The men all looked relieved at this news, but Carlton was just growing more confused by the minute.
Brent unpaused the TV, and the men all turned their attention back to the game, with the exception of Roy and Josiah.
Josiah took one look at Carlton’s confused face and pulled him outside.
“Hey, are you all right, man?”
“I have no idea. That whole thing was totally over my head. What is the disciplinary board?”
Josiah smiled wryly. “Corbin’s Bend’s own personal justice system. If a situation warrants, sometimes a member will be called up in front of the disciplinary board for a hearing. More often than not, a sentence will be handed down. If the offender is a taken-in-hand, the sentence will usually come in the form of a public spanking, given by that person’s HoH. If there isn’t one, then it will be given by a member of the disciplinary board themselves. I know, it sounds a bit archaic, but it seems to work pretty well, and it makes my job all too easy.”
Josiah, Carlton remembered, was a cop. “I don’t know, man? A public spanking? It sounds a little out there to me.”
“It does, but it rarely ever happens. The very idea of knowing that it could happen seems to carry enough weight to be a big diversion in and of itself.”
“Today didn’t seem like a big deal. Why did Roy bring it up?”
“Public fighting. In a few instances, a fight between women has gotten out of hand to the point where a public spanking was proven to be warranted for one or more of the offenders. Women can be a little vicious at times, but knowing that it’s gotten unsavory results in the past is probably what kept it from escalating too far out of control this time.”
“So, it’s an accountability tool,” Carlton mused. Accountability was something he could get behind.
“Basically, and it’s not just the TiH’s that are subject to it. A few HoH’s and in one instance even a teenager has had to come in front of the board. Of course, the sentences were not physical in those cases, but it’s a fair system.”
Carlton nodded. “Brent said that we were to deal with this privately. So, Cece definitely deserves a spanking over this, just not a public one?”
“No, man. We don’t know the details yet, and that’s for you to decide if it’s warranted or not. It depends on what the full story ends up being, and you know, how it lines up with your rules in your relationship. Brent would never tell anyone what to do, or how to do it. He’s not like that at all. He just believes in high community standards. Corbin’s Bend has a reputation as it is. As a whole, we need to be really aware of how we conduct ourselves inside and outside of the community.”
“Okay, I hear you. Thanks a lot. I was feeling really overwhelmed there for a minute.”
Josiah laughed. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been there. It can be really easy to feel like you’re in over your head at first. Just remember, you’ve got a whole community of people behind you, and they have all been there too. We are always here if you have a question, or if you just need to talk.” Josiah inclined his head towards the community center. “You good now? You ready to go in and finish up the game?”
“No, man. I’m not really into it at the moment. I think I’m just going to take a walk to clear my head and wait for Cecily to get home.”
Josiah nodded easily. “Okay, man. Let me know if you need anything.” Josiah clapped him on the shoulder and went inside, leaving Carlton alone with his many thoughts.
“I’m kind of surprised the girls aren’t home by now,” Venia said over dinner that evening. “They left so early, and I know Cadence doesn’t like to drive in the dark.”
“It’s not dark yet, honey. I’m sure they will be back before too long.”
Venia pursed her lips together, and sighed. “I’m just worried. Can’t a mother be worried about her girls? It’s your fault,” she grumped to her husband. “You told me about Char’s call to Brent and got me all riled up. I want to know what was said and why. If you had let me go with them, this never would have happened.”
“That’s enough,” Jeff stated with a pointed look at his wife. “We are talking about a group of grown women. They should be perfectly capable of handling themselves without you there to watch over them. You just got your cast on. You’re still having some swelling, and you needed to be at home with your ice and your anti-inflammatories. You weren’t allowed to go, and this would have happened either way. End of discussion.”
“Hmph. You don’t know that it would have happened if I had been there. It shouldn’t have happened either way. None of them should have opened their mouths on my behalf. I can fight my own damn battles.”
Carlton winced and watched in silence as Jeffrey deliberately laid his fork down next to his plate.
“Well, I’m glad you can, because you’re about to fight one with me. Go to the bedroom now. I warned you earlier that a broken leg was not a free pass to smart off and misbehave.”
Venia was smart enough not to say anything further as she hobbled off on her crutches behind Jeff. His appetite lost, Carlton went outside. Soundproof rooms or not, he would just as soon not be in the house right now.
It was starting to get dark, and there was really nowhere to go since he had just eaten, so Carlton settled for sitting outside on the porch. Honestly, he was a bit worried. He was sure they were safe, but he knew better than anyone how Cecily was prone to react if she was hurt. She would freeze up around those she cared about, and lash out at everyone else. If he knew his wife, and he did, she was going to behave like the walking wounded. She would come home, start packing, and demand to leave Corbin’s Bend immediately. Earlier, he would have been tempted to agree with her.
