by Olivia Fox
“Tell you what, not one more word from the asshat gallery unless you wanna join my one-armed man club.” I fired a shot an inch in front of his left foot, causing him to jump and yelp. “And don’t let me hear you disrespecting the lady again, or I won’t miss next time.”
Mia stood in the pool, frozen, her elbows pressed into her sides, making her body as small as possible, and her eyes were shut tight.
“Time to put your clothes on, sugar.” I addressed her softly. “You don’t wanna greet the sheriff in that outfit. Hurry up, get dressed, and meet me back at the tree house.”
The Duck Dynasty lookalike was a foot shorter and scrawnier than me, making it easy to drag him up the hill. Luckily, I had a satellite phone and the sheriff was on speed dial. Out in the boonies like this, any problems fell under his jurisdiction. He and his deputies were a fan of my shop since I let them use the shooting range for free whenever they needed it. He let me know he would get there as quickly as he could.
As soon as the douche nozzle was hauled off, Mia and I would get to the bottom of what brought him here in the first place.
Enough of her hiding the past from me. I couldn’t help her if I didn’t know what she was running from. Time for her to tell me what happened during the fateful incident.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jasper saved my life.
In spite of every precaution I had taken in order to protect myself, it didn’t keep my past from coming back to haunt me.
If such were the case, then what the hell was I hiding from?
It took the sound of a dragonfly’s wings buzzing past my ear to make me realize I was hugging myself hard with my hands jammed into my armpits. The ooze of creek bed mud and decomposed leaves squished under my toes as I approached the shore. I could smell the sun-warmed bank as I moved toward the patch of light on the waterside and pulled a tart salmon berry off the vine that hung down over my folded clothes.
“Fuck it, I’m done being afraid.” I shoved my legs into my jeans after toweling off and quickly zipped them up.
Fully dressed and warm, I let my thighs carry me up the meandering stone path in spite of the fact it felt like my legs were incapable of walking. A yellow warbler, my favorite native bird, chirped her cheerful song at me, and I could feel an unfamiliar floating sensation throughout my body, as if the persistent stain of my troubles had been doused with psychological Spray n’ Wash.
I didn’t have to be in this alone. Jasper had shown me lightness was possible even after my darkest hours.
There was the murmur of masculine voices as I approached the tree house, relaxed and friendly in tone, a sign Randy Pudney must be successfully detained in the sheriff’s vehicle.
“Mia.” Sheriff Radcliffe nodded at me respectfully.
“How are you, sunshine?” Jasper wrinkled his brow and held out his arm to me, which I fell into gratefully, inhaling deeply in an effort to calm myself down. He wasn’t angry at me. He forgave me.
He was my daddy and loved me unconditionally, battle scars and all.
My chin trembled, and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and it wasn’t from being cold. This Pudney was the last of the rednecks associated with the shoot-out. He hadn’t been there when I fired on three men in self-defense, but he was the only surviving brother. It had to be over now.
Sheriff Radcliffe looked at me intensely while saying, “Randy Pudney is on parole, and my deputies just let me know they found a huge haul of meth, along with $5,000 in cash, in the trunk of the car he parked at the top of the ridge. He’s not going to be showing his face around here, or anywhere, for a real long time.“
Hearing the sheriff speak was surreal. I had collaborated with him on plenty of operations, and now here he was responding to a disturbance at my place. It took me back to the time before I had become such a wreck.
I vaguely heard Jasper ask, “How on earth did he find his way here?“
The sheriff’s posture was akin to a Douglas fir trunk standing upright on the ground. He kept his chin high, shoulders back, and chest out in a restrained way that was both reassuring and self-possessed. “Said he followed Mia here after she left the hospital parking lot a few days ago. Must’ve staked out the entrance to her property and waited to return and catch her by surprise.“
“Surprising her was the only way Pudney stood a chance against Mia. She’s perfectly capable of protecting herself, trust me.” Jasper exchanged a knowing look with me.
“Who you telling? I worked with her plenty when she was still on the force, and a finer officer you couldn’t find. It was a shame what happened to her, but anyone would be affected by what she went through.”
