The Prodigal Bride

by Rayanna Jamison

  Anyway, with Lucy he had been content to let the spanking speak for itself. With Phoebe, he was very vocal, and seemed to develop a pattern between spanking and lecturing, often using the spoon to emphasize his point. He asked questions, often spanking while he asked and not always waiting for her answer. Her bottom was a deep pink before he tilted her forward to get a better angle to reach her sit spots, much as he had done to Lucy. He swung harder now, and Sophia was having a hard time watching.

  "I trusted you to make a decision in the best interests of this family, and you betrayed that trust." He peppered her ample bottom with sharp swats pausing only when she replied.

  "I did do what was best for everyone but you, and that is mostly because I didn't know! I had already made the decision to hire her and brought her here to meet Lucy before I learned that she was your ex-girlfriend!"

  Phoebe's reply was explosive and more vehement than she had displayed in hours. Sophia feared that her anger would get her friend into more trouble—although if it were her, she wouldn't have said anything in such a compromising position.

  Yet deep inside, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of responsibility for the other woman's frustration.

  Sophia could see that this angered Hiram greatly. "She was not my girlfriend!" he said through gritted teeth. Sophia watched the muscles in his jaw begin to twitch as he liberally applied the spoon to Phoebe's already glowing flesh.

  "Oh, excuse me, your ex-fiancée!"

  Good Lord, that woman did not know when to stop, Sophia thought shaking her head in disbelief. To her amazement, Hiram chose that moment to lay the spoon down and stop spanking. He helped Phoebe into a sitting position on his lap and held her there, her long skirt still bunched around her ankles.

  "If you have something to discuss with me, it would be better done in private."

  Able to see where this was going, Sophia couldn't help but agree. But Phoebe was way too gone into her pain to care about that now and she ignored Hiram's low warning. Tears shimmered unshed in her eyes as obvious as the hurt she couldn't hide. Guilt clenched Sophia's heart as she realized for the first time that Phoebe truly hadn't known anything about her past engagement to Hiram.

  "If I had even known there was a Sophia in your past, I might have put two and two together and realized who she was!" Phoebe was crying, and it seemed she was in more emotional distress than physical.

  Sophia concentrated on a worn spot on the carpet, wishing she wasn't in a position to be privy to such a private conversation, especially one about herself.

  "I didn't know! She was apparently a big unresolved chunk of your past, and I had no clue that she even existed. I hate that! It makes me feel like I don't know you at all!"

  Sophia hated the pain she saw in Hiram's face as he held his tearful wife.

  "I'm sorry, Phoebe, I should have told you the whole story," he said quietly. "Please know, honey, that I wasn't doing it to hurt you. When Sophia left on our wedding day, it wrecked me. I had come to care for her very much, I loved her, and could see how well she fit into our family, and made us better. I was hesitant at first, due to the age difference, but by the time we were to be married I was head over heels for her."

  Though he was still speaking to Phoebe, he looked at Sophia as he continued. "I have no idea why she left. I don't know what I said or did, but when she didn't show up at the church, and I was stood up in front of a room filled to bursting with friends and family, having no idea where my bride was, it was the worst day of my life."

  Sophia could hear the anguish in Hiram's voice, and could have matched it with her own. She didn't want to be hearing this, but she couldn't help to listen, and didn't think she was supposed to leave.

  "Since Sophia disappeared that day, I really had no point of reference for what I could do differently, and no clue what had gone wrong. It really messed me up, Phoebe, for a long time. I wasn't the husband I could be, or the father I should be. My self-confidence was shot. When Bishop Miller called me, and said I was to take you as a wife, I was terrified. I vowed, then and there, to leave the past in the past, and not to spend any more time wondering 'what if.' I didn't tell you, not because I was trying to hide something, but because I had to put it behind me in order to be a good husband to you. I had to overcome the self-doubt and insecurities that had plagued me for years by then. I just couldn't do it anymore."

  Hiram's voice sounded as raw as Sophia's heart felt. When she looked up and saw that his eyes were full of unshed tears, she couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care if it cost her the job, she couldn't cause this family any more pain. Grabbing her purse, she ran out the front door, all but jumped off the porch, got in Mollie's car, and hit the gas. The tires squealed as she peeled out of the driveway and off into the night.

  Chapter 12

  He wasn't too surprised when Sophia ran out—the whole thing had been intense and uncomfortable, and he was surprised she had made it that long. He hadn't anticipated the past being brought up, or how hard it would be to say those things aloud after all these years, but it was probably for the best. She had more guts than he thought. He desperately wanted to chase after her—but his wives had to be his first priority, and they had things to settle. Not that him and Sophia didn't also have things to settle—they certainly did—but they would have to wait.

  He righted Phoebe to a standing position, bending to pull up her long skirt, and helped her put herself back together, and called Lucy out from her spot in the corner. After his unexpected and emotional outburst, both of his wives were nearly beside themselves, doing their best to reassure him that he had always been a good husband, and that his struggle after Sophia ran out on their wedding was understandable. It was very sweet of them but not entirely necessary.

