by Joannie Kay
Jennifer couldn't recall one other time when she felt so utterly disgusted. Lefty and Mort would have harmed her in the most heinous matter possible and he wasn't even sitting in jail! "My belly is none of your concern, Marshal, and for your information, I do not feel that losing his job is adequate punishment for what Lefty attempted to do to me. If you and these other so-called lawmen will not see justice done, then I will simply have to see to it myself!" She attempted to flounce off, but Alex wasn't having it. He put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her before she took more than a few steps.
"Miss Jenny, that comment was uncalled for. Apologize to the Sheriff, and then we are going to have a serious talk."
"I am not going to apologize!" she stubbornly declared.
"It's alright, Marshal. Miss Jenny is just upset right now; she is a real sweet girl."
Alex nodded. "I'm sure you are right, Sheriff, and I am sure that once she has had time to think she will be anxious to say 'sorry' to you."
The Sheriff and his deputies moved on, doing their job of making sure the town was secure for the night. Alex wished he dared to take Jenny to his room at the hotel, but her reputation would be ruined if he did. If he took her to the boarding house she lived in, they would have no privacy. The only place he thought they might be alone was in the jail while the other lawmen were on their rounds. He walked Jenny through the door and then locked it behind him with the thick wooden bar.
"What are we doing in here?" Jenny asked, her green eyes full of apprehension.
Alex ignored her question to check the cells for prisoners and was satisfied they were alone, and that the back door was also locked against intruders. He returned to Jenny and put his hands on his hips. "Young lady, that last comment you made just got you into a heap of trouble with me. You can't go after Lefty. He's bigger than you are and he's stronger. He's also meaner. You are in a dangerous mood, and for your own good, I'm going to take you in hand."
"What are you going to do?" Jenny asked, taking a couple of steps backward.
"I am going to give you a sound spanking, Miss Jenny, and I won't spank you over your skirts, either. You need to settle that temper of yours before you get into trouble you can't handle." He reached for her and she slapped at his hand.
"No! Don't! I am not a child! I don't know why Mr. MacGregor and you both think to punish me in the same day. It is humiliating, and I won't stand for it!"
"You need your bottom warmed, young lady, and you might as well realize that it is going to happen right this very minute." Alex was through talking. He pulled Jenny over to where he was seated on top of one corner of the desk, one foot planted firmly on the floor. He lifted Jenny and dropped her over his left thigh and then he tossed up her skirts to reveal her lace-trimmed drawers. They were tied with a blue ribbon, but he hesitated to untie the ribbon and bare her bottom. She would be shamed enough with this much exposure. He raised his hand and spanked her with his open palm, once, twice, and the third time his hand fell, Jenny cried out in pain. Alex realized that her boss didn't do a bit of damage with the tawse, and he smiled. That was the problem. The Scotsman failed to make her sorry for her behavior, and he left her in a temper.
"Please, let me go!" Jenny cried out, trying to push her skirts down to cover her undergarment. "This is so embarrassing!"
"A spanking should be embarrassing, and it should sting like fire, and see to it that sitting isn't comfortable for a while." He spanked again and then again.
Jenny squealed. How he could put so much into one spank with his hand was beyond her! Mr. MacGregor didn't hurt her nearly as much with his leather tawse! "Please, no more! I'm sorry!"
"Jenny, you are the one who reminded me that you are not a little girl, and I'm not going to insult you with a child's spanking. You are going to get a spanking worthy of your age and the tantrum you've been having ever since your boss gave you a few swats with his tawse. His problem was that he spanked you like a little girl when he should have larruped you good."
"He shouldn't have spanked me at all!" Jennifer raged. "And neither should you! If my Papa was still living, he wouldn't permit anyone to treat me like this!" she insisted.
"Did your Papa ever do this... or this?" Alex asked, smacking her cheeks with vigor.
"Owwww!" No! Of course not!" she insisted. "Let me go, you jerk!"
