The Rancher's Bride (10 page)

“But I’m pleased for you, Marie. He seems like a fine man, and you certainly done right by them boys. I’m real proud of you. And I’ll bet your pa would’ve been too.”

Marie hugged her mama again and when they stopped hugging and pulled back from each other, Stella straightened up and her usual stern and unsmiling demeanor returned like a cloud passing over the sun. Marie had the sense that this was a moment with her mama that would never be repeated. She had the sense that she would never see her mama ever again after this day. She felt a lump in her throat.

“We’d best be on our way now, before your man throws us out.” Marie started to shake her head in denial, but her mama stopped her. “It’s okay, honey, he’s just looking after you like he should. I wouldn’t blame him for wanting to be rid of us.”

They stepped through the barn doors as the sun was going down in the sky. Chester was standing by his truck with Frank close by, making sure he was leaving, most likely.

Stella took a few steps toward the beat up old truck and the man that she had unhappily spent most of her life with. Marie couldn’t help but feel sorry for her mama and the love that she lost. Having Frank in her life now and loving her as he did, and she him, made Marie’s understanding of her mother’s pain and loss even more acute.

Her mama turned then. “I’ll be writing back to Calvin’s people and I’ll give them your address. This way they can contact you directly about that inheritance.” Her mama smiled one last sad smile at Marie. “You take care of yourself, baby-girl, you hear me?”

Marie’s eyes glistened. “Yes, mama. I will.”

With that her mama proceeded to the truck and quietly got in, with Chester climbing into the driver’s seat after her.

He started the truck and just as he was pulling away, Chester looked at Marie with disgust. As if this was the final disappointment she had dealt him. Marie wasn’t sure how to feel about him. She didn’t think she had any feelings left for him at all, actually.

Frank walked over to her then and, without saying a word, put his arms around her. Marie expected her tears to overcome her at Frank’s kindness and gentle manner, but she just felt empty.

She looked up at him. “Did you hear everything that my mama told me?” Marie knew the barn doors had been open the entire time they were talking and Frank and Chester had been just outside those doors. It would make things easier if she didn’t have to repeat everything for Frank’s benefit.

“Yes, Marie, I did.”

* * *

Frank put his arm around Marie’s waist and began walking toward the back door of the house, guiding her alongside him.

He had already sent Roy back into the barn to see to the animals, so he could focus his attention fully on his wife. Frank knew she would need his love and assurance after that emotional talk she had had with her mama. Frank figured those folks’d never show their faces here again after today. That thought didn’t bother Frank at all, but he pitied Marie over it all the same. It was her mama, after all. She’d probably have some cryin’ to do over the whole day.

Plus, there was the matter of the spanking she had coming to her for disobeying him. Frank didn’t relish the thought of having to punish her right on the heels of her heartache, but he wasn’t a man to shirk his duties regarding his family, either.

If a punishment had been earned, he preferred to tend to it as soon as possible. Part of the lesson was lost if it was delayed, in his opinion. He had specifically told her to stay in the house and, whatever her reason, she hadn’t. Frank intended to make sure Marie couldn’t sit without a cushion tomorrow to help her remember that she needed to always mind him. Always. Frank opened the mudroom door and Marie entered the kitchen ahead of him.

She headed straight for the oven. Frank watched silently as Marie pulled a charred roast out of the oven, setting it on a towel on the kitchen table.

“It’s ruined.” Marie looked dejected. Frank knew she had worked hard on the whole meal.

“Leave it for now,” Frank stated evenly, “and come with me.” He reached for Marie’s hand.

She shot him a quizzical look, but took his hand all the same. They strode through to the parlor, where Jack and Henry played on the rug.

“You boys playin’ nice with one another?”

They both nodded at Frank. “Yes, sir.” Jack spoke for them both as usual.

“I’d like both you boys to stay in this room until I come back down. Is that understood?”

Again, Jack answered for both. “Yes, sir.”

