One Week Later
Before Joe Pantera left Lake Shimwah, Beau had arranged for him to meet both Geoff, the architect, and Daniel from the city, up at Nickie’s half-built house. Beau discovered Joe was astute and educated when it came to construction, and agreed to keep him in the loop as the house progressed.
“I appreciate it,” Joe said. “I’ll do my best not to step on my daughter’s toes.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Beau assured him. “If you have an idea I want to hear it, and she will too, I can promise you.”
“I believe you. I’m not sure why but I do,” Joe grinned.
Gina spent several days at the ranch, Beau refusing to let her leave, and when Nickie recovered she’d insisted on taking care of Gina while Beau returned to the business of the ranch, and arranging for the work to start on the house.
It had been two days since Gina had returned to her own home; Beau and Nickie had just finished breakfast when Beau reached across the table for her hand.
“Things are gettin’ back to normal,” he smiled, “and my crew will be at your house in just a couple of days.”
“I know, I can’t believe it,” she smiled. “I can’t wait. I love the changes, and do you really think it will be finished by the end of summer?”
“Yep, maybe even before, but we have some unfinished business.”
The glint in his smoky-blue eyes sent her butterflies springing to life, and she squeezed his hand as she stared back at him.
“Um…you mean what happened, me driving up to Flat Top?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” he said sternly.
“I explained all that. I told you I didn’t have my phone, and I was terrified Gerald was going to come into the barn.”
“I understand what you told me, but we both know you panicked. You could have bolted the door, there was no other way for him to get in, and if you felt you absolutely had to run you could have driven over to Jeb and Ben’s cabin. You also knew that Tyler and George were on their way.”
“No, I didn’t, I didn’t know if they were coming,” she protested. “I thought maybe Gerald had done something to prevent them from getting here, I mean, anything could have happened.”
“Didn’t Gina tell you how perilous it was to go up to Flat Top? Didn’t she warn you?”
“Kind of,” Nickie sighed realizing she was losing the battle.
“Didn’t she make it absolutely clear you shouldn’t drive on to the flat pad once you were already at the top of the road?”
“Kind of,” she repeated quietly.
“And didn’t I tell you that you were never, ever, to go up there during a heavy wind?”
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“You’re like a hot little mare, Nickie, you have a flight instinct. You have to learn to control yourself so you don’t take action before thinkin’ things through, or lose your temper at the slightest provocation, or jump to conclusions,” he scolded.
“I know, you’re right.”
“You didn’t just put yourself in danger, you put Gina in danger as well, and speakin’ of Gina in danger, she told me how you dragged her away from the car.”
“She did?”
“She did, and that was incredibly brave and heroic, and I’m real proud of you, but that doesn’t mean-”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t have something to say about the other stuff,” she mumbled.
“Yep, that’s right.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“We’re goin’ back up to Flat Top right now. It’s time I went up there to see just how bad it is, and see where your car ended up. We need to have it towed out.”
“I’m really curious to see it myself, but that’s not all we’re going to do, is it?”
“Nope. I’m gonna punish you, Nickie.”
“But what about all the extenuating circumstances?”
“I’ll be takin’ those into account, and I don’t need to repeat everythin’ I just said, do I?”
“No,” she sighed.
“Go on upstairs and change into a skirt and flat shoes, then meet me in the garage.”
“Okay.”
“That should be, Yes, Sir.”
“Yes, Sir,” she repeated, feeling the flush across her face and the fresh wave of churning in her stomach.
“Go on then, go get changed.”
He watched her rise from the table, and as she moved up the stairs he cleared the dishes, loaded them in the dishwasher, then headed out to the garage. By the time she returned he’d stowed the necessary supplies in the truck and was waiting behind the wheel.
“Is this okay?” she asked as she climbed in.
He stared at the simple white pleated skirt and lemon shirt and nodded.
“It’s perfect. You know I’m gonna spank you.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You don’t have any doubt that you deserve it, right?”
“I guess not,” she groaned. “I shouldn’t have taken off, I should have listened to Gina, I should have kept my phone on me, I should have done a bunch of things differently.”