"Calling me names while I have you turned up for a spanking isn't the smartest thing you could do, Miss Jenny," he said quietly, but his eyes were full of good humor. "Now then, let's get serious about this spanking. You are going to promise me that you'll stay away from Lefty and get rid of this idea of revenge. Do you hear me?" he demanded, giving her rump a hearty smack.
"You are not the boss of me, U. S. Marshal Alex Martin!"
Chapter Two
"I might not be the boss of you, Miss Jenny, but I do care about you, and I'm not about to let a sweet little lady like you go after a jerk like Lefty Bridges. The man is not right in his head and he would love nothing more than a chance to get his hands on you. You, young lady, are not going to give him that opportunity. Is that clear?" Alex brought his hand down on her little bottom once again, and then twice more when she did not answer him right away. "Miss Jenny, you are making this spanking a lot worse than I planned for it to be. Your being stubborn only hurts you. Now, settle down and be serious." He whacked her rounded, cotton drawers once again.
"Why are you spanking me? I haven't done anything wrong!" Jennifer cried out. "Lefty is the one who wronged me, and I won't apologize for being angry! I just won't! You let me go right now!"
"Not until you give up this foolish idea of getting even." He gave her another hard crack, but this time he aimed for her tender sit spots. Jenny cried out in pain. "What Lefty would do to you is worse than this little spanking that you are finding so painful," he announced. He continued to spank her sit spots until she was crying and begging him to stop. "Are you going to behave now?" he asked.
Jennifer couldn't stand the thought of any more spanking! Her poor bottom was on fire and she felt raw. Getting a spanking at her age was simply humiliating and she would never forgive Alex Martin for treating her so shabbily! Jennifer knew that he would continue to spank her until she said what he wanted to hear. She closed her eyes and sobbed out the one word she hoped would stop the ordeal. "Yes!"
"Now, there's a good girl," Alex praised her, completely unaware that he was only making the redhead angrier by the moment. He pulled down her skirts, and then gently helped her to her feet. When Jenny reached back to rub her bottom he grabbed her hands in his. "No rubbing allowed, Miss Jenny. You are to wear this spanking until it goes away all on its own. It will be a good reminder that you need to learn to control your temper, and leave certain matters to men to deal with, and, little lady, you are too sweet to be telling the Sheriff how to do his job; hear me?" he asked.
Jenny couldn't help herself; she was beyond angry with Alex Martin, and she drew back her foot and kicked him just as hard as she could. While Alex was holding his injured leg and cursing in several different languages she couldn't understand, Jenny threw the bar locking the door onto the floor, and then she took off running for the boarding house. She hurried inside and ignored Mrs. Neely when she called out to her. Jennifer went straight to her room and she locked the door with her key. When she decided that the key alone wasn't enough, she took the chair from her writing desk and lodged it under the doorknob, bracing it on the floor to make it harder for anyone to get inside.
Then she collapsed on her bed and immediately jumped to her feet to rub her stinging bottom! It hurt so much she couldn't stand it. Impulsively, Jenny tore off her clothing, and then she looked into the full length mirror at her reddened backside! She was shocked and she also felt quite sorry for herself. She went to the washstand and poured cold water into the basin. She then soaked a washcloth and wrung it out before placing it on her fiery cheeks. It hurt too much to touch the flaming skin, but Jenny was sure that if she didn't give herself some re
lief she would never be able to sleep that night. She was as gentle as she could be as she attempted to take away her pain in the only way she knew. If cold water made a burn feel better, then it should help her inflamed bottom.
There was a knock at the door and Jennifer quickly reached for her wrap, holding it in front of her just in case the door came open in spite of the lock and the chair! "Yes?" she answered, knowing that she didn't dare deny she was in the room when Mrs. Neely knew perfectly well she was.
"Dear, are you unwell?" It was Mrs. Neely, and Jennifer debated on what to say to her. The woman was knowledgeable about aches and pains, but Jennifer knew it would be too embarrassing to tell her what had happened and ask for one of her remedies to relieve the ache.
"I am not feeling well at the moment, Mrs. Neely. I am changing into my nightdress as I speak and planning to crawl into bed."