With that, Frank headed for the stairs, pulling Marie along behind him, and Jack and Henry resumed the game they had been playing when Frank and Marie had first entered the room. Frank headed straight for their room, entered and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the bed, sat down and immediately pulled her down over his lap.

“Frank, please—what did I do?”

Frank answered with one very hard wallop to her upturned backside. “I don’t want to hear one more word out of you, girl.” Frank held her firmly in place but didn’t spank her again. “You’ll listen, nothing more. And you’ll take the spankin’ you’re about to get without any more fuss.”

Frank raised her skirt and bunched it at the small of her back. Then he quickly pulled down her drawers and began spanking Marie’s bare behind with no further preamble.

He walloped her backside with grim determination. He was going to impress upon her the need for her to follow his rules if he had to spank her every night. “If you disobey me, I will spank you.” Frank lectured while his hand did its worst to her bare skin. “Every time. Without fail. You disobeyed me today by goin’ out to that barn when I told you to stay in the house. I had a good reason for tellin’ you that and you don’t need that explained. I might not always have the time to explain my rules.” Frank shifted her forward and went to work on her thighs then.

Marie began to cry.

“All you need to know is to mind me. That’s all.” Frank stopped for a moment. “If’n you don’t mind, well, then you’ll have trouble sittin’ for supper.”

“I will not be disobeyed in my own home. And especially not by my wife. I can’t keep you safe if I can’t be certain that you’ll mind me. You’ll do as I tell you, is that clear?” Frank lifted Marie from his lap then and she nodded to indicate that she understood. But when she reached down to pull up her undergarments; he put out a hand to stop her. “Fetch me that hairbrush from the bureau.”

Marie didn’t move, just turned and looked at the brush that sat atop the dresser. Then she turned back to look at Frank and slowly shook her head. “Wh-what for?” Marie’s voice was shaky.

“Not another word and I mean it.” Frank turned her quickly to the side and landed one very hard spank on her reddened behind.

Marie cried.

“You’ll hand me that brush if’n you know what’s good for you.”

Marie turned and took the few short steps to the bureau, shuffling as she went since her drawers were bunched around her ankles. She grabbed the hairbrush, returning to the same spot—between Frank’s knees—and handing the brush off to Frank.

Frank didn’t waste any time getting Marie back over his lap, only this time he had placed her over his left leg with her upper body laid on the bed. He then placed his right leg firmly over both of hers so she couldn’t move at all. She couldn’t squirm and she couldn’t kick. She was well and truly trapped over Frank’s knee.

The way Frank held her legs down with his free leg left Marie having to just submit to his punishment. Marie was crying into the coverlet and gripping and ungripping it.

And Frank made sure to cover every inch of skin on Marie’s backside with the back of that brush. The skin was a dark red with purplish spots in certain areas. He knew that she had probably had enough, but, just for good measure, he delivered a few last hard swats to her upper thighs.

Marie cried out in pain with each one.

Frank laid the brush down on the bed beside him.

Marie was limp and sobbing over his left thigh, and seemed to make no attempt to move after Frank stopped spanking her. Frank stroked her lower back, just above her punished and red-hot rear end. They were both silent.

They stayed like that for only a few minutes when Frank realized that Marie was very softly snoring. She was asleep, completely worn through by his punishment. Frank felt no remorse though, even as he stared down at her mottled behind and looked at the tears drying on her cheeks. He would do it all over again if’n he had to, although he did hope that he never had to punish her like this again. He didn’t enjoy it, not one bit.

Hearing Marie cry always tore right into him, but Frank was convinced that he would do her an injustice if he didn’t punish her. He needed to reinforce his rules with a firm hand. It was for her own good. He couldn’t always control what other folks had a mind to do—today was a perfect example of that. But if Marie had minded him and stayed put, she wouldn’t have been in harm’s way.

Frank needed to know that she was going to do exactly what he told her to do. That fact would help him sleep at night. He would ensure it with her over his knee every day if that’s what it took.

