violently as the

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burning liquid seared her mouth, her tongue, and her throat all at once! Coughing and gasping, she spat out what was left, and the glass slipped out of her hand to the hearth, where it shattered into a million sparkling pieces. Mrs. Garrison jumped up and stood trembling, her dress and slippers covered with shards of glass. Dalton pounded on Laura’s back as she tried to breath, while Mr. Garrison grabbed a small whiskbroom and began to briskly brush his wife’s clothing. Laura finally drew a deep, wheezing breath and tried to push Dalton away. She could hear Sam laughing uproariously at the whole scene, while Jack tried to calm his mother. “Stop pounding on me!” squealed Laura, at last able to speak. Dalton stepped back with a look of concern. “Are you quite alright now?” His solicitude seemed insincere to her, and she seized the decanter that she’d poured her drink from and held it out to him. “What kind of liquor is this?” she demanded. “It’s bourbon whiskey, eighty-proof,” stated Dalton, his tone condescending. “Sam, would that be considered a brandy?” asked Laura angrily. Sam shook his head no, still laughing too hard to speak. “You deliberately let me drink this… this poison!” accused Laura, oblivious to Dalton’s darkening expression. Mr. Garrison was now listening in, his wife having left to change her dress. “What’s all this about?” he demanded, stepping up to Dalton. Laura looked at Mr. Garrison’s stern countenance and immediately felt contrite. “I’m sorry, Mr. Garrison, I didn’t mean to break that glass, it just slipped when I was choking, and…” “Of course you didn’t mean to break it, dear,” he said, his features melting into concerned empathy. “Now, what were you saying about poison?”

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“Um… well… Dalton didn’t pour me a brandy, and so I poured my own, only it wasn’t brandy, it was bourbon whiskey, and it burned my throat…” “Dalton, you let her drink the bourbon, thinking it was brandy?” Mr. Garrison glared at Dalton. Dalton seemed unaffected by his father’s angry tone, and calmly replied, “I didn’t stop her from drinking the bourbon, and I have no idea if she thought it was brandy or not.” “Why didn’t you stop her?” “Dad, you said she could have a drink, so why would I stop her?” “You knew I didn’t know what it was!” Laura was further enraged by Dalton’s calm reasoning, and she continued, “You even gulped yours so I would copy you! And then you pounded on my back forever!” “Why would you do these things?” Mr. Garrison turned back to Dalton as Sam finally stopped laughing to listen, fascinated. “Dad, I could hardly have been aware of her not knowing what to select. She had a beer at the saloon yesterday, and I told her not to drink again. I was angry just now that she defied me, so I gulped my drink instead of yelling at her. Then I patted her back while she was choking, thinking it would help.” Mr. Garrison’s frown relaxed. He put one hand on Dalton’s shoulder and one on Laura’s. “I think this is all a big misunderstanding. Now, next time, Dalton, please give Laura some guidance in making her selection. You don’t need to tell her what to do; she’s eighteen years old. Laura, Dalton would never do anything to seriously harm you, so I doubt that he meant for you to copy his gulping of the drink.” Laura had her doubts, but she felt bad about causing an upheaval just a few hours after her arrival here. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, Mr. Garrison, and

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I’m sorry, Dalton. I won’t cause any more trouble, I promise.” Mr. Garrison took Laura’s hand and patted it. “Why, you haven’t caused any trouble! Why don’t you go upstairs and see to Mrs. Garrison, dear? I’m afraid she was a little upset.” Laura apologized again and hurried up the stairs, much relieved. She knocked on Mrs. Garrison’s bedroom door and entered at her bidding. The lady was lying on her bed in a quilted robe, with a wet cloth to her forehead. Laura explained what had happened, and told her she was sorry. Mrs. Garrison smiled. “Dalton is used to ordering his brothers about, so he expects younger people to just obey him. I’ll have a talk with him tomorrow.” “Thank you, Mrs. Garrison. I don’t want to cause any difficulties here, and I’ll try very hard to not bother Dalton. I really appreciate him, bringing me here and saving me from who knows what, after the Indian attack. But sometimes I just lose my temper and say things I don’t mean.” “You’re very young, Laura, and it takes years to learn to control your temper. I’m glad you’re here with us.” They said goodnight, and Laura went into “her” room and picked out a book of poems to read by the fire for a while. Later, as she lay in bed, she heard Dalton’s door shut loudly, and she hoped he’d soon forget this newest incident. She got up, and crept quietly down the stairs and out the back door to the outhouse. In St. Louis, a lot of people had indoor water closets connected to foul-smelling cesspools. Laura’s father and uncle had both installed one in their cellars, and she hadn’t had to use an outhouse in years, except since she’d left her uncle’s house two weeks ago. This one didn’t stink too badly, and she cautiously sat on the wooden seat to relieve herself. Then she went back

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up to bed and fell into a deep sleep, the comfortable mattress cradling her softly. Laura awoke to a loud knocking on the bedroom door. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. The sun was shining through the window and she squinted at the clock on the fireplace mantel. It was nine o’clock. Laura groaned, threw back the covers and shivered in the cool morning air. She’d left the window open last night and the fire had died some hours earlier. She only had on a thin nightshift that she’d found in Mrs. Garrison’s trunk. The knocking came again, and she hurried to the door, opening it just a crack. “Yes?” “Laura, get up and get dressed. My mother’s been waiting all morning to talk to you.” Dalton’s tone was impatient and annoyed. “Huh?” She peeked through the crack to see him standing in the hall, dressed in a black and gray riding outfit. It was obviously tailored to fit him, and outlined his muscular physique perfectly. He wore a black western hat on his head. “Ooh, don’t you look the gentleman,” she giggled, admiring the view. Ignoring her teasing, he tersely continued, “Laura, you’ve already missed breakfast, and my mother didn’t want you disturbed, but we’re all going to town, and I for one, am tired of waiting.” Laura didn’t like his attitude. Apparently, his mother hadn’t talked to him yet. “Oh. Well, I guess I’ll get up in a little while, I’m too tired right now.” She smiled, shut the door, and started to turn the lock, but jumped backed in surprise as it opened up abruptly and Dalton stepped into the room. He shut the door and moved purposefully toward her as she backed up against the wall, covering her chest with crossed arms. “What the hell are you doing, Dalton? You can’t come into a lady’s room like this! I’m not even dressed!”

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He towered over her as he put one arm on each side of her, his hands on the wall behind her. She looked up into his steel-gray eyes. “Laura, don’t think that because my parents seem to adore you, that you can get away with anything you please.” Laura pressed herself against the wall, her heart racing. She could smell the clean scent of him, and his body radiated warmth. She glared back, not wanting him to know how intimidated she felt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she began, but he cut her off quickly. “You do know, and you’d better straighten up. The world doesn’t revolve around your wishes, and you can find that out the easy way or the hard way.” Laura could still feel the effects of the switching he’d given her, and the memory of his strong arms manhandling her made her blush. “I…I’m just tired, Dalton. But I’ll get ready if you insist. I’m not trying to get away with anything.” “You’re not? What about last night in the salon? You knew I didn’t want you to drink; yet you did it anyway. You went against me and tried to make my father think that I was in the wrong. You used him, Laura.” Laura hung her head in shame, knowing he was partly right. She certainly hadn’t expected to be brought up on the matter so soon afterward, though. Dalton was obviously not one to put things off. “I’m sorry, Dalton,” she mumbled to his chest, “but when you told me not to drink, you thought I was a little boy. I’m not a little boy, I’m an eighteen-year-old woman, and like your father said, I should be able to make my own decisions. I didn’t use him, I just… I just lost my temper, and…” She held her breath, waiting for his response. “You can call it what you want, but I won’t put up with your manipulations.” Laura cringed inside at his perception of her. “I wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone! I just thought

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you’d let me choke on purpose, and it made me mad!” She looked up at him anxiously, but his stern gaze didn’t change. “You say you’re eighteen, but I don’t believe it for a minute. You act like a child. My parents are so desperate to have a daughter that they’ll overlook your faults, whatever they may be. They’re planning on offering you a home here and if you decide to stay, then you’d better be a part of the family and not try to tear us apart.” Laura felt tears come to her eyes. She realized that he wasn’t being mean or malicious; he just wanted to keep peace in the family. “I’m… I’m sorry, Dalton. I didn’t mean to cause… I didn’t mean to make your father mad at you…” The tears spilled over then, running down her cheeks, and he pulled her into his arms to hug her, his warm body irresistible to her chilled skin. “Alright.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Alright, Laura, I believe you.” She felt safe and secure as she listened to his steady heartbeat, until he spoke again. “I helped raise my brothers because my father was gone away a lot, and I was the one who bandaged their wounds, broke up their fights, and dealt out their punishment when needed. If you stay here, I’ll be treating you just like a little sister, and that means I’ll look after you, and protect you, but I’ll also spank you if I have to.” Laura pushed away from him and glared up at his surprised expression. “You can’t do that! I’m not a child, I’m a woman! And I’ll make my own decisions, and your mother said she’d talk to you about telling me what to do, and your father would never let you spank me!” She knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left her mouth, and he gripped her upper arms hard as he leaned down close, his silver eyes flashing. “Don’t even try it. If you play my parents against me, you’ll be one very sorry young woman! Now, I’ve warned you, and everything that happens

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from now on is of your own choosing!” He let her go abruptly, and she weakly leaned back against the wall as he turned and stalked to the door. His last words were, “Remember that” and then he was gone. Laura stood shaking for another minute before she hurriedly threw on the dress from the day before and ran a brush through her hair. She found fresh water in the pitcher and a chamber pot beneath the bed. As she finished getting ready, she seethed over Dalton’s words. She couldn’t believe that he intended to boss her around and punish her if she disobeyed. Why, her father had never treated her so, and she’d been a very good daughter to him. Dalton wasn’t even the father here! She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she didn’t want to bow to his arrogance, either. She didn’t want him to think bad things about her, but she knew she’d do whatever she had to, to prevent another spanking at his hands. Maybe she should just go on to her Aunt Faith in Montana, like she’d originally planned. She felt that if she stayed here, there would be nothing but trouble, as Dalton seemed to believe. As much as she desired a family again, she had no business messing up someone else’s. Laura skipped down the stairs, determined that no one should know of the exchange between her and Dalton. She merrily said hello to Sam in the living room and then went into the salon. Mrs. Garrison and her husband were sitting in there with Jack as Laura burst into the room and sat down in a nearby chair, her hair swinging around behind her. “Good morning!” She smiled at them all as they returned her greeting. Mrs. Garrison seemed especially pleased to see her. “Laura, you must be starving. I’ll have Mrs. Sanders bring in some tea.” Laura realized that she was in fact, very hungry, and smiled her thanks. “Now, dear, I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve told Mr. Garrison everything that you told me, and we’ve

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been trying to find a solution to your estrangement from your family.” Laura nodded seriously, and waited patiently for her to continue. She knew what was coming, and steeled herself to tell them no, that she had an aunt in Montana to go to. Nevertheless, when the question came, she was unprepared for her own reaction to their generosity. “I think that we should contact your uncle and get his permission for you to stay with us, that is, if you’d like to.” Laura felt her motherly concern, and was overwhelmed with longing to belong to this family; everything was happening so fast. As if reading her mind, Mrs. Garrison added, “I suppose this is a little shocking to you, so quickly after we’ve all met.” Laura looked around at the three eager faces. They wanted her, as Dalton had said, and they didn’t care that they knew so little about her. Laura saw the yearning in the older woman’s eyes, and she knew she couldn’t disappoint her. She thought for a moment, and answered, “Mrs. Garrison, I would love to stay here with your wonderful family. I’m sure my uncle would agree to it, because he never wanted me there, but he has control of my inheritance until I’m twenty-one years old! How would I be able to pay for my food and clothing and things?” Mrs. Garrison stood up and crossed the room to sit next to her. “Laura, dear, my husband and I have always wished to have a daughter. We would be so happy to have you stay with us! We would treat you just like our own. We’ll feed you and clothe you, and hire a tutor for you. We only ask in return, that you try to be our real daughter; in fact, we’d like to legally adopt you until you come of age.” Laura felt tears well up in her eyes, and she looked down at her hands in her lap, embarrassed. “Um…I…I would love to be your daughter, but only if I can repay you something, when I turn twenty-one and get my inheritance.” Then she was caught up in Mrs. Garrison’s arms, her face pressed

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against her ample bosom, as everyone expressed their happiness over her decision. She felt overwhelmed with love from these people she had known for only a day. As Mrs. Sanders brought in the tea tray, Laura realized that the only dark cloud was Dalton, whom she felt would not be happy at all about this.

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CHAPTER FOUR Dalton assisted Laura into the carriage, and she turned to sit on the opposite seat. He held fast to her hand, though, and pulled her down next to him. She glared up at his mocking smile, thinking that he wasn’t going to miss a single chance to exert his supposed authority over her. Mr. and Mrs. Garrison entered next and sat across from them. Then Jack climbed in, and Laura had to scoot over very close to Dalton to make room for him. The carriage shifted as Sam climbed up to drive the horses, and her shoulder rubbed against Jack’s, while her thigh pressed up against Dalton’s. A warm tingling sensation in her leg made her wonder why she reacted this way only to him. Laura felt both guilty and elated as the carriage began to roll. After she’d agreed to stay with the Garrison’s, they’d had a family meeting, and Mr. Garrison had announced to everyone how Laura would be introduced to their friends and acquaintances. They’d cleverly devised a history that Laura’s mother had been a friend of Mrs. Garrison’s back east, and had wanted her to care for Laura if the need ever arose. Mr. Garrison had decreed that they would all go to town together to introduce their new family member, and to start the legal preparations for her adoption. His wife had eagerly added that she wanted to purchase new clothes for Laura. Dalton had sat quietly throughout the discussion, occasionally catching Laura’s eye with a somber look. Laura was eager to wear pretty dresses again, but she didn’t want a lot of money spent on her, despite Mrs. Garrison’s enthusiastic generosity. As the carriage rolled along, she could feel the disapproval emanating from Dalton at her side, as if he now considered her an unwanted charity. Her conflicting emotions warred with each other, increasing the apparent animosity between her and

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Dalton. The ride seemed very long as his parents idly discussed mundane matters, and every little bump in the hard-packed road jostled Laura’s elbow against Dalton’s. She couldn’t see out the windows very well, and finally, she quietly asked Jack if he would trade places with her. He quickly agreed, they moved accordingly, and Laura struggled to hide her mirth as she pressed her nose against the glass. She glanced at Dalton only once; he was glaring at her. Perhaps she was capable of escaping his control without hurting anyone else. She only had to be creative, and take any opportunity to advance herself in the secret game. Laura soon became absorbed with the beauty of the vast ranges with their rolling hills, rippling grasses, and sparsely scattered trees. She saw herds of cattle, thousands of them, and Mr. Garrison began to tell her a little about the cattle business, seeing her interest. Laura listened attentively, fascinated by the subject. The scenery changed as they passed a few outlying farmhouses upon nearing the town. Laura saw horses, goats, and sheep in fenced pastures. Then they approached a large grove of shade trees, and turned onto the town’s main street. Laura was surprised at the many small shops, restaurants, and saloons they passed. Sam pulled the carriage to a halt, and Dalton and his father got out and went into a lawyer’s office. Then Sam drove a little further, to the dressmaker’s. Mrs. Garrison and Laura alighted, assisted by Jack, and entered the shop. The next two hours were spent in a whirlwind of measurement taking, pinning, and choosing the materials for Laura’s new clothes. The seamstress, Mrs. Miller, was a large, cheerful woman, who fussed and primped over Laura, exclaiming upon her beauty and apparent charm. There was one ready-made dress that fit her well, and Mrs. Garrison insisted that she keep it on for the rest of

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the day. It was made of pale green cotton sprinkled with tiny yellow flowers, with ribbon beneath the breast line. Laura twirled around, feeling the full skirt flow around her. Mrs. Garrison tied a matching yellow ribbon in her hair. Laura eventually tired of all the activity, and sat down on a bench in the front room while Mrs. Garrison and Mrs. Miller chatted. The warmth of the sun through the display window and the droning sound of the women’s voices soon lulled her to sleep. Mr. Garrison’s lawyer drew up the papers needed to start the adoption proceedings. Dalton and his father went next to the postmaster to mail Laura’s uncle a letter informing him of the Garrisons’ proposition. Then they went to the bank to withdraw some cash, and to a favorite café for coffee. After a while, Dalton volunteered to go and see if the ladies were finished yet. As he reached the small shop, he could see Laura through the window, sitting on a bench with her head back against the wall, apparently sleeping. Dalton smiled to himself as he stepped quietly through the open door. She really was quite pretty in that new dress. He could barely picture her masqueraded as Lonnie just yesterday; they seemed two different people. He watched the slight rise and fall of her breasts as she slumbered. She looked so innocent in sleep, but he knew better. She was young, impetuous, and had a reckless nature that begged to be tamed. Left alone, she’d soon become a spoiled, manipulative bitch under his parents’ doting indulgence. It was now his responsibility to keep that from happening, and he knew she’d resist at every turn. It would be a long, exasperating struggle between the two of them, but he welcomed the challenge. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked forward so much to just getting up in the morning. As he watched her sleep, he noticed a brightly plumed hat on a nearby

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display, and had a rare moment of mischievous temptation. Laura awoke to a violent fit of sneezing. She brought her hands to her face to cover her mouth, and felt a handkerchief being pressed into her hand. Grabbing it and scrubbing at her itching nose, she saw Dalton standing in front of her, grinning widely at her discomfort. Then she saw the feather in his hand. She burst into laughter as the scene appeared in her mind, her sleeping soundly on the bench and him sneaking up to tickle her nose. Dalton laughed with her, and the older ladies came out from the sewing room to see what was going on. Dalton greeted Mrs. Miller, who put out her hand and blushed as he kissed the back of it. Laura stood up and they all talked for a minute, as Laura began to feel a peace settle between Dalton and herself. They soon took their leave, with Mrs. Miller promising to deliver several outfits to the ranch on Monday afternoon. Dalton went to get the rest of the family, and Laura and Mrs. Garrison waited in the shade of a huge oak tree for their return. A tall young man approached them, warmly greeting Mrs. Garrison, and then Laura, as she was introduced. His name was John Westmore, and he owned the bank and several small shops in town. Laura perused his sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and charming smile. His lips lingered on the back of her hand, and she blushed, feeling a bit uncomfortable under his appreciative gaze. Mrs. Garrison didn’t seem to notice as she quickly informed John of Laura’s new position in their family. He seemed genuinely pleased for them, and promised to see them all tomorrow at church. He began asking Laura what hobbies she enjoyed, and she almost said that she played piano, but stopped herself just in time. She saw Sam driving the carriage toward them, and they all said their good-byes as it pulled up.

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Laura waited for Mrs. Garrison to be assisted into the carriage, and then climbed up easily before anyone could help her. Jack was sitting next to the far window, and Dalton began to move over for her to sit by the near window. She glanced to her left and saw a small space beside Mrs. Garrison. There she sat, putting her hand on Mrs. Garrison’s arm. The older lady moved over a little, smiled at her, and patted her hand as the carriage began to roll. Laura stared out the window again, feeling Dalton’s gaze boring into her. She refused to look his way, knowing she was deliberately disturbing the peace. She enjoyed their mutual teasing, but she was not about to submit to any controlling maneuvers on his part, no matter how insignificant they seemed. She soon became sleepy again, and dozed off as they gently bumped along the well-traveled road, her head falling against Mrs. Garrison’s shoulder. Laura felt herself being lifted up by strong arms, but was too exhausted to wonder why. Dalton carried her into the house, up the stairs, and gently laid her on her bed. She immediately curled up on her side, still sleeping, as he stared down at her for a few moments before quietly leaving the room. He changed into denim jeans and a cotton shirt, and went out to help Sam start the long process of breaking in the colts they’d brought back from their trip. Sam was already out at the corral beside the barn, holding the smaller colt by the halter it had become used to while being led behind the wagon. Dalton attached a rope to the colt’s halter, and began to teach Sam how to gain the horse’s trust as they led it to halter. Dalton’s training method was based on clicking his tongue at the animal in training, at precise moments, in order to guide it toward desirable behaviors. He never gave the horse a treat until the lesson was over. He despised some methods used by other ranchers to train their horses, such as beating the animal into submission, or bribing it with treats until it became an annoying

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seeker of handouts. Sometimes he used a long stick to tap the ground behind or beside the animal as a warning, but he’d never resorted to hitting a horse. Soon they had the colt walking around in a circle, then trotting, then walking again. Dalton reached up to pat its neck, and it stood patiently, having learned to trust his presence. Sam watched intently, for he would soon begin the training with the other colt, under Dalton’s direction. As he was talking to Sam, Dalton saw Laura walking down from the house in her new green dress. Her hair flowed out behind her in the gentle breeze. He felt a sudden longing to run his hands through the silken strands, and he quickly suppressed the thought. She was going to be his little sister, and he couldn’t afford to think of her in a romantic way. He watched in disbelief as she climbed up on top of the wooden fence to sit. He led the colt through another exercise, and then jumped as Laura called out, “Hey, can I try that?” The colt stopped dead still, perking up its ears and listening. Dalton clicked his tongue once, and it started walking again. He clicked twice and the colt stopped. Dalton gave it a carrot from his pants pocket, and then, handing the lead rope to Sam, he walked over to where Laura sat perched on the top rail. “Laura.” He nodded at her and she smiled at him, her eyes almost level with his. “Please don’t yell when I’m working with the colts. It interrupts the learning process, and sometimes it can scare the animal.” He kept his voice calm, certain she hadn’t done it on purpose. “Oh!” Laura’s cheeks flamed, and she slid down to the ground. “Sorry, I didn’t know that.” She walked away toward Sam, intending to pet the nowfrisky colt. Dalton watched her, sure that the animal would shy away, but to his surprise, it calmed and allowed her to scratch its ears. He hadn’t seen her petting the two colts from the

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wagon as they’d traveled home. He walked over and told Sam to bring out the other colt. “What’s his name?” Laura wanted to know. “We haven’t named him yet,” said Sam. “I was thinking of ‘Dusty’, because of his color.” “How about ‘Silky’? Or ‘Snuffles’? He’s just so adorable!” Sam gave her an incredulous look, and shook his head. He led the colt away, and Laura followed him. “I want to lead him back. Can I do it? Please?” Sam looked at Dalton, who nodded his head. “Alright. Here.” He handed the rope to Laura, who grinned like a toddler with a piece of candy, and cautiously led the colt into the barn. Sam followed her and showed her how to stable him. Then he showed her how to brush his coat down, and left her to get the other colt. Laura brushed and petted the horse for a long time, finally unhooking the lead rope and shutting the stall door behind her. She watched Sam and Dalton with the other colt for a while, and then asked again to try it out. “Laura, we only have two colts to train right now. Each one has its own master. We don’t want to confuse them by having different people training them,” Dalton patiently explained. She looked so crestfallen, that he added, “Why don’t you just watch and learn, and someday we’ll get you one of your own to train.” Brightening at this, she went back to the fence rail to watch. The horse training process seemed to fascinate her, Dalton mused. He knew a neighboring rancher whose wife trained horses, so it didn’t occur to him that most young ladies did not indulge in that sort of man’s work. Laura watched patiently until they’d finished with the new colt, and then followed them into the barn while Sam stabled him. “Dalton, I want to learn to ride. Will you teach me?” she pestered.

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“Alright. When I have time, I’ll give you a lesson or two.” He took his hat off and ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair. “Right now, we need to clean up for dinner.” Laura smiled her thanks and went to pet the colts while Dalton and Sam washed up under a pump outside the barn door. She soon breezed past them and skipped away up the gently sloping lawn toward the house. Dalton’s eyes followed her. Full of questions and curiosity, she wore her emotions on her face, and was really more like a little girl than a woman. Laura washed her hands and face outside the kitchen, and hurried in to see if she could help Mrs. Garrison. Mrs. Sanders was basting butter onto an almost-done turkey, and Laura said hello to her. “Yer Mum’s in the salon,” she told Laura, having been informed of Laura’s new position in the family. Laura thanked her and went to the salon. “Oh, my goodness! What happened to you?” Laura looked up innocently as Mrs. Garrison spoke, and then down at herself. Little fine horsehairs covered her new dress, with pieces of straw clinging to the fabric here and there. “Oh, I was just brushing down one of the new colts,” she told the woman. “They’re so adorable, have you seen them?” Mrs. Garrison shook her head no, and sighed loudly. “Now what will you wear to the service tomorrow morning?” She looked beside herself with worry, and Laura began to feel a little guilty. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I didn’t think about what I was wearing out there.” Mr. Garrison, reading a magazine on the sofa, looked up to see what was going on. Dalton and Sam entered the room just as Mrs. Garrison was pointing out the ruined dress, and Dalton couldn’t help chuckling as he noticed the hair and straw all over Laura. “Son, this not a laughing matter,” Mr. Garrison stood up and began to lecture Dalton again. “Your mother’s very upset because the girl won’t have

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anything to wear to church tomorrow. Why did you let her play with the horses?” Laura’s eyes grew wide as Dalton again caught the brunt of her mischief. ”Dad, she’s eighteen and can make her own decisions, remember?” His tone was respectful but firm, and his father nodded almost imperceptibly as Dalton continued, “Come on outside, Laura. Mom, hand me that whiskbroom. I think we can get all this hair off.” Laura gullibly walked out onto the front porch, eager to escape from the minor crisis she’d caused. Once outside, Dalton took her by the arm and led her to the gazebo. Laura hurried to keep up, grateful for his intervention. Beneath the flowering vines, he told her to stand still while he began briskly sweeping her dress with the little broom. He started with her shoulders and then brushed her sleeves. Laura stood as still as a statue, unsure if she liked the sensations he was causing. It felt like a cat’s tongue every time it swiped her skin. He suddenly stopped, handed her the broom, and gestured to her chest area. She grinned and brushed herself off while he turned the other way. Then he took it back and brushed out her skirt, pulling the material away from her as he worked. Laura began to feel silly, standing there like the colt they’d groomed earlier. “Dalton, wouldn’t this be easier if I had the dress off? I mean, I could do this later, after I change for bed.” “Probably,” he replied, and pushed her hair over her shoulder to whisk the horsehair from her back. “But this is more fun.” With that, he suddenly whacked her bottom with the little broom. She jumped away, squealing and laughing. Dalton stopped and stood still for a moment, grinning at her. Then his smile slowly faded as he told her, “I believe you owe me something.” Laura’s eyes grew wide. “I… I don’t owe you anything!” She looked around her, feeling very

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nervous as she realized that they were very much alone. Her eyes flew back to Dalton, who seemed deep in thought as he tapped the whiskbroom against his thigh. He reminded her of a lion she’d once seen in a zoo, waiting patiently for his prey, while his tail flicked back and forth in anticipation. Laura began to back away from him, but he suddenly dropped the broom and caught her around the waist, pulling her toward a bench along the wall. She felt like a trapped mouse as he sat down and grabbed up her hands. “Dalton, what are you doing?” she squealed. He didn’t bother to answer her rhetorical question; he just smoothly pushed her over his knees, pulled her dress up over her shoulders, and rested his hand on her lower back. “Oh! Let me up!” Laura struggled to rise, but couldn’t move from underneath his strong arm. She twisted around and tried to pull her dress back down, but he tilted her forward, forcing her to let go and brace herself with her hands. “Stop it!” she yelled. “Shh! Do you want anyone to see you like this?” asked Dalton calmly. Laura shut up instantly and stopped struggling. She most certainly didn’t want anyone to see her like this! It had been bad enough as a boy with pants on, but now… “Now, you’re going to answer some questions and then we’ll go in to dinner like nothing’s happened.” “No, let me up!” Laura cried softly, but was presently afraid to move. She could feel his rock hard thighs beneath her, and the intimate contact made her face tingle with embarrassment. “Now,” he said, and Laura winced as his tone became very stern, “Did you tell my father that I let you play with the horses?” “No! I didn’t tell him anything of the sort!” Dalton slapped her five times, hard, on her right bottom cheek. She muffled a squeal into her dress

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sleeve, and kicked her feet up. She still had on her drawers, but the smacks really stung. “Are you sure you didn’t tell him it was my fault in any way?” “No! I promise I didn’t!” He spanked her five times on the left cheek. It didn’t really hurt that much, but she was acutely embarrassed by her position over his knee. This was very different from the quick justice he’d delivered when she was dressed as a boy. She felt an invisible energy flowing between them, that both frightened and excited her. “Alright, then, I believe you. Now, this is for moving away from me in the carriage on the way to town.” He slapped each cheek four times, as she squirmed and kicked her feet harder. Somehow, it had been easier to just hold onto her hat and suffer. “And this is for refusing to sit by me on the way back from town.” He slapped her with more force and she heard herself whimper with each stinging blow. “And this is for getting horse hair all over your dress and upsetting mother!” Dalton lit into her then, and Laura bit her lip to keep from crying out as his hand whacked her poor cheeks soundly twenty or more times. Her feet kicked futilely as her skin began to burn, and tears filled her eyes. Finally, he stopped and pulled her up to sit on his lap. “Now, little girl, don’t play games with me, because you’re not going to win.” Laura hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she willed herself not to cry. Her hands were shaking, she was breathing too fast, and she didn’t trust herself to speak. She felt an unreasoning desire to throw her arms around his neck; she wanted him to hold her close, but she knew she would cry if he did. His physical presence was suddenly overwhelming, and she jumped up and smoothed her dress back down, sniffling and coughing until she’d regained her composure. Dalton stood up, took out his handkerchief, and

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wiped away a stray tear on her cheek. She stared up at him, blushing in embarrassment, and then took his proffered arm as he led her back to the house. She ran up the stairs to her room and washed her face with the cool pitcher water, as anger began to course through her. He had actually dared to spank her! Why did he think he could control her like this? Why did he even want to? Rubbing her buttocks, she promised herself that she’d get revenge somehow, and then she stepped out into the hallway to go down to dinner. Dalton was just leaving his room, and turned back as he saw her come down the hall. “Wait a minute,” he said, and took her arm, propelling her back into her room. Her heart raced; what was he going to do now? She cringed as he picked up her hairbrush from the dresser, but he turned her around and began to brush out her hair, quickly and efficiently. “You’ve got pieces of straw all over it,” he admonished. Laura stood stiffly as he tended her, not quite believing he was performing a maid’s task. Then he put the brush down, marched out of the room and down the hall, and bounded down the stairs while she stood bemused in her doorway. She would never figure him out. He was alternately rough and gentle, dominant and giving, serious and playful. Laura walked slowly down to the dining room and took her place at the table, sitting very carefully. She glanced up at Dalton’s smirk, and her anger returned full-force. Why did he find it so amusing that her bottom was aching? Mrs. Garrison was very happy to see that the dress had been cleaned, and no one remarked about Laura and Dalton coming late to dinner. Laura felt hungry as they passed the food dishes around, but she was in a hurry to get up from her sitting position. She wolfed down her food in a very unladylike fashion, while Mrs. Garrison eyed her anxiously. Dalton gave her several stern glances,

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but she refused to acknowledge him. Annoyed, he finally spoke up. “Laura, please don’t eat so fast.” “Why noth? I’m hungwy,” she said, with a mouth full of turkey, never meeting his gaze. She picked up her drink and took a huge gulp. “Mother, don’t you think she should use better manners?” Dalton spoke again. His mother coughed discreetly, and then said, “Dalton, she’s just barely arrived. Give her time to settle in; I’m sure she’ll remember next time.” Laura continued to stuff herself with mashed potatoes, taking huge spoonfuls and swallowing them whole. Sam began to laugh quietly and she glared at him and started to work on her peas. “Laura, you’re just making a spectacle of yourself,” Dalton lectured her, thoroughly disgusted. “Dalthon,” she said, still chewing the peas, “don’th look ath me then.” She finished them off, took another drink, and swallowed hard. Sam was still snickering beside her, but she ignored him. “May I be excused, please?” she questioned Mrs. Garrison, who silently nodded her assent. Laura bolted from the room, went directly to the salon, and began sniffing the various liquids in their decanters. One smelled like fresh peaches and she poured herself a small cordial. She sat in the most comfortable chair and leafed through a book of poems for a while. Sipping on the tasty drink, she smiled to herself in satisfaction. The war was on again, and this time, she’d be smarter.

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CHAPTER FIVE Dalton hadn’t come into the salon the previous night, and Laura had spent an enjoyable evening sipping her cordial while playing cards with Sam and talking to her new parents. She’d risen early this morning and was the first to the breakfast table. She was ready and waiting to go to church before Dalton had even come downstairs. The church service that morning was lovely, and she was introduced to scores of family friends and neighbors, all of whom welcomed her warmly. The ride to and from the little church had also been pleasant, as Dalton had volunteered to drive the carriage. After they returned home, Laura helped Mrs. Sanders bake cookies and a cake for Sunday dinner. Laura loved to cook, and had often helped her mother make treats for the nearby orphanage over the years. Having no brothers and sisters, the orphaned children had been her closest friends. The irony of her present state did not escape her understanding. Her aunt and uncle had never let her go back to visit over the past year, though, viewing the children as beneath them. Laura had sent secret messages back and forth with the groom, but had not been in touch with them since she’d left town two weeks ago. She told all of this to Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Garrison, who sat at the little kitchen table writing out recipes as they all worked. “Do you suppose I could write to them, Mrs. Garrison?” “Well, of course, Laura, why don’t you sit down here and write them a nice long letter, and we’ll post it next time we’re in town?” She patted the chair next to her, and Laura eagerly sat down, reaching for pen, ink, and paper. “Thank you, Mrs. Garrison!”

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“Laura, why don’t you call ‘er, ‘Mum’?” asked Mrs. Sanders, smiling at them. “Mum?” the word sounded foreign to her, but she really couldn’t bring herself to call the lady ‘mother’ or ‘mom’. Her own mother’s memory was still fresh and vibrant in her mind. “I’d like that, dear,” said Mrs. Garrison, beaming her encouragement. “Alright then, Mum it will be. It’s a lot easier to say than ‘Mrs. Garrison’.” Laura picked up a quill, dipped it, blotted it, and began her letter. “Oh, you have such beautiful handwriting!” exclaimed Mum. Laura blushed and thanked her as she continued to write about all the things that had happened to her since she’d been gone. She addressed the envelope with large, crooked letters, to hide her identity from the local postman who gossiped daily with her aunt. Dinner was almost ready, and Laura went out to the privy. She saw her three new brothers working with the colts in the corral, and decided that she’d join them after dinner. After washing upstairs, she went into the salon and poured herself another peach cordial. The taste was addictive, she mused as she swished the liquid around in her mouth. It made her feel calm and relaxed, even when Dalton was nearby. Usually, her pulse sped up and her lips became dry if he was even in the same room with her. He affected her like no one she’d ever met, and a palpable tension arose between them from just a glance at each other. Everyone else in the family was warm and friendly to her, and she reflected upon the irony of Dalton’s animosity; he’d been the one who brought her here. She heard the three men come into the house to clean up, and she sat demurely on the sofa with the poetry book. Mr. Garrison came in first and she asked him if he would play a game of chess with her. He happily accepted the invitation, and they set up the pieces

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on a beautifully carved marble chessboard. The pieces were stored in a red velvet case, with separate compartments for each member of the set. Laura soon found that he was a very good player, and she concentrated harder on her strategy, still daintily sipping on the cordial. Dalton came in and sat beside her on the sofa, studying the board, and Laura momentarily lost her concentration as his pleasantly fragrant cologne enveloped her senses. She willed herself to focus on the playing pieces, and dismally realized that Mr. Garrison would have her in checkmate in only three moves. Mrs. Garrison came in just then, and paused by the game in progress. “Hello, Mum,” Laura greeted her, and saw Mr. Garrison look up in surprise at her words. Mum smiled her acknowledgement, and sat down in her favorite chair by the fireplace. Mr. Garrison moved his bishop in instead of his knight, apparently having forgotten his plan of attack. Laura jumped on the error, moving her rook between his bishop and knight. “Darn it!” exclaimed Mr. Garrison, just as Sam and Jack came in. “You know how to play chess?” Sam stared at Laura, impressed. “A little,” she allowed, frowning at the playing board. She would be playing much better, she thought, without all the interruptions. Mr. Garrison put her in check with his knight, and she had to move her king over a space. Laura gulped down the rest of her drink and put it on the table. She saw that Mr. Garrison could still win if he moved his bishop in now. As he reached for the piece, Laura said, “Mr. Garrison, could I call you ‘Pa’?” He froze and looked down at her imploring expression. “I mean, it’s a lot easier than saying ‘Mr. Garrison’ all the time, and Mum thought I should have a name for you as well…”

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“Of course, Laura! I’d be delighted for you to call me ‘Pa’! Or ‘Dad’, or ‘Father’, it doesn’t matter to me.” He folded his hands together and beamed at her. “How about ‘gullible’?” Dalton muttered it so low that only Laura could hear him. She pressed her foot upon his as she smiled back at Mr. Garrison. “I like ‘Pa’,” she said, and added, “Thank you, Pa.” Pa looked down at the board and hastily moved his knight back to its original position. Without delay, Laura brought her rook in and very quietly said “check”. Pa stared at the board for a long moment, wondering why he’d made such a foolish move with his knight. “Dad, that’s not only check, it’s checkmate,” Dalton stated dryly. “Oh, is it?” exclaimed Laura, grinning up at him in mock innocence. “Yes, you’ve beaten me thoroughly! Very good, Laura, I’m proud of you.” Pa sat back in his chair and picked up his cigar case, as Laura began putting the pieces away. “I’ll play you a game,” said Dalton. Laura stopped still, her queen in her hand, and looked warily up into his steely gaze. “Dinner’s ready!” called Mrs. Sanders from the hallway, and Laura gratefully placed the queen in its place in the red velvet box and closed the lid. Mr. Garrison closed his cigar case, took his wife’s hand, and left the room. Laura stood up to leave, but Dalton blocked her way as the others strolled out to the dining room. She backed away around the chess table as he idly picked up her empty cordial glass. “You know, Laura, I don’t really mind these silly little games you play, flaunting bad table manners and distracting my father,” he said as he turned the glass in his hand, “But this drinking is going to

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stop.” He made a fist around the glass and gazed sternly into her startled expression. She whispered loudly, “You can’t stop me from drinking! Pa doesn’t mind it.” “I mind it.” He took a step toward her and stopped. “Apparently our little meeting last night didn’t make an impression on you at all. The next time I catch you alone, I’m going to pull those underclothes down and tan your backside for real.” Laura blushed as the image flashed before her eyes, her naked buttocks under his firm hand. Anger surged through her mind at his audacity. “No, you won’t! I’ll tell Pa! He won’t let you!” She glared at him and tried to get around him to leave, but his fingers bit into her upper arms as he pulled her to face him. “If you use my father to thwart me, I’ll make your life a living hell!” “You’re forcing me to! I have no other choice than to use whatever protection I can find!” Laura spat at him, and then recklessly added, “You’re the biggest tyrant I’ve ever met!” as she jerked away from his grasp and ran out of the room. Reaching the dining room, she slowed down and tried to look nonchalant as she entered. She’d lost her temper again, and was already regretting it. All eyes were on her as she sat down with her cheeks flaming and tears in her eyes. “What’s the matter, dear?” Mum put her hand on her shoulder, and Laura picked up her napkin to hide her face. She didn’t know how explain it without making Dalton look like an ogre. She didn’t even know why she should care if she slandered him. He came into the room and sat down across from her. “Laura, please tell us what’s wrong,” Mum’s tone was very concerned. “Is it your family, do you miss them?” Laura nodded her head behind the crisp linen cloth, grateful for the excuse. She sniffed

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once, hastily wiped her eyes, and put the napkin down as Sam passed her a bowl of green beans. They all filled their plates, Pa gave the blessing, and everyone started eating except Laura. She stirred her green beans while trying to keep them separate from her corn. She could feel Dalton’s eyes burning through her lowered lids, and she furtively glanced up to see that her intuition been right. The hell with him, she thought, and started mixing her green beans with her corn. She suddenly wanted to blurt out that he’d spanked her, and was threatening to do it again. She wanted to hear Pa lecture him on the evils of tormenting young women. She wanted to slap his face or kick him in the shin, or… “Laura, please stop playing with your food.” Dalton’s voice carried across the table to her as she realized that on her plate was one big multicolored pile of Mrs. Sanders’ culinary efforts. “May I be excused, please?” she asked Mum in a very quiet voice. As much as she wanted to tell on Dalton, she just couldn’t do it. Mum nodded her head sadly and Laura left the room, going straight to the comfort that the peach liqueur offered. Gulping down one glassful, she poured another and took it to her room. She locked her door and lay down on her big, beautiful bed, trying to think of how she could avoid Dalton and still interact with the rest of her new family. She didn’t understand why he couldn’t just accept her as she was; everyone else had. Eventually her distress faded and she grew bored and sat up, feeling the bed spring back a little. Smiling, she kicked off her shoes and bounced up and down, toes first, knees first, buttocks first, then back to her knees, and then she was tumbling to the floor as the bed frame finally gave out with a loud crash. Seconds later she heard heavy pounding up the stairs, and then on her bedroom door, and she reluctantly got to her feet to open it. Dalton, Pa,

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Jack, and Sam all crowded into the room to see what had happened. Laura stood quietly by, her arms crossed over her chest as they inspected the damage. She knew she was really in trouble now, and her heart raced in anticipation of Pa and Dalton’s reaction. “What happened?” asked Pa, “Are you alright?” “Yes, sir.” She stared at the broken bed frame. “I was… I was jumping on the bed… I’ve never had a bed with those metal springs before…” Laura felt a tear fall down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Pa.” Sam started laughing before anyone else could speak. “Jumping on the bed! Ha! The last time I did that, I was about eight years old, and Dalton tanned my hide good!” Laura turned pale as she stuttered, “B-but Dalton s-saw me do it the other night! He didn’t tell me not to! I didn’t know the bed would break…” “Dalton, why didn’t you tell her it was dangerous?” Pa started in on him right away, as Laura listened in disbelief, “She could have gotten hurt when that bed broke!” Dalton stared at his father a moment, and then to Laura’s amazement, he sighed and said, “I don’t know, Dad. I was so surprised at the time, that I just wasn’t thinking right, I guess.” He gave Laura an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Laura.” He turned away from her astonished expression to leave the room. “I’ll go get the toolbox and fix the bed.” Everyone left the room then, and Laura went to her window to watch Dalton walk across the yard. She’d never figure him out, she told herself yet again. A little while later, she sat on her window seat and watched Dalton hammering on the bed frame. He’d taken off his jacket and had on only a shortsleeved cotton shirt. As he worked, his muscles contracted and stood out as if sculpted from clay. Laura could see why he’d been so easily able to hold her down when he’d spanked her. She felt an

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unfamiliar twinge cross her abdomen when he picked up the end of the bed, his biceps bulging, and his neck cords standing out. She suddenly wanted him to pick her up like that; she wanted to run her hands over his broad chest, and she wanted to be held in his powerful arms… Laura shook her head in wonder. She’d never been interested in brawny men before; what in the world was wrong with her? Besides, he was now her older brother, and a tyrant as well! She got up and went downstairs to the salon. Pa smiled at her as she entered, and said, “Laura, I talked to Mark Stanley at church this morning, and he’s willing to come by three days a week to tutor you.” Laura let this sink in, not sure that she wanted to be tutored. She had attended school until she was sixteen, and had learned all that the little public institute had to offer to young women of her standing, which was somewhere between rich and middle class. “Who is Mark Stanley?” was all she could think of to say. “He’s the local schoolmaster. He said he could come in the late afternoons, after he’s through with the children.” “Oh.” Laura poured herself a peach cordial and sat down on the sofa. “He’ll be coming tomorrow around four o’clock to give you some tests, so he can find out where to start with you.” “Alright. Thank you, Pa.” Laura smiled at him but groaned to herself. She hated tests, and she had no desire to go back to book learning. She wanted to learn how to break colts and ride horses. She wanted to learn more about the cattle business. Smiling again, she asked Pa how many head of cattle he owned. This launched the man into a long description of how the animals were herded up every spring to count and brand them, before the drovers took them to the railroads. Laura listened

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intently until she heard Dalton’s voice at the doorway. “Pa, we’re going out to the social at Pete Robertson’s ranch.” Dalton was wearing a handsome gray suit with a necktie. “You look nice, son,” said Mum as she glanced up from her book in front of the fireplace. “Are Sam and Jack going with you?” asked Pa. “Yes. We’ll be back before sundown.” “Can I go?” Laura couldn’t resist asking, even though she hadn’t been invited. Dalton looked disapprovingly at the glass in her hand, and she brazened it out, smiling at Jack who’d come up behind Dalton. Mum spoke up though, “Laura, you don’t have anything to wear. After Mrs. Miller comes tomorrow morning, you’ll have a few more dresses to go out in.” Laura felt like pouting, but she waved goodbye to the men, and went back to questioning Pa about ranching. After her third drink, she decided to go out and visit the colts for a while. “Mum, what happened to the clothes I was wearing when I got here?” she asked, not wanting to sully her only dress again. Mrs. Garrison looked up absentmindedly. “Ask Mrs. Sanders, dear. She’s probably laundered them by now.” Laura excused herself from the salon, and hurried to the kitchen to find the housekeeper. Mrs. Sanders had thought they were Sam’s clothes, and had delivered them to his room. Laura thanked her and went up to find them. Soon she was dressed to play in the barn, and she braided her hair in one long plait down her back. She skipped down the stairs to the kitchen to get carrots, and then out the front door, oblivious to the spectacle she presented in her pants and boots. The colts were both in the corral, chasing each other in a circle. Laura decided to join in, and scampered over the fence to stand in

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the middle of the corral. The colts ignored her at first, but when she brought a carrot out of her pocket, they soon frolicked around her, giving chase when she trotted away with the bribe in her hand. They played tag, zigzagging back and forth, as she waved the treat in front of their noses. Eventually she grew tired and let them eat all the carrots. Wandering into the barn, she heard a whinny, and saw Sonny in his stall. She went over to pet him, wishing she knew how to saddle him and ride. She imagined it would be great fun to gallop across the range on a fast horse! Laura thought about trying it by herself, but was really too afraid of the big horse to attempt saddling him. Thinking that Pa might help her, she abruptly turned and set off for the house. In her haste, she stumbled over a bucket of water and fell down onto the dirt floor, jumping up quickly as the water pooled around her, but her entire right side was damp and muddy. It was a good thing she’d worn the old clothes, she thought to herself. She watched, entranced, as the water sunk into the ground, drawing her inebriated mind irresistibly to its potential. She sat down in the midst of the puddle and began to make a castle, forming the towers and turrets with great care. She remembered going to the beach with her father many years ago, and they’d made sand castles for hours. A fly landed on her nose, and she swiped at it, feeling the cool mud against her face. She remembered her mother’s mud masks, and gleefully smeared her face with the stuff, covering everything except her eyes. She sat back against the wall, thinking how wonderful it was to be able to spend an afternoon pretending to be a child again. However, the alcohol was beginning to wear off, and she felt her eyes grow heavy. Leaning her head back, she drifted off to sleep. Dalton and his brothers arrived back home just before dusk, as promised. They led their horses into the barn and began the task of settling the

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animals in for the night. Sam and Jack went to their horses’ stalls on the right, while Dalton went to his on the left. He talked quietly to his stallion, Trojan, as he loosed the saddle girth. Trojan was a large horse at eighteen hands, and was splendidly muscled. His skin rippled in pleasure when Dalton lifted his saddle off. As Dalton patted his neck, the horse’s ears tilted back and his eyes glanced sidelong toward the opposite wall. Dalton turned to look in wonder at the sight of the miniature castle in the drying mud on the floor. Squatting down to view it closer, he saw in the dimming light that it was exquisitely molded, boasting a moat and a drawbridge. Then he looked back toward the barn door and saw the mud-encrusted figure asleep against the wall. “Good God!” he exclaimed involuntarily, and Laura awoke with a start. Seeing the look of alarm on Dalton’s face, she squealed and jumped to her feet, thinking perhaps a snake was by her. Trojan gave a shrill whinny and reared up, jerking the reins from Dalton’s hand. Laura screamed in terror as the black giant danced on his rear hooves, recoiling from the shrieking apparition before it. Dalton darted between Laura and the horse, pushing her back against the wall. Trojan landed on his forefeet for a split second, his flaring nostrils spraying them with snort, and then abruptly charged the open barn door and raced out across the lawn. “Be quiet!” Dalton yelled at Laura, who instantly shut up. Sam and Jack stood watching, openmouthed, as Laura began backing away toward the barn door. She was visibly shaking, and stepped down right in the middle of the mud castle and fell onto her buttocks. “Oh! I’ve never been so scared in my life!” she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. “I thought your horse was going to kill me!” “It’s not the horse you should be afraid of,” he clipped, stalking her slowly. Sam and Jack hung

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back, having encountered this mood of Dalton’s before. Laura’s eyes grew wide, and she spun around and fled toward the house, but she wasn’t fast enough. Dalton overtook her before she’d traveled twenty feet, and swung her up over his shoulder. He swatted her upended bottom several times as he marched back to the barn. She screamed loudly all the way, until he unceremoniously dumped her onto a pile of straw. “Stay there!” he ordered as she started to get up. Seeing Jack and Sam still grooming their horses, she decided it would be safer to do as he said. She couldn’t outrun him, and perhaps he wouldn’t chastise her as much in front of his brothers. Dalton stepped outside the barn door and gave a long, low whistle. Trojan came trotting up soon afterward, his ears swiveling nervously. Dalton coaxed him back into the barn, talking soothingly, and finally succeeded in stabling him. “What’s going on here?” Mr. Garrison appeared in the barn door, and Laura almost fainted in relief. She jumped up and ran over to him to explain, but stopped short as he gasped and stared at her in wonder. “What’s this?” he exclaimed. “It’s me, Laura! I was playing in the mud, and I fell asleep, and Dalton woke me up, and his horse scared me, and I scared it, and…” The older man stared at her in confusion. “Laura? Playing in the mud?” Dalton stalked over and explained everything to his father, ending with “Dad, you’ve got to do something about this hooligan!” “Come now, Dalton, she’s not a hooligan.” Mr. Garrison’s lip twitched as he fought back the urge to laugh. “She’s just a young woman with a little spirit. Now, no harm’s done; I’ll just take her back to the house to clean up.”