Great. Enough was enough. I didn’t want to be discussed like a small child, as if I couldn’t hear what they were saying about me. “Well, Sheriff, looks like I owe you one.“ I curled my arms around my middle and scuffed the rusty spruce needle carpet beneath my feet. Please don’t let him look on me with pity. I couldn’t stand to see such a thing from a former colleague.
“Mia, since you’re venturing into town once in a while, we should get together and share a meal, or we could come out here if you prefer it. I know Tricia would love to see you.”
Tricia was the sheriff’s wife, and at one time, we had been friendly, before I dropped off the face of the earth and stopped returning all calls. “Sounds good. It would be nice to hang out again,” I surprised myself by saying.
It was odd. I ought to be setback a thousand miles having just encountered the redneck who wanted to kill me and gain vengeance for his family, but I actually felt fine.
“You okay? You need to talk to somebody?“ the sheriff inquired.
“Believe it or not, I’m actually feeling pretty good. I guess seeing the last of the Pudneys get hauled off represents closure on the whole affair.” I put my hand over my heart and felt my pulse quicken when I looked at Jasper who leaned closer to me. I rested my head on his chest and said, “I’ll be okay, I promise.“
The sheriff opened the driver’s side door and climbed inside the rig embellished with a gold-starred badge. “All right, I’m going to hold you to it.”
We said our goodbyes, and the sheriff took off, leaving Jasper and me to work things out, and leaving me to finally tell him about the night my life took a turn for the worse.
“One scotch. To settle your nerves. You’ve earned it.”
I gazed appreciatively at his brawny arm as he poured a generous splash of the amber liquid over ice.
“Now, let’s go get comfortable so you can talk to me about what we’ve been avoiding for too long.” He strode toward the couch, sat down, and patted the cushioned seat next to him. “Tell me, little girl, what’s haunting you? Why exactly did you run away from Daddy?”
I kicked off my shoes and drew the cream-colored, knitted throw with huge pom-pom balls around me. Clasping the glass of scotch to my chest, I fixed my eyes on the bouquet of roses and snapdragons set on the mantle and sucked in a long breath. “It happened over two years ago now. I was off duty, headed home from work in my patrol car when I noticed the vehicle in front of me was swerving. I hit my lights, and they pulled over to the side of the road seemingly without incident.”
In the retelling, I could hear the gravel crunch under my feet as I approached the driver’s side of the car, and the cow manure used to fertilize the crop fields earlier in the day permeated my nostrils. There were three of them in the vehicle, and their appearance was as brutal as the tattoo on the forearm connected to the hand gripping the steering wheel, which said, “Let’s Play Rough.”
The thump of my heart became sluggish, and the rest of what transpired played out in slow motion in my mind.
“It should have been a simple DUI. Later the coroner’s blood work revealed the driver and passengers had extremely high blood alcohol levels, along with traces of methamphetamine, which I detected due to the odd twitching and jerky movements of the passengers.” I rubbed my forehead with a shaky hand and took another gulp o
f scotch.
“Go on, Mia, I’m right here.” Jasper’s voice was softer than usual, as if I were a wild creature who might bolt at any moment. “It’s okay.”
My voice cracked, and I found it difficult to swallow as I conveyed the next part of the story. “Instead of pulling paperwork out of the glove box, the passenger whipped out a pocket pistol and fired at me. The bullet grazed my shoulder above my heart, and it’s probably thanks to the fact he was so intoxicated he missed it from such short range. I pulled my weapon and fired, intending only to disarm him, only….”
Jasper’s eyes were narrowed, and his voice lowered when he asked, “Only what, Mia?”
My eyes leaked liquid, and I stared at the glass of scotch on my lap. “Oh… oh… only… when I retreated from the vehicle in an attempt to call backup, the other men got out of the car.” I put my drink on the side table; my hands were shaking so badly I risked spilling it. I was aware I was weeping merely because my tears had started to drip over my lips. “They had weapons, and suddenly a ringing filled the air. I had to fire; I had no choice. So many times I’ve wondered if I made the wrong move, used unnecessary force. But they were set on killing me. They would have too.” I shifted on the cushion and caught the comforting scent of lime beside me.
