Lily's Lessons

Citation preview

Lily’s Lessons Melinda Barron © 2010 © 2007 by Blushing Books and Melinda Barron

2

Lily’s Lessons © 2010 © 2007 Melinda Barron & Blushing Books Originally published by Blushing Books in 2007 on Bethany‟s Woodshed (www.herwoodshed.com). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Published by Blushing Books, a subsidiary of ABCD Graphics and Design 977 Seminole Trail #233 Charlottesville, VA 22901 Lily’s Lessons by Melinda Barron eBook ISBN:978-1-60968-074-9

The trademark Blushing Books is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. Cover Design by ABCD Webmasters & Graphics

3

Blushing Books thanks you whole-heartedly for your purchase with us! There are plenty more stories such as the one you‟ve purchased from Blushing Books! Visit our online store to view our diverse selection! http://www.blushingbooks.com This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

4

Chapter One Lily Park pulled her rental car into a rest stop and stepped outside into the warm June air. Texas. She was home again after eleven years. Home. Could it really be called home? She hadn‟t felt welcome in her father‟s house since after her mother had died. And here she was, heading back to his house at the urging of her sisters. “Lily, you have to come home,” Saffron had said with the air of the eldest sister. “Father broke his leg and his arm in a fall from Buster. Daisy and I both have families that we need to take care of. You don‟t have a job or a family. You need to come home and care for him.” Lily had blustered at her words. “Just because I don‟t have a job right now doesn‟t mean I can just pick up and move back home. I do have a life you know.” “What type of life? Spending your trust fund by living life to its fullest on the Rivera? Being screwed by playboys? Does your family mean nothing to you? You‟ve never even met four of your nieces and nephews. Don‟t you think it‟s time you quit running and came back home?” Lily hadn‟t had an answer for her. It was true that she hadn‟t met half of her nieces and nephews. And her nephew Bart had been just a baby when she‟d left Texas eleven years ago. But it was because of her father that she‟d left. Why should she be forced now to go back and take care of him? “Hire a nurse,” she‟d said. “I‟ll pay for it.” She‟d heard Saffron‟s sigh of exasperation over the phone lines. “You know father. He doesn‟t want a nurse. He wants one of us.” “Even if that „one of us‟ is me?” Saffron sighed again. “Even if it‟s you. Please come home Lily, we need you.” And now here she was, sitting in a rest stop staring at the green trees and at the hills. She‟d loved Texas, still did if truth were told. But she knew when she left at age 21 that she couldn‟t live here, live this near her father. Her heart beat rapidly as she sat down on a picnic table and took a deep drink of her tea. In an hour, or less, she‟d turn her car through the gates of Park‟s Bar III, drive over the cattle guard and wind her way through to the ranch house. Would her father be waiting with baited breath for the prodigal daughter to return? Or would he spit on her the moment she came inside? She took another drink of tea, wishing for the second time that day that she‟d opted to buy beer at the convenience store she‟d stopped at in Austin. It would be easier to face her father with a few beers under her belt. A pickup truck pulled up next to her and a tall cowboy exited. He smiled at her as he tipped his hat. “Afternoon, ma‟am. Y‟all doing OK?” She nodded back and said yes and he sauntered up to the restrooms, his jean-clad behind causing Lily to smile. Ah, cowboys in tight jeans. Now that was one thing she‟d missed. She herself hadn‟t worn a pair of jeans in eleven years, not even designer ones. They would remind her too much of what she‟d left behind, of the father that hated her for killing his wife. Lily shook her head to clear her thoughts. She took her shoulder-length blond hair and twisted it into a knot at the nape of her neck. She wasn‟t accomplishing anything by sitting around and feeling sorry for herself. She needed to get going. It was still another twenty-five miles to the Bar III and she‟d told Saffron she‟d be there before dinner. She finished her tea and threw the container in the trash. Then for good measure she waited for the cowboy to come back to his truck so she could enjoy the front view too. It was just as fine as the back view and she‟d smiled again. Oh how she‟d missed Texas cowboys. ***** “I‟m Bart, and this is Mark,” the young boy looked at Lily questioningly. “Mom says that you‟re going to be living with paw-paw. Do you know how to ride a horse, Aunt Lily?” 5

Lily felt herself shiver. All of Saffron‟s boys were blond, just like their parents. And they talked as much as their mother. And who was paw-paw? She couldn‟t believe that her father would allow his grandchildren to call him paw-paw. She raised her eyes at Daisy who smiled in return. “Yes, the man who wouldn‟t let us call him anything but father now likes to be called paw-paw, amazing huh? And he likes for us to call him dad.” Lily stared at her very pregnant sister. “You‟ve gotta be kidding me. Did y‟all have him checked to make she he wasn‟t possessed by aliens or something? And, by the way Saffron didn‟t tell me you were expecting again. When are you due?” “Six weeks, thank the Lord,” Daisy whispered. “I don‟t think I could stand another Texas summer while pregnant. At least the baby will be here by the middle of July and I‟ll be me again when the heat of August hits.” “And no, Lily, he‟s not possessed,” Daisy said softly. “He‟s changed over the last eleven years. You need to get to know him.” Lily looked down as she felt someone tugging on her sleeve. “You didn‟t answer my question,” Bart said. He and Mark were studying Lily as if she was a science experiment. “Can you ride a horse?” “It‟s been a while but I think I can remember,” Lily said. “How about yourself?” Bart nodded enthusiastically, as did Mark. “Mom taught us to ride when we were five. We come out every weekend because we keep our horses here. Paw-paw gave each of us a horse for our seventh birthday.” Lily felt a lump form in her throat. Just like he did with us, she thought. “He did that for me, too,” she said. “My horse‟s name was Jimmy. What‟s yours?” “Mine is Stevie, and Mark‟s is Hopper. James‟ horse is Winney. Ben doesn‟t have one yet cause he‟s only three.” Bart pulled on Lily‟s arm, pulling her toward the door. “Come and see, come and see.” A loud voice stopped them both in their tracks. “Bart you give your aunt time to get herself settled. You can show her your horses when you come back this weekend. For now your mother wants to eat so you can get back on the road to Winston.” Lily looked at her father and smiled uneasily. He‟d greeted her happily enough but she was nervous to think what would happen when everyone was gone and the big house was filled with only the two of them. The last time they‟d been alone together they‟d screamed and yelled and Lily had packed and left, and never been back. And what had happened since? Saffron now had four boys and Daisy had two girls, with another one on the way. And her stern father now liked to be called dad, and paw-paw. Had she entered an alternate universe? The housekeeper, Mrs. Chisholm, stepped out of the kitchen long enough to announce that dinner was ready. Lily watched as Saffron‟s husband, James, and Daisy‟s husband, Ty, helped her father up out of his chair and into the dining room. “It‟s not as bad as it looks,” he growled at Lily as she stared at him. “You don‟t have to worry about too much. Mrs. Chisholm will take care of most everything.” The trio moved into the dining room and Lily pulled on Saffron‟s arm. “If Mrs. Chisholm takes care of „most everything‟ how come it was so important that I hurry home?” “Because Mrs. Chisholm has other duties also,” Saffron said. “She has to cook breakfast and lunch for the hands so she can‟t leave the ranch to take father into Austin for doctor‟s appointments. You‟ll need to sit with him in the mornings while she‟s busy. After that most of your afternoons and evenings should be clear.” Lily shook her head and then smiled. Her father had one of the largest, and most successful cattle operations in the area. And yet he still did things the old fashioned way, serving his hands breakfast and lunch at the main house. “And how many hands are there now?” Lily asked. 6

“Twenty-two,” Saffron answered. “Father told me to tell you that one of the hand‟s houses is empty and you can stay there if you like, or you can stay in the main house. It‟s your choice.” The idea of having a house of her own made Lily smile. She had an apartment in London, but it was crowded. Being in a house would be fun. “Which house?” “Number two,” Saffron said, “right next to the foreman‟s house. You‟ll like him. His name‟s Chase Hamilton. Fills out his jeans rather nicely if you know what I mean.” The sisters laughed and moved into the dining room. The large table was filled with laughing children and Lily stared at her father, who was grinning at something five-year-old Riley had said. Saffron had exaggerated his injuries too. His arm and leg weren‟t broken; it was more like his wrist and his ankle. The casts were not near the size of the full-body casts that Saffron had described. Lily looked at her and raised her eyebrows. “So I told a few white lies, sue me,” Saffron said. “We wanted you to come back. You‟ve been gone too long Lily. You need to get to know your father again before it‟s too late.” ***** Chase Hamilton undid the cinch and lifted his horse‟s saddle off his back. “There you go Jonah old pal. Hope I wasn‟t too hard on you today.” The paint whinnied in response and shook his mane. Chase laughed and pulled off the blanket. Putting both pieces of equipment in their proper places in the tack room he picked up a brush and began grooming his horse. “Heard that old man Park‟s daughter is home,” a voice called out from behind him. “Wonder if she‟s the looker that the other two are.” Chase turned to find Josh Stevens standing in the opening of the stall. The young ranch hand was holding his horse‟s reins in one hand and blanket in the other. “Even if she is, she‟s still too old for you,” Chase answered, turning back to continue his brushing. “Yea, but I bet she could teach me some things,” Josh said. “You know she‟s been living in Europe. We could have a Mrs. Robinson thing going on, with some European flare.” Chase shook his head and smiled at the young ranch hand. “Barely twenty one years old and wanting to hit on the boss‟ daughter. Don‟t you think you ought to save yourself for someone a little younger than the daughter? From what I‟ve heard she‟s gotta be in her thirties.” Chase didn‟t add what else he‟d heard, that the missing daughter was a real bitch who left because she couldn‟t get along with her father, or any other member of the family. “Yea, well I‟m still gonna throw my hat in the ring,” Josh said. “Maybe I could end up owning this place one day.” He moved toward the tack room and Chase laughed. “This woman‟s way out of your league, Josh.” Chase‟s voice carried throughout the barn. “I suggest that you just turn your attentions toward little Mazy Thomas, who I saw checking you out last week at the Lazy Q.” Josh threw his tack in the room and ran back to the stall. “Mazy was checking me out? Are you sure? Shit man, what I wouldn‟t give for a piece of that.” Chase laughed. “Fickle little bastard, aren‟t ya? Well Romeo, before you try for either of these fair maidens you get your ass in there and put your tack where it belongs.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Josh said. “Then maybe I‟ll head to the Lazy Q after dinner. I could use a beer or two. Wanna go?” Chase shook his head. “It‟s been a long day kid, and this old cowboy needs to put his feet up. You let me know how things turn out with Mazy. But don‟t forget you‟re expected at work at seven a.m. Don‟t be late.” Josh ran out after putting up his tack and Chase shook his head. The kid knew better. He needed to groom his horse and check the horse‟s hooves at the end of the day. Since Josh was the only unmarried hand, besides himself, Chase was sure that he was skimming dinner from one of the married couples 7

before heading in town to the bar. He‟d have to find him before he left and remind him to care for his horse. Chase finished brushing Jonah, and then checked his hooves for foreign objects. He put more hay in the stall and as a treat he half-filled a feeder bag with sweet corn and hung it on the side of the stall. “Eat up buddy, and enjoy yourself.” He patted Jonah on his withers and then headed out of the barn and started toward his house. It had been a long day and he needed to eat and then talk to Joe as he‟s done at the end of every day since his boss had broken his bones. Maybe he‟d even catch a glimpse of the new girl in town. Hopefully Josh was right and she was a pretty as her sisters. And hopefully everyone else was wrong and she wasn‟t a royal bitch. ***** James and Ty had carried Lily‟s suitcases down to the open house. She didn‟t have much, only two suitcases of clothes. Everything else was still in her London apartment. She turned and watched her father wobble out onto the porch and wave goodbye to his daughters and their families. When they were gone an uneasy silence filled the air. “If you need anything you let me know,” her father said, turning back toward the main house. “I had Agnes stock the refrigerator with plenty of food. And I had Saffron buy you a horse, a beautiful paint mare that she named Chay. I hope that you like her.” His voice was soft, and then he turned and stared off into the growing darkness and squared his shoulders. “I‟d like you to come back up to the house around nine. Breakfast is early, at seven. You‟re not required to be here for that, but if you‟re not here then you‟re on your own for food until lunch. I‟d appreciate a ride down to the barn around ten so I can check things out. You can use the golf cart for that. I try to sleep for a few hours after lunch, and then want to go back to the barn again to check on things. You‟ll be expected here for that trip also.” Lily huffed. Her father‟s stocking of the refrigeration and buying her a new horse had been sweet. She‟d actually thought that he cared. Then he started in on his laundry list of what she had to do during the day. She could feel her gray eyes clouding over with every word her father spoke. “Anything else? Since you‟re treating me like the hired help I guess you‟ll have more instructions for me. Do I have regularly scheduled breaks? Weekends off? Do I need to fill out paperwork? You want to take blood? Drug test? Give me a curfew?” Lily immediately wished she could take the words back. One of her main problems was that she spoke without thinking first. She could see the hurt in her father‟s face. “I‟m sorry that my accident forced you out of your party lifestyle.” Her father‟s voice was harsh. “If you want to leave you know the road out. I can hire a nurse.” “Oh no, a nurse is not good enough for the great Joe Park. Saffron told me that. Don‟t worry father, I‟ll do my daughterly duties for a while and take care of you, then I‟ll get out of your life again.” “I don‟t want you to do anything because you think it‟s your duty, Lily. I want you to do it because you care about me. Do you Lily, do you care about me? Do you care about anyone but yourself?” Before she could answer he turned and headed toward the door. A man‟s voice stopped him. “Joe? Sorry to interrupt but I do need to discuss some of today‟s events with you.” Lily turned her angry eyes toward the voice and stared. The most gorgeous man she‟d ever seen in her life was standing before her. Six foot two inches of cowboy. Well toned muscles showing beneath his shirt and jeans. Dark brown hair shoulder length hair speckled with gray. Dark brown eyes. Full beard and moustache neatly trimmed. Lily felt her knees go weak. The newcomer had his hat in his hand and was giving Lily a wary look. “Chase, this is my daughter Lily. Lily this is my foreman, Chase. He‟s your neighbor so do me a favor, be nice to him.” 8

