She nodded. “All right.” She was quiet momentarily. “I didn't realize there were things like that you had to watch out for; animals or even people.”
“Welcome to life on the ranch,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you.” She gave him a fleeting smile in return.
While they seemed to be getting along better, he asked a few questions about what she'd been doing since they moved to the east coast. He was surprised to hear she'd just recently graduated college and hadn't had a serious job yet. They visited several minutes, and he felt much better about their ability to get along. He got up to leave, but turned back toward her. “Oh, I forgot about one other thing I wanted to talk to you about, Alicia.”
“What's that?”
“My men. The ranch hands have definitely noticed you're here.” She smiled, and he frowned. “I want you to quit.”
Her eyes squinted as she looked at him. “Quit what?”
“Quit teasing them.”
“What makes you think I'm teasing them?”
“How many of them are you planning on dating?”
“None have asked me out.”
“But when they do, how many of them will you go out to dinner with?” She looked surprised. “You aren't planning on going out with any of them, are you?”
“I don't know. I never really thought about it.”
“That's what I thought. You're out there teasing them, putting on a show as you put suntan lotion on, but you aren't planning on going out with any of them. That's playing with fire, Garnet, and I want it to stop.”
“How dare you accuse me of—”
“Save your breath. I went to school with you. I've seen you in action. You're a big tease. I'm warning you, I don't want to catch you out there teasing the hands again. They're looking at you and the show you're giving them, and one of them's going to get hurt. They need to concentrate on what they're doing.” He turned and went to the door. “Have a good evening,” he said as he turned to leave.
“Wait! Stop right there. Who the hell do you think you are, and what gives you the right to talk to me that way? You haven't even seen me since I was like 15 or 16. How dare you assume you know me.”
He stopped, and slowly turned to look at her. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You're right, I don't know what you're like now. I was thinking back to what you were like when I knew you, and coupled it with what I saw the last couple days. It looked to me like you were teasing the hands. But I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, and I'm sorry. I don't know what you're like now, and I'll keep an open mind until I get the chance to get to know you again. Have a good evening now. Good night, Alicia.”
Chapter 3
Alicia watched as Bo walked out of the house. She was angry. He had no right to say the things he'd said. She sat down and turned the television on, but wasn't interested in the show. His words kept going through her mind. She'd blamed him all these years for things that he now claimed he hadn't done. She thought back, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't actually remember ever hearing him call her Darn It.
She had to smile when she thought about the whole science test fiasco. But her smile faded as she thought of something she hadn't realized before. He knew she was the one that had the peashooter, so why didn't he tell the principal? She was sure if he would have told Mr. Jacobs that he hadn't used it, but she had, Mr. Jacobs would have checked out his story before he paddled him. If he would have asked the other kids, they would have told him it was hers, not his. So why didn't Bo say anything?
As she thought about it, the answer to that question became clear. Bo never tattled on anyone. Looking back on it, he never did or said things that would get other people in trouble. Why hadn't she thought of that before? She blamed him all these years, and if she would have thought it through, he wasn't the kind of kid who would have done that.
Now she felt bad about blaming him all these years, and in essence making him take the spanking she should have had. But just as she was ready to apologize to him and call a truce, she remembered his last words. He felt she was teasing the men who worked on the ranch, the – what had he called them? The ranch hands.
Well, if she were honest with herself, she was, but he didn't need to know that. Maybe she had been a big tease in high school, but he still had no right to assume she hadn't changed. She quickly reached a decision. She'd change, as of right now. She'd make him eat his words. She'd show him she wasn't the same person he knew from school.
She kept thinking about it, and soon she found herself formulating a plan. If he thought she was a big tease, she'd show him a big tease. Only she'd be so good at it he wouldn't see what was happening. In fact, she would change so much from the Garnet he knew that he'd want to get to know her better. That was fine with her, because after all, he was a very handsome cowboy, and who wouldn't like to be seen in town with a handsome cowboy? Then when she had him hooked, she'd go back home and start a new life. That would show him. She went to bed that night thinking about her plan. She was going to make him regret saying those nasty things to her.
* * *
The first few days of her plan went remarkably well. She stayed pretty much out of sight as far as the men were concerned, and dressed modestly. She also stayed close to the house, and was very polite during meals. That earned her smiles from Bo and Wyatt. During meals she discovered Bo had a wonderful sense of humor and was an excellent conversationalist. She was going to have to be careful. Her goal was to get him to like her, not the other way around.
She kept the charade up for about a week. Things were going pretty much as she'd planned. Bo seemed to be talking to her and smiling a lot during meals, and the two of them sat out by the pool for about an hour one evening after supper. She enjoyed it a great deal, even if she refused to admit it.
After another couple days, however, she was bored. She heard Bo and Wyatt say several of the men were going to be cutting wheat and baling straw in a couple fields south of the house, so she decided to go check it out. She'd take a four-wheeler, and hopefully she'd be able to see or hear them if she followed the lane that went south.