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“Dad, what kind of ‘young woman’ plasters herself with mud and scares horses?” demanded Dalton. “She was just playing, Dalton. Little girls do that.” “Dad,” Dalton began, and enunciated every word slowly, “she is eighteen years old!” Mr. Garrison sighed. “Son, I don’t know what it is you’ve got against her, but quite frankly, I’m tired of arbitrating. Now, you worry about your problems, and I’ll take care of Laura.” With that, he held out his arm to Laura, but quickly withdrew as her mud-caked hand reached out to take it. He cleared his throat and walked off toward the house with Laura following closely on his heels. Dalton stood for a moment in disbelief. He heard Jack begin to chuckle from the depths of the barn, and he turned to face his brothers. “You may think it’s amusing now, Jack, but he’s going to spoil her rotten. She’s going to be more trouble than she’s worth before long.” “She already is,” muttered Sam, as he raked up the remnants of the ruined castle. Dalton turned and marched down to Trojan’s stall to give him a vigorous rubdown. Laura scrubbed herself clean in the big tub set up by the fireplace. She’d had a bit of a headache, but it was slowly fading as the hot water soothed her. She knew that Dalton was very angry with her now. But it hadn’t been her fault that the horse had spooked! It wasn’t her fault that Pa had stood up for her! And what was wrong with playing in the mud? Dalton had acted like it was the crime of the century. Laura stood up and dried herself, and then began to brush her hair in front of the fire. She thought over the day’s events, and realized that she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Looking at the clock on the mantle, she saw that it was almost time for supper. She’d better hurry and put on one of Mum’s old dresses. It would be very nice to have

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some new ones tomorrow. Her mood improved, Laura dug through the old chest and found a simple white gown with a high neckline, a satin tie around the waist, and a pretty ruffle along the hem. It looked like a small girl’s dress. She smiled to herself, slipped it on, and skipped down to the salon for a cordial. The entire family was there before her, apparently waiting to dine. They all stared at her wordlessly as she reached the door. After a few moments, Pa got up and offered her his arm on his way to the dining room. Laura smiled as she took it and the rest of the family followed her and Pa into the dining room. Mrs. Sanders began bringing out platters of food as everyone took their seats. She even brought the leftover cake from dinner earlier in the day. Laura was starving! She looked around at the dishes; savory roasted beef in gravy, sliced potatoes in cheese sauce, buttery carrots, freshly baked rolls, and even a salad of garden greens and beets. Everyone passed the dishes around, and Laura filled her plate, covering every square inch. Pa said grace, and they all began to eat and talk. Sam and Jack told their parents all about the social, who had been there, and anything of interest that had been said. Dalton was silent, and Laura concentrated on eating; trying not to be impolite as she quickly cleaned her plate and reached for the cake. “So, Laura,” said Sam, “Why were you playing in the mud?” She looked over at him disdainfully and replied, “I wanted to.” Sam nodded his head, as if that explained everything, and then continued, “And why were you wearing men’s clothing again? We all know you’re a girl, now.” “I wanted to. I like wearing pants.” Laura lifted her chin and raised her eyebrows at him. Sam

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almost snickered, but managed to keep his expression of mild interest. “And why are you wearing your underclothes to dinner?” Sam’s eyebrows rose in curiosity as his gaze swept quickly from her neckline to her hem. Laura felt her cheeks flush. “These aren’t underclothes, it’s an old dress of Mum’s.” Sam shook his head at her, and she turned to Mum. “Isn’t it?” Mum gave her a sympathetic look, and then gently said, “I was going to tell you later, Laura, but don’t worry, no one minds.” Mum turned to Sam, “Sam, there was no reason to…” Laura didn’t hear the rest as she bolted from the table and ran up the stairs, embarrassment flooding her senses. She slammed her bedroom door and stared at herself in the mirror. Well, really, it did look like an old-fashioned dress to her. How was she to know what the fashions had been twenty years ago? Jerking off the white dress, she pulled on the new green one and made her way to the salon for some peach brandy to settle her nerves. She was sipping on her second one by the time the rest of the family began to wander in. Sam and Pa began setting up the chessboard as Dalton poured after-dinner drinks. After passing them around, he picked up the decanter of peach brandy and held it to the firelight. It had only an inch of amber colored fluid in it. “Wasn’t this nearly full the other day?” Dalton addressed his father, who glanced over at him. Laura glared at Dalton, but he wouldn’t look her way. “I don’t know. What is it?” “It’s Laura’s new favorite drink. The peach liqueur that you paid Mr. Williams eighteen dollars a bottle for last spring. Dad, she’s guzzled up an entire bottle in just two days!” Pa stared at the decanter in Dalton’s hands, then looked curiously at Laura. She held onto her

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innocent look as he asked, “Laura, did you drink all that by yourself?” “Yes,” she grinned, and sipped her drink. “I like it.” “Well, that’s too much, dear. From now on, please limit yourself to one cordial after supper. Try some lemonade or tea the rest of the day.” “Yes, sir.” Laura smiled sweetly, and Pa turned his attention back to the chessboard. Dalton lit a cigar, trying to hide his anger at his father’s light treatment of the matter. Why, he actually believed that the girl hadn’t known any better! She could spend the next three years committing new sins and pretending she didn’t know it was wrong. Dalton’s palm itched to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget. The last one hadn’t made much of an impression; already she’d called him a tyrant, gotten herself inebriated against his direct orders not to drink, and worn men’s clothing as if it were the local fashion. He wasn’t even counting her breaking her bed and scaring his horse; surely, she hadn’t done those things on purpose. And all of this in one day! Just wait until he caught her alone…

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CHAPTER SIX Mrs. Miller arrived early the next morning as promised, with a carriage full of paper lined wooden crates. Jack and Pa carried everything up to Laura’s bedroom while Mum teasingly chided the seamstress about working so hard on the Sabbath. Mrs. Miller told her that she’d hired three young women to help her, and they’d all enjoyed the pleasant task. Still, Mum added a ten-dollar note to the fat envelope that she handed Mrs. Miller, who blushed with pleasure and tucked it into her bosom. They went upstairs to unpack the crates, and Laura excitedly tried on the new garments, which fit her perfectly. She exclaimed over the soft, lacy underclothes as she rubbed them against her cheek, having never owned such fine garments before now. Her own parents had been quite well off, but the Garrisons must be very wealthy to afford such luxuries. There were new shoes, hats, and hair ribbons, and a smaller crate contained lavender scented soaps, perfume, dusting powder, and other toiletries. Laura inhaled the delicate scent deeply; it reminded her of the meadow her parents used to take her to for picnics each summer when she was very small. Impulsively, she hugged Mum and Mrs. Miller, and danced about the room in happiness. Twirling around in front of the window, she became dizzy and had to sit down a moment as the older women laughed at her antics. Laura looked out toward the barn and saw Sam and Dalton working with the colts again. “Mrs. Miller, could my next dress be a riding habit?” she asked, the yearning to learn to ride once again foremost in her mind. “Please?” Mrs. Miller looked at Mum, who smiled and nodded. “Alright, Laura, come by next Sunday after church and I’ll have the habit ready along with a few more dresses.”

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“Thank you,” Laura gave her a smile, but then turned her face toward the window to hide her disappointment. She didn’t want to have to wait an entire week to begin her riding lessons; she wanted to learn now! It just wasn’t fair that men could do whatever they wanted in any kind of clothing, but women had to be properly dressed for every occasion. Laura continued to stare wistfully out the window while Mum and Mrs. Miller chatted behind her. A movement from the side yard caught her eye, and she leaned forward to see the lines of clothing flapping in the breeze where Mrs. Sanders had hung them out to dry. Her boys’ clothes were among the lot, and she smiled to herself, beginning to plan how she would talk Mum and Pa into letting her wear them again. She wouldn’t have to wait to ride, after all. “Laura, are you alright?” asked Mum. “Yes, thank you, I’m just daydreaming,” said Laura, and she got up to help put all the new things away into the wardrobe and dresser. “Dreaming about wearing your new finery to the next dance, I’ll wager,” beamed Mrs. Miller. Laura grinned and replied, “Yes, ma’am.” If only they knew, she thought. The three women merrily finished their chore, and went down to the salon. Mrs. Miller left after a healthy serving of cake and lemonade, and Laura went outside to see if the laundry had dried. Her pants and shirt, and some of the lighter clothing were ready, and she decided to help Mrs. Sanders by folding them into a wicker basket. As she worked, Dalton and Sam came up from the barn to get ready for dinner. “Good morning, Laura,” called Dalton, and she looked up to see him walking toward her with a grin of amusement. “It’s nice to see you doing something constructive for once.” “I like helping nice people,” retorted Laura. As he approached, she warily edged away, holding out

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a linen tablecloth in front of her as if it were some sort of protection. Dalton stopped several feet away and crossed his arms. “What’s the matter?” he laughed, “Do you think I would chastise you right here in sight of the house?” “No.” Laura realized how silly she must look, and she stood up straight and faced him. “You just make me nervous.” “And why is that, I wonder?” “You know why.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You threatened me, and you’re bigger than me. I would be stupid to not be wary.” His tone changed to a calm smoothness. “Why don’t you just accept your punishment as due and get it over with?” Laura glared up at him, incredulous at his audacity. His expression was sincere, as if he truly expected her to comply. Her pulse raced as she angrily exclaimed, “Because, you dolt, I’m not ‘due’ any punishment! You aren’t my father, and you have no right to tell me what to do!” She roughly folded the tablecloth and threw it into the basket. Dalton shook his head at her. “Laura, Laura, we’ve had this little argument before,” he sighed. “As your older brother, I do have the right, and I will use it.” Laura shot him a look of pure venom. “No, you won’t,” she said, and picked up the basket and marched toward the house. She heard him state plainly, “You’ll be very sorry for that when you’re over my knee getting your bare bottom blistered.” She suddenly turned and spat at him, “If you dare to do such a thing, I will tell Pa. I won’t keep quiet again, you son-of-a-bitch!” A look of outrage crossed his face, and Laura abruptly dropped the basket and ran for the porch. She made it to the front door, jerked it open, and then slowed down to walk into the salon. Her heart

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was pounding against her ribs, and she urgently wanted a drink. The horrible name she’d called Dalton reverberated in her ears, and from Dalton’s expression when she’d said it; it wasn’t the kind of language a lady would use. She’d never even heard of it before she’d ridden in the wagon train. Opening the liquor cabinet, she perused the array of decanters, but then shut it quickly as she heard the front door open. Dalton stepped into the salon, carrying the wicker basket. His eyes glinted with anger as he set it down on the floor, but he said nothing and then turned to go up the stairs with ominously heavy footsteps. Laura jerked open the cabinet, grabbed a bottle of clear liquid, buried it in the basket, and ran up to her room with it. Once there, she locked the door and opened the bottle. A cautious taste produced a mild stinging sensation on her tongue, but it had no real flavor. Placing the bottle in the back of her wardrobe, she took the basket down to Mrs. Sanders. In the kitchen, she got a glass of lemonade, took it to her room, and poured a measure of the bottle into it. She’d found another palatable drink to soothe her nerves. Gulping it down, she dressed for dinner, donning a new gown of light blue cotton sprinkled with tiny pink flowers. She tied her hair up with a matching ribbon, and poured a little more from the bottle into her glass before heading down to the kitchen to fill it with lemonade. She no longer felt angry or afraid of Dalton, and briefly wondered how she’d coped before discovering alcohol. Dinner was served promptly at noon, and everyone listened to Sam’s animated narration of how the colt training was coming along. Laura asked him a few questions, maintaining a polite demeanor as she caught Dalton’s occasional glares in her direction. Sam’s excitement was contagious, and she desperately wanted to learn to ride, but she

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certainly couldn’t approach Dalton again for lessons. She turned to Jack. “Would you teach me to ride this afternoon, Jack?” she smiled sweetly at him, ignoring Dalton’s glower. “Sure, Laura. Right after dinner?” “That would be wonderful! Thank you so much!” “What are you going to wear, dear?” Mum gave her a curious glance. “Well, I’ll have to wear my boys’ clothing, Mum, since I don’t have a riding habit yet.” This remark was met with silence for a long moment, and Laura remembered too late that she’d planned to ask nicely. “Does no one else see anything wrong with Laura wearing pants?” Dalton asked dryly. Mum spoke up, “It’s really not proper, Laura, maybe you should wait until your riding habit is finished.” “Oh, I know, Mum, but no one will see me but the family. I won’t even leave the corral, I just want to learn a little about riding.” Laura pleaded with her. “Please?” Mum smiled and gave in, “Oh, all right, I suppose it can’t hurt for a few days until you get your new habit.” “Thank you, Mum!” Laura jumped up, kissed her on the cheek, and then ran upstairs to change. Dalton stared at his mother as if she’d gone mad. “Mother, what if someone comes to visit? Why, Laura would be shunned by every respectable woman in town if anyone saw her wearing pants!” Mrs. Garrison stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Dalton, if someone comes to visit, they won’t be going to the barn. No one will see her. Let the girl have a little fun, Lord knows she’s had enough terrible events in her life.” Dalton shook his head in exasperation and excused himself from the table.

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Laura changed her clothes quickly, and she and Jack walked down to the barn. Jack was a patient teacher, and Laura followed his instructions to the letter as he showed her how to saddle up Brownie. Then they put the bridle on and led the gentle animal to the corral. After adjusting the stirrups to fit her, Jack walked the horse around and around in a big circle, letting Laura sit in the saddle and get a feel for the balance. He spent a long time explaining how to handle the reins, how to hold them firmly and not let them hang loosely, and how to not pull too hard when turning or stopping. Finally, he let her hold the reins, showing her how to lay them one over the other in her hand. He put two empty barrels in the middle of the corral and had her practice guiding Brownie around them, first one way and then the other, over and over for about an hour. He made sure that she learned to pull both feet from the stirrups before dismounting. Then he had her take Brownie’s tack off and groom him. Laura stood in the stall brushing him down as Jack left for the house. She was almost finished when she heard hoof beats growing louder as a rider approached the barn. She backed against the wall and froze as the rider dismounted right outside the door. If it was a visitor, she couldn’t be seen in her present attire, and if it were Dalton, she’d be trapped alone in here with him! A horse snorted not twenty feet away, and then the muffled thud of its hooves could be heard as it went toward the other end of the barn. Laura jumped as she heard Dalton’s voice, soft and soothing, talking to Trojan. She tried not to make any noise, but the alcohol had long since worn off, and she was shaking with fear. She knew what would happen if he discovered her there, and her trembling increased as she heard Dalton close Trojan’s stall gate and walk back toward the barn door. Brownie nickered at him and pawed the straw

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on the dirt floor, raising up a bit of dust. Laura sneezed. “Brownie? Who’s in there with you?” Dalton’s tone was mocking as he approached the stall. Laura briefly considered throwing open the stall gate and running to the house, but she knew he’d catch her before she reached the barn door. She felt sick with anxiety as Dalton creaked open the gate, and she squatted down, making retching noises into the straw at her feet. She didn’t even have to pretend to be ill. “Laura, are you alright?” “No,” she groaned, “I think I ate too much at dinner.” She coughed a few times and spat into the straw. “And then we rode around and around and around…” He stepped into the stall and she wiped her mouth with her shirtsleeve, standing up on shaky legs. “You look terrible!” he exclaimed, his expression concerned. “Thanks.” Laura leaned her head back against the wall and gave him a wry smile. “I feel horrible.” She held out her shaking hands as proof. Dalton’s took one hand and led her out of the stall. “Let’s get you up to the house for a hot bath and some rest.” Laura felt him put his arm around her shoulders, but then he stopped short and turned her to face him. She stared up at his bemused expression. “You know, I still owe you a long, hard spanking, which is what I had planned to give you just now, but since you’re ill…” He suddenly pulled her up against him and smacked her bottom twice, very hard. She squealed at the sudden searing pain and threw her hands back to cover her burning cheeks. “That’s just a reminder of what’s coming.” Laura felt tears welling up as she rubbed her backside and wondered how it could hurt so much through a pair of cotton pants. She wanted to kick him in the shin, but was hardly in a position to do so. Dalton held her a moment, and then smoothly picked her up in his arms and marched off toward

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the house. Laura stiffened and tried to push away from his chest, but he laughed softly, “Careful, now, kitten. I’m going to finish that spanking as soon as you’re feeling better. And your behavior until then will determine just how red your bare bottom’s going to get. That little demonstration in the gazebo will seem like child’s play when I get through with you.” Laura felt shivers run through her abdomen at his words, and she wondered how she could possibly endure such an experience. It hadn’t seemed a real possibility before, but now that she knew how determined he was, she believed that he would carry out his threat at the first opportunity. She wiped her eyes on her shirtsleeve and relaxed against him, giving in for the moment. His muscular arms were like steel bands imprisoning her, yet they were strangely protective. She wondered at his conflicting actions; one moment he was solicitous, and the next he was smacking her backside. He talked of spanking her while gently carrying her in his arms. She didn’t understand, having never experienced loving discipline before. Her parents had doted on her and indulged her every whim, while her aunt and uncle had treated her with no consideration at all. When Dalton reached the back steps, he set her down gently and told her to go up to her room. Laura didn’t argue. She slowly walked up the stairs, her cheeks throbbing, and laid across her bed to await the hot water for her bath. She felt a growing respect for Dalton, and fervently wished she’d never crossed him. She could feel that he cared about her, even as he threatened her bodily harm. She’d have to be very careful from now on, and make sure that the opportunity for his retribution never arose. An hour later, Laura sat in the living room, freshly bathed and wearing her new blue dress. Mark Stanley was due to arrive soon, to begin her lessons. She idly leafed through a magazine,

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dreading the long boring evening ahead. She had no idea what she was expected to learn. She’d finished school, as far as she was concerned, and had no interest in further education, at least not from books. She saw Pa go to the front door and open it as a man came up the front steps and onto the porch. They shook hands, and then Pa led him into the living room. “Laura, this is Mr. Stanley.” She stood up and offered her hand. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He was rather young, with long brown hair tied together at the nape of his neck. He had thick, expressive eyebrows and an aquiline nose. He was quite handsome, although a little on the thin side. Laura had trouble seeing him as a teacher; he looked too nice to be in charge of instructing and disciplining young children. Pa led them into the dining room and turned up the wicks on the wall sconces. The room lit up brightly, and Mr. Stanley opened his valise, bringing forth several textbooks and a stack of papers. They sat down, and as he began to talk about several subject matters, Laura realized that she was far behind what he thought she should know. She didn’t want to learn all those things! What difference could a knowledge of Shakespeare, Latin, or World History possibly make in her life? Mr. Stanley opened the books to several proficiency tests and gave her a pen, an inkwell, and some blank paper. Then he left to go to the salon while she took her tests. Laura looked through the first one, a mathematics test. It was four pages long, and started out with long sums, then progressed to difficult algebraic equations and word problems. Laura sighed and began to copy down the problems. She’d always hated math; it was such tedious work. The first problem took several minutes to add up, and she groaned in frustration. She’d be here for hours! She just couldn’t do it all, and could think of no reason why she should. Why, she’d just refuse

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to participate in this whole tutoring business. She would talk to Pa and get him to drop the whole idea. However, her thoughts then turned to Dalton, and she knew without a doubt that he’d find a way to make her do it. He’d also see this as more bad behavior on her part. No, she wasn’t going to get out of it. She stared at the list of numbers in the second problem. Idly, she wrote down an answer at random. Then an idea formed in her mind, and she realized that she didn’t have to waste her time learning anything new; she’d just relearn what she already knew! She began to fill in her answers, purposefully getting even the simple ones wrong. She showed not an inkling of understanding of multiplication. Algebra was a complete mystery! By the time she got to the last test, of written English, her crude penmanship and poor spelling were quite evident. She giggled to herself as she laboriously wrote, “The dog barkt lowdlee wen the kat skratcht it.” Then she proudly stacked up the papers and took them to the salon. Mr. Stanley carried them back to the dining room and Laura sipped on her special lemonade while she waited with Pa for her results. Mum had gone to the kitchen with Mrs. Sanders to plan the next day’s meals. It wasn’t long before Mr. Stanley appeared in the salon doorway, staring at the papers and shaking his head. “Mr. Garrison?” Pa looked up from his book. “I’m afraid Laura is only at about second year level.” He looked very apologetic. Pa gave him a strange look. “Are you certain? The girl can beat me at chess!” Mark Stanley looked him straight in the eye. “I’m certain. An ability to play chess doesn’t require any book knowledge, just an understanding of spatial relationships and strategy.” Pa stared at Laura for a moment, then looked back to Mr. Stanley. “Well, I guess you’ll have your work cut out for you, hmm?”

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“Um, I didn’t bring the appropriate textbooks with me; I assumed a girl of her age would have at least completed the eighth form. I’ll have to bring them tomorrow evening. I would suggest four or five nights a week instead of three, seeing how far behind she is.” Laura gasped and looked up at him. Pa nodded his agreement, and Mr. Stanley disappeared to collect his books and papers. Laura excused herself to Pa and stomped up the stairs, thoroughly disgusted. She threw herself over the bed and groaned. She’d outwitted everyone, it seemed, including herself. Schooling five nights a week! All she wanted to do was learn to ride so she could take part in running a cattle ranch! Her future looked bleak, studying every day and always having to be wary of Dalton catching her alone. Why, she couldn’t even enjoy teasing him anymore, now that he’d scared her silly with his awful threats. “Laura, it’s time for supper!” Dalton’s voice carried through her doorway, and she jumped up quickly to straighten her dress and brush her hair. She wished she had another glass of lemonade to mix with her liquor, but then decided to drink it straight. She couldn’t sit across the table from Dalton without something to calm her nerves. She drank right from the bottle, holding her breath as long as she could before gasping and coughing. There, she’d done it. She popped a peppermint into her mouth and hurried down the stairs to the dining room. A warm glow enveloped her as she took her seat at the table. Everyone was already there except Sam, and she smiled around the table, even at Dalton, who rewarded her with an approving look. Perhaps he’d gotten over his annoyance at her. “So, did you enjoy your first lessons with Mr. Stanley?” asked Dalton. Laura dropped her eyes and felt her cheeks flush as Mum passed her a bowl of baked beans.

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“I…I just took some tests. We’re to start lessons tomorrow.” Laura put a small spoonful of beans on her plate and passed the bowl to Pa. “Oh, I see.” Dalton gave her a scrutinizing look as she took a bowl of potatoes from Mum. “So how did you do on the tests? University level?” Laura sighed and looked up to see genuine expectation in his expression. She suddenly wished she’d done her best on the testing. “No,” she said as she put the potatoes down on her left. “He said… he said I’m far behind and need to be tutored five nights a week to catch up.” Laura stared at her plate and waited as Sam finally came to the table and sat down. “Oh.” Dalton let the subject drop and turned to Sam. “You’re late,” he stated tersely. Sam scooped a large serving of potatoes onto his plate. “I was just washing up after I stacked up the firewood,” he replied. “You know what time we have supper,” lectured Dalton. “Don’t be late again.” “Yes, sir.” Sam lowered his head as Pa said the blessing. Everyone was quiet as they began to eat. Laura pushed her food around on her plate, feeling a little dizzy and not at all hungry. She felt rather sorry for Sam, and didn’t understand why he let Dalton boss him around. He seemed old enough to make his own decisions. He certainly didn’t go around getting into trouble like she did. “I was riding the fence line this morning, Dad,” said Jack, breaking the silence, “and I don’t think we can hold off on the repairs any longer.” “I guess you’ll have to start out in the morning, then,” replied Pa. “Who wants to go?” “Me and Dalton are training the colts, Dad,” said Sam, giving his father an anxious look. “Dalton and I.” Dalton corrected him. “Both of you?” Sam laughed, and Dalton frowned at him in annoyance. Laura revised her

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earlier opinion of their relationship. Sam could really be a pest when he wanted to. “I guess I’ll just take two or three of the hands with me,” said Jack. “Hopefully it won’t take more than a week.” “Could I go?” asked Laura, “What are you going to be doing?” “Laura, you’re going to be too busy studying,” replied Pa. “It’s no place for a woman, anyway. They’re going to ride along the fence lines, making repairs as they find them, and they’ll be camping out at night.” Laura started mixing her potatoes and beans together as she thought about it. “But Pa, why can’t a woman do that?” “Well, a woman could do it, but she wouldn’t be camping with a bunch of ranch hands, unless her husband were there as well.” “Oh.” Laura found the light brown color of her potato-bean creation interesting. She began to stack the potato slices one upon another with her fork, until she had a small tower of twenty-two slices. Jack and Pa continued to talk about the trip. “Laura.” She looked up at Dalton and was surprised to see an irritated look on his face. “Must you play with your food like that?” “Oh. Sorry.” She covered her plate with her napkin and folded her hands in her lap. She heard Sam chuckle quietly beside her, and she began to giggle quietly as she glanced at his amused expression. Mrs. Sanders came in and set a large chocolate cake down on the table. She took Laura’s plate back to the kitchen with her. Laura reached for the cake and cut herself a small slice of it, placing it on her dessert plate. She took a bite and savored the sweet taste. “You know, when we were younger, we weren’t allowed to have dessert until we’d eaten our meal,” said Dalton pointedly.

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Emboldened by the liquor, she looked up at Dalton innocently and said, “Well, then, I won’t eat it. Here, you can have it.” She stood up and leaned over the table, placing her dessert plate right on top of Dalton’s half-eaten dinner. She smiled at him sweetly as she heard Sam break out in laughter. Then she sat back down and folded her hands in her lap again. Dalton covered both plates with his napkin and stood up. His tone was quiet but deadly as he said, “Your behavior is appalling, and I wish someone would spank you into conducting yourself as an adult.” He glared at his father before silently leaving the room. Laura sat still, her face hot with embarrassment as she stared at her hands in her lap. Pa cleared his throat. “Laura, I do think your table manners need some improvement. Please try to act more like a lady at the table.” “Yes, sir.” Laura sighed and stood up. “I’m sorry.” She left the room and ran upstairs to her bedroom, shutting and locking the door. She felt dizzy and the room was spinning as she lay down on her bed, falling asleep quickly. She awoke several hours later with a headache. Groaning, she got up to open the window. The night air was fresh and cool, and she sat in her window seat, staring out at the stars. She realized that she’d angered Dalton yet again, and wondered how she’d had the nerve to do so. Jack would be leaving in the morning, and who would teach her to ride? Certainly not Dalton. Laura rubbed her head as she tried to think of a way out of his promised threat. Maybe if she apologized nicely enough, he’d forgive her. She walked over to the small desk in the corner of the room and lit the wall sconce above it. Writing out a long letter to Dalton, she expressed her sincere apologies for her recent behavior. She blamed it all on the liquor and promised to never

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drink again. She begged his forgiveness and vowed to act more like an adult. She swore that she’d obey him as an older brother, and she’d study hard to please Pa. As she wrote, she realized that she really meant every word, and she wanted to please Dalton just as much as she’d previously wanted to annoy him. She now knew that there would be no escaping his control as long as she lived there, and she certainly didn’t want to leave. She signed the letter with a flourish, folded it into thirds, and slipped it under Dalton’s bedroom door. Sleep came peacefully, and she didn’t awaken until she heard the sounds of Jack and his crew outside her window early the next morning. She got up and looked out to see them riding off down the lane. Laura yawned and began to get ready for the day. She’d told Mum she’d help her sew some new curtains for the salon this morning. After donning a new green day dress with small yellow pinstripes, she opened her bedroom door to go downstairs and saw Dalton coming down the hall. They both froze and looked at each other, and then Dalton walked up to her. “I have my doubts about your sincerity, but if what you wrote was in earnest, I’m willing to forgive and forget.” Laura looked up at him and swallowed hard at his stern expression. He certainly didn’t look very forgiving. “I meant what I wrote, Dalton. I’m tired of always fighting with you.” His expression didn’t change as he said, “You’re willing to accept my authority and you’ll stop drinking?” “Yes.” Laura stared down at his feet as she added, “I don’t want to ‘accept your authority’, but I will if it means we’ll stop fighting and upsetting Mum and Pa.” “I agree then.” “And you won’t threaten me anymore?” she mumbled, too embarrassed to state any details.

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“We’ll call it a clean slate from this point, Laura. But if you drink again, or swear at me, or behave rudely, I will punish you as I see fit.” “But, you won’t s-spank me, right?” Laura couldn’t look at him as she said that awful word. “Laura,” Dalton put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up. “If you deserve to be spanked, I’ll make sure it happens. It will be painful, but the pain won’t last long. I only want to help you learn to behave like an adult, and to not do dangerous things. I care about you, and I would never cause you any permanent damage. I want to keep you safe, and help you grow up to be a responsible person.” Laura knew that he was being honest with her, but she couldn’t agree to being spanked. “Dalton, I’ll be responsible from now on, and I won’t do anything dangerous.” She took a deep breath and decided to come clean with all of it. “And I won’t lie, cheat or steal anymore. You won’t have any reason to spank me.” He raised one eyebrow, crossed his arms, and looked down at her sternly. “You’ve lied, cheated, and stolen?” “Yes,” she admitted, “I lied when I said I couldn’t play the piano. Then I cheated on my tests so I would look stupid and wouldn’t have to learn anything new for a while. And I stole a bottle of liquor; it’s in my wardrobe.” She said it all very fast, feeling an enormous weight lift from her mind as she spoke. Then she backed up a little, her heart fluttering in apprehension as his expression changed from mild annoyance to anger. “Laura,” he began, his eyes glinting like steel. “Why didn’t you mention any of this in your letter to me? You asked me to forgive you, but you didn’t confess any of these things!” Laura gave him a hurt look and said shakily, “I know I didn’t write anything specific, but I hadn’t

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planned on telling you everything until just now when I blurted it all out.” “So, when you wrote the letter, you weren’t planning on being truthful about everything, were you?” His words were spoken quietly, but each one was delivered in a clear, deliberate manner. She had no doubt that he was furious with her. “No,” she said, her voice sinking, “I only wanted to start over again, because I’m really sorry, and I won’t ever do those things again. But then just now you said how you wanted to help me be a better person, and that you cared about me, so I thought I should trust you, and tell you everything…” Laura stared up at him for a moment, and then dropped her gaze to the floor again. “Oh, and I lied when I said I was sick yesterday, too. I was really just afraid of your threats. I’m sorry, Dalton, really I am! I don’t want to be doing bad things anymore, I just want another chance, I just want to start over again with a clean slate, like you said…” “When I said that, I didn’t know that you’d been lying, cheating, and stealing.” The words burned into her mind as she waited for him to say more. “Laura, do you really trust me?” She looked up at him and slowly nodded. “Then go out to the barn now and wait for me.” She felt her stomach flip over in fear. He was asking her to voluntarily submit to whatever chastisement he had in mind! “Dalton,” she pleaded, “you’re not going to spank me, are you?” She felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she didn’t bother to wipe it away. “If you really trust me, then go out to the barn now,” he repeated firmly, and then turned and walked away. Laura stood in her doorway, unable to make herself move. She could stay here, ignore him, and live with her lies, but he’d surely catch her alone, someday, somehow. She could confess all to Pa, who would be very disappointed in her, but then Dalton would still catch up with her eventually. She could run away again, and go to her Aunt in

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Montana. But then she’d hurt the Garrisons and she’d miss them terribly. Laura stood up straight and took a deep breath. No more running away. No more lying. It was time to grow up. She went downstairs. Mum and Pa were at the dining room table eating breakfast, and they greeted her cheerily. She told them good morning, and that she was going out to pet the colts before breakfast. Laura went out onto the front porch and stared down at the barn. The sun was shining brightly over the trees in the distance, and the air was cool and damp. She took a deep breath, went down the five steps, and slowly walked down the path, watching her shadow float over the grass. It seemed to take forever to reach the open barn doors. All the way there, she fought the urge to turn and run back to the safety of the house. She was certain that Dalton was going to spank her, and as much as the idea frightened her, she wanted to stop doing bad things; she wanted to grow up and act like an adult. She wanted Dalton to approve of her. She walked into the warm haven and jumped as she heard Trojan nicker in his stall. Her heart was racing as she walked down to the west end, where Brownie had been stabled, and sat down on a bale of straw to wait. It was about five minutes before she heard Dalton walking up, and by that time, she’d worried herself into a quivering state of nerves. He strode purposefully up to her and sat down on the bale beside her. She held her trembling hands together in her lap, but her knees were shaking, too, and it was obvious that she was terrified. He swept her hair behind her shoulder, took her shivering, cold hands in his, and held them firmly. “Don’t be afraid, Laura. Trust me.” She looked into his silver eyes, and found nothing but kindness there. “Now. When we go back to the house, you’ll return the liquor bottle to its cabinet.” She nodded.

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His hands were much bigger than hers, and their warmth felt like a cocoon around her fingers. “And you’ll tell my… our parents that you lied about being able to play the piano, because you were shy about it.” She nodded again. “But, if my father finds out you cheated on your tests, he’ll be very, very upset. I don’t want him to be that upset, so I’ll offer to tutor you instead of Mr. Stanley, which will save Dad money, and he’ll agree to it.” Laura smiled up at him, astounded that he’d solved all her problems in such short order. She pulled her hands away, and threw her arms around his neck to hug him tightly. “Oh, thank you, Dalton, I’m so glad you could fix everything!” Dalton hugged her back and then put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm’s length. Laura looked at his stern expression and swallowed hard. “Please tell me you’re not going to spank me,” she said, her voice scarcely above a whisper. “Laura, I believe that you’re really sorry for the things you did.” Laura nodded vigorously, and her hopes lifted as he gave her a look of genuine concern. “But I’m not sure that you won’t repeat your mistakes without a taste of what will happen if you do.” Her heart slammed against her ribs at his words, and she knew she was doomed as his determined, solemn gaze revealed his intentions. “Oh, but I won’t make those mistakes again, I promise!” His expression didn’t change, and she babbled on, her lower lip trembling, “And I’ve already had a taste, Dalton, remember, you spanked me in the gazebo, and three times when I was a boy, and then again yesterday…” Dalton cut her off. “We’re not going to argue about this, Laura, and I don’t want you to suffer any longer in fear of a simple spanking. Let’s just get this over with, now.” A look of horror crossed her face, and she jumped up quickly, but Dalton neatly

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maneuvered her over his lap, threw her skirts and shift up, and pulled her drawers down. “You said to trust you!” she cried, anger replacing her fear as she kicked and struggled wildly, but he held her down with his left hand and immediately started smacking her bare buttocks with his right hand. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Laura shrieked in pain but he didn’t stop or even slow down. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “Stop! You’re hurting me!” she wailed, tears pouring down her cheeks and onto the dirt floor beneath her nose. Nevertheless, he continued to redden her cheeks and upper thighs with rapid, precise slaps that stung like fire. Laura could no longer think or yell anything of coherence; her brain registered only hot, searing, pain as her fingers scrabbled at the dirt. He finally stopped when she was limp and sobbing over his knee, then he pulled up her drawers and helped her up to sit beside him again. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” Laura cried, putting her hand back to rub her backside. Dalton pulled her up against him and held her tightly as she sobbed, rubbing her back gently. “There, now, it’s all over. It was quick and efficient, and now that you know what to expect, you shouldn’t be so afraid of it.” Laura cried even harder at that, her thoughts beginning to make some sense. “You said to trust you, and then you spanked me anyway!” “Yes, I did. You deserved it, and I gave it to you. I want you to trust me to give you what you need, when you need it, and it may not be what you want, but that’s where you have to trust me.” “You saw my bare bottom!” she wailed. He chuckled at that. “Laura, I’ve seen it before, remember? I’ve seen a lot of bare bottoms, and yours is no different. They all have two cheeks above two legs.” “You hurt me, and it still hurts!”

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“It’s going to sting for a couple of hours, probably. But there’s no damage, and soon you’ll be good as new.” Laura’s crying slowed down to sniffles as the pain began to fade. “It was terrible! I’m never going to let you do that again!” “You didn’t let me do it this time, kitten,” he reminded her. “I had to force you. Next time, I expect you to put yourself over my knee.” “Next time? I could never do that!” “Laura, think about what you did wrong. Do you honestly think you didn’t deserve what you got? Do you know what Mr. Stanley would have done if he’d found out you’d cheated on his tests and wasted his valuable time?” “N-no,” she said, and stopped crying as curiosity got the better of her. “Well,” Dalton pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her, “He would have given you at least twelve strokes of his cane. You wouldn’t have been able to sit down for a week, and the bruises would last longer than that.” “What?” Laura dried her eyes and stared at him, astonished. “That nice little man?” Dalton grinned at her. “That nice little man is a good teacher, but he’s very strict with the students, and won’t tolerate any form of lying or cheating. He doesn’t have to use his cane very often, but when he does, he makes an impression.” “Pa wouldn’t have let him cane me!” insisted Laura. “Laura, Mr. Stanley would have bent you over the table, raised your skirts and caned your bottom before Pa would have known anything about it.” “Ha! I would have screamed bloody murder at the first stroke, and everyone would have come running,” she asserted. “Mr. Stanley is an expert at caning. He’d have given you twelve quick strokes before anyone could reach you.”

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Laura sat up straight and gave Dalton a smug smile. “No, he wouldn’t have. He’s too weak and skinny. I’d have kicked him in the shin and run away! He couldn’t hold me down!” Dalton laughed at her imperious tone. “He may be skinny, but he’s held down several husky boys that I know of.” “Well,” Laura couldn’t think of anything else to say, and she began to giggle at the thought of her kicking Mr. Stanley. “Now, are you ready to admit that you deserved that spanking?” Laura stopped giggling, and glanced at his thighs, blushing at the memory of lying helplessly across their hard expanse. “Yes,” she mumbled, and stared at the dirt floor. “Do you promise to never drink, lie, cheat, or steal again?” “Yes.” “And are you willing to trust me to know what you need?” Laura drew a line in the dirt with the toe of her shoe. “Yes.” “And you know that I’ll do my best to keep you safe, and help you make the right decisions?” “Yes.” Laura felt a warm glow surround her as he put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. It was much better than the alcohol, she thought, and put her head on his shoulder.

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CHAPTER SEVEN Laura and Mum hung up the new curtains for everyone to see. It had taken three hours to finish them, but the pretty white linen sprinkled with brightly colored flowers brightened up the room considerably. Laura had confessed her lie about not being able to play the piano, and Mum was now asking her to play for them. She really didn’t want to sit on the hard piano bench, but Mum was insistent, and she finally gave in. “I haven’t played since my parents died.” The room was silent as Laura ran her fingers lightly over the keys, then played a few scales, warming up to arpeggios and chord progressions. Finally, she began to play Mozart’s Minute Waltz, her fingers flying over the keys. At the end of the piece, her four new family members clapped loudly, and Dalton even cheered. “I made a few mistakes,” she said, “I’m really out of practice, sorry.” “Laura, we don’t mind if you make mistakes. That was very good,” said Dalton, patting her on the back. Laura awkwardly stood up. “Let’s go eat.” Mum and Pa left the room, with Sam close behind. “Laura, I talked to Pa, and he’s agreed that I should tutor you instead of Mr. Stanley.” “Thank you, Dalton,” she smiled at him and headed for the dining room. Laura gingerly took her seat at the table, and smiled at Dalton again, her mind now free from guilt and fear. He gave her a nod of approval as she laid her napkin in her lap and passed a bowl of spinach to Mum. “Dad, I’m going to ride out to the school after dinner to tell Mr. Stanley he doesn’t need to come out again. I’ll pay him for his time last night as well,” said Dalton. “Of course, Dalton.” Pa piled rice onto his plate as he spoke.

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“How come Mr. Stanley doesn’t need to come?” asked Sam, ever curious. “Why, Sam, not ‘how come’.” Dalton corrected him. “I’ve decided to tutor Laura, instead. It’ll save a lot of money since he was going to come out five days a week instead of three.” “Five days a week! Why, is she stupid?” Sam laughed and looked at Laura, who immediately rose to the bait. “No, I’m not stupid! You’re stupid, you silly boy!” she hissed at him. “Silly? Girls are silly, not boys. Besides, I’m a man, not a boy.” “You’re a silly little boy who constantly needs his English corrected, that’s what you are.” “Laura!” She jerked her head toward Dalton’s sharp tone. “That’s enough of that. Sam, she’s not stupid, and you’re both being silly, now be quiet and eat.” “Yes, sir,” muttered Laura, and began to pick at her food as Mum and Pa and Sam all stared in amazement at her sudden compliance. “Okay,” said Sam, and began to eat with gusto. Laura wanted to ask Dalton for riding lessons, but remembered her sore buttocks, and grimaced to herself. She wondered how long it would be before she could sit comfortably again. She ate slowly, and idly listened to Sam’s report on the colt training. After dinner, Dalton rode off on his mission, and Laura practiced the piano for several hours, relearning the old familiar classics she’d played before. Tears rolled down her face as she played a Chopin Etude, her father’s favorite, and she remembered how he used to lean on the piano and listen to the sweet melody. She hadn’t cried over her parents in at least six months, but now it was as if the hurt was new again. Dalton came into the salon and watched her finish the piece, tears falling upon her hands and

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the ivory keys. When it ended, she sat unmoving for a few moments, until Dalton approached and held out his hand to help her up. He hugged her close and rubbed her back. Laura felt better almost immediately, and hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “That was my father’s favorite,” she tried to explain. “I’ll bet he was listening from heaven, and he’s glad that you’re playing again.” “I hope so…” Laura felt safe and protected, just as she used to in her father’s arms. Yet, there was something else, a feeling of excitement and attraction that was definitely not the same. Laura relaxed against Dalton’s chest, letting the feelings wash away her unhappiness. Dalton moved his hands to her shoulders, and her hair became entangled in his fingers. Laura reached back to pull her hair out of the way. “You play beautifully. Much better than I,” said Dalton, awkwardly stepping back as she smoothed her hair. “Oh, no, Dalton, you play very well!” She smiled up at his still serious countenance. “Well, I’m not going to argue with you; maybe tonight we’ll play a duet, would you like that?” She nodded her head, and he smiled back at her. “I’d like to start your lessons in a little while; why don’t you come down to the dining room in about ten minutes?” Laura nodded her head again, and ran upstairs to wash her face. On her bed, she found a small package wrapped in white paper with a green ribbon tied around it. She sat down and opened it to find a set of six soft, beautifully embroidered handkerchiefs. Smiling to herself, she realized that Dalton must have gone into town this afternoon and purchased them for her. She tucked one into her bodice, hoping she wouldn’t have a use for it anytime soon. Then she wondered why he would think she would need them. He probably didn’t expect her to behave for very long! She

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resolved to show him just how good she could be; just how grown-up she really was, and perhaps he’d see her as an adult instead of an unruly child. Those feelings she’d had when he was hugging her were definitely not adolescent, as she’d felt for Robby. She’d felt true passion, and she wondered if he’d felt anything as well. Laura carefully brushed her hair out until it fell shining and silky to her waist before hurrying down to the dining room to start her new lessons. Her heart sang with the thought of Dalton being her teacher instead of that awful Mr. Stanley. She’d be a good student and show Dalton just how smart she really was. Thirty minutes later, Laura sat at the dining room table staring miserably at a column of numbers to be summed up. All thoughts of being mature and studying hard had fled her mind. She hated math no matter how Dalton had tried to get her interested in it. He’d taught her two new ways to add up the numbers, by counting imaginary points on each number, and by finding patterns of tens in the columns. Laura had been completely incapable of joining in with his enthusiasm over the stupid numbers, and he’d finally left the room with a directive for her to finish the next five problems on her own before supper. Frustrated beyond common sense, Laura drew a picture of a horse in the right margin of her paper. Then she drew another one in the left margin. Before long, Mrs. Sanders came in to set the table, and Laura moved the books onto her lap and continued to draw on her paper. She could hear Mum and Pa talking in the salon, and then piano music drifted in, soft and lilting in Dalton’s capable hands. Laura sighed and drew a little barn with a colt in front of it. She wanted to go and play with Dalton, not add up senseless sums. Then the music stopped and the family came into the room to eat. Laura slipped her paper into the math book and sipped on her tea as everyone sat down. Mrs. Sanders brought in a dish full of

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fried chicken, hot and crispy, and Laura’s mouth fairly watered at its wonderful aroma. “Let’s see your math paper.” Dalton smiled at her, holding out his hand expectantly. “Um… it’s not finished yet.” Laura took a big gulp of her tea. “It isn’t? He raised one eyebrow, and pulled his hand back. “Well, then, why don’t you take your paper to the salon and come back when it’s done.” Laura knew he was giving her one more chance to do the work, but she rashly decided to push her luck; he was being so considerate and she was very hungry. “I can’t do it now, it’s too hard, and I’m starving.” “It’s not hard work; you just don’t want to do it. Let me see what you’ve done so far.” “Right after supper, I’ll give it to you.” Laura grabbed a chicken leg from the tray in front of her and took a big bite. “Young lady, we haven’t even said grace yet. Put that chicken down and give me your paper.” Laura swallowed hard at his now stern tone. She put the chicken down, wiped her hands on her napkin, and reached down for her paper. The little horses stood out, as if boasting of their illegitimate existence. She wordlessly handed the paper to Dalton, who perused it carefully. “You have quite an artistic talent here, Laura,” he said, and placed the paper in his lap, looking toward his father to say grace. Pa said a quick blessing, and then everyone began to eat except Dalton and Laura. Dalton stood up with the paper in his hand and excused himself, saying he’d be right back. He motioned for Laura to follow him, and she dejectedly picked up the textbooks and writing implements and left the table. Dalton stood grimly at the door to the salon and waited as she put the books down on a small table. “You’re very close to making a trip out to the barn, young lady.” Laura winced at his quiet but

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stern tone of voice. “Just push me one more time and you’ll be very sorry. Now, you will sit in here and finish those problems, and if you’re not done before supper’s over, then you’ll get no supper. Is that understood?” Laura nodded her head, took the paper from his hand, and sat down on the sofa. There was no getting out of it, she thought, as she heard his boot steps striding back to the dining room. She began to add up the numbers, and was surprised to find that it only took her a few minutes, using Dalton’s method of point counting. Laura took the paper back to Dalton and stood with her hands behind her back while he looked it over. “Very good.” He put it down on the table, and she went to her seat, arranging her napkin in her lap once more. As soon as she looked up, everyone began to hand her the food dishes all at once. She looked around at Mum, Pa, and Sam, and burst out laughing, not knowing which dish to accept first. “Why, thank you!” she said to all three of them. She took the bowl of mashed potatoes from Mum, and placed a large spoonful onto her plate. Then they all began to discuss the upcoming barn dance at a neighboring ranch the following month. Mum had received the invitation in the mail that Dalton had picked up from town that afternoon. Laura asked a lot of questions; she’d been to a few fancy balls, but never a country barn dance. It sounded like a very festive event, and Laura found herself looking forward to it with growing interest. After supper, Dalton brought out a book of Shakespeare and told Laura to read the first act of a play. She eagerly took it to the salon and opened it up. She loved to read, and although she’d never tried Shakespeare, she’d heard a lot about his wonderful plays when she was younger. Laura tried hard to concentrate as the others came into the salon, but the words didn’t make sense. The

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speech was strange, and she didn’t understand it. After reading through it three times, she thought that perhaps she really was stupid. Slamming it shut, she got up to leave the room. “Are you through reading?” asked Dalton, looking up from his newspaper in a corner chair. Laura thought it had been obvious that she was through. Feeling angry and frustrated, she exclaimed, “Yes, and I hate it! It’s stupid and boring, and I don’t want to learn it!” Laura ran out of the room and up the stairs, her hair flying out behind her. No sooner had she reached the upper landing, though, she heard Dalton call her from the hallway. She looked down to see him crooking his finger at her. Pausing for a moment as she fought down her anger, she reluctantly descended the staircase to stand before him. “Laura, did you understand what you read?” “Of course I did!” Laura stared at her feet, unwilling to look at him. “Are you sure?” “Yes! I said I did!” “Laura, look at me.” She glanced up at him quickly and then perused the floor again. He put his hand under her chin and tipped it up. Laura stared into his knowing eyes, and then blurted out, “No, I didn’t understand it. It made no sense at all!” “You could have told me you didn’t understand it, and then I would have helped you with it.” He dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t want you to know how stupid I am!” “You’re not stupid. Ignorance isn’t stupidity; it’s just a lack of knowledge. But lying isn’t very smart.” Laura’s eyes grew wide as she realized that she’d lied to him. “I’m sorry, Dalton. I didn’t mean to lie!” She backed up a step. “Let’s go out to the barn.”

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“No, please, Dalton, I’m really sorry,” she began to plead with him, but he took her by the arm and escorted her to the front door. As soon as he’d opened it for her, she ran down the porch steps and across the yard without him, throwing herself down onto the scattered straw where he’d last punished her. She was crying loudly by the time he arrived. Dalton sat down on a straw bale. “Laura, get over my knees, right now.” Crying harder, Laura made no move to get up. “Laura, you know you deserve this. First, you argued with Sam at the dinner table, which was very rude table manners. Then you disregarded my instructions by drawing pictures instead of doing the sums I gave you, and you all but refused to give me your paper.” His stern words registered as a wave of shame, and then her feelings of self-pity began to dissolve. “Then you slammed my Shakespeare book shut, ran away while I was talking to you, and then lied to me!” Laura stopped crying and sat up. She couldn’t believe she’d done all those things just since this morning, especially after her resolution to be more grown-up. “I should have spanked you for any one of those things, but I kept thinking your behavior would improve with giving you warnings.” Laura pulled out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes. She looked up to see the expression of exasperation on Dalton’s face. “I’m afraid that warnings aren’t going to work with you. From now on, we’ll make this trip out to the barn as many times a day as it takes for you to understand how an adult behaves.” Laura sniffed, slowly stood up, and stepped to his side. “The longer you take to put yourself in place, the harder this spanking’s going to be.” Reluctantly, she bent over his knees and placed her hands on the dirt floor. He pulled her skirts up and adjusted her so that her nose was nearly touching the ground, and her bottom was raised high over his thighs. She was crying again before he even got her drawers down.

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WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! SMACK! WHACK! Laura’s feet kicked up as his hand struck her cheeks. “Ow! Oooh! Please, Dalton…” she cried, struggling to get away, but he held her down firmly and paid no heed to her pleas. WHACK! SMACK! WHACK! SMACK! WHACK! WHACK! His big hand methodically worked its way up one cheek and down the other until he suddenly stopped, and she tried to get up, but he held her in place. “This is for the bad table manners!” “Owww!” she screamed, as a flurry of stinging smacks rained down upon her upper cheeks. “This is for drawing pictures instead of doing your assignment!” “Nooooo!” He concentrated on the middle of her cheeks this time, placing four to five well-aimed slaps on each side, back and forth, as she struggled wildly to get up. Dalton then shifted her onto his left knee, and put his right leg behind her knees, pinning her in place. “This is for abusing my book!” No sooner had she caught her breath, then he began to spank her lower cheeks where they met her thighs, with rapid stinging slaps, and she beat the ground with her fists, fighting the burning sensations. Dalton thoroughly reddened her backside from the tops of her cheeks to half-way down her thighs as Laura finally stopped struggling and sobbed out her pain, helpless but accepting. Then it ended, and he pulled up her drawers and helped her get up. Laura jumped to her feet, crying and rubbing her backside as she hopped from one foot to the other. “Oh! Oh!” All thoughts of modesty vanished as she held her skirts up in back. “Oh, it hurts so much!” Dalton stood up and pulled her up against him, smoothing her skirts down, and she sobbed into his shirt, her handkerchief forgotten. “This is partly my fault, kitten. I shouldn’t have let you get away with so many things before finally bringing you out here.” Laura listened to his deep,

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smooth voice, and began to calm down. “I’m not going to punish you for lying this time. I know you only meant to hide that you didn’t understand the play. I think you’ve had enough for now.” She put her arms around his neck. “But if you ever lie to me again, no matter the reason, I’ll get father’s wooden paddle and set your bottom on fire with it.” “Yes, sir,” cried Laura softly, and he rubbed her back gently. After a while, she mumbled, “Dalton, I have another confession to make. I forgot to tell you before, and I don’t want you to think I’m still lying about anything.” “Yes?” “I’m only seventeen.” Dalton sighed and she felt his arms tighten around her. “And are there any more revelations I should know about?” “Um… I have an aunt in Montana,” she admitted, “I was headed there when I joined up with the wagon train. But I don’t want to go there now, Dalton, I want to stay here!” He squeezed her tightly. “I want you to stay here, too, Laura. I’m glad you’ve told me the truth about everything.” Dalton gently pushed back on her shoulders until they were standing apart. “Where’s your handkerchief?” She fished it out from beneath her neckline, and wiped her eyes dry. “Thank you for these,” she said, “they’re beautiful.” “You’re welcome. Now, let’s go back and I’ll translate that play for you.” A look of dismay crossed her face, and he added, “It’ll be fun. Trust me.” Laura had her doubts, but followed him slowly back up to the house. She went upstairs to freshen up, amazed at how dirty her hands were. Dusty streaks of tears lined her face, and she scrubbed it vigorously with a wet cloth, and then brushed her hair. Looking into her mirror, she saw no signs that she’d just been bawling over Dalton’s knee.

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Nothing except her aching buttocks and thighs, of course. She heard Dalton calling her name up the stairs, and she hurried down to the salon. Dalton decided to act it out with her, and they made a long night of it, with Mum and Pa joining in, all laughing uproariously at each other’s attempts at drama. They had to pass the book around as each player’s turn came up to speak, and Dalton said he’d buy more copies on Saturday when they went to town. Laura felt like one of the adults as she acted out her part, except whenever she shifted in her chair. Finally, Dalton looked at the clock over the mantel, pronounced, “Bedtime,” and closed the book. “I didn’t know that Shakespeare could be so much fun!” said Laura, getting up from the sofa to head upstairs. Dalton followed her up with a lamp to light the way, and then left her at her bedroom door with a quick hug. “Goodnight.” “Goodnight, Dalton.” She softly closed the door and dressed for bed. She lay awake for some time, thinking over the day’s events. She realized that she no longer feared Dalton or his stern methods of controlling her behavior. Her bottom ached a little, but otherwise she felt wonderful. Her conscience was clear; all guilt atoned for. Tomorrow she’d act just like she had tonight, and Dalton would realize that she wasn’t the child he’d thought her to be. She soon fell asleep, feeling loved and secure in her new world. Laura woke up earlier than usual the next morning, dressed quickly, and then hurried downstairs to see if breakfast was ready yet. She passed the door to the salon, which was open only a crack. That was unusual, she thought, and went back to open it, pausing when she heard Pa’s voice, loud and clear.

