Fetching Charlotte Rose (10 page)

His hand moved up from her thigh and patted her bottom. “Wrong answer, darlin’.”

She moaned and grasped the cushion of the sofa with her free hand, suspecting that he would make her pay for that remark. She was right. He resumed the swats to the sound of her corresponding yelps of protest. Her tears fell freely and soon she was sobbing and kicking, no longer concerned with modesty. Her crying didn’t move Max and he continued on, peppering every inch of her bottom and upper thighs with stinging swats.

His unrelenting punishment finally pushed her to the state of mind she’d felt before, the place where her pride and outrage turned to vulnerability and the need to be comforted. “M-Max,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I was too proud to admit my mistake to you. I will do better in the future.”

Those were the right words said in the right tone. Max’s hand finally settled. “All right then, sweetheart.” He rubbed her back and murmured, “Stubborn, stubborn girl. Yeah?”

Charlotte sniffled and nodded.

“If ever there was a woman who needed a good spanking every once in a while, it would be you, honey.” He rubbed her burning backside, soothing it with his touch while his words soothed her feelings.

Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to agree with him, so she apologized instead. “I’m sorry I said you were a brute.”

“You’re forgiven. I reckon it’s nicer than thief or ruffian, in any case.”

“Will you hold me?” she asked in a small voice.

“Of course. Come here, honey.” He gathered her right side up on his lap and held her close. He kissed her forehead, both wet cheeks, and her pouting lips. “That just about wrecked me, you asking that. I will always hold you, for as long as you need, whenever you need it.”

Sitting on Max’s lap with a sore bottom gave her a feeling of contentedness like nothing else. She marveled over how loved she felt in that moment. It felt so much better than holding onto her pride and suffering her mistakes alone. Max punished her, but he also supported and loved her.

Max confirmed the way he felt when his lips brushed her ear with a kiss and he whispered, “I hope you know I love you, Charlotte Rose.”

Charlotte gave him a watery-eyed smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew without a doubt that he did, and she returned the sentiment.

Chapter Nine: What Simon Wants

Max and Charlotte walked hand in hand to the shop. Max had offered to hook up his horse and buggy for the journey to town because of Charlotte’s scraped feet, but she walked a few paces in his cabin and determined she would be fine. Upon arriving at the shop, they found Tim shaping metal hangers for the seamstress. He looked forlorn sitting alone in the corner of the room.

Max walked to Tim and tousled his hair. “Let’s the three of us have a chinwag, scamp. We’re going to work out this nasty business.”

Tim’s eyes took on a glimmer of hope upon hearing Max’s lighthearted tone. He set his work down and brushed aside the light hair draping his eyes.

Max positioned chairs next to where Tim sat on his bench, and he and Charlotte each took a seat. “Three things I want to say to you, Tim, before we get to the less pleasant conversation about Simon. One is, I understand why you didn’t want to tell me about your troubles, but you must understand that something like this shouldn’t be kept secret from me.”

Tim nodded slowly. “I understand that now, Max.”

“Good. Second, I didn’t express before how proud I am that you were offered a scholarship. The way I see it, you’re as rare as a blue horse. I reckon you’re the only lad I know who’s good at book-learning
and
working with his hands.”

Tim’s face lit up. He beamed at Max and looked at Charlotte, who was smiling as well.

“Third,” Max continued in a mock serious tone. “You need a haircut.”

Tim brushed away more hair from his face and smiled. “Yeah, I reckon I do.”

Max winked and then cleared his throat. “All right, now that the important stuff is out of the way, we need to discuss what to do about Simon.”

Charlotte explained to Tim her suspicion that Simon tried to break into the schoolhouse and then pursued her with ill intent.

Tim’s eyes widened and he addressed Max after hearing her story. “This is what I was afraid of. Simon will take it out on other people if I don’t do his bidding. I should go away and let him have the money.”

Max shook his head. “That’s out of the question. By doing so, you’d be playing part in a crime. You could go to jail for something like that, especially if Simon manages to pin the theft on you.”

