Free Peppermint Sticks for Susie by Joannie Kay Page A

soon."
    When he turned off the road Jennifer looked at him as if he'd taken leave of his senses. "Are you crazy, Alex?! I cannot believe you brought me back here! We don't belong here!"
    "Kieran O'Malley invited us back, honey. You heard him as well as I did. I don't think he is going to object to my cutting a switch and striping your lovely backside. Besides, I really like this ranch. It's a great place, and with a good cleaning and some paint, the house and buildings will be useable. I am thinking of buying it for us," he revealed.
    "What? Oh no! Alex, please be serious! You--"
    "Hush." He cut her off. I know I'm thinking ahead and you aren't ready to hear this yet, but I want you to know that I'm truthfully checking out the place. I'm not trespassing, either. I have permission from the Sheriff."
    "Oh my!"
    All too soon, he reached a spot where he could park the buggy. Jennifer shook her head 'no' when he held out his hand to help her down. She crossed her arms over her chest, not about to climb off the buggy. Alex's answer was to pull her off the seat and put her over his shoulder to carry her to a tree in the front yard. He reached into his pocket to get out a knife and then he eased the pouting Jennifer to the ground to stand in front of him. "Here is my knife, Jenny. You pick the switch, cut it, and then peel it. Just remember... this is a punishment. I will not be amused if you cut a twig that will snap with one swipe, and I won't be happy if you pick something that would scar you. The longer it takes you to find and prepare a switch is how long the switching will last. So, I would work quickly if I were you."
    Jennifer wanted to stomp her foot and refuse, but she didn't want a long switching. She looked for just the right switch, preferably one that wouldn't hurt too much! It was awful to have to choose, but she did, and she peeled it so quickly that Alex warned her to slow down before she sliced a finger open. She simply did not want the switching to last very long.
    "That was fast," he told her, approval shining in his eyes. Let's go inside and straight into the kitchen. You can take up your skirts and remove your drawers and bend over the table."
    "Bare...!" She gasped.
    "It wouldn't work if I left your drawers on. You are going to get a true switching, and that means bare. No more fussing, Jennifer, or you'll start earning extras. You don't want that, now do you?"
    "No. I don't want the original switching, either!"
    Alex chuckled, but then said, "Do what you can to make it easy for yourself, Jenny. Do as you are told." He took her hand and pulled her inside, and right out into the kitchen. He immediately saw that the chairs had been moved again, and as far as he was concerned he had confirmation that the rustlers were using the ranch to move the stolen cattle and split up the money. "I think you should take off your shawl, Jenny. It would only be in the way."
    Jennifer did as he asked. There was no breeze inside the house and she did not need it. When he told her to pull up her skirts she wanted to have a fit, but he'd made it so clear that she would regret arguing with him. She slowly pulled up her skirt and her petticoats, and all she was left with was her drawers. "Please, Alex. We aren't married; I'm too embarrassed to remove my undergarment. Please don't ask me to do that. I don't think I can."
    "You can, Jenny, and you will. It will go easier on you if you do it yourself, but if I have to pull down your drawers, I will give you twenty-five extras on your sit spots for putting me to the trouble. Now, what is it going to be?" he demanded, hands on his hips as he looked down at her.

     

Chapter Six

    Jennifer looked down at the floor in dismay. She did not feel that the ultimatum that Alex issued her was very fair. She was not the kind of woman who took her virtue lightly and what he was insisting she do was inappropriate. In fact, she did not feel she deserved a punishment at all! "Alex, why are you being so