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“Dalton, I want to know what you’ve done to get her to behave so well, and I want to know now!” Laura knew immediately that it was a private conversation, but she couldn’t help but listen, knowing she was the subject matter. She pressed herself against the wall next to the door. “Alright, then, Father, I spanked her.” “You spanked her?” Mum’s usually soft and flowing voice was loud and shrill. “How dare you do such a thing!” Pa fairly roared, and Laura jumped in alarm. “Dalton, we want her to stay with us, not leave because she’s been abused!” Mum pointed out. “Mother, Laura has been in sore need of a spanking since her very first day here. Her behavior was getting completely out of control. She was drinking heavily, lying, and getting extremely rude. Why, she even called me a son-of-a-bitch to my face!” Mum gasped at that, and protested, “Dalton, I find it hard to believe that innocent girl would even know such a word!” “I don’t know where she heard it, but she certainly knew it.” Mum anxiously told her son, “Dalton, perhaps you misunderstood her.” “Mom, there’s nothing wrong with my hearing, or her pronunciation.” “Dalton, I have to admit that Laura’s behavior has greatly improved over the past two days, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to punish her in that manner.” Pa’s voice was now quieter but still angry. “Dad, it’s the only thing she responds to. You didn’t spare the rod with us, and I see no reason to treat her any differently.” “But, Dalton, she’s not our own child! She might run away, and then what could we do?” Mum sounded a little frightened.

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“That’s just it! You’ve told her she’s part of the family, but you treat her as if she’s a guest in the house.” Dalton paused to let that sink in. “If you really want a daughter, I’d suggest you deal with her the same as the rest of us.” “But, Dalton, she’s a girl, not a boy,” Mum tried again. “Mother, were you punished as a child?” “Well, yes, I was.” “Were you spanked?” She cleared her throat. “I was spanked until I was sixteen years old, but then I received the strap until I was twenty-one and married your father.” “Mom, Laura is only seventeen.” “What?” roared Pa, finally convinced of his princess’s deceit. “She’d lied about her age, but finally confessed the truth.” “I’m beginning to think that perhaps she did deserve a spanking.” Pa’s tone was angry. “Did she really say that terrible curse word?” Laura winced at his censure. “Yes, but I’ve already dealt with that. She’s apologized, and she’s trying very hard to do better.” “Son, I’m sorry that I didn’t do anything sooner. I suppose I should take over now.” “Dad, I don’t mind being the disciplinarian. After all, I spent many years practicing on Jack and Sam.” Pa cleared his throat. “Yes, and I’m sorry for that. You had to grow up long before your time, so I could scratch out a living back then.” “Dad, I don’t mind, really. It’s just my nature to take care of things. Jack and Sam have turned out rather well, I’d say, even though Sam’s got a lot of growing up yet to do.” Dalton suddenly remembered his promise to punish Sam when he’d let Lonnie steal the horse, and groaned to himself. He rarely forgot things like that.

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There was a long silence, and then Pa said, “Alright, Dalton, you’re doing such a good job, I won’t interfere with it.” “I think it would be better if I could bring this out in the open, now. It’s rather inconvenient to have to go all the way out to the barn every time Laura misbehaves.” “I haven’t even agreed to allow you to spank her!” Mum spoke up again, still irate with her son. “Woman, the decision has been made.” Pa addressed his wife. “But, John, I don’t think…” “Do you need a spanking, too?” Pa threatened loudly, and Laura almost laughed aloud, but covered her mouth and only squeaked. She didn’t hear Mum say anything further, and could only imagine the look that must be on her face. “I agree, Dalton. You may discipline Laura as needed, and I trust you to do the job properly,” Pa told his son. “Thank you, Dad.” No one spoke for a moment, and Laura quietly turned to go to the dining room. She took one step, but the salon door suddenly opened wide, and Dalton stepped out sideways, telling his parents, “Let’s go have breakfast.” He turned and saw Laura before she could sneak away. “Laura!” A quick flash of anger crossed his expression, and was then almost instantly masked. Laura froze and her face turned scarlet. “How long have you been standing there?” Laura felt her heart race at his deadly calm tone of voice. “Um…uh…” “What was the first thing you heard?” he tried again. “Um…Pa asked you how…how you got me to behave…” She hung her head and stared at his shoes. “Come in here.” Dalton stepped back and Laura brushed past him quickly, sitting down carefully in the corner chair. Her backside was much improved

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from the night before, but she was sure it would be aching again soon. She glanced at Pa and Mum, who were sitting together on the sofa. Pa was frowning at her, and Mum was looking very anxious. “Laura, do you think it was right to listen in to a private conversation?” Dalton stood with his arms crossed, and Laura knew it didn’t bode well for her. “No, sir,” she mumbled, her face hot as tears began to sting her eyes. “Then why did you do it?” “The… the door was open a little, and I heard you talking, and I couldn’t make myself leave…” “And what do you think you deserve for spying on us?” Laura burst into tears then, and cried, “I’m sorry! I know I shouldn’t have listened in, and I’m very sorry!” “What do you think you deserve?” he asked again, ignoring her tears. “I know what you’re going do, Dalton,” she sobbed into her hands, hoping Mum or Pa would intervene if she cried hard enough. “Please don’t make me say it!” “Really, Dalton, she’s sorry, you don’t need to do anything else,” said Mum. “Ellie, don’t interfere.” Laura peeked through her fingers and saw Pa giving Mum a stern look. “Laura?” Dalton waited, tapping his foot on the carpet. Laura knew she was trapped. “I… I deserve to be… s-spanked,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and embarrassment flooded her senses as she said the hated word. “Go up to your room, then,” he said quietly, and she jumped up and ran up the stairs, crying all the way. “We’ll be down to breakfast shortly,” Dalton told his parents, then turned and left, shutting the salon door behind him.

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Laura ran into her room and shut the door. She wanted desperately to lock it, but she knew that it would only make things worse. She threw herself on the bed and buried her face in a pillow. She couldn’t believe that Dalton had actually talked his father into allowing him to spank her practically in public! The door opened only seconds later, and she tensed up in anticipation. She felt the bed move as Dalton sat down. “Laura, I don’t expect to have to tell you what to do.” She rolled off the bed opposite the side he was sitting on, and slowly walked around to him, tears rolling down her face. She knew she couldn’t delay it any longer, and her heart raced as she reluctantly placed herself across his thighs. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest as he pushed her skirts up. “Tell me what you did wrong.” “I… I listened in to a private conversation.” “And why is that wrong?” He pulled down her drawers, and she clenched her buttocks together as the cool morning air brushed across her skin. “Um… because it wasn’t meant for me to hear?” “Exactly. My mother must be mortified that you heard Dad threaten to spank her.” Laura suddenly wanted to laugh again at the absurd thought of it. She couldn’t control her labile emotions, and began to chuckle quietly. Her stomach was quivering and her shoulders shaking as she fought to contain her mirth. Dalton exclaimed, “Are you laughing?” “Oh! I’m so sorry… heehee…” Laura couldn’t stop, even knowing how precarious her position was. “It’s just the thought… heehee… “ SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! “Oh! OH! Owww!” She squealed, as searing pain burned across her tender skin, but still found herself laughing!

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“You won’t think anything’s funny soon!” proclaimed Dalton, his voice losing its usually calm tone. WHACK! WHACK! SMACK! SMACK! WHACK! “Oh! Dalton, stop! Oh, it hurts…” Struggling weakly, she laughed and cried at the same time. Dalton stopped and pulled her up. “Go get your hairbrush,” he told her. Laura finally stopped laughing, and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, I’ll behave!” She saw his jaw tighten, and his firm, quiet voice returned. “Now.” “No, please, Dalton, I’m not laughing anymore, see?” But a picture of Mum lying over Pa’s lap appeared unbidden in her mind, and the hilarity rose up again as she collapsed giggling onto the floor. Dalton sighed and went to fetch it himself. He picked her up and pushed her over his lap as she began to realize the seriousness of her situation, too late. WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! “NOOOO!” she screamed into her pillow as an incredibly sharp pain burst into her mind. The wide, flat brush cracked against her skin, and she tried to buck herself off his lap, but he held her down firmly and proceeded to apply the polished wood to every square inch of her quivering buttocks. WHAP! SPLAT! WHAP! WHAP! Laura howled into the soft feathers as she kicked her legs furiously. CRACK! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! She desperately threw her hand back to cover her blazing cheeks. WHAP! The brush hit her palm, and she squealed and jerked it back to the pillow. “Oh, PLEASE, stop, please, I can’t take it, please,” she cried. Dalton didn’t slow down a bit, though, and continued to mete out her punishment until she lay sobbing limply across his lap. He pulled her drawers back up and her skirts down, and began to rub her back gently as she cried into her pillow. “If you ever laugh again during a spanking, I’ll get Dad’s paddle.”

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“There…there’s something worse than a hairbrush?” cried Laura, her backside on fire. The pain wasn’t fading away as fast as it had before. “Oh, there are many things worse than a hairbrush, but most of them wouldn’t be used on little girls.” He idly began to brush her hair back into place, then suddenly pushed her over and got up. “Come on down and eat.” He left her room and went downstairs, and she got up, wincing, and washed her face. All through breakfast, she felt her face redden with embarrassment anytime Mum or Pa looked at her. She only ate half of her food before asking to be excused. Dalton nodded at her, and said, “Come down at ten, and we’ll do some math.” Laura went up to her room and read the next act of the play from his Shakespeare book. It made a lot more sense today, as she imagined the actors performing each line she read. At ten, she went down to the dining room and found both Dalton and Sam sitting at the table, which was strewn with books and papers. “I thought I’d help Sam brush up on his English,” said Dalton as she gingerly sat down. Subtraction was her assignment for the day, and Laura felt the usual sense of frustration as she stared down at the numbers Dalton had written on her paper. She laboriously worked through the first problem while listening to Dalton explaining sentence structure to Sam. She began to write on the margins, “I hate math!” over and over again in very small letters. “I know you hate math, but that’s just because you don’t understand it well.” Laura glared at Dalton, then stared back at her paper again. “And your attitude certainly doesn’t help.” “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at these stupid numbers.” She took a deep breath and began to twirl her hair around her fingers.

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“Let me show you how to do this.” He took the paper and patiently explained the process of borrowing from the top numbers. Laura watched him write, noticing that his wrist tendons were barely visible beneath his muscled forearm. She looked at hers; they stuck out like drapery cords as she flexed her fingers. “Are you listening to me?” “Um…” she gave him a blank look, and he put the pen down and sat back in his chair. “I see we need to have a lesson in paying attention.” Dalton crossed his arms and gave her his ‘you’ve gone too far’ look. It was then that she noticed the sturdy wooden ruler lying on a book in the middle of the table. “Stand up.” Laura slowly pushed back her chair and stood. “Bend over your chair.” She felt a shock at the realization that he intended to spank her right there in front of Sam! “No!” she exclaimed, tears welling up instantly. “Sam’s here, you can’t!” Big mistake, she thought, as Dalton’s expression grew angry. “Laura, while I’m the schoolteacher, both of you are subject to discipline right here, right now, as needed. I don’t have time to put up with inattention and rebellion. Now, we can make this quick, or we can make it very long and unpleasant. Which will it be?” Laura couldn’t believe he was doing this, but had no doubt that he was serious. She slowly turned and bent over the chair. “Pull up your dress.” Laura started to cry as she carefully rolled her skirts up to her waist. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! The ruler burned across her still tender bottom, but she was so relieved that he hadn’t made her take her drawers down, that she didn’t even struggle. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “Get up now, and we’ll try this again.” Laura quickly stood up and straightened her skirts as

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Dalton sat back down and placed the ruler on the table in front of her. She pulled out her handkerchief and blotted away the few tears in her eyes. Sitting down carefully, she pulled up her chair and listened closely as Dalton showed her the process again. She glanced once at Sam, who appeared to be engrossed in his textbook, and saw that his ears were red. “Now you try it.” Laura picked up her pen from the inkwell and blotted it. She worked the next problem exactly as Dalton had done it. He smiled at her. “See, it’s easy when you understand it. You just need to practice it now and get faster at it, so go ahead and do the rest of the problems.” Laura sighed and shifted herself on the cushioned dining room chair. She worked through the problems as fast as she could, and smiled happily when Dalton praised her for her efforts. The rest of the week passed very quickly for Laura. She spent the mornings sewing or drawing with Mum while Dalton and Sam trained the colts or rode out with Pa on the ranch. Dalton met with her and Sam right after dinner each day, and Laura was very careful to pay attention and do her best. She noticed that Sam never gave Dalton a reason to discipline him. Laura asked Dalton several times to teach her to ride, but he refused to allow her to wear her boys’ clothing, and when Sunday came, she couldn’t wait until after church to get her new riding habit. As soon as they returned home, she put it on and asked Dalton to give her riding lessons. He finally agreed, and they spent several hours with Sonny in the corral. She had to use a sidesaddle, which she didn’t like very much, but at least she was finally learning to ride. A few days later, Jack rode in just before dinner, and Mum greeted him as if she hadn’t seen him for months. Laura felt very happy to be part of such a loving family, as they all joked and laughed with

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each other at the dining table. As soon as the table was cleared, though, Dalton brought out the textbooks and writing supplies. Jack raised his eyebrows in curiosity. Laura groaned. “Can’t we skip all that today, since Jack’s just gotten back? We could all go out for a ride!” “No, we’re not going to miss a day. Besides, you can’t ride outside of the corral yet.” “So, in the week since I’ve been gone, Dalton, you’ve become the tutor and the riding instructor?” teased Jack. “I’m afraid so,” said Dalton, as he opened the math book. “Dalton, you’ve been working so hard, you really need a break,” said Laura. “Let’s not study today, please?” “I’ve already told you, we’re not going to play hookey,” said Dalton firmly. Laura slid down in her seat, crossed her arms, and frowned. Dalton looked at her meaningfully. “Straighten up.” She sighed, sat up, and put her hands in her lap, trying to swallow her disappointment. Jack raised his eyebrows again. “And the disciplinarian?” Dalton looked at Jack blankly, and then realized what he’d said. “Oh, I’ve always been that,” he replied, smiling.

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CHAPTER EIGHT Laura was happy that she’d been behaving well over the past few days; sitting in Sonny’s saddle was quite comfortable now. She practiced putting the horse through his paces, from walking to trotting and back again, per Dalton’s instructions. Trotting to the fence and halting Sonny, she gazed out longingly at the horizon for the tenth time in the past hour. If only Dalton would let her ride outside the corral… “Laura,” she heard Dalton call from the barn, “Do you want to ride out with me?” “Oh, yes!” she exclaimed excitedly as he grinned at her. He saddled up Trojan, and told her to stay beside him as they rode. Laura couldn’t wait to see what lay over the ridge to the east of the house, and they headed in that direction. He showed her how to get Sonny to canter, and she felt as if they were flying as he held Trojan to Sonny’s gait. “Don’t let those reins get slack,” he warned her as she dropped her hands momentarily. “I’m trying to hold on!” she yelled back at him. “Squeeze the horse with your knees!” “Well, you ought to try it with a side-saddle!” she retorted, and Dalton reached over and took her reins, slowing both horses down. “I don’t think you’re ready to go this fast yet.” “But, Dalton,” she protested, as he pulled them to a stop. “You need more practice staying in the saddle. Now, we can trot, or we can walk.” Laura wanted to argue with him, but she looked at his stern expression and swallowed her objections. “Let’s trot, please,” she said. He handed the reins back to her, and they continued on toward the ridge. Laura could see the tops of trees beyond it, and as they reached its crest, she gasped at the beauty of the scene before her. A wide valley spread out below them, with emerald green, grassy

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shelves of land divided here and there by ridges of spiny rocks. Many different colored wildflowers grew in patches, much like a huge quilt. A wide stream ran down through the different levels of earth, bordered by tall trees and bushes. The blue water cascaded in small white curtains of water as it flowed over rocks and ledges. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Can we wade in the water?” asked Laura. “I don’t see why not.” Dalton turned Trojan to the left and guided him down a zigzagging trail that descended to the valley below. The path was wide and not too steep, and Laura followed him easily. They trotted to the stream, and she jumped down and tethered Sonny to a tree branch. She ran to the waters’ edge and sat down on a rock to pull off her shoes and leggings. Holding her skirt up above her knees, she tentatively put one foot into the water, and then squealed at its icy coldness. She heard Dalton come up behind her, and clenching her teeth, she put her other foot in and began to wade across. “Wait, Laura,” she heard Dalton call out as he removed his boots and socks, but she ignored him, wanting to beat him across the stream. “Laura, stop!” She laughed and kept moving, sliding one foot at a time over the slippery rocks. Then she started across a shallow ledge near a small waterfall. “Don’t move!” His now angry tone stopped her, and she turned around to see him picking his way across with his hands held out for balance. She laughed at his antics until he looked up at her and she saw his expression. Murderous rage was the only way to describe it. “What?” Laura stood still, waiting for him to answer. “That shale is very dangerous to walk on! It’s very thin layers of sedimentary rock that splits easily.” He continued to make his way toward her.

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“Oh.” Laura looked around her feet through the clear water. “What’s setamintry rock?” It looked safe to her. She moved one foot toward Dalton. “No!” he yelled at her, and she froze as she felt the entire ledge beneath her shift downward a few inches. “The pool beneath the waterfall’s very deep. Can you swim?” “Oh, yes, my father taught me to swim in the ocean!” Laura scrambled for balance as the ledge shifted again. “I think it’s crumbling!” Dalton was just a few yards away from her, and he took two long steps and held his hand out to her. Grabbing it, she carefully took a big step toward him. The area she’d been standing on gave way, and the water rushed through it, creating a new waterfall. Laura turned to watch, fascinated, as Dalton tugged her toward him. She didn’t see where she was stepping, and felt a sharp pain in her right foot as the shale beneath it shifted. Dalton hauled her up onto the rock he was standing on, and she had to drop her skirts to hold on to him. He pulled her up close against him and put his arms around her. “Now you’re safe,” he said, and took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you wait for me when I told you to?” His now calm voice filled her with apprehension. “I… I wanted to beat you across the stream.” “How about if I beat you across my knee?” She shivered and he held her tighter. “That was a very dangerous thing to do!” “But it’s so beautiful here! Let’s stand here and watch the water for a while,” she suggested, but Dalton was already turning her around. “We’re going back,” he said. “Right now.” Laura sighed and put her right foot into the water, feeling a sharp stinging sensation as the icy flow surrounded it. Dalton held onto her arm, and they made their way back to the grassy bank. She sat down, but kept her feet in the water, watching a narrow pink stream of color threading away from

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her foot as the water flowed around it. Both of her feet were numb now, and she no longer felt any pain. Dalton stood next to her, putting his socks and boots back on. “Don’t you think I yelled at you to stop for a reason?” She looked up at his grim countenance and then back at her feet. “Well, no, I just thought you wanted to catch up because I got ahead of you.” “Well, when we get back, I’m going to give you a lesson in how to listen. You could have gotten hurt back there!” “Oh, Dalton, it could have happened to anyone!” She watched his face grow dark at her rash words. “On second thought, I think you need a lesson right now.” He sat down on the bank beside her, fully intending to turn her over his knee, but she calmly pulled her feet out of the water and held up her right foot to him. “Look, I think I cut myself.” Blood gushed out from a long gash along its sole, and Laura suddenly felt a little weak. “Good God!” exclaimed Dalton, and he quickly grabbed one of her leggings and wound it tightly around her arch. “Why didn’t you say something before now?” His expression was furious. “Because I was saving it to get out of a spanking, of course.” She looked at him as if he were an idiot. “You’re not getting out of anything, missy!” Her eyes widened in surprise as he picked her up in his arms and marched to his horse. She’d been so sure that he’d forgive her as soon as he saw that she was hurt. However, his intent was clear as he firmly placed her over the saddle, buttocks high in the air. “Dalton!” she protested, starting to get down. “Stay right there!” he growled, and went back to retrieve her shoes and the other legging, which he

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put into the saddlebag. Laura propped her chin on one elbow as she watched him tie Sonny’s reins to the back of his saddle. “I can ride, Dalton, it’s only my foot that’s hurt.” “Not for long.” Dalton reached behind the saddle and brought forth a riding crop. He pulled her wet skirts up and brought the crop down sharply over her pantaloons. “Owww!” yelled Laura, as a line of fire burned across both of her cheeks. She tried to slide off the horse, but he held her firmly by the back of her skirt as he struck her again with the crop. He’d found something that hurt worse than the hairbrush, she thought as she grabbed onto the saddle and howled in pain. At least he was hitting her a lot slower. After ten strokes, she was sobbing and pleading with him to stop, and he threw the crop onto the ground. Then he swung up into the saddle and rearranged her across his lap. She continued to cry as he walked the horses homeward, but soon the lulling rhythm of Trojan’s gait and the creaking of the saddle calmed her. “Can I sit up now?” she asked, raising herself up a little. “May I,” corrected Dalton. “Please?” Dalton stopped the horses and pulled her up in front of him. Her backside protested, but she leaned back against him and clenched her teeth as they continued toward the house. Anything was better than having to ride bent over his lap, she thought to herself. “I’m afraid that cut’s going to need some stitches,” said Dalton. Laura had had no experience with cuts that needed stitching, but she didn’t like the sound of it. Dalton headed for the porch instead of the barn, and then he dismounted and held out his arms to her. He carried her onto the porch and set her down on a wicker chair.

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“Put your foot out.” He looked at it and saw that the makeshift bandage had stayed on, and wasn’t saturated with blood. “Laura, I can stitch it for you, but I haven’t any kind of anesthetic. When one of the ranch hands get cut, we just use whiskey. I think we’d better go into town and have Dr. Greenfield fix it up.” “Go into town? Well, I’ll have to change my dress first! Look, my hem’s all wet and dirty, and I need to brush my hair, too.” “Well, I’m not going to carry you all the way to your room, so you just sit right here until I get Sonny hitched up to the carriage. We need to hurry up before the doctor’s office closes.” Dalton trotted the horses back to the barn. As soon as he’d gone inside it, Laura stood up and limped into the house, putting her weight on her right heel. She absolutely couldn’t go to town looking like this. “Hello, Mum,” she said on her way to the stairway. Mum came out of the salon and gasped as she saw Laura ascending the stairs. “Laura! What happened to your foot?” “I cut in on a rock in the stream. Dalton says it needs stitching, and we have to go to town to the doctor. So I’m going up to change first.” “Well, I wonder why he didn’t carry you in?” Laura spoke loudly as she reached the top step. “He said we didn’t have time, Mum, but I simply can’t go to town with this dirty riding habit on!” Mum shook her head in despair as Laura limped to her room. Then she followed her up, helped her change her dress, and brushed her hair. She called for Jack, who carried Laura back to the porch. Laura sat smiling smugly as she saw Dalton coming out from the back of the barn where the carriage was stored, leading Sonny up the path. Dalton tied him to the hitching post at the end of the path, and then he walked briskly up to the porch. He frowned when he saw Laura in a new blue dress with small yellow dots. He looked down

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at her foot, and the legging, which was now saturated with blood. “How did you get into the house?” he demanded. “Well, I walked, of course.” “Did I not tell you to stay here?” “No, you just said you wouldn’t carry me up. Mum helped me dress, and Jack carried me back down. I’m ready now, so let’s go.” “Laura, I did tell you to sit here. Now you’ve caused it to bleed a lot, after I’d wrapped it and it stopped. I’ll have to wrap it up again.” He strode into the house and returned right away with a long strip of linen. Laura held her foot out as he carefully unwound the legging and let it fall. Blood seeped from the gash, dripping onto the whitewashed wooden planks in bright red splatters. Dalton wrapped the linen firmly around her arch and tied the ends together. Ignoring the mess on the porch, he scooped her up and carried her to the carriage, placing her on a cushioned seat and propping her foot up on the opposite seat. He paused on his way out of the carriage, and scowled at her. “I’m going to be driving rather fast, so you’d better hold on tight.” Laura gazed into his steel gray eyes and saw a mixture of concern and anger there. “And, assuming you’re still alive after all that blood loss, I’m going to paddle your backside red as soon as you’ve got some color back in your face!” He stepped down and slammed the carriage door shut, and Laura felt the coach shift as he climbed up to the driver’s seat. “Heeaw!” he called to Sonny, and they started off at a brisk trot. Laura stared miserably out the window, but she soon forgot to feel sorry for herself as Dalton coaxed Sonny into a full gallop, and the carriage bumped and swayed while she held on tightly to the handles on the wall. The wind blew in through the window, sending her hair flying about as she excitedly stared out at the rapidly passing scenery. She wished she were riding up front with Dalton.

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She wished she were riding Sonny all by herself even, galloping across the range. But no, she was stuck inside the carriage with a hurt foot, an aching behind, and a promise of further retribution! She fell back against the cushions again, angry with both herself and Dalton. Dalton pulled up in front of the doctor’s office and jumped down to tether Sonny. He went around to get Laura, but she’d already climbed out by herself and was hopping alongside the carriage on one foot. He wished he could turn her over his knee right there in the street; how could she be so foolish yet again? He reached her in three strides and picked her up like a baby, ignoring her protests that she could get herself into the building. “Do you not understand that the more you exert yourself, the more you will bleed?” She looked up at him in surprise. “No. I thought it was just if I walked on it.” Dalton opened the office door, causing a small bell to jingle, and he set Laura down in a chair. Rachel, Dr. Greenfield’s wife, came into the small entrance hall and merrily greeted him. “Good afternoon, Dalton! What brings you here? Oh, it’s Laura, dear, what did you do to your foot, now let me see…” She had met Laura at church the previous Sunday, and had been impressed with the girl’s natural beauty and polite manners. Laura put her foot out, and Rachel glanced at it, but she didn’t unwrap it. “Oh, my goodness! Did you cut it?” Laura nodded. “Well, Joshua will be here in just a minute, why don’t you prop that foot up here,” she said as she picked up a small wooden chair and set it before Laura. “You remember my husband, Dr. Joshua Greenfield, don’t you?” Laura nodded again. “Thank you, ma’am,” Laura’s voice sounded weak, and Dalton peered anxiously at her face.

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“Rachel, doesn’t she look a little pale? Should we lie her down?” Rachel was already taking Laura’s pulse. “I think she’ll be alright, her pulse is strong and steady, and Josh will be right back; he went to the post office about ten minutes ago.” She looked at Laura again. “But I think I’ll go and get him,” she said, and swept out the door. “Laura, are you alright?” He sat down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Well, no, Dalton, my foot hurts, and my backside hurts, and I think I’m getting a headache.” She rubbed her temple as Dalton fought to suppress his annoyance at her rude tone of voice. He would correct her as soon as she was better. Joshua Greenfield burst through the door at that moment, glanced at Laura’s foot on the chair, and continued to walk into his examination room. “Dalton, bring her in here,” he stated in a nononsense manner. Rachel was right behind him, but she waited as Dalton picked up Laura and carried her into the next room. There was a wide, cushioned table alongside one wall, and he put her down there. Joshua told Laura to lie down, and then he washed his hands in a bowl of fresh water that Rachel poured out for him. She handed him a towel, and he dried his hands before carefully unwrapping Laura’s foot. “Did you wrap this up, Dalton?” “Yes.” “What did you cut it on?” he addressed Laura. “Shale,” she answered, wincing as he pulled off the last of the linen. “In the stream on the ranch.” “How long ago?” “About two hours, I guess.” “It should have stopped bleeding by now.” Dalton broke in, “It did, but she walked on her heel, and I had to redress it. Then she got out of the carriage here, by herself, and hopped around.”

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“Now, why did you do that, Laura?” “I was all muddy from the stream, and Dalton wouldn’t carry me in to change, so I took myself in. And when we got here, I didn’t want everyone in town to see me being carried like a baby, so I got myself out of the carriage.” Joshua looked down at her sternly. “Young lady, I certainly hope your new father corrects you for being so foolish.” Dalton watched Laura’s cheeks turn red as she muttered, “yes, sir”. “It looks clean,” said Joshua, inspecting the cut. Laura whimpered as he probed it. “We’ll just stitch it up and dress it, and you’ll have to prop it up for a few days.” “H-how do you stitch it?” “With catgut.” “Will it hurt?” Laura’s voice quavered in fear, and Dalton put his hand on her shoulder. “Only the cocaine injections will hurt. Then your foot will be numb for several hours. “How many injections will there be?” asked Dalton. “I think four should do it. I used to use morphine, but I’ve found that the cocaine extract numbs a much smaller area, with no systemic effects. It’ll take about ten stitches, and I’ll have to inspect the wound for any particles first. Turn over on your stomach now, Laura.” Laura sat up and looked at Dalton, her face white with fear. “I don’t want to have stitches, Dalton, please take me back home!” Dalton felt truly sorry for her, but knew that the quicker they numbed her foot, the better off she’d be. “Laura, it won’t heal right without the stitches, so we have no choice. Lie down now.” “No!” she cried and started to get off the table, but Dalton firmly took hold of her shoulders and pushed her down.

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“Josh, just give her the injections as quickly as you can.” However, Laura was kicking her feet up and down, completely panic-stricken. Rachel moved to the front of the table and tried to talk to Laura, but she was yelling and crying now and didn’t hear Rachel. “Dalton, I’m used to dealing with small children who act this way, but she’s an awfully big girl to handle here,” said Joshua, preparing his glass syringe. “Well, I know of one way to stop this tantrum, but it won’t be pretty.” Dalton was practically sitting on Laura to hold her down. He pulled up her skirts, and smacked her bottom so hard that his hand stung, even over her drawers. Laura immediately stopped kicking, and Dalton moved to talk to her. Rachel pushed a chair in front of him, and he sat down, nearly at eye level with Laura. “Look at me, Laura,” he said gently, seeing the tears in her eyes. “You’re going to have to be very still while Dr. Greenfield deadens your foot.” He took her hands in his. “Just squeeze my hands when it hurts, squeeze them really hard, and I’ll help you, alright?” Laura squeezed his hands. “But if you kick your feet again, I’m going to pull down your drawers and paddle your backside right here in front of the doctor and his wife. Do you understand me?” She nodded, the fear slowly fading from her eyes. Rachel held Lara’s right ankle firmly to the table and stared at Dalton, who gave her a reassuring smile. “This will sting a little,” said Joshua, as he began the injections. “Owwww!” yelled Laura, and she squeezed Dalton’s hands very hard. She began to cry again, but didn’t move until Joshua was finished. Dalton smiled at her as Joshua said, “All done, Laura. It shouldn’t hurt any more soon.” She sighed and let go of Dalton’s hands, putting her head down on the table and visibly relaxing. Dalton

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rubbed his hands together to bring back the circulation, as Joshua sat back in his chair and Rachel set up a suturing tray. “I’ve started soaking my instruments in carbolic acid, as well as boiling them for sterilization,” said Joshua, and Dalton nodded. The two had been friends since their early school days, and Joshua had often apprised Dalton of the newest medical news and techniques. “I’ve had great success with it. No wound or surgical infections in the past six months.” Rachel set the tray up on a tall stand near Joshua. Then she poured the carbolic solution over his hands before he picked up a swab and lightly touched Laura’s foot. “Do you feel that?” Laura raised her head and propped herself up on her elbows, turning to look at Joshua. “No.” “Laura, just keep looking this way. You don’t want to watch, believe me.” He studied her anxious expression as Joshua poked her skin a little harder. “Feel that?” “No.” She smiled a little and laid her head back down on the table to wait. Joshua coated the wound with his antiseptic solution, and then Rachel held a magnifying glass over it as he probed it with a swab. “Hmmm, there’s a sliver of shale,” he said, and removed it with steel tweezers. The wound continued to seep blood, and Rachel dabbed it frequently with a cotton cloth, previously boiled and dried. Joshua found two more slivers before he was satisfied, and then he poured more solution over the wound and began to stitch the edges together. Laura could feel the pulling of her skin, but there was no pain at all. Joshua dressed it with preboiled and dried strips of linen, binding it firmly but not too tightly as to hinder the circulation. He patted the back of her calf. “All done for now!” Laura rolled to her side and sat up, straightening her skirts. She pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her face. “Thank you, Dr. Greenfield,” she

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said, and then added, “I’m sorry I was such a baby. I’m just very afraid of pain.” “You’re lucky. If this had happened five years ago, we wouldn’t have had a way to deaden the pain, and we didn’t even have such good sterilization techniques.” “At the ranch, I just pour some whiskey over the cut, and some down the injured man’s throat, and stitch it right up,” said Dalton, grinning at Joshua. “Yes, well, alcohol can certainly kill germs, but it burns like the devil. And you’d never have gotten those slivers out.” Laura started to get up, but Joshua stopped her. “Young lady, you will not be doing any walking for at least a few days. I’ll bring you some crutches so you can get around after that. But right now, you’ll cause it to bleed. Now, Dalton, make sure she keeps her foot propped up until I come out to redress the wound tomorrow. Check the toes for circulation; make sure that they’re warm and the color’s good.” Dalton nodded, and took a roll of money from his pocket. “How much do I owe you?” “Five dollars should do it.” “My, you’ve gotten expensive,” joked Dalton as he handed Joshua the money. “I have to pay for Rachel’s dresses somehow,” replied Joshua, and Rachel slapped his arm playfully. “Is this going to be hurting again later?” asked Laura, already worrying. “It will ache, but it won’t hurt too badly,” said Joshua, and then he smiled and added, “You should be more worried about your backside. If I were your father, I’d carry you out to the woodshed for walking on that foot earlier.” Dalton watched Laura’s face turn red as she objected, “But, my foot’s hurt! Don’t you think you should tell him to wait until I’m better?”

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“No,” Joshua told her sternly, “I think your foolish behavior should be corrected as soon as possible, before you cause that wound to bleed again.” “But if I get punished, I’ll kick my feet like I always do, and probably hurt it worse!” “Dalton, maybe you should hold her down while your father spanks her,” suggested Joshua. “Pa doesn’t spank me!” blurted out Laura, anger and frustration written all over her face, “Dalton always does! And Pa wouldn’t hold me down, either!” “Let’s just do it right now,” said Dalton, his hands itching to give her what she deserved. Laura’s demeanor instantly changed as she pleaded, “Oh, no, please, Dalton! I’ll be good, I promise. And I won’t get up again by myself, I promise!” Dalton looked at her anxious face, but it didn’t fool him. He’d seen her burst into tears in an instant if she thought it would bring her sympathy. He fully intended to turn her little bottom red, but it could wait until they got home. “All right, Laura. We’ll take care of it when we get home. And don’t worry, I’m sure I can keep you from kicking.” Rachel felt sorry for the girl, but knew there was nothing she could do to help her. She wrote down the payment in Joshua’s ledger, and gave Dalton a receipt. Dalton picked Laura up and carried her out to the carriage, a much-subdued young woman. “Keep that foot up,” he warned her, and climbed up to the driver’s seat. It took twice as long to get back home, since he wasn’t in a hurry any longer. By the time he pulled up outside the barn, it was nearly suppertime. Dalton opened the carriage door and Laura slid over on the seat. Taking her in his arms, he carried her into the barn and set her down on a bale of straw. She sat there staring at the ground as he went to take the carriage to its lean-to behind the

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barn, and unhitch Sonny. He led Sonny into the barn, and as he rubbed him down and stabled him, he caught Laura glancing at him now and then, her brow creased with worry. Finally, he shut the stable door firmly and sighed as he approached Laura. He really didn’t want to spank her; she’d been through a lot today and was now behaving well, but a promise was a promise. He sat down beside her and put his arm over her shoulders. “Laura, since you’ve been so good, I’m not going to use father’s paddle.” She didn’t look up at him. “Thank you… I think,” she mumbled, “I don’t know why we can’t just forget the whole thing.” Dalton immediately regretted his decision to be lenient. He took her chin and turned it toward him, and she looked up at him, pouting. “Laura, you do know why. Now, you tell me.” “But I didn’t know it would bleed so much if I walked on the heel, or hopped on the other foot!” She still maintained a look of wounded innocence, and he wanted her in the right mind frame to accept her punishment. “Laura, I didn’t have time to explain everything, so I gave you a direct order to stay there while I got the carriage. You disobeyed that order. And that was right after I’d taken the riding crop to you for disobeying my order to stop in the creek!” He felt his pulse speed up in anger, and he held firmly to his temper as he waited for her to speak. He watched her eyebrows rise slightly as she thought. “You told me to stay there because you didn’t have time to say, ‘It will bleed a lot if you get up’?” Dalton frowned down at her. “If I had said that, you would have just argued with me, and we’d have wasted a lot of time! I had to get you to the doctor, and I didn’t have twenty minutes to spare, trying to get you to understand!” “But you took the time to hit me with the riding crop before you brought me home!”

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“That only took about twenty seconds, not twenty minutes! But you’re right; it was a waste of time! I thought you would learn to obey me from that lesson, but you didn’t learn, you just went ahead and ignored my next order to you as soon as we got back!” He saw the change in her expression, as she finally seemed to accept his words. “Will you always be smarter than me?” It wasn’t what he’d expected to hear, and he paused for a moment. “Laura, you’re young and inexperienced in a lot of things, especially out here on the ranch. It’s not that I’m smarter than you, I’m just older, and I was raised here, so I know a lot more than you do right now. You have to learn to trust me and obey me, without question. This isn’t civilization out here, and there’s a lot of danger for a young woman who doesn’t know her way around. It’s my responsibility to teach you to obey me first and ask questions later.” Laura cast her eyes down and chewed her lower lip. Dalton felt a pull on his heart, and added, “Laura, you got hurt today, and the next time it could be more serious. I just want to keep you safe.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and said softly, “I’m sorry, Dalton. I understand now.” “Alright, let’s get this over with.” She laid herself over his lap, and he carefully adjusted her position and put his right leg over the backs of her calves, pinning her into place. Raising her skirts and pulling her drawers down, he winced involuntarily as he saw the still-red marks from the riding crop. He didn’t want to do this, but his course was now set and he couldn’t change it. He began to spank her with firm, quick slaps that soon had her crying in pain. When her bottom was bright pink, he stopped and pulled her clothing up. She sat up sniffling, and wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. “That wasn’t so bad,” she sounded surprised.

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“Do you need more?” “No, sir! I just thought that you were going to spank me for an hour or something, because what I did was so dangerous.” “Just as long as you understand what obey means…” She vigorously nodded her head. “Oh, I do.” “Then we’re going in to supper now. You need to tell everyone what’s happened today.” He watched a shadow of dismay cross her face, but she said nothing as he stood up, brushed off a few pieces of straw, and picked her up in his arms. The sweet smell of lavender arose from her hair as he carried her out the barn door, but was then borne away on the breeze. For once, Laura enjoyed being the center of attention. Everyone felt sorry for her, and brought her drinks and little cakes and cookies as she reclined on the sofa in the parlor after supper. “Dalton, I have to go out back again,” she said, referring to the outhouse. She watched his brow crease in annoyance. “I just carried you out there not thirty minutes ago!” “Well, it must be all this tea I’ve been drinking, but I have to go!” Dalton stood up, picked up her glass, and poured it out onto the potted fern by the window as Laura watched in dismay. “This is the last trip out there tonight,” he growled, and scooped her up against his chest. She put her arms around his neck and held on as he marched down to the outhouse. It was dark out, but the moon was nearly full and the tall trees cast long shadows across the yard. He set her down just outside the shed, and walked away until she called for him. Wandering through his mother’s rose garden, at the mercy of a young woman’s bladder, he wondered just what it was he used to do before Laura came to live with them.

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CHAPTER NINE The next morning, Laura lounged on the sofa again while everyone catered to her. She sewed initials onto a pillowcase for Mum, and played a game of chess with Sam. She was beginning to truly enjoy being an invalid, until Dalton brought out the textbooks as soon as the dinner table was cleared. Laura stared at him in alarm. “Dalton! I can’t study; my foot’s aching, and my head hurts, too,” she whined, but Dalton had reached the limit of his patience, after the third trip to the outhouse that morning. He sat down beside her and glared. “Laura, if you can play chess, you can certainly study. And stop drinking so much tea!” He pushed her glass away from her. Laura stuck out her lower lip and looked up at his annoyed expression. “Well, why aren’t we studying things about ranching? Where am I ever going to use a knowledge of math, Shakespeare, and World History? I want to help run the ranch when I get older.” Dalton stared at her in disbelief. She wanted to run the ranch? There were three sons in this family; how could she think that a woman would fit into that scenario? “Laura, you’re seventeen years old. You’ll surely get married in the next two or three years. Are you going to run your husband’s ranch, assuming he has one?” Laura frowned at him. “I’m not getting married. And I’m not smart enough for University, so I want to help run the ranch. And then, when I get my inheritance, I’ll buy my own ranch.” Dalton sighed in frustration. “You’re smart enough to go to University someday, but you won’t study enough to get in.” He looked at her serious expression. “Alright, Laura, we’ll study things you need to know to run a ranch.” He almost laughed

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at her suddenly excited expression, knowing it would be fleeting. “First of all, you can’t run a ranch without being able to keep books.” “Keep books?” “Yes. You have to keep track of your inventories, whether it be animals or crops or whatever you sell. You also have to keep track of your income and expenses, so you can plan ahead. This involves a lot of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.” He saw her look of disgust, and continued, “If you want to build a barn or a house, you’ll have to know geometry and algebra so you can determine roof pitches, amounts of supplies needed, and square footage.” She stuck out her lower lip and frowned. “Math.” He opened the book and slid it to her. “If you don’t know your history, then some merchants or other businessmen will cheat you whenever you make a business deal. You’ll be a sitting duck for the oldest tricks known to man. And when the country’s at war, you wouldn’t even know which side of the fence to sit on, or which country is our ally.” He slid her the World History book, and she glared at it. “Shakespeare is pure entertainment, but you can’t throw a good party if you have no knowledge of the classics, which are often subjects of comparison or amusement when adults get together to talk.” He slid over the book of Shakespeare plays, and Laura sighed and sat up further in her chair, adjusting her foot that was propped under the table on the chair opposite her. “But in addition to these subjects, Laura, you really need to know,” he turned and brought forth a new book from his stack on an empty chair, “Geology!” He slid the book over. “Husbandry!” He brought forth a biology book. “Agriculture!” And yet another. “There’s probably more, but I don’t think you could handle that now.

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Laura picked up her pen and resignedly began to copy math problems from the book, as Sam laughed quietly beside her. Smiling in triumph, Dalton gave Sam an English assignment before leaving to go to the salon for a while. When Laura had finished her lessons to Dalton’s satisfaction, he carried her back to the sofa in the salon. He helped her arrange several pillows around her, propping her ankle on the opposite arm of the couch. Then he left her with the Shakespeare book and instructions to read the third act. Laura soon became bored with no one around to entertain her; she’d had enough of reading for the day. About an hour later, she heard a horse and buggy coming down the lane, and she drew back the new curtains. Her spirits rose considerably as she saw Dr. Greenfield and his wife alight from its cushioned seat. She called for Mum and watched the doctor walk up the path with a large black bag in his hand, his wife’s hand on his arm. She liked Rachel, although she didn’t know her well, and hoped that she could visit for a little while. Mum brought them into the salon and called for tea, as Dalton came in from outside, wiping his brow with his handkerchief. “Have you been training the colts?” asked Laura enviously. “Just got one saddle-broken,” he replied, and said hello to his friend. Mum helped Rachel move a small table and a chair to the end of the sofa, and Rachel set out the dressing supplies for her husband. She asked Mum for a bucket to put the old dressing in, and to keep the carbolic solution from soaking the carpet. Mum disappeared and quickly returned with it. Joshua sat down on the chair and looked closely at Laura’s foot. To her dismay, he immediately exclaimed, “This bandage has been unwrapped and retied!”

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Laura saw Dalton’s quick flush of anger, and she slowly reached behind her for the curtain, pulling it over her head. “Laura!” He jerked back the material and bent down to tell her loudly, “How could you be so foolish!” But Mum was there in an instant, hovering over her son, “Dalton James Garrison! Don’t you yell at my daughter, and get away from my new curtains before you damage them!” Dalton immediately stood up and stepped back as Mum turned to her, and said sternly, “Laura, that was a very foolish thing to do, unwrapping your dressing! I hope your foot doesn’t become infected because of it.” “Yes, ma’am,” said Laura, hanging her head. “I only wanted to see the stitches; I’ve never seen stitches before.” She winced as the doctor unwrapped her foot. “You could have waited until Dr. Greenfield came today. When Dalton calms down, I’m sure he’ll take you to task, but I won’t interfere then.” Laura knew that Mum was indirectly apologizing to Dalton for stepping in, and tears stung her eyes as she realized that nothing would save her now. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” She looked up at Dalton, but his back was to her as he watched Joshua inspect the wound. Mum sat down in her favorite chair by the fireplace to wait. “It looks very good. The bleeding’s stopped, and the edges are still together.” The doctor looked at Laura gravely. “Young lady, I’m going to redress this now, and it’d better be intact when I come back tomorrow!” “Yes, sir,” she replied miserably, and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She didn’t bother to wipe it off, certain that there would be many more soon. However, after Joshua finished his task and packed his medical bag, Dalton invited him to the dining room for some tea. The two men walked out, and

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Rachel pulled a chair over to sit near Laura. Mum left to see what was keeping Mrs. Sanders. Laura looked to Rachel for sympathy. “I’m sorry you had to witness that, Mrs. Greenfield. I’m always getting into trouble for doing stupid things.” Rachel patted her arm. “Call me Rachel, Laura. I’m only a few years older than you, after all. Look, I brought you a little present!” She held out a small silver bell. “Oh, thank you!” It jingled prettily as Laura took it. “It’s for calling for assistance while you’re laid up, until you can get up on crutches,” explained Rachel as Laura stared at it curiously. “Oh! I see.” She jingled it louder, and then laughed as Mum came to the salon door with a tray of tea and cookies. “See what Rachel brought me?” Mum rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s much more pleasant than you yelling for help,” she joked, smiling at them. She put the tray down and left to go outside to her garden. The two young women talked for quite a while, and Laura was shocked when Rachel confided that her husband had spanked her the previous week for spending too much money on a footstool. “But, he’s your husband! Why would he treat you like a child?” asked Laura. “Because I’d acted like one. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by temptation. He’d told me not to pay more than five dollars, but I just had to have the prettiest one in the catalog, and it was nearly twenty dollars! He made me bend over the darn thing for my spanking!” Rachel giggled, and Laura sat staring in amazement at her light dismissal of the consequences. Rachel sobered. “But I deserved it, and I haven’t spent a penny over the past week. Joshua helps me to control my spending. If it weren’t for his discipline, we’d be homeless by now! We’ve been married for three years.”

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“Do other husbands spank their wives?” “Oh, it’s fairly common out here in the west. I know that my father spanked my mother, and Joshua’s father spanked his mother. And I’m pretty sure that Mrs. Tillins got spanked last week, because she could hardly sit still at church! She kept wiggling around on the bench, until her husband whispered something to her, and then her face turned bright pink!” Rachel giggled again. Laura smiled. “Most of my friends growing up were orphans, because we lived near an orphanage. I never really knew anyone else’s parents, but I’m certain that my father never did that to my mother; he never even did it to me!” She frowned. “Dalton is the first person who’s ever spanked me, and I don’t like it at all.” “Well, I don’t like it either, of course, but I do think it’s necessary to keep a happy marriage.” “I’m not going to get married. When I grow up and get my inheritance, I’ll be able to do anything I please. I’m going to buy a ranch and run it all by myself, and then no one will be able to tell me what to do! Rachel looked at her curiously. “I don’t think you’ll be very happy.” “Why not? I love ranching.” “Don’t you want children?” “Of course I do, but I’ll just adopt them from the orphanage!” Rachel sighed, knowing that the girl was an innocent and didn’t know what she’d be missing. They heard the men’s voices coming down the hall, and Rachel stood up to greet her husband. The love and caring that shone in his eyes every time they reunited, no matter how short the passage of time, was more than enough for her. He put an arm over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “Let’s go, love, we’ve work to do at home.” Rachel smiled happily and said her goodbyes, and then Joshua whisked her out the door and down the

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path to their small buggy. Laura watched out the window as Dalton saw them off, and then she settled down to take a nap before supper. Drifting into sleep, she thought about Rachel and Joshua’s obvious love for each other, and wondered why the discipline had enhanced it rather than destroyed it. A few hours later, Laura heard several voices talking near her, and she sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes. Sam, Jack, and Pa were standing by the door discussing the upcoming barn dance. Laura hoped that her foot would be better by then; it was only three weeks away. She still held the little bell in her hand, and she mischievously rang it as she loudly called, “James!” The three at the door turned to stare at her in confusion, but she heard the object of her teasing striding down the hall, his boot steps loud and clear. “Oh, James!” she rang the bell again as Dalton crossed the room in three strides, plucked the bell from her hand, picked her up in his arms, and walked out the front door with her. Laura laughed and tried to get the bell back, but he shoved it firmly into his pants pocket as she held onto his neck. He deposited her still laughing form at the outhouse door, and walked away without ever having said a word. Laura hopped into the little house, wondering if she’d seen the corner of his mouth turning up into a smile, or if it had just been her imagination. She wondered if he’d even understood the joke; she hadn’t seen any butlers out here in the country. As she hopped back out into the waning daylight, she suddenly remembered Dalton’s anger earlier in the day when Dr. Greenfield had seen her bandage. She certainly had bad timing, she thought, as Dalton came from the back porch to fetch her. She studied his profile as he carried her across the yard. Not even a hint of amusement touched his firm, straight lips as he brought her in through the kitchen. A warm aroma of sautéed chicken and mushrooms permeated the air. Mrs.

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Sanders greeted them cheerily, and Laura smiled at her, but Dalton just nodded at the woman and continued into the dining room, down the hall, and up the staircase. He put her down on her bed and went back to shut her door. She sat up straight and put her foot on a pillow across the bed from her. Her pulse was racing and she felt lightheaded as he sat down on the end of her bed and started the interrogation. No matter how many times he’d spanked her, she still felt an intense fear of the event. “Why did you unwrap your dressing?” “T-to see the stitches,” she replied, and then hastily added, “No one told me not to!” “Have you never heard of germs?” “Um… yes… but I didn’t see any there.” “And just what do you know about germs?” “They’re little things that cause infections.” “Well, Laura, I’ll tell you a little more about them. They’re microscopic. That means that they can’t be seen by the human eye. The germ theory was put together by Louis Pasteur, a Frenchman, about eight years ago. The rest of the information you’ll have to find out for yourself. Tomorrow morning, you will read through my new biology book, and you will write me a three-page report on Mr. Pasteur’s life works. You will pay special attention to the germ theory, pasteurization, and sterilization.” Laura stared at him in horror. “I can’t find all that out! I don’t want to write a report!” Dalton raised one eyebrow, and she momentarily subsided. “It’s all in the book, Laura. I’ll expect you to give me your report before dinner tomorrow.” Laura tried one more time. “Can’t you just spank me, Dalton? Please?” Anything was better than spending an entire morning trying to find out something she didn’t even want to know! “Let’s just get this over with,” she begged.

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“I certainly will if that report isn’t in my hand by noon.” He stood up, reached into his pocket, and handed her the little silver bell. “Keep this up here, and don’t you dare call me James again,” he coughed into his hand, but she saw the crinkling at the corners of his eyes as he tried not to laugh. He turned abruptly and left the room. Laura put the bell on her nightstand and stared at it for a long time. She wanted to get back up and go down to the salon; it was still quite early in the evening. Finally, she rang the bell until Dalton told her through her door to go to sleep; she needed her rest. Grumbling to herself, she finally drifted off. The next morning after breakfast, Dalton helped Laura get comfortable at the dining room table, and again explained her assignment before leaving with Sam to go to the barn. Laura stared at the biology book with disgust. She wanted nothing to do with Mr. Pasteur and his germs. She wanted to go out and ride again, or help Mum in the garden; anything but this! Jack walked through, and she asked him to hand her the book of Shakespeare plays from the sideboard. He then left with Pa to go to town on an errand. Laura began to read Act Four. She’d found that the dialogue was really quite funny in places, if you read it over and over until you could understand it. Mrs. Sanders brought her some little cakes and tea after a while, and she stopped to eat. She looked at the biology book and then at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was only ten o’clock, and she still had two hours to go. She had no intention of even opening the biology book – Dalton would just have to spank her as he’d promised, and then they’d be done with it. A little while later, she heard Dalton’s footsteps coming down the hall, and she quickly opened the biology book and hid the book of plays under the table on the chair beside her.

