Bo picked it up and as soon as he glanced at it, he recognized it. “That's my key chain. Where did you get that? I thought I lost it.”
“You're sure it's yours?”
“I am.” He paused. “Look, I know I probably should be denying ever having seen it, but I'm not. That's not what I'm about. That is my key chain, and quite frankly, I've hunted everywhere for it because it's important to me. My dad taught me how to drive, and he gave me that the day I got my driver's license. He had my initials engraved in it.”
The sheriff ran his hand through his hair. “Bo, I appreciate your honesty, but you're right. You would have been better off saying you've never seen it. This was found at the last break in, which occurred last night. You know what I'm going to ask you next. Where were you last night, and is there anyone that can verify that? Please don't tell me you were with the same people that have verified where you were the other two times.”
“Sorry, Sheriff, but it's the truth. The four of us went out to eat.” He sat up straight. “Wait. We met some friends of Wyatt's at the restaurant, and they had a drink with us. It was Bill and Lisa, but I can't remember their last name. I'm sure Wyatt could give you that, though.”
“Okay. I'm glad there's someone additional this time. I'll go talk to him.”
He again talked to Wyatt and Alicia, and got the last name of Wyatt's friends, before leaving.
“Sheriff,” Bo asked, “what has to happen for me to get that key chain back? I know it's evidence, but if you solve this and catch whoever seems to be trying to frame me, will I get that back?”
“If we catch someone, once the trial's over it will be released back to you.” He started to leave, but turned to him again. “I think you may be onto something, Bo, with the idea of someone framing you. You haven't thought of anyone who might be out to cause you any harm?”
“No, I haven't. I've given it a lot of thought, too.”
“Is there anything else you've been missing?”
Bo thought some before answering. “Not that I can think of, but maybe I should go through my things and look. Are you saying someone may have broken into my house and stolen a few things to plant at crime scenes?”
The sheriff shrugged. “I don't know what to think right now. But I don't think you're the thief. I'll be relieved to have someone new confirm your whereabouts, though. If you do find anything else missing, let me know right away. It would sure be a lot better for you if I knew about it ahead of time, before we find it at the next crime scene.”
He left, leaving all of them looking drained. Wyatt was the first to recover to the point of speaking. “Well, I think that proves your theory, Bo. Someone's out to frame you.”
“I need to call Clint,” Bo said, taking out his phone. Clint, who was still in town checking on things, was at the ranch half an hour later. They explained what had happened.
Bo glanced over to Wyatt. “I'm really glad we ran into your friends. At least that gives me someone new for an alibi.”
“Yeah, me, too,” Alicia agreed. “It sounded like the sheriff wasn't sure he was going to believe us again if we were the only ones.”
Clint shrugged his shoulders. “It becomes harder and harder for law enforcement to believe it, especially if he has victims screaming for an arrest to be made. Having someone else that can verify it is big. It's very big, and I'm glad you've got that. That will buy us a little time to find out who's out to get you. Whoever it is, probably is not going to be happy to find out you have new witnesses.”
Things eventually got back to normal after the excitement over the weekend. Alicia and Kayla spent the day at Alicia's going over recipes. They decided on their menu, and even set up a time line they would try to follow Thursday to be sure things were all done at the same time. Maria gladly gave up her kitchen for the day when they told her they'd handle the cooking. Of course she was invited to share supper with them, as well.
Tuesday night after supper Wyatt went to Kayla's, while Bo and Alicia stayed at the ranch. She was leaning against him as they were on the couch watching a movie. She was going to do the grocery shopping the next day, and was going over her list in her mind. She wouldn't let Bo see it, as they wanted it all to be a surprise.
She was so preoccupied with the list that she didn't hear him when he asked if Cliff called the house. He had both the house number and Bo's cell phone numbers, but he preferred calling the house and having Bo call him back. He was always afraid of calling Bo at a bad time.
When Alicia didn't answer, he asked her again. When he still got no answer, he tried one more time, louder. “Alicia!”
She jumped. “What?”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“I asked you a question, twice.”
“Oh, you did not.”
“Uh, yes, I did. But you were off in space somewhere.” She looked ready to argue, but he continued. “But it doesn't matter. I just wanted to know if Clint called today.”
“Oh, yes, he did.”
He sat up straight and turned her to face him. “He did?”
“Yes. He wants you to call him back.”
“Were you planning on telling me that?”
“Yes, of course.”
“When?”
“When I remembered.”
“Alicia, I know something's on your mind. You were a million miles away just a minute ago. Is anything wrong?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Nothing's wrong. Gees, lighten up.”
His eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, come on. I just forgot one thing. It's no big deal. I certainly didn't do it on purpose.”
“I understand that. Did he say anything else?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I'm sure. Quit making a big thing out of it.”
She'd turned around to lean against him again, but he took her upper arms and gently turned her to face him again. “Okay, what's going on? You didn't hear me when I asked you a question twice, you forgot to give me an important message, and now you've got an attitude.”
