Peppermint Sticks for Susie (2 page)

"Only a little girl would stand there fussing at me instead of admitting I'm right," Alex reasoned.

"I already told you that this isn't something I normally do, and really, you do not have the right to threaten me with chastisement. You aren't my father or my husband."

"No, but I promise you that I will wallop you soundly if there is ever a next time." Alex refused to back down. The little redhead needed discipline.

"You are impossible!" she hissed at him.

"I'm about to show you just how impossible I can be, Miss Jenny," he told her, gently touching the tip of her nose with his forefinger. He looked down into her angry eyes until she lowered them in defeat. Only then did he say, "Let me escort you home."

"I don't need an escort, Mr. Martin." She didn't want to have to explain his presence to her straight-laced landlady. "In fact, I just want to be alone now. Excuse me." She tried to walk away but Alex stepped in front of her.

"In case I didn't make myself clear, young lady, I am going to walk you home so that you arrive safely. Now, take my arm and we'll head back to town."

"What about him?" she suddenly balked at the idea of leaving Mort lying there.

"I'll speak to the Sheriff."

"What if he throws you in jail?"

He won't," Alex promised, giving her a reassuring smile.

Jennifer saw no way to thwart the man; he spoke with such authority that she found herself obeying him, even when she truly didn't want to. As they walked toward town, they met up with the Sheriff and two of his deputies. When they saw Jenny with Alex Martin, they pulled their guns and told Alex to put his hands up.

"You're under arrest for shooting down Mort Smith," the Sheriff said in his gravelly voice.

"Sheriff, I don't know what Lefty told you, but Mr. Martin rescued me. I went for a walk, and Lefty and Mort attempted to force themselves on me. Mr. Martin stopped Lefty from slapping me, and Mort was shot as well." Jennifer did her best to defend Alex.

"It's all right, Miss Jenny," Alex said softly. "I'll handle this. Sheriff, may I show you my badge and identification?" he asked. When the man's eyes went wide and he nodded, Alex took out his badge and explained, "I am here to look into all the rustling that's been going on."

"Well, Marshal, we'll help you all we can," Clyde offered, putting his gun in his holster, and then holding out his hand in a gesture of trust.

Alex shook the man's hand and then asked, "I hope I can trust all of you to keep it quiet about the reason I'm here...? I am trying to gather information, and you know how it is, Sheriff... If everyone knows I'm a U. S. Marshal, they'll clam up and not tell me a darn thing."

"Ain't that the pure truth! You two boys keep your lips buttoned. Miss Jenny, I'm asking you nicely to do the same," Clyde was solemn.

"You're a U. S. Marshal?" Jenny asked in surprise.

"I am, Miss Jenny. And, I am still going to see you safely home. Sheriff, we left Mort's body down by the lake. I don't have any false illusions about Lefty; he is blaming Miss Jenny for Mort's death, so we all need to keep an eye out for him and keep him away from her so she'll be safe."

"We'll do that, too, Marshal." One of the deputies eagerly spoke up, hoping to make a good impression on his boss and the Marshal, too."

"You bet you will," Clyde nodded in agreement. "Miss Jenny, if you have any trouble at all, you send someone for me."

"Thank you, Sheriff," she politely responded. Her tummy chose that moment to rumble and she was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under the sidewalk and hide.

"Miss Jenny and I are going to go to the hotel dining room and get us some supper. Would any of you care to join us?" Alex asked courteously.

"No, sir, we got rounds to make. Miss Jenny, you shouldn't go walking by yourself at night; it ain't safe for a pretty girl like you." Clyde felt the need to scold the girl. She didn't have a pa, uncle, or brother to do it, so he felt it was his duty. Or, he could speak to Angus...?

"I won't do it again, Sheriff," Jennifer promised, tears stinging her eyes once more. Why was everyone blaming her for what those men did? They were the ones in the wrong! Yet, she was being scolded over and over for simply going for a walk! It wasn't fair! In fact, it wasn't one bit fair. "Did you tell Lefty that what he did was wrong?" she demanded, her temper surfacing and making itself known.

"Miss Jenny, you need to calm down. Lefty has paid for his crime. He won't be able to use that left hand of his for a long while, and his boss is going to fire him when he has to explain what he did to get himself shot and Mort dead. You are safe now and that is all that matters. Let's go and eat some supper. I don't know about you, but my belly is empty as can be."

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 relief 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.