Tim responded with frustration. “So I should go against Simon and stay, even if my staying is a danger to you and Miss Rose? You don’t know my father like I do, Max. He doesn’t suffer losing without making others suffer worse.”

Max frowned. “He’s only one man, Tim. One man doesn’t get to have control over three people’s lives. Now I know we don’t have proof of his plan, but I say we report this to the marshal. He might know what to do about it.”

Tim took in a sharp breath. “He’ll kill me, Max. I know he’ll kill me or you if he finds out we took this to the law. He as good as said that to me already.”

Charlotte reached out and touched his hand. “No, Tim. Max is right. We need to tell the marshal. If Simon comes for you, Max or the marshal will protect you.”

“I can protect myself,” he said sullenly.

Charlotte removed her hand, sorry she had offended the boy.

Max said, “We’re all going to protect each other.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I have an important question for you, Tim. And I want you to think about it and not answer right away. All right?”

That got Tim’s attention. His eyes snapped back to Max’s face. “Sure.”

“Would you be interested in going to college on that scholarship, if there was a way to get Simon out of the picture?”

Tim looked surprised. “I don’t know. I just assumed you wouldn’t want me to go, so I haven’t really thought on it.”

“That’s not the case, Tim. I want whatever you want. That scholarship is kind of a big deal. It might be foolish to pass it up. Am I right, Charlie?”

She nodded. “Colleges don’t give out scholarships to people unless they have real talent, Tim.”

Max added, “You could always come back and work with me after college if you really wanted to. It wouldn’t be goodbye either way.”

Tim scratched his head. “I dunno. I guess I need to think about it more before giving you an answer.”

Max nodded once. “Good lad. In the meantime, let’s go have a chat with the marshal.”

* * *

Marshal Davis listened with a neutral expression and without interrupting while Tim described the planned theft. The marshal sat behind his wooden desk, and the three of them sat across from him. When Tim finished speaking, the marshal leaned forward, rested his elbows on the desk, and folded his hands in front of him.

“I’ll tell you what I can and can’t do,” he said, focusing his attention on Tim. “I’m sorry to say I can’t arrest him, since we don’t have evidence. What I can do is send an official telegram as well as a more detailed letter of explanation to the college to let them know of your knowledge of the planned theft.”

“That’s a good idea,” Max said. “Surely a college wouldn’t give the man money after hearing about his character from a lawman. That should just about solve the problem when it comes to misuse of funds, don’t you think?”

“Just about. If Tim wants to go to college, I’ll suggest they transfer the funds to you, Max.” The marshal leaned back in his chair and scowled. “I’m more concerned about the threats of violence Simon has made. I plan to speak with him about that and use some threats of my own.”

Charlotte spoke for the first time since saying hello when she entered the jailhouse. “Marshal, I suspect he tried to harm me already.”

The marshal’s expression was not as neutral as she related what happened at the schoolhouse after being evicted. His scowl became more pronounced the longer she spoke. Max’s jaw clenched as he listened to the story being told for the third time.

“That’s more than a little disturbing,” the marshal said. “Where do you plan to stay now, Miss Rose? You can’t stay at the schoolhouse.”

“She’ll stay with me,” Max asserted with finality.

Charlotte looked over at him. “That wouldn’t be proper, Max. What would people think, me staying at your place without us being married?”

Max waved his hand in her direction dismissively. “I’ll marry you then, Charlie.”

Charlotte scowled. “Maxwell Harrison,” she said, rising to her feet. “That was the worst marriage proposal in the history of proposals.”

Max got a sheepish look on his face. The marshal laughed and continued laughing for some time. “I’m sorry,” he said, still laughing.

“Why’s that so funny, marshal?” Charlotte asked, staring at him.

The marshal eventually sobered enough to speak. “Ah, well. Let’s just say my wife might disagree about that being the worst proposal, Miss Rose. She didn’t exactly get the bent-knee proposal she might have wanted. My knee was bent all right, but she was over it when I asked.”

Tim and Max snickered, and Charlotte’s face turned a shade of pink. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain then,” she said wryly, and sat back down. “What is it with you men out here? Is there a woman in Arizona without a sore backside?”

