The doctor cocked his head. “Miss Davis? Are you sure?”
Frank glared at him, knowing that the doctor’s opinion of Victoria was likely similar to everyone else’s in town—he’d heard the gossiping titters about her standoffish behavior—but he was in no mood to find out for sure. It was already past suppertime and growing dark.
When the doctor delivered them to the shop’s front entrance, Frank thanked him. Holding the boy in one arm, he rapped on the door with his cane. It took several tries, but Victoria finally answered, dressed in a silk robe with white fur along the neckline and around her wrists. Her mussed red hair was loose and nearly reached her hips. Her eyes lit up upon seeing him, and Frank smiled back at her. He didn’t know how it was possible for her to look more beautiful every time he saw her, but that was once again the case.
When she looked at the boy in his arm, though, her smiling gaze shifted into alarm. “What’s all this?” she asked.
“It’s Bobby. He’s ill. The doctor doesn’t think he’s too bad, but he needs a place to rest and recover. Do you have a cot for him, and maybe some broth?”
A look of sheer horror passed over Victoria’s face. “You’re joking, Frank, are you not? Where’s his mother?”
Frank felt let down. He’d hoped she would immediately join him in helping the boy, instead of querying why he needed help in the first place. “I couldn’t find his ma. Not sure what happened to her, but she’s not at her house. Bobby is all alone.”
Victoria made no move to let them in, so he silently considered his options. He supposed he could take the boy to the schoolhouse, and then go in search of some supper for them both. “I’ll figure something else out,” he said.
As he turned to leave, Victoria reached out and grabbed his arm. “Wait,” she said. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t take him in. I just… I was surprised by the request.”
Frank drew a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to arrange his thoughts. His arms and legs ached. His heart was heavy with concern for Bobby, and though he was disappointed with Victoria’s initial response, he still wanted to believe she could help.
“Come on,” she said impatiently. “Let’s go up to the room.”
He followed her through the shop to the back where she opened the door that revealed the staircase. As they climbed the steps, she said, “I don’t have a cot.”
Victoria placed a sheet over her sofa, and Frank glanced around her living area. He’d been there a number of times and found it more inviting on every visit, which was ironic since she so rarely offered anyone an invitation. The space was about the same size as Bobby’s house, but it was infinitely cleaner. Feminine touches were plentiful, from the doilies on the tabletops to the brightly colored curtains over the windows. The pillow atop her bed was embroidered, as were the cushions on her chairs.
Frank laid the child down gently on the sofa. He awoke and opened his eyes.
“You’re at Miss Davis’s place, Bobby,” Frank explained. “You’ll be able to rest and get well here.”
The boy made a whimpering sound in response and closed his eyes again. Frank wasn’t sure if the fever was limiting his ability to make sense of what was happening. Victoria stood on the other side of the room, wringing her hands and eyeing the boy with a dubious expression, like he was a strange animal that couldn’t be trusted.
“Maybe you could fetch a cool cloth for him, and some water and something to eat,” Frank prompted.
His words seemed to startle her. She jumped as if coming out of sleep and hurried to the pitcher and basin on her table, while Frank knelt by the sofa and smoothed the hair away from Bobby’s damp forehead.
A short time later, Victoria appeared beside him with a tray containing soup, a wet cloth, and a cup of water. Frank roused the boy for long enough to get some fluids into him. When Bobby fell asleep again, Frank placed his Stetson on his head and moved toward the door. “Thank you, Victoria. I’ll come back early tomorrow before class starts to check on you and Bobby.”
Victoria walked in front of him, blocking his exit. “You’re not leaving now, are you? What if he gets worse?”
Frank observed her in the dim light of the coal oil lamp. Shadows and light danced across her face, which revealed a mask of dismay.
When he offered no response, she continued. “It was presumptuous for you to bring him here and expect me to care for him. I’m not a nurse trained to deal with ill patients.”
Frank gave her a look he usually reserved for misbehaving children. “He only needs a place to rest and someone to replace the cool towel on his head. Can you not manage that?”
She threw up her hands in a helpless, frustrated gesture. He realized then that she was scared to take responsibility for a sick child. That realization caused every dominant bone in his body to come to life. He had the urge to comfort her and ease away her fear, but he also wanted to punish her for her inability to rise above it to be compassionate.
He glanced at the child, who breathed heavily in a deep sleep, and then moved in closer to Victoria. His nearness caused her breath to hitch, and when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, she softened against him.
Her submission told him she trusted him, and that caused him pleasure and trepidation in equal measure. He had influence over her, and he hoped to use it for good. He ran a hand over her silken red hair. “Tori,” he said, his voice deep and commanding, “I know you can do this. Stop fretting so.”
He thought she might relax further, but his words caused the opposite effect. Her body stiffened. Pulling away from him, she said, “You think you’re so noble, don’t you? Perfect do-gooder compared to me, a heartless woman. I’m sure I make you feel very good about yourself. Is that why you seek out my company?”
Her words shocked him, and his patience ran thin. He thought it in their best interest to delay a discussion about her accusation until the next day. “Lower your voice, Victoria. Bobby will hear you. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He exited the door and took the stairs down much slower than he would have liked, given his limp.
