by Maggie Ryan
"I'll fix your bath while you finish these," he said.
"Thank you."
He left her humming as she worked. Going back outside, he got the tub they used for bathing and carried it into the house. Setting it down before the fire, he poured the first bucket of heated water into it.
"What are you doing?"
"I told you, fixing your bath," he said, lifting the second pail.
"I bathe in the bedroom."
"Not any longer," he said, emptying most of the water from the second bucket into the tub. "It is far too cold to bathe in the bedroom and besides, I believe I just told you that you'd be bare in this room."
"Wyatt, I was just teasing about the…"
He stood and turned towards her. She was standing by the table, her hands twisting in her apron. Going to her, he took her in his arms.
"I know you were and I loved hearing you tease. It tells me that you are learning to relax, that you are happier." He kissed her forehead. "Don't start tensing up now, Aggy. Let me teach you there are all sorts of wonderful ways to relax."
"Will you go into the bedroom while I bathe?"
"No, darlin', this lesson is going to be very up close and personal." He reached behind her back and untied the bow at her waist. "I'm not only not going into the other room, I'm going to be joining you in our bath."
Her sharp gasp didn't deter him in the slightest. He tossed her apron onto the table and took her hand, leading her to the tub.
"Wait," she said. He held back a sigh, having hoped that this would go differently. Reminding himself to be patient, he released her hand. "You forgot the soap and towels." She slipped away and he took a deep breath. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who needed a few lessons.
Taking a twig from the mantle, he smiled. She'd told him that she hoped he didn't mind that she'd moved his centerpiece so that it wouldn't get broken. She hadn't told him that she had obviously put some thought into making it even more special. Though the fire gave off some light, he'd appreciate a bit more, and they'd need the candle when they went to bed.
He saw Agatha placing the towels onto the stool next to the hearth. "That's very pretty. Thank you for adding your touch."
Her eyes followed his gaze to the centerpiece. They both stood in silence for a moment. "It takes two to build a life, Aggy. I need you to help me and I pray that you accept my help and my love."
"I-I do."
He undressed her slowly, caressing her skin as he bared it. When she was down to her chemise and bloomers, he took off his clothes until he stood naked in front of her. He was expecting her blush but he wasn't expecting her giggle. "Imagining that funny person again?"
"No, I was trying to picture the look on your face if I wore your union suit instead of my bloomers."
He shook his head. "Darlin', I don't give a fig what you wear. I'd still think you were the most beautiful woman on earth." He reached for the ribbons of her chemise. When the fabric fell open, he slid his hands inside and cupped her breasts, his cock twitching at the realization that her nipples were already puckered so tightly. "My wife," he said, bending to kiss the throat she exposed when she threw her head back. "My love." He removed her bloomers and helped her into the bath.
Despite his vision of romance, he had to join her in laughter when he stepped in as well. Water sloshed over the edge and it took several attempts and adjustments before they were both immersed. He sat with his legs folded to form a lap on which she could sit. She leaned her back against his front. He lathered a cloth and gently washed her arms before sliding the cloth over her breasts. He enjoyed every sigh, every moan and every soft mew as his fingers both bathed and played across her skin. She giggled as she lifted first one leg and then the other out of the warmth of the water so that he could wash them. She blushed when he told her to kneel up.
"Relax, Aggy, I've got you." He ran the cloth over her back, circling slowly down until he reached the swell of her bottom. Her skin was slightly flushed but he knew it was from the heat of the bath and not from her spanking. "Spread your legs for me." When she did, he ran his hand down her thigh. "Wider."
"Um, I can't."
"Yes, honey, you can. Remember…"
"No, I didn't mean that. I can't because this tub is too small."
"Oh, well, shit."
"Wyatt Wilcox, it is not proper to curse."
"Agatha Wilcox, a man can't help but curse when forces outside his control obstruct his ability to please his wife."
"Please me later, husband. For now, can we finish our bath? The water is getting cold."
