Wes had only given her a little spanking. He had sat her down on their gray couch and told her what the total damage had been to their bank account. Carrie had no idea she had spent quite so much and thought it over as he placed her over his knee and gave her a few spanks on her panty clad bottom. Then, chuckling, he had kissed her and cuddled her as Carrie told him that she knew he did love to spoil her and every man knows that a woman must do some shopping to decorate her new home. Carrie cooled the spending after that day, knowing the spanking was just a sweet warning, but the next one would leave her bottom burning. Carrie knew what Wes’ limits were.
All in all, minus Garrett, the unwanted visitor, Carrie was perfectly happy and content. The schoolhouse was her career dream come true. Her students were hard working and well behaved. They all spent an hour together, every day, eating lunch on the porch and playing tag in the warm spring weather.
May and Carrie rode every afternoon, over the rolling hills of the ranch. May was so tame and docile when Carrie came to get her from her stable after school, she almost seemed tuckered out. Even if Carrie had to cut their rides short when May started to turn back towards the barn, it was still a peaceful, mind clearing time.
And there was Wes. Though quieter after Kevin’s death, and even quieter after Garrett’s arrival, he was still her solid rock. Carrie knew how lucky she was to have the tender loving care of the very best daddy, soon to be daddy husband, to carry her through life.
Still standing and staring at the linen closet door, Carrie snapped out of her daydream. It was Saturday and Carrie had a detailed schedule that she had to stick to if she was going to get everything done. Having finished the last of the folding and putting away, Carrie headed to the kitchen for a snack and to check the time. The fourth quarter was under way, and Carrie didn’t want to get behind on her grading. She had just enough time to get back to the school and go through a few reading assessments before she was supposed to meet Wes. Carrie grabbed some crackers and headed towards the school house.
Nibbling on her snack, Carrie realized she had lost her appetite, her hunger being replaced by an anxious feeling. Carrie was supposed to be planning a wedding. She found far more enjoyment focusing on her home, and her school, and had currently made little progress in the way of wedding planning. Mama was happy to help, Jessica was happy to help, as they both reminded her constantly. Whenever Carrie thought about a big wedding, with her entire family from South Carolina on the ranch, and the many people from the town of Poke coming to watch her walk down the aisle, she got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Then she would daydream about running off to Mexico with Wes.
Carrie could tell that her groom’s patience was wearing out. He had wanted to be married by Christmas, but Mama had put a stop to that. Then, by spring, but Jessica and Evan had taken priority. Now, spring was turning into summer, and Carrie hadn’t yet set a date.
This very evening, Wes had arranged for them to drive halfway to Clinton to talk to a catering company about the meal plan for the wedding. Knowing it was important to him, Carrie assured herself as she stepped into the schoolhouse, that she would work for just a few hours and make sure to be back on the ranch, early, to meet Wes.
Later, lost in a cloud of reading assessments, Carrie was startled by the sound of the door slamming open. Carrie looked up from the papers on the desk, to see an angry cowboy filling the doorframe of the school house. “Oops,” she said, putting on what she hoped was an adorable grin. “I’m so sorry, Wes, I was grading papers and lost track of time.”
Wes approached her desk, his boots thumping on the wooden floor. Sitting in her teacher chair behind the big desk, Carrie felt small.
“Carrie, I was waiting for thirty minutes, and you didn’t answer your phone.” He looked pointedly at the phone on her desk. Picking it up, he tried to turn it on and his brow furrowed at the dead battery sign that appeared. “What’s our rule, Carrie?”
“Phone charged and on if I’m working alone at the school,” she said meekly.
“It’s a safety issue,” Carrie said at the same time as Wes, repeating the familiar phrase he had told her many times.
“Jinx?” she asked cutely, with a shrug of her shoulders.
Carrie felt relief as Wes gave a small smile. Upon closer inspection, there were no signs of anger on Wes’ handsome face. He looked worried. “It’s not just this, baby. You blew off the florist, refused to pick out a bridesmaid’s dress for Jessica, and you still haven’t sent out invitations.” Having reached the desk, he placed his hands on it and leaned down towards her. His gray eyes looked cloudy as they searched hers. “What’s going on, baby girl? Don’t you want to get married?”