“Nothing's going on. And I don't have an attitude.”
She was glaring at him and he had to fight back a chuckle. “Would you like to stand up so you can stomp your foot as you say that?”
“Not funny. I don't have an attitude.”
“Then let me give you a warning on the attitude you don't have. Get it under control. And before you say something you'll regret, calm down, and let me ask you one thing. Whatever's on your mind, can you put it aside long enough to think a minute? Are you sure there weren't any other calls or messages today? And Clint just said to call him; he didn't say what it was about or anything else?”
“No other messages. Just call Clint anytime tonight.”
He took out his phone and called Clint, but got his voice mail. He left a quick message. They started talking, and he soon realized her shopping trip to the grocery store was what had her preoccupied, and he tried to calm her down. “Relax. I'm sure you've got a good list and checked it already. Even if the unthinkable should happen and you'd forget something, it's a little under half an hour to the grocery store.”
“And ten minutes in the store and another half an hour back home. Supper will be late then for sure.”
“Which certainly wouldn't be the end of the world, either. Honey, relax. Why is this so important to you?”
“I want you to like it.”
“I'm sure I will. What's really behind this?”
She started to say nothing, but the look on his face made her hesitate. He was concerned. He cared about her. She told him the truth. “Promise you won't laugh at me?”
“Promise.”
“Okay. I love to cook. I had an idea a couple years ago for a business I'd like to start, but I never did. Lately I've been thinking I need to either move back home or get some kind of a job.”
“Move back h
ome? Please tell me you're not thinking seriously about that?”
“I'm not. I like it here.”
“Good. I like having you here.”
“But if I'm going to stay in this area I need to find a job and somewhere to live.”
“Wyatt's not kicking you out, is he?”
“No, but it's not fair to him for me to stay here. Anyway, I don't really know of any job I really want, but I was thinking again about trying this business I thought of before. But if Kayla and I cook this dinner and you don't like it, the business won't go well. So I'm anxious. Part of being able to run a business that involves cooking is planning, having everything you need before you start. That's why I'm nervous.”
“But if you put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect you're just asking for problems. Relax. What kind of business is it you're thinking of starting?”
“Fixing meals, take home meals. I think there are a lot of women who work, and sometimes they're really tired by the end of the workday, and they still have to go pick up the kids, go home and make supper, wash the dishes, then help the kids with their homework and get their bath, and put them to bed. Wouldn't it be nice if there was someplace they could call ahead, tell them how many people they needed meals for, then drive up to a window and have a complete meal handed to them?”
Bo was smiling, nodding his head. “Sort of like an alternative to Colonel Sanders or hamburgers all the time?”
“Exactly. Plus it would be home-cooked food, and something you can't always get at restaurants.”
“I love that idea. Are you thinking you make one meal and people can take it or leave it, or were you thinking about offering two or three things to choose from daily, or what?”
They were discussing her plans, when his phone rang. “Oh, good, it's Clint. I wonder if he has any news yet.” He answered, and she snuggled back up next to him. She sat back up, though, as she listened to his end of the conversation. He kept looking at her. She thought back, and remembered something. She quietly tried to get up and move, but his hand reached out to stop her as he said, “You told her what?”
She looked down and spoke softly. “Sorry, Bo. I forgot.”
“I'm sorry, Clint. I didn't get that part of the message. I'll have to check it better next time. Thanks for calling. They found what? What does that mean? Why? Okay. Yeah, I agree. Thanks for calling, Clint.”
Alicia was concerned. “What's wrong, Bo? What did he say? Did something else happen?”
“What he said,” he said, still holding her by the arm, “is that he told you to have me call before 8:00 if possible. I could have done that, had I gotten the message.” He looked at her, waiting for a response.
“I said I'm sorry.”
“I asked you to think back and make sure there was nothing else. What happened?”
“Nothing happened. I never thought of it. I told you that before. I simply forgot. Get over it. But forget about that right now. What did he say?”
“Alicia, what is with this attitude tonight? I'm not warning you about it again.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. What did he say? What happened?”
“It doesn't bother you that you forgot to give me a message, an important one?”
“I already said I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do, so what did he say? Will you tell me already?”
Before she realized he was upset he had her over his lap and her jeans unfastened. He moved so quickly she didn't have time to panic, which she would have, if she had had the time. As it was, he had her jeans and panties down and had given her a couple whacks before she found her voice.
“Bo, stop. What are you doing?”
“I'm spanking you.” He continued spanking, not as hard as the first spanking he'd given her, but enough to get her attention and get her squirming over his lap. He was worried. Her first spanking hadn't exactly gone well, and he knew this might upset her again, and he didn't want that. However, he felt he knew what she needed tonight, and he couldn't sit there knowing he could help her, or at least thinking he could help her, and do nothing. He had to try. He just hoped it didn't prove to be too much for her and she walked out.