The marshal laughed again, and Max reached for her hand. “What do you say, darlin’? Fancy me for a husband?”

Charlotte huffed and frowned at him, but her frown transformed into a smile as she looked into his twinkling eyes. “I admit the prospect of marrying you is not entirely displeasing to me.”

Max laughed and kissed her hand. “If mine was the worst proposal, then that was the worst answer to one.”

The marshal grinned. “Bet you’re glad I didn’t ask you to join the posse, eh, Max? I think the errand of fetching Miss Rose worked well in your favor.”

“Yes,” Max agreed. “I reckon it’s the greatest thing I ever fetched.” He squeezed Charlotte’s hand before releasing it. “I’ll remind you that I do know how to shoot a gun, though, marshal. I’ll be wearing one these days, now that I know what kind of threat we’re facing with Simon.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” the marshal admitted, standing. “I hope to ensure it doesn’t come to that, though.” He crossed the room, removed his gun belt from where it hung, and buckled it around his hips. “I’ll start by having a conversation with Simon Evans. Hopefully that’s all it’ll take.”

* * *

The wedding ceremony was short and sweet, just like their courtship. Charlotte wore her pink taffeta dress, the same dress she wore when she first met Max, which brought a grin to his face.

That night, he laid his wife on the bed and said, “Now I get to take off this pretty gown and spend some time looking at what’s underneath.”

She sighed as he slowly unbuttoned the front of her dress. Before he removed it entirely, he glided a hand under her shift to touch her breasts. Charlotte’s breath hitched as he massaged and flicked a nipple with his thumb.

“More than a handful, just like you,” he murmured, and bent to enclose her lips in a kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her, and his kisses became deeper and more sensual as his hands roamed her body. Her tongue played with his until he released her from his kiss long enough to peel the layers of clothes off her body. When her naked form stretched out in all of its raw beauty on the bed, he continued his ministrations. She let out a soft moan when he kissed her lightly along the collarbone. Her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. He smiled and collected her wrists in his left hand, then placed them high above her head on the bed.

Charlotte looked at him in a haze of desire. “I want to touch you. Please,” she begged.

He kissed her again while still holding her wrists above her head, then peppered her with kisses along her chin to her neck. “Where would you like to touch me, my love?” he asked huskily against her neck. “Here?” He laid his right hand on her breast.

“Mm hmm.” She nodded and arched into his touch.

“How about here?” he asked, raking his fingertips down her soft torso.

She mewled her answer. “Yes, Max.”

“And here too?” He released her hands and wrapped both of his around her delicate waist.

“I want to touch you everywhere,” she said eagerly.

“Mmm,” he intoned. “That sounds nice, darlin’.” Max moved his hand to between her legs. Her eyes met his and widened as he teased his fingers along her wet slit and circled her nub of nerves. Pinching and flicking, he took her nearly to the height of pleasure before he removed his hand, causing her to whimper. He worked out the buttons on his shirt and shrugged the material off, while she watched his every movement. Unbuttoning his trousers, he watched her gaze travel south to his erection, which he exposed when he shucked off the pants.

Her almond-shaped eyes rounded and she stared at him unabashedly. He chuckled, took her hand, and pulled her into a seated position. She sat on the edge of the bed and held her palms against his chest. As her hands moved to his abs, she asked, “Does it feel as good when I touch you as it does when you touch me?”

“Yes, darlin’, I’d wager so.” Max’s head tilted back when both of her small, soft hands wrapped around his cock. A few moments later, his eyes snapped back to her face. She grinned at him.

“What are you doing?”

“Playing,” she said, and rubbed the side of his rock-hard cock against her cheek. “It’s strange. It feels really hard but the skin is so soft.”

He groaned and allowed her to play with him until he couldn’t take it any longer, which was the moment she slapped his cock against her cheek. He gathered her arms, lifted her, and positioned her on her back on the bed. “My turn to play,” he grunted. His body slid over hers, grazing her breasts and tummy. With his knee, he guided her legs apart and then pressed the head of his cock against her entrance. He listened to her small gasps as he slid into her tight warmth slowly until he reached the barrier inside of her, where he paused.