Jude stood and skipped a rock across the river four times, then turned to face her. “I sure hope your fiancé treats you well. You deserve a fair shake.”
“He will treat me just fine,” she said firmly. “Albert is a gentleman.”
“I’m glad, honey.”
Callie’s temper flared. “Don’t be nice to me, Jude! Don’t call me darling and honey! You can’t be nice one minute, making me think you like me, and then hit me the next. It’s got me all confused and I don’t like it.”
He frowned at her and cocked his head. “I don’t quite see it that way. I wouldn’t spank someone I didn’t like. I like you quite a lot.”
“Why would you hurt me if you like me? That makes no sense.”
“Of course it does. I want you safe and well behaved so you can have the best life possible, and sometimes a little temporary pain prevents a world of hurt in the future. Hasn’t anyone ever looked out for you and corrected your behavior?”
Callie felt a lump rising in her chest, which she gulped down. She wouldn’t allow herself to cry again in front of Jude, although that’s exactly what she felt like doing after hearing his question. She hadn’t had much in the way of someone looking out for her since her mother died—only one person in fact. She lifted her chin a little higher. “There was someone… Sam. He watched out for me, but he never spanked me like you’ve done.”
“I’m glad someone looked after you. Tell me about this Sam fellow.”
Callie didn’t know why Jude cared to hear about him, but she didn’t mind talking about her friend. She missed him, and thinking of him brought a sort of melancholy that felt nice to dwell upon. “He’s a cowhand I met shortly after my mother passed. Anytime I needed a meal after being locked in the closet for a long time without food or water, he’d go and buy it for me. He wanted to take me home and raise me with his kids, but his wife said they couldn’t afford another mouth to feed.”
A surprised look crossed Jude’s face, followed by a look of sadness. “You were locked in a closet?”
Callie returned her gaze to the river and shrugged. “You look just like how Sam looked when I told him about the closet—all worried. It was awful being locked in there, but what kept my spirits up was knowing that I had a friend in Sam. He was the one who pointed out the mail-order bride posting in the paper. He wanted me to have a better life.”
“I see. Sounds like he was a good friend to you.” Jude’s voice sounded mournful.
Callie bristled. She could tell that Jude was feeling sorry for her, and she didn’t like that. She wanted people to respect her, to be impressed by her, not to look down on her as having less than them. She felt exposed and angry once again.
“Sam was like the pa I never had. I hated his children. I wanted them to die so I could take their place.”
It was a spiteful thing to say, and she expected Jude to scold her for that and stop feeling pity, but that wasn’t what happened. He saw right through her words and sounded even more sympathetic.
“I’m sorry, honey. You deserved a pa of your very own.”
Callie felt the lump rising higher, up to her throat. She swallowed it down again and scowled in the direction of the river. She willed for him to walk away and leave her alone, but instead he walked back to her and sat down again.
He didn’t say anything, and they sat in silence for some time until Callie blurted, “Sam did threaten to give me a licking a couple times. He never went through with it, though. He felt bad about the way I was getting treated at the home.”
Jude nodded and scrubbed a hand around his beard. “I reckon he did right by you. Seems you needed to be shown more mercy than justice at the time. As a result of very little care and discipline, however, you’ve turned into a bit of a hellion.”
Callie’s eyes snapped to Jude’s face. “I don’t mean to be.”
“Oh, you do a little,” he said with a small smile. “You must know calling the senator an ass was impolite at best, and it’s not good manners to point out when someone is overweight.”
“He’s a horrible man,” she stated, without remorse.
“That may be true,” Jude said, becoming serious again, though his voice remained gentle. “But as my father used to say, when it’s hardest to be a good person, that’s when it’s most important. Treating people rudely is wrong, even if it feels good at the time to do so.”
Callie stared at her hands. No one had ever lectured her like Jude was doing, insisting that she act a certain way, with what seemed to be no motive other than to help her be a better person.
