by Joannie Kay
“I said I’m sorry! Please stop! I mean it and I won’t do it again!” she sobbed.
“I know you won’t do it again. I’m sorry, too, that it was necessary to start out like this,” Walker told her, helping her up. “Now dry your tears, Jessie,” he said as she quickly righted her clothing, shielding her body from his eyes. “I wasn’t expecting a little girl, but I can work it out by moving a couple of the guys in together and giving you a room of your own. Mrs. Gibbons will be happy to have some help in the kitchen and house, I’m sure.” He smiled at her. “It won’t hurt you to learn to cook and do all the things a little girl needs to learn, plus your regular schooling.”
“I can’t stay here, Walker!” Jessie protested. “I have to be on my way. I’m looking for someone!”
“Jessie, you don’t understand,” Walker said firmly, but kindly. “You are my responsibility for the next year. If you run away, the Judge will send you to a reformatory for girls. You really don’t want that to happen.” Walker didn’t know the first thing about dealing with little girls, and he couldn’t believe that Tanner didn’t realize Jessie was a girl when he arrested her and locked her up. She was too pretty to be a boy!
“No! You don’t understand! I’m not a child, damn it! I refuse to stay here!”
“Watch your language unless you have a fondness for tasting soap,” he warned. “And you are a child.” His tone was full of amusement.
“You are going to be so sorry for treating me like this!” she stomped her foot, glaring at him with flashing green eyes.
“I’m going to turn you over my knee and spank you again if you don’t settle down right now, Jessie,” he warned. “Now come with me and I’ll introduce you to Mrs. Gibbons. You mind her and…” The door to the study banged open and sixteen-year-old Billy ran into the room, a wild expression on his face.
“Don’t you touch her, Walker!” his green eyes glared at the man defiantly.
“Billy! Billy! Oh, my God, I’ve been searching everywhere for you!” Jessie burst into tears as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
“Don’t cry, Jessie!” Billy said, uncomfortably. “I can’t believe you’re here. Jake said the name of the new guy, and I just knew right off that it was you.” He awkwardly patted her back. “It’s okay. Don’t cry. You didn’t have to pretend to be a boy and get into trouble to come here. Walker’s not a mean guy. He would have let you visit me.” She continued to sniffle, and he asked, “How’d you get away from Snake?”
“He’s dead,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“Did you kill him?” Billy asked suspiciously, and Walker about swallowed his tongue.
“No, silly!” Jessie laughed. “Mick Feeny did, and Snake had it coming to him, too.”
“I knew I liked Mick for some reason!” The teen laughed at his own joke.
“Billy!”
“Did he hurt you after I left, Jessie?” Billy asked worriedly. “That’s been the only thing I worried about while I’ve been here… that you were in trouble. I should have stayed to protect you.” His green eyes were full of guilt as he searched his sister’s face.
“He would have killed you, if you stayed,” she said quietly, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “I was scared when I couldn’t find you, honey. Why didn’t you write to me? Or send me a telegram?”
“I got into trouble, Jess,” he confessed. “I was afraid that if I gave them my last name, they’d send me back to Snake. So, I just gave them my first name, and ended up here with Walker. He’s treated me fair, and it is sure better than going hungry and running all the time.”
“What did you do to get into trouble, honey?” she wanted to know.
“Stole a chicken… got caught eating it,” he admitted sheepishly. “I ran out of money, sis. I knew if I wrote to you and asked you to send money, he’d hurt you if he found out you sent me anything.”
“Oh, Billy, you poor kid. I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep you safe,” she told him, putting her hand on his cheek.
Walker was shocked. The tiny Jessie was older than Billy and he’d bared her and spanked her! He felt his face turning red from the neck up. He’d refused to listen to her; refused to give her an opportunity to talk to Judge Slater! Surely, at her trial, she would have told the man the truth…? “Jessie, I don’t know what to say,” he confessed, embarrassed. He’d never mistreated a woman in his entire life, and it didn’t sit well with him that he’d compromised her. Why the hell hadn’t he questioned her when she tried to tell him she needed to speak to the judge? And why on earth hadn’t she told Tanner the truth in the first place?
