Adam: Braddocks, Book Two (3 page)

She cried out, “Ohhhhh, God!”

“Do not use the Lord’s name in vain.” He landed two more quick lashes to the under curve of her bottom, causing her to arch upward and scream out. He ignored her cries that were part of the punishment. “You will understand exactly how against this foolish idea I am by the time we’re done.”

* * *

Her father put his hands at her waist and lifted Faith out of the buggy. She felt great relief to be standing and shifted quietly to the side. She watched her mother wince as she scooted across the seat and allowed her husband to lift her down as well. Guilt threaded through her. She regretted that her father had seen fit to spank her mother after giving her a sound thrashing. But she’d heard her mother raising her voice in anger and even going so far as to throw something at him. Her mother was not always the quiet, subdued woman that many people believed she was. She had a temper. Both being redheads, both she and her mother were known to be a bit hotheaded at times. Although it usually meant they paid for their fits of temper with a very sore bottom.

Her father looked lovingly at her mother. In turn, she smiled at him, slipping her hand in the crook of his arm. Once a punishment was delivered the matter was settled. Even Faith was no longer upset with her father. She knew he loved her. They often disagreed, but she loved him, too.

She smoothed down her skirt and prepared herself to sit for the next hour on a hard pew as Caleb delivered a sermon. It wasn’t going to be pleasant. She’d had to sleep on her stomach and even by morning she still felt the effects of the stropping. The short ride here in the buggy hadn’t helped. But they never missed going to church unless one of them was quite ill. Having to sit on a tender bottom was not an excuse, in her father’s opinion. And after suffering being disciplined, neither she nor her mother would dare to risk another session for going against him again.

“Still planning on working at the mercantile?” a deep voice questioned behind her.

She noted her father’s immediate frown and then he hustled her mother toward the church steps without saying a word. Nerves fluttering in her stomach, Faith faced Adam. He looked so handsome in his Sunday best trousers, white shirt, and jacket. She wanted to throw herself into his arms, wanted him to hold her.

“Yes.” She turned to follow after her parents.

Adam snagged her arm and stopped her. “Angelica tells me I need to apologize to you, but I won’t. I don’t like the idea of you working there.” His brow pinched. “I especially don’t like the crazy notion of you wearing britches there.”

“My father wasn’t in favor of the idea of me working there either.” She jerked her arm free and felt her face heat. Why had she said that? What would he think?

He studied her for a second and then he dared to place one of his big hands against her skirt–covered bottom. She flinched, her face heating even more. The awful man grinned. “Burned your butt, did he?”

She was glad nobody else was nearby. “If he did, it is none of your business.”

He chuckled and let her walk away. But he caught up to her and said so only she would hear, “I’m going to enjoy sitting behind you this morning, watching you squirm around on your sore little ass.”

She gave him her fiercest glower. “That’s an awful thing to say, Adam Braddock.”

“Just so you know, I would have taken my belt to your sweet butt.”

She stomped away, ignoring how much each stomp caused the skirt and drawers to rub her tender bottom. He was an impossible man. She should want nothing more to do with him. Yet…

He walked past her, whistling. Grinning, too. Fool man!

Chapter Two

Faith walked briskly away from her family’s house at the far end of Main Street, enjoying the slight breeze and the early morning coolness of the mid–August day. No doubt by afternoon the heat would be almost unbearable.

She sensed her father’s disapproving gaze following her from the front window. He hadn’t said any more on the matter since the stropping. He’d made his disapproval to her decision about helping out at the mercantile very clear. Even over a day later, when her drawers and skirt rubbed wrong, she still felt slight tingles on her tender bottom. But she was much better today and her focus shifted to the commitment she’d made.

She hurried along the dirt road, dust flying up around her long skirt. Today she would purchase the britches just as she’d planned to do. There was much moving around of boxes and crates in the store’s back room that needed doing. And she wanted to clean along the lower parts of the three long glass cases. Annabelle hadn’t been able to do a thorough cleaning in a while due to her health issues, but Faith planned to take care of it. Her thoughts were consumed by all that she needed to learn, all that she wanted to do to help out. This was all so new to her and exciting.

