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The Sheriff’s Daughter
The stranger bothered her almost as much as Jason Kincaid did. He was a large man with searching dark eyes that never seemed to rest. Also there was something about the set of his jaw reminded her of her father and that determined way he had. It was a cinch that the stranger, whoever he was, was here for Kincaid. But the question was, was he another hired gun looking to cash in or had he come for a showdown?
Kathy sighed and unconsciously tugged at an unruly blonde lock. Damn, her father would have known at a glance, he could smell wrongdoing at 100 miles. That thought brought back uncomfortable memories and past confrontations.
“But Pa I am a woman grown now, I am way too old for a spanking,” she had wailed just a year before.
Her father had regarded her with sad eyes and a firm set of his jaw.
“Kathy, as long as I am your father you will never be too old for a good sound spanking,” he had replied.
It wasn’t as if he had ever cut her some slack when confronted with wrongdoing. She had tried and failed with that line since she had graduated school, but it was always worth another try. But it had ended in the traditional way.
One moment she had been backing away protesting and the next she was upended across his lap with her gingham skirts getting bunched up into the small of her back.
“Please Pa,” she had whined as he tugged at the drawstring on her bloomers.
“Hush now, what kind of spanking would it be if I didn’t bare your bottom?” His voice had been warm and firm with a slight chuckle at its edges as if he didn’t quite take her protestations of being a woman grown seriously. “And if you don’t stop wriggling I’ll send you out back to cut a switch.”
It was a threat often followed through and even almost a year after her father’s death Kathy blushed to her ears. She remembered how in former times she had been made to go into the yard with her skirts pinned to the small of her back while she trimmed a switch or two from the hickory that grew there. More than once a passer-by had seen her and laughed, Kathy could have died.
That last time she had submitted quickly as Pa had bared her bottom. She had been a kid again as he tapped her naked hiney twice as a prelude to spanking her. His hand stung worse than any hairbrush or razor strop and within a half a dozen swats across her behind she was yelling up a storm past caring who might hear her. Hear her they did of course, they always did. It was a small town and the sheriff’s house was in Main Street just down from his office. Everyone knew when Kathy Earhart was getting a spanking.
A sound spanking from Pa always took an age and she was beyond merely sorry long, long minutes before he even thought about stopping. Then with her very red and very bare bottom still on display she had to stand in the corner of the parlour with her behind directed at the front door. The man who kept the towns justice was not ashamed to let the world know he knew how to keep the peace in his own home so many a time a neighbourly busybody would call shortly after Kathy had been spanked, an especially mortifying experience when the neighbour had a son or daughter in tow.
It might have been a shame from which Kathy would never had recovered but the young folk and most especially the grown-up daughters of the town were mostly handled the same and teasing had never lasted beyond a day or two.
A tear rolled down Kathy’s face as she remembered almost fondly such rough handling and would suffer any amount of spanking if she could have had Pa back. But enough of that, she thought returning to the present. Jason Kincaid was up to something and now she had this stranger. With her father dead the job had fallen to her.
“But being sheriff ain’t no job for a woman,” the mayor had protested.
Kathy had agreed but she noticed that Jedidiah Smith, the mayor and storekeeper, was in no hurry to step up himself or find a replacement. Nor had they needed one until Jason Kincaid had come to town.
Kathy reached into the folds of her dark grey skirt for the reassuring weight of her father’s pistol. These days her attire was more sombre and rugged, a vague attempt to be taken seriously. Then pulling down the brim of her mannish hat she made her way to the saloon and the stranger.
*
Jack Stone re-crossed his boots and shifted back in the chair on the porch where he had been seen sun-up. So far there had been no sign of Jason Kincaid, or anyone much. It was almost as if the good people of Mauston knew what was coming down.
In fact the only people he had seen were the preacher, who had crossed the dirt track street to avoid him, the storekeeper that doubled for mayor who had asked him his business in town and small young woman in dark clothing and an overlarge hat who had watched him.
