"Long weekend?" he asked, rubbing her hand through the glove.
"It was okay," she replied with a tired sigh. "I just wish I could keep up the way I used to, and do the things I want to. I'm afraid the house might be pretty well trashed. I've been hiding out here most of the afternoon. The girls and I have been having a movie day."
"Don't worry about it, Luce. Phoebe, Lil, and I can sort out the house tomorrow. I'm glad you were able to rest and spend some time with the girls. If you want to go up to bed once the movie is over, I can take care of getting the kids to bed. This one looks pretty tired," he said smiling as he softly mussed Abigail's blond curls.
"That sounds nice. Levi and Evan are out fishing at the pond, but they should be back soon. I told Levi to have Evan home by nine."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for them. Why don't you head on up to bed? I'll be there later. I need to talk to Phoebe." He stood and helped her up, still holding a very sleepy Abigail in his arms.
Lucy leaned in for a kiss, and whispered in his ear, "Go easy on Phoebe. She's had a lot on her plate with me more or less out of commission. She's just trying to get everything done."
Hiram raised his eyebrows at her and shot her a warning look, laced with humor. It was so like Lucy to take responsibility for Phoebe's wrong doings. He knew she hated the fact her illness was making everyone else around her work harder and take on more responsibility. But, that was Lucy. If there was something she could feel guilt over, she would. They'd had many discussions about it over the years. With his eyes, Hiram let her know, that if necessary, they could have another one. After sixteen years of marriage, they could read each other's looks all too well, and Lucy read him all too clearly. She blushed and dropped her gaze quickly to the floor. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "I will take it under consideration, my darling, but a rule is a rule, and Phoebe breaks this one much too often for me to sweep it under the rug for any reason. You worry about you, and head up to bed and get some rest, and I will worry about everything and everybody else, understand?"
"Yes, dear," Lucy conceded with a yawn.
Hiram softly patted her on the bottom as she turned to leave the room, and headed down the hallway to the room Abigail and Grace shared, with Abigail in his arms and Grace trailing behind sleepily.
* * * * *
"So, when do we get to let Dad and Mom know that you're here?" Those were Ben's first words to Sophia as he walked in the door late that evening. He had gotten stuck at work, and the children were already asleep in one of Ben's spare rooms.
"Benjamin Randall! That is a fine howdy-doo! Is that really how you greet your sister after ten years? No 'hi sis, how are you, when do I get to meet my niece and nephew?'" Sophia had opened her mouth to speak, but it was Mollie who yelled these words at Ben, having beaten Sophia to the punch.
Sophia noted that Ben still looked rather annoyed as he gathered her in for a warm hug. "I'm sorry Sis, it is so good to finally have you home. You know that I can't wait to meet Bobby and Zoe, it's just that Dad called tonight while I was on my way home. It seems that someone—" he gazed pointedly at Mollie while he spoke, "Someone forgot to tell me that they had extended an invitation to my parents for dinner this Friday night."
Mollie gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth as her eyes dashed back and forth between Ben and Sophia. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "I wasn't thinking about Sophia being here! Your dad—he's just so sweet to me, and he really wanted us to come to dinner, and, well I really wanted them to come here—I didn't think you would mind, Ben!"
Sophia watched confused, as Ben advanced on Mollie with an odd look in his eyes. Sophia would almost say he looked menacing, for lack of a better word. Mollie looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, and Sophia rushed into the space between them, frantically trying to reassure them both. "Ben, it's okay, you don't need to be upset with her. She only invited her in laws over for dinner! You needn't act as if she committed some horrible crime."
Sophia watched as her words sank in, and Ben began to soften. "You're right, you're right, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to be rushed into anything you're not ready for. I guess I'm half afraid you'll get spooked and leave again."
Sophia laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "If seeing Hiram outside of town, and having him treat me like I was common filth didn't spook me out of here, I can definitely handle seeing Dad and the Moms. I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. I'm not ready, but I'm looking forward to it. And, as far as leaving again, I couldn't if I wanted to, Brother, it took every last penny I had to get here. You're stuck with us for a while, so I hope you don't change your mind."
"Not going to happen," Ben assured her with a smirk. "I've been waiting too long for this. Now that I finally have you home where you belong, you're not going anywhere." He joked.
Sophia filled with love and contentment at his words. It did feel good to be back in Green Valley although she wouldn't change the last decade of her life for anything. She had loved being married to Robert, and loved the two beautiful blessings he had given her.
Beth Anne, who had so far, been quietly observing from her spot on the sofa, spoke up. "Sophia, everyone just wants you to be comfortable and do things in your own time," she said quietly. "It's only Monday night right now, there's plenty of time to call Owen and re-schedule for another time. I'm sure he will understand."
At her words, Mollie gave her a doubtful look, Ben harrumphed, and even Sophia had to giggle. Owen was many things, but once he got an idea in his head, it was pretty hard to change his mind. If he had accepted a dinner invitation for Friday, they had no choice but to have them for dinner on Friday. It was unlikely that any of them would be able to come up with a believable reason not to that Owen would accept without question.