"Do you need a headache powder, Jennifer?" the kindly woman asked, clearly wanting to help her tenant.
"No, thank you, ma'am. I will be fine if I get some sleep."
"Good night, dear."
"Good night, Mrs. Neely." Jennifer was so relieved she felt like crying. Now that Mrs. Neely knew she was in her night clothes there was no way on earth she would allow Alex Martin to come near her, even if he was a U. S. Marshal. Jennifer continued to put the wet cloths on her bottom until the terrible burning calmed somewhat, and then she put on her nightdress and turned down her bed.
She would get even with Alex Martin! There was no way she would permit the man to get away with spanking her like she was a little girl! Somehow, some way, she would prove to him that she wasn't a child to be treated as though she couldn't take care of herself. And, as for Lefty... She would make him pay, too! He should be in jail for attacking her, and since he wasn't, she would see to it he was punished in another way. Jennifer made and discarded several plans while she waited for sleep to take over.
* * *
Alex couldn't believe the nerve of the little redhead. She'd managed to bring him low when men three times her size couldn't! He didn't try to go after her right away, knowing full well that if he did she would get a spanking born of his anger. He didn't feel she deserved that, but she did need to learn that she couldn't go around kicking people! And, she was going to learn that lesson before the evening was over. He eventually limped to Mrs. Neely's boarding house and since the hour was still considered respectable he walked up on the porch and knocked on the door. Mrs. Neely answered with a cautious look out the window first. Alex removed his hat respectfully and the widow opened the door.
"Good evening, ma'am. May I speak with Miss Jenny?" he asked.
"No, you may not. She has retired for the evening with a headache, and since I do not know you, I am not about to permit you inside my house. Good evening, sir."
And that was that! Of course, Alex wasn't about to take her 'no' for an answer. He rounded the house and saw there was only one light on upstairs, and he was sure it was Jenny's room. He frowned when he realized how easy it would be to reach her bedroom simply by climbing a tree and going in her window. He was up the tree in no time, and a sturdy branch led him to the porch roof right outside her window. He was in time to see her crawl into bed and lie on her tummy. He noted that she left the lamp lit, but on low, to act as a night light. She also left the window open and he wasted no time in climbing inside her room as quietly as possible. He was angry at how vulnerable she was, and if he wasn't already planning to reheat her pretty little backside, the open window would be reason enough!
Jennifer squealed when a hand was clamped over her mouth and she was lifted from the bed as easily as if she were a small child. She tried to defend herself, but her hands flailed empty air as she was twisted around in a dizzying manner, only to land on top of someone a mere second before a hand smacked on the sore flesh of her bottom. "Owwwww!" she cried out into the pillow that her face was buried in, effectively muffling any noise she made.
"How could you leave that window open, girl, when you know that Lefty is out to hurt you?" Alex smacked her bottom again.
Jenny was furious that the lawman got past her blocked door and into her room. She kicked and bucked and tried to throw herself off his lap, but he held her firmly, and gave her another sound spank. She tried to raise her head from the pillow so she could scream, but he simply held her head down so she couldn't cry out for help.
"You settle down right now, Miss Jenny. You are going to hear me out. When I leave here, you are to close and lock your window." He gave her another firm swat. "Then tomorrow after church I am going to come calling for you and you are to be here and ready to go on a picnic with me. In the meantime I expect you to think about your actions today and when we talk about your kicking me a few minutes ago, I want to know why you feel it is okay for you to do something like that. It is time you do some serious growing up, Miss Jenny." He spanked her once again, and then he dumped her on the bed. "Shut and lock this window, little girl, or I'll come back inside and take your hairbrush to you, and I won't be as considerate of your reputation as I'm being right now. I won't care that the town will be shocked to learn I visited you in your bedroom." When her green eyes flayed him alive, he grinned and added, "I wouldn't test me, Jenny. I can be a mean s.o.b. when I have to be."