Her father‟s words broke her concentration and Lily frowned at the two men before turning toward her new house. “In your dreams,” she said over her shoulder. “I‟m sure he‟s already heard that I‟m a big-mouthed brat. So I might as well keep up appearances.” She could hear her father sputtering an apology to the newcomer but Lily didn‟t care. Coming home to Texas had obviously been a bad idea. ***** Chase placed his hat on the table and sat down in his easy chair. Joe had been in a foul mood when he‟d arrived and things hadn‟t improved. Mrs. Chisholm had brought the pair a few beers and they‟d discussed cattle and horses. As he‟d stood to leave Joe had again apologized for his daughter‟s behavior. “She‟s had a tough life. I blamed her for some things and said some things to her that I never should have said.” Chase went into the kitchen and opened two more beers. He brought them back and sat down again. “Wanna tell me what‟s eating at the two of ya?” Joe took a swig of his beer and sat it down with a thunk. “You know my wife died in a car accident eleven years ago?” When Chase nodded Joe continued. “Miranda was the light of my life,” Joe said, sadness in his voice. “She was happy no matter what. Always smiling, always spreading joy. Kinda like Daisy. A very, very rich woman who married a poor cowboy, against her daddy‟s wishes, and helped him build an empire.” Joe took another swig of his beer and stared at the floor. “Lily was driving the car when the accident happened. Tire blew out. Nobody‟s fault really but my own. I shoulda kept the tires in perfect condition. Miranda died instantly. Lily spent a month in the hospital. She didn‟t even get to go to her mother‟s funeral.” Chase drank his beer and remained silent, seeing the pain in the other man‟s eyes. “But the worst part about it was that in my grief I blamed Lily. Told her she‟d killed her mother. Told her she killed the only thing I‟ve ever loved.” “Of course it wasn‟t true,” Joe drank down another gulp. “I love my girls, always have. But Miranda‟s death drove me over the edge for a long time. Three months after the accident Lily left for London. My anger and harsh words drove her away. And she‟s never come back, until tonight. And now she hates me. She didn‟t even hug me when she came in. The only reason she‟s here is because Saffron made it look like I was dying.” Chase shook his head. “If she came because she thought you were dying she still cares about you.” But Joe just sat and stared at the ground. “No, it‟ll never be the same. She was always headstrong, but my anger turned her into a, well, a...” “A brat who doesn‟t care about anyone else‟s feelings,” Chase said softly. “I think there‟s a good person inside her. She‟s just hurt, as you were. You two need to sit and chat and work things out. Want me to hogtie her for ya?” Joe had laughed and declined. Now, Chase sat and stared at his empty fireplace. Joe Park was a good man. Tough yes, but still a good man. Chase hated to see him in a stew because of an eleven-year-old misunderstanding. And that‟s what it was, a misunderstanding. The girl couldn‟t hold Joe libel for something he‟d said in his grief. She was a pretty little thing, though. About five foot five inches tall, blond hair and beautiful gray eyes. He was still angry over the things he‟d heard her say to Joe. She needed to be nicer, that was for sure. Joe Park had enough on his mind right now. He didn‟t need a snotty little brat to make things worse. The more he thought, the madder he got.

9

Chase stopped in the middle of pulling off his boot and shook his head. He pulled it back on and stood, anger clouding his judgment. He went outside and turned toward the house where he knew Lily Park was staying. Lights shone in the windows. He knocked on the door and waited for a few moments before knocking again. When Lily finally pulled the door open Chase was royally pissed. He pushed his way inside despite her sputtering. “You need to learn how to respect your father,” he said harshly. Lily stared at him, her hands on her hips. “I beg your pardon? And what business is it of yours to barge in here and give me orders? You‟re only the hired help. Get the hell out, NOW!” Chase took a step toward her, his anger burning deep inside him. “Isn‟t that what you just told your father, that you felt like the hired help?” Lily took a step back as her own words were thrown back into her face. “Let me tell you something Little Missy, your father is a good man.” When Lily started to speak Chase pulled her close and placed his hand over her mouth. “You just listen. Your little attitude really upset him tonight, and I don‟t like to see him upset. He has enough to deal with right now. He doesn‟t need you clouding things up more.” Lily squirmed in Chase‟s arms but he kept his hand in place. “You need to march your little ass up there and apologize, right now.” Chase‟s voice was steely and Lilly‟s eyes were flashing when he was done with his little speech. Then, Lily shook her head and opened her mouth and bit the palm of Chase‟s hand. He released her suddenly, pushing her back so that she fell flat on her backside, giving a resounding “oof” as she landed. “You little bitch, you bit me.” Chase‟s anger hung in the air. He brought his hand up to his face and examined the wound. “And you, you arrogant bastard are butting into something that you know nothing about,” Lily stood up and stared at him. His anger made his brown eyes darken and Lily actually felt her knees go weak. Then she shook her head and stepped back again. “Get out of my house Mr. Hamilton, before I call the sheriff.” Chase laughed. “You better be glad you didn‟t draw blood Little Missy, or you‟d regret it.” Lily threw back her head and laughed. “It‟s your fault! You‟re the one who butt into things you know nothing about and try to scare me for defending myself? You stormed your way into MY house and manhandled me! You deserved to be bitten. I‟m just sorry that I didn‟t draw blood.” “You just listen to me, Little Missy; we were doing fine here without you, and we don‟t need you messing things up with your crappy attitude. So you can just turn it around, hear me? You will apologize to your father or you will answer to me.” Chase started toward the door and Lily laughed at him. “Answer to you? What are you going to do? Spank me?” Chase turned around and took a few steps into the room. Lily could see anger flashing from his eyes. “Don‟t tempt me, Lily, don‟t tempt me.”

10

Chapter Two Lily was still fuming when she went up to the house the next morning. She had seen Chase Hamilton on the porch of his house, staring at her with anger in his eyes. She was sure that he was actually thinking about taking her over his knee and spanking her. No one had ever spanked her. Her father didn‟t need to. One look from him and his daughters immediately straightened up and did what was right. Pushing her way through the front door Lily smiled at Mrs. Chisholm. “I can warm you up something to eat, if you like,” the housekeeper said. “Won‟t take but a second.” Lily smiled at the woman who had fed her for more than half her life. “No thanks Mrs. Chisholm, I ate at the house. And thanks for stocking the refrigerator.” Mrs. Chisholm blushed. “It was your dad‟s idea. He said you might want to eat down there instead of eating with the hands.” “What are you doing wearing a dress?” Lily turned toward her father‟s voice. He was standing in the doorway leaning on a cane. “How do you expect to ride a horse while wearing a dress?” He made the word dress sound like a disease and Mrs. Chisholm tittered. Lily turned back toward her and stared. A look passed between the housekeeper and her father that Lily had no trouble reading. They were in love with each other, whether or not they wanted to admit it, or even knew it, there was a spark there. She smiled to herself. “I don‟t have any jeans, father,” Lily said softly. “I only wear dresses now.” Her father shook his head. “Damn foolish thing to do if ya ask me. When we go into Austin tomorrow you and Saffron can go shopping for some boots and jeans, my treat. You‟re living on a ranch again, not some fancy street in London.” Without waiting for an answer he headed toward the door. “Let‟s go, girl. I want to check things out.” Lily shrugged at Mrs. Chisholm, who was still smiling, and followed her father out the door. “Saffron is going into Austin with us for your doctor‟s appointment? I thought she didn‟t have time to make trips into the city.” Her father settled himself into the driver‟s seat of the golf cart and stared at Lily. “You getting in?” Lily put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I thought I was supposed to drive? And you didn‟t answer my question.” “Bullshit,” her father said. “I can steer with one hand.” When Lily didn‟t move he gave a huff and slid over to the passenger side. Lily took the wheel and pointed the cart toward the barn. “You‟re sister‟s going with us so we can return your rental car,” her father said. “Don‟t need no damn rental car. I have two trucks and a car you can use. Told her to pick you up yesterday so you wouldn‟t have to rent a car but she said something about a soccer game for Bart that she had to go to. She goes to lots of soccer games and crap like that.” Lily swallowed a grin. She was sure that “paw-paw” found time for a soccer game or two, also. Her stomach clinched as silence filled the air and they neared the barn. Lily‟s heart leapt at the sight of the huge red structure, surrounded on both sides by large stables, came into sight. How she‟d missed the smell of hay and the whiney of horses. She hoped Chase Hamilton was out amongst the cattle 11

and not in the barn. She‟d deliberately missed breakfast that morning so that she didn‟t have to see the jerk. Then he‟d been on his front porch when she‟d left the house. But when they pulled up out front of the barn, Lily caught site of him tying his horse to a hitching post. Of course her father had probably arranged to meet him there so they could discuss the herd. He turned toward the sound of the cart and Lily felt her heart race. He was more gorgeous in the light than he‟d been in the dark. Her father started to exit the cart before Lily brought it to a stop. She watched as he walked toward Chase and knew again that she‟d been duped. Her father wasn‟t hurt badly. And then she smiled. Her family had wanted to see her. They actually wanted to see her, to the point where Saffron had exaggerated a story to play on Lily‟s sympathies. Perhaps Lily could be a bit nicer. “Howdy.” Lily turned to see a young cowboy grinning at her. “I‟m Josh and you must be Lily.” Lily smiled at the young hand. He couldn‟t be more than twenty-one. “Hello Josh,” Lily answered. “It‟s nice to meet you. How long have you worked for my father?” Josh grinned. “About five years. Started while I was in high school.” Realizing that he‟d made himself look young Josh puffed out his chest. “Course I‟m Chase‟s right-hand man. One of the best hands on the spread.” Lily stifled a laugh. It‟d been a long time since a young cowboy had hit on her. “I‟m sure you are,” she replied. “How are things going lately?” “Good, good,” Josh replied. “A few sick head, but nothing too bad. Vet‟s gonna check for mad cow.” “My father‟s herd has mad cow?” Lily felt her heart rate quicken. “Not mad cow,” Chase‟s voice interrupted the conversation. “We have a few head that are acting strange and I‟ve sent for the vet. It‟s not mad cow.” Lily turned toward him and dropped her gaze to his hand. She wondered if he was feeling the sting of her bite this morning. In response he smiled and turned to Josh. “Run along and bring out Chay,” Chase said. “Don‟t bother saddling her because Ms. Park‟s not dressed for riding. But her dad wants to show his daughter her new horse.” Josh ran off to do his boss‟s bidding and Chase turned to Lily. “I owe you for this, you know,” he held up his hand and Lily could see the faint outline of her teeth. “You and I need to discuss this later.” Lily laughed. “You deserved it, so there‟s nothing to discuss. Maybe it‟ll remind you to mind your own business in the future.” She stepped toward the barn and let out an exclamation of joy as Josh led a beautiful black and white paint horse out of the stables. “Oh my God, she‟s beautiful,” Lily whispered, walking over to stroke the horse‟s withers. “Father, thank you. I don‟t know what to say.” Chay tossed her mane and looked at Lily inquiringly. Then, deciding that the newcomer was OK, she tossed her head back and nuzzled Lily‟s hand as she stroked her neck. Joe looked at his daughter and smiled. “Well you need a horse. This is a ranch, you know. She‟s sixteen hands high. Chase broke her himself.” Lily turned toward Chase who had stepped close to her. Much too close to her. “Just like I‟m going to break you,” he whispered so that no one else could hear. “This one‟s spirited, just like you are. But I had her saddle broke in two weeks. I think I‟ll have you saddle broke before then.” He grinned and without giving Lily a chance to answer walked toward his own horse, mounted and rode off. Lily could feel heat rising in her face. Saddle broke? How dare he? Josh stepped up to her and pushed back his hat. “I can help you ride her if you need me to.” 12

The statement brought a bark of laughter from her father. “Lily‟s been riding a horse since before you were born Josh. She don‟t need no help. You just go and get to work.” Josh shook his head, mounted up and rode off. Lily smiled at her father. “I really don‟t know what to say,” she repeated. “I can‟t believe you bought me a horse when I‟m only going to be here for a few weeks.” The smile that had been on her father‟s face faded. “I‟d hoped you‟d stay longer than that.” He cleared his throat. “At least long enough for your sister to have her baby. Then you can go gallivanting around all you want, I don‟t care. Take me home. I‟m tired.” He sat down in the cart and Lily shook her head. She‟d screwed up once again. Her father had made a wonderful gesture toward her and she‟d blown it. She couldn‟t think of anything to say as they headed back to the house. In the silence her thoughts turned to Chase Hamilton. So he wanted to “saddle break” her huh? Well he could just kiss her ass. No man had ever saddle broke her. She was always the one in charge. Still, Lily could not deny the feelings of desire that Chase had raised in her. Despite what her family thought it had been a long time since she‟d enjoyed the company of a man. A very long time. Most of those she met in Europe were fun, but she eventually found out that they were only interested in her money. The money left to her by her mother. The mother she‟d killed. Lily pulled the cart up to the house and her father got out and headed for the door. “Lunch at noon,” he said gruffly. “Then another trip to the barn around four or so.” Without waiting for an answer he went inside and Lily felt her shoulders slump. Maybe she could talk to Saffron tomorrow and get some ideas about how to handle their father. Because despite what Daisy had said yesterday he had not asked Lily to call him dad. And that simple fact opened a hole in Lily‟s stomach that hurt like hell. ********** Lily hadn‟t known there was a phone in her new home until it had rung. She‟d answered it tentatively and heard a squeal of laughter. “Lily, you little hussy, it‟s Elsie. Thank God you‟re home. And home in time for my birthday. We‟re partying tonight at the Lazy Q and you‟ve got to come.” Lily had laughed and they‟d spent an hour reminiscing about high school and discussing things that had happened afterwards. Elsie was now married to Stuart Watkins, who was now a veterinarian. Together they had two kids. “I‟m so glad you‟re here, and I can‟t wait to see you tonight.” Lily shook her head as she pulled her car into the Lazy Q parking lot. One lonely car in a sea of pickups. She laughed. It was definitely time for the car to go back to the rental place and for Lily to relearn how to handle a pickup. Her afternoon with her father had been tense. He‟d barely said two words to her as she shuttled him to the barn and back. She couldn‟t seem to say anything right to him. Of course it didn‟t help that every time he came into her view she remembered him screaming at her, blaming her for her mother‟s death. The steering wheel felt cold under her hands. Every time she thought about the accident a chill ran up her spine. She‟d come to terms with it a few years ago, finally admitting to herself that it wouldn‟t have mattered who had been driving the car; the tire still would have blown and the accident still would have occurred. But that didn‟t mean that it didn‟t still bother her, in the back of her mind. Being at home brought it to the forefront. When they traveled to Austin tomorrow, she‟d pass the exact spot, and she wasn‟t looking forward to that. She‟d taken a different route on the way to the ranch. If she did that tomorrow, her father would want to know why.