Jude wasn’t finished. “It’s also not proper to sulk for hours after a punishment, even if that’s what you feel like doing. The point of punishment is to learn from it and modify how you behave going forward.”
Callie felt tears forming, which she quickly blinked away. “What does it matter to you how I behave?”
“Believe it or not, darlin’, I meant what I said about liking you a lot. I want you to have a good life and good people around you. But that starts with you. You have to be the kind of person who acts respectfully toward others in order to acquire their respect. If you act like a hellion, you’re going to attract other hellions.”
Callie plucked at her shoe straps, avoiding Jude’s gaze, and said quietly, “I want to be a good person. I will act better when I marry Albert.”
“There’s no better time than now to start acting properly. What makes you think you will change after getting married?”
“I’ll live a quiet life in my new home, baking bread and churning butter—you know, doing all the things wives do. I’ll mend my husband’s clothes and bake him pies. There won’t be any need to defend myself or hitch rides on coaches. My husband will support me, and people will think I’m important because I’m Albert’s wife.”
Jude smiled. “You’re important already, but you’re going to be a fine wife too, Callie. I can tell.”
She looked up and gave him a shy smile back. “Thanks.” Her hurt feelings faded away, and she decided Jude wasn’t so bad after all. He was strict with her, and she wasn’t used to his kind of discipline, but she was convinced once again that he liked her. This was important to her, she realized. As with Sam, she felt drawn to Jude and the kindness he’d shown her. Unlike with Sam, however, she felt more a woman than a girl around him, and when he looked at her, she desperately desired for him to be pleased with what he saw.
Jude sobered. “Now I know I’ve been hard on you, but I’m your friend just like Sam was. I’ll watch out for you, and if that bootlickin’ senator or anyone else mistreats you, let me know, ya hear? They’ll have to answer to me. And I want you to promise me you’ll behave and act respectfully toward the others from now on. I know you can do it.”
Callie felt a wave of uncharitable happiness, knowing Jude didn’t like the senator either. “All right,” she agreed. “Will you promise not to spank me again? I don’t like it.”
Jude raised an eyebrow. “You’re not supposed to like it, and I’ll make no such promise. I think we’ve already established that part of looking out for you includes making sure you behave and doling out consequences if you don’t.” He stood and reached down to cup her chin, tilting her face upward so he could look into her eyes. “Be a good girl and I won’t have any cause to redden that cute caboose of yours again.”
Callie felt a thrill travel straight to her loins, despite also feeling annoyed that he wouldn’t promise to not spank her. She liked that he called her bottom cute, and she felt aroused by the embarrassing yet titillating words. “I’ll do my best,” she said. “Have you looked after other passengers before?” The thought that he provided any other woman with the same attention caused a burst of unexpected jealousy to bloom in her chest, similar to how she felt when she thought about Sam’s children.
He chuckled and released her chin. “Not in the same way, but then I’ve never met another passenger quite like you before. You’re strong and grown up in some ways but fragile and u
nruly like a child in others. I get the hankerin’ to kiss you and spank you at the same time.”
Her eyes widened, taken aback that he would make such a declaration when she was engaged to another. He seemed to notice her surprise because he held up his hand. “Don’t get your dander up, I won’t take liberties with kissing you, only spanking. Your future husband will thank me for that, but he’d likely kill me for doing the other.”
She felt strangely disappointed over his promise not to kiss her, though she knew it was only proper. She wondered how it would feel for him to press his mouth to hers. Would he be gentle and just brush her lips, or would his tongue take possession of her mouth boldly?
Ashamed of her wanton thoughts, she pushed them away. She’d no sooner done so when she felt another stab of guilt over stealing the senator’s pocket watch. Jude seemed pleased with her now, and she wanted him to remain that way, but she also wanted him to know the truth and forgive her. It took some courage, but she reached inside her pouch and slowly drew out the watch.