It all came out at once, in a fast jumble, “I want to be your wife, Wes, and I don’t want to hurt Mama’s feelings, but I just don’t want a big wedding.”
Wes sat on the edge of the desk. After a moment of silence, he turned to her and said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I guess I didn’t really know until now.”
Wes came around and scooped her up out of her chair. He took her seat and situated Carrie in his lap.
“Are you sure that’s the only thing bothering you? The idea of the big wedding, and all of the planning that goes into it?”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Carrie snuggled down into her safe place, her head against his chest. She only nodded, knowing that the simple act would assure him she had shared the truth.
“My sweet, Carrie girl.” He stroked her hair softly. “Whatever you want, baby. I don’t care what kind of wedding we have. I just want you to be my wife, to have and to hold.”
The idea struck her out of nowhere. She pulled back and locked eyes with Wes. She wanted to see his face so she could gauge his reaction. “Mexico.”
“Mexico?”
“Yes. It was wonderful, wasn’t it?”
A devilish smile crossed his face as he answered her, “Mexico was delicious.”
“Let’s go there. We can take Jessica, Evan, Ray and Mama. We can have a tiny ceremony, then spend a few days on the beach together. The food would be perfect, the weather would be perfect, and it would all be so easy.”
Wes’ face broke out into a grin, “Sounds amazing. When do we leave?”
“Really? You don’t think Mama will be too disappointed?”
“I think, at this point, she just wants somebody to get married,” he said with a chuckle.
Carrie bounced up and down in his lap, clapping her hands. “This will actually be fun.”
“Settle down, little girl.” Wes gathered her back up into his arms. “We still have a few things to talk about. You can’t keep avoiding your feelings. You have to tell me this stuff before you get yourself into trouble.”
“I know.”
“Carrie, Carrie, Carrie girl. What am I to do with you?” His fingers slid under her chin and tilted her face up towards his.
“Spank me,” she said simply. There really was no excuse to be alone at night in the school house, with no way for Wes to contact her, or her to contact the outside world, and having stood him up for the trip to the caterers, she felt awful.
“With pleasure, you read my mind,” Wes said, the glint returning to his eyes. “I have to admit, it took everything I had not to just flip you right over my knee when I walked in here and saw that little empty battery light flashing at me. Why don’t you bring me that ruler of yours?”
Knowing she needed it, knowing she wanted it, Carrie still sighed as she stood up from her warm comfortable place on Wes’ lap. She retrieved the plastic, flexible ruler from the drawer. She wanted to test it on her palm to see what she was in for, but the look on Wes’ face told her to hurry and if he saw her trying out the implement it would be too embarrassing for words.
Standing, he walked around to the front of her desk. Holding out his hand to her, he said, “Thank you,” as she placed the ruler in it. Watching the flexible ruler bend in the air and hearing the loud ‘smack’ a
s he tested it on his own palm, left Carrie wondering if she should have bought the wooden one instead.
“Carrie, bend over the desk,” Wes said.
Carrie stood in front of the desk and placed both hands on it. Then she bent over at the waist, feeling her skirt rising in the back, and knowing this desk would never be the same to her.
Wes lifted her skirt and folded it neatly over her back. He then grabbed her panties by the elastic and lowered them as well, until they rested under the curve of her bottom.
The cold air hit her bare skin and, combined with her nerves, caused her to shiver.
Resting the ruler on her bottom, Wes said, “Who will be on your mind Monday when you are sitting, sore, on your teacher chair?”
“You will, Daddy,” Carrie answered softly.
“Good.” The first smack of the ruler stung her bare bottom.
“And your phone will be charged?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said as she sucked in her breath at the pain of the second smack. Should have bought the wooden ruler.
“And you are going to start sharing your feelings with me, are we clear on that?”