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Dalton stood looking over her shoulder for a minute. “Why haven’t you taken any notes?” he asked, looking at the blank paper and untouched inkwell. “I’m still trying to find the right information,” she grumbled. “Laura, there’s an index in the back of the book.” “Oh.” She flipped the pages to the end and found it, and then began to write down page numbers she might need to read. “Come on, let’s go out back,” he said, and Laura thankfully shut the book. She put her arms around his neck as he reached down to pick her up, and he carried her out back to the little house. He smelled of fresh air and horses, and she wondered if she’d be able to ride again soon. When they went back to the dining room, there was a fresh pot of tea on the table, which Dalton quickly removed. “One more glass is all you get until dinner.” He poured it out, and then left to go back to the barn. Laura finished writing down page numbers, and then decided to take a few notes, so it would at least look like she’d tried. She began to read about Pasteur’s early work with microbes, but her mind was on horses, and she soon fell asleep with her head on her arms on the table. The clock chimed the half-hour, and she awoke with a start, seeing that it was eleven-thirty. Picking up the book of plays, she took a long drink of tea and began to read again, but was soon feeling drowsy in the warm room. “Laura!” she heard Dalton’s voice from afar; she’d been running through a field of tall grass and daisies. “Laura, wake up.” Lifting her head, she saw Dalton standing at the dining room doors, his arms folded over his chest. She rubbed her eyes and looked down at her book. She became suddenly wide awake as she realized that it was the Shakespeare book on the table in front of her.

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“How did you get that book?” His calm, controlled tone rang warning bells in her head, and she hastily closed the cover. “J-Jack got it for me.” “Jack and my father left for town before nineo’clock this morning!” Laura watched his ears turn red with anger; she’d never noticed that before. “Yes,” she mumbled, and dropped her eyes to the book again. “Give me what you’ve done.” Laura handed him her papers, cringing inside and suddenly wishing that she’d done the assignment, or had at least tried harder. Planning her crime was one thing, but being caught not doing it on purpose was another! She hadn’t anticipated the disappointment she was seeing in Dalton’s eyes as he looked across the papers at her. “Let’s go,” he said after a moment. Laura stood up and reluctantly put her arm around his neck. Lifting her easily, he walked briskly to the stairway. She felt truly ashamed; the forced contact made her offense seem like a personal insult she’d dealt him. Dalton put her down on her bed and stood before her. “Laura, if you’d have just tried, I would have understood.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she waited miserably for the lecture to continue. “Your blatant disregard for my instructions really surprises me.” She heard the pain in his tone, and fervently wished she could relive the entire morning. Pulling out her handkerchief, she blotted her eyes. “You’ve earned yourself a real paddling, and I want you to know that it hurts me very much to do this.” “I’m sorry, Dalton,” she began to cry, “I’m really sorry!” “I’ve no doubt that you are now.” He turned and left the room.

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Laura’s hands shook as she blew her nose and took a clean handkerchief from the nightstand drawer. She was afraid of the promised paddling, but eager to make amends. It would all be over soon enough, and then he would forgive her. She heard his footsteps returning, and he walked in and shut her door, a long wooden paddle in his hand. Her tears began to flow again as he sat down on her bed and she lay across his lap, hugging a pillow to her face. “No arguments?” he asked, arranging her skirts. “No, sir.” Had she known what was to happen, she might have argued as long as possible to delay the experience. WHACK! WHACK! Fire seared her skin as the long wooden paddle struck both cheeks at once with a sharp, burning pain. Laura screamed into her pillow and tried to twist herself off his lap, but he’d pinned her legs with his, and held tightly to her opposite hip, anticipating her reaction. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! She gripped the quilt and screamed again. She wanted to tell him to stop, she wanted to tell him she would die from the pain, but no words would form as she struggled to no avail. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! He stopped and waited for her to breath in. Laura gasped and coughed, and then sobbed into the pillow while Dalton pulled her skirts back down. It occurred to her that he hadn’t even bared her buttocks, and yet the paddle had left a lasting impression that was burning fiercely. She cried for a long time while he patted her back in silence. At last, she moved to get up, and he pulled her against his chest, a now familiar haven. “Dalton?” she sniffed, dabbing at her face with the handkerchief. “Yes,” he replied. “If I ever do something to deserve that paddle again, would you just shoot me instead?”

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He hugged her tightly and answered, “I’m sorry, kitten, I really hated to use it. And I won’t have to, unless you lie to me or purposefully disobey me again.” “Next time, I’d rather do ten assignments than get paddled!” “Well, at least you only have one for now.” “One what?” “One assignment, of course.” Laura pushed away from his chest and sat up straight. “What? You still want me to write that report?” “Yes, and if you finish it before supper, then I won’t have to spank you again today.” She saw his eyes glint with amusement at her surprised reaction, and she hotly added, “But I just got the worst punishment I’ve ever had in my life!” He frowned at her. “And the reason you got ‘the worse punishment of your life’ was because you disobeyed me yet again!” Laura dropped her eyes from his. “If you had honestly tried to do the report, and had given me a few pages of your efforts, I wouldn’t have even spanked you. But you made it a different issue altogether by refusing to do it.” Laura stood up on her good foot. Her bottom still stung, and she was in the same position that she’d been in this morning. She had finally begun to accept the spankings because although they were painful, they were quickly over and all was forgiven immediately afterward. This was different. She’d suffered the consequences, yet they still remained. “I won’t do it,” she told him, looking down as his expression changed from calmly patient to incredulous anger. “Laura, you’ve just earned yourself another paddling,” he exclaimed, and struggled to control his ire. “I can’t believe you just deliberately defied me again!” He stood up and walked over to pick up the few books in the room as Laura glared at him,

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refusing to back down. “Alright, then. I’ll also paddle you after every meal until that report is done. And you’re to stay here in your room until you agree to do it.” He marched across the room to the door. “No reading, no talking, no chess games, no riding, and no desserts. Enjoy yourself.” He left and shut the door firmly behind him. Laura sat back down on her bed to stubbornly wait it out. She soon lay down on her stomach; her bottom still stung from the paddle. She tried to go to sleep, but she wasn’t tired after the nap she’d already had that morning. After thirty minutes, she considered crawling out of the room and going down to the salon. She knew that Dalton would just bring her back up and paddle her, though. She was also getting very hungry; no one had brought her any dinner, and it was almost one o’clock. Sighing, she finally admitted defeat. One thing she’d learned beyond a doubt was that Dalton was always true to his word. He’d be out there doing the things he always did, while she’d be the only one to suffer. She could rot in this room for a week and it wouldn’t affect him at all, except to have to paddle her three times a day. And she never wanted to see that paddle again, much less feel it searing across her bottom. She hopped over to the window seat and looked out just in time to see Dalton riding off toward the bluff. Undaunted, she crawled to her bedroom door, opened it, and called for Jack. He soon came up the stairs and down the hall, grinning at her sitting on the floor like a pet dog. He carried her to the outhouse, and then to the dining room at her request. Opening the biology book, Laura began to look up the page numbers she’d written down. Mrs. Sanders brought her a dinner plate and some tea, but Laura ate only a few bites, becoming quickly engrossed in the fascinating world of science and its new discoveries. She’d had no idea the world had become this advanced! She began to write her

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report and was finished only two hours later. She continued to read as she waited for Dalton to return, and didn’t even notice when he walked into the dining room to check on her. He watched her for a moment, smiling down at her bent head and the neatly handwritten pages lying on the table. Dalton picked up the papers and sat down next to her to read them. Laura glanced at him, but continued to read about Koch’s Postulates and didn’t look up until he put the papers down in front of her. She reluctantly shut the book and saw that he’d written a large letter “A” and circled it on the first page. “I’m very proud of you,” he said, and Laura felt an unreasoning surge of happiness at his words. “I knew you could do it, but I’m surprised at how well you did.” “I love this subject!” she beamed at him. “Do you have any more recent information?” “Laura, we subscribe to several periodicals. They’re in the salon; all you need do is read them.” “You mean those magazines that Mum reads? Why, they’re full of silly stories and poems and fashion drawings.” “Nonsense. We have the Scientific American, and the Overland Monthly as well.” “Will you take me to the salon, then?” “Don’t you need to go outside first?” “That would probably be a good idea; then I won’t have to bother you until supper, most likely.” “Laura, we still have an issue to settle before you set off on your reading adventure.” Laura looked at his suddenly stern expression, and felt her heart begin to pound. “What would that be?” she asked, dreading the answer. “The fact that you told me no, just two hours ago.” Laura remembered his promised paddling, and the familiar tears instantly filled her eyes. “But I did the report, Dalton! I worked hard on it, so can’t

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you just forget that I wouldn’t do it before?” She pulled out her handkerchief. Dalton sighed as his patience waned. “Laura, for every action there’s a consequence. I told you that you’d earned a paddling, and I won’t go back on my word. Otherwise, you’d defy me at the next opportunity, thinking you could talk your way out of it. Now, we are going outside, and then we’re going to your room. And the next time you want to tell me no, I’ll know that you’ll think about the consequences first.” He stood up from the table and reached down to pick her up. Laura felt the tears rolling down her face as he carried her out to the little house. As she waited for him to take her back in, she wondered how she’d had the nerve to tell him no. Would she ever learn to control her quick temper? Why did her mind lose all logic and reasonable thought when she became angry? Why did her pulse speed up, her breathing quicken, and her hands shake, all against her will? How could she control herself the next time, as he’d suggested? Dalton came back across the yard then, and she put her arm around his neck as he lifted her up and walked back to the house. Through the kitchen, the dining room, the hall, and up the stairs they went, the familiar route shadowed with trepidation as he approached her bedroom door. He put her down by the bed, and she sat and put her hands over her face as he left to get the paddle. “How many was it the last time?” he asked upon his return. “Ten, I think,” replied Laura, not moving. “Then this time it will be twelve.” He sat down beside her, and she began to cry behind her hands. “Please, Dalton, please don’t do this! I don’t think it’s going to stop me the next time I get angry! I just lose my temper, and I don’t stop and think, so it’ll just happen again anyway…” “Laura, when you’ve felt this paddle a few more times, believe me, you’ll stop and think.”

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“But the last time, I thought I’d die from the pain, and not ten minutes later I was telling you no again!” “Laura, if you truly believe what you’re saying, then I’ll make you a deal.” She dropped her hands and looked at him through the tears, hoping he’d reconsider. “A deal?” “If you get paddled five more times this week, and still manage to defy me, then I’ll drop it and come up with a more effective punishment.” She sniffed and realized that she wouldn’t get out of this after all; he was merely suggesting an alternative if it didn’t work. “But we’ve already proven it won’t work!” “Maybe not after one trial, but I assure you that repetition and consistency will always bring about the desired result. Now, I’m through explaining things to you, so let’s get started.” However, Laura couldn’t make herself lie over his lap, and he finally had to briefly wrestle her into position. He pulled down her drawers this time, and she began to cry hard before the first searing blow even fell. By the sixth stroke, her mind was filled with nothing but pain as she screamed and cried into her pillow. He gave her time to recover between each stroke, unlike his fast, hard spankings, but she still couldn’t think even enough to count them. As soon as the last one fell, he pulled up her drawers and straightened her skirts as she sobbed uncontrollably. “Laura?” “Y-yes,” she cried, finally able to think again. “Do you think that you’ll remember this?” “Absolutely,” her voice was muffled in the pillow. “Then please don’t disobey me again. You know I don’t want to see you hurting, and it’s all so unnecessary if you just do what’s right.” He began to rub her back, as always, and Laura remembered his proposed deal. All she had to do was live

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through this four more times this week, and he’d never do it again. He always kept his word. She wondered what she’d have to do to disobey again. He might realize what she was doing, but he’d said what he’d said and she knew he wouldn’t take it back.

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CHAPTER TEN Laura scanned the front cover of the Scientific Atlantic. She couldn’t wait to see what was new in the world of science, and she eagerly flipped through its pages. As she began to read an article, she heard the clip-clopping of hooves outside the window behind her, and she looked out to see Dr. Greenfield and his wife alighting from their buggy. The doctor reached in back of the vehicle and brought forth two crutches. “Dalton, you won’t have to carry me anymore!” she exclaimed, as Dalton walked past the salon toward the front door. “’Tis truly a wonderful day,” he dryly remarked, and opened the door to welcome his friend. Dr. Greenfield changed Laura’s bandage again, and proclaimed the wound to be closed. He warned that she couldn’t walk on it or submerge it in water for at least five more days. He showed Dalton some exercises that he could help Laura with, to keep her leg muscles from weakening. Gripping her ankle firmly, he had her push and pull against him, and then try to move her leg up and down. He prescribed the activity to be done three times a day for at least five minutes, and Laura groaned aloud. Joshua laughed and picked up the crutches to show her how to use them. Delighted to be upright and moving again, Laura went a little too fast and almost tripped. “Slow down; you have to get used to them,” warned Joshua. Steadying herself, Laura moved more sedately into the hall. She stopped at the foot of the stairway and looked askance at the doctor. Joshua grinned and showed her how to go up and down the steps, but warned that she couldn’t do it by herself until she was more skilled. “Can I go riding now?” she asked, her face alight with anticipation.

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“Could I,” corrected Dalton from the doorway to the salon. “Could I?” Laura repeated obediently, ignoring the urge to retort with a silly comment, as Sam liked to do. “I don’t see why not,” said Joshua, “That’s the leg that curls up on the saddle, isn’t it?” “Yes, I wouldn’t be putting any weight on the foot at all.” “I’ve no objections, then.” Laura looked to Dalton for confirmation, and he slowly nodded his head as she smiled her thanks. Rachel had packed up her husband’s bag and was waiting by the front door, but Joshua told her that he was going down to the barn to see the new colts with Dalton. Although Laura wanted to go with them, she couldn’t leave Rachel to her own devices, and she invited her into the salon. As they sat and chatted, Rachel picked up a new copy of The Century for May 1883 and idly scanned the pages. “Have you ever been paddled, Rachel?” The doctor’s wife looked up quickly at Laura’s quiet inquiry. She smiled and nodded. “Three times, and I remember each one vividly.” “What did you do?” Rachel laughed. “I cried an awful lot.” “No,” smiled Laura, “what did you to do deserve it?” “Well, all three times, I’d done something dangerous, and Joshua was extremely upset. He said that he would die if anything happened to me, and he had to punish me severely to prevent me from endangering myself.” “Well then, why did you do it three times?” “They were different circumstances, and each time was nearly a year apart. So I guess it’s been pretty effective. Why, has Dalton paddled you?” Laura nodded her head solemnly. “I can hardly sit here right now; my backside’s hurting so.” Rachel leaned forward. “And what did you do?”

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“All I did was tell him I wasn’t going to write a report he’d assigned me. You’d think I’d slapped his face, he was so angry. He made me stay in my room until I’d agreed to do it, and then when I did it, he paddled me anyway!” “But at first you told him you wouldn’t do it?” “Yes, I thought I could get out of it, but I was quite wrong as it turned out.” Laura winced as she adjusted herself on the sofa. “Laura, I’ve never told Joshua no. I’ve never directly disobeyed him, or refused to do something he’d asked. I can’t imagine what he’d do if I ever did such a thing.” Laura’s face fell as she realized there would be no sympathy here. “When I married Josh, I promised to obey him, and I’ve kept that promise.” Laura sighed, “Well, I didn’t marry Dalton of course, but I did promise to obey him after I’d scared myself silly trying to avoid his threats for several days.” “I don’t mind obeying Joshua, because he always has my best interests at heart. He’s never let me down, and he always seems to know what’s right.” Laura smiled at Rachel but kept quiet as she heard the men coming in the front door. Rachel looked down at the magazine and began to laugh. “Listen to this! This is the silliest thing I’ve ever read!” Dalton and Joshua stood waiting in the doorway as she began to read, “On Higher Education for Women, by P. R.” “DEAR Mr. EDITOR: I know that you’ll think it perfectly horrid of me and too forward and dreadful for anything to write to you in this bold way without knowing you at all, but I do hope that you’ll excuse me, as there is something I feel it my duty to write to you about. (It seems too funny to write “Mr.” instead of “Miss” or” Mrs.,” as I most always do, for upon my

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word and honor, I never, never wrote to a gentleman before except once when I —) But any way, I feel ever so safe, as you can’t possibly know what my monogram stands for, and my signature is ex officio, or whatever you call it when you don’t give your real name…”1 “Really, Rachel, must you read us that drivel?” Joshua crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow. “But that’s just the point, Josh, it’s so silly! Why would a woman send such a silly note to an editor? Listen to this…” “But as I was saying, I want to speak to you about this just too dreadful fuss they are all making about what they call higher education for women and co-education. Horrid, tiresome old things, I’d just like to shake them. Why, I declare! It’s simply too ridiculous for anything, the way they go on; just as if any sensible girl, with any sort of romantic feelings, wanted to know anything about Greek and philosophy and things, and then grow up for all the world like those absurdly dreadful old frights that wear spectacles, and have straight hair brushed back, and sleeves that never fit at the shoulders, and carry their change in a bag, and ask for the “franchise” (whatever that is), and make all kinds of ridiculous plans, and don’t know any more about flirting or dancing the German than the man in the moon. It quite makes the cold shivers run down my back to think of them. . . It’s just too ridiculously preposterous the idea that a girl with any sort of pretension to good looks should just go and ruin her chances by seeming to know anything about all those dreadful mathematics like Soshiology (Dear me! I hope that’s spelt correctly, though somehow or other it don’t look quite right to me). It only makes all the men afraid of her. So where’s the good of it? What’s the use of bothering your brains if the men wont like you any better for it?. . .”1 1

The Century, F. Warne & Co., London, Vol 26, Issue 1, May, 1883 1 The Century, F. Warne & Co., London, Vol 26, Issue 1, May, 1883

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Rachel giggled as she laid the book in her lap, but Laura gave Dalton a solemn look, and asked, “Dalton, do people really feel that way?” “Laura, I believe that letter is just a farce; an attempt at sarcastic humor,” he replied. “I think it’s a perfectly awful letter; why couldn’t a woman be both smart and romantic?” “Laura,” laughed Rachel, “They can, of course, it’s just such a silly letter that it’s funny!” “Well, what if people who read it take it seriously? And why would a man be afraid of an educated woman, anyway?” Joshua spoke up. “Only an imbecile would fear an educated woman. I firmly believe in higher education for anyone who’s interested, no matter his or her sex or even their race. Now, I must insist that we leave now, Rachel, and Laura, remember the instructions I gave you.” The doctor held out his hand to his wife, who immediately put the magazine down and rose to join him. “Yes, I’ll remember, and thank you, Dr. Greenfield,” said Laura as they left the salon. “Goodbye, Rachel!” Laura waited for Dalton to come back in after he’d seen the couple off. “Dalton, I wish I could talk to other women about this problem.” Dalton gave her a puzzled look. “What problem?” “Why, the general public’s perception of higher education for women, of course, and also the newest discoveries in medicine, and…” “Well, then, after church on Sunday, you could post invitations to start a weekly lady’s social hour; I’ve never heard of any in this area before.” Laura’s eyes lit up. “What a grand idea! When should we have it?” Dalton raised an eyebrow at that. “We?”

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“Not you, silly, I mean, should I be the hostess, and where would the women meet?” Dalton thought for a moment as he lit a cigar by the hearth. “Sunday afternoons would surely be best. A lot of the women in this area are much too busy on any other day. And you could be the hostess and meet here in the salon.” “Wouldn’t it be too far for some women to attend?” “Possibly, but you couldn’t have it in town; most women’s families wouldn’t appreciate having to stay after church waiting for their wives and mothers to finish gossiping.” Laura immediately took offense. “Gossiping! Why, Dalton James Garrison, that’s not nice at all!” She clapped her hand over her mouth in dismay as she saw his quick frown. “I’m sorry, Dalton, I didn’t mean to speak that way to you; see, I’ve been rude again because I lost my temper!” Laura hung her head and waited for his expected reprimand. However, Dalton only laughed, “You weren’t really rude, Laura…you just told me that what I said wasn’t nice, and you’re right, it wasn’t. I apologize.” Laura stared at him in amazement. She wished she could figure out exactly what his idea of acceptable conduct was. Mum came into the salon just then, and Laura excitedly told her of her plans. Mum thought it was a wonderful idea as well, and the two began to plan the invitations and agendas. After a while, Laura had to use the outhouse, and was thrilled to be able to get up and go by herself. The few steps from the back porch were a little difficult to manage, but she navigated them well and was proud of herself. Her happiness over being mobile again, and planning the ladies’ social hour made her forget all about trying to manipulate Dalton into abandoning his paddling method. After supper, Laura asked for a hot bath to be drawn. She hadn’t had a proper bath in over two

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days, and longed for a relaxing soak. Mrs. Sanders always kept several kettles of hot water ready in the large kitchen fireplace, so Dalton and Jack hauled the water upstairs as Laura made her way to the staircase. She carefully put her good foot onto the first step and then brought the crutches up even with it. She made it to the next step just as Dalton came bounding down to stand at her side. “Young lady, what do you think you’re doing?” he exclaimed, and she glanced up at him in surprise. He looked very angry. “I’m…I’m just going up to my bath!” she stuttered. “You were told not to attempt the stairs without someone with you!” “Oh! I forgot!” She felt her face redden, and quickly looked away from him. Dalton kept his hand lightly on her back as she slowly made her way to the top of the stairs. Moving much faster in the hallway, she hurried to her room with Dalton right behind her. She stopped just inside the door and turned to face him. “I’m very sorry, Dalton, but I didn’t do it on purpose; I really just forgot that someone had to be with me.” She scanned his face for any sign of sympathy, but found nothing except his stern gray eyes and tightened jaw line. “That was a very dangerous thing to do, and I can’t take the chance that you might ‘forget’ to ask for help the next time.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and he added, “But since you seem to be very sorry, I’ll just spank you instead of getting the paddle.” Laura stared up at him in dismay, his leniency lost on her as her pulse raced in anticipation of the spanking. He said he would ‘just’ spank her as if it were nothing! Didn’t he know how much it hurt? He turned toward the bed, and the adrenaline of outrage coursed through her as she bit her lip and glared at his back. Now is the time to tell him, ‘no’, she thought, and he’d have to paddle her, and then

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she would only have three more paddlings to go. However, the thought of the paddle filled her with fear, and she swallowed hard, dropped her eyes, and mumbled, “Yes, sir,” as she limped to her bedside and meekly sat down. Dalton made quick work of it as soon as she placed herself across his lap. He held her legs down firmly and applied hard, fast, and accurately aimed smacks to her squirming buttocks and upper thighs until the skin was glowing. He then pulled her up and held her in his arms as she cried into his shirt. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t wait for help. I won’t do it again,” she cried. “I’m sure you know what will happen if you try it by yourself again?” “You-you’ll paddle me…” “That’s right. Now, I think you’re safe from now on. I had visions of you tumbling down the stairs and breaking your neck, for God’s sake, Laura, don’t do anything so foolish again.” Laura felt his concern wash over her like warm water, and she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Thank you for caring about me,” she whispered. Dropping her arms, she pulled out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes. When she looked back up, he was gazing down at her, his solemn gray eyes full of an emotion she didn’t recognize. She could hear their breathing in the quiet room, and held her breath as they stared at each other for several long seconds, and then he abruptly put her aside, stood up, and left the room. Laura got up and locked the door, undressed on the side of the bed, and hopped to the tub. She slid in buttocks first; remembering to keep her injured foot out over the side, and tried to sort out her jumbled emotions. When they’d stared at each other, their lips only inches apart, she’d wanted him to kiss her! She didn’t know what was wrong with her; he was supposed to be her older brother, and even though there was no legal or real kinship, he

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was still seven years older! Why should she have romantic thoughts about a man who treated her as a child? A man who she’d probably never even say “no” to again, thanks to his stupid paddling method. She knew now that he’d been right; her fear of that awful strip of wood had completely banished her anger just a short time ago. For the rest of her life, she’d probably think about a paddle every time she put her foot upon a stair step. She wondered what mechanism in the brain burned some memories there forever, while others slipped away like sand in an hourglass… Mum and Laura spent all the next morning laboriously writing out the invitations. Laura even made a large poster proclaiming the event, complete with a drawing of several ladies sitting in the Garrison’s salon conversing. Everyone complimented her on her artistic talent, and she basked in a warm glow all throughout the noon meal. When Dalton brought the textbooks out, she hurried through her math and English, and then begged him to give her another science assignment. He smiled at her eagerness to learn, thinking back to only yesterday when she’d taken a paddling to try to get out of it. “Alright, Laura, write me a short report on Joseph Lister and his work with sterilization of bacteria.” “If I do well on it, will you take me riding?” She grinned up at him, and he nodded before leaving to help his father go over the books. Laura was soon lost in the world of science again, and forgot about the riding until Dalton returned an hour later. She handed him her paper, and he wrote another “A” on it before handing it back. He walked beside her as she hobbled down to the barn, where he saddled both horses. He had to put her up on the saddle, but once there, her injured foot wasn’t a handicap at all.

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Laura wanted to see more of the ranch, and she eagerly set out in a new direction. Riding at her side, Dalton told her about the various plants and wildlife they might encounter in the area. He pointed out a nettle bush and warned her of their stinging, spiny bristles. He explained why she shouldn’t ever explore underneath rocks and in crevices because of the danger of snakes. Laura listened carefully as he talked, and hoped that someday she’d know as much about the ranch as he did. When they returned to the house, she settled down in the salon to read the Scientific American at last. She read intently through its ten pages, fascinated by the unusual anecdotes, reports of new inventions, and new methods of production. As dinnertime neared, the rest of the family arrived one by one. “Look, Edison’s patented another incandescent light!” Laura held the drawing up to Dalton, who gave it a quick glance before lighting his cigar. “Why don’t we have electrical lighting, Dalton?” He smiled obligingly at her. “Laura, it’s not a very safe apparatus. I know a man in town who had his house wired, but the wiring got too hot and burned the place down not two weeks later.” “But it’s supposed to be even safer than gas! In St. Louis, there’s a whole neighborhood that’s lit with electricity, and the city generator supplies it. Last year, I overheard my father arguing with his friend over a new ordinance that was supposed to go into effect to pay for more generators with sales tax. And there’s a telephone at the corner drugstore, and my uncle has one, and we had water closets and plumbing, Dalton, why do we have nothing but that stupid outhouse here? I swear we’re living in the Stone Age! Look, here’s an article on Vanderbilt’s bathroom which has pipes to his porcelain bathtub, see, so why do we have to lug buckets of water up to an old copper lined box?”

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Everyone stared at Laura in amazed silence for a moment, until Jack spoke up, “Who gave her that magazine?” “I did,” said Dalton dryly as he took a sip of brandy. “One of my rare lapses in judgment, apparently.” Laura stared at him. “Oh, but I knew all about modernization before I ever looked at these articles! After all, I lived in a big city with a lot of new conveniences. I just don’t see why you haven’t installed any here.” “I’m more interested in how many conversations of your father’s you overheard,” Dalton gave her a warning glance. Laura crossed her arms and fell back among the sofa cushions as she fought to control her temper. “Ahem,” said Mum, looking around the room at the men, “I’ve been asking for more plumbing for years. Laura, they just installed the kitchen plumbing only two years ago! The problem here is that all of these men, who had me outnumbered, are perfectly happy to bathe in the stream and relieve themselves in the bushes. Aside from having to carry hot water for me once a week, they’ve seen no need to modernize.” Pa gave Mum an apologetic look. “Ellie, I’ve told you that we’ll build a bathroom as soon as…” he appeared to be deep in thought. “First it was after the barn was built, then it was after the next cattle drive, and then after the boys were through with their schooling, and…” “Alright, alright, we’ll start on it as soon as I can get the supplies in.” Pa smiled at Mum and picked his newspaper back up. Laura sat up straight and grinned happily. How wonderful it would be, never having to use that old outhouse again! But then she glanced down at the drawing of the light bulb, and asked, “What about electricity? These oil lamps hurt my eyes when I

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have to study by them. Can’t we get a few incandescent lamps with batteries?” “Those batteries are expensive, Laura,” replied Dalton, “and the lamps have to be replaced fairly often.” Laura held up her magazine. “This bulb lasts for 2000 hours!” “Just because it’s patented, that doesn’t mean it’s for public sale yet.” “This article says that Edison’s first vacuum bulb in 1880 lasted 1500 hours. That’s a long time.” “Laura, how many hours a day do you study in the dark?” “Well, hardly any right now, because we always start when it’s daylight, but when winter comes…” “How many hours a day would you like to read when it’s dark?” “Oh, maybe two or three.” “Then how long would that bulb last?” Laura frowned. “I know you’re trying to get me to calculate it. But if I studied two hours a night for five days a week, that would be ten hours a week, which would be five-hundred-sixty hours a year, and this lamp would last for nearly three years!” “The battery won’t last that long.” “Then let’s get a generator.” “And what would power the generator?” “We have a stream, a river, and a windmill; any of those would do.” “All of that would require wiring to be installed, and I don’t trust it after Mr. Jerden’s house caught fire.” “Maybe he put it in wrong.” “He had a specialist do it.” Laura sighed and put the magazine down. “All right, then.” She picked up a handkerchief she’d been embroidering. “That’s it?” asked Dalton. “What’s it?” she looked up at him. “You’re not going to argue it any further?”

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She smiled sweetly at him. “Well, of course I will, just as soon as I find more information to prove you wrong with.” Dalton burst out laughing, much to everyone’s surprise. “Dalton, you never let me argue with you!” complained Sam. “Why isn’t Laura in trouble?” “You don’t argue like that, Sam,” laughed Dalton. “If you argue logically and keep your tone respectful,” his laughter died down as he looked at his younger brother, “then I’ll certainly listen. Laura’s become much better at making her point without being rude.” Laura felt a surge of pleasure at his words, and then a bell jingled from the dining room. “I gave my bell to Mrs. Sanders so she can signal us when the food’s ready,” explained Laura. Dalton smiled and handed her the crutches that she’d put on the floor by the sofa. “Let’s go eat, then.” By the next Sunday morning, Laura’s foot had healed enough for her to start putting weight on it. Dr. Greenfield had removed the stitches, and told her to always wear a stocking and shoe before walking on it. He didn’t want her to step on something barefoot and reopen the wound. She was able to walk with just a slight limp, thanks to the exercises that Dalton had helped her with. After church, Laura and Mum handed out the invitations to all the women as they left the chapel, and Laura placed her poster in Mrs. Miller’s shop window. Then they hurried home to make the final preparations. Mum told Laura not to expect many women at the first meeting, since there hadn’t been much notice given. Nevertheless, at one-thirty the carriages and buggies began arriving. By two o’clock, there were eighteen ladies sipping tea in the salon, still dressed in their Sunday best. It was time to begin the meeting, and Laura’s hands shook nervously as she read the agenda. They elected a secretary, a treasurer, and a president, which was

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unanimously Laura. Rachel won the secretary’s position, and hastily scribbled notes as the women decided upon a topic to discuss. Two hours later, all of the women left, happily proclaiming the event a success and promising to attend the following Sunday. Dalton found Laura alone in the parlor, picking up the ladies’ teacups and placing them on a large tray. “How was the social?” he asked, giving her a big grin. “Oh, it was very good,” replied Laura, “but not everyone was interested in talking about technology. They kept drifting off to other subjects, no matter how hard I tried to keep them on track.” He laughed as she frowned in consternation. “You’ll get better with practice,” he said, “and some of them may have only attended out of boredom, with no real interest in modern marvels.” “That’s the general idea I got,” said Laura, picking up the heavy tray. “I’ll get that.” Dalton took it from her. “You’ve no business carrying anything so heavy, with your foot barely healed!” He gave her a stern look, making her pulse quicken. She started to argue with him, but quickly stopped herself; she hadn’t been spanked since she’d tried to go up the stairs by herself, and she certainly didn’t miss it! “Thank you,” she replied with a smile, and then began to wipe the tables with a cloth. She felt slightly disappointed as he carried the tray away, and had a sudden urge to yell something rude to him. Pressing her lips firmly together as she worked, she wondered why she was forever trying to elicit his anger. Did she want to be spanked? Picturing the event in her mind, the embarrassment of baring her buttocks was not enticing, and neither was the burning pain. She realized that it was the hugging afterward, the feel of his strong arms around her that was so appealing. She wanted him

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to hold her close and rub her back, but she knew it could only happen after being disciplined. Still, it wasn’t worth the pain, she reminded herself. At supper, Mum suggested that they split the meeting next week into two separate socials. “I think that the younger women were interested, but the older ones like me would rather discuss social issues and poetry. Perhaps some of us could sit in the salon, and the rest in the library.” “No,” said Pa, swallowing a mouth full of potatoes, “No groups of women in my library.” He gave Mum such a ferocious look that everyone laughed. “Well, then, the living room, but it wouldn’t be very private.” “What do you need privacy for?” asked Dalton. “We might discuss something that only females should hear,” said Mum, winking at Laura. “I sure don’t want to hear it,” said Sam, and everyone laughed again. Over the next week, Laura’s foot healed almost completely, and she was soon running down to the barn to see the colts every morning. Dalton continued to give her riding lessons, and she learned to canter, flying across the range with him at her side. Her balance greatly improved, and Dalton told her they could try galloping the next week. She continued to be on her best behavior, and every time she led Sonny past the bales of straw in the barn, she blushed in remembrance of her first spanking there. On Sunday after church, Laura, Mum, and Mrs. Sanders began to set up the living room and the salon for visitors. Rachel came over early to help, and soon all was ready for the second meeting of the Science Society, as Laura had dubbed it. When all the women had arrived, the little salon was so crowded that they eagerly agreed to split up. Mum invited all those interested in social discussion to the living room with her. Laura began her meeting

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in the salon, and announced that the topic for the day was to be electrical lighting. Mrs. Hayes, the lawyer’s wife, had recently visited her cousins in Denver, who had had their home wired. She told the group how wonderful it was to move a switch and have instant lighting. No messy oil or matches or gas odors. They even had an electric iron that heated up without coals or fire. Everyone was very interested in how electricity worked, until Laura proudly showed them a diagram of a “System of Electric Lighting” that Edison had patented only a year before. They found the circuits and switches mildly interesting, but were more drawn by its practical applications. No one wanted to learn how the system worked, and soon they were gleefully planning electric stoves, dish cleaners, carpet and floor cleaners, clothes washers, and other household appliances. They declared that within the next twenty years, wives and housekeepers would only have to sit around and supervise their machines. At four o’clock the meetings adjourned, and most of the women left, but Rachel and a few other young ladies stayed in the salon with Laura to chat. Daisy Hampton was Laura’s age, and the two found that they had a lot in common, with their love for both science and horses. Nineteen-year-old Mary Stanton was Daisy’s cousin, and both were unmarried as of yet. Louise Antwerp and Florence Bryson were both twenty-two years old and married. The talk turned to the upcoming barn dance on Saturday night, and everyone was looking forward to it. Mary said she hoped that Jack would attend; she thought him very handsome and polite. Laura wondered if the two had ever danced together before. Mary was very pretty, and quite intelligent as well, and Laura thought they’d make a nicelooking couple. She noticed that Mary kept fidgeting in her chair, as if she couldn’t get

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comfortable. Laura wanted to ask her if she’d been spanked, but of course she didn’t dare. “Mary, whatever is the matter with you?” asked Rachel, and Laura eyes widened at her impropriety. But Mary didn’t blink an eye as she replied, “Father paddled me last night for staying in the library all day instead of doing my chores. I was reading a new novel, and I didn’t realize how quickly the time had passed.” She rubbed her bottom ruefully and grinned. Laura leaned forward and said very quietly, “I think that all paddles should be banned, or maybe we could toss them into the fireplace!” Rachel laughed and clapped her hands, but Laura put her finger to her lips. “Sssh, someone will hear!” They all giggled. “Have all of you been paddled before?” asked Daisy, her eyes wide with curiosity. All of the young ladies held their hands up, and Daisy continued, “Not me. I’ve never even been spanked before! My parents don’t believe in it.” “And that’s why you’re so spoilt rotten,” teased her cousin. “I was the same way, Daisy,” said Laura, and all of the women became quiet. “My parents never, never hit me or spanked me.” “Then how did you get paddled? Did your new father do it?” asked Mary. They all knew about Laura’s orphaned state, and how her mother had been an old friend of Mrs. Garrison’s. “No,” answered Laura, “Dalton did.” She watched Daisy’s face turn pink, and two of the other women giggled. Encouraged, she continued, “He spanked me the first week I arrived here, and since then I’ve been punished at least twenty times!” “Why, Laura, is he mean?” asked Mary, her expression concerned. “No, I was just very bad!” They all laughed out loud, and Laura put her finger to her lips again as she said, “I’ve only been paddled twice, but it’s

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horrible! I’ve named it the “Stupid Paddling Method!” “SPM,” said Rachel, giggling. “Let’s call it the SPM, and no one will know what we’re talking about!” “What bad things did you do, Laura?” Daisy seemed fascinated by the subject. “Oh, just about everything. I’d never been punished physically before, and I thought I could just waltz in here and do whatever I pleased. I was very rude, I swore at Dalton, I drank up all the peach brandy, I scared his horse, and… I can’t remember anything else right now. But I’ve been very good for the past few weeks, and I’m hoping I’ll never get into trouble again…” “I drank some of my father’s brandy once, and he took his strap to me, and I’ve never touched it since,” said Louise Antwerp, one of the married women. “And just last week my husband gave me the SPM!” The room became silent as all of the girls waited for her to continue. “I had taken the buggy to town without asking, and when I returned, he was so angry I thought he would explode! He’d made an appointment with Lawyer Hayes, and missed it because I had our only horse with me.” “Did he paddle you while he was so angry?” asked Daisy. “No, he sent me to the corner to wait until he’d calmed down. But it was still a very harsh punishment, and I have a few bruises left even now.” “Are you angry with him for giving you the SPM?” “Oh, no, he had the right of it; I should have asked him first. Anyway, we made up that night.” She giggled with Rachel and Florence, and the single girls could only guess at what making up would entail. “I’ve only been paddled once,” said Florence, “and I hope it never happens again!”

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Laura sat up straight and proclaimed, “Well, I think that the SPM should be outlawed! In this day and age, I would think that other methods would work just as well, with a lot less trauma.” She smiled smugly at the others and took a sip of her tea. “What’s the SPM?” asked Dalton from the doorway to the salon. Laura dropped her cup right in her lap, and then scrambled to blot the tea with the hem of her dress. She looked around at her friends, who were all staring at Dalton as if they’d seen a ghost. “What does SPM mean?” he repeated, his polite smile vanishing as he saw their reactions. “Um…uh… I can’t tell you, Dalton; it’s a female subject,” replied Laura. Dalton gave her stern look. “If it were a private matter, then you would have closed the salon doors, as any proper young lady should know.” Laura swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. “Well?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “It’s… it’s an acronym,” stuttered Laura, feeling her face grow hot. This just couldn’t be happening! “I’m aware of that; what does it stand for?” “Please, Dalton,” Laura tried again, “I’d prefer to tell you later…” “Laura, if you can discuss it loudly with an open door, then there’s no reason for you to not tell me now.” His tone was dangerously calm, but Laura couldn’t bring herself to betray her new friends. She stared down at her hands in her lap as tears filled the corners of her eyes. “Dalton, that’s why I made up the acronym,” said Rachel. “We just forgot to shut the door.” Her tone was very respectful but firm, and Dalton looked at her for a few long moments before turning back to Laura. “You may tell me later, then.” He nodded at the women, stepped into the hall, and shut the salon

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door firmly behind him. Daisy stared at the closed door in awe. “Oh my goodness,” said Mary, speaking barely above a whisper, “Whatever will you tell him?” Laura pulled her handkerchief out and quickly blotted her eyes. “I’ll have to tell him the truth…” She looked up at her friends. “I can’t lie to him!” They all nodded knowingly except Daisy. “Why not? He’ll never know. Tell him it stands for Stupid Pompous Men!” She giggled, and the others followed suit. “Daisy, Laura can’t lie, and none of us would, either,” admonished her cousin, though still laughing at the joke. “And, if you’d ever been properly punished, you wouldn’t even suggest it!” Daisy nodded. “Sometimes I wish that someone would punish me properly.” “Well, then, marry an old-fashioned man, because Uncle James will never do it,” replied Mary, speaking of Daisy’s father. She stood up. “Laura, thank you for the lovely cakes and tea. We really must be getting along now.” Daisy reluctantly got up, and the two young ladies headed for the door. “You’re welcome,” said Laura as she rose to see them out. The others decided to leave as well, promising to meet again at the barn dance. They all made their farewells, and Laura closed the front door and went back into the salon to clean the tables off. “Laura,” she jumped as she heard Dalton’s voice from the doorway. “Upstairs.” Her heartbeat thudding against her eardrums, she slowly turned and walked to the salon door. She brushed awkwardly past him and then fled up the stairway to her room. Sitting down in the window seat, she stared dismally out at the flowerbeds as she awaited his arrival. It was going to be so awful to have to tell him what the SPM was. Maybe she should lie, as Daisy had suggested. It would surely save herself a lot of pain and embarrassment.

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She’d tried so hard to be good, and now she was in trouble yet again. The door opened, and Dalton walked in and shut it behind him. Laura didn’t get up as he came in and sat on the edge of the bed, facing her. He didn’t say anything at first, and Laura felt increasingly uncomfortable in the silence. Finally, she turned to look at him. “Dalton, why do I have to tell you what the SPM means? It was a private matter, and we just forgot to shut the door.” “Because you said that it should be outlawed, and that other methods would be less traumatic. I just want to know what has you so concerned; maybe I could be of help.” “No, you can’t help. It’s not important, anyway; we were just having a bit of fun over something.” “Alright, then, just reassure me that you ladies weren’t degrading any sort of punishment method, and I’ll leave it alone.” He crossed his arms, and Laura’s pulse began to race. “Um,” she stared into the gray eyes and wondered how he could know. “Um…I can’t do that.” He nodded and waited expectantly. Laura’s hands began to shake, and she clasped them together in her lap. She knew there was no way out now. She couldn’t make herself lie. “It… it stands for… the Stupid Paddling Method…” She watched his expression carefully, but he showed no sign of surprise. Then he calmly got up and left the room, returning shortly with the paddle in his hand. Sitting down on the bed again, he motioned for her to sit beside him. Laura reluctantly obeyed, and he held the paddle out, running his hand along its smooth surface. “Do you really think this is stupid?” His voice was calm but firm. “No,” said Laura, shaking her head. “I don’t think the paddle is stupid; it’s just a piece of wood.” “That’s right. So you must think my method is stupid.”

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“I…I was just bragging to the other girls, because we were talking about how horrible it was.” “Did it cause you any permanent damage?” “No, sir.” “Do you think it’s effective?” “Oh, yes, sir, I haven’t lost my temper since the last time you… you used it.” “Yes, but why do I use it?” “For disobeying you, or for lying…” “And have you done those things?” “Oh, no, sir, I haven’t!” “Well, then, I won’t be using this tonight,” he said, and put the paddle down on the bed behind them. Laura sighed in relief. “Tell me what you did do wrong.” She realized that she wasn’t out of trouble altogether, and stammered, “I… I didn’t shut the door when we started talking about private matters. And I was disrespectful to your… your method…” “That’s right. It was the same as being rude to me. And you encouraged the other young ladies to treat paddling with disrespect as well.” He motioned for her to lie over his lap, and Laura hesitated only a moment before complying. As he raised her skirts and bared her bottom, she started to cry into her pillow. He spanked her slowly at first, with hard stinging slaps that burned into her memory. “If you ever…” SMACK! “want to make jokes…” SMACK! “of paddling…” SMACK! “again…” SMACK! SMACK! “then next time…” SMACK! “you will get paddled!” SMACK! SMACK! Then he spanked her harder and faster, until she could think of nothing but pain as she cried into the pillow and kicked her feet. Finally it ended, and Laura felt her drawers rasp across her burning cheeks as Dalton pulled them up. She sat up and hugged his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. She felt his now gentle hands on her back, and she whispered her apologies as the pain melted away. This was where she

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belonged, in his arms, safe and protected from everything but his inexorable discipline.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN The green silk party dress flowed out behind her like streaming water as Laura turned about in front of the mirror. She stopped and sat down for Mum to dress her hair with matching green ribbons, but soon protested the girlish style. “Mum, couldn’t I wear my hair up, now? I’m not a baby, you know.” Mum gave her a discerning look and then left the room, returning with her box of hairpins. She deftly twisted the silky brown strands into upswept curls that she’d seen in her magazines, and pinned them into place. Laura gazed at herself in the mirror. She did look older, she thought, and she pinched her cheeks to give them color. Mum disappeared again, and brought back her make-up tray. She brushed on pink rouge and lipstick, and darkened her lashes with mascara. Laura smiled at herself in the mirror, and then at Mum. “Thank you so much, Mum, you’re so good at this.” She stood up to adjust the bustle behind her. “Don’t you hate these silly things?” she said, “and I hate this corset, too!” “Well, you wanted to look grown-up,” said Mum, “I have to wear them every day, and it’s high time that you wore them at least to church on Sundays.” “I know,” sighed Laura, “but I can’t wait until the fashion changes; I like skirts that stand out all around, not just in the back.” “You look beautiful, and that style is very becoming on you. You’re going to have to start wearing your corset and bustle more often, if you want to be looked upon as an adult.” “It had to have been a man who invented the bustle,” fumed Laura. “Look how it directs all the attention to a woman’s backside! I’d much rather be viewed from the front, but the prettiest decorations are in back.”

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Mum laughed and they left to go downstairs and wait for the rest of the family. Dalton and Pa were already in the salon when they arrived. They stood up and bowed to the two well-dressed ladies, and Laura blushed as Dalton kissed her hand. “Laura, you look much older in that dress,” said Pa, smiling at her. He turned to wife. “Don’t even think of saying that to me,” said Mum, and everyone laughed. “I was going to say how young and beautiful you look!” said Pa, and held out his arm for her to take. They all went out to the front porch to wait for Sam to bring up the carriage. Jack came out and Laura noticed how handsomely well dressed all the men were. They wore tailored suits with freshly starched shirts and polished boots. Soon they were on their way, with Jack and Sam riding on the driver’s seat to make room for Mum and Laura’s dresses. The material took up over half of the carriage seats when they carefully arranged it before sitting down. Laura wondered if their finery would get soiled at the barn dance, but as they arrived, she saw several couples and families dressed just as they were, on the lawn outside a huge barn. Dalton helped her to get down, and they approached the barn doors. Laura looked around in amazement at the three-story structure with wooden plank floors, heavy oak beams and uprights, and upper lofts filled with sweet-smelling hay. Dalton told her that his father and several other men had built the barn in 1870. There was even a brick walled smokehouse at one end. She laughed as she told him she’d imagined a small building with dirt floors, like the one at the Garrison’s ranch. “Laura, that’s not our barn by the house there,” he said, laughing. “Well, you call it a barn! Where’s your barn, then?” “It’s about a half mile further down the lane. That’s where the ranch hands stay.”

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“Then why haven’t I seen it yet?” “Why would a fashionable young lady want to see a barn full of plows, hay, and ranch hands?” he teased. Laura lightly slapped his arm. “Promise me you’ll show it to me tomorrow, please? Is it even bigger than this one?” Dalton looked around him. “It’s about the same size, actually.” Mary and Daisy rushed up to greet them, and absconded Laura away to a refreshment table alongside one wall. As they accepted cups of punch from a young man, Laura realized that Dalton hadn’t said if he would take her to their barn or not. She looked around for him, but couldn’t see through the throng of people in front of the table. “Laura, do you know John Westmore?” asked Mary, and Laura turned to see the tall young blond smiling down at her. “Yes, we’ve met in town, thank you.” Laura held out her hand, and John kissed the back of it gently. She quickly pulled her hand back, but smiled graciously. “May I sign your card?” John wanted to know. “I don’t have one yet.” Mary picked one up from the table and handed it to her. “Alright then,” she laughed, “here it is.” John picked up the pen from the table and signed on the first line. As soon as he’d done so, another young man tapped his shoulder and asked Laura if he could sign her card as well. Laura spent the next ten minutes handing over her card as the men lined up. They signed Mary and Daisy’s cards as well, and they all laughed and flirted until the band began to warm up. Jack and Sam had been through the line, but Laura hadn’t seen Dalton since they’d walked in. The three young ladies began to walk through the crowd and soon found Rachel. They stood to the side to talk, and all wanted to know if Laura had been in much trouble the previous Sunday night.

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“Well, I got a spanking for encouraging you ladies to disrespect the paddle,” she laughed, “and that’s all I’m going to say, because I don’t want to get into trouble again!” The others laughed and nodded their understanding. Mary showed them her card. “Look, Jack signed mine in four different places, isn’t that sweet?” They all agreed that it was, and then the music began for the first dance. It was a waltz, and Laura saw John Westmore threading his way through the crowded sidelines to find her. She took his hand and he led her to the floor as it quickly filled with dancing couples. She spent the next hour in a whirlwind of dancing; each new partner an eager young face that blurred from one to the next as she tried to follow their leads. She was happy to find a bale of hay to sit down on when the intermission was announced, and soon Mary and Daisy joined her. John brought her some punch, which she gratefully accepted. “Look how high up that is!” exclaimed Daisy, pointing to the rafters. “I’d love to climb up there and look down to see everyone dancing!” “Oooh, that might be fun,” said Laura, looking up as well. Mary stared at them as if they were crazy, and John frowned at Daisy. “That would be very dangerous, young lady,” he said, and then laughed as she stuck out her tongue at him. “So?” she said, “Are you afraid to go up there?” “No, I just have more sense than to climb a ladder with yards of material on my backside,” he laughed. Daisy pouted and stood up to arrange her skirts. “I’ll just have to wait until I’m properly dressed for it,” she proclaimed. “Properly dressed for what?” asked Dalton, walking up behind them. Laura groaned, thinking that he had the oddest talent for showing up at the wrong time.

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“Daisy and Laura wanted to climb to the top loft and watch the dancing,” said John, and Laura almost kicked him. “I didn’t say I wanted to do it; I said it would be fun!” Laura glared at John, who merely laughed again. “Well, that’s true,” he admitted. “I want to do it,” said Daisy, “but John reminded me that it wouldn’t be safe wearing this dress.” She fluffed her skirt out in back and smiled at Dalton. “I don’t think it’d be safe in any dress,” said Dalton, looking up to the rafters. “Then I’ll wear pants when I do it,” Daisy smirked as the other young women stared at her in awe. “Do you have a large barn?” asked Dalton, raising an eyebrow at her. “No, we don’t,” said Daisy, her smile disappearing. “Then you’ll probably live to see your next birthday,” he laughed. “On the other hand, Laura, we do have a large barn, and I’d better not catch you anywhere near it without me there.” “Oh, for goodness’ sake!” exclaimed Laura. “I never said I was going to do it!” She turned to John. “Let’s get some refreshments, John,” and took his proffered arm as she left the group behind her. She couldn’t believe Dalton had threatened her in front of John Westmore. He was still treating her like a child, and she hadn’t done a thing to behave like one. Tonight she even looked much older, so when would he realize that she was becoming much more mature? “I’m sorry if I got you into trouble there,” said John, and Laura looked up at him innocently. “No, I’m sorry that Dalton is so overbearing, and embarrassed us all,” she replied. John laughed, “I’m sure he’s just trying to protect you.”

