by Joannie Kay
"Yeah, I am," he admitted. "One of my many faults," he told her with a grin. "I need coffee, and I wasn't happy when the Lieutenant sent us directly out here."
"I could tell. I heard you muttering under your breath about 'wouldn't hurt to drive through McDonald's or go to Starbucks's on the way'," she giggled at the sheepish look on his face. "You follow orders well, I'll give you that."
"Habit."
"Yes, I imagine so." She looked at him for a full minute and then said, "I respect that about you, Linc. You might not like it, but you do it. You have an ingrained sense of duty... You remind me of Jake and Jase, and in a good way," she added, and then turned her attention to making the coffee, embarrassed that she'd revealed herself in that way.
"Thank you," Linc replied. "Seriously, that is a nice compliment, Jenna," he smiled. After a pause he asked, "Do you think I should go and check on Kelly and Kari?"
"Not if you value your life. Didn't you notice that gun my sister-in-law was carrying? I'd leave well enough alone right now."
* * *
"Oh, this is awful," Kelly groaned, was sick again, and then she started crying.
"Oh, honey, don't cry," Kari knelt down to hug her. "You'll feel better soon, once this passes." She handed her a cup of water to rinse her mouth.
Kelly did so, and then tried to nibble on the cracker that Kari offered her. "I can't do this, Kari. I've got to call Nevin and tell him I'm pregnant, and then get another officer out here right away. I am useless to you right now."
"That other cop is out there, so we aren't alone," Kari reminded her.
"I can't believe you took his cell phone!" Kelly giggled in spite of her misery. "I'm amazed, in fact."
"He made me angry," Kari sputtered indignantly. "I didn't like his attitude at all!"
"Linc is a good guy, and a good police officer," Kelly defended him, and held out her hand for another cracker. "I'm starting to feel a bit better," she said in relief. "I just need a few more minutes to pull it together before facing Linc. I don't want HIM to tell Nevin. That is my job."
Kari held up his cell phone. "He won't get the opportunity as long as I have this," she said smugly.
"I hate to mention this, but if Jake finds out about this, you're going to get your rear end dusted."
"I don't care. I'll find a way to make him pay if I get into trouble," she promised. "I'm not nice when I get mad."
Kelly actually laughed, and her color was returning. "You are something else, Kari Tobias, and I am so glad you are on my side of things." She took a deep breath, and got up off the floor. "I'm going to freshen up a bit and I'll be right out." She hugged Kari and said, "Thank you, my friend, for taking care of me this morning. I'm not going to handle this part of being pregnant very well, I'm afraid."
"Tomorrow we'll make sure you eat some crackers before you get out of bed, okay?" Kari hugged her back, and then left the bathroom, pleased that Kelly was finally past the morning sickness for the day. She went out to the kitchen, prepared to fix some coffee, and was pleased to see it was already made. She needed a cup. "Thanks, whoever made the coffee."
"I did. I would have started some breakfast, but I didn't know what you wanted, Kari," Jenna said.
"Kelly really stocked up on food. We have pretty much whatever anyone wants," Kari answered, carrying her mug of coffee over to the table. She had a seat and asked, "What can I fix for you?"
"You can give me my cell phone," Linc said firmly.
"Nope." She saw his eyes light up. "I will warn you right now, Officer Aiken, that I might be small, but you are not getting this phone without one hell of a fight." To her surprise, Jenna started giggling. "I'm not joking, Jenna."
"I know you aren't, but, Kari, Linc took out three of Darles men, and they were huge and armed!" she giggled again.
"Well," Kari turned up her chin, "he hasn't tangled with ME yet! And he doesn't want to!"
"Do you sass Jake like that?" Jenna asked with a laugh. "Man alive, I'd love to see that. Jake has met his match for sure. I thought you were all sweet and mooshy, but you aren't. Oh, that didn't come out right. I meant to say that you have spirit, and you will keep Jake on his toes. Not that you aren't nice," Jenna was red-faced by now.