Satisfied that she had the right idea, he finished bathing her and then immensely enjoyed her returning the favor. It had taken several minutes, but she'd finally managed to wrap the soapy cloth around his cock and hadn't seemed surprised to feel it lengthen beneath her hand. He wanted nothing more than to lift her and impale her on his shaft, but forced himself to be patient. Instead, he set her back and then stood and stepped from the tub. After wrapping a towel around his waist, he told her to bend forward.
She moaned as he washed her hair and he took the time to massage her scalp. After he poured the rest of the warm water over to rinse it, he wrapped it in a towel and then helped her from the water, wrapping the last towel around her body, not failing to notice that her nipples were hard as diamonds and that her eyes were filled with desire. As much as he wanted to pick her up and deposit her on the bed, he knew that she couldn't go to bed with wet hair.
"Stay here," he instructed, guiding her to sit on the stood. She nodded and began to towel dry her hair as he went into the bedroom. Returning with her hairbrush, he pulled up a chair from the table and sat behind her.
"Careful," she said and he paused.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pull."
"You didn't," she said turning her head to look up at him. "I just meant that if you aren't careful, you are going to spoil me. It feels wonderful to have my hair brushed, and I just might forget how to do it myself."
He bent to kiss the top of her head before continuing to brush out the drying strands. "As long as you forget how to bathe yourself, I'll be very glad to not be careful." He saw her tremble and smiled. As soon as her hair was dry, he was going to show her exactly how much he planned on spoiling his wife.
Chapter Nine
"Anna, we are only going for a few hours, not months," Richard said as his wife tucked yet another diaper into the satchel.
"You can never be too prepared," she countered, looking around the cabin and grabbing a blanket from the back of a chair. As she attempted to shove it into the very little remaining space in the bag, her husband took it from her.
"Nope, that's enough," he said, taking it from her and buckling it closed.
"But, Richard—"
"Annabelle Rose, do I need to remind you that you gave birth to only one child and not triplets? Johnny has his quilt, and how many diapers can one boy go through in an afternoon?"
"You might be surprised."
"What will surprise me is if you manage to get your backside out the door without it being warmed first." When she opened her mouth to protest, he grinned. "Of course, I believe there are several more ginger roots in the cellar."
* * * * *
His words had her mind flying back to the day before, and her bottom clenched at the memory of that lesson. By the time she'd filled the molds and they'd had time enough to set, her attempt at humor had disappeared, and if she danced, it was only because the plug he'd placed inside her made it impossible to stand still. The moment she'd upended the second mold and carefully pulled it away, leaving another beautiful round of butter with a pretty rose on top, she'd felt as if her insides were on fire.
She'd had no problem begging to be allowed to go to the privy, and when he slowly inspected her work, she'd had to grit her teeth. At his nod, she flew to the door, flung it open and raced around the house. Though it was cold, she felt nothing but heat. It wasn't until she reached to lift her skirts did she re
alize they were still tucked up into her waistband. After removing the horrid plug, she'd sighed in relief and shook her head. Her husband was constantly surprising her. Whereas she'd learned the hard way that wives did indeed get spanked, she had never expected to learn that there was a wide range of punishments at his disposal.
About to leave the privy, she had lifted the latch when she froze. Had she heard a growl? Slowly releasing the bar, making sure it was secure, she backed away from the door. Though the privy was not the most pleasant place to be, it surely beat being outside in the presence of some wild animal. Minutes passed and she began to feel the cold. Wrapping her arms around her body, she'd tentatively called out Richard's name. A loud snuffling sound answered as something pushed at the door.
Terror had filled her soul and tears filled her eyes. Would whatever it was be able to claw or rip its way through the door? Would Richard wonder why she was taking so long, or had Johnny awakened from his nap and he was tending to him?
She strained to hear every small sound until her head began to ache. It didn't help that she was attempting to remember every wild animal that her husband had warned her about. She remembered the copperhead snake he'd told her he'd killed next to the pond where she'd been swimming, but decided it was too cold for reptiles to be out. Besides, as far as she knew, snakes didn't either growl or snuffle.