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“Well, I’m tired of being treated like a child! Don’t you think I’m old enough to know better than to climb up to the rafters by myself?” John stopped to look down at her face for a moment. “I don’t know you very well, but I’m sure you wouldn’t do anything that foolish.” “Of course not, that’s exactly the problem. He thinks I’m still a little girl who needs to be watched over all the time!” “You don’t look like a little girl to me,” said John, gazing down at her with an expression she couldn’t read. “Thank you, John,” replied Laura. “I just wish that Dalton could see that. He’s always telling me what to do and when to do it. I’m not allowed to make any decisions for myself!” “Well, why do you think he does this?” “I don’t know,” Laura began, but realized that she did know. “I suppose it’s because I was a spoiled little brat when I arrived here. My own parents almost never told me ‘no’, and I pretty much did as I pleased.” John laughed at this, but Laura continued in a serious tone, “But I’ve changed so much since then.” “Just give him time, then. I’m sure he’ll realize it sooner or later.” Laura sighed. “Let’s not talk about Dalton. What do you do in town, John?” Laura listened as he told her about the several small businesses that he owned. He spoke to her as an adult, and she enjoyed talking to a man who didn’t want to tell her what to do, or admonish her for one thing or another. Before she knew it, it was time for the next set of dances, and they were both claimed by new partners as the music began. Laura saw Mary and Jack dancing closely together, smiling into each other’s eyes, and she felt happy that they liked each other so well. She hoped she would have a sisterin-law like Mary someday. Then she saw Dalton

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dancing with a very pretty young lady who was giggling and blushing as Dalton spun her around in his arms. Laura felt a jolt run through her insides like a shock of lightening. She watched Dalton lean down and say something in the girl’s ear, and felt an intense desire to pull the girl away from him. Why she didn’t look a day older than herself, but he was now pulling her close to him, and she was putting her arm around his neck! Laura sensed the anger welling up inside her, and she realized that she was jealous. It was a horrible feeling, and she didn’t understand how it could be happening to her. She wouldn’t be jealous unless she was in love with him, and how could she love a man who couldn’t see her as an adult? Her mind sought to find the logic in it, but nothing made sense. She glanced up at the young man who was leading her around the floor, and realized that he was trying to tell her something. Leaning closer, she heard him say, “I think your eyes are as beautiful as my mother’s emerald ring!” Laura smiled, and then laughed as he twirled her around in a circle. She pushed the ugly thoughts away, and enjoyed another hour of dancing before the band struck up the Virginia Reel. Laura lined up with the women, and saw that John Westmore was now directly across from her, standing next to Dalton. They moved forward to do-si-do, and she brushed arms with both men as they passed. Soon everyone was swinging everyone else around, and Laura was out of breath by the time the dance ended. She went back to the refreshment table to get another drink, and looked down at her card. It was the last dance, and Dalton was her partner. She wondered how he’d signed her card; he wasn’t in the line of young men several hours ago. Suddenly he was taking her elbow and leading her to the floor as the band played a waltz. She held on to his right hand, with his left hand on her side, and they kept at arm’s distance, but it felt very intimate

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to her. She’d danced closer to her other partners and hadn’t felt a thing. Why did the slightest personal contact with Dalton make her want to be kissed and held by him? “How did you sign my card?” she asked, looking up at his slightly tousled dark hair. He couldn’t hear her, of course, and leaned closer. “How did you sign my card?” she repeated, louder. “Oh,” he laughed, “I signed the stack of cards before the ladies picked them up.” “What?” asked Laura, and he pulled her closer, putting his arm about her waist as her hand naturally went to his neck. “I signed the stack of cards first.” She felt his warm breath on her ear, and a shiver ran down her spine. “Whatever for?” “Tell you later,” he replied, and with a quick turn, they were once again at arm’s length as he firmly maneuvered them to a proper distance. Laura held her chin up and smiled at others she knew as they passed. The magic moment had passed, and she knew he was purposefully holding them apart. Whatever her feelings were for him, he was not going to see her as a romantic possibility. She swallowed hard and vowed to never dress or act childish again. The dance was over all too soon, and everyone milled about trying to find their various family members to begin the ride home. “Why did you sign the stack of cards?” asked Laura, as they headed for the doors. “I just don’t like to stand in a line to sign a woman’s card,” he said. “Then how do you know who to find for your next dance?” “I just stand in the middle of the room, and the ladies find me.” “How arrogant can you get?” Laura exclaimed as she laughed out loud.

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“Believe me, it works much better this way,” he grinned at her. “Then how did you know that you were on my last dance?” “I saw your card when you were debating about climbing the barn ladder.” “Oh!” she felt her cheeks blush. “I wasn’t debating about it, Daisy and John were!” Then she looked up at his expression and realized he’d been teasing her. Jack and Sam walked up just then, and they all went out to the carriage, where Mum and Pa were waiting. Laura fell asleep on the ride home, with her head on Dalton’s shoulder, dreaming of dancing close to him. “John Westmore asked if he could come to call on Laura,” said Pa, and Mum raised her eyebrows in the darkened carriage. “And what did you tell him?” she asked. “I said I didn’t think she’d had enough time to settle in yet. She’s just now starting to enjoy her studies with Dalton, and with her Sunday socials and riding lessons, I don’t think her life should be complicated by having a suitor just yet.” Mum sighed. “That’s good, John. We’ve only just got her; I’d hate to see her up and married so soon.” Dalton said nothing, but realized that he’d held his breath and strained to hear as his father had spoken. Did he really care if she had a suitor? It was going to happen eventually. When he’d watched her dance with all the other young men, he’d felt left out, which was silly considering his arms were occupied with other young women. However, none of them had her spark, her laughter, her quick mind, and innocent beauty. She’d looked years older tonight, and he’d wanted to kiss her when they were dancing close together. He’d had to push her away and suppress his thoughts as they finished the dance. He looked down at her sleeping face, upturned on his shoulder, and felt a pang of

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regret at their circumstances. When he carried her into the house sometime later, she felt like a small child in his arms, and he resolved to keep thinking of her in that manner. Three weeks later, Laura laughed in excitement as she and Dalton galloped across the range together. They were racing back to the house, and Trojan was much faster than Sonny, but Dalton held him back to keep watch over Laura. He checked her posture and her grip on the reins for the twentieth time as they rode the horses hard. He no longer had to remind her to keep the reins up or to squeeze the saddle horn with her upper leg. They reached the fence line, and Dalton slowed to a walk as Laura followed suit. “You know, most ladies don’t gallop their horses,” he said, watching for her reaction. “Why not?” She gave him an irritated look, and he laughed to himself. “Because it’s so difficult to stay in the sidesaddle,” he replied. “It is? You’ve acted like I’m some sort of dimwit every time I’ve slipped in my saddle!” “Yes, but now you never slip anymore. Not very many women can ride like that.” Not very many women could ride like her? Laura glanced at his expressionless face. “Are you trying to compliment me?” He looked over at her puzzled expression and broke out laughing. “Yes, I believe I was,” he said, and trotted ahead of her to the barn. She rode in behind him and slid down to the ground. They unsaddled their horses and brushed them down before putting them back in their stalls. Laura walked with him back to the house, pushing her tangled mass of hair behind her. He felt the familiar urge to brush it out and run his hands through it. “Mary and Daisy are coming for tea this afternoon,” she said, as they reached the front porch. He groaned inside; he liked Mary well

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enough, but young Daisy was not very polite sometimes, and she annoyed the hell out of him. “That’s nice,” he replied, and held open the door for her. Laura ran upstairs to bathe and change into visiting clothes. She had on a corset already, but had to fasten on her bustle and put on a crinoline before donning a new fawn-colored dress with a darker jacket whose skirts billowed out behind her in beribboned elegance. As usual, she wished the fashion would change so that she didn’t always feel as if she were dragging another person behind her. She had been dressing in her going-out clothes every day since the barn dance. She quickly brushed out her hair and pinned it up in back. She’d become much better at pinning up her own hair, but the pins had all fallen out as soon as they’d started trotting their horses earlier in the day. Laura resolved to practice the art more seriously; she didn’t want to look like a messy child every time she rode with Dalton. Ever since the dance, she’d known that she was in love with him. She’d tried to banish the feelings that flooded her senses every time he was near her, but they wouldn’t go away. She smoothed down her skirts and laughed to herself, wondering what Dalton would think of all her underclothing, and the corset that reached down to cover the top half of her bottom. She hadn’t been spanked since the SPM fiasco. She’d kept her promise to behave as an adult, and was now proud of her efforts; not only had she avoided any embarrassing punishments, but everyone was beginning to treat her differently. Hearing a carriage come up the drive, she hurried downstairs to meet her friends. They settled down in the salon with their tea tray, and Laura closed the door for privacy. ”Is Jack here?” asked Mary, looking out the window toward the barn. “No, he’s down at the big barn with the ranch hands,” replied Laura.

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“I’ve never seen your big barn,” said Daisy, and Laura immediately thought of her desire to climb into the lofts. “I don’t think you should see it,” replied Laura. “You’re no fun,” Daisy complained, and took a big bite of a lemon tart. She swallowed and added, “If I never do another thing adventurous in my life, I’d die happy if I could climb to the top loft.” “What would you wear?” asked Mary, staring at Daisy’s long skirts. “Pants, of course. I’ll bet there’s some here, with all these men about,” she teased. “Actually, I have a set of boys’ clothing,” said Laura, and then clapped her hand to her mouth. What was she thinking? However, the other two girls didn’t even ask her why she’d have boys’ clothing. “Well, let me wear them and climb into the loft,” said Daisy. “Please? It would be so exciting to be that far up!” “Dalton would never let you do it,” said Laura. “Well, how would he know, is he down there?” “No, he said he was going to do some fishing at the pond.” “Then he’ll never know.” “Why don’t you wait until he gets back? He might help you climb up.” “But he might not be back for hours, and Mary has to be home by five o’clock.” Daisy pouted and sipped her tea while Laura wondered how she’d ever thought that she and Daisy were alike. The girl was getting to be annoying, and constantly interrupted her during the Science Society meetings, with one silly remark or another. As if reading her mind, Daisy said, “Laura, if you’ll take me down there now, I’ll promise to keep quiet next Sunday at the meeting. Please? Pretty please?” Laura was sorely tempted, and thought for a moment. “But Jack’s down there; he won’t let you do it either,” she argued.

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“Mary, you could distract Jack; just talk to him outside the barn while I go in and climb up.” Mary wanted to see Jack, so she was quickly persuaded to do it. “Please, Laura, please, I’ll do anything for you!” begged Daisy. “Oh, alright!” Laura finally agreed just to get her to stop begging. She still didn’t think it was a good idea, but maybe Daisy would forget about this silly obsession for climbing once she’d tried it. They all hurried up to Laura’s room, where Daisy stripped off all of her underclothing and donned the pants. “All I have to do is take the skirt off when we get down there,” she said happily as she put her skirt and shoes back on. The girls went out to Mary’s buggy and drove down to the big barn. As they pulled up by its large doors, Jack came out, and his face lit up when he saw Mary. Laura told him that she and Daisy were going in to look at the plows and machinery, but he paid her little attention as he helped Mary out of the driver’s seat. Once inside, Laura and Daisy looked around to see if anyone was in there. “The ranch hands are out working,” said Laura, but was actually disappointed that the way was clear for Daisy’s adventure. They went to the bottom of the furthest ladder, and Daisy quickly took off her skirt. “Well, here goes!” she took a deep breath and began to climb up. Laura stood and watched her scramble onto the first loft, which was piled high with hay bales. Daisy walked over to the next ladder and began to climb it, and Laura had to back away to see her without straining her neck. She reached the next loft and slid on her stomach over its edge. “Oh, you look so little!” she exclaimed as she stood up and looked down. “What’s up there?” asked Laura. “Just a few wooden crates,” called Daisy, and she walked over to the last ladder. Laura began to

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feel a little nervous as she watched Daisy climb. It was so high up! Daisy got herself onto the top platform, and stood up. There was a small window in the wall, and she looked out over the vast ranchlands. “It’s so beautiful!” she exclaimed, and then turned to look down at Laura. “I’m a little dizzy.” She sat down quite suddenly. “Daisy, come back down now,” said Laura, hoping no one would come in the barn. She could see Jack and Mary through the slightly open barn door, talking by the carriage, and they both appeared to be oblivious of anything going on around them. She didn’t know what time it was, but they had left the house at three o’clock, so there shouldn’t be any workers coming back yet. Laura looked back up at Daisy, who was now lying down on the loft at the top of the ladder. “Come on, Daisy, get down here,” called Laura, but Daisy didn’t move. “I can’t,” she said, and Laura heard the fear in her voice. “I’m too scared, I can’t do it!” “Daisy, you’d better get down here now!” Laura scolded her, hoping she’d comply. However, Daisy didn’t move, and started to cry. “I’ll have to go get Jack to get you down,” said Laura, but nothing would make Daisy move. Laura thought for a moment. If she went and got Jack, he’d tell Dalton, and she’d get a paddling for this, she was certain. Oh, how had she gotten herself into this situation? Why had she let Daisy do this? She looked up at the ladders. It wasn’t really that far up, and Daisy had climbed it rather quickly. She was much stronger than that slight girl crying up there on the loft. Laura looked down at her dress and sighed. She went to the base of the ladder and took off her crinoline, bustle, and petticoat. Then she tied the dress material in a knot between her thighs. It was still billowy, but freed her legs to move unhampered. She climbed up the first ladder and onto the hayloft. This was easy, she thought, and

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went up the next ladder. She soon reached Daisy, and began to coax her into putting one leg over the edge. However, the petrified girl just continued to sob, no matter what Laura did to encourage her. Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes, Laura slapped her sharply right across the face. Daisy looked at her in shock, and then started to listen to her instructions. She carefully wiggled backward on her stomach until her hips reached the edge of the loft, and then Laura guided her feet to each rung as they started to climb down with Laura pressed up against her back. They reached the second loft, and Daisy hugged Laura as hard as she could in relief. “Hurry, now, we have to get down!” Laura scanned the ground floor and didn’t see anyone. She lowered herself down over the edge to stand on the ladder and help Daisy wiggle over in front of her again. As they hurried past the hay bales on the first loft, Laura thought she heard more voices outside the barn. “Come on!” urged Laura, and the two managed to hurry down the last ladder and grab up their clothing. “Let’s get dressed behind that plow,” whispered Laura, and then froze as she heard Dalton’s voice behind her. “Laura!” She turned slowly around, hugging her underclothes to her chest as her heart pounded against them. “You and Daisy get in the buggy, now!” Laura hurried toward the barn door, not looking directly at him. Her face flushed hot with embarrassment; what must he think of her now? “No!” said Daisy behind her, and Laura stopped to stare in amazement. The little fool was afraid to climb down a ladder, but was telling Dalton Garrison “no”? Dalton wasted no time, and he scooped Daisy up over his shoulder like a sack of sugar, slapping the bottom of her pants hard. She kicked and screamed as he smacked her all the way to the

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buggy. Laura hurried back to pick up Daisy’s skirt, and brought it with her. Dalton firmly planted Daisy on the front seat as Laura climbed into the back. Then Jack climbed in beside Daisy and grabbed up the reins, and Mary got in hastily beside Laura. As Jack drove up the lane toward the house, Daisy cried and kicked her feet furiously, and Laura wanted to slap her again. She glanced around and saw Dalton riding Trojan behind them. His angry expression sent shivers up her spine as she felt a wash of shame flow through her. Why had she let Daisy talk her into this? She’d tried so hard to behave like a grown-up, and now she’d been caught not only disobeying Dalton’s order to never go to the big barn without him, but she’d climbed the ladder as well. He’d never see her as an adult now. How could he fall in love with her when he saw only a naughty little girl? “Shut up, Daisy!” she loudly exclaimed, and to her surprise, Daisy quit kicking her feet and began to cry into her hands. Soon, Jack pulled up outside the barn by the house, and he jumped down, marching angrily over to tie Mary’s horse to the rail. Laura watched him in stunned silence; she’d never seen Jack upset over anything before. Dalton joined him at the rail with Trojan, and then both men looked at each other in silence for a moment. As if with previous agreement, they both crossed their arms and approached the buggy. Daisy stopped crying and glared at them, but Laura and Mary knew better. Laura gave Dalton an apologetic look as he put his hand out to her, and she took it and climbed out, still clutching all the clothing tightly to her. He nodded toward the barn, and she walked toward its doors with as much composure as she could manage. She paused just inside its dim interior, and watched Jack help Mary out and tell her to go into the barn. Daisy crossed her arms and refused to get out of the buggy, so Dalton picked her up in the same manner as before.

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Laura hurried to the end of the barn and sat down on a bale of straw with Mary. She watched unbelievingly as Dalton strode in with Daisy. “Put me down!” yelled the furiously struggling girl, and she started hitting Dalton on the back with her fists. “Put me down!” Dalton ignored the blows and carried her to another bale of straw, where he sat down and deftly maneuvered her over his knee. She screamed so loudly that Laura and Mary covered their ears from the piercing sound. Dalton clamped her wildly kicking legs down with his right leg, and held her torso firmly against him as she tried to twist herself off his lap. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Laura cringed as she watched Dalton slap the girl’s buttocks with a fully raised arm. All was silent for moment as Daisy caught her breath, and then she let out a string of curses and shrieks. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Laura could see Daisy’s plump cheeks flatten beneath her thin cotton pants from the impact of Dalton’s large hand, and then bounce back as soon as he drew back for another swat. “Stop it! You can’t do this!” yelled Daisy, and Dalton smacked her even harder. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Laura continued to stare at the spectacle, both appalled and fascinated. She’d never seen anyone get spanked before. “Stop it! You’re not my father!” screamed Daisy. “No, but I’m big enough to spank you!” exclaimed Dalton, and slapped her faster as she continued to struggle and scream in rage. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Finally, Daisy’s resistance began to weaken as she started crying and then bawling with loud sobs. Laura thought that Dalton would stop then, but he only slowed down the pace as he began to lecture her. WHACK! “If I tell you to do something,” WHACK! “Then you’d better do it!” WHACK! “And don’t you ever,” WHACK! “try to hit me again!” WHACK! WHACK!

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WHACK! WHACK! Dalton’s expression was livid, and Laura realized that he’d never allowed himself to get that angry with her. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! He suddenly stopped and took a deep breath as he took in Daisy’s now limp, sobbing form across his knee. His face relaxed and he pulled her up to sit in his lap. Laura finally looked away as he held her close while she cried into her hands. Jack was glaring down at Mary, who was staring miserably into the straw at her feet. After several minutes, Daisy’s crying died down a little, and Dalton told her to go and stand in the corner behind Laura and Mary. She stood up shakily and shuffled through the straw, keeping her face covered with her hands. Dalton got up and came over to stand next to Jack. The two men looked down at Laura and Mary with identical stern expressions.

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CHAPTER TWELVE Dalton spoke first. “Laura, tell me what happened. I can’t believe you were a part of such a foolish adventure.” Laura’s heart began to pound, and she wished she could tell him that she’d found Daisy climbing the ladder, and had just gone up to rescue her, but of course she couldn’t lie. He’d just said that he couldn’t believe she was a part of this, and now she would have to disappoint him again. Swallowing hard, she met Dalton’s gaze and replied, “I let Daisy talk me into helping her climb the ladder. When she got to the top, she was too afraid to come down, so I had to go up and help her down.” “Don’t you remember me telling you not to go to that barn without me?” She sat up straight and lifted her chin. “Yes, sir, I remember.” At least she could own up to her crime as an adult. “Is there some reason you disobeyed me?” Laura hesitated a moment before offering up her ignoble motive, “Well, Daisy promised me she’d never interrupt me during our meetings again, if I took her down to climb the ladder. I thought she’d just go right up and back down again, and no one… no one would know anything about it…” “So, you intended to keep it a secret from me?” Laura felt her cheeks grow hot, and she dropped her eyes. “I don’t know… I hadn’t thought that far ahead, Dalton.” Children don’t think ahead, she thought, with the bitter realization that she was still immature no matter how she dressed or tried to behave. She glanced up again. “But I don’t have any secrets from you, so I don’t think I’d have kept it very long.” Dalton nodded, and turned to Jack. “Mary, you used me as a decoy, didn’t you?” accused Jack, his tone full of anger, but Laura could see the pain in his eyes.

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“Jack, I…” Tears ran down Mary’s face as she looked up at him. “I only agreed to help Daisy because I wanted to come down and see you. So I said I’d talk to you while Daisy climbed the ladder.” “What would you have done if I’d started to go in the barn?” “N-nothing, Jack, I wouldn’t have tried to stop you, I promise!” “But I would have seen Daisy if I’d gone in the barn.” “I didn’t care if she got caught. I only told her I’d talk to you outside the barn, Jack, and I’m really very sorry, please forgive me!” Laura saw Jack’s face relax a little, but he didn’t answer her. “Daisy, come here,” said Dalton, and the girl slowly walked over, her eyes cast to the dirt floor. “You are one troublesome little girl,” he told her. “You put yourself in danger by climbing that ladder, you put Laura in danger by having to go and rescue you, and you talked her and Mary into deceiving Jack and myself!” Daisy didn’t say anything or even look up. “Don’t you feel bad about this?” asked Dalton, and she nodded slowly. “What do you think is going to happen now?” Daisy put her hands behind her back and whispered, “I don’t know.” “You don’t know? Doesn’t your father spank you?” “No,” she said, tears filling her eyes again. “I’ve never been spanked before.” A flash of surprise registered in Dalton’s eyes. “Well, now I can understand why you act the way you do.” He sighed. “But this isn’t over yet. Every one of you girls deserves a paddling, and I intend to see that you get it.” This was not a revelation to Laura, who said nothing, but Daisy immediately burst out crying and begged, “Oh, no, please, I’ve already been spanked, and it still hurts so much!”

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Dalton told her, “You’ve been spanked for fighting, cursing, and hitting me, Daisy, but not for the rest of it.” “But I’m sorry! I’m already sorry! Please don’t spank me again!” She wrung her hands in front of her, and her legs were visibly shaking. “Young lady, nothing’s going to change my mind.” Dalton’s tone was firm. “You’ll get the same as the others; it wouldn’t be fair to punish only them when you were the one to instigate it all.” Daisy picked up her skirt and sat down on the straw bale, sobbing quietly into the material. Jack looked down at Laura. “Why didn’t you come and get me when Daisy wouldn’t come down?” “I was still hoping no one would find out,” she admitted. “And I didn’t think it would be dangerous for me to climb up and get her.” Jack said nothing, and Laura turned to Dalton. “Do you think what I did was dangerous?” Dalton looked down at her for a few long moments. “Yes,” he finally answered. “I don’t think it would have been dangerous for you to go up by yourself, but bringing her down was a little risky. I watched you go down the last two ladders, but I was afraid if I said anything, one of you might be startled and fall.” Laura sighed in acceptance of his opinion. “I’ll be right back,” said Dalton, and strode out the door and across the lawn. Mary stood up, her face pale with worry as she faced Jack; “I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again, Jack. But would you punish me, instead of Dalton? It would be more fitting; you’re the one I deceived.” Jack looked down at her and a fleeting, undecipherable expression crossed his face. He nodded slowly. “I do want to see you again, in spite of what you did. And I think I will punish you. In fact, I think I’ll spank you first and then paddle you!” He sat down on a bale and crooked his

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finger, and Mary slowly approached him. Laura wondered if he’d ever spanked anyone before, and then realized that if he hadn’t, he’d certainly just seen a good demonstration. Mary pulled up the back of her dress and crinoline, and put herself carefully over his knee. Jack stared for a moment at her upturned bottom, clad only in thin drawers, and he cleared his throat. Then he placed one hand firmly on her back and slapped her right cheek. He smacked her left cheek, and Laura suppressed a traitorous urge to laugh; he was so obviously afraid to hurt her! Mary didn’t move for a while as Jack spanked her harder and faster, but then she began to thrust her bottom up slightly to meet his hand. “Do you even feel this?” he finally exclaimed. “It doesn’t hurt much,” she replied, “I’m sorry.” Jack put some feeling into it then, and she finally began to wiggle a little and moan. He stopped for a moment to rest his hand, just as Dalton returned with the paddle. “Give me that,” said Jack, and Dalton handed it to him without a word. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! The paddle struck both of Mary’s cheeks at once, and she moaned louder, “Oooh.” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Soon her feet began to kick up, one at a time, but she never moved from her position across his thighs. Laura wondered how Mary could withstand such a punishment without trying to get away. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Jack struck her cheeks faster and harder, and Mary finally began to squirm a little. Laura looked away, her spine tingling as she heard the paddle smack even harder. If Dalton struck her like that, she knew she’d die. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Mary finally started crying, and Jack slammed the paddle down on the straw bale and pulled her up to hug her. Laura’s pulse raced as Dalton picked up the paddle and turned to her. She knew she couldn’t

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take it like Mary had, and she stared at him with increasing fear. She wanted to beg him not to do it, but no words would form. She glanced at Daisy, whose hands were shaking in fear. Dalton sat down next to Laura and patted his thigh. She was once again a naughty little girl in his eyes, and she couldn’t bear to look at him. Tears began to stream down her face as she tried to summon up the courage to take her punishment. Never had she felt such a strong urge to jump up and run, even knowing full well that it would be futile. “Let’s get this over with,” Dalton’s calm tone lulled her into moving slowly toward him. She looked up through her tears into his clear gray eyes, and saw kind understanding – he wasn’t going to give her more than she could handle. She moved carefully across his thighs and put her hands on the ground. His leg pressed against the backs of her knees, and he pulled her hip firmly against him. Lifting her skirts, he paused for a moment, and Laura knew he’d seen her corset with its pretty lace and little ribbons. A shiver of near pleasure ran through her as he adjusted her higher over his knees. She knew he couldn’t pull her drawers down without untying the corset, and she dared to hope that the thin fabric would provide some protection. WHACK! Burning pain flooded her senses, and all thoughts of a reprieve vanished. “Ooowww!” WHACK! “Nooooo!” WHACK! “Oh, Dalton, please, not so hard!” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Laura cried hard and struggled to get away. She’d been daft to think he’d be lenient! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “Dalton, please,” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “Aaaaagh! I’m sorry! Please!” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! The paddling continued as Laura yelled and fought against it, utterly out of control. Her cheeks burned sharply with each stroke, and she gasped for air in between her sobs. Suddenly Dalton stopped, and Laura’s mind began

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to clear. He laid the paddle against her throbbing cheeks for a moment, as she opened her eyes to see the dirt clinging to her tear-wet hands on the ground. “Do you think you’ll disobey me again?” Before she could answer, he reinforced his question. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “No, sir!” she wailed as he paused again. “Are you going to think ahead next time?” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “Yes, sir!” “Alright, then, we’re almost done.” He finished it in a flurry of hard strikes that soon had her limp and bawling in pain. Then he pulled her up, and she threw her arms about his neck, oblivious to the audience. “I’m sorry!” she cried as he hugged her briefly and patted her back. “I know you are,” he said, “Now I want you to go and stand in the corner there, while I take care of Daisy.” Laura dropped her arms in astonishment. No comforting? No warm, safe cuddling? She felt cheated of his embrace, and appalled that he would send her off to the corner like Daisy. He’d never done that to her before. He pushed her gently from his chest and she stood up, still crying, to shuffle miserably through the straw to her banishment. Once there, she wiped her eyes with her sleeves, anger rapidly replacing the hurt and guilt. Dalton took Daisy’s hand, and Laura turned to watch with a mutinous gaze. Daisy had stopped crying, and was staring at Dalton in awe as he pulled her toward him. Dalton quickly arranged her over his knee, and then began the punishment. Daisy held up surprisingly well as he gave her twenty solid whacks with the hard wooden paddle. She cried and kicked, of course, but didn’t scream like Laura had. Laura felt like a coward; of the three girls, she’d been the biggest baby of them all. Her backside

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still burned with pain, but what hurt most was Dalton’s rejection. Daisy sat crying softly on Dalton’s lap being comforted, while Jack continued to hug Mary by the barn door. Laura seethed in her corner; beginning to wonder if the spanking that Mary and Daisy had received before getting paddled had somehow numbed its effect. How could Dalton treat her so cruelly? She watched Jack escort Mary to her buggy, and they kissed before he helped her up into the driver’s seat. Dalton gave Daisy a big squeeze, picked her up like a baby, and deposited her beside Mary. The two girls left, wiping their tears away and promising to be good the next time they visited. Jack took Trojan to go down to the big barn and bring Brownie back, and Dalton turned his attention back to Laura. She still stood silently in the corner, her rage just barely under control. “Laura, come over here, please,” he called, sitting down on a straw bale. Laura ignored the request. Now he wanted to talk to her? It was too late; she didn’t want his forgiveness any longer. She wanted to kick him in the shin and yell at him. “Laura, get over here, now.” She was angry, but she wasn’t stupid. She turned and walked toward him, arms crossed and chin held high. Looking down into his gray eyes, she wondered how he could have treated her so with no trace of regret in his handsome face. Her eyes found the smudges of dirt on his crisp, white shirt collar, where she’d been allowed to hug him so briefly, and her anger grew. Dalton didn’t miss the fire in her green eyes, or the full lower lip that protruded. “You don’t look very contrite,” he said, “what’s the matter?” How could he not know? The floodgate burst open, and she yelled at him, “How could you be so mean and cruel! Why did I get paddled the hardest? And I didn’t get spanked first, like they

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did, so it hurt more! And you made me stand in the stupid corner while Daisy and Mary got hugged! It’s just not fair!” Laura saw his jaw tighten and his eyes glint silver a split-second before she was over his knee and he was yanking down her drawers despite the firm hold the corset had had on them. He spanked her sore, bare cheeks rapidly and precisely until she was once again sobbing and pleading for him to stop. Then he straightened her dress back down and sat her on the bale beside him. Laura cried even harder as the straw ends poked through her skirt in several places. “Now,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders, “would you like to rephrase your comments?” “I… I can’t sit here!” she cried, and he gently pulled her toward him. She got down on her knees and leaned against his chest as he hugged her. “I think their… paddling… didn’t hurt as much as mine did… because they got spanked first,” said Laura, in between sniffles. Her anger was now no more than a memory, but she still had to know why he’d acted as he had. “But I didn’t spank you first, because I thought it would be worse,” replied Dalton. “Oh.” Laura pulled her handkerchief out and wiped her eyes. She scrubbed at the dirt on her hands for a few seconds before latching onto the lapels of his jacket. This was where she belonged, in his arms, the center of his attention. She swallowed hard and asked, “But why did you only hug me for a few seconds after that awful paddling?” “Because Daisy was very frightened, and I wanted to get hers over with as soon as possible. When I was paddling you, her face was pale, she was shaking all over, and I was afraid she would faint.” “Oh,” said Laura again. “Well, why did you make me stand in the corner like a little child?”

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“Because I wanted you to think about what happens when you disobey me.” Laura felt a pang of guilt as she remembered what she’d really been thinking about. “I know what happens, Dalton. I don’t know why I let Daisy talk me into disobeying you. I’ve tried so hard to be more grown-up, but I still make stupid decisions and do stupid things!” Dalton gently stroked her back. “Laura, no one ever stops making stupid decisions. You just don’t make as many as you grow older, at least most people don’t.” “I thought I was doing so well, and then today I messed up everything, and getting punished makes me feel like a child again!” “Well, I can see that your decisions were immature, but being spanked or paddled isn’t just for children, you know. Lots of men punish their wives in that manner, as you know from talking to Rachel.” Laura felt a wash of embarrassment flood her cheeks. “Yes, I know.” She listened to his strong, steady heartbeat for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Dalton… are you… are you going to spank your wife when you get married?” She felt his arm muscles stiffen. “Yes, I will. If she deserves it, of course.” “Well, isn’t there a more grown-up way to correct a wife?” “Certainly. But I think that the punishment should fit the crime. If she spent too much money, then perhaps doing without certain luxuries would suffice. If she were lazy and didn’t do her share of the chores, then maybe doing extra work would help her to be more industrious.” He held her closely as he tried to explain his reasoning. “But disobedience or lying or doing something dangerous would always require a severe punishment, such as a paddling or a switching.”

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Laura winced as she remembered the vivid red stripes on her legs when he’d thought she was a young horse-thief. Children and women had to take their punishments, but she’d never heard of a man having to be disciplined. “Dalton, what happens when a husband makes a mistake?” “Then he has to live with his guilt. In a way, the woman’s very lucky to be able to be punished and be free from guilt. But a man’s punishment is to feel guilty about what he’s done, and sometimes that’s much harder to bear than a spanking.” “Do you make mistakes, Dalton?” “Oh, yes, I still make mistakes.” “Like what?” His hands stopped stroking her back, and he hugged her closer as he replied, “Like when we rode out to the river, and I didn’t warn you before we got there that it could be dangerous. I forgot for a moment how impulsive you are, and before I knew it, you were halfway across and in danger. I blamed myself for your injury, but I still had to punish you. That was a hard thing for me to do, and I still feel bad about it.” Laura felt torn between happiness that he cared so much, and annoyance that he thought she was impulsive. “Then why did you punish me?” “Because you had to learn to obey me, even when you don’t understand why. Do you think that if I yelled at you now to stop, that you’d do so?” “Yes,” she replied, knowing that she would. “Why do you think I’m impulsive?” “Well that one’s easy. It’s because you were never spanked as a child. You weren’t taught how to think ahead and stop yourself from doing something foolish.” “Do you think I’ll ever learn how?” Dalton chuckled. “If you’re around me long enough, you will.” Then he pushed her gently away and looked into her eyes. “Enough questions now. It’s nearly suppertime, so we’d better go in and get

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cleaned up.” He looked pointedly at her dirty hands. Laura sighed and wiped her face on her sleeve again. As she stood up, the rough lace under her skirt scratched across her tender buttocks. “Oooh,” she complained, and carefully bent to pick up her crinoline. “I need something softer to wear!” “Why are you always dressing up now, anyway? You don’t have to wear going out clothes every day.” “I wanted to look more grown-up. It makes me feel older, and then I act older. At least, usually I do,” she admitted. Dalton sighed and looked down at her, his expression unreadable. “Don’t be in such a hurry. Enjoy being young while you can. You’ll get married soon and have children, and then your whole world will change.” “I’m not getting married!” “Yes, you will. Just remember to choose a man who makes good decisions.” “I’ll be making my own decisions, Dalton, and I won’t need a man to do it for me.” Laura kept her tone respectful as she told him her thoughts. Dalton just shook his head and said, “You’ll fall in love someday, and you’ll forget all these ideas about being on your own.” “No, I won’t.” They began to walk back toward the house and didn’t speak again. Laura went up to her room to change. As she washed her hands in the basin, she wondered how she could possibly fall in love with anyone else but Dalton. Her love for him was a bitter knowledge, knowing that he didn’t love her in the same way. He clearly expected her to fall in love with someone else, and had obviously never considered that it might be himself. Her only choice was to be on her own. All she had to do was study hard to learn how to run a ranch, while waiting for her inheritance. She would be a competent rancher, and raise her adopted children,

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and he would probably marry a nice, obedient girl who wouldn’t need a spanking very often. Even if the impossible happened, and he fell in love with her as an adult, he’d still think she needed a spanking now and then. Why would she want to marry anyone like that? How could she love him now, knowing he’d always be the disciplinarian? Laura sighed and rubbed her sore bottom. Love wasn’t logical. She would take him, discipline, and all, if he would love her back. If he would hug her because he loved her, not because he’d had to punish her… there was still a chance that someday he’d see her in a different light. For the next month or so, Laura’s behavior continued to improve, along with her study habits. She attended social events with the rest of the family, but neither she nor Dalton became romantically interested in anyone. Sometimes she’d catch him watching her with a mixture of happiness and sadness on his face. As soon as she caught his eye, though, he’d smile at her in a fraternal manner. Laura was content with her new life, and although she missed the closeness of Dalton’s afterdiscipline hugs, she was careful to stay out of trouble. Only once did she slip up, losing her temper one humid morning when her mind refused to understand an algebraic problem. She’d slammed the textbook down on the table and Dalton had immediately hauled her upstairs, warming her bare backside until she’d begged him to stop. He’d hugged her for a long time afterward, and she’d felt overwhelmed with love and affection. Other than the one incident, their relationship remained friendly and secure. Simple things brought her joy, such as sitting next to him while studying, accidentally brushing against him, playfully smacking each other in the arm, or playing duets together on the piano. Then one night, as they were all finishing dinner, they heard a horse galloping up the lane. Dalton

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got up to investigate, and the others waited in suspense for a few minutes until he returned with a telegram in his hand. Mum turned a little pale, and Laura squeezed her hand as Dalton opened it up. “It’s from Uncle Joseph, Mother,” he said, and his expression softened. “Aunt Sarah died last night.” Mum gasped, and Pa jumped up to go over and hug her as she stood on shaking legs. “She was peaceful at the end,” continued Dalton, “He wants you to come out for the funeral. That’s all it says.” “Aunt Sarah had tuberculosis, Laura, and she’s been sick for many years,” Dalton told Laura. “She was Mother’s sister.” Laura looked sadly at Mum as Pa led her out of the dining room. “I’m sorry,” she said. They all talked long into the night before it was decided that only Dalton and Mum would go to the funeral. It was almost time to herd up the cattle, and Pa couldn’t afford to be away. Jack and Sam were needed to help, as the new bathroom addition had just been started. Uncle Joseph lived in St. Louis, and Dalton and Mum would have to leave early on the stagecoach the next morning to get to the train in Helena. Laura wanted to go, but Dalton had decreed that she should stay home to take care of the household until they returned. She went to bed very late, sad for Mum, and sad for herself, knowing she would miss Dalton over the next week or two. She spent her time studying the lessons he’d left in a hurriedly scribbled note, riding with Jack on the ranch, and helping the men with the new plumbing. Laura was fascinated with the process, and was soon as skilled as any of them at putting the pipes together and sealing them. After a week, they received a letter from Dalton. We are safely here, and the funeral was well attended. Uncle Joseph is quite grief-stricken, and

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our cousins are in need of a parental figure. Therefore Mother will return next Friday, while I must stay on to help get things settled. The little ones are quite lost without direct guidance from their father. When all is well again, Mother wants me to settle our affairs in St. Louis. It may be a month or more before I return home. Jack, I need you to keep Laura and Sam on track with their studies. Also, please provide any discipline as needed – I trust that you’ll make the right decisions. Love to all, Dalton Laura read the letter several times, trying to hide her disappointment from the rest of the family. When Dalton had left, he’d told her to watch over the household, and now he was telling Jack to watch over her, and “provide discipline as needed.” After all her efforts, he really did think she was still only a child, and it hurt to have the old wound reopened. She missed Dalton terribly, but she didn’t want the others to know that, either. She could tell that Pa missed Mum a lot as well. Jack and Sam seemed to be fine without their mother and brother, but when Mum arrived on the stagecoach the following week, their faces lit up with happiness at her safe return. Laura immersed herself in learning. She began to help Pa with the records and bills. They finished the bathroom several weeks later, and she greatly enjoyed long soaks every night before going to bed, totally exhausted. She continued to hold her Sunday meetings, but few of the women were still interested in new happenings in science, and Laura began to find their gossip boring. Rachel and Mary were her closest friends, and Mary came several times a week to see Jack and visit with Laura. Jack and Mary announced their engagement at a Fourth of July party at a neighboring ranch, and Laura was very happy for them.

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Two months passed, and Dalton still wrote weekly from Uncle Joseph’s. He told them of the little children’s antics, and it was clear that they’d become quite fond of him. Laura began to wonder if he would ever come back home. She pushed him to the back of her mind and concentrated on learning to ranch, as always. She was now doing all of the accounting by herself, and she rode about the ranch without an escort, even though she knew that Jack and Pa didn’t really approve of it. One day, Jack decided to teach her how to shoot a rifle, and she became quite skilled at it in only a week’s time, spending hours practicing and using up boxes of bullets. Subsequently, no one seemed to mind her riding alone anymore. After she’d gotten her skirts entangled in barbed wire several times, she altered her riding habits so that they split down the middle like pants. Riding astride was so much easier than sidesaddle, and no one objected to that, either. Laura read the weekly newspapers and became quite an authority on politics and science. Men flocked to her at parties, attracted to both her mind and her beauty. She did as she pleased, but always acted like an adult. She began to stop thinking about Dalton so much, and started to plan her own ranch. She helped with the livestock alongside the hired hands. After Dalton had been gone for nearly six months, he sent a private letter to Laura, and she took it to her room to read it. Dear Laura, I am very proud of what Jack tells me you’ve learned over the past few months, but I am quite concerned about some things he’s written to me recently. He says that you have taken to riding astride, by yourself, all over the ranch, and that you work side by side with the ranch hands. I do not know how all of this came about, but I told him that he was to immediately put a stop to this behavior. You are not to ride astride, or by yourself. You may work with the ranch hands only if a family member

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is present. I am certain that no one has been correcting you, and that things have gotten quite out of hand. I hope that you heed this message, and that Jack begins to take care of his responsibilities. I miss you all very much, and please be obedient to Jack. I am striving to return home as soon as possible. Love, Dalton Laura stared at his signature for a long time, wondering how he had the gall to write “love” after his terse message to her. She took her pen in hand and wrote back to him for the first time. Dear Dalton, Please do not concern yourself with what you know nothing about. Jack has taught me to shoot a rifle, and I do not miss my target. I am much safer riding astride, as it is easier to keep one’s balance. The ranch hands all know and respect me, and I am far safer with them than alone. I doubt that I will be obedient to Jack, because I am nearly eighteen now and I am now used to taking care of myself these past six months. I have studied hard and am doing all of the accounting for Pa. I am ready to start my own ranch, as soon as I have my own funds. Sincerely, Laura Laura read her letter several times over, and then methodically tore it up into little pieces and threw them into the fireplace. There was no point in explaining anything to him, because nothing she said would really make him understand. She would always be a child to him. The next day, Jack talked to her about her unorthodox habits, but she calmly told him that if he tried to make her change, she would simply leave for Montana. Her uncle had never responded to the letters that Pa and the lawyer had written to

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him, and there was no legal hold on her. Jack didn’t want to upset his parents, and didn’t want to press the issue, so he no longer wrote to Dalton of Laura’s activities. John Westmore began to come to visit, and Laura welcomed his easy laughter and ability to converse intelligently. They rode out across the range and had picnics together, discussing recent news items and politics. He kissed her lightly on the lips once, but she felt nothing more than a slight affection for him. He even proposed marriage to her, but she turned him down quickly, telling him again of her plans to have her own ranch and never marry. Jack did write to Dalton about her riding with John, hoping that it would ease Dalton’s mind over her safety. As Christmas neared, Laura studied even harder, spending less time outdoors as the snowdrifts grew higher. Finally, a letter came from Dalton saying that he was coming home for Christmas. Laura sat soaking in the new tub for a long time, trying to figure out how she felt about his impending return. She couldn’t wait to see him, but he would soon find out that her objectionable activities had never ceased, and she was certain that he’d paddle her backside raw. It seemed like years instead of months since she’d been spanked, and she had no desire to ever experience it again. She wanted his hugs and kisses, not his fiery discipline. She wanted to run her hands over his bulging muscles, not feel them beneath her thighs as he paddled her. She wanted him to make love to her as a woman, not spank her as an errant child. She sighed and soaped her breasts, feeling her nipples harden as she ran her hands over them. They had grown much larger over the past few months, and few of her old dresses still fit her. Her hips were wider, and her bottom now jutted out so that she hardly needed a bustle, so she wore one just to hide it. She was a woman in every sense of

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the word, and when Dalton saw her again, he’d have to recognize the fact. She swallowed hard, imagining herself over his knees, her bottom bared, and her feet kicking up as he blistered her sensitive skin. Somehow, the picture now seemed erotic, and not at all like a child being punished for her sins. Everything was so different now; how could he just waltz back in and pick up where he’d left off in disciplining her? Nevertheless, she knew that he would. He’d said he’d do the same to his wife, so her more mature figure wouldn’t stop him. Laura got out of the tub and dressed for supper. Mum and Pa were acting a bit odd as she entered the dining room and took her seat at the table. They fidgeted with their silverware, and didn’t greet her with their usual cheery smiles. As always, she glanced at Dalton’s empty place and felt a sharp pull at her heart, which she quickly suppressed and reached for the bowl of potatoes on her left. “Laura, we received some bad news a little while ago.” Pa looked at her, his expression grave. Laura’s hands froze and her heart began to race. Was Dalton sick? Had he had an accident? “What is it, Pa?” she asked anxiously. “There’s a telegram here from your Aunt Mabel.” Pa unfolded a small piece of paper and handed it to her. “Your uncle died yesterday.” Laura breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t about Dalton. She slowly reached for the paper, trying hard not to let her initial happiness show. So, her uncle was dead now. The thought sobered her, but she felt no grief at his passing. She quickly read the few short lines. Her aunt wanted her to come out immediately and help her with the necessary paperwork. Her cousins missed her and wanted to see her. “I wonder why they never wrote before now?” she mused aloud, and Mum put her hand over Laura’s. “Are you alright, dear?”

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“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” she smiled gratefully at Mum. “There was no love lost between us, and there’s no use pretending that there was.” “Well, do you want to go out there to help, then?” “No, I don’t want to, but I suppose I must. It’ll be the last time I’ll ever see them, probably, and I should bid them a proper goodbye this time. Besides, I do want to see my friends from the orphanage again.” “You should also stop by and see Dalton,” said Pa, watching her closely as her eyes lit up. “Yes, I should do that,” Laura carefully kept her tone calm as she bit into a sparerib. “I want to go!” said Sam unexpectedly, and everyone turned to stare at him. “Laura shouldn’t be traveling alone,” he explained, and then added, “and I want to go back and see the city again. I like it there.” “I’d like for you to come along,” said Laura. “That is, if Pa and Mum don’t mind.” “It’s a good idea,” said Pa. “Just make sure you’re both back in time for Christmas.” He grinned at them, and everyone began to discuss the preparations they’d need to complete that night. Mum went up to help Laura pack, and became upset over how few of Laura’s dresses still fit her. She eagerly promised to order many new ones upon Laura’s return. “Mum, I don’t need any new dresses,” protested Laura. “Who’s going to see me in them, anyway? Just the cows and the ranch hands. Besides, I’m much more comfortable in my riding habits, which I wear most of the time.” “I don’t know why John Westmore still comes out here to see you. Land’s sakes, you’ve told him you don’t want to marry him, and you dress like a man, talk like a man, and ride like a man!” Mum shook her head in exasperation.

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Laura just laughed and replied, “We’re just good friends, Mum. We talk about politics and science. Why, John says that I know more about what’s going on in the world than any of his men friends. And he doesn’t care what I wear.” Mum continued to shake her head. “Laura, you know how much we love you, but I hope that you find a nice man to settle down with soon, instead of waiting for this absurd idea of building your own ranch.” “Sorry, Mum,” smiled Laura, “but there’s nothing I want from any nice man.” “Don’t you want to fall in love and have children? Your father, I mean, Pa and I are very happy together! Do you want to miss out on marriage altogether?” Laura sighed and hugged Mum. “There’s only one man I want, and he won’t have me,” she confessed, wanting to share something personal with this wonderful woman who’d taken her in. “Why, who wouldn’t want you?” Mum’s still pretty eyes were full of anxiety as she stepped back to look at Laura. “You’re beautiful, you’re smart, and you’re charming! The men all flock around you at every social event.” “Mum, the man I want thinks I’m a child and treats me like a child; in fact, he sees me only as a little sister.” “Dalton.” Mum said, nodding her head as if she’d already known it was he. “You’re not surprised?” Laura searched her face, but found only compassion. “No, your Pa and I noticed before how you looked at him. We didn’t interfere in the matter.” Mum crossed the room to look out the window across the frozen yard. “He’s completely blind to the fact that I’m grown up now,” fumed Laura, beginning to pace back and forth beside her bed.

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“I think he just doesn’t want to admit to himself that he loves you.” Laura stopped and stared at Mum’s back. “You think he loves me?” “I could see it in his eyes, too. I know my son, and he’s never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. He watched over you constantly, always afraid that something would happen to you, always trying to help you learn and do the right things.” “How do you know that wasn’t just his big brother tendencies?” “I know my son,” she repeated, “and I know how seriously he takes his responsibilities. He’d never admit that he was in love with you, because he’d taken the big brother role upon himself, and didn’t think it would be proper. But now, now that you’re older and more mature, I think he might let his guard down a little.” Mum smiled at Laura. “I really thought it was just an infatuation and you’d forget about him since he’s been gone for so long, but I see now that I was wrong.” “Are you disappointed in me?” Laura asked softly. “Oh, no, of course not! It would make me very happy if you and Dalton married!” Laura sighed in relief and hugged Mum again. “I hope you’re right, Mum. I hope he does love me, and that he’ll see me as a woman now.” “This might turn out to be a very interesting Christmas,” said Mum, giving her a wink.

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN The next morning, Pa drove Laura and Sam to the stagecoach and sent them off with a purse full of money. It took all day to get to Helena, stopping to pick up passengers in several small towns along the way. By the time they reached the train station, the little coach was very crowded, and Laura was much relieved to get out and stretch her legs. She walked up and down the long platform while Sam went to buy their tickets to St. Louis. A loud whistle sounded down the tracks, and soon a huge locomotive appeared, its smokestack sending billowing puffs of black soot skyward. Laura noticed that the nearby pine trees were all tinged with the stuff. The train huffed to a stop, and almost immediately passengers began to disembark; Laura withdrew to stand at the corner of the depot and watch. A tall man stepped down and turned to help his female companion. Laura stared intently at his back, noticing the smooth, graceful movements and the visible bulge of arm muscle beneath his perfectly tailored coat. It was Dalton, she had no doubt, and her heart raced as she watched the way he put his arm possessively around the woman’s shoulders. They walked toward the stagecoach office, and when Dalton turned to kiss the woman’s cheek, Laura saw his handsome profile clearly. She felt suddenly ill, and she hurried to the back of the building, where she violently threw up into a dustbin. Tears streamed down her face, and her throat ached with pain. She fumbled for her handkerchief and blotted her eyes hurriedly. She must return to the train before Sam found her missing. She must go to St. Louis and help her aunt. She must not let Sam know what had happened. Breathing heavily, she forced her boiling emotions down and put her chin up high as she walked slowly back to the platform. Dalton and his

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friend were nowhere in sight, and she thanked God for that. After several minutes, Sam returned with their tickets and they boarded the train. He’d managed to get a private compartment with a small washroom. Laura stared out the window as the train pulled out, paying no attention to Sam’s attempts to talk to her, until she heard him say Dalton’s name. “What?” she turned to look at him sitting across from her. “Oh, so you are awake!” Sam gave her a funny look. “I was just preoccupied. What were you saying?” “I said I saw Dalton and we talked for a few minutes before I had to come back and find you. He’d decided to come early for Christmas, as a surprise.” “I saw him, too,” said Laura, her tone completely flat. “Did he introduce you to his fiancée?” “No,” said Laura, swallowing hard, “he didn’t see me.” “Well, I have to say that I was very surprised. He’s never brought anyone home to meet our parents before. She seems like a very nice girl.” Laura silently turned back to stare out the window again, willing herself to control her pain, but tears soon began to drip slowly down her cheeks, as Sam stared at her in confusion. He suddenly jumped up and sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Laura, I had no idea,” he tried to comfort her, but Laura lost all control then and began to sob into her hands. Sam pulled her close and held her tightly as she cried harder. “Sam… he only saw me as a bratty little sister! All this time I’ve loved him, and he could never see me for what I am. I’m a woman, damn it, I am!”

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Sam gently patted her back. “I know, Laura, Dalton can be blind sometimes.” “Now I’ll never have the chance to show him that I’m not a little girl anymore!” she cried. “Oh, why couldn’t he have waited? Why did he go and find someone else?” “Um…” Sam thought about what Jack had written to Dalton. He squeezed Laura closer as he told her, “Possibly because Jack wrote him that you were seeing John Westmore…” Laura stopped crying and sat up straight. “What?” “Jack thought Dalton would feel better knowing you were riding with an escort…” “Oh, no! So, even if he did love me, he thought I was taken by John… Sam, we have to go back!” Laura pulled out her handkerchief and hastily wiped her tears. She jumped up and bent down to pull her traveling bags out from under the seat. “No.” Sam stood up and took Laura’s arm, pulling her back to sit down again. “Sam! I have to tell him I love him, not John Westmore!” “No,” repeated Sam. “I’m no expert in love and romance, but I guarantee you that’s the last thing that would help.” Laura’s eyes narrowed as she impatiently tried to pull her elbow from Sam’s firm hold. “Let go! I’m going back if I have to jump out of this train right now!” “No, you’re not!” Sam glared at her and let go of her arm. “Settle down now and listen to me!” Laura rubbed her elbow and started to get up again, but the stern determination in his gaze held her. She sat back against the cushioned seat back and crossed her arms. “Well?” “Laura, I can just see you throwing yourself at him and declaring your undying love, right in front of that girl. Do you really think that’s going to convince Dalton of your maturity?”

