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  He watched her face, and had a guess as to what she might be thinking about. He smiled, as well. "Come on, honey, explain to your rock solid husband why this isn't what it looks like and convince me you haven't earned yourself your first spanking for being up on your ankle."

  She instantly frowned at him. "What do you mean my first spanking?"

  "Well, my dear wife, since this apparently is exactly what it looks like and you have indeed earned a spanking for it, I doubt it will be the only one. You have two weeks, and you haven't even made it one full day. Be honest with me. Do you honestly think you'll make it through the next two weeks without earning at least one more?"

  She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of giving in that quickly, and certainly wasn't going to answer that question. She puffed her chest out a bit and answered his prior question instead. "I didn't have anything to do and was bored. I can't just sit here all afternoon alone with nothing to do. I decided to try reading a little bit, so I called out for Maria. She didn't come in, so I assume she's probably out doing laundry. So I really had no other choice. I was being very careful not to put any weight on that ankle, so as you can see, I did nothing wrong."

  Cade laughed. It wasn't just a little chuckle; it was a full out laugh, which irritated Elsie immensely. When he saw how much it upset her, he patted her hand. "I'm sorry, honey, but you're adorable. I've been thinking about you all afternoon, so I decided to come in and check on you, assure myself you're all right. You're right; Maria is outside doing laundry. I talked to her a minute before I came in. She said she's been coming in to check on you every fifteen minutes, and you've been sleeping all afternoon. I was happy to hear that. She said it was about time to check on you again, so I told her I'd do it. So I came in, and there you were, standing up, making your way precariously back to the couch with a book."

  "Well, I was bored."

  "I believe that, but I know you haven't been bored all afternoon. Maria has been checking on you regularly so that when you woke up, she could sit and visit with you some, and then make sure you have something to entertain you, like a book or some needle work."

  "Oh." She dropped her head a bit, and Cade thought for a moment she looked a bit like she was sorry. But then her head came back up and her shoulders squared again. "Well, I didn't know she was checking regularly, and I couldn't stand the thought of just sitting here all afternoon."

  Cade's serious expression appeared, and he could tell she noticed it by the way she started squirming. "Elsie, think about that. Do you really think Maria would have stayed outside for hours without coming in here to check on you?"

  Her shoulders slumped now as if in defeat. "No, not when you put it that way. I didn't think of it that way, though, and I was bored."

  "I believe that, too, honey, but you need to stop and think things through. If you would have thought about it, you should have realized Maria would not let you alone that long. Therefore, if you would have just waited a few more minutes, she would have come in."

  "I'm sorry."

  "So am I, but let's get this first one over with and behind you."

  "But Cade, if you do that, it's going to be hard for me to lie on the couch all afternoon and evening."

  "Yes, it will," he agreed. "It will be a good reminder for you. Maybe the next time you decide to get up and get something for yourself, it will remind you to rethink that plan." Without any further hesitation, he carefully picked her up and laid her over his lap, with her sore ankle resting on the couch, and her upper body on the couch on the other side of him. He reached over and put a pillow under her ankle. "Is that comfortable for your ankle?"

  She turned her head around to stare at him. "You're concerned about my throbbing ankle being comfortable while you purposely smack my butt until it's throbbing?"

  "Of course I'm concerned about your throbbing ankle. I don't like the fact that it hurts one little bit."

  "But you're not concerned that my butt will hurt twice as much as my ankle?"

  "Nope. That hurt could easily have been avoided, but you asked for it." With that, he pushed her skirts up onto her back, and untied the cute pink ribbon on her pantaloons. She gasped and reached around to try to hold them in place, but he caught her hand and held it at her side. Rather than simply separating them, he pulled them down so they were out of his way, and started the spanking, keeping a close eye on her ankle. After ten or twelve good swats he started talking, reminding her what the doctor said about her ankle and how to help it heal.

  He wasn't sure his words were having much of an effect on her, so he tried something different. "Elsie, you need to learn to listen to me when I'm telling you something for your safety. I told you to stay off your ankle because the doctor said that would help your ankle heal. Working with animals can be dangerous, so you have to listen when I tell you things to keep you safe. If you can't, I may have to rethink letting you work with them."

  "But you said—"

  "I said exactly this same thing. I said you have to listen to me, and if you don't, you'll be spanked. But I can't keep letting it happen. Animals can be big, and even if they like you, big animals can hurt you if you don't listen to what I'm telling you and heed the warning."

  He definitely had her attention now, and she was obviously concerned. "But please be patient with me. Don't just say I can't work with them any more."

  "I will be as patient as I can be, honey, but I can't let you keep doing unsafe things around the animals. That's why these next two weeks should be a good opportunity for you to learn that you have to listen to me." He stopped the spanking a few moments to let his words sink in.