She might have been pretty he thought, but not a smile had touched her face since he had seen her and she had hung around outside the sheriff’s office watching him. Maybe she was after the law as well, but Jack had tried first thing and to his certain knowledge no one had come or gone from the jail since then.
The one thing that did hold his attention about the girl was that she was packing. From the way she kept checking and rechecking her piece she was none too comfortable with firearms either. If she had ill intent towards him then that made it all the more dangerous as amateurs were apt to spook easily. For the longest time he considered approaching her, but she was probably skittish enough. No if she had business with him then let her make her move first. And so it had proved. After an hour or so the girl seemed to make-up her mind about something and started in towards him.
“Hey mister, what you doing here in town?” she blurted.
Jack’s eyes narrowed at her rudeness. Didn’t she know to talk more respectful to her elders? Well he was at least a decade her senior he figured so it was just about his due by now.
“Right now I am just setting ma’am,” he replied with a tip of his hat.
“You know damn well what I mean,” Kathy countered.
Jack’s eyes narrowed and he was genuinely shocked at her cussing.
“What business of yours might that be ma’am?” Jack asked in an even tone.
Kathy reached into her pocket and pulled out her father’s badge. She felt a fraud wearing it, but it was the only authority she had.
Jack saw the badge and sat up straight. He was still studying it when Jason Kincaid chose that moment to ride in.
“Excuse me ma’am,” Jack told Kathy, but his eyes had already dismissed her as they followed the rather dour hard-looking man on the horse.
Kathy too was watching Jason and her hand tickled at the handle of her pistol under her skirts.
“You have business with Jason Kincaid?” she asked.
“You might say that ma’am,” Jack muttered.
As he spoke Jack slowly got to his feet and adjusted his own pistol belt. Then before Kathy could speak further he said, “You know where the sheriff is ma’am?”
Kathy looked up at the man who was as broad as an oak as he stood more than head and shoulders taller than her. But there was something else, where his jacket fell open he saw that he carried a badge of his own, one bearing the legend US Marshall.
“My father is dead,” she said woodenly, “I am just about the only law around here at the moment.”
Jack turned and for the first time gave Kathy an appraising look.
“No offence ma’am but… well let’s just say Jason Kincaid is no lightweight maybe you should leave him to me,” Jack said with an easy smile.
Kathy frowned, that was just about typical of the condescending attitude she had come to expect from men. It didn’t matter that she had been hoping and praying for a proper lawman to come to town or that this one hadn’t said very much except the truth.
“This is my town and you will follow my lead,” she shot back her pistol now levelled.
She wasn’t entirely sure if the pistol was for this Marshall or Jason Kincaid and the long barrel hovered uncertainly in space.
“Put that away unless you mean to use it,” Jack said sternly.
There was an edge to his voice and Kathy couldn’t again help but be reminded of her father. Before she could say another word Jack turned and heading across the street to where Kincaid was tethering his horse.
“Just one minute you,” Kathy snarled at Jack’s back, and then seeing he didn’t turn hurried after him. “Hold up.”
If Jason Kincaid hadn’t been aware of them by then he was now and before Jack and Kathy had crossed the street he was standing arms akimbo on the opposite planked sidewalk watching their approach.
“You looking for me?” Kincaid yelled over.
Jack stopped but was immediately assaulted by Kathy running into his back and then staggering backwards to fall hard on her tail.
“Ow,” she squealed, “Look out you oaf.”
Instinctively Jack half turned to offer her a hand up a short sudden movement that hung in time and space, which as soon as he made it he knew his mistake. At that same moment Kincaid saw the flash of sun on Jack’s partially exposed badge and his hand slid to his gun.
Look out, Kathy thought and tried to shout, but all that left her throat was a scream.