Kari just grinned at her. "I have a temper, and yes, I've let Jake have it a few times." She didn't add that she'd lost those skirmishes, but she suspected that Jenna already knew that. She sipped at her coffee, and then got up and started breakfast. Jenna offered to help, and Kari kept her busy. Kari also kept an eye on Officer Aiken and glared at him every so often so he would sit still.
Kelly finally came into the kitchen and smiled at Kari. Her eyes were shining and sparkling and her cheeks were pink with pleasure. She quickly said 'hello' to Linc and Jenna before turning to Kari to say, "I'm in 'big trouble' according to Nevin, but he's happy! About broke my eardrum letting out a whoop! He's so excited!"
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Kari exclaimed.
"He said I can stay as long as Linc is here, too. They caught several of Darles men last night. They tried to break into the dorm, and were also apprehended outside Jenna's house... and they broke into your home, Kari. The Lieutenant had officers everywhere. Darles wasn't with them, however. Jake doesn't think Darles knows about this place, and that is why he sent Jenna here."
"I think that is a good idea," Kari nodded and then smiled at Jenna. "The more the merrier. It will give us an opportunity to get to know each other better, and I would really like that."
"I would, too," Jenna said, stunned to realize she meant it.
A telephone rang and Linc held out his hand. "My phone, please, Mrs. Tobias...?" His look was somber, but turned to surprise when she handed it over immediately, and without protest. He answered, and then listened. "Yes, sir, I will. Yes, I understand." He was smiling. "Congratulations, sir," he added before disconnecting the call.
"Nevin?" Kelly asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes, I am ordered to keep you safe," he answered. "Congratulations, Kelly."
"Thank you!"
"Well, darn it, someone please tell me what is going on?" Jenna looked around the room.
"I'm pregnant, Jenna," Kelly explained. "I just learned about it... and had my first bout of morning sickness this morning. That is why Kari took Linc's phone. She knew I wanted to be the one to tell Nevin."
"Ohhhhhhh....! I understand now! Great move, Kari!" she praised her sister-in-law.
Linc shook his head. "I would have held off making the call if you'd just told me the truth, Mrs. Tobias," he said earnestly.
"With your grouchy attitude? I don't think so!" Kari snapped.
"I hadn't had my coffee yet," he told her, wishing he could turn her over his knee and smack her butt. The Lieutenant would kill him, though, for even thinking about it....
"If you say so!" Kari put a platter of bacon on the table, and followed it with a bowl of scrambled eggs. There was toast and orange juice, and she felt that was enough, but she asked politely, "Can I get anything else for anyone?"
"I'd like sausage, biscuits, and gravy... and some grits," Linc simply couldn't resist yanking her chain a bit.
Kari looked at him and then pointed, "There's the stove, Officer."
Everyone laughed but Kari, and Linc immediately felt bad for teasing her. "I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot, Mrs. Tobias."
"I don't like being yelled at, Officer," she snapped, and then turned her attention to her food.
Kelly was surprised by Kari's behavior. It wasn't like her to be so... rude! She looked at Linc, and he just shrugged, but she could tell that he was bothered. A few words from Kari to Jake, and Linc would be as good as gone, not that Kari would be that vindictive... but Linc didn't know that.
"These scrambled eggs are almost as good as Ma's!" Jenna said to break the tension in the air. "No one cooks as good as Ma, so don't be offended, Kari."
"I'm not," Kari laughed. "Molly is a wonderful cook."
Jenna entertained them with an exagger
ated account of Jake's 'battle' with Molly the evening before and how he ended it by threatening to find her a husband who would take her over his knee and spank her! They were all laughing, even Linc.
"What did your Mom say to that?" Kari asked curiously.
"She threatened to take a wooden spoon to Jake, but she was laughing, and she hugged him and told him everything would be all right. He calmed down some after that, and then went all Cop like he does, and started giving orders right and left. He put Ma and I down in the basement because there was no way they could get in down there, and we didn't even know that those men came to the house and were going to come in my window until we were told this morning that Jake arrested them. Poor Linc spent the entire night in the kitchen, sitting on a chair in front of the back door and the basement door, which are beside each other," she added for Kelly's benefit since she'd never been inside the house. "Jake had men at the dorm, too, covering my room and Deborah's, and they arrested five more of Darles' men. He had officers at your house, too, Kari. They expected to find you... and you," she told a startled Kelly. "One of the men talked... told them where they met with Darles. Jake went there hoping to arrest him, but he was gone."