Jasper grabbed my hand in his, and I wondered if he would hate me now that he knew I was a killer.
“No wonder you retreated to this sanctuary of safety, little girl. I’m so sorry you had to go through such a horrible ordeal. My poor baby.”
The smell of wood smoke was of little comfort when I said, “Sure, it was a tough experience for me. For them, it was the end of life. I did that. One of my stray bullets hit the back passenger in the head, and his life was over along with the two men who came at me firing. It’s why everyone looks at me differently now, and I don’t blame them. I would do the same if I were in their shoes.”
Jasper stared at the throw rug in front of us for a good long while, rubbed his right palm against his chest. “You know, I used to worry about what people would think of me when I first lost my arm. I worried over all kinds of things, like whether anyone could possibly be attracted to me.” He turned toward me and locked his stare with mine. “The further away I got from my accident, the less I cared about such things, and now since I’ve met you,” he clutched my hand, “I’ve stopped having those concerns altogether.”
He paused and petted my hair. “You heal me, Mia. Let me help restore you too.” He opened his arms toward me and pulled me to him.
As I lay with my cheek against his chest and his strong arms around me, I realized rescuing me from the last of the Pudneys wasn’t the only way Jasper had saved my life. His love made me believe I was worthy again. His love made me feel like I belonged.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was clear what Mia needed. Bath time. It had been a long day, and she needed her daddy to take care of her. There was no way I was going back to town to leave her alone after what she’d been through today, and lucky for her, she agreed. I dumped three generous squirts of bubble bath into the steaming water, and the room filled with the scent of honeysuckle.
Mia was striking in her white terrycloth robe, which I had wrapped her in to keep her warm. She sat on the vanity stool while I prepared her bath. Her hair was brushed up loosely into a ponytail, the baby fine wisps at the back of her neck and at her temple added to her youthful appearance. Yummy.
“There are negative consequences to being isolated and independent, you know?” Mia said while spinning to and fro on the rotating stool, her small feet adorably capped in her peep-toed, fluffy slippers, which she informed me were “unicorn color.” The tint looked like rainbow sherbet to me.
“Oh yeah, like what?” I asked.
“I never had someone prepare my bath like this before.”
I chuckled and splashed a tiny bit at her from the top of the water. “Anything for my princess.”
“Seriously though, Daddy”—when she called me the slightly forbidden term of affection, it made a direct hit to my dick—“I want to thank you for making it safe to come out of my shell.”
Mia disrobed after lighting a candle and climbed in the tub. I was glad I remained clothed; otherwise, my cock would try to take center stage, show-off that he was.
“Lean forward, kitten.” I soaked a washcloth and gently scrubbed the nape of her neck and gently rubbed over the raised diagonal cross hatching that bullet marks had made on her shoulder, finishing that side and moving to the mouthwatering swells of her breast, teasing the juicy nipples and moving to her underarms.
Oh sure, she had become less withdrawn since getting to know me, but it didn’t mean my baby girl was 100 percent better. She needed spoiling, guidance, and a firm hand to protect her from the tempest of her thoughts. Mia would let me handle her and be her daddy, which meant I would in turn trust her and help her to be her best self.
Tonight was a night for chocolate chip cookies in the bath, hair brushed by Daddy, and a movie or two while she lay on my lap on the couch.
Tomorrow was the day her bona fide healing would begin.
The Next Day
Yes, I was “Daddy.” Whether a person liked it or not, called such things “kink” or “filth,” if they truly opened their mind, they would realize the term of endearment fit intimate relationships like a glove.
Why? Because an excellent lover spanks his baby not because she’s been disobedient, but because he fears for her safety if her misbehavior continues. Mia ran from me, and in so doing put herself in real danger. It was not only my job to indulge and claim her, but to protect her.
All I needed was some good, soft rope.