She went upstairs and got what she'd need, and was ready to leave, when she remembered her phone. She looked at it for several seconds, considering her options. Bo said to always take it with her in case she had any trouble and needed it, but what trouble would she have? She planned on staying on the lane, so there was no chance of getting lost. If she encountered any wild animals, she could always jump back on the four-wheeler and head back to the house. He said the wildlife didn't go too close to the house, so that should solve that.
She turned and headed toward the door, but turned and took one last look at the phone. Bo had called her a couple times during the day over the last few days just to say hi. She was pretty sure her plan was working, and he was becoming interested in her. If he called and she didn't answer he'd want to know why, and she'd rather not have to deal with that. She grabbed her phone and stuck it in her pocket as she was leaving.
Fifteen minutes later she was flying down the lane, heading south. It felt good to be out, and the wind in her face felt even better. She knew Bo had told her not to go too fast on the four-wheelers because the lanes weren't very smooth. In some places they weren't much more than a narrow dirt path, and there were lots of loose stones, as well as holes in them. But he worried too much. It felt good being out, and knowing he wouldn't approve somehow made it feel even better.
She giggled and twisted the throttle up a notch.
Bo was at his home, cleaning up. One of their horses had just foaled, but had had a difficult time. He had been with the mare for the last two hours, and had finally been able to ease the newborn foal out. Luckily, it had been timely enough to save the mare and her baby. He was a mess, though, and had taken a quick shower.
He was pulling his boots on to head back to the barn to check on the mare and her new arrival, when Landon called. The combine had broken down, but by what h
e was saying, Bo was pretty sure he knew what it was and was confident it would be a relatively quick fix. He went to the machine shed and grabbed a few tools before going to the barn to get Midnight. He put the tools in his saddlebags and headed out to the field.
As he neared the field he could see Landon, Brooks and Toby, all looking off to the side, smiling. Afraid of what he'd see, he looked over to see what they were all staring at. Sure enough, there was Garnet, or Alicia, whoever she was. “Not again,” he muttered. He looked back over to her, and was shocked. She was standing by a four-wheeler, undressing! He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She'd seemed to settle down after their talk, and he was starting to think she truly had changed from high school. Maybe not.
He couldn't believe she was actually taking her clothes off. As he watched, she took off her shirt, which revealed a pretty pink bra. Luckily, she left it alone, and reached instead for her shorts, which she slowly, seductively removed, bending way over to take them off. It was so obvious she was performing for the men again.
With all eyes on Alicia, Bo was pretty sure no one noticed him coming from the other direction. He went to the woods that she was parked right in front of. He got off Midnight and tied him to a tree. Staying back far enough into the woods to not be noticed, he walked toward her. When he was close enough he walked out from the woods, straight to her. She was still facing the other direction, still posing for her audience, and didn't see him until he grabbed her arm.
She jumped and screamed. “Let go of me.” She turned her head to see who had her and growled, “Let go of me this minute, Bo.”
“Not yet,” he state ominously. “I told you not to let me catch you doing this again, Garnet.”
“It's Alicia, and I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do. I'm talking about your little performance.”
“What performance? I was hot and simply took my clothes off. I have my swimsuit on underneath. I don't know why that should bother you any.”
“You aren't even supposed to be this far from the house alone, Garnet.”
“I told you, it's Alicia.”
“No, I think Garnet fits you better right now. What do you think those men you're not performing for would say if I'd take you over my knee right now and turn your naughty little bottom garnet?”
Her eyes squinted as she spat out, “You wouldn't dare.”
“Oh, honey, don't tempt me. You aren't getting away with this unscathed, but I won't embarrass you in front of the men. This time.”
She tried to whirl around to stare at him, but he held her tight. “I'll give you a choice this time. I can either warm your bottom right here, right now, or you can get back to the house and wait for me. I have to help the men fix the combine, but it shouldn't take too long. I'll come back to the house and we'll deal with this then, in private. It's your choice. I'm okay with either one.”
“Very funny, Bo.”
“If this is all a joke to you, it's clear I need to get your attention.” He tightened his hold on her arm and sat down on the four-wheeler.
She quickly realized what he was about to do, and said, “No, wait. It's not a joke. I'll go to the house.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes. “Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“Why will you go to the house? Is it so I won't embarrass you here? And what will you do once you get there? Are you going to go running home to Mommy so you won't have to face me, or are you going to be an adult and wait for me to get back, and face the consequences you know you've earned?”
She tried to jerk her arm away from him, but his hold on her arm was secure. “I'm going to let you go, Garnet, but think about that. You said you were going to show me you're not the same spoiled brat you were in school. This is your chance to show me that.” He let go of her arm and walked away, leaving her standing there, staring at him. He walked back to Midnight, and when he mounted his horse she was still glaring at him. He tipped his hat at her and she turned and got on the four-wheeler and headed back to the house.
He made sure the smile was gone from his face as he headed for the men, who were all suddenly busy looking at the broken combine. He slid down off of Midnight, tied him to the tractor close by, and got his tools out. Toby, the clown of the group, looked over at his boss with a grin. “Did you have to do that, boss?”