She followed him, bringing her protests down to the shop. “You’re not leaving here thinking you’re better than me!” she cried, her voice shrill.
“I don’t think I’m better, Tori.” Not exactly. He did think himself more compassionate and less selfish, but he was in no mood to clarify. He was hungry, weary, and two shakes from giving her a tongue-lashing he knew he would later regret.
She rushed forward and once again placed herself in front of his path to exit.
He glared at her. “I don’t have the patience for this. Step aside,” he growled.
His order affected her. He saw it in the brief uncertainty in her eyes, but she stood her ground. “I said I would take care of him,” she said, her angry voice taking on a whining quality. “Don’t look at me like that, Frank, with such disappointment. I can’t bear for you to dislike me like everyone else in town.”
He drew a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He was having a moment of déjà vu, as the scenario was quite similar to when she’d begged him to take her to lunch after she’d behaved so cruelly to Bobby in front of her store. “I’m tired and hungry, Tori. We can discuss this later. I don’t dislike you. I care for you deeply, but I admit your behavior tonight doesn’t speak well to your character. You seem to think only of yourself, although I know it goes deeper than that.”
“You can’t say something like that and then leave!” she exclaimed. “I am different from you is all. When faced with a problem, I use reason first before going full steam ahead, and I consider all the negative possibilities, such as what would happen if Bobby got sicker and I wasn’t able to help. Perhaps if you took the same amount of caution, you would still have the use of your leg.”
Frustrated tears glistened in her eyes. Her breasts, only thinly covered by her robe, rose and fell with every sharp breath.
He did not think well on an empty stomach, but he understood that leaving at th
is point would damage the relationship they had built. She seemed in desperate need of his reassurance, but that would have to come later. “Look, if you want me to stay and discuss this, you’ll have to feed me some supper. I’m hungry as a bear.”
“And about as growly as one,” she quipped, as her face visibly relaxed. She turned to climb the stairs to her room. “I’ll be back with some food.”
Chapter Nine
When Victoria returned from her kitchen with some bread and stew, Frank tucked in at once and thought about what she’d said. He didn’t take offense to her pointing out that if he’d been more careful like she was, he might still have the use of his leg. She was probably right about that, but to his way of thinking this was an entirely different scenario. This had to do with being part of a community, of having compassion for your neighbors, and Victoria sorely needed to learn how to give if she was ever to receive.
Victoria sat nearby and watched his every movement, like she might discover what he was thinking by observing how he fed himself. He’d no sooner finished his last spoonful than she rose and gathered the bowl from him.
“Thank you, I was famished,” he said. “Go upstairs and check on the boy, and come back down here when you’re finished. We need to get some things straight.” He heard the stern quality in his own voice, and Victoria no doubt heard it as well. Her eyes widened. She made no argument and obeyed without a word.
Her return was markedly slower, her steps down the stairs taken at half her normal speed.
Frank held out his hand. “Come here, don’t dawdle.”
She trudged to him with her gaze downcast. As soon as she placed her hand in his, he pulled her over his lap with a firm tug. She squealed, but he could tell by the way she landed without protest that she had guessed he would pull her over his knee and was not opposed to him doing so.
Her thin robe accentuated the delicate curve of her bottom and even clung to the split in her cheeks, showing off her figure with delicious clarity. Frank ran a hand over the silken fabric and squeezed each of her quivering globes.
In his opinion, if ever a woman deserved a spanking, Victoria did. Though he was displeased with her behavior, spanking her was less about that and more about helping her become a more contented person without fear guiding her path. If she could learn to stick out her neck a little for people, she would feel less alone and more a part of the community. He knew this, but he also knew she’d never reach that point without understanding why she behaved the way she did in the first place. He planned to help her see it.
“Why do you think I’m going to spank your lovely bottom, Victoria?” He landed a smart swat. When she didn’t respond after another moment, he landed another, harder.
She squirmed. “Because I insulted you again, saying you don’t use reason like I do in making decisions.”
“Wrong,” he said. “So very wrong, princess.” His voice was gentle, but the swats were not, and he gave her six of the best. Her perfect globes bounced against his hand with every spank. He rubbed out the soreness with his palm. “Would you like to guess again?”
“No, just tell me,” she said sullenly.
Though he couldn’t see her face, he heard the tone of her voice. He resumed spanking her. “You’re sounding a bit too pouty for my liking. Let’s see if we can improve your attitude first, yeah?”
She moaned and twisted in his lap as he punished her bottom soundly, knowing every swat was increasing the sting.
“You’ll find it’s best in your current position to answer my questions respectfully and make a good-faith effort to answer correctly. So, why do you think I’m spanking you?” He paused and rested his hand on her thigh, feeling the lushness of it, thinking about how good it would feel to spread her thick thighs apart and touch the center of her.
“I… I don’t know why. But I know I deserve it.” As petulant as she sounded before, she now sounded so humble and subdued that Frank had to resist the urge to pull her up into his arms. But comfort would have to come later. A spanking was what she needed in the present time.