  It was a decade ago, after all, and for the most part, he truly had moved past it. He was older now, and his confidence had been restored after his wedding to Phoebe. It had been a shaky courtship, and apparently, she had had no idea why he had been sometimes distant, but it had all melted away the moment she had walked down the aisle and became his wife. Sitting down on the couch beside them, he told her as much.

  "I'm so sorry, Phoebe, that I never told you about my past with Sophia. She had left and never come back, and I just didn't see the point in bringing it up. I'm also really very surprised that you had never heard the story. I know how hard the gossip mill works around here."

  "I just—when she came back—why didn't you say anything then?"

  "I don't know, I guess it was out of some misplaced sense of protection. We are already dealing with so much right now, I just didn't want to add to it in any way. And I was kind of hoping she wouldn't be here long, I guess." He sighed heavily. "There's more to it, a lot more actually. I didn't want to complicate our lives or upset you guys in any way. I couldn't have foreseen that she would end up working for us, and I really didn't expect to have any more contact with her, unless I ran into her around town occasionally. Which, I might add, was a situation I hoped to avoid as much as possible."

  "You really have no idea why she left?"

  "Not a clue, but I'm okay with that now. She was young. We both were, but she was really young. I think she just got spooked."

  Phoebe didn't reply, likely processing the information, but Lucy, who had been quiet throughout the whole exchange so far, spoke up. "I think you should ask her."

  "It's water under the bridge, Luce." As far as he was concerned, the matter was a closed one. But he knew it wasn't, at least not with Lucy. He could see it in her face, and remembered that he hadn't been the only one hurt when Sophia left. Lucy had lost a good friend.

  "Respectfully, Hiram, I don't think it is. I think you deserve to know. I also think it still bothers you. If it didn't, you wouldn't be bothered by the thought of her working here, and you would have told me when you realized she was back." Lucy was ever the practical one. And she was right more often than he cared to admit.

  "You know what, Luce, you do have a point. She ow
es me an explanation—and I owe her something else entirely."

  * * * * *

  "So, your interview was with Phoebe?" Beth Anne asked later that night.

  Sophia had wanted to be alone when she got home, but Beth Anne, sensing that she was upset had followed her upstairs, and with a little prodding, had gotten her to share.

  "Yes, and I loved her! We had so much in common! But I had no idea that Hiram was one of those things!"

  "Hm… so, when did you figure it out?"

  "After the interview, she wanted me to come to her house, and meet her sister wife, since that's who I would be mostly working with. Then she introduced me to Lucy."

  "But, you already knew Lucy," Beth Anne surmised.

  "Yes, and I was so happy to see her! At that point, I wasn't even thinking about Hiram. I was just enjoying reuniting with an old friend."

  "So you spent the afternoon visiting. Well, hey that's nice, and don't worry, Sophia, there's other jobs. I'll be happy to take the kids again if you want to go look tomorrow," Beth Anne said reassuringly and Sophia grimaced.

  "I got the job. At least I think I still have it. I signed a contract. But then…." Sophia trailed off not sure what to say.

  Beth Anne was staring at her in shock. "But then what? You signed a contract? What… how… why? I don't…. I can't… does Hiram know?"

  "He knows all right," Sophia said ruefully.

  "Still, contract or no, I can't imagine him going for it. He was torn up when you left, Sophia. I mean, I was only fifteen, just a kid really, but I remember hearing about it. It took him a long time to recover from that."

  "Well, he wasn't happy about it, but a contract is a contract. There was nothing he could do about it. Well, there was one thing," she amended thoughtfully. Leaning forward and lowering her voice to a whisper, she told Beth Anne about Hiram's condition.

  If Beth Anne had been shocked before, she was now incredulous. "Oh my God! So, you went along with it? You wanted the job that badly?"

  "I really did. It's a perfect job. I'll work during the hours that Bobby is in school, they are letting me bring Zoe with me, and I really love Lucy! Taking a job where I can help her out and make her days easier, well, I would do it for free if I could."

  Beth Anne nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I just don't know if I would ever want a job so much I would take a spanking for it." Then she grinned. "Okay, yes I would. I don't mind the spanking so much, but I don't think someone could spank me other than my husband. That would be too weird. You're brave. And I thought you thought spanking was barbaric and abusive anyway?"

  "Well, I'm starting to reconsider my stance on that," Sophia admitted. "But the jury's still out, so far."

  "Was it awful? Did it hurt? Was it weird? Did you like it?" Beth Anne asked rapid-fire questions.

  Sophia had to admit she had no answers. "He didn't do it. Something else happened…" she filled Beth Anne in on the details of Phoebe's spanking.

  "Oh, wow, that's crazy. He really never told her about you?"

  "Apparently not. I'm not really sure what to think about that either."

  Beth Anne traced the pattern on the quilt with her finger, looking as if she still had more to say. Sophia waited.

  "I've never seen anyone spanked before. I mean, Ben has spanked Mollie and I at the same time before, but I've never had to just sit and watch her be punished. Was it weird?"