It was less than half a second since Kathy had crashed into Jack but Kincaid’s pistol had already cleared his holster. His first shot whistled past Jack’s head as he ducked down behind the hitching rail. It was scant cover from a six-gun but this time it served as a shot from Jack blasted a chunk out of the wood between him and the bullet.
Somehow Kathy’s own pistol was still in her hand and a stray shot discharged into the ground. Jack tried to ignore it but the distraction made his second shot miss too.
Jason Kincaid hesitated. He know had two targets and for the longest quarter of a second his barrel hovered between Jack and Kathy. For the Marshall this time it was enough. Kincaid never heard the shot that smashed into his chest, he didn’t even know he had been shot until he hit the deck and could no longer grip his pistol.
“Damn,” he s
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aid in a resigned voice, the last word he ever said.
“Are you alright ma’am?” Jack asked a rather shocked Kathy as he helped her from the ground.
“No thanks to you,” she replied huffily as she gained her feet and dusted herself off.
Jack frowned.
“No thanks… you almost got us both killed,” he growled.
“I almost… well I like that…” Kathy rounded on him, but a sudden nausea got the better of her and she averted her eyes from the prone body of the late Jason Kincaid.
“What authority do you have here exactly?” Jack barked squaring up to the now white faced girl as she rocked unsteadily in the street.
There were others now and the mayor, Jedidiah Smith, emerged brandishing a shot gun.
“Someone call Doc Hollister,” he yelled authoritatively.
“He’s beyond a doctor now,” Jack said.
Jedidiah nodded sagely and then noticed Kathy’s demeanour.
“She don’t look too good,” he murmured, “Best if you take her home, I’ll set things a right here Marshall.”
Remembering the exchange Jack swung around to confront the brat who had almost done for him and then saw for the first time the way of things. He took one step forward and swept the girl into his arms.
“Unhand me,” she muttered, but with no conviction.
*
“I guess I am not cut out for law enforcement,” Kathy said ruefully as she brought out a coffee pot and set it on the table in front of Jack.
“I guess you’re not,” he agreed, “What would your Pa have said you toting a firearm like that?”
“Not a hell of a lot,” Kathy replied archly, “But he would have done plenty.”
Jack’s jaw tightened at her swearing, the second time he had heard it from her that day.
“Does that go for the cussing too?” he said dryly.
“I guess,” Kathy sighed. “I kinda miss his firm hand these days.”
“He spanked you?”
Kathy blushed and gave Jack a small nod.
Well you go cussing around me, or go packing a gun for that matter and I’ll show you what a firm hand can be,” Jack said menacingly, “I’ll spank that bare bottom of yours until it is the colour of a polished apple.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Kathy said defiantly setting her hands on hips, adding “You damn well wouldn’t dare.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed and he slowly got to his feet.
“You know, you did nearly get us both killed and by rights I owe you something for that. On top of that we have the small problem of your foul mouth,” he growled.
“Oh no, y-you… you wouldn’t…”Kathy said backing away.
“You said it yourself, it is something you have been needing,” he sighed as he worked the buttons at his cuff and began rolling up his sleeves.
“Not from you,” Kathy blustered.
“Well in the absence of your Pa I am the law around here now,” Jack said.
From long custom and training Kathy yielded somewhat as the Marshall took her arm and pulled her too him. Her tottering heels on the rug resisted for only a moment before she was tumbled headlong across Jack’s lap as he sat back on the kitchen chair.
“Marshall… you can’t, you just can’t,” Kathy wailed. But her eyes were already saucers and her mouth formed a shocked O as one by one her skirts and petticoats were flipped up into the small of her back.
There was a long appreciative pause as Jack gazed upon the tight cotton drum of Kathy’s bottom and then he asked, “Did your Pa take these down?”
A flushed Kathy rolled her eyes back like a wild colt and tried to twist from the Marshall’s lap.
“You wouldn’t?” she wailed.
“I will if your Pa did,” Jack said sharply, “Did he?”
“No,” Kathy lied sullenly, but her voice carried no conviction.