Today had been a weird day, and he had been troubled for a while by everything he had heard, and if the women had had a conversation that was anything like the men’s, he knew Cecily would be feeling the same way. For him, he had come to the conclusion that the good outweighed the bad. He was a firm believer in not doing the crime if you couldn’t do the time, and accepting responsibility for one’s actions. So he had found one downside to life here in the Bend. He was not comfortable with the public spanking aspect. The solution to this was simple. Make sure his wife never did anything to deserve one. From everything he had been told, they were a very rare occurrence, and used only for the most serious offenses. Attendance wasn’t mandatory.
If he never had to attend one, and he never had to participate in one, it was a point he was willing to overlook. He had fallen in love with this town. He loved the small town feel, the community events, the beautiful homes, and the high standards. Most of all, he loved the people. For Carlton, Corbin’s Bend felt like coming home to family. Sure, it was a quirky family, but in reality, weren’t they all?
His mind was made up. He was ready to make this permanent. He wanted to live domestic discipline, and he wanted to do it in Corbin’s Bend. All that was left to do was convince Cecily.
Truck lights came around the corner, interrupting his thoughts, and he stood, ready to have it out with the love of his life. To his shock and confusion, it was not Cecily and Cadence that exited the truck, but Brent and Marcus.
He closed his eyes briefly, anticipating the worst. “What’s going on?”
“Cecily took off while they were all shopping. Cadence was able to find her, but she can’t convince Cecily to come with her. She didn’t want to leave her stranded in Boulder, so she is waiting for us to get there.”
“We figured it would work best if we all went in your truck—in case you end up needing to stay overnight or something,” Marcus added.
“At this hour, it’s a possibility that we will all need to stay overnight, for safety’s sake. The roads get pretty icy after dark.”
Carlton groaned. “Okay, let me just run in and get my keys and leave a note for Venia so she doesn’t worry.”
He was back in five minutes, and they were on their way.
There was a knock on the door of the hotel room, and Cecil
y scowled.
“Go away, Cadence! I told you I’m fine,” she yelled through the door.
Cadence was relentless. “If you were fine, we would be in the car on the way back to Corbin’s Bend like everyone else. I’m worried about you.”
“Go home. Just go on home before I get you in any trouble.”
She couldn’t believe it when Cadence gave a soft laugh. “You always were the one to get us into trouble, weren’t you? I guess some things never change. For the record though, as much as it would seem that you tried for a different outcome, my butt is safe for the night. The guys are on their way here though, and my knee is killing me. I would really like to come in and rest.”
Cecily flew off the king-sized bed, and flung the door open. “Cadence, what the hell? Why would you call them?”
“Cecily, what the hell yourself? Why would you take off on me?”
Cecily shot her a withering glare but stepped aside and allowed Cadence to enter, limping heavily on her cane as she walked, and all but collapsing onto the small couch in the sitting area.
Cecily took a seat next to her, and the two of them glowered silently until Cadence finally spoke.
“I had to call, because I’m a grown-up now, with children and a family to think about, and I am too damn smart to let you keep getting me into trouble anymore. You’re my sister. I didn’t want to leave you stranded here alone either.”
“Well, you should have. What do you think is going to happen now that Marcus and Carlton have to drive all the way here?”
Cadence bit back a smirk. “I think one of us is going to get in trouble, and it’s not going to be me.”
“Gee, thanks a lot. It doesn’t matter. I’m done with this crazy shit anyway. If Carlton thinks he can spank me for having feelings, he has got another thing coming.”
Cadence looked sad. “I’m sorry today turned out this way. And whether you believe me or not, I know exactly what you are going through.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You should have seen me when I got here. I was already a mess, and I had no idea what Corbin’s Bend was. The first time Marcus punished me, I completely fell apart.”
Cecily peered at her skeptically. “Really?”
“Really. You’re not the only one to have doubts about this. You heard Laney today. Everyone does from time to time. It’s completely normal.”
“It doesn’t matter. I was crazy for coming here, and crazy for letting him talk me into staying. I’m glad Mom’s so happy here, and I’m glad she found Jeffrey, but it’s not for me. I can’t be this perfect person. I can’t spend every day apologizing for the last ten years to people who didn’t even know me back then.”
“And you don’t have to. Nobody here is perfect, and we all have pasts, and we all have faults. The lifestyle we choose isn’t about trying to be perfect.” Cadence sighed. “I’m not going to try to convince you. That’s not my job, and the truth is, what we do is not for everyone. I love you, sis, and I’m glad you came. It was good to see you, and to meet Carlton, and I hope you’ll come back again soon. But as far as choosing this lifestyle, or choosing to live in Corbin’s Bend, nobody can make that decision for you.”
The knock at the door was louder, and more insistent this time. Cecily couldn’t help the involuntary clenching of her butt cheeks and the thought of who was on the other side of the door and what they might say.
She was frozen in place, so it was Cadence who limped to the door and opened it. Marcus took one look at her, standing there with pain etched across her face, scooped her into his arms, and walked down the hallway, with Brent following behind, clutching her cane.
Carlton was the only one who entered, closing the door behind him, surveying the room with a grave expression on his face.