13

Lily entered the Lazy Q and shook her head. Some things never change. The bar looked the same as it did the day she left Winston. Smoke filled the air and loud country music blasted from the speakers. She fought to adjust her eyes and almost fell over when a body grabbed her and pulled her close. “You‟re here! You‟re here!” Elsie pushed back and Lily laughed. Her high school friend was carrying a few extra pounds, probably because of babies, but other than that she looked the same. “I am indeed. Is there free beer?” “For you, anything!” Elsie pulled Lily toward the bar, shouting at various people to “look who‟s back.” Lily was soon engulfed in familiar faces and hugs. The people brought back many fond memories and she felt overwhelmed. Her friends shouted out questions and she fought to keep up. Finally, Elsie pulled her to a table, where they sat with a few chosen people and discussed Europe and its many attributes. When it was finally just Elsie and Lily, Elise leaned in and hugged her close. “Admit it. There‟s no place like home and you‟re glad you‟re here.” “Yes, I‟m happy to be home. It‟s been a bit tense at the house, but I think things will get better.” “Your father‟s missed you.” “Right.” The word came out on an outtake of breath and Lily shook her head. “He‟s no happier to see me now than he was after the accident.” “That‟s not true. I promise you that he‟s missed you. Haven‟t you missed him, at all?” Tears welled in Lily‟s eyes as she recalled her first few days in London. She‟d fled the house in a hurry, stopping long enough in her room to pack a few bags and get her passport and purse. When she got to the Austin airport, she‟d chosen the one place she could remember being happy. Lily and her mother had traveled to London for her sixteenth birthday. They‟d had so much fun that mom had promised they‟d go back for Lily‟s twenty-first birthday. That first night in the hotel, she‟d cried herself to sleep. It had been hard to break herself out of the funk. After a month of room service and British television she‟d go out shopping. That night, on the advice of the concierge, she‟d picked a trendy nightclub and gone out dancing. She‟d met a few people and felt almost human again. A week after that, she‟d leased a flat. She‟d been surprised several days later when Saffron had called, begging her to come back home and work things out. When Lily had refused, her father had oneupped her. He refused to talk with his youngest daughter, yelling loud enough for Lily to hear that she “took the only woman he‟d ever loved.” “He‟s grieving,” Saffron had said. “Please, don‟t listen to him. Come home, everything will be fine.” But Lily had listened, but things weren‟t fine. She‟d forgiven him at the same time she‟d decided the accident would have happened, no matter what. But she was just like him, too proud to admit that she‟d been wrong. She shook her head and realized that Elsie was studying her intently. “Of course I‟ve missed everyone. I‟m here now.” She took a sip of her now warm beer and grimaced. “Let me get you a fresh one.” “No, thanks. I don‟t like to drink too much when I have to drive.” “Stuart can take you home. He only drinks one beer in case he gets a call about an animal. Come on, it‟s a party!” “How about a soda? Diet?” Lily raised her eyebrows and grinned. “Be right back.” Elsie flew out of her chair and Lily shook her head. Her friend had always had tons of energy, and it was nice to see that things hadn‟t changed. “This seat taken?” Lily jumped when Chase Hamilton sat down next to her. “As a matter of fact it is. Get lost.” 14

“Oh come on, is that any way to treat your neighbor?” “Screw you. I can‟t believe you have the balls to sit next to me after what you said today.” “Oh I‟ve got balls, baby. Two of them, and they‟re loaded for bear.” He shot her an evil grin and laughed. “You‟re disgusting. I should bite your other hand.” She wanted to walk away from him, but she wouldn‟t give him the satisfaction of knowing that he affected her so much. “Yeah, about that…” “Oh good. Hi, Chase!” Elsie sat a soda can in front of Lily. “I‟m glad you‟re here for my birthday.” Chase stood and kissed Elsie on the cheek. “Anything for you, darling.” Elsie giggled and pushed playfully at his shoulder. “I‟m going to go dance with my husband, now. Y‟all have fun together.” She raised her eyebrows meaningfully at Lily and then pulled Stuart toward the crowded dance floor. Chase sat back down and put his hand on Lily‟s knee. “Now, where were we?” “I was just leaving.” Lily started to stand, and Chase gently pushed her back down. “I don‟t think so. You leave that chair and I‟ll make a scene, guaranteed.” “You pig!” “Call me what you want, darling, but you‟re going to pay for biting me.” “I‟m not your darling. And you deserved it; you put your hand in front of my mouth. I just took advantage of the invitation.” “Ya think? Here‟s what we‟re going to do. You and I are going to go outside for a little bit. We‟ll be back in plenty of time for the cake. You can come along nicely, or I can carry you. What‟s your choice?” “You wouldn‟t dare.” Even as the words left her mouth, Lily knew that he would dare. She shook her head and grabbed the table. “I‟m not going. I‟ll scream.” “And everyone in here will laugh. They‟ll think it‟s funny if I carry you out over my shoulder. But if you want to call attention to us, then that‟s your right.” Chase stood, and Lily again marveled at his size. He grabbed her hands and had no trouble breaking her hold on the table. Once she was in a standing position he made to throw her over his shoulder. “Wait! Wait!” Panic gripped Lily‟s stomach. “I‟ll go. Please, I don‟t want everyone watching us. We can go outside and calmly talk about this.” “Good girl. Let‟s go.” He offered her his hand and Lily shook her head. In turn, he took her palm in his and led her from the room. Several people greeted them as they made their way toward the door. Once outside, he began walking toward the far end of the parking lot. “Where are you taking me?” “I parked in the trees for a reason. I‟m going to spank you, Lily, and I want a little bit of privacy. If you prefer, we can lower the gate on one of these pickups and do it here. We might get an audience that way.” Lily‟s ears burned at his words. He was going to do what? Not if she could help it! She pulled her hand from his and took off at a run for the front door of the Lazy Q. Stuart would help her fight off Chase, who was obviously a big bully. She‟d made it two cars away from him when he grabbed her around the waist and began walking toward the trees again. “Put me down! HELP! HELP!” She couldn‟t believe this was happening. She‟d been home two nights and a barbarian was attacking her. He remained silent as she walked and she fought, ineffectively, against his hold. “I‟ll tell the sheriff, I swear!” 15

“Tell him what? That you got spanked for biting someone? Go ahead. I‟ll take the ticket or whatever it is he gives me. This is going to be worth it.” His voice was harsh and Lily grimaced. What could she say to make him stop? “I‟ll tell my father! He‟ll fire you!” “Fat chance of that. He‟ll probably give me a raise for doing something that obviously needed to be done a long time ago.” For the second time that evening, tears welled in Lily‟s eyes. He was probably right. Her father would think she was getting what she deserved. She fought harder and was rewarded when she felt Chase‟s grip loosen. Then he stopped, tightened it back up and entered the trees. His pickup was parked a few feet away, the tailgate already lowered and ready for use. “Good thing you‟re wearing a dress. That‟ll make this a whole lot easier.” He sat her down, then gathered her hands in his as he hoisted himself on the gate. He pulled her across his lap and pushed her skirt up to her hips. “How dare you! Chase! Stop that!” “You can‟t just go biting people, Lily. There has to be consequences.” He grabbed her hands with one of his as she reached back to try and prevent him from pushing her panties down. “Stop it! I can‟t believe you think…” “Oh get your mind out of the gutter. This isn‟t about sex. Punishment is best delivered on a bare bottom.” He slapped her ass and Lily screamed. Then he slapped it again and again and again. The sting was terrible and she wiggled in a futile effort to get away. Her loud cries of anguish melted into the trees. “You should be glad that you didn‟t break the skin. Little witch. I‟ll teach you that you can‟t just run all over people.” Chase‟s hand slapped her ass over and over as Lily struggled to get free. The tears that had been threatening all night long spilled over and ran down her cheeks. The sting was turning into a throb and it felt like he wasn‟t going to be letting up anytime soon. Words of protest lodged in her throat as he continued the spanking, alternating his hand between cheeks. Finally, when Lily thought her bottom couldn‟t feel any worse, he delivered five hard slaps to each cheek, pausing between each one for the slap to have full effect. Then he pushed her up to her feet. “You need to learn to behave yourself!” He gathered her wrists as she tried to beat her fists against his chest. “Me? Look what you just did. I swear, you haven‟t heard the last of this.” “Get over yourself, Little Missy. Pull your panties back up and let‟s go back inside.” “You…I can‟t believe…” Lily sniffled. “Oh hell.” Chase went to the front of the pickup and opened the door. He came back with a tissue that he handed to Lily. “Wipe your eyes. It wasn‟t that bad.” “It was! You hurt me.” “And you hurt me last night when you bit me. All you did was laugh about it. I‟m not laughing, am I?” Lily shook her head wiped her cheeks. “Will you pull your panties back up? Fix your face. Use the mirror in the pickup.” She did as he said, then walked around him gingerly. She opened the door and hopped onto the seat, screaming out as her abused behind came into contact with the leather. Chase watched her with a stern face. She gently lowered her behind onto the seat and wiped way traces of mascara using the lighted mirror for guidance. When she was done, she stepped back into the warm night air. “I‟m serious, Lily, when I tell you I‟ll do it again. I ain‟t putting up with your put upon attitude.” “You won‟t get the chance. I will tell my father to fire you.” 16

“No you won‟t, because you‟ll have to tell him why. Do you want him to know that I took you over my knee?” Lily scrunched up her nose in anger. “I hate you.” “Fine. Just behave yourself and we won‟t have to have any contact. Now, let‟s go back inside before Elsie wonders what happens. She might put two and two together and come up with the wrong conclusion.” He raised his eyebrows lasciviously. “Hardly. She knows I have better taste than to sleep with the likes of you.” Chase threw back his head and laughed. “Right. Listen, darling, I‟m considered a fair catch around these parts. And you know that your words aren‟t true. You‟re attracted to me.” “In your dreams.” “In yours, too, baby.” He turned and walked back to the Lazy Q. Lily ran her fingers along her burning backside. It would be a cold day in hell before Chase Hamilton got anywhere near her behind again, for spanking, or anything else.

17

Chapter Three Lily stood by the rental car and wondered how Saffron had fallen so far behind. She‟d been right behind her until they hit I-35, then Saffron had fallen back. Lily checked her watch. She‟d been here almost ten minutes. In the back of her mind, she worried that something had happened, that they‟d had a wreck and here sat Lily without a cell phone. She mentally added the need to get a phone to her to do list for the day. She put it between buy new clothes and get Chase Hamilton fired. Her behind was still on fire from last night. How dare that brute think that he had the right to take her over his knee? No man had ever done that to her, and no man would get away with it. Once Lily had a chance to talk to her father, Chase Hamilton would be sinking his spurs into somebody else‟s soil. Lily just had to find the right way to approach the subject with her father. She‟d come up with, and rejected, four different scenarios. In each one, her father had simply said, “well, you must have deserved it,” shrugged his shoulders and walked away. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She hadn‟t deserved it, had she? So she‟d bitten him. He‟d deserved that, and because he had, he should have just taken his medicine and gone on. He had no right to spank her. Lily thought through another scenario, this time at lunch: “Oh, by the way, father, can you fire Chase Hamilton? He had the nerve to spank me last night. On my bare ass!” She shook her head as Chase‟s words from last night rang through her mind. He was right. She wouldn‟t tell her father because then she‟d have to admit to being spanked. That in itself would be an embarrassing situation. An evil thought crossed her mind. She pushed it away, and then allowed it back inside. She‟d do more than get Chase Hamilton fired. She‟d make his life a living hell. He‟d be so miserable that by the end of the week he‟d want to quit. Then, he‟d be out of a job, lonely and destitute. Or at least Lily hoped that he would be. Her father‟s car turned into the rental agency. She straightened and waved her hand so that Saffron could see her. Once she was ensconced in the back seat, Saffron took off quickly. “If we don‟t hurry, we‟re going to be late. There was an accident right in front of us on I-35. We‟re lucky that we avoided it. Of course we would have been here sooner if you hadn‟t taken the back roads.” Lily‟s stomach turned. She clamped her lips together and the car grew quiet. The tension grew, and she waited for someone to say something. Talk of accidents always made her nervous. And she‟d taken the back roads to avoid seeing the spot where the accident had occurred. In Europe, she generally used public transportation, or let her friends do the driving. Her palms felt sweaty as the silence grew. Were they all thinking the same thing she was, that it was too bad she hadn‟t avoided the accident all those years ago? Things would be different, if she had. Finally, after about five minutes, she gave up. “How long is your appointment, Father?” “It takes most of the afternoon,” he said. “I see a physical therapist for two hours, take a break, and then see my doctor. They‟re all in the same building, so you and Saffron can go and have lunch and do some shopping.” Lily nodded. Once they had dropped their father off, the women drove to the closest mall and spent two hours buying clothes. Lily bought three pairs of jeans, a pair of boots and several shirts. 18

When they finally sat down for lunch, she dropped her packages and flopped onto the chair. Then, she winced as her sore bottom protested its contact with the wood. She stood up quickly, and then resettled herself in the chair. “Something wrong?” Saffron sat her purse on the table and shook her head. “No. Here‟s some money. You want to get us some food?” They looked around the food court, decided on a fast food franchise, and Saffron went off to order and pick up their lunch. Lily shook her head as she thought about the reasons for her aching behind. She hadn‟t tried on her jeans, or she was sure that she would have been reminded of her spanking earlier in the day. The ache just reinforced her idea of making Chase pay for his heavy hand. Saffron sat the tray on the table, and after they‟d taken a few bites, Lily cleared her throat. “So, tell me what you know about Chase.” Saffron raised her eyebrows. “Well, not much. He‟s in his mid-thirties. Divorced, no kids. And Daddy loves him. He says that with him around he doesn‟t have to worry about anything.” Saffron took a bite of her hamburger and wiped her mouth. “Why do you ask? Does he interest you?” “No way. The man‟s a class-A jerk.” “Really? Why do you say that? Does he play his music too loud? Does he walk around naked and you can see him through the windows? Of course, with as gorgeous as he is, I don‟t think that would be a bad thing.” “Gorgeous? Him? Right.” “What‟s the famous line? „Me thinks the lady doest protest too much.‟ I think you like him.” Lily snorted. “Yeah, right.” “Well, something‟s happened. You have very strong feelings here, and strong feelings don‟t just come up out of nowhere. Wanna let your big sister in on it?” “I bit him. And he spanked me.” Lily watched Saffron carefully. She held her cup to her mouth, her straw poised between two fingers. Her eyes widened, at first with anger, and then with laughter. She took a sip and set the cup down. “I see. You mean an old fashioned over-the-knee spanking?” “That‟s exactly what I mean.” “Can I ask why you bit him?” Lily took a sip of her own drink. “I don‟t know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He was giving me a hard time about me giving father a hard time. He just pissed me off.” Saffron took another sip and shook her head. “Sweetie, you can‟t go around biting people and expect them not to get mad.” “Don‟t talk to me like I‟m twelve and one of your kids. I never should have told you anything.” Saffron shook her head. “Sorry. Reflex maternal instincts. Look, it‟s water under the bridge. You don‟t have to have that much contact with him.” “Bull! I live right next door to him. And I‟ll see him at every meal. This isn‟t funny. Stop laughing!” Saffron covered her face with her hands, her shoulders heaving. “Oh but it is. The idea of him spanking you just sends me into hysterics.” To prove her point, Saffron continued to laugh, and Lily continued to fume. “Fine. Laugh.” “Oh, don‟t be mad at me. You‟d laugh if it was the other way around.” Lily narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Yes, you would.” Saffron‟s eyes softened. “I‟ve missed you so much. It feels like we‟re getting to know each other all over again. And if you‟re that mad at Chase, get back at him. Do something mean. If I remember right, you have an ornery streak.” 19