  He started the spanking again, as he continued talking to her. "Get it in your head that I'm trying to protect you, and that you have to listen to what I'm saying, starting with staying off your ankle. You can expect another spanking anytime I see or find out you've been on your feet again. I'm not doing this to be mean, but for your own good. In this case, hopefully it will not only help your ankle heal faster, but the spankings will also serve as a way to help you learn your lesson and start listening to me before you get back with the animals."

  He'd been spanking fairly hard, and when she slumped over his knees, he knew it was time to quit. It hadn't been a long spanking, and certainly wasn't one of the harshest he'd given her, but the swats hadn't been love taps, either. He knew she was going to have to be sitting or lying on it all evening, and that wouldn't be easy. He rubbed her back as she calmed her breathing, then carefully picked her up so she was sitting on his lap again. She nestled her head in against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

  "I'm sorry, Cade."

  "I know you are, honey," he whispered in her ear. "And I know you're used to taking care of yourself, and not used to listening to what other people tell you. That's why I don't stop you from doing many of the things you do, which most wives don't. I wouldn't have taught you how to ride and let you go riding alone now if I didn't know you could handle a gun efficiently. And I wouldn't let you and Maria go visiting neighbors alone like I do if I didn't know how well you can handle a horse and buggy, along with being able to handle a gun."

  "Thank you."

  "I thought of another thing you might like to do around the ranch, but it's up to you."

  Her eyes lit up. "Really? What?"

  "You said you rather enjoyed when your father let you keep the books for the store."

  "I did."

  "Would you like to help me keep the books for the ranch?"

  "You would let me do that?"

  "Of course I would." He used his finger to lift her chin so she was looking at him. "Honey, I want this ranch to feel like home to you and I want you to be happy here. Like I said before, I know working in the house, doing things most wives do isn't something you're particularly fond of, so I've been trying to find things you would like to do. I have one other idea, as well, if you're interested in hearing it?"

  "Of course I am."

  "Would you l
ike to feed the chickens every morning and gather the eggs?"

  "I'd love to," she enthused.

  "I have one of the hands doing that now, but there's plenty of work to do at the barn in the mornings, so if you want to start taking on that task, I'll put him on something else. It would actually help us out."

  "Then that's another reason I want to do it," she enthused. "Can you teach me tomorrow?"

  He frowned down at her. "I can teach you tomorrow if you want, and then we can come in and I'll give you your spanking for being on your feet again." He had to try not to chuckle as he watched her eyes grow. "Or we can wait until Doc Wallace says you can use your ankle again, whichever you'd prefer."

  "I think I'd prefer to wait."

  "I thought you might. I'd prefer to do it that way, too." He gave her a meaningful kiss, and then guided her head back to lean against his chest again. He held her while they talked a little and she continued to calm, but mostly they simply enjoyed the closeness they always shared after a spanking.

  "As much as I hate to, I really do need to get back to work," he said eventually. "Before I do, though, let me make sure you have everything you want. Do you need to visit the necessary room?"

  Fifteen minutes later he had her resting on the couch, with her book. She was doing a lot of squirming, trying to find a comfortable position, but having a difficult time. He grinned down at her. "Having a hard time settling? I hope you really enjoy that book, considering what it cost you. But in case you don't, would you like me to get you another book before I leave?"

  She felt her face flush, but she nodded. "I would appreciate that."

  He went to the bookshelves in that same room and read off a few titles until he found one she wanted. He pulled a table over closer to the couch and set the book on it before sitting down on the side of the couch, next to her. "I love you, wife, but behave yourself this afternoon and stay off your ankle." He leaned down and gave her another kiss before going back out to work.

  Maria came in not too long after Cade left. Her face was flushed, and she looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry I wasn't in here when you woke up," she said.

  Elsie chuckled. "I take it you know what happened," she said, "but it wasn't your fault. It was totally mine. Cade's right; I should have known you would be in before long. I've never had much patience, and I really do need to work on that."

  Maria's face flushed again, but she nodded. "Since you're now Cade's wife, that might be a good thing to work on." The two shared a laugh, and then visited until Maria had to go to the kitchen to finish supper.

  Cade ate supper in the living room with Elsie again. After they ate, he asked if she wanted to look at the books he kept for the ranch. She eagerly agreed, and they spent the evening going over them and making sure she understood what he'd been doing. He admitted he was behind with them, and showed her the stack of items he hadn't added in yet. They were both happy that she'd have something to work on tomorrow. Maybe she could make it through one full day of a sore ankle, without earning a spanking.

  The next day he carried her downstairs again, and let her eat breakfast with them, with her injured ankle propped up on another chair. He then moved her to the couch again and moved the table even closer to the couch so she could work on the books. He loved seeing the enthusiasm on her face as she started her project. If she could keep the books for him, he was more than willing to relinquish the task. It would free him up to spend more time out at the barn, which is where he preferred to be. The fact that she enjoyed performing the task he considered a gift.

  She had a couple questions for him when he came in for dinner. He answered them, and looked over what she'd been doing. She'd gotten quite a bit done, and not only was it done as he would have done it; her writing was very neat. It was easy to read. Most of all, though, he liked hearing how much she enjoyed it.