"It's okay, Beth Anne." Sophia grinned. "Four days is long enough to prepare. Honestly, I don't know if I can even wait that long. Thanks to my car breaking down, and Hiram coming to my rescue, people will know soon enough that I'm back, and I would rather tell Dad myself before anybody else can get to him."
Ben nodded his head in agreement. "It's probably for the best. Don't worry, Sis, it will all work out. Well, ladies, I'm going to head up for a shower, but I've taken tomorrow off so we can catch up, and so I can meet my sweet nephew and niece." He hugged Sophia one last time, and left, turning before he reached the stairs. "Mollie, I need to see you upstairs in fifteen minutes."
Chapter 5
Hiram had all the kids tucked into bed, and was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich, when Phoebe emerged from her office. She greeted him with a kiss and a sheepish look.
He was exhausted and he would have happily put off punishing her until tomorrow, but he knew that he could not. His wives were so different in that regard. Lucy was happy to have it put off for a while. She always did better with time to process and anticipate. Without that, she would be a wreck during her spanking and come away from it angry, never truly repentant.
Phoebe was the exact opposite. Giving her time to process was like giving her a noose to hang herself with. The anticipation made her crazy, and her behavior and attitude would get continually worse, until he ended up punishing her for a lot more than the original transgression.
Of course, it had taken him a while to figure that out, after being so used to Lucy, but once he had, their relationship had greatly improved. He knew he must deal with it tonight, for both their sakes. Lucy was right, the house was trashed, and he and Phoebe would have a lot to do tomorrow to put it back together.
He finished making his sandwich, and he could feel Phoebe staring at him all the while. He smirked. She was probably worried that he hadn't gotten her message, or that he had decided to make her wait. He knew he had to put her out of her misery before she ended up doing or saying something that would get her in more trouble. He could almost see the wheels in her brain turning, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before her mouth caught up with whatever was going on in that head of hers.
"I've been to Josiah's," he told her, claiming a seat at the breakfast nook, and taking a bite of his sandwich. He enjoyed watching her as he chewed. Apprehension and relief simultaneously spread across her face, as if she was at war with her own emotions.
"I've been under pressure with you gone this weekend, and Lucy was having some bad days. Evan had soccer practice, and Lucy needed meds from the pharmacy, and the twins were working at the church camp. It was a lot to do in a short amount of time."
This was where she pled her case. She did it every time. It was part of the process, and he had long ago learned to take what she said into consideration, but not ever to let her off the hook. She was testing him. She always did, but especially when she was under stress. She needed his reassurance that he was there to take care of her, in every way possible, even when it was painful for her backside.
"Hm," Hiram acknowledged her words with a nod, and gave her a look that told her she was certainly in for it. "You were going twenty over the limit in a school zone."
"It's summer," she protested. "School is out!"
She continued to plead her case. This was interesting, and spoke to the amount of stress she was really under. Hiram sighed. He would have to be really firm with her tonight, but he also needed to figure out something. They couldn't continue the way things were as they headed into the school year. He would have to think on that more later, however.
"Upstairs, undress, and wait for me in the corner." His tone was firm, and bore no further argument.
"Yes, sir," Phoebe acquiesced with a sigh before turning and heading up the stairs to her bedroom.
Hiram sat in silence in the dining room for a while, finishing his sandwich, and racking his brain for a plan to take some stress off his wives. When he thought he might have a viable solution, he headed up the stairs to join Phoebe.
* * * * *
Hiram locked the door behind him as he entered the room, eyeing Phoebe where she stood in the corner, in only her bra and panties. Her long black hair was unusually messy and wild tonight, and Hiram wanted desperately to run his fingers through it. First things first, he told himself, crossing the room to sit on the oversized reading chair Phoebe loved. He wasted no more time, calling her to him right away, and patting his knee to indicate where he wanted her. She stood in front of him, looking much like a naughty child, embarrassed at being chastised.
He said nothing, taking hold of her waist, and pulling her face down across his lap. He would talk while he spanked. It was what she needed. Phoebe always responded better that way. He grinned at the sight of her bright purple panties, before unceremoniously pulling them off her. Her body was still across his lap, her head turned to look at him, as if gaging how this would go. Hiram raised his hand, and brought it down hard across her rounded cheeks. She bucked, and shrieked. He was starting off much harder than he usually did. He was very thorough, peppering her backside with a flurry of well-placed swats, until her bottom glowed a rosy pink and was warm to the touch. She was squirming and crying by the time he paused to speak.
"Your driving habits leave much to be desired," he told her grimly, punctuating his words with a spank to her bottom crease. She whimpered, but didn't respond. He spanked again, across the left crease this time. She would be very sore by the time they were finished here tonight.
"You are an adult woman, not a reckless new driver." Spank, spank, spank.
"It's high time you remembered that, and started acting like it." Her sit spots were turning bright red, but he was merciless in his punishment. She had been over his knee too many times for the same infraction for him to show any leniency.
"How many times have you been punished for speeding? How many tickets have you gotten this year alone? If you get another one, you will lose your license for six months, and then what will we do?" He had paused for a moment to rub her swollen cheeks, but he continued now with renewed vigor. She was crying in earnest now, her hot tears soaking his slacks.
