The Lady and the Sheriff Page 10

  Emma enjoyed their company and although she would have liked to have been given more freedom, she could understand why Bob insisted she needed someone to accompany her around town to keep her safe. Already in her short time in Great Bend, she had witnessed a bank robbery in progress which Bob had put a stop to. She had also witnessed Bob and his deputies breaking up a great many fist fights. Most upsetting of all, she had witnessed a gun fight which had ended in the death of two young men. The undertaker had been thrilled, at least.

  Although she had previously seen Bill shoot a man dead, it didn’t get any easier to witness this happening and Emma was sad at what she saw as a waste of such young lives. The men were both only twenty-one and the shootout had been over a local girl who both men had wanted to date. The sad thing was that she had already promised herself to another man and had no interest in either of them. Emma accepted these things were part and parcel of living in a town like Great Bend, but there was plenty to enjoy there too.

  Emma had been delighted when Bob started to take her out more regularly, meaning she wasn’t stuck in the house all day. He had eventually fulfilled his promise to take her out riding, where he was thrilled to discover she was a keen horse rider. He was amazed by her riding skills and she explained with pride that her father had taught her to ride at a young age back in England.

  Bob took her riding often and one day he showed her a beautiful lake where they enjoyed a picnic. He told her that the lake held very special memories for him. When he became tearful, Emma decided not to press him for information and instead wrapped her arms around him and thanked him for a lovely day.

  As Bob held her in his arms, he asked her again about her past. Emma felt that she now owed him the truth and looked into his eyes as she prepared to explain. “Tell me first, was your husband shot dead on the train to Santa Fe?” Bob asked.

  Emma slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to know that I was travelling alone so I lied and pretended I had a husband,” Emma confessed, tears welling in her eyes.

  “I don’t like being lied to,” Bob told her. “I understand you were terrified about your experience with the outlaws. I certainly won’t hold that against you, but I demand that you come clean and tell me the whole truth right now.”

  As they sat under a tree by the lake, Emma gripped Bob’s hand tightly as she told him her unhappy tale. She went back to when her mother had been seriously ill and eventually died in England after lengthy and expensive treatment which had brought the Windmere estate to its knees.

  She told Bob how her father had wanted Emma to find herself a suitable husband to keep the Windmere estate in the family, despite Emma preferring to dream about travelling the world.

  “I realize now that I was an absolute nightmare at times. I must have driven my Daddy crazy. I was too fussy and became very argumentative with all of the possible husbands my father brought home. Eventually Daddy said he’d had enough of my behavior and he took me across his knee and spanked my bottom hard—with his hand and a leather strap.”

  Emma blushed as she recalled her father’s reaction to her throwing a glass of water over Horatio Hawk. Bob held her hand as she told him about her first ever spanking, which had clearly come as a big shock to her.

  “Daddy regularly threatened to spank me,” she told Bob, “but I didn’t believe he would ever carry out his threat—until that night of course. I still find it hard to believe that he did it. My mother always complained that he spoiled me and that he should try taking me across his knee occasionally instead of giving me everything I wanted.” Emma blushed as she glanced away from Bob, feeling ashamed that she had told him so much.

  She told Bob about Mary and John and how they had suggested that her father take her to New York to find her a husband. At this point, though, she decided to veer away from the truth. She was still not ready to tell Bob about Percy. Instead, she told Bob she had met a couple of men in New York, but they were unsuitable. “Daddy had further dinner parties lined up where I hoped to meet my future husband, but unfortunately my father died suddenly. He had a massive heart attack and I found him the next morning,” Emma told him, breaking down in tears as she confided to Bob that she held herself responsible for her father’s death because she had not married one of the many suitors he had lined up for her in England. “Daddy would still be alive if I hadn’t been so selfish,” she whimpered.

  Bob took her in his arms and consoled her. “Emma, if your father’s time was up, he would have passed away no matter where you were. It wasn’t your fault. You must stop blaming yourself.”

  Emma smiled and nodded, finding comfort in his words. Bob closed his eyes and thought that if Emma hadn’t come to America, he never would have met her. He cursed himself and was pleased he had not spoken his thoughts out loud. They would be little consolation to Emma and he wisely kept them to himself.

  Emma told him that after her father’s death she didn’t know what to do so after his funeral she had boarded a train to Santa Fe. She told Bob that she and her father had intended to go there before returning to England, so she had decided to go ahead with their plans and see what happened when she got there.

  Emma felt guilty for not telling Bob about Percy, but she had grown really fond of Bob and she knew that he cared deeply for her too. She worried that if she told him the truth about how she stole valuable items from Percy, broke off their engagement and assaulted him, Bob would no longer have feelings for her and would send her away, or possibly even put her in jail. Emma could not bear for that to happen. She could not bear it if Bob were to cast her aside.

  She finished her story by telling him how she had been snatched from the train by one of Bill’s men, who did not have good intentions towards her. “Bill Hawkins saved my life, by shooting a man dead who intended to cause me harm, and also by spanking my bottom when I tried to run away during the night. I realize now that he was trying to keep me safe, just like you.”

  Bob smiled. He was glad that Emma could see that he spanked her because he cared for her.