Jennifer watched in disbelief as he climbed out the window and onto the roof of the front porch! He pointed at the window, and since Jenny didn't want him coming inside again, she ran to the window and shut it and then locked it. She then pulled her blind all the way down so that he couldn't see inside! The man had some nerve! She ranted and paced and ranted some more. Her poor fanny was burning all over again, and she had tears leaking from her eyes. Jennifer was angry and when her empty tummy reminded her yet again that she went to bed hungry, Jennifer burst into tears. It just wasn't fair! For two cents she would shoot that Marshal! And, she wasn't going on any picnic, either! How dare he presume to tell her what to do? It was overstepping his bounds for certain! She made a mental note to remind herself to have her headache again in the morning. She was going to stay in her room all day. No way in the world was she going to face Alex Martin again, not after the way he treated her!
* * *
Alex wasn't a bit happy that Jenny's window was so easily assessable. Once he returned to his hotel room he knew that lying down in the bed and getting some sleep would be nearly impossible. He would worry all night long that Lefty was in town and seeking to harm the pretty little redhead that Alex couldn't get out of his mind for more than two or three seconds at a time! He didn't want to examine the reason why right now. He had a job to do in Pine Ridge, and the job had to come before any kind of romance that might be lurking in the background. He gave the matter serious thought as he walked back to the boarding house and found himself a position from where he could watch the house... especially Jenny's room. If he was seen courting the pretty redhead then it would keep the cattle rustlers from wondering at his presence in town, and he could still pretend to be concerned and ask his questions under the guise of wanting to buy a small ranch in the area. It would be easy to fill that role since it was his dream to own his own spread when he decided to give up his badge and settle down. He was of an age to start raising a few kids and doing so with a pretty young woman like Miss Jenny wouldn't be a hardship at all! Alex smiled, took a seat on the hard ground in the shadows of the house. Even if Jenny didn't realize she was in danger, he did, and he would keep her safe.
* * *
By morning Jennifer was determined to avoid the Marshal. She wasn't going to permit him to tell her what to do, and she wasn't going to hide in her room like some frightened child. She rose early, put on her best dress, the one she saved for Sunday services at the Church she attended. When she was all ready, except for her hat, Jenny went downstairs and helped Mrs. Neely put breakfast on the table.
"You sure look real pretty this morning, Miss Jenny," Oliver Grant told her as he took his seat. "Your cheeks are blushing like a rose." The elderly sc
holar constantly talked like that and Mrs. Neely was half in love with the man!
"Thank you, Mr. Grant." She flashed the man a smile and offered him the bowl of scrambled eggs.
"Aren't you going to eat, dear? There is nothing I like more than seeing a woman have a healthy appetite." "Mr. Grant, between you and Mrs. Neely I would be fat as a cow if I ate as much food as the two of you think I should eat!" she said with a laugh. "Besides, you know that I never eat scrambled eggs; I don't care for them."
"Well, you need something more than toasted bread!" Mrs. Neely complained.
"Yes, ma'am," she answered. There were many dishes of food on the table to tempt the boarders and by the time the bowls and platters made their rounds, Jennifer had plenty of food on her plate. She was very thankful that no mention was made of her visitor, except for Mrs. Neely informing her that she'd had a very handsome gentleman caller last evening, but since she was already in bed with a terrible headache she'd sent him on his way.
"It broke my heart to do that, Jenny. You don't have nearly enough attention from the men in this town."
"I am not sure I want any attention, Mrs. Neely. I am just a simple girl."
"Well, this young man seemed quite pleasant," the elderly widow insisted. 'It wouldn't hurt for you to act a bit more interested when young men come calling."
"I was in bed," she reminded the woman.
"Well, yes you were, and that is a pure shame." Mrs. Neely actually looked disappointed. "Of all the times to get a headache!" She tsked and Jennifer felt her cheeks flush with pink, If only the woman knew exactly what had transpired between her boarder and the marshal she would be completely shocked... and probably kick Jennifer out of her home!
It didn't take too long to tidy the kitchen. Mrs. Neely hired an Indian girl to come in and wash the dishes and help keep the place clean, and it left Mrs. Neely free to go to church, and to take part in her quilting group on Tuesdays and the women's charity group from church on Fridays.