Lily nodded and lifted her eyebrows. She had an ornery streak indeed. Saffron‟s reaction proved that Lily couldn‟t tell her father what had happened. He wouldn‟t react any differently. Lily had to take matters into her own hands. ***** When Lily said she wanted to visit one more shop, Saffron begged off, telling her that she would wait in the food court. Saffron smiled as she watched her little sister walk away. Then, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Daisy‟s number. Her pregnant sister sounded harried when she answered. “I think I have a way we can keep Lily in Texas. But, I need your help.” “What can I do? I‟m hugely pregnant, in case you missed it.” “Your brain still works, doesn‟t it?” When Daisy laughed, Saffron continued. “Lily is attracted to Chase, and vice versa. But it sounds like the two of them are being jerks and won‟t admit it to each other. What do you say we push them together? We need to come up with some situations where it‟s just the two of them. Any ideas?” Saffron listened, and then she laughed. “Geeze, you‟re brilliant! I‟d forgotten all about that. It‟s perfect. They‟ll both be royally pissed afterwards, but it could be just the nudge that they need. OK, here‟s what we need to do…” ***** Lily pulled her sacks from the golf cart and frowned. Chase had parked his truck between their two houses, instead of parking it in his own driveway. She sneered at it and headed for her own door. Sounds of his whistling floated through his open windows. Jerk. Of course he was happy. He wasn‟t the one with a sore ass. She unlocked her door and dumped the packages. A check of her watch showed that there was thirty minutes until dinner. She‟d planned on freshening up a little bit, then going to the main house. An evil glint entered her eye as she looked out her window. All it would take was about five minutes. There was the chance that he would see her, but more than likely not. She crept out her back door and crouched down, duck-walking to the driver‟s side tire. She unscrewed the cap and pushed on the air valve. A satisfying hiss reached her ear as the air left the tire. When it was close to flat, she moved to the rear tire and did the same thing. Her stomach was in knots the whole time, a mixture of excitement over flattening two of his tires, and anxiety that he would come out and catch her in the act. She had no doubts that if he did catch her he‟d try and spank her again. This time, however, she would make sure that he suffered a few bruises, too. She‟d fight back. When both tires were sufficiently out of air, she turned and duck-walked back to the corner of the house. She glanced back, laughed and then muttered under her breath, “Well, Chase, sorry you can‟t make dinner tonight. Looks like you‟ve got some things to take care of.” She ran back inside, washed her hands and dashed to the cart. She‟d barely made it past the fence when his deep yell of, “Oh shit. Damn it, Lily!” reached her ears. She laughed loud enough for him to hear. Teach him to spank her! ***** Chase gathered the wildflowers in one hand and opened the door with the other. He fought back a smile at Lily‟s look of amazement as he walked into the dining room. He winked at her, and handed most of the flowers to Mrs. Chisholm. “For you, lovely lady.” The older woman laughed and bit her lip. He took the remaining flowers and leaned over Lily, pressing them into her hand as he whispered, “air pumps are wonderful things,” in her ear. “Sorry I‟m late.” He took his seat and watched Lily‟s face turn several shades of red. “We just started,” Joe said. “Waited on you like one hog waits on another. Lily, pass him the meatloaf.” 20

He took the plate and gave her a fake smile. He could see the anger that raced through her blood. He was sure she still felt the effects of the spanking he‟d given her last night. For the millionth time that day he wondered what had come over him. He‟d just meant to give her a few swats, but some how that hadn‟t seemed good enough. She‟d needed the spanking. Seeing his flat tires, though, proved that she needed a few more. If she thought a little inconvenience like that was getting back at him, she was mistaken. It just gave him more reasons to spank her. He was bound and determined to make sure that her attitude toward people improved. Chase answered questions from Joe about the herd, and watched Lily out of the corner of his eye. She picked at her food as the conversation sailed around her. When the main meal was finished, she quickly stood and began clearing plates. He saw his chance, and pushed Mrs. Chisholm back into her seat, taking some of the dishes into the kitchen right behind Lily, and promising to bring back dessert. She stood at the counter, her back to the door. He sat the plates on the kitchen table, then pressed his body against hers until she was trapped between him and the counter. “Get away from me!” “How‟s your behind?” She squirmed and pushed against him. “Watch it. I might think you‟re interested in something.” “You wish!” “You know, letting the air out of my tires wasn‟t a good plan on your part. All I had to do was call down to the barn for the air machine.” She turned her head toward him, fire lighting her pretty eyes. “Next time I‟ll use a knife.” Chase cocked his head and shook it slowly. “That‟s not a very good idea.” “What‟s wrong, are you mad? Go ahead and spank me again. See if you can explain it to my father. Or will you wait until you can catch me alone, like you did last night?” “If you think I‟m going to apologize for last night, you‟re wrong. And if you think I‟ll ignore your little childish behavior, you‟re wrong again. Keep goading me, Lily. You‟ll think the spanking you got last night was a little love tap.” He picked up the cake sitting on the counter and headed for the door, turning at the last minute to smile at her. “Bring the ice cream, please.” Chase bit back a chuckle as she shook her head and let out a yelp of frustration. He was sure that Lily had lots of fun things planned for him. He needed to be on the lookout for any slashed tires, or burrs under his saddle. Although he was pretty sure she wouldn‟t do anything to cause physical harm, he knew that she was mad. That was a good thing, though. His main goal was to keep Lily from being mean to her father. And if that meant she focused her anger on him, then so be it. He had ways to deal with it, and they all involved a very red bottom for the young lady. ***** It was early the next morning when Lily heard Chase moving around. She‟d left the windows open in the house, enjoying the fresh air that flowed in over her bed. She took a deep breath and smiled. She‟d always loved living in the country. Her smile dimmed as she thought about the asshole next door. She thought she‟d been so clever when she‟d let the air out of his tires. He‟d just laughed and aired them back up. Jerk. The screen door on his house slammed and she could hear him whistling as he walked to his truck and fired it up. The tires hadn‟t worked as revenge, she wondered what else she could do. She could go into his house and flood it, stop up all the drains and start the water. She shook her head. The person punished there would be her father. He was the one who would have to pay for the cleanup. Steal his towels? Short sheet his bed? Steal all his food? She rejected each idea as juvenile attempts at getting back at someone. There had to be something she could do. 21

Ideas reeled through her mind as she showered and drove the cart toward the house. Her father waited on the front porch, a cup of coffee in his hand. “You missed breakfast.” “I don‟t generally eat breakfast.” He frowned at her and shook his head. “At least have some coffee.” Lily sat down and poured herself a cup. She took a sip and sighed. “Delicious.” Her father nodded, then cleared his throat. “I want to go for a ride today, and I want you to come with me.” “What? Did the physical therapist say you could? You‟re still in a cast.” “Cast, humph. It‟s my ankle and my wrist. I can ride with those, as long as I was careful.” “What about your back? What happens if you fall again? Father, the doctors say…” “Screw them! I haven‟t been on a horse in over a month. I‟ll lose my mind if I sit here much longer.” “Father, I don‟t think this is a good idea.” “Well, frankly, I don‟t care if you think it‟s a bad idea. I‟m doing it, and you‟re going with me.” “Like hell I will! And if you don‟t give a damn what I think then why the hell am I here, trying to be the voice of reason? You obviously don‟t need anyone to take care of yourself if you‟re just going to do whatever you want.” “Watch your mouth, young lady. I‟m still your father. I never said I didn‟t care what you thought. I just said…” “Oh, right. It wasn‟t but eleven years ago that you said you never wanted to see me again. I don‟t know why the fuck I‟m here!” “Watch your language! I didn‟t raise you to talk like that. You‟re not too old for me to find a bar of soap and wash your mouth out!” Lily stood quickly, knocking her coffee cup to the porch where it broke. Her chest heaved with anger. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the figure of Mrs. Chisholm dash into the kitchen, probably to call Saffron and report that all hell was breaking loose. “Lily.” Her father‟s voice was sad. “I never said I didn‟t want to see you again. I was grieving, I didn‟t know what I was saying, I…” “You don‟t think I wasn‟t? Did you care? No, all you could do was blame me.” Tears streamed down Lily‟s face. Years and years of self-recrimination and anger bubbled over. She saw Mrs. Chisholm step onto the porch, a towel in her hands. “Calm down you two. There‟s no reason to shout.” “I didn‟t blame you…” Her father‟s words cut off as he turned toward the sound of Chase‟s truck, which sped toward the house, spewing up gravel as it ground to a halt and he jumped out. Lily knew then that Mrs. Chisholm had called him. She‟d probably called her sisters, too, to report that Lily was once again causing trouble. “What‟s going on?” “Get the fuck out! This is none of your business. And you, you say you didn‟t blame me? What did you say, huh? That I took the only person you ever loved? What was that? Blame! Did you once try to hug me? No! Did you once say, „it‟s OK, Lily, it was an accident. They happen.‟ No! All you did was tell me to get out of your sight.” Mrs. Chisholm buried her face in her hands and started to cry. “Lily, please.” Her father stood and put out an arm to prevent Chase from crossing toward her. “I‟m sorry. I‟m sorry for everything. You have to believe that.” “Do I? You know what I heard when you said those words to me, Father? I heard that you didn‟t love me. That you never had.” “That‟s not true!” Mrs. Chisholm‟s voice was loud. “He loves you very much. He always has!” 22

Lily jumped and stared at her. Then she took several deep breaths. Her Father had turned to Mrs. Chisholm, who was again sobbing into her hands. Lily turned toward Chase, who, for the first time since she‟d met him, didn‟t look angry. He took a step toward her and Lily backed up. She wiped her tears and sniffled. “You know what, father? Go for your damn ride. Break your other leg. But I won‟t go with you. I won‟t be blamed for hurting my last parent. I think maybe it‟s time I went back to England.” She jumped over the railing before anyone could say anything and took off at a run toward the house. When she arrived, she collapsed on the porch, tears streaming down her face as she fought for breath. She never, ever should have come back to Texas. ***** Chase helped Mrs. Chisholm settle Joe into a chair. “I‟m not an invalid,” he pushed away their hands and sighed. “I have done so wrong by that girl. This is all my fault.” “Not totally,” Chase said. “The problem, as I see it, is that you are two peas in a pod. Stubborn, headstrong, independent. The list could go on and on.” Joe laughed and patted Mrs. Chisholm‟s hand. “I‟m all right, Agnes. Don‟t fuss.” “The language she used,” Mrs. Chisholm said. “I‟ve never, ever heard a woman say those things.” “I don‟t want her to leave.” Joe cut his eyes to Chase, who nodded. “Agnes, will you get me some water, please?” She hurried into the house and Joe looked at Chase again. “Let me talk to her,” Chase said. “Give her a minute or two to calm down.” “If we give her a minute or two she‟ll be on the road to the airport.” Chase nodded and headed for the truck. He could hear Mrs. Chisholm and Joe talking quietly as he climbed into the truck and started it up. He‟d not been privy to the conversations Joe and his daughter had after the accident, but obviously they had been very, very bad. It didn‟t give her the right to be a bitch, but it explained a lot of things. He pulled in between the houses and put the truck in park. He‟d seen her sitting on the porch as he‟d driven up. She was crying into her hands, her shoulders shaking. He walked up cautiously and crouched down next to her. “Lily.” He gently caressed her shoulder. “Go away! If you‟ve come to make me feel bad for yelling at my Father, forget it!” “No, that‟s not why I‟m here. Come on, stand up.” She shook her head violently and he sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Take a deep breath,” he whispered. “It‟s going to be OK.” She shook her head. “I never should have come back.” Her words were interspaced with sobs. Chase‟s heart went out to her. He put his other arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. She burrowed down, burying her face in his shoulder as she sobbed. He laughed to himself as she did. If she‟d known it was him who held her, she‟d probably scream bloody murder. Instead she just cried in his arms. “Two days,” she said, hiccupping. “We can‟t make it two days without screaming at each other. He hates me, Chase. He always has.” Chase pulled her back and grinned at her. “You do know it‟s me.” Lily laughed and wiped her face. “Listen, Lily, he doesn‟t hate you. It‟s exactly what I just told him. You are two peas in a pod, exactly alike. He said hateful things to you, true, but you said them right back. Both of you are too stubborn to apologize, or to believe what the other says.” “Are you a cowboy, or a therapist?” She pushed away from him, but he pulled her close. “Don‟t go. Don‟t run away from it again.” 23

“You want me to stay and give my father hell?” “No, I want you to stay and work it out with him. He‟s a good man, Lily. Give him a chance to make things right with you.” “Well, that‟s a change in heart. Two days ago you were screaming at me for making his life hell.” “Hey, I‟m not giving you an open invitation to be a bitch. I‟m saying that, if the two of you work at it, things could be good.” Lily shook her head, then pushed herself away from Chase. “Don‟t touch me.” “There‟s the Lily I met. Now listen to me, little girl. You‟re not running this time. If I have to hogtie you to keep you here, I will. You and your father are going to sit down and talk, without screaming at each other.” “And if we don‟t? Will you spank me again?” “I might. I just might.”