“You can start with an apology, Walker,” she glared at him.
“I’m not the only one to blame here, Jessie,” Walker stated. “You should have told Tanner right away that you are a grown woman!”
“I don’t expect you to understand this, Walker Ames, because you are a big man, and I’m sure you don’t know what it’s like to be afraid! Do you know how dangerous it is for a woman my size to travel alone? Do you have any idea how many men there are in this world who think nothing of taking advantage of a female? I don’t know the Sheriff, or what he is capable of. I intended to tell the Judge, and ask for his understanding. The stage I was on was robbed. Everything I had was taken, and I barely escaped rape. If the bandits hadn’t been so fat and overweight, I wouldn’t have been able to outrun them! I was lucky to find a ranch the next day after walking and walking and walking, and a woman there was kind enough to loan me these clothes and a bit of money so I could keep looking for Billy. By the time I reached Cedar Ridge, I hadn’t eaten for two days. I looked for work, and no one would hire me. I was walking by the Mercantile, saw the apples, and I simply took one without giving it a thought. It was wrong and stupid… but to get sentenced to an entire year of work on a ranch… I don’t think so!”
“That’s the way it is here, Jessie, and until I talk to Judge Slater, you are my responsibility. Defy me again, and I’ll give you another sound spanking!” Walker promised.
Chapter Two
“Another spanking?” Billy repeated, his eyes turning a dark green as his hands balled into fists. “You strapped Jessie?” he took a step toward Walker.
“Billy, stop. He didn’t strap me… and he thought me around twelve years old and he spanked me. I’ll live,” Jessie said calmly, deciding to wait until her little brother was out of hearing before she turned on the big man and pinned his ears to his head.
“You’re a girl, Jessie!” Billy said, shocked. “Walker shouldn’t have done that!”
“No, he shouldn’t have done that,” she agreed, stepping in front of her brother before he did something very foolish. While Billy was tall and had firm muscles, next to Walker, he looked like a green kid, and Walker could hurt him.
“Look here, Billy, I didn’t know Jessie was grown. If she’d mentioned that to Tanner or to me, then she wouldn’t have ended up over my knee. She got sent here for the same reason you did… Now, don’t you have chores to get done?” He decided it best to put the youngster back to work before he decided to take him on and Walker ended up having to tan his hide!
“You don’t want me to leave you alone right now, Walker. Jessie will kill you, and…”
“Billy, that is enough!” Jessie said in embarrassment. She could talk for herself, and Walker didn’t need the advantage of knowing she was going to cut him down to size!
“Jess, Walker is a good guy most of the time. He’s for sure not like Snake. I know how you are, but Walker don’t!” Billy said earnestly, trying to convince her to settle down.
“Whose side are you on?” Jessie looked at her brother, and her eyes were full of temper.
“Yours,” he answered without hesitation, “but you need to calm down. Walker will do right by you,” Billy insisted. “I ain’t leaving you alone with him,” he said stubbornly, planting his feet and folding his arms across his chest. “I’m bigger than you now,” he added, reminding her of that litt
le fact.
“Billy, you get back to your chores,” Walker said impatiently. “I don’t need protecting from Jessie!” He didn’t know whether to be insulted or amused.
Billy flashed him a look that called him ‘crazy’. “You don’t know Jessie, Walker. I do. She’s not like other girls.”
Jessie stomped her foot in irritation. “You go and do your chores right now!”
Billy grinned. “Nope.” He opened his mouth and yelled, “Mrs. Gibbons! Mrs. Gibbons!”
An older woman came rushing into the study a few seconds later, drying her hands on her apron. “What is it?” she asked curiously, looking at Walker questioningly.
“Ma’am,” Billy spoke up. “This here is my sister, Jessie. She needs a bath and some girl clothes, and probably something to eat. Could you take care of her, please?” he asked with a smile for the woman.
