Free Jackie Draws a Straight by Patricia Green

pass. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anythin ' ."
    Pete frowned at her for a moment, but soon put all his attention on getting them down the gravel road and onto the highway. When he spoke, Jackie could hear the irritation in his voice.
    "I don't appreciate being contradicted , Jackie."
    "I know. It won't happen again."
    "You should know better."
    "Yes, sir. It's just that I've known Lavinia Stumps since I was a little girl. I went to school with her daughter, Prissy. She's a nice lady and she was gettin' upset. I wanted her to feel better about thin ' s."
    " Here's the thing, Jackie… I knew she was getting upset, but I was intentionally trying to impress upon her the seriousness of her condition. She's been neglecting the treatment Dr. Ford and I recommended to her and that neglect could kill her. There were ample opportunities for her to ask questions about my instructions, and she was doing that when you interrupted with your nonsense about doing the parts she could live with."
    Jackie had been an irresponsible dolt. "I know. I'm sorry."
    Pete glared at her for a moment before turning back to the road. "I don't know now if she'll actually do what I told her to do."
    Knowing Lavinia, she'd be more likely to take Jackie's advice rather than th e advice of a doctor she wasn't yet familiar with. "I can check on her in a day or two."
    "Maybe you should."
    "Yes, sir. I'll do that." A thought occurred to her. It was risky, but maybe it could get things moving in a direction she wanted to go with Pete. "Are you going to punish me?"
    "Punish you?" He considered that for a minute. " Are you telling me you'll be behaving that way again if I don't do something else?"
    A little jolt of both fear and excitement shot through Jackie's abdomen. "I might forget."
    Pete's eyes went to hers, but she couldn't read the look he gave her. She dropped her gaze and stared at her knotted hands in her lap.
    "What do you suggest, Miss Journey?"
    Now or never. "You could spank me again."
    "It hasn't worked up to this point," he said wryly.
    "I'm not makin ' the same mistakes over again. I'm not late to work. I haven't cheated you at cards."
    "We haven't played cards again."
    True, but that wasn't where she wanted to go with this conversation. "I think I've learned better behavior every time you spanked me."
    " What game are you playing at, Jackie?"
    "There's no game." And that was true enough. For Jackie, it was serious as a heart attack.
    They rode in silence for half an hour. She could see that he was thinking over her suggestion. He didn't turn on the radio. Usually, he liked to pick a country station and sing along. His voice was one of Jackie's favorite things about him. He could sing into the lower registers with ease, and the deep, mellow vocalizations and surprisingly well done harmonies made her insides catch fire.
    Ten minutes away from the office, he spoke. "Alright."
    Cymbals clashed in her head. "You'll spank me?"
    Pete's jaw clenched and released, clenched and released. It was obvious that he was torn, but she didn't relent or back down. "Yes."
    "I promise I'll learn the lesson." It was hard to keep the excitement out of her voice, but she succeeded.
    "You'd better. This is becoming a habit."
    "I'm sorry."
    He gave her a warning look. "You will be, if you're not now."
    The promise of further intimacy with Pete warred with trepidation about the pain that would be inflicted on her tender behind. She kept her own counsel until they got back to the office.
    After they put their supplies away , Pete voiced a concern. "Is your father going to be worried if you're home a little later than usual?"
    "How late?"
    He shrugged. "Probably not very. How long does a spanking take, after all?"
    Lots of cuddling afterward took time. "I'll call and tell him I'm workin ' late."
    "I don't like the lie, Jackie."
    "It's not really a lie. I'm here at the office. You're goin ' to work with me on somethin' work-related—my attitude. My Daddy will be