24

Chapter Four Lily woke with a start. She could hear something ringing, but she wasn‟t quite sure where she was. Then, it all came flooding back to her. She was at home, on the ranch, and it was the middle of the afternoon. Her eyes burned from her crying jag that morning, and the ringing was the telephone. She sat up and shook her head. The ringing stopped. Images from the morning ran through her mind. Her fight with her father, her running back to the house, Chase holding her, and then helping her into the house where he‟d tucked her into bed and told her to sleep. Damn him for being a nice person. She didn‟t want him to be nice. She wanted him to be the asshole who‟d spanked her. She didn‟t want to like him. The phone started to ring again. This time, Lily walked over and picked it up. “Hello?” “Geeze, I‟ve been calling for almost an hour.” Saffron‟s voice was harsh. “What the hell happened today?” “Um, well, father and I had a fight.” “So I heard. Mrs. Chisholm called, crying her eyes out. Said you and Dad were screaming at each other. She said, and I quote, „she used the f word, several times.‟” “Yeah, that was probably a bad idea, but I think I only used it once.” “You wanna talk about it?” “Not really.” “Well, how did it start?” Lily sat down on the couch. She laid her head against the back and told her sister the whole thing. When she was done, tears streaked her face again. “I‟m sorry, Lily.” “It‟s not your fault. Chase is right. Father and I are just alike.” “Chase, huh?” “Oh shut up! Geeze, what is it with you?” Saffron giggled and Lily smiled. Truthfully, the only good thing about this morning was the fact that Chase had held her close while she‟d cried. “What time is it?” “Almost four.” “I slept all day? I need to get my ass up.” “We‟re coming for dinner tonight. All of us.” “To act as shields? Don‟t worry, I‟m not going to kill him or anything.” Lily snorted and tried to shake the cobwebs out of her head. “Well, Mrs. Chisholm said she thought it would be nice if we were there. She‟s worried about both of you. I guess it was a real knockdown, huh?” “Well, I used the f-word, remember?” The sisters both laughed. There was a knock on the door. Lily looked up as Chase pulled open the screen and came inside. “I gotta go.” “Is it Chase? Is he looking good?” Lily blew a raspberry into the phone and hung up. She smiled shyly and hung her head. “Don‟t look at me. I‟m so ashamed.” 25

“Why? For letting out emotions that have been brewing for ten years? We‟re lucky neither of you exploded.” He leaned into the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest. Lily could tell he was trying to look gruff, but there was a grin on his face. “Feeling better?” “Somewhat. I have a headache, though.” “I wouldn‟t doubt it.” He crossed to the kitchen and she could hear him rooting around. He reappeared with aspirins and a bottle of water. She swallowed them quickly and then shook her head. “Quit being nice to me.” He laughed and sat down in a chair. “Have a seat.” “Don‟t mind if I do.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “How‟s my Father?” “OK. Happy that you‟re still here. He was worried that you were going to run. Josh ran him around all day. Course Joe could bully Josh into letting him drive.” “Is that a hint that I need to go back to work tomorrow?” Lily sniffed and took another drink of water. “Yeah. At least you‟ll stand up to him.” “We‟ve always fought like two cats in a sack. Mom always said we were made from the same mold.” “I think she was right.” Chase stood. “I‟m going to shower. We can walk up to dinner together, how does that sound?” “Good. But after tonight, you really have to stop being nice. I don‟t like you.” “I don‟t like you, either. I‟ll see you in an hour.” He winked at her and left. Lily laughed and went to her own shower. She wasn‟t looking forward to seeing her whole family. She was sure that somehow, this morning would be blamed on her. Maybe it had been her fault. She knew her father was a stubborn man. She never should have said those things to him. She would work hard to hold her tongue tonight. She would work really, really hard. ***** Chase stopped outside Lily‟s door and took a deep breath. He‟d come up with an interesting idea on how to keep the peace during dinner tonight, and it would start inside Lily‟s house. He was sure she wasn‟t going to like it, but it would focus her energies on someone other than her father. He knocked and entered without waiting for an answer. Lily came out of the bedroom and frowned. “You could wait, you know, until I said come in.” “If you don‟t want me to just walk in, you shouldn‟t leave your front door open.” She shook her head and moved toward the bedroom. He fought the arousal that she‟d stirred in him. She was wearing jeans that fit her just right, not too tight, not too loose. Her shirt was a pullover with short sleeves, and low cut enough to show the swell of her breasts. She was a beautiful woman, that was for sure. You‟re not here for sex, Chase, forget that. Concentrate on the plan. Concentrate on the plan. He straightened his shoulders when she came out, her hands rubbing together as if she‟d just loaded them with lotion. “I‟m ready.” “We need to talk about something, first.” She frowned and murmured, “OK.” “I think I have a plan for tonight that will help you concentrate your anger on me, instead of your father,” “Excuse me?” “Well, it‟s obvious that today‟s little argument didn‟t solve anything, and you‟re still angry with your dad. To keep you from blowing up tonight, I‟m making you a promise right now. If you get out of hand, if you blow up and cuss again, I‟m going to spank your little ass when we get back.” 26

Lily‟s mouth dropped opened. He tried not to concentrate on his full lips, but on the fact that anger was even now bubbling forth from her. “I don‟t think so.” “I do. Listen, every time you think about cussing, or you think about screaming at your father, I want you to remember the spanking I gave you the other night. Cause I‟ll do it again tonight, if I have to.” “You are an asshole. I can‟t believe you think you have the right.” Lily shook her head and then sat down on the couch. “Fine. I just won‟t go tonight. Was that your intent?” “No. You will go. Listen to me, I thought about it a lot. This way you‟re focusing your anger on me, and not on your father. It‟s obvious that the two of you need to talk, but if you go in there loaded for bear, with feelings from this morning still fresh, then things are going to get ugly. If someone asks you about this morning you‟re going to blow.” He stepped in front of her and looked down. Her eyes were focused on his stomach, and when she raised them to his own he could see anger just about ready to explode. “My plan is to give you another area to focus your anger on. Instead of being mad at your father, you can be mad at me, because I‟m very serious, Lily.” “You‟re an asshole.” “Think what you want, but this is going to work fine. Trust me.” She bounded off the couch, they were so close he could feel her breath against him. “I swear, if you try and do that to me again, I‟ll fight. I won‟t let you get away with it this time.” “Good. Focus on that, and behave yourself tonight. Maybe I won‟t have to spank you.” “Jerk!” She ran for the door, slamming the screen behind her. By the time he got to the porch, she‟d already moved quickly up the hill, heading for the main house. He‟d have to run to catch up with her. A smile crossed his face. She had spirit, that was for sure. He hoped that his little plan worked, and that she was now pissed at him. He‟d hate to see a repeat of this morning‟s fight. ***** Lily pushed off Chase‟s hand as he came up behind her. “Don‟t touch me.” “You‟re a smart woman, Lily, and I think I proved the other night that I‟ll follow through on my promise.” “You mean threat.” “Promise.” Saffron‟s greeting drifted down to them. Lily pasted on a false smile and waved back at her sister. “Don‟t come near me, tonight.” She wanted to wipe the grin off Chase‟s face. He winked and took her hand, which she immediately pulled away. She stalked toward the porch, her chest heaving with anger. “You OK?” Saffron pulled her in for a hug. “Father‟s worried.” “Is he? Well, then he can just…” Lily broke off and looked at Chase, who stood nearby with his eyebrows raised. “Look, I‟m sorry about today.” Lily‟s cheeks turned red. “But I shouldn‟t be here, Saffron. Father and I just don‟t mix well.” “This is your home, Lily. He loves you whether you believe it or not.” Lily shook her head and turned toward her father, who was talking with his grandchildren. Ever few seconds he cut his eyes toward her. He didn‟t smile at her. He just stared. She couldn‟t read his expression and she wondered what was going through his mind. Saffron rubbed her shoulder, and Lily shook her head. She climbed onto the porch and smiled at Mrs. Chisholm, who looked less than pleased to see her. “We have brisket for dinner,” the housekeeper said, turning to Chase. She turned back to Lily and frowned, then went inside. 27

“You know what? Screw this. I‟m going back to the house.” She turned and had taken a few steps when her father‟s voice rang out. “Lily.” She turned toward him, her eyes widening when she saw he had a glass of tea in his hand, and he was offering it to her. Tension-filled silence permeated the air. Lily fought the desire to run. She wet her lips and climbed the stairs to the porch, taking the glass from him and nodding. He nodded back and turned toward his seat. She shivered when Chase came up behind her and caressed the small of her back. His breath was hot against her neck. “Good job.” “Fuck you.” The words were low, and meant only for him. She hadn‟t expected him to chuckle. “Well, I guess you do want me to spank you tonight.” She watched him take a can of beer from the table, pop it and walk to where her brothers-in-law were discussing something in earnest. “Where‟s Daisy?” She turned to Saffron. “She‟s lying down. She thinks the little one may want out early. Since it‟s way too early, she‟s being careful. Of course she said she‟d be up in time for dinner. You want to talk about today?” “No.” “Look, we‟ve been discussing it, and we think that maybe you two should see a therapist together.” “Excuse me?” Lily‟s voice was loud. She cringed when she noticed Chase‟s head turn toward her, a frown on his face. “Someone who can help you work through your troubles. I know one who will come out to the ranch and talk to the both of you.” Lily lowered her voice. “What, have you already talked to him? Is it set up? Is he coming for dinner?” Saffron frowned and shook her head. “I‟m just trying to help. You have to believe that, Lily. What‟s happened between you and daddy is bad, but you need to work it out.” “You know what? My life was fine until you called. I don‟t need this crap, and I‟m not, under any circumstances, sitting down with a total stranger to discuss the reasons why my father hates me.” “So you didn‟t miss us at all? Fine. I‟m sorry I called, then. I just thought maybe, just maybe, you missed us as much as we missed you.” Saffron stood, her feet rooted to the porch. Lily could see the anger in her eyes. “I can‟t win for losing today, can I? Maybe I‟m too different now. Maybe I‟m not meant to be here.” “You didn‟t answer my question. Did you miss us? At all?” Lily bit her lip and nodded. “Then let‟s do the therapist thing. Daddy says he‟s willing to try.” “Father said he‟d see a therapist?” “Yes.” “OK. As long as it‟s not tonight.” “No, I set it up for the morning.” Saffron laughed at Lily‟s expression, and then turned toward the house. Lily watched her walk away, then turned toward her father. He‟d sat down in his rocker, drinking iced tea. He watched her intently. She crossed the porch and sat down opposite from him. “Did you go for your ride today?” “No. Although I did get to drive the cart. We‟ll go tomorrow.” “You mean after we see the therapist?” He huffed, then took a drink of his tea. 28

“I‟m sorry I yelled at you.” His voice was soft and Lily frowned. “I yelled back.” She swallowed a lump. “I‟m sorry, too.” “I never hated you, Lily. I just didn‟t, what I mean is… Oh crap.” Before Lily could say anything, Mrs. Chisholm appeared and announced that it was time for dinner. Her father pushed away offers of help and stood up. Chase came up behind Lily and smiled at her, even as she shrugged his hand away from her back. She waited until her father was inside, then she turned to him. “Stop touching me.” He grinned in response. “I mean it! All you‟re doing is pissing me off.” “I heard your discussion with your dad about the horseback riding tomorrow. I think it might be a good idea. I can go with you, in case something happens.” “I don‟t need your opinion, or your help.” She stalked toward the door. “And I‟m warning you, if you touch me one more fu..damn time…” She growled in frustration and slammed inside. She could hear Chase‟s laughter as she walked toward the dining room. She would be nice as pie to her father, and her family tonight. But once she and Chase were near her house, all bets were off. She‟d show him that he couldn‟t control her, that he had no business poking his nose into her affairs, and that she never, ever wanted him to touch her. For a spanking or anything else. ***** The moon was high in the night sky by the time Lily and Chase left her father‟s house. She‟d been good all through dinner, talking with everyone and acting as if nothing was wrong. The only indication of problems had been when her father had asked what time “the head shrink” would be there in the morning. Everyone seemed to know that he was coming, because nobody, not even the children, questioned him. Chase had raised an eyebrow and Lily had put her glass to her lips, turning it sideways so only he could see her mouth. She‟d stuck out her tongue and he‟d laughed under his breath. Now, as they walked toward their houses, he snaked up close to her. “It went well, don‟t you think?” “Don‟t think your threats had anything to do with it. It went well because I felt bad about this morning. That‟s the only reason.” “Part of it, yes. But you were also thinking about what I said.” “You wish.” “What‟s this about a head doctor?” “Saffron set up an appointment for father and I to see a therapist tomorrow. She thinks it will help us work out our issues.” “I think that‟s a good idea.” “Did I ask you?” They were at the gate now. Lily moved toward her house, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Want to practice what you‟re going to say?” “When pigs fly.” She stepped onto her porch. “You‟re not invited in, so get the hell out of here.” She walked inside and shut the door on his face. Before she could turn the lock, he pushed the door open. “Are you deaf?” “No. What are you going to say tomorrow?” “Tell me again how this is any of your fucking business.” She pinched her lips together the minute the word was out of her mouth. What was it about this man that brought out the worst in her? She wanted to scream and holler at him. “Oh my. Somebody didn‟t take my warning to heart, because I distinctly remember you cussing earlier tonight, too.” “Get out.” She pointed toward the door. 29