  “After Bill dumped me in Great Bend, my fortunes changed and I met the sweetest man in the world,” Emma whispered to Bob, as she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed quietly in his arms.

  Bob and Emma sat under the tree, their arms wrapped around each other, until Emma had finally stopped crying. Bob longed to kiss her, to tell her that everything would be all right and he would look after her forever, but fearing that she would run as far away as possible if he made his feelings known, Bob simply held her and consoled her until she told him she was ready to go home.

  * * *

  As Emma and Bob enjoyed a pleasant afternoon picnicking by the lake, Richard Morrison was reaching breaking point. He had spent almost two months in Percy’s company and he couldn’t seem to get rid of the man. Percy had insisted on putting them both up in the same hotel and Richard had to spend a lot more time with Percy than he was comfortable with.

  Richard had spent his days talking to people and following leads on Emma, while Percy thankfully found other things to keep him occupied, but Richard kept drawing a blank. Emma seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, yet the irritating Percy quizzed him every evening over dinner about when they would be able to fetch her and take her back to New York.

  Finally, Richard got the breakthrough he had been looking for. By chance he was chatting with someone in a restaurant and told them he was looking for his niece who had come to New York, bought a train ticket to Santa Fe, and had simply disappeared. He said her name was Emma and she’d come over from England.

  The woman was breathless with excitement as she told him that she had just visited relatives in Great Bend and there was a young lady staying in the town who had been dumped on the sheriff’s doorstep by Bill Hawkins. “She’s from London, very young and very pretty, and a bit of a handful by all accounts,” she laughed.

  Richard had thanked her and went to find Percy and give him the good news.

&nb
sp; “Emma’s alive and well,” he told Percy.

  “Oh, that’s a shame,” grumbled Percy. “I hoped the outlaws might have killed her.”

  Richard shook his head as he once more wished he had left Percy in New York. “The outlaw Bill Hawkins’ gang took her from the train, but she turned up almost a week later in Great Bend, about fifty miles away from where she was kidnapped—very close to where we are now.

  “My guess is that one of Bill’s gang took Emma, but Bill would not want a woman around. I’m figuring that he decided to take her someplace safe,” Richard told a disgusted Percy.

  Percy frowned. “He calls himself an outlaw and he can’t even kill a good for nothing slut!”

  “Bill might be an outlaw, but he would never hurt a woman. He has respect for them,” Richard stated icily.

  “Well first thing in the morning I want us to go to Great Bend and get that thieving hussy and take her back to New York. I want to see that justice is done,” Percy ordered. “I also want you to find more suitable transport,” huffed Percy. “I am not travelling fifty miles on another one of those trains.”

  Percy turned on his heel and headed to bed. Richard smiled. He had the perfect form of transport in mind and immediately set out to arrange it.

  Chapter Ten

  As Emma continued to enjoy life with Bob, she finally decided that she knew the town well enough to be able to go around on her own. She wanted a bit of freedom and she challenged Bob, telling him he should let her to go into town unescorted.

  “I’m sorry, Emma. I’m afraid I just can’t allow it. I’m absolutely terrified what might happen to you if you go into town alone. You see that I keep the peace as well as I can, but you have witnessed for yourself enough gunfights and brawls to know that this town is not a safe place for a young woman. I could never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you.”

  Emma scowled as Bob continued his lecture. “You know that outlaws sometimes ride through the town. That member of Bill Hawkins’ gang snatched you from the train. What if an outlaw riding through town snatched you up onto his horse and rode away? I don’t want to have to write to John and Mary and tell them that I broke my promise to keep you safe. I’m sorry, Emma, but I’m afraid the answer is no. You cannot go into town alone. End of discussion. Do you understand?”

  Emma nodded sulkily, but after Bob left for work she became very angry. She charged around the house, reluctantly doing the housework and slamming things around as she cleaned. Eventually she stopped and told herself that Bob was not her boss and she could do as she pleased. I am not married to this man. I have not taken a vow promising to obey him. Who the hell does he think he is placing such restrictions on me? Convinced that she was in the right and Bob was completely wrong, Emma went outside to saddle her horse.

  She was sulking and stamping around as she prepared to ride into town and her horse eyed her warily. I am not a little girl, Emma thought to herself as she mounted her horse. I’ll prove to him that I can look after myself. I am not a small child and I am sick of Bob treating me like I am. I am a grown-up woman and I will make him see that.

  Her anger grew as she rode on, and by the time she reached the center of town she had gotten herself quite worked up, and had decided to make sure that Bob got the message. She thought of just the right way to let him know that she was no little girl.

  She climbed down from her horse, tying it up outside a really rough looking tavern. Emma smirked as she headed into the bar and unbuttoned the top of her dress so she was showing a good amount of cleavage. She then began to flirt with the cowboys and the other men in the bar.

  “Who would like to dance with me?” asked Emma provocatively, and she wasn’t surprised when the majority of the men in the bar crowded towards her, pushing each other out of the way. “Tell you what,” said Emma. “I’ll dance with the toughest one, so let’s see what you’re all made of. Who knows, there might be a little extra prize for the winner,” Emma said, pushing her bottom up onto the bar so she was seated facing the men, where she raised her dress above her knees and smiled seductively at the men who had gathered around her.