Frank carefully slid his hands under Marie’s hips and shifted her gently from his lap to the bed. He then covered her with the blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed. He closed the door behind him as he left the room and went to fetch supper for the children and himself.

* * *

The following morning before dawn, Marie woke and was at first surprised that she’d slept in her clothes, but then she remembered the events of the previous day. She reached behind her to touch her backside and found the action painful. The skin on her backside burned and stung and she was sure she would feel this spanking for a while.

She looked over at Frank. He was sound asleep still—it was that early—and she marveled at the feelings that welled up inside her every time she looked at him. She felt like she loved him more every day and yet she wondered how she could love him so much when he punished her so harshly. But she did. And her heart felt heavy when she realized what she had to do.

Marie knew that she had to leave. Finding out about her past had been one of the most painful experiences of her life. She was so ashamed that her mama and daddy weren’t married. That made her a bastard. There was no other word for it.

Yet that wasn’t the worst of it. No, as far as Marie was concerned the worst of it was that Frank knew that she was that. He deserved better. He should have stuck with Sarah. Marie was convinced now that she wasn’t good enough for him and that she would be doing him a favor by leaving and freeing him up to find a more fitting wife. Someone more suitable for raising his daughter.

He would never ask her to end the marriage; Marie knew he was too honorable for that. But this ugly truth would always be there, unspoken between them and Marie didn’t think she could live with it.

She knew that she needed to take the boys with her. She certainly couldn’t leave them—Frank would have enough trouble finding a new sitter for Emme—and they were really hers anyway. The only problem was getting someone to watch Emme when they left, while giving them enough time to get some space between the ranch and themselves.

She decided they could leave after lunch. One of the hands was courtin’ a young woman from town who liked to stop by and visit him for his lunch break twice a week, and today just happened to be one of those days. Marie could ask her to watch Emme after lunch, since she napped at that time anyway. She’d make up some excuse about having to take Jack and Henry somewhere—boy, it was a good thing she was leaving cause with all this lyin’ she’d be over Frank’s knee for sure!

Marie would leave a note for Frank explaining her reasons. She was sure he would be relieved really. He’d be better off without her and her horrible past.

Her mind made up, Marie got up from the bed, careful not to wake Frank, and set about washing up and changing her clothes in order to begin her morning chores for the last time in Frank Carter’s home.

* * *

Finally, he saw them. Walking alongside the road, Marie held the boys’ hands, one on each side, as was her habit. Frank slowed the truck and pulled up behind them, careful not to get too close.

Jack turned at the sound of a vehicle approaching behind them and his eyes lit up when he recognized Frank’s truck. He must’ve said something, because Henry then turned around and smiled his shy smile and Marie stopped walking. She didn’t turn around though. Both boys were looking up at her.

After cutting the engine, Frank got out of the truck. He had Emmeline strapped to his chest in a baby sling that Marie had shown him how to fashion out of a bed sheet. It left his arms and hands free to drive. He took a few steps toward the threesome and then, squatting down, he opened his arms wide. Both boys ran to him, throwing themselves into his arms, and trying not to crush Emme who was giggling at all the chaos.

After a few minutes of hugging the boys, talking softly to them and reassuring them, then kissing the top of each of their heads, Frank stood. Marie still hadn’t moved from the spot where she had stopped, with the exception of turning around to face Frank. She stared at the ground, not able or unwilling to look at him.

Frank turned around and, taking the boys by the hand, walked back to the truck with them. At the truck, Frank proceeded to take Emme from the sling and sit her in the middle of the front seat. Then he took Jack and put him on one side of her, and then put Henry on the other. With instructions for the boys to keep Emmeline between them on the seat, Frank closed the door and turned to deal with his wife.

With his long legs, Frank managed to close the distance between Marie and himself in the blink of an eye. One minute he was closing the truck’s door, the next he had Marie in his arms and was kissing her with an urgency he didn’t realize he even felt until that very moment. It was a few minutes before he let her up for air.

Frank held her firmly in his arms even though he had pulled his head away from hers enough to look her squarely and sternly in the eyes.