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Laura stared at him for a moment before the tears welled up again. “Come here,” he told her, holding his arm out. She slid over on the seat and leaned against his chest while he hugged her with both arms. “Now, I know Mum will set Dalton straight about John Westmore, because everyone knows you’re not in love with him. She’ll tell Dalton all about it, just because she loves to gossip. She’ll tell him that you turned down John’s proposal, and then Dalton will know that you’re not promised to anyone else.” Laura sniffed back the rising tears as a glimmer of hope began to spark. “Sam, Mum knows I’m in love with Dalton.” “Well, that’s great! She’ll be talking nonstop about how wonderful you are, and how much you’ve matured over the past six months, until that poor girl runs back home to her mother!” “Do you really think so?” “Of course. Mum and Pa both brag on you to anyone who’ll listen.” He smiled down at her and squeezed her shoulders. Laura was suddenly aware of how well muscled Sam’s arm was around her, and she realized that he had grown up quite a bit as well. They’d all been blind to each other’s changes over the past year. A vision of Dalton with his arm around the other girl appeared in her mind, and she started to cry again. “I still want to go back home,” she wailed. “I’m sorry, Laura,” he said, adding, “but you’ve got to have faith on this one. It’ll take care of itself. We’ve promised to go help your aunt, and that’s what we’re going to do.” “But what if Dalton loves this other girl? What if he doesn’t listen to Mum?” “He’ll listen. And he’s not in love with that girl; he seemed more resigned to fate than madly in love, to me.” “But I saw him kiss her cheek…”

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“People who are madly in love kiss on the lips, not on the cheek.” “But they were in public.” “He’s not in love with her,” repeated Sam, but he was unable to convince Laura, who cried in his arms for a long time before falling asleep from exhaustion. A steward came around and Sam ordered tea and cookies, but when Laura awoke several hours later, she couldn’t eat. They rode all night in silence, and by the next morning, Laura had managed to force her feelings back and concentrate on the task ahead of her. ________________________________ Dalton’s fiancée did not fare as well on the stagecoach ride as she had on the train. The long, bouncing ride wore down her cool façade, and she began to complain loudly after a few hours. “Oh, Dalton, how much further is it? I don’t think I can stand another minute of this horrible ride!” “Lucy, I told you it wouldn’t be much fun.” Dalton’s patience was wearing thin. The coach was crowded, but Lucy was the only one complaining. The other occupants had been glaring at both Lucy and Dalton, as the girl’s whining increased. “Well, you didn’t say it would be so bumpy!” she retorted, and Dalton made up his mind to straighten up her attitude as soon as they had a private moment. He’d liked her much better in St. Louis, where she’d charmed her way into his attentions by fluttering her lashes prettily and holding court at the many parties he’d escorted his older cousins to. Lucy had distracted him from his thoughts of Laura and John Westmore together, riding out alone on the range, and probably kissing each other by now. He’d reminded himself that he couldn’t have Laura, and he’d have to find someone to marry soon before he got too old. Caring for his younger

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cousins had brought home his desire to start a family – he was nearly twenty-five, and most men of his age had several children by now. Lucy was pretty, she was smart, and she was charming. He’d thought she would suffice, but now he wasn’t so sure. Her constant whining was driving him crazy. He couldn’t wait for the next stop, so he could put an end to their mutual misery. The coach pulled into a small town about thirty minutes later, and the driver climbed down and announced a short rest break. Ten passengers gratefully got out and walked around to stretch. Dalton firmly propelled Lucy by the arm to a nearby saloon, while she protested loudly all the way. He took her behind the building, sat down on a bench, and put her over his knee. He spanked her soundly, watching for any sign of remorse, but Lucy fought him tooth and nail all throughout the punishment. She bit his leg, and he slapped her harder, but she didn’t give in. Finally, when she began to cry, he pulled her up, expecting to hug her and forgive her, but she stood up, slapped his face hard, and walked away toward the town’s hotel, straightening her dress as she went. Dalton followed her to the wooden sidewalk, where she turned to confront him. “I’m staying here,” she announced, hatred flaring in her blue eyes. “I wouldn’t marry you now if you were the last person on earth!” “Come on, Lucy, you deserved it, and you know it.” Dalton glared down at her. “No one can treat me like that and get away with it. I’m going back to St. Louis, and you can rot in hell for all I care,” she raged, and went into the hotel. Dalton started to follow her, but the stagecoach driver was yelling for his passengers to hurry. “If you change your mind, I’ll be back in St. Louis in two weeks,” he called, and hurried to the coach just as it started to pull out. As he rode on to the ranch, he chuckled to himself. Lucy wasn’t his

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type, after all, and it was a good thing he’d found out before they’d married. He wondered if Laura would return before he left. It would be good to see her again, and his heart lightened at the thought. _________________________ Laura and Sam spent the next week poring over her late uncle’s papers. He’d not been a meticulous record keeper, like Pa was, and it took a lot of work before Laura had some idea of his wealth. The funeral had been short and simple, and the will had been read soon afterward. Laura was to receive her full inheritance, since there was no one to manage it now. Her aunt was grieving and paid her little attention, but her cousins seemed in awe of her now. They talked in quiet voices around her and treated her with respect. Linda, Elizabeth, and Martha were now seventeen, fifteen, and thirteen years old, and they seemed to have forgotten how they’d treated Laura before. However, Laura ignored them and concentrated on her work. She rose early every morning and worked late into the night. She cried herself to sleep, alone in her room each night, and dreamed of Dalton and his fiancée kissing. Getting up in the morning to work was a relief. She hadn’t visited the orphanage yet, but she planned to do it before she left town. On the eighth day, she finally had everything in order so that her aunt could manage the estate. They all sat down to supper together that night, and Laura gave a brief report to her aunt, who was now beginning to take an interest in what was going on around her. She listened to everything Laura told her, and then made a little speech. “Laura, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your coming to help out. When you left here, you were a spoiled-rotten little rich girl who’d been devastated by her parents’ death. But now, you’re a warm, considerate young woman. I’d sure like to know what changed you.”

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Laura stared at her in astonishment. “What?” “You’re like a different person now. And I want to thank you very much for helping us out.” “But… but you were mean and cruel, and now you’re nice to me!” Aunt Mabel actually laughed. “I wasn’t trying to be cruel, I was just doing what my husband expected of me. He didn’t want you coddled because he thought you’d been spoiled all your life. He wouldn’t let me show you an ounce of affection, and he made me give you all of the hardest chores.” “And Daddy told us not to spoil you,” said Martha, “So we teased you a lot.” Laura was truly shocked, and she didn’t know what to say. “I was always jealous of you,” said Elizabeth. “You had the most beautiful clothes, and you were prettier than any of us, too.” “Well,” said Linda, “You were so stuck up, it’s no wonder we couldn’t get along.” Sam gave Linda a meaningful glance, and Laura began to wonder what he’d been up to all week while she’d worked alone late at night. “Linda, please don’t talk to my sister in that manner,” said Sam. “Why not? She was mean to us as well!” “Those times are past, now. Things have changed, and you need to accept that.” Laura couldn’t believe that Sam was spouting wisdom to her cousin. “Besides,” said Linda, with her nose in the air, “she’s not your sister! She’s just a runaway orphan who got lucky that you took her in.” Sam stood up from his chair and glowered down at Linda. “Could we have a word in private, please?” He looked at Laura’s aunt for approval, and Aunt Mabel nodded slightly. Linda stood up and slapped her napkin down on her plate. “Certainly! I don’t want to sit at the same table as our dear Laura, anyway!” She

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stomped out of the room with Sam following closely behind her. The four women left at the table began to discuss the current news events until they heard a faint slapping noise and soon thereafter, Linda’s wailing and crying from an upstairs bedroom. Martha began to giggle, and Elizabeth soon joined in. Laura stared at her plate in shocked embarrassment. She shouldn’t be surprised; Sam had learned from the best, Dalton. She forced the thought of him from her mind as Aunt Mabel asked her a question about her uncle’s paid debts. Sam soon returned with a repentant Linda right behind him. She quietly apologized to Laura and sat back down to finish her meal. Laura saw her glance at Sam now and then, her expression full of awe. Sam ignored Linda for the rest of the meal, and then all the girls begged him to play a game of cards with them. Laura left to go upstairs to bed. She laid thinking about Dalton for a long time. She’d cried herself to sleep every night since she’d arrived, but tonight the tears didn’t come, and she wondered if she’d used them all up. She thought of her inheritance, and was glad that she’d studied accounting and knew what it was worth. She had enough money now to buy ten ranches if she wanted them. She could even buy Pa’s ranch if he had wanted to sell it. Wouldn’t that be amusing, for her to buy out Pa, and Dalton and his new wife would have to find a new home? Laura smiled to herself. Maybe she couldn’t have Dalton, but she would damn sure have her ranch. Tomorrow she would go to the orphanage and visit the children. She wanted to adopt some of the younger ones; she had a lot of love to give them, and she didn’t need a man to get in the way of it. Just look at what her uncle had done to his family! It was still amazing to her that they were really loving people now that he and his influence were gone. Laura slept well that night for the first time since she’d left the ranch.

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She spent the entire next day at the orphanage. Most of her old friends were still there, and she was amazed at how much they’d grown, especially the little ones. There were a few new faces she didn’t recognize. She treated all of the children to ice cream and cake, and she watched them all closely, looking for the ones who would be best fitted to move out to her new ranch. Of course, she realized that it might be another year before she could send for any of them. She would just have to come back and visit again, when her ranch was ready. Laura wrote the headmistress a large check before leaving, to buy new clothes for everyone. As she looked over the group of happy children gathered to say goodbye to her, she suddenly knew that she’d never be able to pick one over another; they were all precious to her. She’d just have to make her ranch an orphanage, and move them all out. As she walked back to her aunt’s house, she thought about her new plans. She could have many separate houses and hire couples to live in them and care for the children. It would be a small community in itself, and every child would belong to a smaller family that was part of the whole. Laura smiled to herself as she realized that she really didn’t need Dalton or any other man to fulfill her dreams. She went to sleep happy that night. The following morning, Sam told Laura that Linda wanted to go back with them to the ranch to see the horses. “I think it would do her a world of good. She’s a little depressed over her father’s death.” “Well, Sam, it’s Mum and Pa you need to discuss this with, not me,” replied Laura, who was preparing all of the papers to show her aunt. “How can I discuss this with them when there’s no way to talk to them?” “Just call up the hotel in town, and they’ll send someone out to bring Mum or Pa to the telephone.” “I’ve never used a telephone, how do you do it?”

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Laura sighed, stacked the papers neatly on her uncle’s desk, and stood up. She took Sam’s hand and pulled him through the house to the front parlor. Then she picked up the earpiece and waited for the operator to answer. She gave the woman her instructions, and was then connected to the hotel clerk, who told her they’d ring back as soon as Mum or Pa arrived at the hotel. “There you go, now all you have to do is sit and wait for a couple of hours.” She grinned at Sam’s look of disgust. “You mean, I’m tied to this room until they ring back?” “Well, it surely won’t be in the next hour, so go away and then come back.” Laura smiled and went to get her aunt to go over the ledgers with her. Several hours later, they stopped for dinner, and Sam told them about his telephone call. “Mum and Pa don’t mind if Linda comes back with us to visit,” he said excitedly. Linda’s pretty face lit up as she said, “Oh, that’s wonderful, Sam! Mother, may I go, please?” “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’ll be good for you. But you must keep up with your schoolwork.” “Oh, I will, don’t worry. Thank you, Mother!” “How do they like Dalton’s fiancée?” asked Laura, unable to resist asking, even though she dreaded the answer. “That’s the strangest thing, Laura! Dalton arrived by himself and never even mentioned the girl. Mum didn’t know what I was talking about, and I had to explain it to her.” Laura felt a warm wave of happiness wash over her, and Sam smiled at her reaction. She put her napkin down on her plate, and announced that they should leave the following morning. Her cousins burst into a flurry of action, fussing over Linda and what she should pack for her trip. They badgered Sam with questions about his ranch and how they trained the horses and herded the cows. Laura

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finished going over the paperwork with her aunt until she was certain that the woman could now handle her own affairs. Then she went to the bank and arranged to have most of her money transferred to the bank near the ranch. She wondered what John Westmore would think when he saw the large deposit made at his bank. Laura smiled to herself again. It felt good to be wealthy, and she already had some good stocks in mind to begin her investments with. It felt even better to know that Dalton hadn’t loved the other girl, and Laura would have her chance to show him she was a woman now. Laura, Sam, and Linda had been on the train for two days when it started to snow. Laura watched the small snowflakes drifting outside the window, and thought how beautiful Christmas was going to be. It was only three days away now. She wrapped her woolen blanket tightly around her. Sam and Linda sat opposite her, cuddled together and sound asleep. Laura smiled at their innocent faces. She supposed it wasn’t proper for them to be so close to one another, but she didn’t really care. She wasn’t a very good chaperone, and she’d never volunteered for the job anyway. The snow began to fall harder until it was a blizzard pelting against the windows. Sam woke up and stared out dismally into the thick, wet, white wall of snow. Then the train slowed down and stopped, and they could barely make out the faint lines of a depot alongside the tracks. “I imagine the tracks are covered over,” said Sam. He carefully rearranged the still sleeping Linda, and stood up. “I’ll go and see what’s going on.” He was gone only a few minutes before he poked his head back into the tiny compartment and said, “We’re stopping in this town until the storm’s over and the tracks are clear. The conductor said that it might be a few days or a week, but we’re certainly going to have to spend Christmas here.”

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Laura sighed in frustration. She’d really wanted to get back home for the holidays. She couldn’t wait to see Dalton again, and her heart sank as bitter disappointment flowed through her. Suppressing the bad thoughts, she stood up and stretched. “Well we’d better hurry if we want a good hotel room,” she said, and began to pull her traveling bags out from under the seat. Sam woke Linda, and they fought their way to the hotel lobby through the blistering wind. There were only a few others ahead of them, so they quickly paid for a suite and headed up the stairs to settle in. They spent the next six days reading books, and playing cards and parlor games with the other guests. Christmas had been a good day, and all the guests had gathered to sing carols and feast upon roasted turkey and ham. Sam visited the saloon next door a few times, but he never appeared to be inebriated when he returned. Every day, Laura asked the desk clerk if the telephone lines or telegraphs were working, and every day she was told that there was no way to communicate anywhere from the town. By the evening of the sixth day, she’d read every book she could get her hands on, and was quickly becoming restless and bored. Linda was holding up well, but she had Sam to keep her entertained. When Sam went off to the saloon again that night, Laura’s mood became even more dismal. She paced the floor of their small sitting room and ranted to Linda about how unfair it was that the men had entertainment but the women didn’t. “I feel like a caged animal!” she declared, as Linda watched her warily. “Well, so do I, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” she replied. “It’s just so unfair!” “Laura, why are you acting like a spoiled little child again?” Linda was getting irritated now. Laura stopped short and stared at her cousin. “You’re… you’re right. I don’t know what’s come

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over me.” She sat down and picked up some needlework. “I’m just so sick of being cooped up in here.” “So am I, so I think I’ll just go to bed early.” Linda stood up and stretched. “Why should we have to just sit and wait while the men go out and have fun?” asked Laura. “That’s just the way it is, Laura.” Linda just accepted her situation and tried to make the best of it, but Laura wasn’t willing to do that. “I’m going to the saloon,” she announced, and marched into Sam’s room to rummage through his clothing. Linda gasped and followed her in. “You can’t go in there! You’ll be seen as a wanton woman, and get raped or something!” “I’m not going as a woman,” replied Laura, holding up a pair of Sam’s pants in front of her. “Oh my goodness, you’re going to dress up like a man?” Linda was curious, and started to pick up another pair of pants that Laura had thrown across Sam’s bed. “Yes, I’ve done it before, don’t worry.” Laura chose a shirt and shoes, and went into the girls’ bedroom to change. She stripped down to her corset and asked Linda to help her untie it. “Only if you let me come, too,” said Linda, and Laura looked at her grinning face in amazement. “Of course! We’ll have a great time!” she exclaimed, and the two girls helped each other dress. Laura realized as soon as she tried to tie her breasts flat, that she was much larger than she was the last time she’d dressed as a boy. She put on a heavy coat to help cover herself up. They argued over whether they would hide their adventure from Sam or not. “I don’t think we should hide it; why would he care if we do this?” asked Laura.

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“I think he’d be very angry if he knew we’re taking such a risk. Someone might realize that we’re girls.” “No, they won’t. I told you, I’ve done this before.” “Yes, well, all of these people have been together for a week now, and someone might recognize us.” “It’s very dark in there; we’ll just take a table in the back, order some drinks, and watch what’s going on. No one will pay us any attention at all.” “I’m really getting nervous. I think we’d better wait for Sam to help us.” “We don’t need a man to help us. I’m going now, so you can either go to bed and have no fun, or you can come with me.” Laura opened the door to the hallway and looked around quickly, seeing no one in sight. She turned and waved to Linda, and then disappeared down the hall, as Linda impetuously decided to follow her. They went down the servants’ back stairway, and hurried across the small alley to the front of the saloon. Holding their hats down low over their heads, Laura led Linda to an empty table in back. They took in their surroundings as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. The room was nearly full of men and several scantily clad women. Laura saw the shocked look on Linda’s face, and she smiled quietly to herself. A young woman in a black dress with red lace soon appeared, and Laura ordered two beers in a low, rough voice. As soon as she moved away, Linda began to laugh softly at Laura’s pretense. “Sssh!” said Laura in her low tone. “Look, there’s Sam,” she said, “playing cards at that table by the bar.” Linda spotted him and then blushed as a pretty young girl sat on his lap. They watched as Sam pushed her away and then played a card down on the table in front of him. The beers arrived, and

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Laura gave the woman a one-dollar bill. “Keep the change,” she muttered, and the waitress happily left to serve another table. Linda daintily picked up her beer and sniffed. “I’ve never had beer before,” she confessed. She took a small sip and then grimaced in distaste. “Stop acting like a girl,” hissed Laura, and then downed a third of her glass in one long gulp. “Watch the men and act like they do.” Linda wasn’t much of an actress, though, and Laura cringed every time she moved, with her graceful, feminine gestures. Sam kept looking in their direction, and Laura wished they’d waited for him instead of sneaking out alone. “I think Sam has figured out who we are,” she told Linda, who immediately gasped and covered her mouth with her long-nailed fingers. “Put your hands back down!” Laura whispered to her. Linda did as she was told, but a man was approaching their table, and Laura whispered, “Don’t say a word, now.” “Y’all new ‘round here?” asked the big burly man as he stood glowering down at them. “Jest stopped in for a drink,” said Laura in her rough voice. “We was lookin’ fer a card game but all them tables ‘r full,” said the man. “Sorry, we’re leavin’ soon as we drink these down,” said Laura, and gave out a loud belch before draining her glass. The man shrugged his shoulders and walked back to his table. Laura picked up Linda’s beer and drained it, too. “Let’s go. I don’t feel comfortable in here anymore,” she whispered to Linda, who eagerly jumped up to leave. They went out the back exit and literally ran into two men who were arguing over a pint of whiskey. Laura bumped chest first into the taller one, and Linda hid behind Laura as the man staggered back a step.

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“Hey! Watch where yer goin’, ya jackass!” the man exclaimed, and Laura mumbled an apology and tried to go around them. “Wait a minute, thar,” the man said, and pulled on Laura’s coat, exposing her shapely bosom to both of the men. “You ain’t a man, yer a girl!” “Run!” yelled Laura, and Linda hurried across the alleyway to the hotel. Laura struggled to free herself, but the man had a tight grip on her coat. She tried to slip it off, but he grabbed her arm with one hand and placed a huge paw over one of her breasts. “Yep, yer a girl, all right,” he said, with a drunken leer. “Come on up to my room, and I’ll make it worth yer while.” He squeezed her breast painfully, and Laura jerked away from his grasp and tried to run. He caught her almost immediately, though, and pulled her into his arms. He pressed his lips against her cheek, and she recoiled from the stout odor of whiskey on his breath. “Let me go!” she screamed, and managed to free one hand. She slapped him hard across the face and stomped on his booted foot. “Oh, you like it rough, eh?” He grinned and squeezed her buttocks as she ineffectively pummeled his chest with her fists. “Help me!” she called to the other man, but he just stood by, sneering in amusement at the unexpected entertainment. Then her attacker put his hand on her breast again, and she screamed loudly, hoping someone would hear. Suddenly, she was free, and Sam was pushing her toward the hotel. She turned and ran until she reached its front porch, but then stopped to look back. Sam was standing over the taller man, who was now out cold on the ground. His companion was backing away quickly as Sam colorfully told him what he thought of men who took advantage of defenseless women.

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Then Sam was stalking toward her, his angry expression sending chills down her spine. She stood her ground as he approached. “Are you alright, Sam?” she asked anxiously. She searched his face for any signs of injury, but he didn’t have a mark on him. “Get up to the room,” he growled, and Laura turned and ran into the hotel, up the stairs, and into their small sitting room, where Linda sat waiting in a chair. “Oh, thank God you’re alright!” Linda stood up to hug her, but stopped still as Sam entered the room, slammed the hallway door shut, and locked it. “That was the stupidest stunt I’ve ever seen!” he exclaimed, glaring at Laura as she sat down heavily on the sofa. “What made you think you could pass as a boy now, when you’re all grown up?” “I… I don’t know,” muttered Laura, staring mesmerized at Sam’s stern countenance. It all felt so familiar. “I just wanted to go out and have fun. I’m sick of staying in this stupid room for so long.” “You almost got raped back there! If Linda hadn’t come to get me, you’d have been in serious trouble right now!” “Thank you, Linda!” Laura looked at her cousin, who was now back in her chair, staring at the carpet. “And thank you, Sam,” she turned back to her brother. “I’m sorry. I’ll never do anything like this again!” Laura escaped into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She felt very stupid and foolish as she took off Sam’s clothes and put on her chemise and nightgown. She brushed out her hair and folded up the pants and shirt neatly before leaving the room to return them to Sam. As she stepped into the sitting room, she saw Sam sitting on the sofa, his arms crossed, and his foot tapping angrily on the floor. Linda was standing in a corner crying quietly. “Here,” said Laura, handing the clothes to Sam. He took them wordlessly and put them down on the sofa next to him. He pointed to

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another corner and looked at Laura meaningfully. Laura had no intention of obeying him, however, and she crossed her arms and shook her head no. “Do you think you can out-wrestle me?” asked Sam quietly. Laura’s eyes grew wide as she realized that he meant what he said. “No.” “I intend to punish you severely for your foolish actions, and Linda will get it almost as hard. Now, you can cooperate and I will punish you, or you can fight me and I will punish you much harder. Which will it be?” “When did you start speaking with such good grammar?” Laura tried to distract him. “I’ve learned a lot in the past year, along with you,” he replied. “Although most of my bad speech was just a way to pick on Dalton.” He motioned toward the corner again, but Laura still hesitated. “You’ve no right to punish me. I’ll be eighteen in two months, and I intend to move out and start my own ranch then. All this will do is to make me very angry with you. I’m already sorry for what I did. I’ve been scared silly, pawed at by that nasty man, and I’ve learned my lesson.” “Nevertheless, you’re going to get it.” Laura swallowed hard at his firm resolve, and finally realized that she wasn’t going to win here. She dropped her eyes and went to the corner to stand. “Now, I want you two ladies to think about what you’ve done,” lectured Sam, and Laura smiled to herself in spite of her impending pain. He sounded so much like Dalton. She could only hope that he didn’t hit as hard. “Laura, you’ve been getting away with things for much too long. Dalton should have left me in charge instead of Jack, and things would never have come to this. When we get back, you’re going to be riding side-saddle, you’re not going to be working with the hands without an escort, and you won’t be riding the range without an escort.”

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“Only for two months,” muttered Laura. “Well maybe in two months you’ll think better of it. And even then, if Dalton or I catch you riding out alone, you’ll be getting a paddling right there on the spot.” Laura felt a twinge of arousal at the thought of Dalton catching her alone on the range. She smiled to herself; happy again that he’d somehow lost his fiancée. Sam’s voice brought her back to the present. “Are you listening to me?” She quietly responded, “You won’t be catching me out alone, or you’d be trespassing on my land.” “You really are hard-headed, aren’t you? Perhaps I can change that a little bit. Come over here now.” Laura turned and walked proudly to stand in front of Sam. She looked down at him defiantly, but was suddenly aware that Linda was watching from her corner. Linda might judge her future relationship with Sam by the way this was handled, and Laura decided to play along. “Over my knee,” said Sam, and Laura managed to look a little sorry. “Please, Sam, don’t do this to me,” she pleaded, “I’m really sorry!” Sam glared up at her. “You’ve just added on to your punishment. Bend over here, now.” “Yes, sir,” she said, and carefully put herself in place. It felt strange to be over another man’s knee. She felt Sam pull up her nightgown and then he started to spank her with his hand, over her chemise. It didn’t really hurt much, but she squirmed around and pleaded with him, as if it were very painful. She didn’t know that Sam had only just begun. He picked up a long wooden slat from a crate he’d found in the alley, and the first strike sent Laura scrambling off his lap and onto the floor. “Ooooh!” she cried, rubbing her bottom. “Get back up here.” Sam demanded, and Laura shook her head, unwilling to play this hard. “You’re

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getting twenty-five licks with this, and if I have to come and get you, it’ll be fifty!” Laura reluctantly got up and put herself back into position. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Her bottom was on fire, and tears flowed freely down her face as she grabbed the sofa cushion and squeezed it hard. Sam continued to paddle her without a break and she was soon crying hard and begging him to stop. Finally, it was over, and he told her to go and stand in the corner again. She jumped up and hurried away, rubbing her bottom, but it didn’t help the fierce stinging. “Linda,” said Sam, and Laura turned to see if Linda would comply. Although the girl was crying and shaking, she quickly placed herself over Sam’s lap. Sam pulled her pants down and spanked her for a short time, and then brought up the paddle again. “You’re only getting ten, since you were just following Laura’s lead,” he said. Linda screamed as the first strike landed, but Sam finished up quickly and then pulled the girl up to hug her. She sobbed into his shirt as he gently stroked her back. Laura blotted her own tears with the sleeve of her nightgown and wished that Dalton were there to comfort her. “Back to the corner, now,” he told Linda, who hurried to obey. Sam left them standing there for a very long time, and Laura was starting to fall asleep standing up when he finally let them go to bed. They both crawled into the bed onto their stomachs and lay quietly for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, Linda,” said Laura. “I don’t know why I talked you into doing such a foolish thing.” “I’m not sorry,” said Linda, and Laura looked over at her curiously. “It was an exciting adventure, and the price wasn’t too hard to pay.” Laura sighed and turned to her side. “At least we weren’t bored,” added Linda, and Laura laughed quietly to herself.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN The next day, the telegraph lines were back up, and Sam sent a message to Pa. The conductor told everyone that the train would be leaving at noon, and the hotel lobby was soon filled with happy travelers waiting to be on their way. The ride back was uneventful, and they spent the night in Helena before catching the stagecoach the following morning. Linda and Laura both squirmed on the hard wooden seats as Sam smiled in satisfaction at their discomfort. By the time they pulled into town, both ladies were exhausted from the long, uncomfortable ride. Pa was waiting at the café with the carriage, and Laura hugged him tightly. “Dalton left two days ago to finish things up in St. Louis,” Pa told them, and Laura quickly hid her disappointment. She hadn’t really expected him to wait until she got home. Linda was introduced, and Pa welcomed her warmly. They sat quietly on the plush seats of the carriage on the ride to the ranch, and Sam kept up a running commentary on whose house they were passing. The frozen range looked bleak and empty to Laura, who silently tried to keep from crying. Linda seemed thrilled with it all, asking many questions and exclaiming in delight over every cow they passed. Laura cheered up as the ranch house came into view. She couldn’t wait to take a hot bath before supper. She hurried inside, hugged Jack and Mum, and then went straight to the bathroom. Supper was a happy affair, although Dalton’s absence seemed more acute to Laura, with Linda sitting in his seat. Mum and Pa liked her right away - Linda could be very charming when she wanted to be. Laura went to bed right after supper, and woke up the next morning feeling much better. Dalton would return soon, and then she’d have her chance with him.

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The family had a small Christmas celebration that night, and traded a few gifts. Laura had bought Mum a pearl necklace in St. Louis, and Pa a new pipe. She gave Jack a new pocketknife and Sam a new lead rope. She put Dalton’s present, a box of handkerchiefs that she’d embroidered herself with the ranch’s brand, onto his bed to await his return. There was a large present still under the tree, and it was presented to Laura. Dalton had bought her an electric lamp and battery. She grinned as she put it all together and turned on the light. Everyone was impressed by the soft warm glow it produced. The next two months flew by quickly for Laura. Dalton continued to write home every week, and was expected to return before Easter. Laura continued to study hard, and she obeyed Sam’s directives to never ride or work alone, thus avoiding any further discipline at his hands. She and John Westmore invested most of her money into stock and bonds, after she paid for some land that they’d scouted out along Pa’s western border. Pa had wanted to sell her part of his own land, but she’d declined his offer. She hired some men to build a small cabin by a stream on a hill, about ten miles from Pa’s house, and she was ready to move into it soon. She worked late every night, planning her big ranch house by the light of the electric lamp. It was wonderful to have such good lighting, and the gift made her feel closer to Dalton. Sam and Linda announced their engagement, and Linda returned home to plan her wedding with her mother. Laura’s birthday dawned clear and cold. She slipped on her split riding habit and hurried out to saddle up Sonny with a regular saddle. She was eighteen now, finally, and no one could tell her what to do anymore. Sonny was in high spirits this morning, chafing at his bit and prancing beneath her. She rode up the lane toward the house to wait for Sam to ride with her, but then realized that she

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didn’t have to anymore. She patted her gun at her side. She was safe, and there was no reason to wake anyone up to ride with her, so she trotted out onto the range, looking for any stray cattle or broken fences on the way to her land. Her land. It was a wonderful feeling to have her own land. When the ground thawed, she planned to buy some cattle for her ranch. The foundation for her house had been marked off, a few hundred yards from the cabin. Laura soon spotted her three hired hands working on the fence line she’d directed them to start. She waved and they waved back. She rode out across the vast range, drinking in the stark beauty of the rolling hills with a few blades of grass poking through the snow here and there. Spring would be here soon, and it would be gorgeous. Laura rode up to her cabin and got down to inspect it again. She had put in all the supplies last week. The cabin had two rooms, a bedroom, and a kitchen/sitting room. Its walls were solid and no air passed through the mud-chinked log seams. The bed was soft and stuffed with goose down feathers. Laura smiled in approval and locked the door back up. She made a sudden decision to move in the next day, even though she’d wanted to wait until after Dalton returned. The little cabin beckoned to her sense of independence, and there were no Dalton ghosts here. At home, she had to steel herself several times a day just to walk by his bedroom door, or to look at his favorite spot by the mantle in the salon. She missed him even more than she missed her parents. Laura turned to mount Sonny, and saw that the sky had grown dark and gray with storm clouds. She should probably stay here until the storm blew over, but then she’d miss her own birthday party! Laura saddled up and cantered Sonny across the range, certain that she’d make it home before it got too bad. The wind picked up, and her hat blew off behind her. She didn’t have time to retrieve it, and

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she could feel her long, thick hair flowing almost straight out behind her as she rode into the wind. The temperature grew colder, and she slipped on her leather gloves. She could smell the snow in the air and wondered if this would be another big blizzard like the one they’d had at Christmas. Small flakes began to drift down, melting on her face as she urged Sonny to go faster. She wasn’t even a quarter of the way home before the snow started to fall thicker. She stopped at the top of a rise, staring into the storm as the bitter knowledge sunk in. She wasn’t going to make it home, and she would have to turn back to her cabin. Sonny gave a little nicker and shifted beneath her as she spotted a lone rider up ahead galloping over the next rise. Laura hoped it was someone she knew, but she couldn’t take any chances, and she pulled her rifle loose from its leather fastening. The click of the hammer was loud even in the softly falling snow, and she felt sure that the approaching rider had heard it; he slowed his horse down to a walk. ____________________________ Dalton had arrived by stagecoach the previous evening, and had hired a carriage that morning to take him home to the ranch. He could have come the week before, but he’d wanted to surprise Laura on her birthday. He couldn’t wait to give her her present, an expensive engagement ring. When he’d been home at Christmas, his mother had talked of nothing but Laura and how her behavior had improved and matured. His father had spoken of Laura’s great skill with the ledgers and her knowledge of the ranching business. Dalton smiled as he remembered the campaign. He hadn’t needed his mother’s obvious hints and gentle persuasion to know that Laura was the only woman he wanted. He hadn’t needed Pa’s boasting over her intellect to know that Laura would fill his need for a business partner and social friend as well.

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However, he had needed their eager approval of the match, and he no longer felt guilty over dreaming of taking his relationship with Laura past the sisterbrother barrier. No matter how many times he’d held himself back from her, he’d never felt it was right. They had no legal or blood ties, and Dalton was convinced that Laura was the perfect woman for him. The only drawback now, was how mature everyone thought she was. She’d even stopped riding alone, riding astride, and working with the ranch hands, according to Jack and Sam’s letters. If Laura was so grown-up now, how could he find reasons to spank her? His hand fairly itched to find its target, her slim, muscular buttocks. He wanted to turn them pink and then stroke them slowly, building up a heat that couldn’t be quenched without the benefits of their marriage. He smiled to himself as he rode up the long drive, planning her birthday spanking. Everyone was very happy to see Dalton, and he hugged his mother, reveling in the warmth of his family before asking where Laura was. “She rode out early this morning toward her land,” said Pa. “By herself?” asked Sam, an annoyed look on his face. He’d just gotten up for the day, and was still a little disoriented. “I’d thought that you were with her, until you just got up a few minutes ago.” answered Pa. “She knows better than that,” grumbled Sam, “Geez, the one morning I sleep late…” “There’s a storm coming,” interrupted Dalton, who began to put his winter cloak back on. He took Sam by the arm to the salon to get some facts straight. Sam hurriedly told Dalton everything that had happened since Christmas, including Laura’s continued obedience since the fiasco with Linda during the blizzard. “I guess she thinks since she’s eighteen today, that the rules don’t apply anymore,” finished Sam.

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“She’s got a lot to learn the hard way then,” said Dalton, his face stern, but Sam could read the anxiety in his eyes. “Pa, I may not be back today if the storm hits us closer to Laura’s cabin than here,” Dalton called to his father as he put his gloves back on. “Just keep her safe, son,” said Pa, “although she always carries a rifle, and her cabin’s fully stocked; she should be just fine.” “Yes, as long as she’s in the cabin when it hits,” replied Dalton. “I’ve got my compass, and Sam gave me directions, so I’ll find my way there.” Dalton pulled his hood on then, and hurried down to the barn to saddle up Trojan. He soon found a faint trail in the snow from Sonny’s hooves, which he followed. He crossed the western border of his father’s ranch about twenty minutes later, and realized that he was now on Laura’s land. It was a strange feeling, to be riding on her property, but he quickly became used to the idea. He’d ridden out here before, chasing stray cattle every spring. He knew exactly where Laura’s cabin would be, and thought it a good spot to build a house. The snow started to fall then, and he hoped he would make it to the cabin before it got too thick to see. He galloped over a rise, and then he saw her. No one had prepared him for this. They’d talked about her improved behavior, and her increasing knowledge, but not the vision of beauty he now beheld. She was sitting tall in the saddle, proud and unafraid as he watched her pull her rifle up and heard it cock. He slowed his horse to a walk and approached her cautiously. Her long brown hair flowed out around her like satin as the wind whipped it about, but she made no move to rearrange it. Her face had lost its childlike plumpness, and he could see her sculpted cheekbones, pink from the cold. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so wild and beautiful in his life. She raised the gun to her sights, and he pulled his hood off slowly and quietly said her name.

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___________________________ Laura sat frozen in time for a moment, shock and disbelief coursing through her body. It was Dalton. He’d come home for her birthday! His hair was longer and ruffled by the wind, but he looked the same to her as he had the day he’d left, over eight months ago. Her heart hammered loudly against her ribs, and she suddenly threw the gun to the ground, jumped off of Sonny, and ran to meet him, calling his name. She saw him dismount, and a wide grin spread across his handsome face as he held out his arms to her. As she reached him, he grabbed her up into a big hug, swinging her around until he slipped and they fell laughing into the snow, her on top of him. Laura rested her head on his chest. “Oh, Dalton, I’m so happy to see you again!” “So am I, kitten, so am I.” He tried to brush the snow off her hair but the wind began to blow much harder, and he sat up, holding her against him. “Come on now, we’ve got to get to your cabin before it’s too late to find it.” Laura reluctantly stood up; she could have happily laid there in the snow with him for hours. “I’ll follow you,” he said. She trudged up the hill she’d just raced down, picked up her rifle, and mounted Sonny. “It’s a good thing that rifle didn’t discharge when you threw it on the ground,” he commented as he caught up to her. Laura didn’t answer him; she just uncocked it and tied it back onto her saddle. Turning her horse, she began to canter back toward the cabin. Dalton held Trojan to Sonny’s pace and they reached the cabin about fifteen minutes later. They dismounted and tied their horses under a close-knit group of pine and spruce trees for shelter. The cabin could hardly be seen now through the thick snow blowing sideways against them. Laura proudly unlocked the front door to the cabin and shook the snow off of her

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boots before stepping in. She hurried to the fireplace to light the wood she’d already had stacked up for her imminent move. As she bent down to light it, she realized that her pulse was racing and every nerve ending was alive and throbbing throughout her body. Dalton was here with her! She stood up slowly and watched him take his cloak off and hang it on a peg by the door. Laura had never envisioned him in this cabin with her, but he seemed exactly in the right place at the right time. She took off her coat, and hung it on the wall next to Dalton’s cloak. They stood a few feet apart and stared at each other for a few moments. Dalton took in the full rise of her breasts, the narrowing of her waist, and the gentle flaring of her hips. She’d grown up so much since he’d last seen her. Her face was flushed, her eyes sparkled, and he could see the throbbing of her pulse along one side of her smooth, white neck. Her hair was damp and tousled, and it had grown so long that it brushed the tops of her buttocks. Laura stared up into his gray eyes that were filled with an emotion that she didn’t recognize. “Do you have a brush?” he asked, his voice hoarse from the cold. Laura nodded and hurried to fetch it. Dalton turned her around and began to brush out her hair, reveling in its silky smoothness as he coaxed the tangles out. The fire was blazing merrily now, and he felt warmer and more at home than he ever had in his life. He wanted nothing more than to carry her into her bedroom and make love to her, but of course, he couldn’t do that. He settled for the next best thing. “Laura, why were you riding out alone, and not using your sidesaddle?” Dalton looked down disapprovingly at her. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. How could he be remonstrating with her, when they’d only just reunited? She ignored his question, and

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turned to face him, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing hard. “I missed you so much, Dalton!” He hugged her back, but she sensed he was holding himself away from her. She impulsively put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him soundly on the lips. “And I love you, Dalton Garrison!” He didn’t move a muscle, and she waited a moment in suspense, beginning to wonder why she’d done such a silly thing. Then she saw the joy in his eyes, and suddenly he pulled her up against him and pressed his lips firmly against hers. They felt warm and silky, and a shiver ran across her abdomen. His tongue moved across her lower lip and she opened up for him, tasting a slight flavor of peppermint. She felt his hand spread across the back of her head as he pressed his mouth harder to hers and probed her even white teeth with his tongue. She tentatively touched her tongue to his, and then she was lost in a wild, hungry dance as they explored each other’s mouths. Laura heard herself moan in pleasure, and he released the pressure, allowing her to move her tongue softly in his velvet warmth. Her breasts tingled where they pressed up against his shirt, and she could feel his rock-hard erection pressing against her abdomen. Rachel had told her a few details about how men and women made love, but Laura had never imagined that just kissing would feel this good. “I love you, too,” he whispered in her ear, and elation surged through her mind and body. She felt his hand squeeze her right bottom cheek, and she pressed herself closer. He put his other hand on her neck and slowly traced his way down to circle her breast, sending a thrill of desire down her body. Suddenly he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, laying her down gently on the soft feather mattress. He stood looking down at her and started to unbutton his shirt. She smiled eagerly up at him, but then his

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hands froze and a stern look replaced the burning intensity in his eyes. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and said, “This is wrong.” “No, it’s not, it’s right!” Laura exclaimed, and scrambled to sit up beside him. She put her hand over his, and added, “We belong to each other.” “I can’t make love to you; we’re not married, or even engaged.” “I don’t care. I want you to. I’ve waited so long for you to see that I’ve grown up now.” His looked her over appreciatively, and then he sobered. “Laura, I… Do you… Would you want to marry me?” She saw the uncertainty in his eyes, and she threw her arms about his neck again, hugging him hard. “Oh, yes, yes, Dalton, you wouldn’t believe how long I’ve wanted you!” He gently pushed her back and stared intently into her eyes. “Laura… you’d have to obey me if you married me. Do you know what you’re saying?” Laura swallowed hard. She stared down at her hands, the palms now rough and calloused from her hard work on the ranch. Even though she knew quite well what he expected from a wife, she felt a distant hope that he’d change his mind. “Why? Why would I have to obey you? I’m an adult now, and I don’t have to obey anyone. I have my own money, my own land, and I’m going to build an orphanage here. Why can’t we just be equal partners?” “You already know what my idea of a good marriage is. We wouldn’t last a year as equal partners. So, I think we’d better forget about the lovemaking for now and concentrate on why you need a keeper.” Laura felt a chill run down her spine as she recognized his lecturing tone of voice. She put her chin up and met his gaze. “I do not need a keeper, and you have absolutely no right to suggest such a

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thing.” She saw his eyes glint silver with warning, but she held her position. “I bought this land, I built this cabin, and I can defend it, all by myself. I don’t need a man to do anything except make love to me.” Dalton didn’t seem a bit perturbed by her declaration of not needing him. “You’re too impetuous. You’d accidentally kill yourself within a month of being on your own.” “You’re too domineering. I want the freedom to do as I please.” “You’d have your freedom, within reason. You know you need someone to watch over you and protect you from yourself.” Laura gasped in indignation. “Whatever are you talking about? I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself!” She heard his voice grow deadly calm. “Laura, just today, you rode out into a storm, knowing you’d be safer staying here in this cabin. Then you threw a cocked and loaded gun on the ground and could have killed one of us if it had fired. And just now, you would have willingly let me take your virginity with no thought for your reputation or a future marriage.” Laura refused to back down, although she began to have a suspicion that he was right. “I was just turning back to the cabin when I spotted you; I wasn’t going to try to go any further. Then, when I threw the gun on the ground, well… I forgot it was loaded in my excitement over seeing you…” He nodded his head, and the argument sounded weak, even to her. “And then… and then… oh, why are you always right?” She crossed her arms in frustration and glared up at him. His stern look faded into one of gentle amusement. “I know you, Laura Winston.” That one statement was enough to fully convince her, but he added, “I know how smart and intelligent you are, how warm and loving you are, and I know

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how you react before you think, when your emotions get in the way. But I love you just the way you are, and I need you just the way you are.” Laura just blinked at him, unable to think of anything to say. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, despite the howling of the wind outside. “Don’t you think you need me just a little?” he asked. She wanted to tell him that she did need him, and that she couldn’t survive without him, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. She stared down at her hands again. “What… what about my orphanage and my house plans?” She felt tears welling up, and fought to hold them back. “Kitten, I don’t want you to give up your plans. In fact, I’d be happy to help you with them. Just let me invest my share of the money, and we’ll both build a house and the orphanage.” Laura looked up at his sincere expression, and felt the freeing of her heart as she realized she could have both of her dreams. She didn’t want his discipline, but deep inside, she knew that she needed it, just as she needed his love and protection. “All right,” she said softly. “I’ll admit it. I need you, too.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close for a soft kiss that made her ache for more. She still couldn’t quite believe that he was here with her. She pressed harder against his smooth warm lips and curled one hand behind his neck, but then he unexpectedly broke away and told her, “Now, I’m going to spank you whether you marry me or not.” Laura felt a small stab of fear, and glanced up to see his determined expression. He made no move to spank her, but she knew his decision had been made, and there was nothing she could do about it. She fought back the urge to beg him not to. “I’ll marry you, Dalton,” she softly said, dropping her hands from his neck. “I’ll obey you. I’ll submit to whatever you think is best.” Her mind worked

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frantically, trying to think of a way out of it, but all she came up with was the truth. “But I want to start out with a clean slate right now. I don’t want you to spank me today; it’s my birthday.” She looked up at him through her lashes and suddenly realized that her lower lip was poking out. She put her chin up and gave him a soft smile. “Please?” “Oh, no. Birthdays are the best days for getting spanked.” “No!” she exclaimed, and quickly jumped up and ran from the room to the other side of the kitchen table, but Dalton was right behind her. He caught her around the waist and picked her up easily as she struggled against him. “No!” she yelled again as he carried her back to the bed. He sat down, pushed her over his lap, and tried to raise her skirt. Laura pictured his face as he realized that she’d sewn it together between her legs. She began to giggle in spite of her fear of the impending pain. Dalton smiled to himself at her cleverness, as he fumbled beneath her for the fastenings. She got up on her knees and tried to crawl away, but that just made it easier to pull the skirt down and drag her back over his lap. He held her squirming bottom still for a moment, wondering what had happened to her formerly trim little cheeks. She now had firm round globes that quivered as she continued to struggle, and he ran his hand softly over them, feeling himself harden in response. Laura stopped struggling, suddenly passive as she felt his rough hand caressing her skin. This was nothing like the last time he’d spanked her! His fingers trailed down her thighs and up again, and she shivered in pleasure. He put one leg over one of hers, pushing her legs apart slightly, and brushed his fingers lightly over her private parts. Laura felt a warmth flood her groin, and she raised her bottom up to meet his caress. She could feel his erection pressing against her left thigh.

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“You have such beautiful cheeks,” he said, his voice husky with desire. He squeezed them gently, watching the flesh compress and then bounce back to its original shape. “It seems such a shame to have to do this…” Laura tensed up at his words, reality rousing her from a drugged state of mind. She felt his left hand pull her right hip up against him, and the rush of air as his right hand rose up high. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Laura began to struggle again as he slapped her right cheek sharply, and the pain took her breath away. “Oh! Oh, please, Dalton, please don’t!” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! He rained down slaps to her left cheek. He stopped and began the lecture. “Are you going to be riding alone anymore?” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! “Oh, no sir, I won’t, I promise! Please, let me go!” Laura cried, but he struck her repeatedly, and tears came to her eyes. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! “Are you going to obey me from now on?” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! “Yes, sir, I will, I promise!” she wailed, kicking her legs up in pain. “Are you going to wear that skirt you’ve sewn up like pants again?” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! “No! I won’t wear it again!” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! He stopped then, and she thought it was over. “I’m sorry, Dalton, please let me up now,” she begged. “Not yet. I’m going to finish this up and then I’ll make us some dinner.” Laura felt disbelief flood her thoughts just before his hand began to fall with hard, rapid swats that filled her mind with nothing but pain. She was soon limp and sobbing, and totally surrendered to his greater strength. He finally stopped and pulled her up into his arms, but she couldn’t stop crying as he rocked her gently and

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talked to her. “I’m sorry, kitten, but I had to make an impression on you. You’d grown much too rebellious without me here.” “Well, it’s your fault,” she wailed into his chest. “I don’t know why you stayed away so long!” “Ssshh, baby, it’s over now. I’ll never leave again, I promise.” He stroked her back for a while, and then stopped and gently pushed her down to lie on the bed. He rubbed her naked buttocks tenderly and she felt their warmth move forward to her abdomen in a rush of pleasure. Laura felt suddenly embarrassed with her half-naked body next to his fully clothed one. She reached over for her skirt and sat up to pull it back on. “Do you have any other clothes here?” he asked. “Yes,” she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Dalton got up and went to the wardrobe against one wall, pulling out a long white cotton gown. “Here, put this on. I don’t ever want to see that skirt again.” Laura sniffed and gave him a hurt look, and he added, “I want your bottom within my reach at all times.” She blushed and began to unbutton her blouse as he left the room and started searching the pantry for food. He acted like he owned her, for goodness’ sake! Nevertheless, the thought didn’t really bother her. She felt loved and protected, as she always had after his discipline. Only now, she also felt an inner excitement that was new to her. She slipped on the nightgown and hurried out to help him with supper. She took some carrots out of the pantry and put them on the cutting board, but Dalton stepped to her side and took her hands in his. “No, you’re not to help right now, go and stand in the corner by the fireplace, and pull your gown up over your bottom.” Laura stared at him in shock, and he pulled her firmly by the hands, over to the corner. “Stand right here.” He pulled up her nightgown, exposing her still burning cheeks. “Hold it up like this.” She silently obeyed, feeling her face grow hot with

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embarrassment. “Now, I want you to think about why it’s dangerous for you to ride alone on the range, and you can tell me what you’ve come up with, when dinner’s ready.” “But Dalton, this is ridiculous! I don’t want to hold this gown up!” She turned to walk away, but he took her by the shoulders and put her back in place. “If you drop that gown back down, I’ll take you over my knee again. Now stay there.” Laura turned her face to the corner and held tightly to the gown. She didn’t like this at all. Here she was, in her own cabin, being forced to stand still and stare at the log wall that she’d directed to be built. It wasn’t as if she’d done anything wrong, either. She wasn’t sorry about anything, and she was mortified that he could see her bare bottom and legs if he chose to look. She glanced behind her at her bright red bottom, and then up at Dalton, who looked at her just then. “Keep your face to the wall,” he said. She quickly jerked her head back around and stood still. She heard the sound of vegetables being chopped, and then a splash of water into the brandnew, shiny black kettle. Never had she imagined her first meal in her cabin would be like this. She heard him hang the kettle over the fire on its swinging hook, and she wanted nothing more than to be held by him. She turned to face him. “Dalton, this is silly! I don’t want to stand here any longer.” He took two long steps to her side, turned her back around, and slapped her bottom hard. “It’s not silly; it’s important that you learn to obey me.” Laura fought back tears as her emotions welled up inside. “It’s boring!” she exclaimed, “And I don’t want you to see my bottom!” SMACK! “Stop thinking about what you want or don’t want; my instructions were quite clear. Concentrate on why you shouldn’t be riding alone.”

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Laura turned back to the corner, her face blazing, and her mind in turmoil. She was trapped here, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had an urge to run out the door and away from this stupid corner. However, she wanted Dalton, she wanted him to hold her and make love to her. She wanted to talk to him, to play with him, not stand here in this humiliating position. She heard Dalton sit down at the table. He’d told her to stop thinking about what she wanted. Laura sighed and finally gave in. She turned her attention to riding alone on the range. By the time the stew was bubbling merrily over the fire, she’d come up with a few things, but Dalton hadn’t come to release her yet. Her bottom still hurt, and now her legs were beginning to ache. She started to cry softly, and finally he came up behind her. “All right, kitten,” he said gently, turning her around and hugging her. “We’ll sit here on the sofa and talk now; the stew’s not quite ready yet.” She followed him across the small room, rubbing her bottom along the way, and cuddled onto his lap. He held her close and ran his hands through her hair. “Tell me what you’ve thought of, now.” “Well…” she sniffed back the last of the tears. “Do you have a handkerchief?” He brought one from his pocket and handed it to her. “Well, I have a gun, but I suppose if I ran into some cattle rustlers, it wouldn’t really do me much good.” Dalton nodded his head and watched her closely as she continued, “And I might fall off the horse someday and get hurt, and there wouldn’t be anyone to help me.” He solemnly nodded again. “That’s all… that’s all I could think of.” “Laura, there are any number of scenarios where you might run into bad people out here. Robbers and thieves sometimes travel in groups. And don’t forget the Indians. A lone woman is always easy prey.”