“Mornin’, Miss Faith,” Harmon Dogwood called out. “You headed for the mercantile?”

Her heart raced at being jarred from her thoughts. She glanced at the string–bean lean man who had stopped sweeping off the wooden boardwalk in front of the Dry Creek Hotel. His rather plump and noisy wife, Katherine, moved into the open doorway of their hotel and looked at her, too. Faith didn’t doubt for a second that most folks between here and Dodge City knew her plans to work in the general store. She figured that most of the townspeople would also have learned that her father didn’t approve.

She gave a weak smile sigh of resignation and felt her face heat knowing that the Dogwoods had been in church yesterday and probably noticed her shifting awkwardly on the pew. As with other times before, she accepted that her personal business had become something of public knowledge. Nothing she could do about that except let them think what they may.

“Yes, I’ll be helping Annabelle for a while.” She didn’t want to pursue a conversation, so she continued on her way.

Considering that it was still fairly early, there was limited traffic on Main Street. A buckboard rattled from around the other end of the road and stopped at the big open doors of the livery and blacksmith shop. Two cowboys wandered out of Delman’s Gun and Hardware Store across from the livery. Other than that it was quiet yet.

Annabelle had just opened the mercantile’s front door when Faith drew in a steadying breath and walked inside. The large room still held lingering darkness in corners, but with the large window and a kerosene lantern lit it wasn’t too bad.

“I was wondering if you would be in today,” Annabelle said in greeting. She flashed an understanding look. “I would have understood if you weren’t.”

Faith headed directly for the back room. “I assume the clothes I picked out the other day are still put aside for me.” She didn’t want to waste any more time and effort talking about her getting disciplined. What was done was done.

She hesitated in the doorway and glanced back, took a good look at the older woman. Annabelle still looked a bit washed – out. “After you show me how to keep track of sales, why don’t you go upstairs and lie down for a while. I can handle the business.”

Annabelle leaned against one of the glass cases, a hand to her chest. “I’m doing all right, really. Just have trouble catching my breath now and then.”

“Should I go find Doc?” Faith worried about her friend, but Annabelle could be stubborn at times. She didn’t want to push her and upset her.

“No. I’ll be just fine, dear.” She waved Faith toward the back. “You go ahead and change clothes.” Then she grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes. “That’ll stir Adam up when he stops in later, which I know he will.”

Faith huffed and glanced at the open front door. “What I do, what I wear is none of his business. I’m just being practical.”

She marched into the back and quickly changed clothes. The britches were a little tighter than she’d remembered across her backside. But they didn’t rub any more than her skirt had. Satisfied that she was dressed properly for what she had in mind, she headed out into the main room.

And nearly plowed into the scowling man she’d wanted to avoid.

The man looked sinfully handsome in spite of the frown on his ruggedly carved face. In his black trousers and white shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscled forearms, he was far too good to stare at. So she forced herself to stop.  He didn’t need to know how attracted she was to him. Especially now that she’d decided she wanted nothing to do with him. She’d done her last foolish chasing after the likes of Adam Braddock.

“Is there something we can help you with, Mr. Braddock?” She tried to brush by him, but the big lug shifted into her path.

“I just stopped in to see if you would really show up today.” He didn’t look ready to move out of her way. His expression darkened as his gaze shifted down and he took in her pants.

She bristled, prepared to give him a good piece of her mind, but Annabelle gave a quiet cough and drew their attention. All thoughts of the bothersome man in front of her fled. She shoved him aside and scurried across the store.

“Annabelle, I’m going to insist that you go lie down.” Her stomach quivered with nerves. Could she really handle the store’s business on her own? How could she not?

Adam moved next to her, concern now etching his features. “Maybe I should go locate Doc. He’s probably down at his office, too early to be hanging out at the Tumbleweed.”

Annabelle shook her head and gave them both a narrow–eyed look. “You two need to stop fretting so much about me. I ain’t going to keel over dead any second now, like you seem to think.”