When she asked her next question, it pulled him back to the task at hand.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why do you think you're getting spanked?”
“Because I forgot to give you the message. I said I'm sorry!”
“That's not why you're getting spanked, Alicia. You're getting spanked for your attitude.”
“My attitude?”
“Yes. You've been snippy with me all evening, and as far as I know, I haven't done anything to deserve that. But also, it doesn't seem to bother you much that you forgot to give me an important message. I understand that you can forget things. But it doesn't seem to matter to you that you forgot it. This spanking is not for forgetting, but for not caring that you forgot.”
He continued spanking her, and she continued to squirm. He wasn't spanking real hard, though, and she was squirming more than trying to escape, which he was glad of. He continued talking to her while he spanked. “Alicia, I know you said you're nervous about fixing this meal and you want it to go well, and I understand that, as well. But I won't allow you to get so worked up about it and stressed out that you're rude or inconsiderate. There's no doubt in my mind that you've been worrying about this all day, and that's why you forgot to give me the message. When Clint called you were so worked up, the importance of his call didn't even register with you. Then you promptly forgot about it, thinking only of this meal you're going to be preparing.”
“Ow! It hurts!”
“I'm aware that it hurts. But listen to what I'm saying. Have you heard it?”
“Yes. Ouch!”
“Am I right? Have you been upset about this all day?”
He stopped spanking a few seconds to give her a chance to consider his question. When she did, he saw her shoulders slump forward a bit. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I'm sorry, Bo. I think you're right. It didn't even fully register that I had to give you that message. I'm so sorry.”
He breathed much easier. Now that she realized this, though, he had to help her get rid of her guilt, but he didn't want her to be too sore. After all, this wasn't as much meant as a punishment, as to settle her down, ease her stress so she could cope better. “Okay, Alicia, show me you're sorry. You have ten good swats coming to you. Accept them without fighting me and trying to escape, and we'll be done. If you don't, you'll be getting extras.”
She gave a slight head nod, and he started. His swats weren't actually any harder than he'd been giving her, which were pretty mild, but her head was ready for them now, and that was the important part. If she accepted them as she should, they would be sufficient, especially on top of the warm up she'd already gotten.
She flinched with each one, which he spaced far enough apart to be sure she felt each one, cried out with several of them, but didn't try to get up. He put a little more effort into the last two, just to be sure she felt the last ones and would remember them.
Then he gently helped her up and onto his lap. She laid her head against his shoulder, without his urging. She cried into his chest, holding onto his shirt. His arms wrapped around her, and she cuddled in against them. His heart nearly burst.
Chapter 8
Bo gently rubbed Alicia's back as she calmed. He kissed the top of her head and whispered in her ear. “You are so special to me, I hate seeing you so worked up. You just relax now and lay on my chest. I've got you, you're safe here. Let me hold you while you calm down. Take your time, cry it all out; any fears, any stress. Get it all out of your system while I've got you. You're okay here, you're safe, and we're in no hurry. I love you.”
Her tears started flowing a little faster now, and he was pretty sure it was from his words, and not his hand. He held her, cocooned in his arms, while she cried. When they slowed and finally stopped, he kissed the top of her head again. “Are you okay now?”
&nb
sp; “Yes.”
“Good. Feel better?”
She looked up at him with a half smile on her face. “Better than what? And better how? My butt doesn't feel better.”
“It's not supposed to,” he said with a bit of a chuckle. “How about the rest of you?”
She sighed. “Honestly, because I know how important honesty is to you, yes, I do feel better.”
“Good. That's what I was hoping.”
She studied him a few moments. “You were hoping a spanking would make me feel better?”
“Yes. I was pretty sure you needed a spanking to help you settle down. You were really tense, and that attitude isn't like you. Once you told me how important this meal is to you I was pretty sure I knew what was happening. You had so much stress in you, you were miserable. That's why you forgot to give me my message, and why you had an attitude all evening.”
“Was I really that awful to you?”
“You weren't your normal, friendly self. I knew something was wrong.”
“You did, didn't you?” He could tell she was thinking, and he gave her a little more time. “You kept asking me what was wrong, and I kept telling you nothing. I didn't know why you kept asking, because I really didn't think anything was wrong. But you did. You knew.”
Bo could tell she was more talking to herself, but it gave him insight to her feelings. “You're wondering how I knew?”
“Yes. I mean, I seriously didn't know anything was wrong. How did you?”
He tightened his arms around her a bit. “It's part of that protective thing. You're very important to me and I pay close attention to you. Tonight I knew something was off. Like I said, you don't normally have an attitude. Once I knew it was because you had yourself all worked up over this meal, I just had to find a way to relieve that stress.”
She had the cutest, confused look on her face. “So you spanked me?”
“It's the best way I know to relieve stress.”
“Seriously?”
He chuckled and kissed the end of her nose. “It worked, didn't it?”
She thought before answering. “Yes, I guess I have to admit it did. But how? Why?”
Life at the Ranch Page 10