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“I hadn’t thought of any of those things when I was riding before.” “I know you didn’t. That’s why I had to make you think from a different frame of mind.” “Well, it was certainly different.” Laura smiled a little, and then gave him an anxious glance. “You’re not ever going to do that to me again, are you?” Dalton smiled and rubbed her bottom. “I don’t know; I really liked the view.” “It was very embarrassing. I don’t want to do that again.” “Well, then, all you have to do is think before you act next time. Then you won’t have to stand in a corner with a bare, red bottom.” She felt her cheeks flush as he said the embarrassing words, and she hid her face against his chest. “Look up here,” he said, and when she lifted her head, he kissed her soundly on the lips. She closed her eyes, and he traced his finger down her nose, and along the edge of her jaw. “I think the stew’s ready now,” he said, and they got up to eat. When they finished, Laura got up to look outside. The snow had risen in two foot high drifts against the woodpile, but that was as far as she could see, even though it was barely afternoon. Dalton began to wash their dishes, and Laura went over to help him. As she stood beside him drying a bowl, he accidentally dropped the ladle into the tin dish pail. Soapy water splashed up, soaking her left breast. Laura looked down and saw that it was clearly outlined underneath the thin cotton gown, and her nipple was hard and erect. She blushed and covered herself up with the cloth in her hand, but Dalton had already seen it. “I’m sorry, Laura,” he said with a smirk, “here, let me dry it off for you.” She laughed and backed away as he reached for the linen cloth, but he stalked her across the room and into the bedroom. She squealed as he tackled her onto the bed and

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pinned her wrists above her head with one hand. Picking up the cloth, he began rubbing her breast with it in slow, circular motions. Laura stopped struggling and closed her eyes, feeling warm sensations rushing through her entire body. Releasing her wrists, he began to unbutton the front of her gown, letting his arm brush her nipple as he worked. When it was open to her waist, he stopped and kissed the tip of her nose, and then her eyes, and finally her parted lips, moving his tongue into her warm mouth with strong strokes that sent shivers down her belly. Laura moaned as he gently massaged her breast and his fingers teased the nipple into a rigid peak. Then he pulled his head away and his mouth closed softly over her nipple as she ran her fingers through his hair. She felt a deep ache within her, and pulled his head closer as he flicked his tongue rapidly over the rigid bud. He stopped to gaze into her eyes, and she saw the passion in his dilated pupils. She smiled at him, and said softly, “Is this when I’m supposed to say, ‘stop’?” He grinned back at her. “Yes, but you’re too impetuous to say it.” “So you don’t mind that we’re not married?” Laura could feel his erection hard against her right thigh, and she pushed back against it. “We’re engaged, so it’s alright.” He kissed her roughly then, and whispered against her lips, “Besides, by tomorrow, everyone will know we spent the night together without a chaperone… Pa will probably have the preacher waiting at the house for our return.”

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN Laura giggled and then gasped as Dalton put his hands on both sides of her gown and pulled, ripping the fabric down to her thighs. Quickly, she pulled it back together and sat upright. “Why did you do that? This was a perfectly good nightgown.” “I was being impetuous,” he laughed, and thus began a tug-of-war with her ruined gown, ending with her scrambling stark naked beneath the heavy quilt. Dalton watched her pull the covers up to her neck, and then he stood up and began to undress. He unbuttoned his shirt, slowly slid it off, and let it fall to the floor. His biceps contracted as he unloosed his belt and pulled it out of the loops. Laura gazed in unmasked adoration at his powerful upper body, but she quickly looked away when he stripped off his pants and slid under the covers next to her. “You don’t want to look at the rest of me?” he teased, laying on his side and smiling down at her. “No,” she blushed, “I mean, yes, but not yet…” She turned to face him. “I want to feel you first, and imagine what you look like.” Immediately, Dalton turned onto his back, putting his hands up behind his head. “Alright,” he eagerly agreed, “I’m ready.” He laughed softly as she punched him in the arm. Propping herself up on one elbow, Laura perused his muscular frame outlined beneath the quilt, feeling her pulse flutter with excitement. Dalton was all hers now, and all she had to do was take him. With tentative movements, she ran one hand along his bulging bicep, and then down his side to his hip, feeling his abdominal muscles twitch. “Are you ticklish?” she teased, and did it again with the same results. He smiled and told her, “Do it again, and I’ll tickle you until you turn blue.”

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“Yes, sir,” she smilingly replied, and placed her hand flat against his chest, feeling his soft but prickly chest hair beneath her fingers. She stroked across his stomach muscles, which felt rather like a quilted blanket, only they were hard and firm. Then she sat up with her back to him and ran her palms down his legs, over his sculpted thigh muscles and calves. Massaging them slowly, she worked her way to his crotch, tentatively brushing her fingertips across his cock, and then feeling it with both hands. “Rachel told me that this is supposed to fit into me, Dalton,” she said nervously, “but I don’t believe her now.” He chuckled and ran his fingers down her back. “It will, don’t worry.” “Won’t it hurt?” She turned her head to look at him. “Yes, the first few times, but not nearly as much as a spanking.” Laura smiled her relief, and then abruptly yanked the quilt and sheet off of him. His body jerked once involuntarily, and Dalton laughed in delighted surprise. “You’re being impetuous again. I think I ought to spank you now.” “No,” she denied him soberly, drinking in the muscular symmetry of his lower body. “No?” he questioned, but didn’t move as she inspected his engorged penis, experimentally touching its head, and then pressing her hand against it. She pulled her hand away, and it sprang back into its jutting position. Laura smiled and squeezed it, feeling its firm but slightly compressible density. “Rachel told me that when a man’s not ready for sex, he’s very small. How does that work?” asked Laura, as she gently moved one of his balls to the side. “I feel like one of your science projects,” he dryly remarked before answering her. “I’m not

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certain, but supposedly there’re chambers of tissue that fill with blood, thus increasing the size when needed.” Laura rolled his ball around between her fingers, and then played with the other one. “Rachel told me that these are filled with a fluid that comes out the end of this.” She stroked his penis softly. “If you mention Rachel again, I’m going to spank you.” She cautiously looked back at him to see if he was serious, but his smile belied his tone. With a flash of a grin, she said nothing and lay down beside him. He turned on his side to face her, and propped himself up on one elbow. His gaze traveled from her face, to her breasts, to the soft patch of curls at her groin. “On second thought, I think I’ll do it anyway,” he announced, and Laura quickly rolled away, but he sat up and pinned her down onto her stomach, laughing as she struggled. “Stay still,” he warned, leaning on her back. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Laura stopped wiggling and felt his big hand caress her buttocks. He slapped her lightly a few times on one cheek, and she put her face into a pillow, afraid of what might come next, despite his promise. He spanked the other cheek, but she felt no pain, just a mild tingling of her skin. “Move your legs apart,” he told her, and she complied. He caressed her thighs with one hand, while lightly spanking her with the other. Laura tried to assimilate the alternating sensations in her mind, but then gave up and just let herself feel what was happening. Her bottom was growing warmer, as was her groin, as if she were submerged in the hot wetness of the porcelain bath at home. The spanking stopped, and he lightly stroked her extremely sensitive cheeks. She felt the heat increase as he moved over her inner thighs and upward. Then he lightly touched between her legs, and her body jerked at the contact. With

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gentle firmness, he rubbed her wet clitoris between his fingertips, and Laura moaned, instinctively spreading her legs further apart and moving upward against his hand. She felt him probing with one finger, and then it easily slid up inside her, filling a need she hadn’t known she had. He moved it slowly out and back in again, and she moved with it, barely conscious of her own reactions. Suddenly his hand withdrew, and he rolled her over onto her back. He kissed her neck and then his lips trailed down to her breast, his tongue circling her nipple. She shivered with desire, and whispered, “Touch me down there again. Please?” Dalton looked up into her eyes and smiled. “I’m working on it.” He licked and nibbled his way down across her stomach, into her bellybutton, and down to the tops of her thighs. Laura raised her pelvis up to meet him as he neared the spot she needed him to kiss. Rachel had never mentioned this, but Laura assumed that anything Dalton did to her was normal and appropriate, and she trusted him completely. She felt his tongue flick over the most sensitive part of her, and heat began to surge through her pelvis again. He gently sucked at her lips and clitoris and then he put his finger inside her again, moving it slowly in and out. She put her hands on her breasts and squeezed them together so that the nipples touched; a trick she’d played in front of her mirror at home. “I like that,” she heard Dalton murmur, encouraging her to rub them together, brushing the peaks one against the other. He moved his tongue faster over her clitoris, and she suddenly felt very strange, as if something inside her was going to explode. Laura sat straight up and pushed his head away. “Stop! Something’s wrong.” Dalton looked at her in surprise, and then moved up over her, pushing her back down as he lay on top of her and put his arms around her. “What’s the matter?” he said softly into her ear.

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Laura couldn’t answer at first; he was licking and nibbling on her earlobe, and the strange sensations were running through her again. “I… I feel very odd, like I’m about to explode, and I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. He kissed her on the lips and held her tightly before raising his head up to gaze down into her eyes. “It’s okay, it’s just passion. Just keep looking at me, no matter what I do, alright?” Laura nodded, but she began to breathe fast and shallow, anxiously wondering what would happen next. He reached down between her legs and then she felt his cock pressing gently against her. It was warm and wet and was surely too big – she felt him push, and the head squeezed in, stretching her. She stared up into the steel-gray eyes that were now nearly black, and wondered if her pupils had widened as much as his. His huge penis felt increasingly uncomfortable, and he stretched her even more as he slid in a bit further. “It’s not going to fit!” she exclaimed, feeling tears well up. “I’m not big enough for you.” Dalton just smiled and leaned down to kiss her, coaxing her tongue to dance with his. “Just relax, it will work,” he murmured against her lips. He lay down on his elbows and began to massage her breast, and Laura felt the warmth in her groin again. “Try to relax your muscles down there,” he said, and she tried to make all of her muscles go limp. Suddenly, he pushed hard into her, and she felt a stab of pain, which quickly faded as her body finally accepted him. They stared at each other, his expression triumphant, hers amazed, as her hands gripped his arms and her vagina throbbed uncomfortably. Neither of them moved until he bent to kiss her softly, and then teased the end of her nipple. Slowly, he began to move out a little bit, and back in. “Could you just stay still?” she asked, “It feels very strange.”

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He stopped and gazed down at her. “Does it hurt much?” “Just a little,” she admitted, wiggling her pelvis until he was nearly out of her. Dalton smiled and hugged her tighter while pushing himself back in. “This is the way it’s done,” he said, “trust me.” He moved again, and she watched his expression of sheer pleasure as he slid in and out. Laura suddenly felt overwhelmed by a sense of intense intimacy. Surely, no two persons had ever come together in this manner, in this incredible merging of their bodies, like Siamese twins. It felt wetter now, and the unfamiliar yearning was building back up inside her. He reached down to move her knees further out to the side, and up toward her chest. Then he pulled himself almost all of the way out, and plunged in fully as she gasped in surprise. Pressing against her, he moved slowly in a circular motion, and she moaned at the pleasurable sensation. He pulled out and thrust in again, pausing to rub against her. After several more times, Laura grew restless, not knowing what she needed, only that she had to have it soon. She wrapped her legs around his and ran her hands up and down his back. He increased the pace, thrusting fully into her over and over again. “You feel so incredibly good,” he whispered into her ear, and she put her arms around his neck. He plunged into her faster and faster, and all she could do was hold on tight, like when she was galloping Sonny for the first time, racing over the grassy range, fearful and yet exhilarated. Finally, his body tensed and he pushed hard against her, his cock growing even larger and then pulsating as a hot warmth spread through her. “Oh, God, Laura…” he moaned, hugging her so hard that she could barely breath, and burying his face into the pillow beside her head.

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“Dalton? Are you hurt?” Laura was suddenly afraid, hearing him moan, until he began to quietly chuckle. “No, baby, I’m not hurt,” he propped himself up again to look down at her, and she saw the love shining in his eyes. “Rachel didn’t tell you about that part, eh?” “What part? What happened?” “It’s hard to explain. When the fluid comes out, then your body… well, it kind of tingles all over, and you feel… you feel ecstatic; euphoric; oh, let me just show you.” She puzzled over his words as he began to circle his hips against her. He moved slowly in and out again, and she moved with him this time; he let her control the depth and pace. Laura felt the incredible tension rising up again, but this time she let it take over her mind and body, moving faster and faster, and rubbing against him until she felt her nerves begin to tingle. Suddenly her body exploded into a burst of pleasure, her muscles rapidly contracting, and his cock’s tip rubbing deep inside, as her mind was flooded with joy. She clung to him as the sensations slowly faded away, burying her face in his neck, and feeling his arms around her like iron bands. “How… why does that happen?” she whispered, still in awe over the experience. She didn’t want to open her eyes again; afraid that the magic spell would disappear. Surely it was magic; what else could explain the intense feelings she’d just experienced? Dalton rolled to his side, pulling her with him, and she snuggled into the pillow, incredibly happy. “It’s just God’s gift to a man and woman who love each other,” he replied, and she smiled to herself, hugging him close as sleep overtook her. Laura awoke several hours later, and was a little disoriented to find herself naked, with Dalton’s bare leg covering both of hers. Her face was buried in

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his neck, and his arm was across her hip; his hand rested lightly on her bottom. She remembered their amazing lovemaking, and smiled to herself. It had been an incredible birthday present, one that she’d never forget. Hearing the wind still blowing outside, she carefully moved out from under him and got up to look out, shivering from the cold. The snowdrifts had completely covered the front porch and were almost as high as the window. Hoping they’d be snowed in for days, she pulled a thick robe from her wardrobe and wrapped it around her. She looked down at Dalton, who appeared to be deeply asleep, his chest rising slowly up and down as he breathed. Quietly, she bent down and pulled the chamber pot from beneath the bed, taking it into the other room to use it. The fire had almost burned out, and she added several logs to it. Then, filling the kettle with water from the pitcher, she sat down to wait. Soon she was bathing by the fire, toasty warm and clean again. There was a slight ache between her legs, but it felt good, evidence that the experience had been real, and not just a wonderful dream. Wrapping her robe tightly around her, she set about fixing their supper. She felt very hungry now, and she pulled out the big smoked ham hock hanging in the cupboard. She sliced off a thick slice and returned it to its hook. Then she peeled a few potatoes and onions, and with iron tongs, she put a burning log into the stove under one metal plate. She put the cast iron frying pan on the iron plate and added some lard to fry the potatoes and onions in. By the time she’d chopped the ham slice into small pieces, the pan was very hot and she added the meat and stirred it all into a hash. Dalton came out from the bedroom fully dressed, and sniffed the air appreciatively. “Mmmmm. I’m glad you know how to cook,” he said, coming up behind her and hugging him to her.

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She could feel his penis against her buttocks, but it seemed smaller now. “And what would you have done if I didn’t?’ she asked, resisting the urge to inspect it. She spooned up the hash onto two plates. “Well, I would have cooked, of course.” He smiled, and she wondered at his willingness to perform women’s work while still contending that he was the dominant partner. She put both plates down on the table, and he sat down and immediately began to eat. “But yours tastes better,” he added. “Thank you.” She sat down across from him. “Aren’t we going to say grace?” Dalton’s spoon froze halfway to his mouth as he looked up at her. “Um… yes, I suppose that would be good,” he said, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it himself. At home, his father always gave thanks before every meal. His mother had done it when his father was away, but Dalton had never said a prayer aloud, except in church when the entire congregation prayed together. He reached over, took her hand in his, and said a quick blessing. Laura looked at him closely as he resumed eating. “Dalton, your ears are red!” she exclaimed. He chose to ignore her. She began to giggle as she took a small bite of the hash, and he gave her an annoyed glance. “I can’t believe you were embarrassed to say the blessing!” she said, swallowing hard. “I’ve never said it before. And I wasn’t embarrassed to say it, I was just… I was disappointed with myself for not having thought of it first.” Laura took a bigger bite. “Then why’re ya blushing, and shtuttering?” “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” was his only response, and Laura was suddenly transported to the family table nearly a year ago, when he’d tried

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to teach her better table manners. She felt the same urge now to be a brat. With a challenging grin, she took another big bite. “Why mot?” she said, laughing at his suddenly angry glare. “Don’t push me, Laura, it’s still your birthday, and you haven’t gotten your birthday spankings yet.” His tone was deadly calm, with full expectation of her obedience. Nevertheless, Laura was long out of practice at heeding his warnings, and the hilarity rose higher inside her. “Whush wrong wish talking wish your mouf full?!” She snorted in laughter, and suddenly her face turned red as she inhaled a bit of food that stuck in her windpipe. She spat onto her plate what was left in her mouth, and struggled to breath in, to no avail. Dalton jumped up and ran around the table, jerked her to her feet, put his arm around her waist, and hit her with the heel of his hand very hard between the shoulder blades. The air whooshed out and a bit of ham flew onto the table as Laura took in a wheezing breath of air. “Oh my God,” she gasped, breathing out and coughing. “I can’t believe… that just happened!” It took another minute for her to recover, and as soon as she appeared to be breathing normally, he whirled her around to face him. He was furious. “That’s what’s wrong with talking with your mouth full, besides the fact that it’s disgusting and impolite!” His voice was very loud, and Laura stood frozen in place, shocked by his emotional outburst. Where was his calm and rational tone? She’d never seen him so angry, and his eyes glinted like steel as he glared down at her. Then he took her elbow and pulled her toward the sofa. Her feet moved across the room behind him of their own accord, and her mind didn’t register what was happening until he sat down and pushed her over his lap. Laura felt a jolt of alarm as he jerked her robe up above her bottom, but she didn’t

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resist, couldn’t resist, knowing it would be useless. She started to cry even before the first slap landed. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! She tried to stay still as his hand burned fire across her buttocks, but Dalton held nothing back and it was quickly too much to bear. Laura cried out, “Please, Dalton! Please stop, it hurts too much!” and kicked her feet up, but he didn’t even slow down the pace. She knew that he’d never spanked her this hard before, and then she could no longer think about anything but the terrible pain. Her feet kicked wildly, and her fists pounded the arm of the sofa as he continued with full armed, punishing strokes. Finally, he stopped, resting his hand against her brightly reddened bottom for a moment before Laura scrambled up, sobbing in pain. She caught a glimpse of his sorrowful expression through her tears, and then he pulled her down into his arms. She slid to her knees on the hard wooden floor and buried her face into his shirt. He was breathing hard and fast, and she could feel his heart pounding beneath her cheek against his chest. Her bottom was on fire, the sharp pain lasting much longer than usual. “I’m sorry, Laura, I know that was a little harsh,” he said, his tone rough but regretful. “I didn’t control myself very well. I was so afraid when you almost choked to death just now.” “I was afraid, too,” she cried, “I was really afraid, so why did you have to spank me, too? The choking was bad enough!” Dalton’s arms tensed around her. “You have to learn to obey me. I’d told you stop talking with your mouth full, and you deliberately ignored me.” His now calm tone was reassuring, and a small twinge of guilt registered as she remembered her actions prior to the awful choking. However, the fact that he’d blistered her now throbbing bottom

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right afterwards made her more resentful than repentant. “Well…well, I didn’t know it could make me choke!” she sniffled. “Laura, please, we’ve been through this before. I don’t give you orders just to hear myself speak. I don’t enjoy bossing you around, I only do it when I have to.” This was a revelation, and she stopped crying. “You don’t like to tell me what to do?” “No, I don’t. I expect you to be an adult, and to control your own impulses. I expect you to have some common sense, but when you don’t, when you do something dangerous, then I expect you to listen to me.” “But I didn’t know it was dangerous!” “Laura, that’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you.” He patted her bottom and she winced. “That’s why you have to obey me when I tell you to do something, or not to do something.” “I thought you just didn’t want to hear me talk with food in my mouth.” “I know that’s what you thought,” he continued, and she heard the note of impatience in his tone, “but I expect you to obey no matter what you think at the time.” Laura understood what he was saying, but she still didn’t want to give in. “What if I’m just teasing you, and you don’t like it? Why should I have to stop then, if you told me to?” He took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back to face him. She stared apprehensively into his stern gray eyes as he replied, “Why would you want to tease me if I didn’t like it?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s just fun.” “You think it’s fun to upset me?” She dropped her eyes to his chest. “Sometimes,” she mumbled, already regretting her impulsive words.

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“Look at me.” She lifted her eyes to his intense gaze, wanting to jump up and run from the room. “If you think your bottom can handle the consequences, then you just go right ahead and do as you please.” Laura squared her shoulders and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Dalton,” she said, now wanting only to change the subject. “And thank you for saving me from choking. How did you know what to do?” Dalton pressed his lips together in a firm line as he thought for a moment. “Laura, we’re going to resolve this issue of you not wanting to obey me, even if I have to spank you with your hairbrush to get you to understand. I thought we’d settled this earlier, before we decided to get married!” Laura moved away a little. “I know… I’m… I’m just a little out of practice, Dalton.” “You’re a lot out of practice, but you’ll either be an expert soon, or you’ll be spending all of your time standing up! Probably in the corner! As a matter of fact, why don’t you just go over there now?” With that, he stood up and pointed to it, as Laura stared up at him in dismay. “But… but, Dalton, I don’t want to,” she objected, even as she stood and slowly stepped toward it. “Stand over there and think about why you need to obey me. And don’t forget to hold your robe up.” Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she hesitated, feeling so much like a small child and hating it. She glanced once more at his handsome face; he looked as miserable as she felt, and she suddenly knew that he didn’t enjoy doing this, he didn’t want to treat her as a child, he didn’t want to hurt her, he only wanted her to obey him when it was necessary. Laura wiped her eyes on her sleeve and told him, “I’ll go and stand over there, but I already know what I’m going to tell you.” She walked to

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the corner with her head high, pulled her robe up to her waist, and proudly displayed her reddened cheeks. The expected embarrassment didn’t come, and she shook her head until her hair fell softly down her back to brush the tops of her buttocks. She heard Dalton cleaning up the table and putting the frying pan back on the stove to warm. He went into the bedroom and then back to the table. Only a few minutes later, he came up behind her and took her hands in his, letting the robe fall back down. He turned her around into his arms and hugged her as she melted willingly against him. “I’m sorry, Dalton. I know I promised to obey you, and I will. I know I have to trust you to know what’s good for me. I’m going to try a lot harder, I promise.” He took her chin and lifted it up to gaze down at her. “Thank you, kitten. I know it’s hard for you, but we can’t both be the boss.” He smiled and kissed her softly, pressing his lips against hers, and she felt the now-familiar twinges of desire in her abdomen. Then he said into her ear, “If I weren’t bigger and older and smarter, then I’d let you be in control.” Laura stared up in surprise at his pleased expression, and she grinned, “You won’t always be smarter.” “Probably not,” he conceded, “but you’d better study hard, because I still learn new things every day.” He patted her bottom. “Let’s finish eating.” Laura went to the table and found that he’d put a pillow on her chair. She smiled as he brought the skillet to the table and ladled some of the warmed hash onto two clean plates. It smelled good, but the memory of it choking her made her stomach quiver. “I’m not hungry now; I’ll just watch you eat,” she said, wondering whether she’d ever be able to eat ham again. He sat down across from her and quickly cleaned his plate.

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“How did you know what to do when I was choking?” she asked. “Oh, it was Joshua’s theory. He told me that if I ever saw anyone choking, I should try to force air out of their lungs. He thought that a punch in the stomach would do it, but fortunately I didn’t have to try that.” “Well, we’ll have to send Joshua a note of thanks, huh?” “We’ll see him at church, if this storm ever blows over. He’ll be happy to hear that it worked.” Laura took their plates and got up to wash them. As she put them away, she spotted the deck of playing cards, and asked, “Will you teach me how to play poker?” Dalton coughed. “Poker!” “Yes. I want to learn how.” “Why would you want to play poker?” “Well, when we give parties, we could have a gaming room, and it would be in poor taste if the hostess didn’t know how to play the games.” Dalton shook his head and sighed, “Alright. Sit down.” He took the deck she held out to him, shuffled it with alacrity, and dealt them each five cards. “This is called Five Card Draw.” An hour later, Laura had learned the order of the hands, and was begging him to bet with her. “Please, Dalton? Let’s bet five dollars a hand.” “You don’t know enough to bet on it, and you’ll lose.” “No, I won’t, it’s an easy game. Bridge is much harder, and I’ve played it with my parents and their friends many times.” “Laura, we’re going to be married, and all of our money will go toward the same goals. What’s the point of betting?” “I just want to see if I’m any good at it.” “Then forget the money. We’ll bet one piece of clothing for each hand.”

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Laura gave him a curious look. “But I’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes, and all you have is what you’re wearing. I’ll surely beat you.” “No, silly,” he grinned at her. “You have to take off a piece of clothing every time you lose.” “Oh!” Laura blushed and stared down at herself. “But, I’m wearing only a robe!” Dalton waved her away. “Then go put on more clothes. I’ll wait.” Laura got up and hurried into the bedroom. She shut the door behind her, and opened her wardrobe. With a quiet giggle, she pulled on drawers and silk stockings, then cotton stockings, and then the split riding skirt. She covered it with a chemise, an underskirt, and three housedresses. By the time she was ready to go back to the kitchen, she could hardly move through the thick layers of clothing. She cracked the door open a little, and saw Dalton at the sideboard, drying the skillet he’d just washed. She could get used to him doing the dishes, she thought. She snuck out of the room and slipped quietly into her seat, just as he turned to see her.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN “Thank you for cleaning up,” said Laura, while trying to shuffle the cards. They flipped across the table in a scattered heap, and she quickly gathered them up. Dalton smiled indulgently at her and sat down to deal. When Laura lost the first hand, Dalton leaned back in his chair expectantly. Blushing, she clumsily stood up to pay her debt, and saw his eyes grow wide in surprise. “My, you’ve gained a lot a weight, and you didn’t even eat any supper!” he teased, as she struggled to remove the topmost dress. A little out of breath, she sat back down and looked at her hand. All she had was a jack high. “I’m going to fold,” she announced, and placed her cards face down on the table. “Oh, alright then, take another piece of clothing off.” “No, I folded, I’m not betting this hand!” she protested. “Laura, the bet was one piece per hand. It’s like an ante; you lose it whether you play the hand or not.” Glaring at him, Laura slowly stood up to wiggle out of the next dress. This one was rather tight in the chest, and it took a while. Red-faced, she sat back down as Dalton laughed and dealt the cards again. Laura stared at the three queens in her hand. “I can’t bet any more than one piece?” “No, we already agreed on one piece per hand.” They showed their hands, Dalton lost, and he took off one of his boots. Ten minutes later, Laura had removed everything except the underskirt that covered her split skirt, and her drawers. Embarrassed, she tried to keep her breasts covered with her arms as he dealt the next hand. She wondered what she would do if she lost again, which was the most probable outcome. Once her underskirt came down, he’d see the split skirt, and

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she could still hear him saying, “I don’t ever want to see that skirt again.” Why had she impetuously decided to put it on? Her heart raced as she drew two cards and ended up with nothing but a pair of threes. “I don’t want to play anymore,” she declared, and put her cards down. “No one could have this much bad luck in one night.” Dalton laughed. “It happens all the time. You have to know when to quit, and it can’t be right after you’ve lost a hand. You have to pay up first, and then you can quit.” “Well, this isn’t the St. Louis Saloon, so what difference does it make?” “Laura, if you’re going to learn to play a game, you have to learn to play it right. Now, take something off.” “No.” “No?” Dalton raised one eyebrow, and she pouted at him. “I can’t.” “Why not?” “I… I have to go relieve myself!” Laura jumped up and ran into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Quickly jerking up the underskirt, she tugged down the riding skirt just as Dalton opened the door, carrying the covered chamber pot she’d left by the fireplace. With a guilty look, Laura stepped out of the skirt and backed away, but Dalton broke out into loud laughter. Confused, she crossed her arms over her breasts and stared at him as he put the pot down and sat on the edge of the bed. “Oh, my,” he laughed, “So that’s what you were hiding under that skirt. I knew there was something you didn’t want me to see.” “Then… you’re not mad?” She took a small step toward him. “No, I’m not mad. I told you I didn’t want to see that skirt again, and you did your best to not let

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me see it!” He laughed even harder for a moment, and then finally caught his breath. “It’s just funny, that’s all,” he said, still grinning at her. Laura smiled and inched her way toward the bedroom door. “Well, I did take something off, so let’s finish the game now.” “You’re sure? You can quit now, you know.” “Yes, I know.” She went back into the kitchen and sat down, wincing a little as her barely-clad bottom touched the now-cold pillow. Dalton lost his other boot and both socks before Laura had to remove her drawers. All she had left was the underskirt, which she lost on the next hand. As Dalton grinned at her, she pulled her chair closer to the table, and pulled off the skirt without ever standing up. Dalton picked up the cards and stacked them into a neat pile. “So, what do we do now?” asked Laura, feeling both excited and embarrassed as she sat naked across from him. Perhaps they’d go to bed and make love again. “It’s time for your birthday spanking,” he replied, and her eyes widened in shock as he pushed his chair back and stood up. “But, Dalton, you’ve spanked me twice today already! I don’t deserve another one!” she pleaded, all thoughts of pleasure immediately dissolving. “It’s a birthday spanking, you don’t have to deserve it. It’s a celebration of your getting a year older.” Laura watched in dismay as he walked around the table to her. Again, she wanted to bolt from his presence, from his unalterable dominance, from his so casually stated threat. He stood behind her chair and let his hands roam over her breasts. She leaned back and felt twinges run across her abdomen, responding to him despite her trepidation. He wasn’t angry with her, so why would he punish her? Laura heard him say, “trust me,” as he had so many times before.

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He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Stand up, now, you’ve got eighteen big ones coming.” She slowly obeyed, turning to face him. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She felt her nipples rubbing against his shirt, and then his hands stroking her bottom cheeks. “Dalton, let’s just make love, now.” She kissed him harder. “Birthday spankings are silly.” She jumped as he slapped her right cheek. “They’re not silly, they’re a tradition.” He turned her around. “I can’t wait until you’re fifty,” he added, and she smiled to herself in spite of the situation. He gently pushed her face down over the table. “Here?” She struggled to get back up, but his hand pressed down on her back. “The table’s cold!” He slapped her left cheek, and she slowly lowered herself down, wincing as her breasts made contact with the cool wood surface. Dalton moved to her side. “I want you to count them,” he said, as the first one landed sharply against her still tender skin. “One.” Laura uttered the number grudgingly, and was awarded a harder slap. “Two,” she said, more respectfully. He rubbed her bottom before delivering the third. “Three.” She gripped the edge of the table with both hands and waited, beginning to realize that the slaps weren’t intended to cause real pain, only a mild stinging sensation. He massaged her thighs before landing another. “Four.” Dalton nudged her legs apart with his knee, and lightly stroked between them. With a moan of desire, Laura unthinkingly raised her bottom up. SMACK! “Oooh! Six,” she gasped, wiggling a little. “Uh, uh,” he said, “That was only five. Now we have to start all over again.” Laura stood straight up and turned to glare at him. “Why? That’s not fair!” He smiled placidly, and smacked her again.

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“We’re not starting over until you bend down again.” Laura rubbed her bottom ruefully and then reluctantly placed herself over the table again. SMACK! “One,” she said, and he rubbed the sting out for her. SMACK! “Two,” she sighed, and he ran his fingers lightly up and down the backs of her thighs. SMACK! “Three.” She felt his hand between her legs, and she moved them slightly apart. He rubbed her gently and she moaned again. SMACK! “Four.” Dalton massaged her cheeks with both hands, kneading the soreness out of them. SMACK! “Five.” He reached underneath her and rubbed her clitoris again, which was now magically hot and wet. SMACK! “Six,” she sighed, moving her hips back and forth a little. By the time they got to sixteen, Laura wiggled shamelessly against his hand. SMACK! “Seventeen,” she moaned, spreading her legs even further. A few moments later, he slapped her again. SMACK! “Seventeen,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. Dalton grinned down at her. SMACK! “Seventeen.” “You can stop counting now,” he said, his voice husky with desire. He continued to rub her gently, while unfastening his pants with one hand. Laura didn’t realize what he’d done until she felt his cock, thick and warm, pushing between her legs. Surprised but delighted, she didn’t move from her position. He slowly inched into her, still stimulating her in front, and she felt a painless stretching as her vagina accommodated him. Once fully seated, he leaned down over her back and kissed her neck. Then he began to move in and out, and she stood on tiptoe to give him better access. He moved his fingers faster over her rigid bud, and she gripped the table hard as a powerful wave of pleasure began to rush through her body. “Oh, God,” she moaned, pushing back against him, and he held still, deep inside, as her body shuddered its release. It seemed to last forever, and he kept his fingers pressed against her until she

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finally went limp across the table, breathing heavily. She slowly became aware of her surroundings, once again completely amazed by the experience. Dalton began to move again, his hands on her hips pulling her to him as he slid in and out. “Is this okay?” he asked, his voice low and seductive. “It feels good,” she whispered, and then, wanting to please him, she added, “could you do it harder?” He stood up and thrust himself forward, pulling back on her hips, and she gasped in surprise at the force of it. Over and over again, he plunged into her, the table moving slightly and groaning as if sharing the experience with them. Laura held onto its edge tightly, wondering if she could take it much longer; it was beginning to hurt. Finally, he drove into her and froze, and she felt the warm rush of fluid again as he pressed against her for a long moment. Laura stayed absolutely still until he leaned down against her back and hugged her shoulders. “Thank you, kitten,” he murmured into her hair, stroking her arms tenderly. “All I did was lie here,” she smiled, wiggling against him. “No, you didn’t. You moved back against me, and it felt wonderful. I’m afraid I might have been too rough, so I hope I didn’t hurt you.” Laura started laughing. She laughed so hard that she felt tears at her eyes, and her entire upper body shook against the table. “What?” Dalton stood up, and she weakly pushed herself up beside him. “What’s so amusing?” “You!” she laughed. “You spank me so hard that I cry from pain, and then you ask if you hurt me from making love!” She sat down on her pillowed chair, still laughing. Dalton stared at her for a moment, and then smiled.

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“Laura, there’s a big difference between spanking your bottom and hurting you inside. Your backside’s made for punishment. I would never want to hurt you anywhere but there.” Laura quieted and looked up at him. “Oh.” Dalton picked up a cotton cloth and dipped it into the warm water from the kettle. Pulling her to stand, he gently washed her privates, and then himself. “Let’s go to bed,” he suggested, and pulled his pants back up. Laura gathered up the clothes that she’d thrown over one chair, and hung them up in her wardrobe while he finished undressing. In the morning, Laura found herself held tightly to Dalton, his cock pressed against her buttocks. She turned over and kissed his chin, and then his cheek, and then his forehead as he began to wake up. Eyes shut and smiling, he gently stroked her breast. With a mischievous smile, she moved her hand down to touch his engorged flesh, thinking that it was even bigger than before. Dalton turned onto his back with a sigh of pleasure, and she pulled the covers down and sat up to look at him. It was bigger. Did it ever get small, as Rachel had told her? With unending curiosity, Laura stroked it while closely watching Dalton’s expression. She prodded, tickled, and otherwise experimented, and he seemed to like everything she did. Remembering him kissing her privates, she bent down and lightly kissed the tip of his. He opened his eyes in surprise and smiled down at her. “You look like an angel,” he said, “but I’m glad you’re not one,” he added, as she began to lick his cock all over, up and down its shaft, flicking her tongue back and forth on different spots to see his reaction. He moaned his encouragement, and she closed her mouth over its head, sucking gently. She gently squeezed his balls, watching his eyes close in pleasure. Suddenly, he sat up and pulled her to him, kissing her roughly as she giggled in mock protest.

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He wanted to push into her now, and ride her hard until they both came, but he didn’t think she’d be able to take that kind of play so soon after last night’s experiment on the table. Dalton pressed his face into her neck and smelled deeply of her lavender scent. He ran his fingers through her hair, and then sat back and teased her nipple with a swatch of it, watching it harden up instantly. Her dark nipples seemed swollen since yesterday, and he leaned down to suckle one, feeling a tightening in his groin. He must be the luckiest man alive, he thought to himself. He’d loved her before, but had never let himself even think that he’d ever have her. Now she was his, in every sense, and they’d never be separated again. He was still amazed at how much she’d changed, from the slight, thin, pretty girl, to this beautiful, voluptuous woman! She was blessed with a wild, passionate nature, and she didn’t seem to be afraid to try anything. He looked forward to showing her more ways for them to pleasure each other, although she was very good at experimenting on her own. His cock began to ache, and he laid her gently down on her back to get her ready for him, but when he reached down to stroke her, she was already hot and wet with desire. He played with her for a while, watching her moan and squirm from his attentions. Then, lying down on his back, he said, “Sit on me, kitten.” She gave him a confused look, but sat up and turned to sit on his stomach. “No,” he chuckled, “pretend I’m a horse, and you don’t have a sidesaddle.” He saw the twinkle in her eyes as she replied, “But Dalton, you know I’m not allowed to ride with my legs apart!” “Well then, I’ll spank you first, and then you can commit the crime.” Her eyes widened, and she cautiously backed away a little. Chuckling, he sat up, took her by the arms, and pulled her easily onto his lap, positioning her legs on either side of him. Then he leaned back against the pillows, put a hand

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on each of her hips, and lifted her up, poised above his penis. “Alright, let go now,” she commanded, casting down a superior look, “I understand what to do.” Dalton smiled and moved his hands to her thighs, feeling her muscles tighten as she positioned his cock at her entrance and slowly inched down. He sucked in his breath, feeling her warm velvety softness engulf him. She took an agonizingly long time to finally sit fully upon him, and then he eagerly grasped her buttocks, urging her to move up and down, but Laura was not to be denied her new position. She froze in place, and told him, “It’s my turn now, stop that.” He grinned up at her, enjoying the game, and lay back to take pleasure in whatever she had in mind. She soon surprised him, moving slowly up and down, and then faster and faster until he felt close to climaxing. Her incredibly strong thigh muscles bespoke the long hours she’d spent riding astride, and he suddenly regretted his decision to make her stop doing so. Stroking her breasts, he pulled her down to kiss him. She met his tongue with her own and slid it in and out of his mouth, in imitation of their lovemaking. Incredibly aroused, he squeezed her buttocks and drove into her as she held onto his shoulders, and then he erupted, feeling the rhythmic sensations rock his body with exquisite pleasure. Laura relaxed on top of him, and he whispered into her ear, “Move against me now, like we did before.” She pressed her pubis against his in a circular motion as he pushed back. Dalton kneaded her breasts and kissed her lips, and then as he gently pinched her nipples, she suddenly stopped moving, her entire body tensing as she shivered with pleasure. Dalton smiled when she finally went limp atop him, and he stroked her back until she recovered and rolled over to his side. They lay quietly for a while, both sated and happy.

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Dalton’s stomach rumbled, and he leaned up and smacked her bottom. “Get up, woman,” he growled playfully, “I’m hungry!” Laura looked up at him in surprise, but didn’t move, and he could see that she was sizing him up. Then she slowly smiled, a deep sultry smile that made his groin tingle. “I’ve got something you can eat right here,” she purred, but her eyebrows shot up in surprise when he leaned over to do it. “No!” she laughed, pushing at his shoulders, “I was just joking!” He put his hand there instead, and she crossed her legs and tried to turn over, giggling. He laughed as she struggled to get away, and then she finally managed to roll onto her stomach. He slapped her right cheek, and she scrambled up off the bed, picked up her robe, and ran out of the room. He lay thinking about the sight of her bouncing buttocks for quite a while. Laura put more logs onto the burning embers in the fireplace, and washed herself quickly by its warmth, wincing as she cleansed between her legs. It was sore, but she hoped it wouldn’t last long. She wanted to make love with Dalton as many times as possible before they had to leave the cabin and go back to the ranch house. She wondered at how incredibly pleasurable it was, and felt a surge of happiness that she’d decided not to stay single her whole life. Now, if only she could get him to stop spanking her, life would be perfect! She mixed up pancake batter and wished she had some eggs to go with it. There was a chicken house at the family ranch, and everything seemed to just appear like magic. She wondered for the first time who actually gathered the eggs for Mrs. Sanders at home. By the time she’d finished the pancakes, Dalton was coming out from the bedroom, wearing only a pair of pants as he stretched his arms high into the air. Laura gazed admiringly at his flexed biceps, still not quite believing that he was all hers now.

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“Mmmm, smells good!” He took plates and forks out of the cupboard and set them on the table. Laura placed the pan of hotcakes down, along with a jug of maple syrup, and they both sat down to eat. Dalton finished first, and got up to stare out the window. “It’s still snowing,” he said, but she’d already looked out at the three-foot-high drifts blocking the cabin door. “When it stops, we’ll have to head home.” “Yes, but how do we get out the door?” Dalton turned to stare at her in amazement. “You didn’t build in another door?” “No.” She looked up at him innocently. “Well, these windows are too small to climb out of; how did you expect to get out if you were snowed in, or if there was a fire?” Laura drummed her fingernails on the table, trying to look puzzled. “I don’t know,” she answered blithely. She watched as Dalton’s ears began to turn pink with anger. “There’s not much wood left, or water either! I can break a window and pull some snow in for water, but it’s going to get extremely cold in here!” “Well, we can just snuggle in the bed together,” she calmly suggested. She watched Dalton’s mouth gape open in astonishment for a moment, and then he clamped his jaw shut and gave her a discerning look. “You’re much too calm for our situation here,” he said, enunciating his words carefully. “Where’s the other door?” Laura merely smiled and sat back in her chair. “If you think I’m stupid enough to build a cabin with only one way out, then why should I tell you anything else?” Dalton glared at her and then began to visually inspect the walls of the room. He stalked into the bedroom, and she soon heard the scraping sound of the large wardrobe being moved away from the wall. She giggled when she heard his exclamation

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of triumph upon finding the back door, which was built two foot high from the floor in case of snowdrifts. He appeared at the bedroom door and stood there for a moment, apparently deciding on his course of action. “You lied to me,” he finally said, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “I fooled you!” she laughed. “It was funny! You should have seen your face when you thought we were trapped in here with no more firewood!” “Come here,” he said, crooking his finger at her, his tone low and dangerous, and she stopped laughing. Her eyes widened and she slowly stood up. “It was just a joke, Dalton,” she argued, keeping her tone respectful now. “A lie is a lie. Bring that wooden cutting board with you.” She swallowed hard and turned to look at it. It was very close in shape to Pa’s paddle, and just the thought of being spanked with it made her pulse race in fear. She looked from the board to Dalton and back again, but she knew she had to obey. She picked it up and slowly crossed the room to stand in front of him, her hand trembling as she held it out to him. Suddenly he threw his arms around her and began to laugh loudly as she stood stock still, confusion immobilizing her. “I fooled you, too,” he laughed, and tickled her side, making her squeal and struggle to get away. She tried to tickle him back, but he wrapped his arms around hers, pinning her in place. He kissed her lips, close-mouthed and hard, and she stopped struggling and melted against him. This was what she lived for now, the excited feelings that coursed through her whenever he touched her or even looked at her in a certain way. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, sitting her down in front of him, and pulling her robe apart to nuzzle at her breasts. Laura leaned back and ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp as

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he gently pushed her down onto her back. He kissed his way down to her soft, curly hair, and then grasped her buttocks as he plunged his tongue into her, making her squirm in pleasure. After a few minutes, he dropped his pants and crawled on top of her, kissing his way back up to her neck and then her lips. She felt his tongue enter her mouth at the same time that his cock squeezed its way inside her, and she moaned her delight. He took her fast and hard, and her still-sore buttocks rubbed against the quilt beneath her with every thrust. They came together this time, both staring into each other’s eyes until Laura’s closed from the overwhelming sensations. He lay atop her for a long time while she massaged his back and neck, reveling in the smooth but hard feel of his muscles. “I’ve got to go and check on the horses,” he said, and Laura sleepily turned onto her stomach as he got up from the bed. He looked at the faint bruising on her buttock cheeks, and hoped that she continued to be good for a while; he didn’t want to make it any worse than it was. Then he smiled wryly as he dressed; hoping that he wouldn’t have to punish Laura again was like hoping it would never rain or snow again. You didn’t really want it to happen, but it was an inevitable and necessary fact of life. Dalton put on his boots, cloak, and gloves, picked up his rifle, and climbed out the back door into the foot-high snow. At least it hadn’t drifted on this side of the cabin, he thought, and headed toward the trees that they’d left the horses underneath. The heavy snow had weighed down the branches, and both Trojan and Sonny were enclosed in a makeshift cave, as he’d expected. They nickered as he approached, and he patted them both down, finding that they were in good shape. Then his hand brushed across something on the side of Laura’s saddle, and he found that she’d left her rifle tied to it. Shaking his head in

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frustration, he unfastened it, emptied it, and carried it back to the cabin. It was a good thing that no rustlers or Indians had found the rifle before he had! He swept the snow from one end of the stack of firewood, and made several trips to the cabin with armloads of wood. Laura woke up as he dropped the first few logs onto the bedroom floor, and she sleepily got up, tying her robe together. She carried two logs into the living room and placed them into the fireplace, and then sat down to warm up. She had just filled the kettle with water to heat, when she heard Dalton call from the back door, “Laura, do you have any grain for the horses?” Not bothering to dry her hands, she quickly pulled out a sack from the lower cupboard to take to him. She bet that he’d thought she wouldn’t have any, but Pa had given her a list of essentials for the small cabin, which she’d followed to the letter. As she proudly handed it to Dalton, she saw her rifle lying on the stack of wood, uncocked and pointing toward the ceiling. “What’s my rifle doing in here?” she asked, and picked it up by the barrel before Dalton could say anything. “Ow! It’s cold!” She started to put it down, but her wet hand stuck fast to the frozen metal. She stared at it for a split-second, and then grasped it more firmly and held it up. “I think I’ll take this to the kitchen and clean it up,” she said as calmly as she could, and then shut the door without ever looking at Dalton’s incredulous stare. Hoping he hadn’t noticed what had happened, she hurried to try to pry her hand loose before he came back in. She felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment even though no one was there to witness her foolishness. Grabbing the stock with her left hand, she tried to pull her right hand from the barrel. It wouldn’t move. She took it across the room and crouched down near the fire, hoping that the hot, dry heat might dissolve the magical bond. However, it

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wasn’t long before she heard the back door open again, and she hurried to sit down at the table, holding onto the rifle at her side. Dalton stepped in, took his boots off, banged them against the outside wall of the cabin to get the snow off, and then shut the door. Surveying the mess of logs, wood chips, bark, and other debris around him, he sighed and shrugged off his cloak. He hoped that Laura had a broom here. Then he remembered the grain she’d brought him, and realized that she’d really done a great job of stocking the small cabin. Hopefully, she’d also extricated herself from the rifle barrel by now. He grinned to himself, walked into the kitchen, and hung up his cloak. Laura was sitting at the table, still holding her rifle. He sat down across from her. “Well, it’s still snowing. Looks like we can’t head back to the ranch yet.” “Well, I wasn’t in any hurry, were you?” “I’m just in a hurry to marry you, make you an honest woman, and get myself a change of clothes,” he said, and she laughed. “How long are you going to hold that rifle?” he added, and her face flushed pink from her ears to her nose. “I like holding my rifle. Don’t worry, it’s not loaded.” “I know. I took the bullets out when I found it still tied to your saddle.” They sat in silence for a moment, and then Dalton started the lecture. “Laura, I’m going to have to take that rifle away from you for a month. That means you won’t be able to use it, touch it, or even look at it. I can’t believe you just left it on your saddle where anyone could have stolen it, or used it against us. You have to learn that responsibility comes first in owning a firearm. Now, give it to me.” “No.” Dalton smiled patiently. “Give me the rifle.”