“Not yet.” He turned his head from side to side, as if sizing up the room. Then, suddenly, he moved toward her, putting his arms around her waist and propelling her toward the bedroom. “What do you think you‟re doing? Get your hands off of me! I‟ll scream!” “Go ahead. They won‟t be able to hear you up at the main house. I warned you that cussing would get you spanked.” They crossed into the bedroom and Lily snorted. “Figures. You only wanted to get me into bed.” She fought against his hold, stopping suddenly when he laughed. “This isn‟t about sex. You need discipline in your life. You‟ve been running free for years. Now, you have family things to attend to and you need to be in the right frame of mind.” He sat her down, but still held her close. “Now, are you going to take down your jeans and panties, or do I need to do it for you?” “You jerk. You…you…you… pig!” She struggled in his arms, but he held her close, not moving. “Are you done?” “What do you expect me to do, lie down and take a beating from you?” “Please, it won‟t be a beating. It‟s a spanking. You need it. You know you need it, so stop fighting.” Lily stopped fighting. She took several deep breaths and then screamed, “fine! But I‟m not taking down my jeans. You can just forget that.” “I‟ve seen you half naked already, remember? I spanked your bare ass just the other night.” When Chase‟s hands dropped to her waist to unbutton her jeans, she panicked. She grabbed his hands and tried to stop him. In response, he gathered both of her hands in one of his and deftly undid her jeans with the other. After a few moments, she realized that her struggles helped him as he worked her jeans over her hips. She stood completely still, waiting for the right moment. At some point he would have to bend down. When he did, she would kick backwards and catch him somewhere that would make him think twice about trying to spank her again. Her chest heaved as she waited for just the right moment. Then, the floor was yanked out from under her, literally. As if he‟d anticipated what she had planned on doing, Chase turned them toward the bed and pushed her over, so that she would land on the mattress. Lily put her hands out to brace herself at the same time Chase grabbed her jeans and panties and pulled them down to her knees. She made to stand, but he pushed her farther into the mattress, one hand in the small of her back as the other rubbed against her behind. He put one knee on the bed, and kept the other one on the floor. “Let me go!” He smacked her ass and Lily yelped. He smacked it again and again and again. “Ladies don‟t use the f-word, you know.” Lily beat her fists against the mattress. “Fine! F-you! How‟s that for an f-word?” He slapped her behind again and Lily felt the burn all the way to her stomach. She yelled out for him to stop, but he kept on going, slapping her behind over and over until tears streamed down her face. She screamed for him to stop again, but he kept it up, moving his hand between her cheeks, and varying the intensity of the slaps. Some were not too hard, others were painful, harsh slaps that made her yelp around her tears. She cradled her face in her arms and cried. Most of them didn‟t hurt that badly, she wasn‟t sure why she was crying. Maybe it was because Chase had been right. She‟d been a pure-d bitch. She never should have said those things to her father. He‟d tried to make it right and she‟d ignored him. She hiccupped into the bed, and then her head shot up. Chase wasn‟t spanking her anymore. He‟d sat down on the bed and was rubbing her back, his hand moving in slow, gentle circles. There was no 30

sexual feel to it, just a soothing massage as if to say that he understood, and that it was OK for her to cry. The punishment was over. “Two crying jags in one day,” she said. “I haven‟t done this in years.” “Seems like you needed it.” His voice was soft. He lay down on his side, his hand moving up to gently rub her shoulders. He didn‟t apologize for the spanking, and she didn‟t expect him to. When her tears had dried, she lifted her head. “I‟m going to get up, now.” He grinned at her and averted his eyes as she stood and pulled up her jeans. Her behind was on fire and she grimaced as she covered the orbs. “Why did you do this? Tell me the truth.” “I think you needed it, Lily. Sometimes spankings can help relieve tension.” She sat down on the bed and hugged herself. “You want to talk to me about the accident?” “No.” “You wanna talk about what happened afterwards with your dad?” “You heard it this morning. He blamed me for everything, and told me to get out of his sight. So I did.” Chase began rubbing her back again, in slow circular motions. “Do you think he was just talking about right then, not about the rest of his life?” “I don‟t know, and I didn‟t care. He hurt me. Yes, he was hurt, too, but not once do I remember him asking if I was all right, if I needed anything, if I was scared, or felt horrible.” “Emotions can be a terrible thing. I don‟t think he meant to hurt you, I really don‟t. The other day he told me that he felt the accident was his fault, since the tire blew.” “He never said that to me.” “Maybe he will tomorrow.” Lily shook her head, then started up at Chase as he began removing his boots. “What are you doing?” “Getting ready for bed.” “Ah, I don‟t think so.” “Get your nasty mind out of the gutter, Lily. Sometimes human contact, as in touching and holding, can be good for the soul.” “You spank me, and then want to hold me? Who are you?” “A man who cares about your father, and this ranch, and in the past few days, you. I promise, no monkey business.” “I can‟t believe you. You have guts, you know that?” “Yup.” He lay down on the bed, scooting the pillows together and patting the mattress beside him. Lily shook head, then wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. Part of her wanted to tell him to get the hell out. The other part wanted to cuddle up next to him and bury herself in his arms. The latter half won. Lily lay down next to him, her back to his front. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her shoulder. “This isn‟t changing anything.” “I know, you still don‟t like me.” Lily laughed. She could feel tears forming behind her eyes again. Chase pulled her closer and she let them fall. “Not even a little?” The humor in his voice made her sniffle. He wiped her tears and held her as she cried. When she fell asleep, she was vaguely aware of the smell of horses and aftershave that drifted from his body. Maybe it was good to be home, after all.

31

Chapter Five “I feel like I should be telling you what‟s for dinner and to not be late.” Lily stared at Chase as he pushed his feet into his boots. He gave her a grin that might have melted butter. “OK, dear. I won‟t be late.” He laughed and she joined him. “You going to be OK?” “I don‟t think you‟re going to get a call from Mrs. Chisholm saying I‟m killing my father, if that‟s what you‟re worried about.” “Actually, she said you were screaming at each other. But, she did tell me that you started it.” Lily shook her head. “The therapist will be there, making sure that we behave ourselves.” “Afterwards, why don‟t you and Joe come down for a ride? I think it will do him good.” She nodded, then took a deep breath. “Everything will be fine, Lily. He‟s stronger than you think, and I‟ll go with you, just in case.” He started for the door, then stopped when she called his name. He turned toward her and she felt her stomach drop to her knees. Damn. She‟d thought he was handsome before. This morning she thought he was devastatingly handsome. “You know, I still don‟t like you.” He winked at her. “Liar.” She put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at him. In response, he raised his eyebrows and muttered, “tsk, tsk.” He was still shaking his head when he walked out the door. Lily laughed. It had been years since she‟d let a person close to her heart. There was too much pain involved in relationships, her family life proved that. She‟d find some way to push Chase Hamilton back into the barn when he belonged. Once her father was well, she was going back to Europe, where she didn‟t have to answer to anyone, and she didn‟t have to think about the past. ***** Lily took a drink of coffee, swallowed, took another and set the cup on the table. It was very quiet in the room. Her father sat across from her and the therapist, Matthew Green, sat in a chair, looking back and forth between them Finally, the newcomer took a deep breath and said, “Saffron told me about the accident, its consequences, and the fight that drove you two apart. Do either of you want to add anything to the background here, to give me more information?” Lily shook her head at the same time her father said, “no.” “All right. Then let‟s start with yesterday. I understand there was a yelling argument. Who wants to tell me about that?” They both sat, stonily quiet. “This isn‟t going to work if both of you refuse to talk. We‟re here to open a dialogue, to air out feelings and, hopefully, bring the two of your closer. Holding back feelings, which both of you obviously have, isn‟t healthy. Our sessions won‟t succeed if you don‟t talk.” When neither of them said anything, Matt linked his fingers. “OK, Lily. I‟m going to ask you a direct question. I would like an answer. Tell me what you remember from after the accident, after the funeral. I think that‟s where all this traces back to.” “I‟d rather not.” “Have you ever talked about it, to anyone?” “No. What‟s the point? It‟s over and done with.” 32

“OK,” Matt said. “Let‟s look at it this way. Do you like the fact that you and your father can‟t talk with each other? That you have no relationship?” “No, I don‟t like it. But I don‟t think if I say, „he hates me because I killed my Mother,‟ that everything going to be fine.” Lily felt the tears swell in her eyes. She‟d thought she‟d cried enough last night. Obviously, she‟d been wrong. “Is that how you feel, Lily, that you killed your mother?” Matt‟s voice was low. “Obviously, I did.” Lily took a tissue from the box on the table. “Were you drunk?” “No.” She shook her head violently. “Were you speeding? Not just five miles or so, but ten or more?” “No, but I was driving. Everyone knows that.” “Joe, did you blame Lily for the accident?” Lily turned her head toward her father. He pressed back into his chair and sighed. “Yes.” She balled her hands into fists, then opened them and grabbed the arms of the chair when he continued. “At first. I blamed her at first. I was angry, hurt, scared about how I‟d live without Miranda. It was selfish of me, I admit.” “You only came to the hospital once.” Lily practically spat the words out at him. “I was there a month, and you came once.” “I‟m sorry for that.” “So am I,” Lily spat back. She pulled her feet onto the chair and crossed her arms in front of them. Matt leaned forward. “Let‟s center on that. Joe, tell me why you only went to the hospital once.” “I don‟t know. I just didn‟t. My wife was dead. For a week, my daughter was near death. When they told me she was going to live I felt relief. Then I felt anger, I admit it, I was mad. I didn‟t want to see her. I just curled up inside myself, I guess.” “Sort of like Lily‟s doing right now.” Matt turned to her and smiled. Lily frowned, looked down at her legs, at the position she‟d put herself in and shook her head. She lowered her legs to the ground and put her hands on the arm of the chair. “So who wants to discuss the actual split?” Matt looked between them and Lily felt like she was under a microscope. “When I got home from the hospital, he told me to get out of his sight.” “That is not what I said.” Matt cleared his throat. “What did you say, Joe?” “I was mad, I admit it. But I don‟t remember telling you to leave.” “Well you did. And you didn‟t bother coming after me!” Lily shrank into the chair when her father screamed, “How could I? You ran away. It took a private investigator to find you, but I was damned if I was going to beg you to come back.” “What?” The shock hit Lily square in the chest. “You hired a PI to find me?” “Yes. How did you think Saffron got the number to call you?” “I thought maybe Elsie had given it to her. I called her and told her where I was.” The shock spread through her body. He‟d tried to find her. He actually had found her. “Why didn‟t you call me?” She felt the need for his approval swell inside her. The accident had taken away both of her parents, and left her unable to open up to anyone, even someone as tempting as Chase Hamilton. “For the same reason you didn‟t call me. You never tried to call me.” “I thought you hated me.” 33

“I‟m sorry for that. I‟m sorry for everything.” Her Father twisted his hands together and looked toward the door. She knew that he was uncomfortable, that he‟d never been one to talk about his feelings. Saffron was right. They were just alike. She nodded, then took a deep breath. “I‟m sorry, too.” Matt sat back and nodded at them both. “This has been good.” “So that‟s it. A few I‟m sorrys and we‟re done?” Lily raised her eyebrows hopefully. “Hardly,” Matt said. “But it‟s a huge start. You can‟t just wipe away ten years of anger. We can sit down together in a few days, if you like.” “Yes.” Her father‟s answer was more like a growl. She nodded her approval of the idea. “Excellent,” Matt said. “You know, you can talk to each other when I‟m not here. Just don‟t let it degrade into a yelling match, like it obviously was yesterday.” “That was bad,” Lily said. “It was my fault.” “We don‟t need to lay blame,” Matt said, lifting his hand to cut off Joe‟s words. “It‟s enough to know that the two of you want to work out your differences. That will make your family very happy.” “We‟ll work on it while I‟m still here.” Her father‟s head whipped toward her so fast she thought it would snap off. “You‟re still planning on leaving?” “Yes, father. I don‟t live here anymore. I‟m only visiting.” “Fine, fine, just go back to wherever.” He stood up and stormed out of the room. Lily stared after him, and then turned a confused gaze on Matt. “What was that all about?” “That, Lily, was a man who has missed his daughter, and who wants her to stick around for a while.” ***** Lily tightened the cinch on Chay‟s saddle. She was surprised that she still remembered how to saddle a horse, seeing as how it had been so long. Josh was saddling Buster for her father, and Chase was nowhere to be found. So much for going with them. Butterflies had taken up residence in Lily‟s stomach the minute they‟d driven to the barn. If something happened to her father, she would be blamed. She‟d tried one last time to talk him out of the ride. He‟d refused to listen, saying it was “high time he got off his kiester.” The morning‟s session with Matt played through her mind. Her father had missed her? You couldn‟t tell it from her end, that was for sure. He‟d never called, never written a letter, never offered to visit. Of course neither had she. She‟d stayed in her own little world, content that no one would be able to hurt her again. How wrong she had been. She was hurting others, and herself, by staying away. She knew that now. But she wasn‟t sure she was ready to move permanently back to the ranch. Where was Chase? At least with him along she‟d feel a little better. Sensing her discomfort, Chay threw back her head and whinnied. Lily patted her neck and assured her that everything was going to be fine. “I don‟t need a mounting post, Josh!” Her Father‟s voice rang out and she laughed. “Geeze, Louise, do I look like a child?” “Father, maybe it‟s a good idea with your cast and all,” Lily said. “It would keep the pressure off your bones.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Chase rode up. He dismounted his horse and nodded greetings at everyone. “Are we ready to have some fun?” He raised his eyebrows at Lily, who nodded and smiled. “Good. Joe, how about you? “If these two can quit telling me how to mount my own horse, I‟ll be fine.” “They‟re just trying to help, Joe.” “Don‟t need any damn help.” 34

Lily bit back a laugh as her father pushed away Josh‟s hand, and hoisted himself onto Buster‟s back. A huge smile lit his face and she grinned. She mounted her own horse, her behind tweaking a little bit as it came into contact with the saddle. As if sensing what she was feeling, Chase turned his head and raised his eyebrows. She shook her head at him, fighting the urge to give him her usual salute with her tongue. He walked over and patted Chay‟s neck. “How‟d it go this morning?” “We didn‟t kill each other, as you can see.” “Just once, give a straight answer.” “It went fine. He said he was sorry, I said the same thing. Everything‟s back to normal.” “Right. Two stubborn peas in a pod.” Lily opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his peas and he held up his finger. “Don‟t say it. Did you learn nothing last night?” “Yeah, that you‟re a jackass.” The minute the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. Sure, he‟d warmed her ass, but he‟d also held her close while she‟d cried, twice. She looked away from him and saw her father watching them intently. He cracked a little smile, then kicked Buster into action and headed for the field. Lily took off after him. Seconds later, Chase pulled up next to her. “You can keep trying to push me away, Lily, but I don‟t think it‟s going to work.” “Bullshit. I‟ll tell you what I told my father today. I‟m only here for a visit. I‟m going back to London before long.” Chase narrowed his eyes. “We‟ll see about that.” He took off at a run and caught up with her father. Lily lagged back, doubt nagging at the back of her mind. Her life in London wasn‟t that great. She had some friends, but nobody that she considered truly close to her. Here she had Saffron and Daisy, her newly discovered nephews and nieces and yes, even her father. And what about Chase? She‟d never, ever, allowed herself to fall in love with a man. She had a feeling that if she stayed too close to the handsome cowboy that was exactly what would happen. The idea had its pros and cons. One the one hand he was arrogant, demanding and just a little bit of a jerk. Hadn‟t he spanked her, several times already? On the other hand, he was handsome, and could be sweet, and caring. Lily shook her head. Nothing good could come from this. Sooner or later, she and her father would blow up at each other again, and she would have to leave. If she allowed herself to become too close to Chase, it would hurt horribly when she left. She would just have to cut the cord between them. Tonight. ***** Once she was back at the house, Lily quickly showered and changed into a dress. Dinner wasn‟t for several hours more, and she wanted to talk to Chase before then, to nip the feelings that she was developing for him in the bud. She would just tell him that the idea of them being together wasn‟t a good one. He couldn‟t stay in the house any longer, and she wouldn‟t allow him to spank her again, under any circumstances. She thought about the one he‟d given her last night. The first time he‟d spanked her she‟d been angry. So very angry that the only thing she‟d been able to think about was getting revenge. That hadn‟t worked out, though. Last night had been different. The feelings that he‟d invoked in her had scared her. Yesterday had been so emotional that she‟d welcomed the contact, even when he was slapping her ass. It had hurt, yes, but it had felt wonderful to cry, and then feel close to him afterwards as he held her in his arms. The fact that he hadn‟t made any sexual overtures toward her made her decision to cut off any chances of a personal relationship easier. 35