Taking a hike was my premise for getting out into the woods, and it was true, I was curious to see more of her property. When Mia asked about the rope found in her shed and now hanging from my back pocket, I told her it was in case we needed to safely cross a deep part of the creek or get up or down a sharp ravine.
Overhead on the trail, the alders at the edge of the forest touched the sky, swaying and dancing at their peaks, shoved stock-still into the ground at their trunks. The sun was warm against our backs as we climbed a steep hill, which Mia had named the Brazilian Butt-lift Trail, and there were ruby-pink blossoming salmon berries everywhere. A timid doe shucked her shyness and tiptoed out into a small clearing to the right of us, grazing lazily as we passed.
Little did I know this would be the very spot where I would own every inch of her.
Glancing toward the source of beautiful bird song, I saw it. An ancient, big-leaf maple tree with ten feet of clearance under its substantial limbs—perfect for what I had in mind. It was time to teach my baby a lesson.
I stopped and turned toward Mia, grabbing her hand, pulling her into my arms, and nibbled her neck before kissing it as if I were licking hot fudge sauce off a spoon. She began to wriggle and squeal in response to my attention, appetizing as the scent of fox glove and blooming iris that drifted from their blossoms to fill the air around us.
As I took her shoulders and moved her back from me, she swayed on her feet, as dizzy as me from our kisses. “You trust me, Mia?”
She nodded silently, and I ordered, “Then let me help you take off your clothes.” I reached in front of her and unbuttoned her shorts, pulling them to the ground, and told her to step out of them. “Stay still for Daddy, baby girl.”
The rope Mia had in her shed was perfect for what I had in mind. “Hold out your wrists, sweetie.” My cock swelled as she obeyed, and I made a single column tie above each of her hands, using the remaining center length like a leash to pull her with me toward the maple.
“Mia, you have to be punished for running away from me. You need to remember Daddy’s word is final because he knows what’s best for you.” Even I could hear the stern tone that had taken over my speech pattern, scolding like the fierce cry of the red tail hawk overhead. “Before we start with your penalty for putting yourself in danger, for going somewhere where I c
ouldn’t protect you, I need you to pick a safe word to say if it gets too intense.”
“But… but I….”
I held the rope above her head, effectively lifting her arms skyward and lusciously lifting her breasts with them. The nipples were pointing at me so tantalizingly, I bent to suck and nibble her beaded flesh.
She gasped her arousal, and I stood up and spanked her ass hard, three times.
She screamed.
“You’re going to need a safe word, little girl. Trust me.” Still holding her hands up, I bent down to place kisses across her forehead, trailing down her temple, and landing on her neck again. Mia’s reaction to being kissed on the neck, always made me horny. Evidently neck kisses were her kryptonite as evidenced by how the rope became weighted in my hand and strained my one arm, as she wriggled and squirmed on the end of it. I was going to need the tree for this.
“Safe word, precious. What is it? Daddy can’t wait any more to spank and fuck his baby girl; he’s been patient long enough.”
Mia lay against my chest, her back heaving along with the sway of long grass in the meadow beside us. “Vanilla,” she whispered.
“I’m gonna need you to speak a little bit louder for me, love.”
“Vanilla. If I say vanilla, you have to stop.”
“That’s a good girl.” I petted the back of her hair. “Just say the word.” We reached the ancient tree, and I tossed the end of the rope over the lowest moss-bedecked branch, securing it so her full breasts jutted straight out, begging to be caressed and sucked.
“Spread your legs apart, sweet thing.”
“But, Jasper….” She dropped her head, disregarding my command. Was it too much for her to be on display like this?
“Vanilla?” I asked, not wanting to push her boundaries too far. My thick dick ballooned in my pants when she stepped her feet hip-width apart.
“Further, show Daddy his pussy.”
She visibly tensed and then spread her legs further apart, putting every private inch of herself on display. The lips of her pussy shone wet in the sunlight, plump and rosy with arousal, and I barely saw the tip of her clit peeking out from beneath its hood, as if every bit as reclusive as Mia. Each inch of her was about to get all the attention she ached for, but first… she needed to be taught her lesson.