Maybe it had just been a raccoon or squirrel. The door hadn't moved that hard. Did they snuffle? Remembering the growl, her heart began to race. Those animals didn't growl but she suspected that cougars, mountain lions or, God forbid, bears… The latch shook and she screamed.
"Anna?"
"Richard!" she screamed again, never in her life so glad to hear her name being called.
"Anna? Honey, what's wrong? Open the door."
"Richard, be careful. There's a wild animal out there. Oh, God, run, Richard. Save Johnny!"
"Anna, honey, calm down. Johnny is fine and, sweetheart, there is nothing out here but me. Now, open the door."
It took her a few tries, but she eventually managed to lift the latch and push the door open. Sobbing, she flew into his arms, climbing up his body and burying her face in his neck. His arms wrapped around her.
"Shhh, Anna, honey, you are fine. I've got you." He carried her back into the house and sat down, cradling her in his lap. He continued to rock her until she began to calm. When she was able, she pushed back a little.
"I swear I heard something. It-it sounded huge and-and hungry." She felt fresh tears slide down her cheeks. "All-all I could think about was what would happen to you and the-the baby!" She laid her forehead against his chest and sobbed for several more minutes.
"I'll go look…"
"No! You can't go out there. Johnny needs a father!"
"Anna, you've got to calm down. Our son has a mother and a father and we are all fine. But, if there is some animal prowling around the house, I need to make sure it's not dangerous. I'll take the rifle."
She considered his words and nodded. "Okay, but be really careful. I don't think it was a cute animal." His smile had her finally able to take a deeper breath and calm a bit more. "You know what I mean; a squirrel or raccoon or something like that. It sounded like it had really big teeth."
"Yes, I remember you saying it was hungry. Well, if it endangers my family, all it is going to eat is buckshot. Now, are you okay?"
Not too sure, but hearing Johnny beginning to cry, she nodded. "Yes. Promise me that if it is too dangerous, you'll come back into the house."
"I promise." He wiped her cheeks and helped her to blow her nose before giving her a kiss. "I'll be back. Latch the door behind me."
"But what if you have to get in fast? What if it's a bear and it chases you…"
"Believe me, you'll hear me hollering way before I get to the door. Just be ready to open it."
He pulled on his coat and took his rifle down. "Come latch the door." She latched the door behind him, said a prayer for his safety, and went to get her son. She needed comfort as much as her baby did. When Richard returned and shook his head, she finally relaxed. She relaxed further when he made love to her, her cries of pleasures banishing the sounds of growls.
* * * * *
"Anna? Honey, are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yes. I guess I'm ready."
Richard helped her into her cloak and tucked Johnny into the crook of his arm. The baby looked more like a bundle of blankets than a boy, but he didn't say a word. He'd heard the wagon pulling up a few minutes earlier and when he opened the door, it was to see Wyatt and Agatha on the wagon seat and Roger on his horse.
"Why don't you drive the wagon and I'll ride Chester?" Wyatt suggested, wrapping the reins around the brake handle.
"No, stay where you are. Let's give Chester another day. His leg looks better than yesterday but is still a bit swollen. I'll ride in the back."
Wyatt still jumped down to help Anna up to sit beside Agatha. Richard handed her the baby and climbed into the bed of the wagon as Wyatt once more took the reins.
"We still stopping at James's?"
"Yes, we need to pick up his list."
"Is that man ever planning on leaving his cabin?" Roger asked.
Richard chuckled. "Yeah, but he doesn't want to go all the way into town with Charity and the girls at home. For now, I think that's best."
Wyatt turned his head to look back at him. "What changed your mind? Yesterday you were all for him returning to work."
"We'll talk about it at James's. No reason to tell the story twice."
It didn't take long to get to the house James shared with Charity. All the cabins were no more than a couple of miles apart. They all wanted their own open spaces but they also wanted a sense of community on the ranch.