Last night hadn‟t been a sexual overture, had it? Yes, they‟d slept together, but it had been just that, sleep. There had been nothing sexual about it. Well, that wasn‟t entirely true. Lily smiled as she remembered the feel of his arousal against her backside as she‟d fallen asleep. She pursed her lips. Her backside that had been aching after he‟d spanked her, again. No way. No way am I starting a relationship with a man who thinks he has the right to swat my ass whenever he thinks it‟s needed. She straightened her shoulders as the sound of his truck approaching reached her ears. She heard him park and close the door. As she knew he would, he came to her house before going to his own. “Hi darling, I‟m home. Have a good day?” She smiled in spite of herself. Then she schooled her face and nodded. “Hum. I don‟t think I like that look.” “Listen, we need to talk about last night. I don‟t want you to think that just because you slept here that…” “That what, Lily? That we‟re a couple? That we have feelings for each other?” “Exactly.” “You‟re cold, you know that. I suppose it‟s to be expected, after everything with your dad, but you‟re cold.” “I am not cold, I‟m just being realistic. My life is not here, it‟s in England.” “Yeah? And it‟s so great that since you‟ve been here, you haven‟t called one soul. No one there is wondering where you are, are they? When you leave, I can guarantee that your Dad and your sisters, and yes, me, will wonder where you‟re at.” “That is so unfair.” “Is it? Sorry. But we‟ll play it your way. I‟m leaving now. I‟ll see you at dinner.” “Chase! Wait, you don‟t. I‟m not. Crap.” Lily sat down on the couch and dropped her head into her hands. She knew that this was better, that if she hadn‟t ended it before it had gone too far, that it would have been harder. But that didn‟t make it any easier to take. ***** Chase slammed his saddle down on the sawhorse and ran his fingers through his hair. Dinner last night had been very uncomfortable. Joe had been in a great mood, laughing and joking as if he couldn‟t sense the tension between Chase and Lily. And who couldn‟t sense it. It had been so thick you could cut it with a knife. He could tell by the way that she looked at him that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She was just afraid of opening herself up to someone. He halfway blamed Joe for that problem. Her fight with her father had shut down her ability to allow herself to care. After he hung up his reins, he put Jonah in his stall and gave him a quick brushing and rubdown before feeding him. The horse nickered in delight at the extra sweet feed that Chase threw in. “Take it easy, buddy and I‟ll see you tomorrow.” Chase shut the gate, wandered through the barn to make sure everything was as it should be, and then shut the outer door. Dinner was at seven, and it was now almost five. He had enough time to get home, shower, change and make it to the house. He knew that Lily had taken Joe into Austin that day for a doctor‟s appointment. If all went well, the casts should be removed. Chase knew that Joe was anxious to get back to work in the pastures. He couldn‟t blame him. But the removal of the casts brought up a different problem. Lily would want to leave almost as soon as she could, she had made that point clear. Joe wanted her to stay. Saffron and Daisy wanted her to stay. And Chase wanted her to stay. In one short week he‟d become attached to her. Last night he‟d tossed and turned knowing she was right next door, and that, the night before that, he‟d held her close as she slept. He‟d wiped her tears and listened to her breathing. He wanted her little blond head resting on a pillow next to him every night. 36

He wanted to see her beautiful eyes over coffee in the morning. And he wanted to tan her little bottom every time she needed it, which would be often, he was sure. He couldn‟t think of any better time to start than the present. He would go to the house and shower. By the time he was out, Lily would be back from Austin and he would talk with her about the fact that they belonged together. He wasn‟t going to let her go. ***** Chase‟s truck was already parked between their houses when Lily arrived home. The sight of it brought differing emotions into her body. On one hand she was glad that he was there, that she would see him that evening at dinner. On the other, it irritated her because it reminded her that he‟d given up so easily. That he‟d just said, “fine, let‟s not start it.” She hadn‟t expected that reaction from him. Part of her had hoped that he would fight for her. When he hadn‟t, it had reminded her that nothing good could come from relationships. Of course they hadn‟t really had a relationship. A few spankings and a night in each other‟s arms didn‟t constitute a commitment. It had felt like one, though. She went inside the house and carried her purchases from the day into the bedroom. It had been a good day. She and her father had not exchanged one single word that was hostile. They‟d talked about horses and the good reports that he‟d received from the doctor. They‟d eaten a fast food lunch at a park near the University and then he‟d gone shopping with her. She‟d been impressed that he‟d not once looked at his watch and said it was time to go. And, he‟d insisted on paying for some of her clothes. When she‟d pulled up in front of the house, he‟d actually smiled at her. The only disagreement of the day had been when she‟d taken the back roads to Austin. “It‟s just a patch of road, Lily.” “It just takes a little bit longer. We have plenty of time before your appointment.” “You can‟t be scared of it forever. I may not have been much of a father to you, but I would like to help you here. Next time we go to Austin, we‟re taking the main road.” She hadn‟t answered him. She‟d just driven on, ignoring his statement, even though she knew it was true. She had to drive that road at some point in time. Or she‟d have to if she stayed in Texas. Lily couldn‟t believe that thought had actually passed through her mind. Was she seriously thinking about staying at home? The thought had crossed her mind. It would be fun to get to know her nieces and nephews, and to get reacquainted with her sisters, although the three of them had talked on the phone during the years. Actually staying here might be something that could be fun. Maybe. There was a knock at the front door. It was pulled open just as quickly. Chase. It could only be Chase. She took a deep breath and moved to the living room. He was wearing tight jeans and a button down shirt that revealed a light smattering of chest hair. “Yes?” “I thought we‟d walk up to dinner together. Unless that falls under the heading of „no relationship‟ activity.” She shook her head. “You don‟t have to be pissy.” “Don‟t I? Do you think it hurts, just a little, to be rejected before the relationship even started? I think it sucks.” “I didn‟t reject you. I just said that there wasn‟t a future.” “Sounds like rejection to me.” He stepped toward the door and opened the screen. “Shall we go?” Lily moved toward him. He looked angry, and more than a little intimidating as he stood there. She brushed by his body as she moved out the door, stopping suddenly when he put his arm up to block her progress. “Just so you know. I‟ve decided that I‟m not going down without a fight.” “Excuse me?” 37

“I like you, Lily. Even though you think there‟s no future, I think you‟re wrong, and I plan on proving my point after dinner. Be prepared.” He moved his arm and Lily scooted by him. She turned and looked at him. He was smiling, and the look he gave her made her knees go weak. “I told you…” “I know what you told me, Lily. You don‟t want me in your life? Fine. You‟re going to have to prove it to me.” “What does that mean?” Chase stepped outside the door. He pulled Lily into his arms and kissed her, his mouth demanding and possessive. She pushed against his shoulder but he held her firmly. When his tongue pressed against her lips she sighed and opened for him, kissing him back with all the passion she could muster. He pulled back and cupped her face. “You‟re a liar, Lily. You want me as badly as I want you.” “Are you going to punish me for lying to you?” “I‟m going to spank your little ass. You won‟t be able to ride a horse for a week.” “I…” The phone rang inside the house. Lily jumped, then ran back inside. She picked it up and before she could say hello, her father‟s voice exploded in her ears. “Get up here, now. Daisy‟s gone into premature labor and they‟re taking her into Austin. We have to get there as quick as we can.”

38

Chapter Six “We‟ll take two cars, in case one of us needs to come back before the baby‟s born. Just follow me.” Chase ran toward his car and Lily pulled him back. “Take the farm to market road.” “Are you kidding me? That will put us in on the other side of Austin. We‟re in a hurry, here.” “Please, Chase. I don‟t want to…” Her voice drifted off and she looked at him with pleading eyes. Understanding dawned and he cocked his head at her. “Lily. Your Dad will be with you. It‟ll be fine.” As if hearing his name, her father came down the stairs of the porch, heading for the passenger seat of his car. “Let‟s go. Ty said every second counts. She‟s at the hospital right now and the doctor thinks she should be delivering in the next few hours.” Chase pulled Lily close and kissed her forehead. “You‟ll be fine. Relax.” Your dad will be with you. You‟ll be fine. Yeah? Well, my Mother was with me before, wasn‟t she? “Let‟s go,” her father yelled from the car. Mrs. Chisholm climbed into the back of the car and Lily crossed to the driver‟s side. Her palms were sweating and she felt as if the world had turned upside down. She put the key in the ignition and started the car. After pulling her seat belt across her, she looked at her Father. For the first time in years, she felt care and concern pour from him into her. “It‟s gonna be fine,” he said. “I told you today. It‟s just a stretch of road. Now let‟s go so we can get there before you sister makes me a grandfather again.” “Maybe you should drive.” “My cast is off, but the ankle‟s still sore. Getting on a horse is one thing, driving another. You‟re gonna do fine.” Lily took several deep breaths. This would be the first time she‟d driven over the accident location since she‟d been back. She wasn‟t looking forward to it, but knew that it had to happen. A cell phone rang and her father answered it. “Yeah, we‟re on our way. No kidding? How did they miss that? Yeah, we‟ll be there in about an hour.” “Miss what?” Lily drove through the gates of the ranch. Chase‟s truck waited on the other side. He waved at Lily and took off down the road. She tightened her grip on the wheel, moved in behind him and cut her eyes to her father. “Twins.” “What? They didn‟t realize that in this day and age? How can that be?” “Well, Daisy always said the doc was having trouble deciding what sex the baby was. I guess they were hiding, or taking turns posing for pictures.” Mrs. Chisholm burst into laughter. “Goodness gracious, that‟s fantastic” “That‟s great,” Lily said. “Saffron had twins. Daisy is having twins. I‟m never having any kids.” She nervously laughed as she drove. She fought to control her fear as her father and Mrs. Chisholm talked about babies, and how they were going to have to buy another crib, and get more baby clothes. 39

Lily‟s memories faded back to the day of the accident. She and her mother had been talking about nothing in particular, just shooting the breeze after a day of shopping. If Lily had been able to control the car when the tire blew, her mother would be here right now, witnessing the birth of her granddaughter. Lily took a deep breath as they turned onto the state highway that would take them into Austin. Chase was keeping his truck right at the speed limit, and Lily did the same. Her father must have noticed the death grip she had on the wheel, because he sighed and said, “Don‟t.” “Excuse me?” “Don‟t think about it. Just relax and let things happen. If it‟s one thing I‟ve learned in the last eleven years is that life‟s too short, Lily. I regret everyday you and I spent apart, and every mean, hateful thing I ever said to you. I hope you believe me.” “I do.” “It took me a long time to figure it out. I don‟t want you to have to wait that long.” Lily nodded. They were minutes away from where the accident had occurred. She‟d been driving from Austin to the ranch, so she‟d started in the opposite lane, but had ended up on the other side of the two-lane highway. When they crossed the exact spot, Lily expected to feel great fear. Instead, she felt calmness as her father reached over and gently patted her hand. Then he sat back on his side of the car. “I wonder if it will be one of each, or two boys, or two girls. They‟re going to have to think of new names. They‟d already come up with one for each sex, Dalton for a boy, Celia for a girl. Now, they‟ll have to come up with two more. I wonder how long it will take them to figure out names.” Lily laughed and shook her head. She wasn‟t sure what she had expected to happen, but her father had been right. It was just a stretch of highway, where something terrible had happened. She listened to her father and Mrs. Chisholm discuss baby names as she focused on Chase‟s truck. His words from earlier in the evening played on the edge of her nerves. “I don‟t plan on going down without a fight. You want me as badly as I want you.” He‟d been so right. She was scared out of her mind, but he‟d been right. And she planned to let him know that as soon as she could. ***** “Well, Daisy should be happy,” Saffron said as she patted the seat next to her. Lily sat down and cocked her head in confusion. “She didn‟t want to be pregnant during the heat of the summer, and she won‟t be.” “Have they said anything yet?” “No. They took her in for a C-section. Ty went with her. He looked really cute in his hospital scrubs. I hope he doesn‟t faint, though. He hates blood.” “So what, she just all the sudden went into labor? Did she have no warning?” “None. We were talking about you and…” Lily turned toward her sister. “Me and?” “Chase. We were trying to figure out a plan on how to get you two stranded together at the cabin near the lake. She said something about taking horses, and then boom, her water broke.” “Isn‟t that just great, my sisters teaming up on me.” Lily looked at Chase, who stood talking with her father. “Oh please, you could stand to get laid. And he‟s perfect for you. I hope you realize that.” “Are you saying this because you really think so, or because if we were together it would keep me here?” “Both.” Lily sighed and shook her head. “On another subject. How are things with you and dad?”