  "This is one of the things I missed most after letting Harold and Loretta take over the store. I'm so glad you're letting me do some of it again. Thank you, Cade."

  "I'm glad you enjoy it, and honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I want you involved in this ranch as much as you want to be. I want us to work together on it as a team."

  After dinner, he got her settled back in and made sure she had everything she'd need before going back out to work. She worked on the books more in the afternoon, and she and Maria did some needlework together while visiting part of the afternoon.

  As Cade was heading to the house he saw a rider coming up the lane, so he waited to greet them. When he recognized him, he waved. "Good evening, Sheriff."

  "Evening, Cade. You hadn't been in any this week, and I mentioned to Doc Wallace I hoped I saw you the next time you were in. He told me you might not be in for a few days because Miss Elsie hurt her ankle, so I thought I'd come out here. How is she doing?"

  "Her ankle is sprained. It's sore, but the hardest part is staying off it. That's proving to be the hardest part for all of us."

  The sheriff had to laugh a little. "I'm not surprised. Miss Elsie was always working in the store or making deliveries for her father. She isn't used to sitting down."

  "That is true. Sitting is not something she's used to. Now, I doubt you came clear out here just to ask how my wife is doing. Do you have some news for me?"

  "I do."

  "Good. Thank you for coming out to tell me. What's the news?"

  "I did like we talked about, and I went to visit Ralph and Theodore Wilson. As a matter of fact, I went to see them twice."

  "Twice? Did you come up with anything interesting?"

  "Something interesting and something confusing. The last couple of years I hadn't seen Ralph very often, but every now and then he would be at the store. But I hadn't seen him outside of the store anywhere. Now the last several months I haven't even seen him at the store at all. I found out that's because he's been ill."

  "Something serious?"

  "They didn't say what it is; just that he's been ill. He looks awfully thin and pale. But it's what I found out on the second trip that's confusing. I went to their home to visit the first time, saying I was concerned about Ralph since I hadn't seen him. Theodore answered the door, and he invited me in to see Ralph. When I found out he'd been ill, I wished him the best. I thought about that, and then I talked to Doc Wallace about him to see how long he'd been sick."

  "And?"

  "Doc Wallace hasn't treated him."

  "What? If he's been ill, has anyone been treating him?"

  "I don't know. Doc said he hadn't seen him out and about, either, but he had no idea he'd been ill. He was surprised. He was going to go see him, offer his services. He wondered if maybe the store hadn't been doing as well as we assumed it was doing, and money was an issue. He said Ralph was always a very proud man, so he may not have gone to see him if he didn't have the money to pay him."

  "I don't think that was the case. Do you? Maybe he didn't want people around here knowing he was sick, so he went to see a doctor in another town."

  The sheriff looked at him several moments, and Cade could tell something he said meant something to the sheriff. "What did I say? What are you thinking?"

  The sheriff ran his hand through his hair. "I hadn't thought of that. Now I need to think it through a little more."

  "Think what through?"

  "After I found out Doc didn't know he'd been ill, I wanted to talk to them again, try and find out a little more. Maybe they were having money issues. If so, that would be a reason to start that rumor, and possibly even to kill Henry and Velma. So I went back to see them again, but I had to come up with a reason for being there so they wouldn't suspect I was looking into what they were doing. I thought I'd ask if there was anything I could do to help them. I said as the sheriff I could send a telegram if they wanted to let any family members know he'd been ill."

  "That was good thinking. What did you find out; are they having money issues?"

  "I have no idea. Ralph wasn't there."

  "Where was
he?"

  "He was visiting a friend in another town."

  "He's ill, but traveling alone to another town?"

  "That's what I thought was so odd."

  "Did he go by stagecoach, going to stay a few days?"

  "No. Theodore said he rode out this morning and would be back by tonight. I told Theodore what I was there for, and he thanked me, but said they'd sent letters to their family back east. I told him if there was anything I could do to help to let me know, and he assured me he would, and thanked me."

  "So do you think he was seeing a doctor at a town close by, or do you think he was really visiting a friend?"

  "I don't know. I never even thought of him seeing a doctor in a nearby town, but you could be right. Now I'm not sure what to make of it. I'll have to do some more thinking."

  "I'll give it some thought, too. It is odd that he hasn't seen Doc Wallace if he's been sick. But it's also strange that he would go visit a friend if he's ill. If he's seeing a doctor in a nearby town, I would think Theodore would go with him, even if he had to get someone to watch the store for a day."

  "You're right. They have a friend of theirs who's watched the store on occasion if they both go somewhere. If he's sick, you would think his son would want to help him get to the doctor and hear what the doctor had to say." He shook his head. "I'll give it some more thought."

  "It's definitely something to think about. Why don't you come in and join us for supper? Maria always has plenty."

  "I hate to interrupt your meal, but I would like to go give Miss Elsie my best wishes."

  "Come on in and eat. Maria will be hurt if you don't."