"Sugar, we're going to have to have a little talk," Linc warned.
"Why? What did I do now?" Jenna asked innocently.
"The Sergeant is the one who should have told Kelly about that," he said in a scolding tone of voice.
"Ohhhhh... Oh... I'm so sorry, Kelly. I didn't realize that you didn't know... You talked to Nevin, and I was so sure... I am so sorry. I have a big mouth." Jenna had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right, Jenna. I needed to know, and I am grateful you told me, even though it startled me a bit. Now I know why Nevin let me stay here. He thinks I'm safer here." She was stunned to realize that she was also a target of Darles.
"Don't worry, Kelly. You are a trained police officer and you know what to do to protect yourself. I'm here, and they won't get past me. I give you my word on that. I've got your back."
Kelly nodded and squared her shoulders, and Kari realized that Linc had said just the right thing. He'd given Kelly confidence and courage and reminded her that she was strong. Kari smiled at Linc in appreciation. He returned her smile, and just like that, her opinion of him did a complete turn around.
"Can I get you some more coffee, Linc?" she offered, getting to her feet to go and get the pot. He thanked her as she refilled his cup, and Jenna accepted some, too. Kelly wasn't touching coffee because of the caffeine, so Kari topped off her cup, and then sat down once again.
It wasn't long before the dogs sounded an alarm and Kelly ordered Kari to take Jenna and go to the safe room. Kari flat out refused. "You're in as much danger as me, and I'm not hiding from that bastard. I'm going to fight, too!" Kari insisted. "That's my godchild you're carrying! And, I'm not abandoning you to protect myself."
"Damn it, Kari, I'm a police officer! Now go!"
"No. You're pregnant, and I'm staying." She had her gun ready, and wasn't surprised to see that Jenna was also armed.
"Sugar, if I give you an order, obey it. Hear me? I'll spank you proper if you don't!" Linc promised, on his way to the door to look out and see who was approaching.
Kelly and Kari looked at each other in surprised and then smiled. "Is that the way of it with you, too, Jenna?" Kari asked in a whisper, trying to keep Linc from hearing."
"I think it is," she answered truthfully, not bothering to pretend she didn't understand what she was being asked.
"You can join our club then," Kelly said with a wide grin.
"What club is that?" Jenna asked curiously as they all watched Linc for any sign of coming trouble.
"The Spanked Wives Club. We offer sympathy and a soft pillow to sit on," Kelly replied with a straight face.
"Sounds like a great club," Jenna laughed. "I have a tender tush today... I earned it," she added, looking at Kari. "Don't be mad at Linc."
"I understand, hon. I really do. I'm still recovering from the last spanking Jake gave me, although I'm a lot better now. I earned that one, too."
"See, doesn't it make you feel better to have someone to talk to about this?" Kelly asked in a soft whisper. "I mean, it's not like you can walk into work and say, 'my husband spanked me so I don't feel like sitting down for our meeting today'."
"Or, 'sorry professor, I need to stand up while you lecture because I have a sore butt'!"
They all giggled and Linc shook his head and muttered something about 'silly females' under his breath. That made them giggle again, even though Kelly went 'shhhh'.
"I think it's okay, ladies," Linc finally announced when the car came a bit closer. "Just stay down until I'm positive it's the Sergeant. It looks like his car. Kelly jumped up to go and look, and Linc growled at her, "Get your butt over there, Kelly. I'm supposed to be protecting you, too!"
"It's Nevin," she said in excitement.
"It's a car like his; we haven't seen him yet. Now, do as I say, Officer, before I have to report you for not following orders."
"No one in authority has told me I have to take orders from you, Officer, and my rank is the same as yours, but I have seniority," Kelly stuck up for herself.
"Do you want your husband finding you standing right here when you're supposed to be with the other two ladies?" Linc asked pointedly. "It's your butt..."