“You do deserve it,” he agreed. “How about I tell you how this evening could have gone that wouldn’t have resulted in a spanking?”
She nodded and looked back at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were glistening. “Yes, Frank. Tell me.”
He ran a hand up and down her back, letting her know he was there to support her as much as discipline her. “Your first instinct under the slightest bit of pressure or change is to lash out. You often want to redo our interactions, don’t you?”
She looked back down at the floor before she nodded. “It’s true. I always feel so foolish after I rattle off at you.”
“I know you do.” He continued to rub her back. “But I’m not as concerned about that as I am about the reason behind it. This evening, I brought a sick boy to you. When I asked you to take care of him, what’s the first thing you felt?”
“Afraid,” she said. “Afraid I wouldn’t be able to care for him. Afraid something terrible would happen to him. I lost my parents to sickness.”
“That’s what I thought. And you have every right to feel that way, Tori. Fear is natural. But the way you acted about the situation wasn’t right, and it’s not who you are. Can you see how you put a wall up to protect yourself and become very ungenerous when you’re afraid?”
She sniffled. “Yes.” Her voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re about to be,” he said in a lighthearted manner, to let her know he wasn’t angry with her.
She groaned and took hold of his pant leg, grasping the material tight. She knew the worst of the spanking was yet to come.
He resumed the discipline, making sure every inch of her bottom felt the sting of his palm. She let out whimpers and squeaks, but she managed to stay in place. “Are you feeling this well enough, Tori, or do I need to pull up your robe?” He knew by her reaction that she was very much feeling the pain of the spanking. He didn’t ask the question to get an answer, but to put her in the right frame of mind for punishment. He wanted her submission, and she needed to give it to him.
When he paused, she did something that surprised and pleased him. She reached back and grasped the fabric of her robe. She tugged the material toward her and revealed to him her bare bottom, which was a deep shade of pink.
He emitted a sound somewhere between a growl and a groan. “My princess knows what she needs, doesn’t she? A good tanning on her bare hide.”
“Yes, Frank,” she said. The arousal was as evident in her voice as it was in his.
He stroked her bottom, touching the heat, massaging the soft skin under firm muscles. “You know I care for you, don’t you, Tori?”
“I know, and I care for you too.”
“If you want it this way, I will always punish you when you act badly. I won’t stop caring for you. You’re afraid of that too, aren’t you?”
She sniffled. “Yes. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“You won’t. Here’s what I want you to say to me next time you’re afraid, like you were when I showed up with the boy. Instead of lashing out, say this… Are you listening?” He landed a swat, bringing his hand down in the middle of her bottom, catching both cheeks.
“I am,” she said with a gasp.
“Say, ‘I’m afraid, Frank.’ Practice it now. Say the words to me.”
There was a short pause before she drew a deep breath. “I’m afraid, Frank.”
“Good girl.” He resumed the spanking, knowing the pain of punishment would assist in her remembering what he expected her to say in the future. “If you tell me how you’re honestly feeling, then I can help.”
She cried out when he lowered the swats to where her bottom met her thighs, but she didn’t try to wrestle away. He proceeded to pepper her creamy thighs with firm spanks, not as hard as how he’d spanked her bottom, but hard enough to cause squeals of protest to come from her lips.
He gave a final spank and patted her bottom. “So let’
s do this evening over. I’ve just come to the door with a sick child, and you’ve told me you’re afraid to care for him because something might happen to him. What else are you afraid of, Tori?”
She shifted and seemed to give the question some thought. “I’m afraid I’ll be so busy caring for him that I won’t be able to sleep, and that means I won’t be able to sew well tomorrow and no one will buy clothes from me. I’ll lose the shop and then I won’t have any way to earn money. I’m all alone in the world. I can’t rely on anyone but myself.” Her words came out in a sudden rush, with nary a pause for breath.
“Whoa, whoa,” he said, in a voice he recalled using on a runaway horse. “None of that’s going to happen, Tori. You’re not going to lose your business. Even if you did, you would survive. And you’re certainly not alone in the world. Not anymore.”
A sob escaped her throat, and Frank couldn’t help but pull her up to his chest. He cradled her as she sniffled and clung to his shirt. He realized in that moment that he loved this woman, and every word he’d told her was true. For as long as he was alive, she would not be alone.
“Thank you, Frank,” she said, once she recovered her voice.
“I mean it,” he said, meeting her baleful gaze with a serious look. “I may be a busted cowboy, but I’m resourceful and you can depend on me if anything goes wrong for you.”
She smiled. “That’s not how I would describe you—as a busted cowboy.”
“No? How would you describe me then?”
“Bossy, long-winded teacher with a hard hand…”
He raised an eyebrow. “Joking already? I’m not sure that spanking was effective. Maybe I should—”
She interrupted him with a kiss, and he was more than glad to switch to that topic. Her well-spanked bottom was flush against the bulge of his trousers, and her robe had fallen open during the movements of the spanking, making it convenient to reach beyond the fabric and palm her heaving breast. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, bringing a gasp from her lips. She arched against him, her body a warm, supple temptation ready to be consumed.
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