“There you go. If you’re not sure it’s deserved, then we’d need to have to a serious talk. No sense punishin’ you if you don’t know why you’re bein’ punished,” he finished.
Starting up the truck he backed it out of the garage and drove towards the dirt road, and as they passed the barn and turned up the hill evidence of the tumult began to appear.
“It feels weird going up here,” she remarked, “and look at all the branches and stuff. My gosh, they’re everywhere. Will we be able to make it all the way up?”
“Jeb and Ben cleared the road when they did the area around the house and barn,” he replied, “so you can imagine what it was like before they got up here. When I brought you and Gina back down I didn’t know if we were even gonna make it home. It was one of the worst Devil Winds I’ve ever seen.”
She gazed out at the calm lake below, the sun sparkling off the water, and the people enjoying the day as they walked the lakefront path.
“It’s hard to believe how violent it was,” she said quietly. “It’s so beautiful now.”
They approached the top of the hill, and as he moved over the crest on to the pad he let out a low whistle.
“I have never seen it like this,” he declared staring at the mess. “Not ever, and look, isn’t that a door off your Lexus?”
“Fu…sorry…holy crap, it is.”
“Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be alive?” he said grimly, turning around and locking her eyes.
“I do,” she whispered. “There were times I didn’t think I’d make it out, but seeing this, it truly was a miracle.”
“Yep, it was a miracle, and miracles don’t happen very often, so I’m gonna make sure we don’t need another one.”
The butterflies began a polka as he slowly navigated his way through the debris, driving across the pad towards the trees. As they drew closer the carnage increased, and they saw her car on its side smashed against one of the larger pines.
“Oh, my, gosh,” Nickie breathed.
“You could’ve been in that car if Gina hadn’t made you jump out,” he said gravely, and pulling the truck to a stop he turned off the engine.
“I looked up at one point and saw it being blown over here,” she muttered.
Stepping out, he reached behind his seat and retrieved a sleeping bag and some rope.
“Come on, Nickie, outta the truck.”
Climbing down on to the grass she followed him to a tree, and though filled with curiosity as he flapped open the bag, she didn’t ask any questions.
“Hold this up against the tree up at head level, press your body and face against it, then wrap your arms around the trunk.”
She gazed at a him, the penny dropping.
Oh, shit, he’s using the bag to protect me from any scrapes from the rough bark. He’s going to tie me around that tree.
“Quickly,” he said sharply.
Stepping over the strewn branches she did as he instructed, and once in position he tied her wrists together; with her face to the side she had an unobstructed view of the pandemonium.
“I’m gonna spank your butt as you look at the chaos,” he said sternly. “I hope, bein’ punished in the place that could have cost you your life, and Gina’s too, will make the point very clear.”
“It’s already very clear,” she lamented.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Now it will be even clearer, won’t it, Nickie?”
“Yes, Sir,” she groaned.
“Keep your eyes open, and think about that as I tan your butt.”
His words sent her pulse racing, and when she felt him unzip her skirt and it dropped to the ground, her heart skipped a beat, and her fluttering butterflies turned into flapping sparrows. Moments later his fingers slipped into the waistband of her panties, and she cringed as he slid them down her legs.
“Don’t try to step out of them,” he directed, “leave them around your ankles.”
“Yes, Sir,” she whimpered, and holding her breath she waited anxiously for the first slap, but he was not so predictable.
“Now,” he said sternly, walking around to face her, “you’re gonna to stay there for a few minutes and truly consider what you did. You’re gonna think about the entire episode, the choices you made, what you could have and should have done differently. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Where are you going? You’re not leaving me here?”
“I’ll be in my truck, and of course I wouldn’t leave you,” he frowned. “You do as I say. Think, Nickie. You spend too much time reactin’, and not enough time thinkin’.”
She watched him amble across to his truck and climb inside, and as felt the exposure of her vulnerable, naked backside waiting for its punishment, she stared out across the havoc created by the winds.
You’re right, Beau, I was a total idiot, and I deserve whatever you have in store for me.