40

“Fine, actually. We talked, and today I actually felt close to him. It‟s kinda scary. And, instead of trying to fix me up with Chase, you should be figuring out a way to get father and Mrs. Chisholm to notice that they‟re in love with each other.” “I know,” Saffron said. “Pretty cool, huh? Daisy noticed it about a year ago. We can all work on that together.” “Maybe we should strand them at the cabin.” “Yeah, we could. But if we do anything without Daisy she‟ll throw a fit. By the time she‟s out of the hospital and able to plan things, you‟ll be back in London, won‟t you?” The disappointment in her sister‟s voice made Lily smile. It was nice to be wanted. “I don‟t know. I thought I might stick around for a while.” “Hey, I can go to London with you to pick up your stuff. I haven‟t been there in years. James can watch the kids.” “You just want a vacation from your rug rats. Plus, I never said I was moving back permanently.” Saffron frowned at her. “Those are my children you‟re talking about. But yes, you‟re right. I could use a little break. Pub crawling with my little sister sounds like fun.” “Yes, it does.” The sisters locked hands and smiled at each other. Seconds later, Ty came through the door with a huge grin on his face. “Two boys, handsome as all get out. Both are very small, only about four pounds each.” “How‟s Daisy?” Joe asked. “She‟s fine. You can see her in a bit. They‟ve taken the babies to the Neonatal ICU. You‟ll have to look at them behind glass for just a little bit. But they let me hold „em. So cute, so tiny. I just want to wrap them up and keep them in my arms for the rest of their lives.” Ty accepted hugs and handshakes. Lily watched her family and thought about how much she‟d missed, and how happy she was to be here for a happy moment. She could feel Chase‟s eyes on her. She turned toward him and smiled. The grin he gave her set her toes on fire. In the back of her mind, she wondered whether the two houses they lived in could be torn down and made into one. She shook her head to clear the thought. No need to put the cart before the horse. ***** Once her father and Mrs. Chisholm were settled in the house, Lily and Chase drove down to their houses in silence. Without being asked, or saying anything, he followed her inside. “Now, where were we? Six hours ago?” He laughed and pulled her close. “I think it was right here.” He brought his lips down on hers. Lily didn‟t push him away. She leaned into him and kissed him back. His hand stroked her hair as their gazes locked. “We still have to deal with the fact that you lied to me.” “I didn‟t lie. I was telling you the truth, or what I thought was the truth.” “Then you were lying to yourself. You felt the same thing that I did. You just didn‟t want to deal with it.” “You can‟t fault me for that.” “Oh yes I can. You tried to take yourself out of my line of sight. That‟s unacceptable.” “You know, you‟re awfully bossy. I‟ve been on my own for quite some time now, and I don‟t think I need you telling me what to do.” “I think you need me to keep you in line.” Lily raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me? If you think...” She jumped when Chase slapped her ass. “You need an attitude adjustment.” “Me? You‟re the one who thinks he‟s king of the world. There is nothing wrong with my attitude.” 41

“Oh, I beg to differ. You just need a little spanking to reinforce the fact that we belong together. Just a little adjustment.” Lily narrowed her eyes at Chase, then pushed away from him and ran for the bedroom. She tried to slam the door before he got there, but he was too quick. She headed for the bathroom with the same idea in mind, but he was right on her heels. He grabbed her around the waist and bent her over the counter. “Good thing you wore a skirt.” She fought him, half-heartedly. Her body pulsed with energy and desire as he pushed her panties down to bare her ass. Her caressed her behind gently and she closed her eyes. He slapped each cheek a few times and Lily bit back a moan of need. She wasn‟t sure which attitude he wanted her to have, but she knew that her mood right now was one of ultimate desire. He gave her a few more slaps, nothing harsh, then stopped. “This will remind you not to hide your feelings from me?” “OK. I‟ll remember that.” She jumped when something hard slapped down on her ass. She jerked her head back and watched Chase‟s hand go back, her wooden hairbrush clutched in his fist. “Now wait just a minute…” The brush came down, hard. Lily squealed and tried to get away, but Chase held her firm, moving her so that she partly over his thigh. The brush came down again and again, each stroke harder than the last. Lily counted at least ten before she yelled for him to “stop, damn it!” “You‟ll think of this the next time you try and push me away.” He continued to spank her and despite the pain, Lily felt warmth start to spread through her belly. He wanted her. He wanted her to stay, so did her father and sisters. The spanking continued but Lily didn‟t feel anger over it. She felt acceptance, and the desire to stay with Chase for the rest of her life. Several more smart smacks landed on her bottom. “Stop! I get the point.” “Are you sure?” He landed a few more swats. “I‟m sure! Chase! STOP!” Chase pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Lily. Lord help me, because you‟re a stubborn woman who can act like a little girl when she does things like letting the air out of tires. I love you.” “I, Chase, I…” “It‟s OK.” He stroked her cheek. “You‟ll be able to say it soon.” He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue dancing inside her mouth. “Make love to me.” Chase raised his eyebrows and grinned. “I thought you‟d never ask.” He gathered her in his arms and lifted her up, walking them toward the bed. He sat her down and gently undressed her, dropping kisses around her shoulders and arms as he did. Lily shivered as he kissed her. When he gently pushed her backwards and gave her an evil grin, she laughed. He undressed quickly and lay down beside her. She turned toward him as they gently caressed each other. “I feel wicked doing this here. It‟s hard to come to terms with being an adult while on my father‟s ranch.” “Weelll…” Chase pushed her backwards and climbed on top of her, he kissed her shoulders and breasts and then shook his head. “Well, what?” “Your Father told me yesterday that I needed to, and I quote, „get the lead out.‟” Lily gasped as Chase gently parted her legs and placed himself at her opening. “Are you serious?” She laughed, then gasped as he gently pushed inside. 42

“Very. I think he saw it before we did.” He set a gentle pace, locking their hands together on either side of her face. Lily wrapped her legs around him, grateful that she had come home to Texas, and that she‟d been welcomed in the most beautiful of ways. ***** The next morning, Lily sipped her coffee on the porch of the main house, then frowned at Chase. “You can‟t keep spanking me.” Her words were low and she frowned at him. “My ass hurts.” “Oh yeah? Think again, missy. That‟s part of my job description.” She laughed and buried her face in his chest. At that time, her father opened the door. She looked at him, and smiled. In return, he gave her a huge grin. “About time you two figured things out.” He sat down at the table and took a sip of coffee. Lily and Chase sat opposite him. Mrs. Chisholm appeared with food, setting it on the table and smiling shyly at Lily. “Why don‟t you join us, Mrs. Chisholm,” Lily said, raising her eyebrows. The older woman looked to Joe for confirmation. He winked at her and Lily ducked her head to hide a laugh. “All right. Let me finish bringing everything out.” Lily jumped up to help and soon the four of them were situated around the table, eating breakfast together like they‟d been doing it for years. They were in the middle of the meal when a truck pulled up and Stuart Watkins got out. “Stuart,” Lily said. “Did you bring Elsie?” “No, this is business.” He nodded and shook hands with Joe and Chase. “I got the tests back on those cattle that had been acting strange.” Lily stared at the vet. “And?” Joe‟s hands tightened on his coffee cup. “Locoweed.” “What?” Chase shook his head. “That‟s not possible. I haven‟t seen any.” “That doesn‟t mean that it‟s not out there. We need to do a sweep and get rid of it before any of your other head get into it.” Joe nodded. “Round everybody up, Chase. This needs to be top priority. I want it dug up at the roots so there‟s no chance of it coming back.” Lily stood and put down her napkin. “I‟m coming along.” “Absolutely not,” Chase said. “What, are you going to tell me this is men‟s work?” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Lily, a cow that‟s ingested locoweed can turn aggressive, downright dangerous. Leave it to the hands who are around it every day.” “No. I‟m not going to sit on my ass while y‟all go out. If you don‟t like it, you can lump it.” She headed down the steps and Chase grabbed her arm. “I‟m serious about this.” “So am I.” She pulled away from him and stepped closer. “I know we‟re lovers now, but I‟m still my own person.” “And I‟m still the foreman of this ranch.” She grinned and cocked her head toward her father, who had been talking with Stuart. “Daddy, I‟ll drive us to the barn in the cart. We can leave from there.” Her father nodded absently, then looked at his daughter, a big grin on his face. She realized, at the same time that he had, that she‟d called him daddy, and not father. She wondered for a few minutes where that had come from. Then she returned the smile and turned back toward Chase. 43

“Don‟t think I‟m going to ignore this, Lily. You and the hairbrush may have an appointment later tonight.” Lily stuck her tongue out at him and moved toward the cart. She may be falling in love with Chase, but there was no way she was going to allow him to run her life completely. She was her own woman, and she planned to stay that way. ***** Lily reigned in her horse and pointed toward a gathering of trees near the pond. “There. Purple thorny flowers. That‟s it.” She headed Chay toward the area, her father and Chase close behind. Chase jumped off his horse and walked amongst the plants. “Yup. Locoweed. Shit, where did it come from?” He looked around and shook his head. Lily dismounted and stood next to him. “Maybe the wind blew in some seeds last year.” Her father rode up and Buster danced around. “I‟m riding back up to the house. We can get a backhoe in here to dig all this up. Then, we‟ll get someone out here to spray.” Without waiting for an answer he took off. “He‟s a lot better,” Chase said. “It‟s good to see him being active again.” Lily nodded and walked toward her horse. “You, young lady, are in major trouble.” “Oh please? What do you expect me to do, sit home and do nothing? I‟m not that kinda girl, Chase. Get used to it.” “I don‟t expect you to do ranch work. We have workers that we pay to do this.” “Yeah, well if they were so good they would have caught this before the cows got into it.” A movement from the trees caught their attention. They both turned to watch a cow wander out of the trees. “Shit.” Chase mounted Jonah and pointed at Lily. “Stay here. Let me handle this.” The cow bent to eat from the weed patch, and Lily knew that it had already been feasting on the flowers. Chase rode toward it and she ran and mounted Chay. She watched Chase pull out a short whip and smack it in the air. Jonah didn‟t react, but the cow, startled by the noise, nervously backed away from its treat. The large animal turned his head toward Chase, then bolted for the horse. Chase cut toward the animal‟s left, and Lily took off for its right, surprised that she remembered the things her father had taught her about herding cattle. “Lily! Go back!” She ignored Chase‟s demand and cut in back of the cow, intending to move it back toward the main pasture. The cow, however, decided that it liked the area it was in. It turned its bulk back toward Lily. Chay, not trained as a cattle horse like Jonah, shied away from the animal and began to nervously prance around. “Lily! Back off!” Chase moved toward the cow. When he was within a few feet, he sent the whip flying through the air again, the cracking sound resounding through the trees. This time the cow got the message. It took off toward the main pasture. At the same time Chay, frightened by the cow and the noise, reared back and dumped Lily from her back. Chay took off behind the cow and Lily landed on the ground, the harsh landing knocking the breath from her lungs. She gasped for air, vaguely aware of Chase yelling her name and jumping off Jonah to run to her side. “Stay down, stay down!” He gently pushed her back when she tried to stand. Then he ran his hands up and down her legs, checking for broken bones. “The only thing hurt is my pride,” Lily said as he helped her up. She rubbed her backside and grimaced. “Well, maybe a little bit more than that. I haven‟t been thrown from a horse since I was thirteen years old. This really sucks.” 44

“I told you to let me handle it.” “So spank me.” “I will. Later.” He turned at the sound of horses. Her father and Stuart were headed toward them, with her father leading Chay Lily hung her head sheepishly when her father tossed Chay‟s reins to her. “I believe this belongs to you,” he said with a grin. “Do we need to get you a pony to relearn how to ride on?” Lily quickly remounted the horse, who danced nervously, then turned her head toward Lily as if apology. She patted Chay‟s neck and shook her head. “The cow?” Chase said. “Did you see him, or is he heading back this way?” “Josh got him,” Stuart said. “He‟ll isolate him so we can watch him. Meanwhile the other hands are searching other areas to make sure there‟s no more.” Chase nodded in agreement. They all split up and searched the surrounding area, finding no more trace of the weed. When they were back together, Josh rode up. “Nothing else was found,” he said. “But the guy with the equipment says he can‟t get here until tomorrow to dig it up. “Fine,” Chase said. “I‟ll camp out here tonight to make sure no cattle get into the stuff again. Lily can stay with me. She‟ll love it.” She cocked her head toward him and said, “oh, I will?” “Oh, you will,” Chase answered. “A night under the stars will be fun.” And her father laughed. ***** Lily threw a few large sticks on the fire and turned toward Chase. He was stretched out on a heavy blanket, propped up on his elbows. He looked delicious and she could feel herself salivate at the idea of cozying up to him in the sleeping bag. “How‟s your behind?” There was a grin on his face. She rubbed her hip area. “It‟s more around here. I‟m OK, though.” “That‟s good. I‟ll just remember to spank low.” “Excuse me? You‟re going to punish me for falling off a horse?” “No, Lily, I‟m going to punish you for the reasons for falling off that horse. I told you to stay back. You didn‟t listen to me.” “I‟ve been around cattle all my life.” “Have you? When was the last time you saw a cow near Big Ben?” Lily bit her lip. He was right, she knew that. But she didn‟t want him to be right. “So you‟re going to spank me to show me you‟re the boss?” “I am in this, Lily. You could have been seriously hurt this afternoon.” From the darkness near the trees, Chay whinnied as if in agreement. Lily laughed. “OK, so you were right. How will that do for a punishment? I hate admitting that I‟m wrong.” Chase shook his head. “Nice try. If you‟re a good girl, and take your punishment, it won‟t be that hard.” “So if I‟m in a relationship with you, I can expect to be spanked for every little thing?” “Today wasn‟t a little thing, Lily. What would have happened if the cow charged Chay? A cow on locoweed is very unpredictable, you know that. The cow charges Chay, you fall off, the cow tramples you.” Lily didn‟t answer. His words rang true, even though she didn‟t want to admit it. “So I tell you what. You take off your jeans and panties and lie down next to me.” He patted the blanket. “I‟ll give you a few swats, to reinforce my words.” “Chase…” “I‟m serious, Lily.” 45

Lily considered her options. She could turn and run. Chase would take off after her and catch her, she knew that. Or she could take the spanking. Was there something wrong with her that made the latter part of those options the more enticing? She undid her jeans and slid out of them. She put her hands in the elastic of her panties and started to lower them. He looked calm as he studied her. He stopped and studied him back. “You‟re not going to use the whip or anything like that?” “No, Lily. Just my hand. Or maybe I should use my belt? Would that get my point across?” To underlie his words, he undid the clasp and pulled the leather away from his jeans. “No belt.” “Lie down.” “No belt.” “Now.” “NO BELT!” “Now, you‟re just making it worse.” He stood up. He moved quickly for a man his size. Lily backed up, and made a grab for her jeans. Taking a spanking with his hand was one thing. Taking one with a belt was something totally different. Chase was on her before she could pull her pants back on. He angled them toward the blanket were he sat down and pulled her down over his lap. “Maybe I should use the truck. That would remind you of the first time that I spanked you.” He slapped her ass a few times, then pulled her panties down and slapped it some more. Lily giggled and wiggled. He‟d just been teasing her about the… The leather slapped against her ass and she yelled out. Chay whinnied in response and Chase landed another swat against her ass. “That hurts! Stop that!” Five more swats landed. Lily wiggled down his lap. Chase pulled her back, then captured her legs in between his scissor fashion. “Chase! Stop it!” She beat her fists against the pillow as Chase landed several more swats. Lily screamed out in frustration and then suddenly, after Chase had delivered two swats to each side that stung worse than all the rest, he stopped and pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Lily. Don‟t ever, ever, do something like this afternoon again. If you want to work the range with us, fine. We‟ll find you a proper horse and you can do it. But remember, on the range I‟m the boss.” “Yeah, and you‟re the boss at home, too?” “Yes.” “So, I‟m just the peon?” He kissed her gently. “I love you.” “Yeah, well I hate you!” Chase cocked his head, a grin on his lips. Lily wrinkled her nose at him. She lifted her eyes to his. “OK, I may love you, but I don‟t like you.” “Fine. I can live with that.” He kissed her and pulled her close to his chest. “And there are ways to adjust that attitude.”

The End

46

Blushing Books hopes you enjoyed these spicy, romantic spanking novels. We have lots of other erotic novels and novellas available and new stories are constantly and continuing to be published on our online store: www.blushingbooks.com Come and sign up for our free newsletter and be the first to be informed of stories such as the one you’ve just enjoyed!

47