"Thank God," Charity said, having opened the door the moment they pulled up.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked.
"Nothing your husbands can't cure. Come on in. I've got a bone to pick with you, Richard Andrews," she said, her hands on her hips.
They all entered the cabin. Richard was about to refuse Charity's offer of coffee when he saw his wife shaking her head. Deciding it was more important to spend at least a few minutes visiting than to get into town faster, he accepted.
"Where's James?" He watched as Charity turned in a circle as if looking for him and then actually pulled her skirts up to mid-calf and lifted first one leg and then the other before dropping her skirts.
Charity looked at Richard, her eyes flashing. "As long as he isn't under my feet, I don't really care," she said with a huff. After pouring them all a cup of coffee, she took a seat on the bench where Agatha and Anna had seated themselves.
"Something bothering you, Charity?"
"Richard, you promised me! You promised you'd convince James to get back to work. And by work, I mean work that takes him out of my eyesight."
"Now, Charity, you know he loves you and is just worried about you and the girls," Wyatt said.
"Don't you dare take his side, Wyatt Wilcox! I know he loves me, and despite the fact that I would actually help string him up, I love him." She turned her gaze back to Richard. "He is driving me insane. Did you see the pile of firewood stacked up outside? I've heard that ax for hours and hours. I'm surprised there's a single tree left standing! And another thing. Did you know the fool actually started to stake out the garden? How stupid is that? Does he not realize that not only is winter coming, but his garden will be buried under tons of snow? I'm telling you—"
"Honey, calm down," Richard said. "I know you are a bit stir-crazy…"
"I'm not stir-crazy, I'm just plain damn crazy!"
"Charity!" Anna gasped.
"What? Oh, don't worry, it seems I can say or do anything I want now. If I want to say damn every other word, I can. James hasn't raised his damn voice or scolded me for months. Damn it, to tell the truth, he hasn't laid a damn hand on me for at least that long. And, I'm not just talking about spanking my damn ass, I'm talking about…"
"I think we get the picture," Richard said, setting down his coffee and leaning forward. "I understand your frustration and I promise I'll talk to James, but, young lady, who exactly do you think taught me to have Anna keep a punishment journal while she was in the last part of her pregnancy and a few weeks after she'd given birth?" He sat back again when her mouth dropped open but for the first time in several minutes, nothing came out.
"That's right. And, let me tell you the truth, it was a wonderful idea. If you doubt how very effective it was, just ask Anna. By the time she'd paid for all those 'forgotten' transgressions, I'm willing to bet she was at least a bit sorry she'd decided that taking advantage of leniency during pregnancy was such a good idea."
He saw his wife shift a bit and wasn't surprised to see Charity shift as well. He almost chuckled to see Agatha looking at the two women and then looking over at her husband. He had absolutely no doubt she was hoping that Wyatt didn't ask for any clarification on what he'd just said.
They all looked up as the door opened and James walked inside, a load of firewood in his arms. "Sorry, I was out back. I just finished stacking a cord of wood."
"No worries," Richard said. "From what I've heard, it takes a great deal of firewood to ensure you can provide warmth to your family over the winter. It's going to be very cold and little children need to be warm." He paused and glanced at Charity. "Wives too, though there are a few additional ways in which that can be accomplished." He was pleased to see her blush but his words seemed to fly right over James's head as he set the wood on the hearth.
"Charity, honey, how about some more coffee?"
Charity nodded and began to rise but her husband put his hand on her shoulder. "No, sweetie, I'll get it. You just rest."
Richard heard Charity's sigh but didn't say anything as James picked up his wife's cup. He brought it back to her with fresh coffee and Richard began to understand the extent of Charity's angst when James not only brought the pot to the table, offering refills, but he then brought a plate of cookies to the table, telling his wife that he'd be back after checking on the girls. Before Charity forgot she had witnesses and actually launched herself at her husband, Richard stood.