“The senator was right about me stealing it. I’m sorry, Jude,” she said quietly as she held it out to him. She searched his face as he took it from her.
Jude studied the watch in his hand for a moment with a frown, appearing deep in thought. She swallowed hard and waited for his verdict. When he spoke after a long, excruciating silence, it was in a stern voice that made her heart beat a little faster in her chest.
“I’m proud of you for confessing, Callie, especially knowing it could earn you another punishment, but this is serious. If thieving is a habit of yours, I suggest you break it now. Stealing is wrong, even if it’s from a bad man, and if I catch you at it again on this journey, I’ll give you a licking you won’t forget. Understand?”
Callie blinked back tears. It felt awful being scolded again after she’d experienced him being pleased with her. Now he seemed disappointed once more. She nodded and looked down.
A moment later he flicked her lower lip with his thumb. “Pouting again,” he said in his teasing voice.
She felt relieved at his lighthearted tone and felt even better when she looked up at him. His eyes were warm and kind, and he smiled at her. “I’ll smooth this over with the senator, darlin’. Cheer up. Like I said, I’m proud of you for confessing. I just need you not to steal again.”
“Oh, I won’t, Jude!” she exclaimed, and she wouldn’t. He gave her a satisfied nod before returning to his team of horses. A short time later, he blew the bugle, signaling that it was time to move on.
Callie walked to the coach with a spring in her step, her hopes high that she’d be allowed to sit in the box again with Jude. He was already up in his seat, and Mrs. Tucker stood below and spoke up at him. Callie felt her temper boil and her hope evaporate. She knew the woman was asking to ride up front. She watched with dismay as Jude nodded, reached down, and helped her up by grasping her arm. In a fluid motion, he maneuvered her around his legs and helped her to settle next to him.
Callie stormed to the coach, looking once at Jude to find him staring at her. She shot him an angry look, and he returned a stern one with eyebrow raised. She felt her stomach flop. The man didn’t even have to use words. She knew he’d just let her know she’d better not make a fuss, or else. Sighing, she climbed into the coach next to the senator, who wasted no time in expressing his dislike of her.
“Glad you aren’t dawdling for once far away from the coach when we’re ready to leave,” he snarled. His face scrunched into a look of contempt. He pointedly drew his handkerchief over his nose to indicate that she was beneath him, a dirty lowlife who stunk.
“Go to blazes, you crusty old curmudgeon,” she hissed. She stiffened after saying that and desperately hoped Jude hadn’t heard. He’d just explained how he expected her to behave and she’d barely gone two minutes without being rude. She relaxed when the coach moved forward. Once again they were on their way to California, where all her dreams would come true.
Chapter Six: For Your Own Good
At first Jude drove the horses at only a walk, but then he pushed them into a gallop along the smooth road. When the road became rough, he again slowed the horses to a walk. It was obvious that Jude was very good at driving, and Callie found herself admiring him without even seeing his work. She knew he snapped the whip at just the right time, always with the safety of the horses and passengers in mind.
After they’d traveled what seemed like a million miles, Callie felt like she was about to crawl out of her skin. She wanted nothing more than to join Jude, who would converse with her unlike the other passengers. A plan formed in her mind about how to get back in her rightful seat. It involved annoying the passengers, which would go against Jude’s admonishment to treat people respectfully, but it would cause no harm. If her plan worked, Jude might scold or even spank her, but that would be bearable if it would get her back in the box.
And so Callie began humming in the way that annoyed the passengers when they’d slept over at the swing station. They hushed her, but she continued and added a tap of her foot on the floor to increase their annoyance. Annie begged her to be quiet in her gentle way. “Let’s have some quiet now, Callie.”
The senator was not so gentle. “Shut up, you rotten mauk, or so help me, I’ll throw you out the window.” He grabbed her arm and seemed quite prepared to make good on his threat until Billy spoke firmly to him.
“Let the girl go.”