Faith saw Adam pull in a breath of frustration. She knew he and his brothers were fond of the woman for the kindness she gave them all. She also knew he had an even softer spot for her. She knew some of his secrets, some of the pain he carried inside him. Pain that Faith wished he would share with her.

“How about I bring in one of those chairs outside my shop? You can at least sit down while you teach Faith what she needs to know about running your store.” He was already almost to the door, eager to help in some small way.

“You don’t need to bother with that. I just…”

But he went on with his mission and she rolled her eyes at Faith. “That man never listens.” Still, her eyes gleamed with warmth and pleasure. She truly liked the too–often gruff Adam.

Now that Annabelle appeared to look better and color had returned to her cheeks, Faith felt some of her worry drain away. She would watch her friend, though. And she couldn’t keep from smiling a little when Adam sped back inside the store with one of the two straight–backed chairs usually sitting in front of his barbershop.

He carried it behind the center showcase and plunked it down. “Come on over here, Annabelle. Sit yourself down.”

Even though his tone was a bit on the bossy side, Faith heard the worry there as well.

So did Annabelle. She resisted a second and then ambled in his direction. He didn’t move an inch until she’d sat down. “Satisfied?” she asked, giving him a pointed look.

“Yes, ma’am, I am.” He caught the heavy bootsteps on the boardwalk heading next door at the same time Faith did. “Looks like I’ve got a customer, so I’d better go.” He focused on Faith. “You come get me if––”

“Will you get on out of here!” Annabelle said in annoyance and cut him off.

He strode to the doorway, stopped, and grouched, “I mean it, Faith. Keep a good eye on her today.”

His deep concern warmed Faith’s heart instead of irritating her like his order probably should have done. She bobbed her head in agreement and he walked out.

The instant he was out of hearing, Annabelle said, “Now, you tell me about this latest foolishness between the two of you.”

Faith avoided meeting the woman’s eyes. “Whatever do you mean?”

“I think we need to talk about what you announced the other day, about you becoming a spinster. And I think we need to talk about you giving up on winning that rascal of a man. He doesn’t need giving up on.”

“It’s what he wants,” Faith said quietly, hurt pinching her heart. “He’s rejected my attentions one too many times.”

“The man doesn’t know what he wants. He’s wallowed in grief far too long.” Annabelle held her gaze. “He needs you.”

Faith blinked back tears and shook her head. She walked over to the corner behind the cases and grabbed the broom. “I don’t need him. I don’t want him. I’m done with him…and every other man.” Truth was, she wished she didn’t need Adam, didn’t want him. But she was tired of him shoving her away. And no other man would ever draw her the way he did. So she would find a way to live without a man. Other women did. All right, most of them were widows. Still….

* * *

Adam walked into his barbershop and found two of his barber chairs taken. Daniel sat in one, looking impatient with a frown pinching his forehead. Ben sat in the other chair, looking every bit as frustrated. He wasn’t up to another verbal attack about his apparent sour attitude of late. “Don’t bother starting in on me because I’m not interested.”

Daniel’s frown deepened. “For once you’re not at the top of our complaint list. We’re here to discuss Caleb.”

Relief crept through him, though he wondered what their preacher brother had done to earn his brothers’ concern. Ben looked annoyed. “So what has he done?” Adam asked, focusing on Ben.

Blowing out a breath and shaking his head, Ben said, “It’s more like what he hasn’t done, at least in Daniel’s opinion. I’m not quite as concerned.”

“He needs a wife.” Daniel made the statement, clearly considering there would be no objection.

Adam strolled over to a stool at the end of the long, narrow shop so he could study his brothers. It felt good to have them focusing on one of their other brothers for a change. Daniel, Ben and Caleb spent far too much time giving him grief about moving on with his life, about getting married again. Apparently now that Daniel was happily married, he believed the rest of them needed to be, too. They didn’t talk about Seth, though, but they worried about him all alone out in California. Lately he’d been wondering if one of them ought to head out that way and track Seth down. And that “one of them” should be him, since the other three were pretty tied down right now. Daniel being the sheriff had duties here. Ben ran the family’s big ranch. And Caleb was busy preaching here in Dry Fork and over in Camden as well. Adam’s barbershop could easily close for a while.