Bo was surprised by the question, but kept a straight face. “Yes, I did.” He glanced up at the smiling young man and grinned, although he shook his head. “Being distracted is a good way to get yourself hurt, Toby.”
“Yeah, that's probably true,” he agreed reluctantly. “But did you see the fine ass on that girl?” The other two men chuckled and nodded. “Who is she, anyway?”
“She's Wyatt's niece, and I'm not sure he'd be impressed to see you guys drooling over her.”
“Then she shouldn't be asking for our attention.”
As the three of them laughed again, Landon corrected him. “I think that was more like begging for our attention. It wouldn't be very polite to ignore her now, would it?”
“I hear you,” Bo said. “But as your foreman I have to warn you here. I know her, and she's a big tease. It may sure look like she's asking, but trust me, she's not. She'd run to her uncle and get you fired if you try anything. Keep that in mind, and don't let her distract you. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of her.”
Landon had a grin on his face. “I don't want anyone getting hurt, either, boss, but I don't mind a little distraction once in a while.” When he saw the serious expression on Bo's face, he got serious, as well. “Don't worry, I hear you. Thanks for the warning. I've met girls like her before. No, thank you.”
“Wise man,” Bo said as they started making the repairs on the combine. Satisfied that his men did understand what he was telling them, he tried to concentrate on the repairs. His mind tended to wander back to Garnet, though. He wondered if she'd be waiting for him at the house, or if she'd take this opportunity to flee. If she was gone, but came back later today or tomorrow, he would definitely warm her cute little fanny. If she were there waiting for him, he wasn't quite sure what he'd do. He knew what she deserved. She deserved a good spanking. But there was always the chance that today would have scared her and made her realize he's serious, and a good warning, making sure she realized it was her last warning, might be just as effective.
He finished the repairs to the combine, and once the men were back to work and he watched long enough to be sure it was indeed repaired, he went back to the barn. He tied Midnight by the barn just as Wyatt came around the corner. “Get the combine repaired?”
“Yeah, it's good again,” Bo said. “Have you seen Alicia this morning?”
Wyatt cocked his head a bit as he looked at his foreman. “As a matter of fact, I have. What's going on?”
“Why?”
“She came back in here on a four-wheeler, driving like a bat out of hell. I went over to her and asked her about it. She was upset about something, but she didn't say what. I told her I didn't ever want to see or hear of her driving one of my four-wheelers like that again, and she about exploded. Luckily, she caught herself before she said anything, though, and just nodded and got in her car and left.”
“So she's not here?”
Wyatt could tell he was upset, and disappointed to hear she'd left. “No, she is here. She was gone fifteen, twenty minutes, and she came back. What's up with you two?”
“She was out teasing the men again, clear over at the field they're working in. she was parked up by the woods, and made a show of taking her shirt and shorts off, revealing her bikini. She was so interested in them that she didn't see me coming in behind her. I held her by the arm as I reminded her that I talked to her about this already. I told her to go back to the house and wait for me, or I’d spank her right then and there. She wasn't happy that I'd even suggest doing it in front of the men, and said she'd come back here and wait for me. I didn't know if she'd be here
or not. I figured she'd leave.”
Wyatt had to chuckle a bit. “She did, but she's back. I'm not sure why. She probably figures she can sweet-talk you. That way she can get out of the spanking and still stay here.”
“Maybe. If she admits her mistake and apologizes I'll probably let it go with a final warning. But if she tries to talk her way out of a spanking, that in essence will assure she gets one.”
Wyatt chuckled again. “We think a lot alike, my friend. I'm glad it's you going in there and not me, though. I will make one suggestion, though.”
“What's that?”
“If she talks her way into a spanking, I'd make it memorable. Otherwise you'll just piss her off. Make it good enough that she knows you're serious and not just out to embarrass her or make her mad. There's no need to get Maria upset, though, and she would be if she heard this going on, so use my office. It's soundproof. She can scream if she wants and Maria won't hear a thing.”
“You're still okay with this, if it happens?”
“I think it's well overdue. I told my sister if she stays with me she'll have to listen to me. She said she's an adult, I can't tell her what to do, and I told her if she's staying on my ranch I certainly can. She knows that's how I felt. Besides, she's right; Alicia is an adult. It's time she started acting like one and taking responsibility for her actions. Her mom and dad have protected her far too long.”
“Okay then. Thanks for the advice, and the use of your office.”
“Good luck.”
Bo nodded and went inside. Maria saw him coming to the kitchen door and opened it for him. “Can I get you something, Bo?”
“Is Alicia around? I'd like to talk to her a few minutes.”
“Yes, I believe she's upstairs. Let me go get her.”
“That's okay, Maria. I'm right here.” Both of them turned to see Alicia standing in the doorway. “Hi, Bo.”
“Alicia. We need to talk a few minutes. Wyatt suggested we use his office.” He headed toward Wyatt's office, attempting to lead Alicia with his hand on her back, but she stood still, not budging.
Life at the Ranch Page 4