The senator hesitated to acquiesce but eventually flung her arm away from him. Callie rubbed it and resumed humming. Billy and Annie exchanged frustrated looks, and the senator looked mad enough to bite himself. Callie then broke into loud song. It was nearly dark by this time, and the passengers had arranged themselves as though to try to sleep, but Callie made sure her voice sounded like someone forgot to grease the wagon, which prevented them from napping.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of effort to annoy them, the senator leaned out the window. “Driver!” he shouted. “You’d better stop before a murder happens back here.”
Jude didn’t hear him at first, so the senator shouted again, louder. “Driver!”
Much to Callie’s glee, Jude called for his horses to halt. Her heartbeat quickened with excitement. This was the only interesting activity to happen for hours.
“What is it?” Jude snapped at the senator, sounding thoroughly displeased at having the journey interrupted.
“This girl will not shut up and we’re trying to sleep! We want her out of here.” The senator bellowed at his wife then. “Virginia, you get down from there so the ill-mannered scamp can join the driver. Let her be his problem.”
It was all Callie could do not to clap her hands with delight. Her plan was working out perfectly. The senator’s wife grumbled about it, but she stepped down from her spot and swung open the coach door. The senator shoved Callie out roughly, causing her to tumble and fall on her backside. She wasn’t expecting that treatment and let out an outraged shriek, though the fall didn’t injure her.
“What in tarnation?” Jude exclaimed. He pulled his brake and stepped down from his seat. “Are you all right?” he asked, holding out a hand and helping Callie to her feet.
She nodded. “Yes, I suppose. The senator was real anxious to get me out of there.” She pouted at Jude to appear especially victimized and brushed off the dust from her dress.
Jude frowned at her and pointed at the box to indicate that she was to get herself seated. She climbed up and smirked as she listened to Jude dressing down the senator. His voice sounded angry as he threatened to have the man removed from the party. He said that regardless of what she’d done, shoving a passenger out of a coach was unacceptable and wouldn’t be tolerated. She felt vindicated that Jude had taken her side over the senator’s—that is, until he climbed up next to her and informed her of her fate with an extremely angry look on his face.
“Paselo is another four hours away. You can spend that time enjoying sitting comfortably because once we get there, I’m goi
ng to take my belt to you. Your disobedient backside will feel every bump along the road for days.”
Her eyes widened, and her forlorn act became real. She didn’t think what she’d done would make him that angry. “But I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t want to hear it. I suggest you hobble your lip, as I suspect anything you say will only get you into more trouble.” He released the brake and slapped the reins over the horses.
The only light was from the moon, but it was bright enough for Callie to see how angry Jude looked. He didn’t speak with her. Every time Callie looked over at him, she regretted what she’d done a little more. She worried about the punishment, but mostly she worried that he didn’t like her anymore. Finally, after being ignored for far too long, she begged, “Please forgive me. I can’t bear you being angry with me.”
“You will have to bear my anger, Callie,” he said in a low, even voice, “and you will also have to suffer a punishment. We just discussed this! I expected you to behave, and you did the opposite.”
“But I wanted to be up here with you, that’s all! I didn’t cause anyone harm, and I hate sitting in the coach because no one likes me. Do you still like me?” She hated how weak the question made her sound, but she felt desperate to know.
When Jude didn’t answer, tears flooded her eyes. A stab of loneliness tore at her heart. Her thoughts flashed to Sam, her best friend who she would never see again. Then she thought of her future husband. Oh, how she longed to meet him. In her mind, Albert held the answer to everything—she would never pull such a stunt with him and therefore he would always love her.
She turned her head away from Jude and sniffled quietly as her nose began to run from crying. She hoped Jude wouldn’t hear her. He did, however, because he reached over, took hold of her wrist, and pulled her to him gently. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. “I like you, honey, but I don’t want you to think I like your behavior. I’m disappointed in you because I know you can be good if you try. Does that make sense?”
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