She'd had enough but he was not nearly finished. He stopped spanking for the moment, and continued with his speech, caressing her bottom as he spoke to calm her. "Your actions have consequences beyond what I do to your backside. Your irresponsibility affects the whole family. Our insurance rates have gone through the roof, and I have to take away your keys now, because you are not a responsible driver. I've just given your keys back to you after the last time, but it seems you didn't learn your lesson well, did you?"
Phoebe was sobbing loudly, and he knew not to expect an answer. He didn't demand one either, though he could have. He allowed her to lie across his lap and cry for a bit, until she had calmed enough that he knew she would be able to answer the next time he asked her a question. He had spanked her quite thoroughly, but he knew her tears were more from the buildup of stress she was obviously feeling, and from knowing he was disappointed in her, than from the actual pain of the spanking thus far. She could withstand a lot more, and would, before he was finished with her.
He helped her off his lap, and guided her to lie with her top half draped across their bed, with her feet still touching the floor. Out of the nightstand, he chose a thin mahogany paddle. He considered a strap, but the burn of the paddle went deeper, while the effects of the strap stayed on the surface. He needed her to feel this spanking for a few days, but he also needed her in good shape tomorrow so she was able to help him. They had a lot of work to do, and only a few weeks to do it.
He rested the cool wood of the paddle on her throbbing backside, and felt her tense up, then relax with a deep shuddering breath. She was ready for him to continue. He did, keeping his swings short and rapid to increase the sting as he continued his lecture.
"Driving is a huge responsibility that you should not take lightly. You could hurt yourself or someone else with your negligence, and why? Because you were in a hurry to get to the pharmacy, or a soccer game, or to the grocery? Are any of those things important enough to risk a life?"
"No, Sir," Phoebe wailed, her words muffled by the bedcovers.
Hiram set the paddle down on the bed, and rubbed her back. "I get it, Pheeb, you're stressed. I thought we could handle this ourselves, but I see now that it's too much, and that it isn't fair to any of us. We have just under a month before school starts, and you and I are back to work. You will not be driving during that time, so you will have lots of time to help me figure out a plan. We are going to hire someone to help around here, to take some stress from all of us. You are going to be in charge of putting an ad out, and finding someone. Are we in agreement?"
"Yes, sir," her voice was clearer this time, and it was clear a weight had lifted.
"Good." He was happy at the relief he heard in her voice. A plan had been made, and they would work together to implement it. They were almost finished here. He picked up the paddle once more, hearing Phoebe's sharp intake of breath as she prepared herself. The end was always the worst, and she knew it all too well.
"I will give you thirty more, one for every day that I will have to keep your keys this time."
She gasped loudly. "A month?" she cried in dismay, turning to stand facing him, "Hiram, no, please! I've learned my lesson."
He would not be swayed this time. "A month, Phoebe, and you're lucky that's all. Don't argue with me, or I shall make it longer."
She looked so cute, with her tear stained face and disheveled hair, eyes blazing at his decree that he found himself desperately wanting to finish up, and move onto other, more enjoyable pursuits.
He gently lowered her back into position across the bed, and with his mouth firmly set in a grim line, finished out her punishment.
* * * * *
Sophia discovered that after dinner and a bath, and putting the kids to bed, she was no longer tired at all. It must be an adrenaline rush, she figured. It felt so good to be in the company of adults. It had been a long time since she had had the luxury of adult conversation without any children along, and she was thoroughly enjoying chatting with her new sisters-in-law.
At least, she had been, until Ben had reappeared in the hall, and given Mollie a sharp look. Mollie had instantly turned red, and disappeared after him, mumbling a hasty goodnight. The entire exchange had thrown Sophia for a loop. What was that about, anyway?
She was just about to ask Beth Anne, when Beth Anne had also blushed, and hurried into the kitchen, busying herself with the pot of tea she had started earlier.
Sophia could see that Beth Anne was hoping to distract her, but she was not one to let things go that easily. She followed Beth Anne into the kitchen. "Well, that was weird, and kind of rude. What just happened there? Are they going to bed? Ben didn't even say goodnight to you, or to me, for that matter!"
"Oh, they'll be back down soon," Beth Anne said shyly, not quite meeting Sophia's eyes as she handed her a hot steaming mug of tea. "Just as soon as he's done spanking her," Beth Anne's voice was nonchalant.
Sophia, however, was shocked, and choked on her tea, spewing the hot liquid all over the kitchen and just barely missing Beth Anne. "Excuse me, what did you say? He's doing what to her? Like hell he is!" Sophia was outraged, and spun towards the stairs, not really sure what she was going to do when she got up there, but certain that she was not going to let her baby brother abuse his wife! She was seething with anger, and advancing down the hallway as fast as she could, but the usually mellow and methodical Beth Anne moved faster, running ahead of her and blocking her from her intended path.
"Sophia, stop!" Beth Anne grabbed Sophia by the shoulders, and halting her momentum. "Listen to me!" She was almost shouting, and something snapped inside Sophia's brain.
The Prodigal Bride Page 3