Several more stinging smacks hit her tender skin. “Yes, Daddy,” she answered between her clenched teeth.
“Good. I am really liking the way this ruler works. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to keep a strap here at the schoolhouse. And we still need to try out your Christmas paddle, little girl.”
Still bending over the desk and staying in position, Carrie answered quickly, “No need for that.”
“You keep this ruler handy for me, Carrie girl. Just in case you get forgetful with your safety again.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
“Then, just a couple more licks so I know that you understand I mean business.” He gave her a few more good licks, just as he promised. The sting set her right up on her tippy toes. Then, he carefully pulled up her panties and replaced her skirt. Carrie turned towards him and he grabbed her by the hips and set her up on her desk. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her deeply and she returned the kiss, hungrily. Spankings always made her hot for her man.
They walked their horses back because it was too dark to safely ride. It ended up being extremely late when they finally made it back home. They slept in, but still exhausted, they spent a quiet Sunday with each other.
The next day, Carrie was singing softly to herself as she made her way from the schoolhouse back to the ranch. It had been a perfect day at school, and Carrie was still floating on cloud nine from Saturday evening and the time she and Wes had spent on her teacher desk, and a rare lazy Sunday, spent enjoying time with each other. Carrie was startled as she came around the corner of the barn and found Garrett and Wes wrestling in the dirt. As best as she could tell between the dust that they were kicking up and the blur of them rolling around, Wes had torn her favorite blue denim shirt of his, and Garrett’s nose was bleeding.
Hands immediately going to her hips in classic teacher fashion, Carrie gave a loud whistle through her front teeth and hollered, “Boys!” The blur of men, Wranglers, dust, and blood continued, and so she hollered louder, “Don’t make me go get Mama.” Wes gave Garrett a final, hard shove, then got to his feet. The sweat from his brow mixed with the dry dirt on Wes’s face and made a long, muddy smear as he wiped it with the back of his hand.
Spiked hair sticking up at every angle, and fancy city button-down shirt stained with blood, Garrett rose to his feet. “Damn it, Wes, I think you broke my nose again,” Garrett said, taking a somewhat clean handkerchief from his pocket and holding it to his injury. Then he looked over at Carrie. “Hey, Carrie, what’s up?” he asked casually, his usual mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
Wes had his hands on his knees and was bent over trying to catch his breath. “We are getting too old for this, Garrett.”
“Speak for yourself, brother.”
Locking eyes with Garrett, Wes growled the words, “You want to go again?” He lunged towards Garrett but Carrie stepped between them.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, knock it off,” she said, pressing her hand against Wes’ chest. “What are you two fighting about anyway?”
“Jessica,” Garrett grumbled.
Carrie felt her face go white hot. Knowing Garrett’s sly nature and ability to get her goat, Carrie finally decided to do what Wes had been begging her to do for the entirety of their relationship. She would talk.
“Wes, what were you two fighting about?” Carrie asked calmly.
“He was going to skip town without even apologizing to Jessica, or more importantly,” Wes glared at his younger brother as he spat the words out, “meeting his son.”
Garrett threw his hands up in the air. “Hey, no one wants me here. I’ve gotten a very clear picture from you all. You two avoid me like the plague, hanging out in your little love shack,” he waved in the direction of the bunkhouse. “Mama is cranky as a bear at me, and Jessica is so wrapped up with that lumberjack, she hasn’t even called me.”
Carrie started in on him. “Now, why on Earth would she call you, Gare? Don’t you think you are the one who should be doing the calling? I mean, after what you did to her.”
Garrett’s normal bravado was replaced with defeat. His shoulders slumped and he stood quietly for a moment before he finally answered, “I can’t. “I’m scared to meet Evan.”
Turning towards Garrett, Carrie asked softly, “Scared of what, Garrett?”
“Scared he will look like me, scared that he will turn out like me. Scared that this new person is only a few months old, and I’ve already royally screwed up the little guy's life.”
“Mistakes can be fixed, brother. You have to at least try to make amends,” Wes pleaded.