“Well, of course… Walker…?” she looked at her boss for approval, and he nodded, surprised at Billy.
“I’m Mrs. Gibbons, dear. And you are?” She smiled at Jessie, her blue eyes full of kindness and understanding.
“I’m Jessie Bridges, Mrs. Gibbons, and I would love a bath, if it’s not too much trouble?” Jessie admitted. Trust Billy to know the one thing guaranteed distract her and calm her temper! She permitted the woman to lead her from the room and upstairs. She would deal with Walker Ames later, she promised herself.
Billy watched his sister go along with Mrs. Gibbons, then closed the study door and turned to face Walker. “You’d better lock up your guns, Walker. Jessie is mad as can be at you!”
“The gun cases are off limits, and you know that, Billy,” he said calmly.
“Jessie doesn’t care about your rules, Walker,” the sixteen-year-old said earnestly. “If you don’t want to lock them, then at least put the ammunition up really high where she can’t reach it. She gets real dizzy if she tries to climb up on a chair or ladder. She can’t do it for anything… not without losing her balance and falling.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic, boy?” Walker snorted.
“You don’t know Jessie. Everyone was scared of ole Snake, but not Jessie. She got in his face and dared him to put a hand on her. She would‘a shot him dead for it, and you spanked her. Jessie won’t let it go, Walker. She’s good with a gun.” Billy headed for the door, and then said, “And, now that you know she’s not a little kid, you’d best not touch her again, or I’ll find a way to shoot you myself!” He left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Walker still couldn’t believe the feisty Jessie was an adult. She was so darn tiny! And it really bothered him that she didn’t say a word to Tanner, or to him, before he spanked her. He wouldn’t have done that if he’d known. He wouldn’t have brought her out here if he’d known. Judge Slater wouldn’t have sentenced her to a year on this ranch if she had told him the truth. Now what?
And who was this Snake that Billy kept referring to?
* * *
Jessie was shocked to learn the ranch house featured a bathing room! There was a tank with hot water in it, and running a bath was simple! And it was heavenly to soak in the warmed water and to get her hair clean again. Of course, the warm water made her bottom sting that much more, and sitting wasn’t very comfortable at all, but she wanted the bath enough to ignore that part of her anatomy!
After what seemed a few short minutes, but was in reality an hour, Mrs. Gibbons tapped on the door and called out that it was her. “I have put clean clothing on the bed in your room, dear. You don’t need to worry about any of the boys catching you wrapped in a towel and crossing the hallway. They are all at their chores right now, including Walker.”
“Thank you for being so kind, Mrs. Gibbons. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know,” Jessie said sincerely.
“You are most welcome, Jessie. I don’t know what brought you here, but Walker will get it all straightened out. He is a decent man,” she proclaimed, and then gasped when she caught a glimpse of Jessie’s backside as she rose from the tub of chilling water. “Oh, you poor child! Look at your bottom! Did Walker do that?” she demanded angrily.
Jessie nodded. “I am sore!”
Mrs. Gibbons nodded sympathetically. “Walker is a big, strong man. I doubt he realized what he was doing!”
“He knew.” Just as she would know when she made him pay for treating her so despicably. “How can I get a letter into town to the Judge?” she asked Mrs. Gibbons.
“You’ll have to ask Walker, dear. He approves everything that happens here.”
“But, surely you can see that I can’t stay here! I’m a grown woman… and…”
“Walker will do the right thing, Jessie. I promise you that,” she stated. “Now let’s get you dressed. I think it would be lovely to have some help in the kitchen for a change. Do you have any idea how much food all those growing boys and Walker can eat at a meal?” She laughed happily. She stuck her head out in the hallway and listened. “Okay,” she said. “No one is around.”
Jessie hurried across the hallway, anxious to see what the older woman found for her to wear. To her surprise, there were frilly underthings, and a pretty skirt and shirtwaist, and Mrs. Gibbons had even cleaned her shoes! “Thank you, Mrs. Gibbons,” she said, smiling at her. “It will be nice to be wearing a skirt again.”
