Emily

  *****

  “Am I in terrible trouble with you for disobeying you, Mac?” Emily asked quietly.

  “I ought to give you a thorough hiding, young lady. I was terrified when I couldn’t find you, and when I heard your mother was taken from the stage, I was even more terrified that you’d done something I wouldn’t be able to protect you from the consequences.”

  “I really wanted to kill her, but you asked me to trust you to protect me, and that is what I decided to do, Mac. Seeing how laughable she is now let me know that I’d made the right decision. I hope Lucy isn’t in trouble… She is so special.”

  “I agree.” Mac took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He wasted no time in stripping her bottom half bare. “I gave you a punishment to stay in the kitchen today and think, and I warned you what to expect if you didn’t obey me. I know you were upset, Mrs. Forrester, but I expect you to turn to me now that we are married. You’ve earned a good paddling, and I don’t care how sore you already are. The next time I tell you to do something or not to do something, I expect you to obey me. That is the lesson you are going to learn right now.” He picked up Emily’s hairbrush and then he sat on the bed. He pulled her down over his left thigh so that her upper body was over the bed. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, and then he started spanking her with the back of the hairbrush.

  Emily let out a yelp and tried to get free, but Mac was ready for that and he held her down and continued to paddle her bare bottom with her own hairbrush! “Owwwww! Mac, not so hard! I am already sore! Noooooo!” She started kicking her feet, and Mac quickly stopped that by trapping her legs under his right leg. She was helpless to protect herself. “Please stop! Please! Mac! I’m sorry, but I was so upset I needed to be alone to think!”

  “You were alone right here in this kitchen. I asked you not to leave, to accept your punishment. I was back here a short time later, honey, to check on you. I wanted you to give me your word that you would let me handle that woman for you. I am your husband and I wanted your trust.” He started spanking again, and he heated her upper thighs and sit spots while she screamed bloody murder. It was a good thing they didn’t have neighbors or they would think he was killing her.

  “I’m sorry, Mac. It’s hard for me to trust. I did come to that conclusion, but when I came home you were gone. You can’t spank someone into trusting you!” she said accusingly. Her backside was flaming, and her sit spots were the worst of all. “I do trust you, and I love you so much. Besides, if I’d wanted to kill her, not a one of you could have stopped me! That should prove to you that I trust you, darling.”

  Mac chuckled, and then helped her up. “I love you, too,” he said, kissing her tenderly.

  Epilogue

  “Mrs. Craig, you are one of the most hateful women I have ever met in my entire time on the bench. I am finding in favor of Mrs. Forrester, and I am ordering you to take the stage out of town this afternoon and never bother them again. It’s clear to me that everything I’ve been told makes you out to be a liar. Mac’s wife deserves better than you.”

  “But, I was kidnapped by that woman, and…”

  “You weren’t kidnapped. Mrs. Lucy kept you safe so that Mrs. Emily didn’t shoot you dead. Now, be assured this matter is over. Bother

  +me with any more of your clamoring and I’ll have Mac lock you in jail for thirty days before sending you back east.”

  Zinnia flounced out of the courtroom amidst the boos from everyone filling the seats, giving the Sheriff and his bride their support. The stage was scheduled to leave in less than an hour, and Mac made damn sure Zinnia was on it. Then he walked over to Doc Z’s and Lucy’s house to celebrate.

  “Why the tears, honey?” he asked as he walked in and saw Emily dabbing at her eyes.

  “These are tears of joy. We are rid of my past, and dear Lucy is expecting! We are going to be Aunt and Uncle!”

  “And Godparents,” Henry added softly.

  “This is truly a wonderful day, and I want to tell you in front of witnesses that I do not regret my promise to trust you, Mac. You handled that woman within the law and we are still together and with our friends. I love you with all my heart, Mac, and if my father and Dove were here, they would be smiling and telling me how lucky I am.” She kissed him, and when she looked up, Lucy was kissing Henry, too. Emily took the opportunity to kiss her Sheriff once more time. She was happy and in love.

  The End.