Kelly quickly returned to their 'hiding' spot, which was in a corner behind a tall cupboard
A minute or two later, Linc said calmly, "It's the Sergeant, and the Lieutenant is with him."
"Jake is here, too?" Kari squealed in delight.
The two men came in the door, and were greeted with hugs and kisses. Linc had to smile, and he noted that Jenna was watching her brother and sister-in-law with unbridled curiosity, and then she nodded and smiled. She looked over at Linc, and gave him a wink, and then moved to his side and said in a whisper, "I was worried at first because they met and married so fast... but they really love each other, Linc."
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "It happens like that sometimes, sugar." The look he gave her was full of promise and Jenna caught her breath. It felt 'right', just like Ma always said it would.
"Have you two had breakfast?" Kari asked. "I'll be happy to fix something for you if you haven't eaten yet. She didn't really care for the look in Jake's dark eyes.
"We had something, Kari, thank you," Nevin answered. "I would like a moment with you, Kelly. We'll talk upstairs in our room." He turned to Jake and said, "Feel free to use the study, friend."
Jake nodded, and then said, "Come along, Kari. We need to talk."
When they left the room, Jenna turned to Linc, and said, "Ut oh!"
"Want another cup of coffee, sugar," Linc asked, trying to distract her.
"No... I want to go and eavesdrop and find out what has those two men all ticked off at Kari and Kelly," she admitted with an impish grin.
"You go to doing that, sugar, and you'll be the one getting another spanking," he winked. "So, tell me, Jenna, how do you feel about babies and kids in general?"
* * *
"Just what I need," Jake said as he picked up a wooden ruler from the desk. "You can come right over here, young lady, and take down those jeans and bend over this desk."
"What? Why?" Kari looked at Jake in dismay. "What did I do, Jake?" she asked, confused. "I haven't done anything wrong?"
"No? Do you call interfering with a police officer 'nothing'?" he demanded. "Kari, you can't treat the men and women who work under me the way you treated Linc Aiken. You were rude, threatened him, and you took his cell phone from him. What if there'd been an emergency and he needed backup right away?"
"I was trying to keep him from calling Nevin and telling him that Kelly was ill. It was her right to tell Nevin about the baby," Kari blurted.
"You didn't have the right to do that, sweetheart. You can't threaten an Officer and use me as the threat. It isn't fair."
"I was pro
tecting Kelly, and it was fair. You weren't here to see the whole thing, and..."
"I don't need to witness what you did to know it was wrong, Kari. Now bend over this desk, or this spanking is going to go from a simple reminder to an all-out punishment."
"You are being unreasonable, Jake!"
"Now, Kari. Jeans down."
"Jake!" she stomped her foot in frustration. "This isn't fair!"
"Last chance, sweetheart," he told her, and she could see he meant it. If she did not cooperate, he was going to get mean.
"All right, but I can promise you are going to be apologizing for this, Jacob Tobias, and I am not going to be very forgiving!" she told him.
Jake hid his grin as she leaned over the desk, presenting her bare bottom for a spanking. He hated having to do this, but she had to learn that she couldn't tangle with his officers and get away with it. It wouldn't do at all. They would be afraid of her... and of him for allowing her to behave that way. Jake started with his hand, and learned that Kari was still a little tender from the last punishment he'd given her. It wasn't the best way to start a marriage, but he had no choice. He had to follow through and make the lesson sharp enough she would recall it the next time she was tempted to give one of his officers a hard time.
Kari was truly upset and it didn't take long for her to start crying as Jake spanked her bottom. His hand was large and hard, and she couldn't imagine why he thought he needed the ruler when his hand hurt so much! "Owwww!" she finally cried out. "Jake, please! I'm still sore from the other day!"
"One has nothing to do with the other, sweetheart. I'm sorry this is necessary, but when you misbehave, we'll deal with it immediately, no matter how sore you already are." He did lighten up just a bit since her skin was already feeling hot to his touch and was a flaming red. Her skin was delicate, and he didn't need to spank really hard to make his point. "Are you ready to apologize to Linc?"
"Yes!" she said, anxious to end the torment on her bottom.