“What’s all this?” he asked, gesturing around the room at her piles of shopping bags.
Cecily groaned. Of course that would have to be the first thing he zeroed in on. She had been upset, in a mall. What had he expected would happen? “It’s retail therapy.”
“I see that. Looks like to the tune of several thousand dollars.”
“Four,” she admitted with a grimace. Now that she was saying it out loud, it sounded ridiculous, and childish.
“Cece, I expressly told you that you were to spend no more than two hundred dollars today.”
“What’s the big deal, Carlton? We can afford it.”
“Yes, we can. We have been extremely blessed that way, but just because we can afford it doesn’t mean that we need to be frivolous in our spending or use it as a balm for hurt feelings.”
“It wasn’t frivolous!” Cecily huffed. “I needed things!”
Carlton grabbed the bag nearest to him. “Bath and Body works. Considering I know that you currently own enough of their products to open up your own store, I’m curious to see what it was that you needed so desperately that you were willing to blatantly disobey me.” He reached his hand in and Cecily groaned, knowing full well that this was not going to work in her favor. She watched in silence as he pulled out the first three bottles of lotion, followed by the corresponding candles and body sprays.
He lined the items up on the nightstand. “Should I look in all the other bags, or have I made my point?”
She didn’t answer, just reached for the products, intending to put them away, but he stopped her.
“Leave them. I want them out where you can see them. They will serve as a nice remainder during your spanking.”
“You wish! That is not happening! I am done with this crazy ass bull-shit.”
“I figured you would say that.” He sighed loudly, sitting beside her on the bed. “Did you or did you not agree to a spending limit today?”
Her eyes rolled to the ceiling as she fumed. “You know I did, but that was before—”
His hand went up in front of him, stopping her mid-sentence. She didn’t have a chance in hell of winning this one, but it wouldn’t stop her from trying.
“Did I or did I not warn you what would happen if you went over that limit?”
“You did, but—” She wasn’t giving up easily. “That was before!”
“Before what? Before you went over the limit and made the decision to deliberately disobey me?”
“Yes! I mean, no! It was before I realized how crazy this whole thing was, and that I didn’t want to do it anymore!”
“Convenient timing. When did you have this epiphany? About the time you spent dollar number two hundred and one?”
“That’s irrelevant. This is a consensual agreement, and I no longer consent.”
“I understand that, but that’s not really how it works, and you know it. You consented this morning when I put the spending limit in place, and you were still consenting until I walked in the door and announced my intention to discipline you.”
“No I wasn’t! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! I do not want to do this anymore, and I am revoking my consent.”
“That’s fine. We can talk about that. What I am trying to tell you is that you cannot revoke your consent for the sake of getting out of a well-deserved punishment. You’re getting a spanking, Cecily, and it’s not up for discussion. If you still feel the same way afterward, we will discuss it and come to a decision together.”
“Fine!” Cecily relented, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. Carlton looked about as angry as she had ever seen him, and she could see that he was barely managing to keep his cool.
“Close the blinds. Get naked, and go stand in the corner. Hands on top of your head, and nose to the wall. Don’t move until I get back.”
He didn’t wait to see if she followed his instructions, or even tell her where he was going. He just left, shutting the door behind him.
She felt like crying and screaming at the same time. She didn’t want to be spanked, she didn’t want to talk about it, and she didn’t want to go back to Corbin’s Bend ever. But, as crazy as it was, and as much as she wanted to rail against it, she kne
w Carlton was right. She deserved this spanking. Just the mere fact that her brain had done a complete one eighty over the last six months to where she could calmly have thoughts to this degree infuriated her.
Oh, yes, good sir, you’re so right. Let me just bend over like a good little submissive wife while you blister my ass simply because I am not obedient to your every whim. Even as she thought it, she told herself it wasn’t fair, and that was the problem. She was a victim of her own ever-changing mind. She loved spanking, and she hated it. She never wanted to leave Corbin’s Bend, and she never wanted to go back. The fact that she had completely obeyed, as mad and confused as she was, and was now kneeling in the corner of a hotel room naked was simply further proof that she was losing her damn mind.
She could get up, get dressed again, and leave, possibly before Carlton returned and realized she was missing, but what would that do? She couldn’t lose Carlton. She loved him and she trusted him. If he said they could discuss giving up DD after this, he meant it.
She just had to get through this one spanking. And how bad could it be, anyway? The hotel rooms weren’t soundproofed.
Chapter 8
Her knees were beginning to itch and go numb from kneeling on the carpet by the time Carlton finally came back into the room.
“Where did you go?” she cried petulantly from her spot in the corner.
“I called Brent and Marcus. They both decided to stay the night, so I called the front desk and had their rooms put on my card. Marcus and Cadence are in the room to the left of us, and Brent is on the right.”
Cecily wasn’t sure if this was good news or horrible news. On one hand, it meant strangers wouldn’t hear her spanking and wonder what in the hell was going on. On the other hand, it meant their friends would hear, and they would know exactly what was happening, and why.
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