  Sophia chuckled at Beth Anne's innocent candor. "It was weird," she admitted. "But, it was also, I don't know, not what I was expecting it to be." She blushed. "I was almost disappointed that I didn't get my turn. I know it's crazy, I just… I wanted to see if you were right. You know what they say about that curious cat. It's probably for the best that it didn't happen. What if I still hated it just like before? How would I work for him after that?"

  "Like before? What are you talking about? I thought you had never been spanked?"

  Sophia opened her mouth to answer, but then there was a sharp knock on her bedroom door and Ben poked his head in, looking worried.

  "Hiram is here to see you," he announced.

  * * * * *

  Hiram wasn't sure what he was doing at Ben's house, and Ben didn't look too happy about it either when he answered the door. He wondered if Sophia had told her brother anything, but quickly dismissed the thought. If she had, Ben likely would have been much angrier, instead of looking mildly curious and annoyed.

  He wasn't going to worry about what Ben or anyone else thought. This was between him and Sophia, and it was long overdue.

  After what seemed like an hour, but was in reality only about five minutes, Sophia came out and joined him on the porch, closing the door behind her.

  "Hiram," she said with a nod, her tone curious.

  "Sophia," he countered, feeling as nervous as she looked. He cleared his throat, trying to figure the best way to get started. "You owe me an explanation—and I owe you a spanking," he blurted, out then winced at his foolishness. Way to ease in, he told himself disgustedly. He expected her to curse at him, or turn and run back into the house.

  Instead she blinked, her face drawn, and nodded. "I think you're right—but, is there somewhere else we could go? I really don't think this is a conversation for anyone but the two of us, and I don't think I can truly trust my brother and his wives to not listen in. They mean well, of course, but…."

  "We could go for a drive," he suggested, feeling relieved. It was a conversation he would much rather have on neutral territory, or at least, pretty much anywhere other than Ben's front porch.

  Sophia agreed, and taking her arm, he walked her out to his truck and boosted her in, before walking around to his side. "Where do you want to go? Do you have a destination in mind, or should I just drive around?"

  Sophia looked unsure and hesitant. "We could go to the lake."

  "We could," he agreed. "It's a good place to talk, but it's not really a good place for a spanking."

  "That didn't stop you before."

  Heat filled Hiram's groin at the long ago memory, and he grinned wickedly at her cheekiness. "Indeed."

  He drove along in silence, occasionally stealing a glance in her direction. She was very beautiful, more so than she had been years ago. She had filled out, her body becoming full and rounded in all the right places. Her chestnut hair was long and curly, and her golden skin glowed with a natural flush that he was pretty sure was caused by him, and knowing what they were going to do. He was attracted to her, but he wouldn't act on it. This was about business and closure for the past. He wanted to move forward so they would see their way to having a friendly employer-employee relationship. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

  * * * * *

  "Sophia, eventually, we're going to have to do what we came here for," Hiram's tone was firm, but filled with laughter as they began their third lap around the small lake.

  "I know, it's just, it's so hard. I'm embarrassed," she admitted, her eyes focused on the dirt trail.

  "Why don't we just forget the spanking, and talk?" he said kindly, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

  "Or…we could skip the talk and go straight to the spanking." Her face was bright red, but she looked him straight in the eyes, daring him to argue.

  "You want me to spank you?" Hiram was incredulous, not knowing what to make of her request.

  "I do. A contract is a contract after all," she said coyly, repeating his earlier words back to him.

  "Well, when you put it that way…" he trailed off. He smiled and led her into a wooded grove where teenagers and courting couples often went to neck. Barring the arrival of any lovesick kids, they would have their privacy.

  He found a large tree stump and sat on it, pulling Sophia to stand in front of him.

  Then he went speechless. He didn't know what to say, or how to begin. It was nothing like spanking his wives.

  "Hiram?" Sophia questioned, obviously waiting for his instruction.

  "Yes, um, place yourself acros
s my lap." He was trying to sound confident, but his body was betraying him, bead of sweat forming on his upper lip.

  Sophia didn't seem to notice, as she awkwardly lowered herself to lie across his knees. "Like this?"

  He was relieved to notice that her coyness was gone, and she seemed appropriately nervous. He shifted slightly on the stump, repositioning her to keep the pressure of off his groin, not wanting any impropriety to take place, and belatedly realized that an over the knee spanking was not the best idea. But being that they were at the lake, it would have to do. He could hardly make her bend over and grab her ankles or hang on to a tree trunk. While less intimate, it was more humiliating, which wasn't something he was comfortable with.

  This truly wasn't ideal, but he didn't think there was a way to make it less awkward. It is what it is, he told himself, and with a deep breath, raised his arm to begin.

  Chapter 13

  Sophia lay still over Hiram's lap, waiting for him to begin. She could feel the shift in his body as he raised his arm and braced herself. His hand came down hard, and she was grateful that she had changed into jeans when she got home. The thin skirt she had worn to the interview would have provided little protection, and Hiram was very heavy handed.

  He brought his hand down again and again, and after about the tenth or so swat, Sophia gasped in pain. He was repeatedly striking the same spot, right in the middle of her bottom where the two cheeks met. She tried to catch her breath between swats, but he was too quick. He rained blow after punishing blow down on her poor backside, until she was sure he could feel the heat even through the seat of her jeans.