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“No. I can’t.” “Why not?” He grinned broadly as she glowered at him, and she placed the rifle down on the table between them. “You knew it was stuck,” she grumbled. He laughed and went to the pitcher to pour some water into a glass. He put a cloth under the rifle, and poured the cool water slowly over it, rubbing the edge of her skin until her hand was free. Laura inspected the pink skin carefully, and then rubbed her hand to warm it. “I was going to try that next,” she said, as Dalton hung the rifle over the front door and cleaned up the water from the table. He gave her a skeptical look, and asked, “What did you try first?” “Well, when I couldn’t pull it free, I held the rifle near the fire, hoping it would warm up.” Dalton shook his head and took her hand in his as he gazed intently into her eyes. “I’m so glad that you weren’t on your own out here.” Laura punched him in the arm and he laughed. “So, you’re really going to take my rifle away for a month?” she asked, a sad look on her face. “Yes.” “But I’ve just gotten good at shooting rocks off the fence posts! If I don’t practice, I’ll lose my skill.” “If you don’t learn how to be responsible with it, you might lose your life, or someone else’s!” he patiently replied. “I can be responsible with it, Dalton! I haven’t shot anyone yet, and I’ve been shooting for about six months now,” she argued, unable to face the thought of not being able to carry her rifle; it gave her a stronger sense of independence. “Yes, well, God watches over fools and babies…” “I’m not a fool or a baby!” Laura rudely interrupted, and once again, common sense fled as

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anger coursed through her. “And you can’t take my rifle away; it isn’t yours to take!” Dalton’s eyes sparked as he told her, “Laura, I can, and I will take it away. In just two days, you’ve dropped it loaded onto the ground, left it out unattended, and gotten your hand stuck to it.” “Well, I’ll just go out and buy a new one!” She stood up with her hands on her hips and glared down at him. Dalton stood up as well, slowly and deliberately, matching her angry expression with his own. “If I catch you with any rifle or handgun, I’ll paddle your backside so hard, you won’t sit down for a week!” “But that’s not fair, Dalton!” she yelled, “I have the right to…” her words trailed off as she saw him pick up the wooden cutting board from the sideboard. Her cheeks flushed guiltily as her childish outburst repeated itself in her mind, “That’s not fair! Not fair!” What was she doing? Instead of trusting him to know what was best for her, she was deliberately challenging him. “You’ve gone way too far,” he said, his voice tightly controlled. “I don’t know why you can’t accept that you’ve been too careless with that rifle, but it’s my job to protect you, even from yourself. Do you think I should just let you have the rifle and kill someone?” Laura just stared at the paddle in his hand, afraid to move. “Do you really think I’m not being fair?” “N-no, sir,” she stuttered, “I’m sorry! I was just angry, and I didn’t mean what I said, really I didn’t!” “We’ve been through this before, but apparently you’ve forgotten your agreement to obey me. Bend over the table, now, because this will be a lesson you won’t soon forget!” Even though Laura knew she was wrong, and deserved to be punished, the thought of the wooden board actually striking her bottom filled her with fear. She backed away from him. “Dalton, please,

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I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please don’t use that on me!” Dalton paused for a moment; paddle in hand, as he saw the anguish in Laura’s eyes. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to have to paddle her bottom red and hear her cries of pain. She wasn’t the child she’d been before, but why did she have to act like one? “Laura, believe me, I do not want to do this. But if I just let you talk to me with disrespect, yell at me, and defy me, then our marriage wouldn’t stand a chance. You’d become a nagging shrew and we’d both be miserable.” He tightened his grip on the paddle and pointed to the table. “And if you don’t learn to control your anger, then you won’t obey me in a life-or-death situation. I really have no choice.” Laura saw the determination in his grim expression, and she knew that further pleading would be useless. She slowly bent herself over the table, feeling tears burn her eyes. She squeezed them tightly shut, damning herself for being such a baby, as she felt him raise her robe to her waist. The memory of their lovemaking on this very table flashed through her mind just before the paddle struck. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Searing pain exploded into both cheeks at once. “Nooooo!” she cried, and tried to get up, but Dalton leaned down on her lower back, pinning her in place. “You’ve been rude,” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “And defiant,” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “And childish,” he said in a loud but calm tone. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “I’m sorry!” she wailed, gripping the edge of the table. “Please, Dalton!” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “And you shut the door on me!” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! “I’m sorry!” WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Her legs kicked up

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uselessly as he continued the paddling without stopping again to lecture. He spanked her thoroughly on her upper thighs, turning the skin a bright pink. Laura continued to struggle and cry, no longer able to form a coherent thought. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! He continued the punishment for another thirty whacks, until her skin was red and hot from the tops of her buttocks to mid-thigh, and her struggling grew weak. Finally, he dropped the paddle onto the table with a loud clatter, and pulled Laura up to hug her. She sobbed into his shirt for a long time as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, untangling the silky mass until it flowed smoothly down her back again. When she stopped crying, he guided her to the sofa and sat down, pulling her down to sit on his lap. She squirmed as her weight pressed on her tender skin, but he held her firmly in place, and she buried her face in his neck. “Does it still hurt much?” his tone was now gentle, all forgiven. Laura nodded her head and sniffed. “I want you to remember this. Every time you use a wooden cutting board, I want you to remember how it felt to be spanked with it. I want you to remember that it will happen every time you lose your temper and be rude to me, or defy me.” Laura felt tears well up again as he put his hand beneath her robe and gently stroked her burning skin. “I want you to remember this, so that I never have to do it again,” he said, and she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. She fell asleep soon afterward, and he picked her up and carried her to the bed, tucking her in gently. Dalton placed all the logs in a neat pile by the hearth and took the broom into the bedroom. As he was sweeping, he stopped to gaze at Laura from time to time, amazed at how beautiful her face was

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in repose, despite the recent tears and the pink flush still visible on her nose. A sunbeam appeared across the bed, a thin shaft of light that disclosed the bits of dust swirling about the room. Laura’s hair glowed golden brown in its ray. The sun. Dalton went to the window. It had stopped snowing and the clouds were thinning out. He sighed. He’d get everything ready to leave now, and then wake Laura up. He’d much rather have spent their last moments alone making love, but he thought she needed to sleep a little longer. His family would expect them to return at the earliest opportunity, so he’d better get moving. As he straightened up the kitchen area, he hung the wooden cutting board on the wall above the stove, hoping it would serve its purpose as a reminder to Laura. Of course, having to ride home on a sore bottom should also reinforce the lesson. He smiled to himself as he began to bank the fire.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Laura felt like crying. After an hour of riding, her thighs and cheeks were aching continuously from the pressure of the saddle beneath her. She was thankful that Dalton had let her wear her riding skirt instead of the crisp starched linen of a crinoline and dress, but it was little comfort. Standing up in the stirrups, she felt a momentary relief in her bottom, but she couldn’t do it for long before her legs began to ache from the jostling of the horse as it plowed through the deep snow. This was worse than the paddling had been, and they were only about two-thirds of the way home! She wanted to stop Dalton and tell him how miserable she was, but something inside her refused to allow such a show of weakness. She still felt like a baby for having been afraid to be paddled. It really hadn’t been as terrible as she’d feared, and he hadn’t hit her nearly as hard as he usually did with his hand. If not for the riding, she’d probably have little pain at all by now. Soon the ache became unbearable, and she impetuously pulled Sonny to a stop, slid off of him, pulled up her long coat, and sat down into the cold, soft snow with a sigh of relief. The wet chill seeped through her heavy skirt, cooling her skin with blessed numbness. Up ahead of her, Dalton didn’t notice for a few minutes that she wasn’t directly behind him any longer. Laura watched his hat disappear over the next sloping ridge of the range, and she lay back into the snow, closing her eyes against the bright sun as it warmed her face. She felt suddenly drowsy, and told herself to get back up before she fell asleep. She could catch up to him and he’d never know she’d stopped for a moment. Sonny’s nervous nicker then broke the silence. Laura squinted up at him, seeing him shifting restlessly beside her, and then she heard a low growl to her right. Adrenaline shot through her and

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she almost jumped up, but Dalton’s voice far off to her left sharply called, “Don’t move, Laura!” Heart pounding in fear, she stayed very still, trying to hear what would happen next. Sonny nickered again, and she turned her head very slowly to her right to see a lone gray wolf standing about fifty feet away. Its hair was tangled and scraggly, but its ribs were clearly visible along the lean sides. It was staring right at her, with yellow eyes and bared teeth. Laura wanted desperately to get up and run, but Dalton’s command still rang in her ears. Don’t move. The animal’s ears turned back and it growled again, never breaking eye contact. Don’t move, Laura reminded herself; her instincts were to run like hell, and it took every ounce of willpower to stay put. After an interminable silence, the wolf began to slink forward, and a shot rang out, sending it scrambling away toward a small group of trees. Immediately, Laura jumped up and climbed onto Sonny, kicking him hard toward Dalton, who still held his rifle up to his eye. Upon reaching him, she reigned in and leaned down to pat and soothe Sonny, who was blowing hard and looking wildly about. Her gentle tone and praises soon calmed him down. Laura sat back up to face Dalton’s grim expression. He now held the rifle waist-high, aimed at the trees. “Did you fall off?” he asked, not looking at her as his eyes scanned the blinding-white terrain for the wolf. “No,” she replied, unable to lie, as much as she wanted to. “My bottom was hurting so bad that I had to get down for a minute.” “And why didn’t you tell me you needed to stop?” “I… I didn’t…” she anxiously twisted the reins in her hands. “I didn’t want you to think I was weak…” “Weak? You were hurting badly and thought I’d think you weak to admit it?” His tone was

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incredulous. “If you’d just told me you were hurting that much, I’d have been happy to stop and comfort you. You never said a word, and I’d just thought that the saddle wasn’t bothering you.” He glanced at her once, and she caught a glimpse of pain in his eyes, and was that fear as well? His face became a mask again as he stared out toward the trees. “Do you have any idea of how I felt when I turned to see you had disappeared?” Laura swallowed hard, seeing his jaw flex as he continued to watch for the wolf. “No,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. “Do you have any idea of how I felt when I saw that wolf tracking you?” “No.” “Do you have any idea of how much danger you were just in?” “Yes.” Laura shivered, now feeling the cold wetness of her backside and the bitter wind against her face. She watched him lower the rifle a bit, as he put his hand out to her. “Give me your reins.” Laura wordlessly put them in his hand. “Get down and climb up over here.” She slid off Sonny and started to mount up behind him, but he put one arm around her waist and firmly pushed her down over the saddle in front of him, moving himself back until her hips were wedged between his groin and the saddle horn. Laura bit her lip and stayed silent as he tied Sonny’s reins to his saddle and turned Trojan toward the ranch. It was not a very comfortable position, with nowhere to brace her hands, but she didn’t dare complain, and she let her head and arms go limp, jostling with Trojan’s every step. They trudged down a hill and back up to the top of the next, where Dalton stopped and turned to look behind them for a few minutes. Finally, he sheathed the rifle in its leather holster by her arm, and rested his hand on her frozen bottom.

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Laura wondered if he would now spank her again, but to her surprise, he only squeezed her cheek gently. “None of this is really your fault,” he told her, “You didn’t know you’d be in danger, and you obeyed me when I yelled at you to not move.” His words were soft and regretful as he continued; “I should have warned you to stay close behind me when we left… I should have told you to let me know if you were hurting too much. I’m sorry, Laura.” Laura breathed a sigh of relief. She thought he’d let her up then, but without delay, he nudged Trojan into a walk again, and she resigned herself to the embarrassing position for the rest of the ride home. At least her bottom no longer ached. The next twenty minutes seemed like forever before Dalton finally pulled Trojan to a halt. She heard Jack’s voice calling out, and she pulled her head up to see where he was. Both Jack and Sam were riding toward them, and Dalton started moving again to meet them. Laura’s ears burned with mortification when Sam loudly called, “What’s wrong with Laura? Is she hurt?” Dalton calmly drawled, “Just her backside. I had to paddle her a while ago.” “Ooh!” Laura struggled to get up, anger and embarrassment coursing through her. “Did you have to tell them?” she hotly demanded, glaring up at him. Dalton smacked her bottom lightly with his hand, and she realized how precarious her position was. “Stay still,” he warned, smacking her again. Jack and Sam both laughed knowingly, and Laura busied herself with braiding her hair, which had been hanging straight down and brushing the top layer of snow. They all rode together now, and the three men laughed and joked with each other as Dalton regaled them with tales of her misdeeds over the past two days. Laura seethed silently as he told

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them about her choking, and getting her hand frozen to the rifle, and the ensuing paddlings. He painted a picture of Laura having been constantly bratty while they’d been stuck at the cabin, and his frequent need to admonish her. Laura became angrier by the minute, until she suddenly realized that he was throwing them off the trail, keeping them from even suspecting what else had happened. By the time they reached the warm barn by the house, she meekly accepted Dalton’s assistance to dismount, and calmly took Sonny to his stall to brush him down. “Do you mind if have the first bath?” she asked Dalton as they all headed up to the house, their horses happily munching warm oats in their stalls. “Of course not,” he replied, smiling down at her with a wink. “I was greatly impressed with that new bathroom. I heard it was your design.” Laura’s heart sang at his praise. “There’s copper pipes in the chimney by the tub, and the water heats up as it runs through them,” she explained. “I know, everyone showed it to me at Christmas, and I took several long soaks in there. It certainly beats hauling kettles of hot water. Thank you, Laura.” She glanced up at his proud expression, and admitted, “It really wasn’t my idea entirely; I read about it in a magazine.” “Nevertheless, you planned it, helped build it, and badgered everyone into completing it, I was told,” he grinned. They reached the porch then, and Dalton opened the front door for Laura to enter first. They received a warm welcoming from Mum and Pa, and then Laura went upstairs to get some clean clothes. Fifteen minutes later, she lay blissfully soaking in the huge warm tub, listening to the faint sounds of the family talking and laughing in the parlor. She assumed that Dalton was repeating his tales to Mum

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and Pa, but the thought no longer embarrassed her. She hoped he would tell them of their engagement as well. She couldn’t wait to get married! She wondered how long they would have to wait, since Pa hadn’t had the preacher waiting as Dalton had jokingly predicted. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to sleep alone for very many nights; she’d loved the feel of his big, warm body pressed to hers. Laura felt the stirrings of desire deep in her groin, and she hurriedly washed her hair and got out of the tub to dry off. There wasn’t any point in daydreaming over something she couldn’t yet have. Dressing quickly, she brushed out her hair and then wiped out the now-drained tub. Dalton would surely want a bath next; she filled the tub with fresh, hot water, and laid out a large drying cloth for him. Stepping out of the steamy room into the fresh, cool air of the hallway by the kitchen, she smiled at Mrs. Sanders. The old woman was happily stirring something in a pot on the stove, while breaking eggs into a bowl with her other hand. Laura would really miss that hard-working, lovable woman when she and Dalton left for their own home. She ran into Dalton further down the hall, and he hugged her closely to him. “Feeling better?” he asked. “Yes, much,” she whispered into his chest. “Promise me you’ll tell me if you ever hurt like that again.” “I promise.” She smiled to herself. “I didn’t want anyone to think about what might have happened while we were gone.” His voice was very quiet; there was no one near, but that could change at any second. “That’s why I told everyone about your misdeeds.” “I know.” “I’m sorry I embarrassed you, but I thought it was better than them thinking anything worse,” he explained again. “It’s alright, Dalton.”

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He rubbed her back gently for a moment before stepping back to look down at her. “Forgive me?” He looked and sounded so much like a sorry little boy, that she giggled as she replied, “Of course.” He beamed at her before hugging her again. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “I love you, too,” she squeezed him tightly in happiness. Mrs. Sanders had spared nothing for their reunion dinner that night. There were roasted ducks, thick slabs of beef, and several savory vegetable dishes covering the table as the family sat down to eat. Laura ate her fill while carefully avoiding talking with her mouth full. Whenever she met Dalton’s eyes across the table from her, a silly smile would play at his lips, and she’d look away before she blushed from the memories of their lovemaking, still fresh and vibrant in her mind. Her bottom still hurt a little whenever she shifted on her chair, but she held no bad feelings about it. She’d committed the crimes, he’d provided the discipline, and it was her own fault for making it worse by riding so long without telling him of her suffering. As Laura looked around the table at everyone, she felt like the luckiest woman alive, surrounded by those who loved her, and the one man whom she loved most. When everyone finally finished eating, Laura got up to help Mrs. Sanders clear the table, but Mum stopped her. “Laura, we’re going to pretend that today’s your birthday, since you weren’t here for the real day,” she told her. “We didn’t even get a chance to tell you, Happy Birthday!” Mum’s eyes filled with tears, and Laura hugged her before sitting back down. “Thank you, Mum,” she said. “I’m so happy to have everyone home again!” Jack and Dalton quickly cleared the table, and then Mrs. Sanders brought in a beautiful birthday cake with eighteen lit candles on top. “Here y’are,

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dear, I had to make another one, ‘cause the first one wouldna lasted this long, but I guess ye’re worth it!” she teased Laura, who stood up to hug and thank her. Everyone sang Happy Birthday, and then she blew out all the candles, silently wishing for her and Dalton to get married soon, and to live happily ever after. After eating the cake, they all moved to the salon, where Laura’s birthday presents still awaited her. She eagerly opened them one by one, exclaiming over each gift and exuberantly thanking the giver. Jack gave her a new biology book. Sam gave her a rifle holster for her saddle, and Dalton didn’t miss the opportunity to remind her that she couldn’t use it for another month. Laura blushed, as everyone in the room seemed to know what he was talking about. Mum and Pa gave her a beautiful diamond pendant necklace with matching earrings. Laura put them on and stood before the gilt-framed mirror on one wall, admiring their clear brilliance. Then Dalton handed her a large, heavy, blue velvet box. Inside it was a marble chess set and board. She hugged him in thanks, and then told everyone again how much she appreciated their gifts. “Wait, there’s one more!” exclaimed Sam, and Laura looked toward him expectantly. “You didn’t get your birthday spanking yet!” He collapsed into laughter as Laura glared at him in mock anger. “That’s quite alright,” she said. “I think I’ve had enough of that to last me until my next birthday!” Everyone laughed, and then she turned to see Dalton holding out a much smaller blue velvet box. “Actually, there is one more present,” he said, and Laura’s heart raced as he carefully put it in her hand. The room became suddenly quiet as all eyes watched for her reaction to the last gift. Laura slowly lifted the lid to see a solid silver ring with a perfect, blue sapphire surrounded by tiny white diamond chips. She gasped, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

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and started to pluck it from the box, but Dalton’s hand covered hers as he gently took it back. He took the ring out and knelt before her. She couldn’t see him very clearly through the sudden tears that welled up in her eyes, but she heard him say, “Will you marry me, Laura?” She felt a little faint as she blinked around at her family members to see their smiling faces. Looking down at Dalton’s handsome face and strong, wide shoulders, she nodded her head. He stood up and gave her a hug that nearly squeezed the breath out of her. “Good,” he said, “Because I don’t want to ever kneel like that again!” Laura hit his chest and laughed, and then he caught her hand and pushed the ring gently onto her finger. It fit perfectly, and she started to show it to everyone, when she realized that they’d already seen it. Pa opened up a bottle of champagne to celebrate, and they toasted to Dalton and Laura’s future happiness. They sat up for another hour, talking and laughing, until Laura drained her third glass of champagne and began to giggle nonstop at everything anyone said. Dalton got up from his seat on the sofa beside her. “Laura,” he held out his hand to her, “I think you’ve had enough for one night.” Laura’s lower lip protruded as she looked up at him in dismay. “But, Dalton, it’s our engagement night, and I’m having fun! I won’t drink any more, I promise. Let’s play some music and dance a little!” “Well, a little exercise would be good for you,” he capitulated, “so dancing it is, and then straight to bed!” Laura grinned and stood up to take his hand. Pa got his fiddle out, and Jack sat down at the piano. They played several lively tunes as Mum and Sam, and Laura and Dalton danced together. All too soon, it was over, though, and Jack rose from his

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seat and hugged Laura goodnight, congratulating both her and Dalton. Sam told them goodnight, and went up to bed, as did Mum and Pa. Laura and Dalton stood together, alone in the salon, and he drew her into a deep kiss that made her want to pull him upstairs to her bed. She whispered as much into his ear, and he playfully slapped her bottom, telling her she was being very naughty. “You’ll have to wait until after the ceremony,” he admonished, grinning down at her. She smiled up at him and they kissed again before Dalton firmly guided her up the stairs to her room. Laura lay awake for another hour, unable to sleep from the excitement of her engagement. She rolled her ring around on her finger, vowing to never remove it as long as she lived. It sparkled in the cool light of the full moon that shone in through her window. Restless, she got out of her warm bed and put on slippers and a robe. The hallway was dark, but still light enough to see. She tiptoed down to the kitchen to get a glass of tea, but discovered the rest of the bottle of champagne sitting on the sideboard. She remembered promising Dalton she wouldn’t drink any more, but that had been hours ago, and it would certainly help to put her to sleep! Giggling to herself, she picked it up and drank it down, savoring its still-bubbly flavor. Then she went to the salon to stare out at the beautiful moonlit snow through the large window. Finally feeling a little drowsy, she padded quietly up the stairs to go back to bed. She paused at Dalton’s bedroom door. The house was quiet, and no one had awoken when she went to the kitchen. She tried the knob; it was open. Pushing the door open a little, she slipped into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. She waited for a moment; listening to Dalton’s deep, steady breathing. Approaching his bed, she took her slippers off, shrugged out of the robe and nightgown, and slid under the covers next to

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Dalton. As soon as she pressed herself against his incredibly warm back, however, she quickly found herself pinned beneath him. “Laura!” he exclaimed, staring down at her in surprise. “Shhhh!” she giggled up at him. “I thought you might be lonely.” She wiggled her hands, waiting for him to release her wrists. “I was sound asleep, as you should be right now!” His angry whisper sent heat coursing to her cheeks, and he sat up, pulling her up with him. “Where are your nightclothes?” Laura glared back at him, unable to understand why he wasn’t hugely pleased with her appearance. “Right here, next to the bed,” she whispered. “Put them back on immediately!” He released her wrists, and Laura started to get up, disappointment flooding her mind, but then she realized that she had an advantage here. “Why?” she whispered. “Just do it, and we’ll discuss this downstairs.” “No. I want to lay down for a while,” she asserted, and curled up on his pillow. What could he do? Spank her? Not likely, when the whole house would hear it. She could dimly see him glaring down at her, but he didn’t move for some time. She giggled again and snuggled up against his legs. Dalton was furious. After all the trouble he’d gone through to ensure that no one suspected Laura’s loss of innocence, here she was, risking her reputation by sneaking into his room in the middle of the night. He leaned down on one elbow, and smelled the light, fruity fragrance of the champagne. It was obvious that she’d recently helped herself to more of it. He pondered on what to do about the situation. Making love would be wonderful, but he refused to risk the possible consequences of someone hearing them. What he really needed to do was to take her over his knee,

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but that was impossible now, and he knew that she knew it, even in her inebriated state. He felt her shiver from the coldness of the room; he’d banked his fire hours before. He tried reasoning with her. “Laura,” he whispered, “if you get dressed and go back to your room right now, I won’t punish you later for this.” “No, I want to stay here,” she giggled, amused by his current impotence. Even in the dim lighting, she saw his eyes narrow, and he hissed, “This was a very foolish thing to do! You’ll be very sorry tomorrow when you’re over my knee getting spanked!” Laura just smiled up at him and shook her head, unable to foresee future consequences in her present state of mind. “On second thought, I think I’ll take a switch to you!” Laura giggled. Dalton sighed and whispered, “Well, then, you’ve sealed your own fate.” With that, he pulled the pillow out from under her, and stripped off the quilts and sheets from the bed, Laura passively watching him. When he pulled out the sheet from underneath her, she laughed and held on to one end, but he was easily able to pull it from her hands. Then he wrapped everything around himself and lay down on the floor in front of the fireplace. It wasn’t long before Laura was shivering miserably in the cold air, feeling sorry for herself, and wondering why Dalton was rejecting her. She got up and put her nightgown, robe, and slippers back on. She thought about lying back down on the bed, but realized that it was pointless, and silently crept back to her own room. As her body warmed back up, she finally began to feel sleepy, and didn’t awaken again until late the next morning, when she heard the knocking on her bedroom door. “Laura! Answer me, sweetheart,” she heard Dalton’s voice calling.

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“I’m here,” she sleepily replied, and smiled, holding her hand out to see her beautiful new ring again. “Mother’s been waiting for you to get up and go to town with her.” Laura sat up, stretched, and yawned. “Alright, I’ll be down soon.” She got up and began to get ready, selecting a blue velvet visiting dress to go over her corset and bustle. It seemed that Dalton was partial to blue, and as her memories of visiting his bedroom slowly came to mind, she thought it wise to be as pleasing as possible in his eyes. She couldn’t believe that she’d done such a foolish thing. If she’d been in her right mind at the time, she’d never have risked her reputation in such a manner. Surely, he’d understand that it wasn’t her fault! Her bottom and thighs had nearly recovered from the last lesson he’d taught her, but she suddenly realized that she’d committed the same crime as then. She’d defied him, she’d disobeyed him, and he’d surely get father’s paddle out for this! Laura sighed unhappily at the thought, picturing herself over his knees yet again. It suddenly occurred to her that she felt no fear of the inevitable event. She wasn’t afraid anymore; she was only disappointed in herself for earning it. It would hurt, most certainly, but pain was pain, and it would soon go away. How did Dalton feel right now, knowing she’d been so disrespectful to the man who loved her, who protected her, and who wanted only what was best for her? Did he look forward to punishing her? No, he’d said he didn’t like to do it. Did he feel rejected, or mistreated? Surely he knew how much she loved him. Laura finished brushing out her hair, and then laid the brush back down on her dresser, remembering how it had felt on her backside in this very room, right there on the bed, so long ago. Would he use it on her again? Whatever he did, she knew she deserved it, and she

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took a deep breath and opened her bedroom door to go downstairs. It was almost noon, and Mrs. Sanders was setting the table for dinner. Laura offered to help, and was just completing the task when Dalton walked into the dining room. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she placed the last glass onto the table. Dalton’s hand covered her own, and then he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “What’s the matter, kitten?” He gazed down into her anxious expression, and she looked up to see the concern in his eyes. She wanted to be alone with him to talk, but dinner would be soon arriving. She threw her arms around his neck and whispered, “I’m very sorry about last night!” “Ah… so you remember?” He hugged her tightly. “Yes, sir,” she mumbled, hoping against hope that he’d feel sorry for her. “It was such a foolish thing to do!” “Yes, it was. And I thought about it when I woke up this morning, on the floor, mind you. I had to remake my bed so Mrs. Sanders wouldn’t wonder about it.” Laura felt her heart begin to race; perhaps he was even angrier than she’d thought. “Dalton, I’m really sorry, I’d never have disobeyed you if I hadn’t been so silly from the champagne!” Laura kept her voice very quiet; she could now hear the rest of the family talking and laughing in the salon as they gathered before dinner. “Yes, I know that, but we’ve had this discussion about your drinking before, and you promised me you’d never do it again, remember?” Laura thought she had the perfect answer. “Yes, but you let me have three glasses right in front of you!”

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Dalton sighed and hugged her tightly. “What about the fourth one? After the first three, I told you you’d had enough, and you promised not to drink any more.” Laura felt a shiver run down her back. How could he have known she’d drunk the last of the bottle later on? She wanted to deny it; he certainly couldn’t have seen her do it! Her pulse sped up, and her mouth was suddenly dry as she contemplated lying to him. “Laura?” He gently stroked her back as he waited. She licked her lips. All she had to do was deny it and he’d have to believe her, and she wouldn’t get spanked. He gently pushed her away to look down at her. She looked up to meet his intense gaze, and all the guilt rushed out as she confessed, “I… I couldn’t sleep, and when I went to the kitchen, the bottle was there, and I drank it, hoping it would put me to sleep.” “And were you so inebriated then, that you didn’t remember you’d promised not to drink any more?” “N-no,” she sealed her fate. “Then you did disobey me, and not because you didn’t know any better.” Laura felt tears welling up, and she hastily pulled out her handkerchief. “Yes,” she whispered, blotting at her eyes. “But I only drank it so I could go to sleep. I didn’t plan the rest of it.” “I know that. I know that you can’t handle yourself when you’re drinking. That’s why I don’t want you to do it. That’s why I’d stopped you earlier, when you’d had too much already.” Laura hung her head as his calm reasoning sent shame coursing through her. He was only trying to protect her from herself. He was only doing what was best for her. “Laura, I’m going to have to punish you for disobeying again; you know that, don’t you?”

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She merely nodded in acceptance. “But I’m not going to do it today.” She looked up at him in wonder. He’d always done it at the first opportunity; why wasn’t he going to do it now? “I’m going to do it on our wedding night.” Laura stared at him, shock and anger hitting her like a sudden blast of Artic wind. “What!” She stepped back, forgetting to be quiet as she loudly exclaimed, “Why would you want to ruin our wedding night?” “Shh.” Dalton’s ears turned pink. “It’s not going to ruin it, it’s going to seal our vows to each other.” “You mean you want to see if I’ll obey you?” Laura felt betrayed. “Is this a test? Are you testing me to see if I really want to marry you?” “No, of course not! I just…” Laura interrupted him. “You want me to dread what’s going to happen, while I should be happily planning our wedding?” Mum walked into the room, and stood still for a moment in embarrassment as Laura’s words sunk in. However, Laura’s outrage knew no bounds at this point, and she turned to her and bitterly announced, “I disobeyed your son, and he told me he was going to wait for our wedding night to paddle me!” With that, she stalked out of the room, down the hall, and up the stairs, brushing past Jack and Sam without even seeing them. She slammed her bedroom door and locked it. In tears now, she pulled at the ring on her finger; it wouldn’t budge. She was so mad that she wanted to scream out curse words, but instead she threw herself on her bed and pounded on the pillows, kicking and thrashing about in anger. Dalton debated on whether to follow Laura or not, as his mother sat down at the table, not looking at him. Jack and Sam walked in just as they all heard Laura’s door slam shut. Then the

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loud pounding began. Addressing no one in particular, Dalton stated, “There’s only one good remedy for a temper tantrum.” He took a ring of keys from the top drawer of the sideboard and left the room. No one said a word as Mrs. Sanders began to bring the food in. Laura wasn’t satisfied with just hitting the pillows, and she got up and began to kick the box springs beneath her mattress, aware that everyone in the house could hear it, but not caring. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! The door suddenly opened, and she turned to stare in surprise. She knew she’d locked it; yet there was Dalton, shutting it behind him as he threw a ring of keys onto the bed. Laura’s anger faded as the unthinkable became an imminent reality, and she ran to the other side of the bed. Dalton approached her, grim-faced and determined. Stalking her into the corner, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the bed. “No!” she yelled, pulling back, but Dalton had her over his knee, on the bed, quick as a flash, and was pulling up her considerable volume of skirts as she struggled uselessly against him. “NO!” shouted Laura as he scrutinized her backside for any bruises. “LET ME GO!” Dalton saw only a very faint mark on one cheek, and he carefully avoided it as he began to spank her barehanded. “STOP IT! AAAGHHHH! I’M RIGHT AND YOU’RE WRONG!” screamed Laura. Wanting only to get her to calm down, Dalton didn’t hit her very hard, yet still she struggled like a wildcat. “STOP IT!” she yelled, “IT’S NOT FAIR!” “I don’t care if you think this is fair or not!” he told her, spanking her steadily as he spoke. “You’re behaving like a two-year-old, and by God, if you want to throw a temper tantrum, this is what you’ll get every time!” His words shocked her into silence, and she relaxed as he continued the

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punishment. He wasn’t hurting her much, and she lay quietly accepting until he stopped again, resting his hand lightly against her skin. “I wanted to wait for several reasons! One, I didn’t want to have to spank you again so soon after yesterday’s punishment! Two, I didn’t want you to have to ride to town today on a sore bottom! Three, I wanted you to have time to think about why you should never drink again! Four, I intend for us to get married tomorrow morning after church, so it wasn’t going to be a very long time for you to wait anyway! Five, it’s not going to ruin our wedding night; it’s going to make it better! And Six, it’s a family tradition!” Laura barely had time for his startling declarations to register, before he began to spank her again, slowly and thoroughly. “This is for losing your temper and abusing the furniture,” he told her firmly. Laura felt each and every smack, but it was no more than she could bear. No tears came, although she wanted to cry. It just felt right to be spanked like a child for acting like a child. By the time he pulled her up into his arms, she couldn’t remember one single reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea to be paddled on one’s wedding night. He rocked her gently in his arms, her buttocks aching mildly against his thighs. “I’m sorry,” she told him, meaning it. “Laura, if you don’t want me to spank you tomorrow, then I won’t do it, no matter how much trouble you get into between now and then,” he said, his voice now calm and reassuring. “I love you, and I certainly don’t want to ruin our wedding night for you.” Laura snuggled up closer, feeling the strength of his arms around her. “I love you, too, Dalton! I’m sorry I thought you wanted to test me, I just lost my temper, and couldn’t think straight,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “But I really don’t want to get spanked tomorrow, and I promise I’ll be good until then!”

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Dalton chuckled, a deep sound that she both heard and felt as his chest vibrated slightly. “I don’t think you can keep that promise, but my gift to you is that no matter what you do until tomorrow, I won’t punish you for it.” Laura held out her hand, and the blue sapphire sparkled against it. “Then you’ve given me two gifts, and I haven’t given you anything, yet!” “Yes you did. You gave me your love, and my happiness.” She dried the rest of her tears and smiled up into his clear gray eyes. “Let’s go eat, and then we’re going to town.” Laura stood up and straightened her skirts, while Dalton retrieved her hairbrush and gently brushed the tangles from her hair. She washed her face as he waited for her at the bedroom door. “Laura,” he said, “I do expect you to apologize to Mother.” “Of course, I will,” she gave him a look of annoyance. “I’m ashamed of the way I acted in front of her, and I’ll tell her so.” “Good.” He took her arm and escorted her down to the dining room. Once down the stairs, though, Laura felt her cheeks grow warm in embarrassment as she remembered what she’d said to Mum. The family was just finishing their meal as Laura and Dalton stepped into the dining room. Dalton held out Laura’s chair, and she sat down carefully, glancing at Sam, who was trying to hide a smirk behind his glass of tea. Annoyed, Laura considered getting even with him, but first she turned her attention to Mum. “Mum, I’m sorry for what I said a while ago,” she apologized, staring into her hands in her lap. “I… it wasn’t very nice of me.” Mum leaned over and put her hand on Laura’s shoulder. “I know you didn’t mean it, Laura, and I accept your apology. Now, eat some dinner so we can go and pick out your dress.”

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Laura glanced up into Mum’s kind expression, and felt a surge of happiness again. She certainly didn’t deserve to be a part of this wonderful family, and she never wanted to be mean to any of them again. Except maybe Sam, she thought as she heard him chuckle next to her. He certainly seemed to enjoy it whenever she was in trouble. She’d grown to respect him while Dalton had been gone, but now he seemed to have reverted to his former position in the family. Laura sighed and picked up her fork to eat. She glanced at Dalton, who was smiling across the table at her. Putting her foot out under the table, she rubbed it against his leg, feeling a bit of a thrill at the expression that came over his face. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow night, when they’d finally be able to make love again. Dalton had said he wouldn’t spank her no matter what she did. The impact of those words finally registered in Laura’s mind. She had free reign, over the next 36 hours, to do whatever she pleased, and he wouldn’t be able to retaliate. No matter what you do, I won’t punish you for it. Laura began to think hard, knowing she should be good just because she loved him, yet irresistibly drawn to the ideas springing into her head. It would be her last bit of freedom, after all. They all bundled up after dinner and got into the sleigh for the ride to town. Laura snuggled up next to Dalton, Mum next to Pa, and Jack drove the horse. Sam stayed home, not interested in the flurry of activity that would ensue, once the announcement had been made in town. No one had asked Dalton why he was in such a hurry to marry Laura, but Sam suspected the worst, although he didn’t necessarily disapprove. In fact, it made Dalton seem a little less perfect, and a little more human to him. Sam chuckled to himself.

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The town was busy that afternoon, since many people had taken the opportunity to get out of their houses and into the sunshine. Laura and Mum went to the dressmaker’s while the men went to announce the event. Mrs. Miller eagerly brought out a beautiful white creation of silk and lace that she’d been working on in her spare time, certain that someone would want it someday. She told them she could have it ready to fit Laura in only two hours. Laura thought the dress was perfect, and stood patiently while Mrs. Miller tucked and pinned it to her. For the first time since Dalton had said they’d be married in the morning, Laura pictured the event in her mind. There would be no flowers, no photographic images, no gifts, and no bridesmaids. It would be nothing like the spectacular event she’d imagined in her childhood. No, she told herself, pushing the thoughts away. You’ve made your bed and you’ll lie in it. For the first time, she truly understood the cliché. She and Dalton had made a mistake, but she must be willing to accept the consequences. She wondered if Dalton had any regrets. Remembering his beaming expression as he’d strode off with his father and brother just a short while ago, she doubted it. She felt an acute pang of inequity – he was a man and didn’t care about all the frivolities of a fancy wedding, while she was the only one pining to have it all. They were both guilty of the same sin, but she was the only one who would be suffering for it. Mrs. Miller finally finished her poking and prodding, and Laura breathed a sigh of relief. The woman bustled happily into the back room with the dress, eager to finish it. The door of the shop opened suddenly, and Dalton strode in with the cold rush of air. He stepped up to Laura, his eyes twinkling, and kissed

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her fully on the mouth. Instantly, Laura’s bad feelings dissolved as she smiled up at his handsome face. His happiness was her happiness, and all she really wanted was to be able to love him, body and soul, for the rest of her life. Dalton helped her put her coat back on, and they all walked over to the café for hot tea and coffee. Several acquaintances stopped to congratulate them as they sat at a table in front of the huge fireplace. Pa told them that they’d talked to the preacher, who was more than happy to serve on the morrow, after church services. An hour later, the men headed for the saloon to spread the news, while Laura and Mum arranged to have a large buffet catered from the café for the reception following the wedding. Then they went to the bakery to order a cake. It wasn’t long before the dress was completed, and they returned home through the white, sunlit fields and pastures. Curled up next to Dalton in the sleigh, Laura listened idly to Pa and Dalton’s conversation. “Jack and I’ll be back in time for dinner,” she heard Dalton say. “Where are you going?” she asked, smiling up at him. “Some of our friends want to have a bachelor party for me, at the saloon,” he grinned down at her. Laura’s smile faded. “Oh.” She stared out across the snowy fields and wondered what that would entail. How many scantily clad women would be offering Dalton their services? Just how experienced was he, anyway? Was this like a last-minute affair? Would his friends ply him with liquor until he was senseless? Would he then ravish every woman available? Jealousy burned within her as she remembered how alcohol affected her. Dalton squeezed her shoulder, and Laura once again told herself to stop thinking like that. Dalton loved her. He wouldn’t cheat on her.

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Surely he wouldn’t drink himself stupid, as she was wont to do. Jack pulled the sleigh up to the front porch, and Dalton helped Laura out. She immediately ran upstairs to her room, needing to think things through. Her labile emotions soon overrode common sense, however, and it wasn’t long before she was pulling on a green suede split riding skirt and planning her last day of freedom. If Dalton could go out and have fun, then so could she! A knock on her door preceded Dalton’s voice, “Laura, we’re leaving now. I’ll see you at dinner.” “Alright,” she called cheerily, “have fun!” “I’ll try,” he answered wryly. Laura waited at the window until she saw Jack and Dalton ride out, and then she noticed Sam working with the colts in the corral. With a sly smile, she went down to the kitchen to fetch a few items, and then quickly poured molasses and rice all over the bottom sheet of Sam’s bed. Next, she went to Dalton’s room and collected her rifle and some bullets. Finally, she put on her coat, hat, and gloves, and hurried out through the kitchen and down to the barn to saddle Sonny. He was eager to get out and exercise, and she galloped through the melting snow toward her favorite place to practice shooting. She knew that this would be the last time that she’d ever be alone on the range, just her and Sonny and her rifle. She slowed down then and tried to memorize the feeling of independence, soon to be lost. Instead, she found herself worrying over what Dalton was doing at that moment. He was, in fact, heading back home already. His friends had meant well, and had done a good job of trying to set him up for a wild time of it. However, after one drink, and three women trying to lure him upstairs with them, he’d thanked his friends, apologized, and left. He had no interest in the women; all he could think about was Laura, her fresh innocence, youthful beauty, and loving smile

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burning steadily in his heart. Jack hurried to catch up with him, and they trotted home in silence. As Dalton dismounted and led Trojan through the barn, he noticed Sonny’s empty stall. Looking out into the corral, he saw only Sam and the colts. “Where’s Sonny?” he called to Sam. “Laura rode out on him about an hour ago.” “By herself?” Sam shrugged and patted one of the colts on its rump. “I guess so.” “Well, why didn’t you stop her?” With a glare of annoyance, Sam replied, “I thought at the time, that she was going with you two. She left soon after you did. I’m not her keeper.” “Which way did she go?” Anger and apprehension warred in Dalton’s mind, as he struggled against the urge to knock Sam down a peg or two. Sam merely pointed, and Dalton turned away, mounting Trojan and cantering off across the range. He must find Laura and get her safely home. He would deal with both her and Sam later. A moment later, however, he realized that he could do neither. He’d promised Laura he wouldn’t punish her, and Sam had outgrown his need for discipline. He only hoped that Laura’s foolishness hadn’t cost her more than his anger, and he kicked Trojan gently to run faster. It wasn’t long before he heard the sound of a rifle shooting, and he followed it to a narrow canyon, where he discovered its source. Laura had taken her rifle from his room, and was practicing shooting at tin cans. By herself. In a split skirt. His fears allayed, he sat and watched for a moment, impressed by her skill. Then the disappointment hit him. She’d purposefully disobeyed him the moment his back was turned, knowing he couldn’t retaliate. She cared not one whit for his wishes. Would he ever be able to trust her? It hurt, he realized, that she would so heedlessly disregard his orders, and

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risk her own safety. He understood anger, and knew how to deal with it, usually by taking a calculated revenge. Physical pain he could also bear. However, this pain was like nothing he’d ever experienced before, and it weighed heavily in his heart. He had no cure, no recourse, no balm to sooth its jagged edge. Laura aimed at the fourth can and shot it from the rock ledge. Zing! Another perfect shot, she thought to herself in satisfaction. She glanced up at the sky; it would be dark soon, and she needed to head home. One more time, she told herself, and hurried to set up the cans and reload again. What was Dalton doing now? Was he in the arms of some experienced whore? Was he kissing her in drunken ardor? Angrily, Laura shot each can down with perfect aim, and then slipped her rifle into its new holster before swinging up onto Sonny. Turning him around, she paled in shock when she saw Dalton sitting quietly on Trojan, not fifty feet away. He wasn’t with anyone else; he was right here with her! An initial surge of happiness was quickly replaced with apprehension. She hadn’t expected to be caught red-handed. She’d actually thought to return home long before he did. Sonny walked toward Dalton of his own accord, and Laura sat woodenly, returning Dalton’s carefully composed expression. She suspected that he was very angry with her, but he didn’t lecture her, he didn’t yell at her, he simply turned Trojan toward the ranch and said, “We’d better hurry home before it’s too dark to see.” Laura rode past him and then broke into a gallop, traversing the three miles home in record time. She dismounted, unsaddled Sonny, and began to briskly rub him down. Dalton soon arrived and did the same for Trojan. They worked in silence, and then Laura waited at the barn door for Dalton to finish. She wanted nothing more than a hug from him, but as he walked stiffly toward her,

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she realized that he must still be angry with her. “Dalton,” she said as he made to leave the barn, “I… I’m sorry.” He stopped and looked down at her, his steelgray eyes like ice. “Laura, you said you’d try to be good.” “I know, but then I got to thinking that it would be the only opportunity that I’d ever have to ride alone again, and I…’ However, he interrupted her, his tone as cold as his eyes. “Laura, you purposefully set out to disobey me, knowing that I wouldn’t break my promise. And you not only rode out alone, you took your rifle from my room, you used it after I said you couldn’t, and you wore that split skirt, knowing how much I dislike it. I’m more disappointed than angry at you, and I need time to think about it.” Laura stared up at him as tears welled up in her eyes. “But Dalton, you said you wouldn’t get mad, that you…” “No, I said I wouldn’t punish you. And I won’t. It would be best if we didn’t talk until tomorrow; maybe I’ll feel differently then. Now go back and get your rifle.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode toward the house. Laura’s cheeks burned with shame as she stood watching him go. She finally turned and went back to get her rifle, still in its holster on her saddle. She made it almost back to the barn door before she burst into tears and threw herself down into the straw, sobbing her heart out. What a huge mistake she’d made! How could she explain it all to Dalton, when she’d have to confess her mistrust of him to do it? She didn’t deserve to marry him, or even to be a part of his family. Maybe she should leave and go back to St. Louis, drown herself in work with the orphanage, and forget she’d ever known such a wonderful man. “Laura?” Sam’s voice filtered through to her burning ears. His big hand rested on her shoulder,

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and he sat down next to her in the straw. “Tell me what’s wrong, little sis,” he coaxed, and it wasn’t long before she told him everything that had happened that day. “I don’t know what to do! I told him I’d be good, and then I threw his trust right back at him! He won’t talk to me, and he probably won’t even marry me, now!” she wailed. “Laura,” he reasoned, “He loves you. He’ll forgive you when he’s ready.” Laura didn’t believe him, though, and continued to cry as he patted her shoulder sympathetically. Dalton had never treated her like this before; he’d been loving, angry, amused, kind, or stern, but never indifferent. She felt more alone then she ever had in her life, even with Sam’s concerned presence. The urge to run away to St. Louis was strong, but she knew it wouldn’t solve anything. She would have to face Dalton and tell him the truth, whenever he was ready to talk. Finally, she stopped crying and sat up, wiping her face with her gloved hand. “It’s awfully cold out here, Laura. You need to go in and warm up,” said Sam. “I don’t want to go in yet, Sam,” she stared miserably out the barn door. “Your lips are blue, and you’re shivering.” “I don’t care.” “Laura, go to the house now, or I’ll spank you.” Laura glanced once at his stern expression, and got to her feet, brushing the straw off her skirt. She reluctantly trudged through the snow, back up to the house. Entering through the back door and kicking off her boots, she ran up to her room. The family was just beginning to sit down to supper, and she dreaded the thought of joining them. Was it only a few hours ago, that she’d been thinking how wonderful everything was? How could she have destroyed all that so quickly? Remembering the cold look in Dalton’s eyes, she wondered if he even still loved her. She changed her clothes to a simple

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day dress, and then held a cool cloth to her face until the redness had faded. “Laura!” she heard Mum’s voice call up the stairs, and she knew they were all waiting for her, expecting a joyous bride-to-be. She couldn’t disappoint them all, and she brushed her hair and resolutely went down to the dining room. Everyone greeted her cheerily as she took her seat. Dalton didn’t look directly at her, although he did participate in the general discussion with short answers. Laura tried to play her part, but it was difficult. Dalton was the first to leave for the salon, where Laura found him smoking a cigar at the mantle, a glass of brandy in his other hand. He glanced at her, but didn’t speak, and she sat down at the piano, hoping that music would melt his dour mood. She played several upbeat tunes, and the rest of the family soon came into the salon to listen. Laura stopped playing after a while, and got up from the bench. She gave Dalton one last longing look, and then excused herself to go to bed. It wasn’t long before she heard a tap at her door, and her heart leapt as she hurried to open it. However, it wasn’t Dalton, it was Mum, and Laura let her in, trying to hide her disappointment. “Laura, I just wanted to make sure that you know what to expect on your wedding night.” Laura groaned inside; her head was aching, and she truly didn’t want to have to pretend innocence in the matter. “Thank you, Mum, but Rachel’s told me just about everything, I think.” Mum looked much relieved at that, and Laura gave her a small smile. “Well, then, dear, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong between you and Dalton?” The question didn’t really surprise Laura; it must have been obvious that something was wrong. However, Mum’s look of concern was her undoing, and she burst into tears, fumbling for her handkerchief while Mum patted her shoulder. She

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told Mum all about Dalton’s promise to not punish her, and her earlier misdeeds, while Mum listened quietly. “Laura, you can’t take his authority away, even if he agrees to it, as you’ve found out now.” “I know, Mum, I just don’t know how to make things right again.” “He’ll get over it in time.” “But we’re supposed to be married in the morning, and he won’t even talk to me!” “Release him from his promise, then.” “Do you think he’d forgive me, just because he punished me? It won’t change what I did.” “No, but it’ll bring you closer together, and then he’ll talk to you.” “Perhaps…” “Laura, many years ago, John and I had a big fight the night before our wedding. I had sold my engagement ring, to buy us a bit of land. I wanted to give him something for our wedding. John was furious. All throughout the wedding, he looked at me like he’d rather wring my neck than marry me. Finally, in the reception line, I told him that if he didn’t straighten up soon, then there’d be no wedding night. Well, he sat down right there, pulled me over his knee, and walloped the daylights out of my poor backside. The guests all grew silent, and all you could hear was my wailing, loud and clear. Then he pulled me up to hug me, and told me I was forgiven, and we had a wonderful wedding night, even though I had a hard time sitting down.” Laura stared at her, speechless. “That’s just been the way of things between John and I, and I’m afraid I used to get into a lot of trouble for several years after we were married. John would take me over his knee right in front of the children, and I suppose that’s where Dalton gets his ideas. He was brought up this way, and I can’t say that it’s a bad thing, either. John and I have never gone to bed angry with each other, and I

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never did die from a spanking, even though there were times that I thought I surely would!” “But… but surely he never paddled you!” “Oh, yes, I was paddled, and even switched a few times over the years. But I learned and grew more mature, and John never did anything that I didn’t deserve. He’s a fine man, and he loved me and treated me with respect, as I did him.” “But Mum, you didn’t want Dalton to spank me last year!” “I know, Laura, I was afraid you’d leave us, because you’d only just arrived here. I hadn’t been spanked in so long, I’d forgotten how loved and protected you feel afterward, but John set me straight that night.” Laura remembered having laughed at the thought of Pa spanking Mum, but now she didn’t think it strange at all. She stood up and straightened her skirt. “Mum, would you please tell Dalton that I’d like to see him?” Mum smiled and stood up to hug her. “It’ll be alright soon, Laura, he loves you, and he knows you’ve a good heart.” Laura smiled and followed Mum to the door. “Thank you, Mum. I love you.” As soon as Mum started down the stairs, Laura hurried to her and Pa’s room and got the paddle. She hid it under a pillow, and stood by her bed to wait for Dalton to come up. She hoped he’d arrive before she lost her nerve. “Laura?” she heard his voice in the hallway, and her pulse began to race. “I’m in here, Dalton,” she replied. He appeared at her bedroom door. “Laura, I really don’t feel like talking yet,” he said, still giving her that faraway look. “Do… do you hate me now?” she asked, afraid to hear his answer.

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“Of course not! I love you!” Laura felt much relieved at the emotion in his tone. “But I’m very disappointed in you, and I just need time to think.” That was all that Laura needed to hear, though, and she hastily walked over to him, and shut and locked the door behind him. He let her pull him by the arm over to the bed, and sat down. “What are you up to?” he asked her warily, a look of mild amusement crossing his face. “Just trying to make things right again,” she told him, and then she quickly pulled up her dress and slip, and laid herself over his lap. Bringing the paddle out from under the pillow, she held it up to him. “I deserve to be paddled, and I think I finally understand what this is all about,” she told him. “Laura, I’m not going to paddle you,” he said, ignoring the offered instrument. “Well, I certainly don’t want to be paddled, but I’m thinking that this is the only way you’re going to talk to me again,” she replied, wiggling her bottom and holding the paddle up higher. “Do I have to make you angrier? Isn’t what I did earlier, enough?” She thought she’d used just the right amount of impertinence, but he took the paddle and laid it back down on the bed, and then pulled her up to sit next to him. “I’m not going to break my promise,” he said, and Laura blushed in embarrassment. It hadn’t worked; she’d put herself in the most humiliating position she could think of, and all for nothing. Her ears burned with shame as she pleaded, “Dalton, please let me tell you why I disobeyed you.” “Because you could,” he answered for her. “Yes, but there’s more to it than that!” “Alright then. Go ahead and talk.” Laura told him then, tears running down her cheeks as she admitted what she’d thought he’d be doing at his party. She didn’t dare look at him

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while she talked, and could only guess what his reaction would be. “So,” she concluded tearily, “I not only disobeyed you, but I didn’t trust you, and I’m really an evil, revengeful person, and I don’t deserve to marry you, and I don’t blame you if you never want to talk to me again…” Dalton pulled her up into his lap. “Shh, now, that’s enough,” he told her firmly, and handed her a handkerchief. “You’re not evil, and I won’t allow you to talk about yourself that way. Yes, I’m disappointed in you, but I’m very proud of you for offering yourself up for punishment, knowing how much you hate that paddle. And, I don’t think it was me you mistrusted; it was the alcohol. You were afraid I’d get drunk and lose control like you do. Well, I did do that once, many years ago, and now I never drink more than two drinks in an evening. And, you were right about the women, they did try to get to me, but I could only think of you, and so I left after only one drink.” Laura’s heart lifted in joy at his words. “I forgive you, just because I love you, and I know how much you love me.” Laura threw her arms about his neck, and he grinned down at her, hugging her back. “There’s one more thing…” he said. “Oh, yes, Dalton, anything,” she replied. “I want you to release me from my promise, now.” “You mean, from now on, you’ll punish me if I do something wrong?” “Yes, but only if you agree to it.” He gazed at her intently. “It was pretty darn foolish of me to make it.” Laura smiled up at him. “Alright,” she agreed. “I release you.” “Thank you,” he said, and kissed her lips softly. Laura pushed him backward onto the bed, and

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kissed him hard on the mouth, as he chuckled beneath her. “I love you, Dalton,” she whispered. “I love you, too,” he whispered back, and then he smacked her once on her bottom. “Bedtime, now,” he told her, “we’ve got a long day tomorrow.” Laura hugged him and then reluctantly rolled to her side. “I’ll be back in five minutes to tuck you in.” Laura giggled as he shut the door behind him, whistling down the hall to his own room. She hurried to change into her nightgown and wash her face and hands, and then she opened her door and climbed into bed. How could she have been so silly as to think he would never forgive her? Dalton soon returned, and sat on the edge of the bed to lean over and kiss her goodnight. He playfully tucked the covers in all around her, and she smiled up at him, filled with happiness. “Goodnight, Dalton,” she whispered, and then he was gone. Laura lay awake for quite a while, her headache gone, dreaming of her wedding and the beautiful dress now hanging in her wardrobe. She’d almost drifted to sleep, when a blood-curdling yell broke the silence. Laura sat straight up in fright. “Daaaalton!” she heard Sam’s voice yell in anger, and she suddenly remembered what she’d done to Sam’s bed. Her heart pounded in her ears as she strained to hear what would happen next. Heavy footsteps went down the hall to Sam’s room, and then right back up the hall. Her door burst open, and Dalton strode into her room, hauled her up from the bed, pushed her over his knee, and pulled up her nightgown. He proceeded to spank her bare bottom with hard, rapid slaps as she struggled to get away. “What makes you think I did it?” yelled Laura, frantically trying to cover her burning backside with her hands.

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Dalton stopped. “Didn’t you?” “Y-yes…” she had to admit, and the punishment continued until she was limp and crying into her bed quilt. Dalton pulled her up to face him. “Now get yourself in there and make Sam’s bed up again, with clean sheets,” he told her firmly. Laura slowly stood up, wiping her face on her sleeve, and, still crying, stumbled down the hall to get the fresh linens. She took them to Sam’s room and tearfully made his bed while he watched, arms crossed across his chest, giving her suggestions here and there to get it perfect. “You’re just going to lay on it and mess it up,” she complained, sniffing back the rest of her tears. “I know,” was his only reply. Laura finished the chore and returned to her room to find Dalton still sitting on her bed. She stood before him, feeling like a very small child. “Tomorrow morning, you’ll wash those sheets out. I don’t want Mrs. Sanders to have to do it.” “Yes, sir,” she mumbled, staring at the carpet. “Come here,” he said, and she melted into his arms, the world suddenly right again as he held her close and gently stroked her back.

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