  “The winner gets to kiss me,” Emma offered, as she sat on the bar and watched with delight as trouble broke out and the men began brawling. Punches were being thrown all over the place and Emma was thrilled that the men were fighting over her. This will teach Bob to treat me like a little child, she thought. These men definitely did not see a child sitting on the bar—they saw a full-grown, beautiful woman.

  As had happened the last time that Emma was the cause of fighting in a bar, Bob arrived quickly to restore order. Emma wondered how he would react this time. Despite the massive brawl, she was out of harm’s way and surely this was proof that despite the fighting going on around her, this was a safe place for a lady. She hadn’t been hurt. Bob couldn’t deny that. Two of Bob’s deputies arrived just after him to help him separate the brawling gang of men. Apart from a few black eyes and broken noses, and a few smashed chairs and tables, no serious harm had been done.

  The men were sent on their way as a furious Bob turned to Emma, still sitting on the bar, smirking as she dangled her legs with her skirts hitched up above her knees and her dress gaping open, exposing the top of her ample cleavage.

  Bob was furious and pulled her down from the bar. “As you’re so keen to expose yourself, young lady, let me help you,” he said, dragging her to the front of the bar and sitting down, taking Emma quickly across his knee and spanking her hard across her skirts.

  Emma howled in pain. This plan had not been thought through properly, she quickly decided. “No, I’m sorry, please stop,” she yelled. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she thought angrily.

  Bob stopped just long enough to lift her skirts and petticoats and tug down her pantaloons, baring her bottom to his deputies and the men at the bar who had not been involved in the brawl.

  Emma howled as she struggled to break free, absolutely mortified that Bob would humiliate her in such a manner. As his hand cracked down on her bare bottom, Emma immediately started to cry from humiliation and pain. She couldn’t believe he would do this to her. She knew she had behaved badly in an attempt to wind him up, but it did not excuse him punishing her publicly. He was being unfair and she would never forgive him for this, ever.

  Bob gave Emma a long, hard, and stinging spanking, not saying a word as his hand cracked down repeatedly on her exposed behind as she kicked and cried loudly. Bob ignored the cries and protests from the struggling young woman across his lap and instead focused on the bare bottom that was rapidly reddening under his hard hand. He would teach her a lesson she would not forget in a hurry.

  Emma struggled to breathe as Bob blistered her bottom with his palm, not easing off at all despite her yells of pain. Emma wished that someone would help her, but she guessed no-one would dare to challenge the sheriff. She never considered for a moment that everyone witnessing her spanking believed it was well deserved and long overdue and that she deserved each and every smack.

  As Emma kicked her legs, howled, and squirmed in a desperate attempt to escape, she eventually realized her struggles were futile. The agonizing, stinging pain prevented her from lying still, but eventually Emma exhausted herself and stopped struggling so much, although her body still jerked involuntarily across Bob’s lap each time his hard hand connected sharply with her blazing red bottom.

  Emma was sobbing hysterically when Bob finally stopped spanking her and helped her to her feet. She had to admit it was the worst spanking of her life and she bitterly regretted her behavior—but she couldn’t believe Bob had humiliated her so badly and she hated him for what he had done. “That was for disobeying me and going into town without an escort,” he told the sobbing young woman, whose hands automatically reached back to clutch her stinging buttocks. She rubbed frantically at her scorched bottom as she stared at Bob, very concerned that he still appeared to be furious. She wanted to slap him hard for what he had done to her, let him know ho
w angry she was, but she didn’t dare for fear that her spanking would start up again.

  “I can’t believe you humiliated me in front of your men. You had no right to expose me in such a way,” Emma sobbed.

  Bob took hold of her wrist and led her to the middle of the bar, to an empty table. “I didn’t think you’d mind flashing your bottom. You were flashing everything else to anyone who cared to look. How do you think I’d feel if I hadn’t got here so quickly and I arrived to find you being raped?”

  Emma looked at Bob and was horrified to see tears shining in his eyes. “As I’ve just told you, that spanking was for disobeying me. You know you don’t come into town without an escort and if you do that’s what will happen to you each and every time. Am I making myself clear, little girl?”

  Emma nodded, wishing she had listened to him. She didn’t think it was fair that she wasn’t allowed to go into town unescorted, but this certainly wasn’t the way to prove that she was grown up and should be allowed out alone. All she had succeeded in doing was making him angry enough that he had spanked her bottom hard.

  And now he thinks you’re a little girl once more, she realized. When will you ever see me as a woman with feelings for you? Why do you think I don’t want to return to England, you foolish man. I love you, Bob Booker, when will you finally realize that and stop treating me like a little girl?

  Bob shook his head as he pulled her right up close to the empty table. He looked at her sternly as he took hold of her and pushed her forward. “And this, young lady, is for starting a fight in my town.” Bob pushed her down so her body was flat on the table. “Hold her hands,” he shouted out to one of his deputies, and Emma looked up in shock as Lee stepped towards her and took hold of her wrists firmly.