Jack chuckled. “And what did he do when you lied?” he asked.
Kathy blushed furiously and thought of the hickory out back and the customary shameful display.
“Answer me,” Jack demanded, “and I strongly suggest you don’t tell me another lie.”
“He’d have me cut a switch,” she mumbled.
“What was that?” Jack pressed her.
Kathy clamped her mouth shut and defiantly prepared for an onslaught to her behind.
“I bet the mayor knows, or one of your neighbours?” Jack offered.
“You heard what I said,” Kathy replied somewhat sharply.
“Switched you, did he? On the bare bottom?” the Marshall asked.
“Yes,” Kathy hissed through gritted teeth.
“And when spanking you?” he pressed her.
“Yes,” she said again, this time with rather less vehemence and a whole heap more nervousness.
Jack tugged at the draw string of Kathy’s bloomers and despite a sudden animated bucking on her part her drawers soon went south.
“You can’t do this to me,” she shrieked.
But she soon found that he could as the first mighty swat landed on her bare bottom.
“Ooh,” she squealed and kicked her legs.
Outside the mayor and two or three others looked up. They were surprised to hear pistol shots coming from the Sherriff’s house, but after a moment they were grinning as they realised the true nature of the sound. In any case, by way of conformation the sharp retorts were soon followed by Kathy’s lively hollering.
“I guess the Marshall is dispensing some more justice,” the mayor chuckled.
Meanwhile inside the spanking lasted a good 10 minutes until the globes of Kathy’s bottom were bright red and mottled and earnest tears were streaming down her face. The spanks fell in rapid earnest blasts covered her thoroughly rounds like a cannonade beginning at the top of her cheeks and rapidly descending until they beat down where her bottom met her thigh tops before repeating the action.
“Are you going to be a good girl?” Jack asked her not missing a spank.
“Yes Sir,” Kathy sobbed, she took comfort now that this was how her Pa had handled things and that this was how she had always responded.
“Good girl,” Jack sighed setting the crying woman on her feet. “Now I am guessing you have somewhere to go for a spell?”
Kathy nodded miserably and looking at the floor she pointed to the corner. It was exactly where Pa always sent her.
“Off you go then and no rubbing hear, I want to see that shiny red bottom of yours as it cools off,” he said sternly.
“Yes Sir,” Kathy sniffed.
Then without a word she took careful steps to the corner and put her nose tight to the wall.
“You move before I tell you and I’ll have you cut that switch,” Jack warned.
“Yes Sir,” Kathy said hastily and hiked up her skirts in back as her Pa had always made her.
It took less than 10 minutes for the mayor to come looking for him and he didn’t even bother to feign surprise at Kathy’s predicament.
“Just like old times,” Jedidiah chuckled.
Kathy sucked down a sob and shifted in the corner as she prayed that the floor would swallow her down. For a moment her face felt hotter even than her bottom.
“I’ll meet you at the jail as soon as I am done here,” Jack said disapprovingly.
The mayor glanced at Kathy’s exposed bottom and nodded, but he left only slowly.
Jack poured another coffee while Kathy recomposed herself and then took out his watch. He guessed another 30 or 40 minutes would be enough.
“Marshall,” Kathy said shyly from the corner.
“Yes,” Jack acknowledged.
“You sticking around in town long? I mean we need… the town I mean… we need some law,” she asked tentatively.
“Aren’t you afraid I might take you in hand again?” Jack chuckled.
“I guess I’ll risk it,” Kathy said ruefully.
“So long as you know I deal out justice with an even hand,” Jack said slowly, his tongue pressing against his cheek.
“I felt that about you,” Kathy said tartly as she risked an appraising glance back at him.
Jack winked and made a gesture with his finger that told her to turn back around. “You’ll feel it even more if you don’t mind me,” he said.
“Yes Sir,” Kathy sighed.
【The End】
From "DJB stories"
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