“I can’t, Wes. Look at what I did to Carrie and me, to you and me, to Jessica, and now to Evan. I screw up everyone’s lives that I enter. He’d be better off never knowing me.” Uncharacteristically, tears formed in Garrett’s eyes. “It should have been me to die, not Kevin.”
At the mention of Kevin’s name, Wes' face went white. It took him a moment to collect his emotions and answer. “Kevin’s life is over. Yours is not. Start to make amends. Go to Jessica and apologize for leaving her. Give her your condolences on the death of her baby brother. If you do nothing else, do that.” Wes’ eyes were the darkest gray Carrie had ever seen them.
Holding her breath, Carrie stared at Garrett. His face had aged since Christmas and his black hair had the beginnings of silver streaks about his ears. The outfits she once thought to be so fashionable now looked like the clothing of a man who was trying to dress younger than he felt. Carrie felt sorry for Garrett.
“You should go, Garrett.” Carrie wasn’t sure if she meant to go to Jessica’s or get off the ranch, or both, but the words came straight from her heart.
With a sad look in his eye, Garrett turned and headed towards the red two door sports car he had rented for the trip. Even that looked ridiculous to Carrie. Who rents a fancy car to come to a town where they left their pregnant fiancée on Christmas Eve, she thought, as he folded himself in, slammed the door, and started the engine
Wes stood by Carrie’s side, his arm wrapped around her, as they watched the dust billow behind the car as it drove off the ranch.
“He’s my brother. I love him. I just can’t be a part of his life right now. He’s made too many bad choices, and until he desires to make some real changes, I don’t want to be around him,” Wes said sadly.
“I know.”
“It’s almost like a second death,” Wes whispered. “First, I lost Kevin, now I’m losing Garrett.”
“When one door closes, another opens. This hurts but maybe some good will come from it.”
“Maybe,” Wes said, sounding unconvinced. “I wonder if he’s going to Jessica’s.”
“I wonder if Ray will try to kick his ass, too.”
Chuckling, Wes said, “Let’s hope not. I’d hate for anyone to have to go up against Ray. He
is as gentle as a church mouse but as big and strong as a black bear. I wouldn’t want him mad at me.” Wes pulled Carrie into his chest and gave her a tight hug. Sighing, he rested his chin on her head. “Let’s go for a ride. Because when we get back, we have to tell Mama the news. We ran Garrett out of town and there won’t be a ranch wedding.”
Carrie and Wes rode May and Dipper, bareback, over the hills, down to the creek bed, returning just as the sun was beginning to set. After caring for the horses, hand in hand they made their way up to the house to talk to Mama.
They were surprised when they told Mama the news, and upon hearing that Garrett had left town, she said, “It breaks my heart to say this about my own son, but good riddance, for now at least.” When Wes broached the subject of a Mexico elopement, Mama replied, “When do we leave? I declare I have never needed a vacation as bad as I do right now.”
Chapter 6
Mama was sitting in the rocking chair, holding a sleeping Evan when Jessica got back from the salon.
“Thank you for watching him,” Jessica said as she brought in her bags and sat them down on the kitchen counter. Having run out of bread and milk, she had squeezed in a quick grocery trip after work.
“Anytime, sweetheart. He was an angel baby. And it was nice to take a break from the ranch.” Mama left it unsaid, but Jessica knew tensions were high since Garrett had come waltzing back into town, then left, suddenly. “Did you have many clients?”
“I did, thank you. Sorry, I’m late but Miss Gatlin brought in the boys just as I was sweeping up. Then, I needed a few things from the store.”
“That’s just fine, honey,” Mama said, placing Evan gently into the bassinet. “You know I don’t mind. Just means a few more peaceful moments with my grandbaby.” Mama had a sad look on her face as she helped Jessica put the groceries away. Jessica knew Mama thought that Garrett should be here, helping, spending time with Evan. When her back was turned to Jessica as she was putting cans in the cupboard, Mama said quietly, “Ray stopped by while you were out.”
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