“I’m sure. It might be a bit long, but we can fix that if we need to.”
“Where did these come from?” Jessie asked curiously, slipping behind the privacy screen to get dressed.
“They were my granddaughter’s. She outgrew them some time ago. You’re so tiny, I thought they might work…”
And they did! The petticoats and skirt were the right length, much to Jessie’s shock, and the shirtwaist fit, too. Of course the clothing was for a younger person, but Jessie didn’t mind. It felt good to be clean! There was a ribbon to pull back her hair, and after brushing it thoroughly, she did just that. “I feel like a new person, Mrs. Gibbons. Thank you so much.”
“You look lovely, Jessie.”
* * *
Walker headed for the house. He needed to make sure that Jessie wasn’t giving Mrs. Gibbons any trouble, and they needed to have a talk. He wasn’t going to permit her to behave with less respect than the boys. Not while she was in his care. And, he wouldn’t permit her to upset his housekeeper. There weren’t many women who would be willing to cook three huge meals a day and keep house for six growing boys and one big man! He wasn’t going to lose her because of Jessie’s sassy mouth, either.
He entered the house quietly and stood on the back porch, listening. It was an old habit left over from when he was a kid and trying to decide if it was safe to come on inside or go and hide in the barn overnight. He heard laughter and Mrs. Gibbons chatting a mile a minute. Another voice replied, and Mrs. Gibbons laughed again. He smiled, and was tempted to head outside again, but Mrs. Gibbons spotted him, and he went on inside the kitchen.
“Would you like some coffee, Walker?” she offered. “Jessie and I were having a cup, and the pot is freshly made.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” he replied. “I can get it myself,” he said when she jumped up. “No need to wait on me, Mrs. Gibbons.” He smiled at her.
“Well, I need to go outside and get some vegetables from the garden. I think you would do well to apologize to Miss Jessie, young man,” she said firmly, deliberately leaving the two young people alone. “When Judge Slater hears about this, he is going to expect you to do the right thing, Walker Ames,” she shook a finger at him as if he was her own son or grandson, then picked up a large clean dishpan and a knife and went to pick greens for a salad for the dinner table.
“Jessie, I don’t know what to say,” he stated truthfully. She was a beautiful woman, and seeing her in a skirt and looking so pretty… Well, it was obvious she wasn’t a child. She was a small woman, but had surprisingly large breasts, and he couldn’t help but notice. Damn, she should have told him! But she did try, his conscience scolded.
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“The only thing I want to hear from you is that I can leave this place with Billy and go home! Maybe then I will chose to let you live!” Jessie was furious with the man. Her poor backside was still throbbing, and she couldn’t sit down for more than a couple of minutes without jumping to her feet. She was in pain!
“You aren’t going anywhere, Jessie, and neither is Billy. He’s still has six months to stay here.”
“I’ll pay for the fucking chicken!” Jessie said furiously. “You can see he isn’t a criminal!”
“Watch your language, young lady, or you’ll be tasting soap!” Walker was shocked. “Of course Billy isn’t a criminal. None of these boys are criminals. That’s the whole point. They all made bad choices because they were all alone and hungry and scared. That’s why Judge Slater sent them here. To give me time to straighten them out and teach them how to get along in the world.”
“By taking a belt to them?” she fumed.
“The Judge has to give them a consequence for stealing. It’s a good one, and no one ever died from a tanning.”
“Best you get out of my sight, Walker,” she warned angrily, struggling to control her temper.
“This is my house. I’ll be where I want to be, Jessie, and you’d better control that sassy mouth of yours before it gets you into some major trouble with me.”
“More threats? Haven’t you done enough harm, big man?” she taunted. “You didn’t give me a chance to explain anything to the Judge. I demand you let me leave here and go and talk to the man in person!”
“You aren’t in the place to be making demands. You are sentenced here for a year, and until that year is up, or the Judge says otherwise, you’ll do as you are told. Is that clear?”