The Reindeer Express

Here is a new little story that Logan and I put together. Hope it helps put you in the holiday mood! Enjoy!

The Reindeer Express

By Stardawn Cabot and Logan Tyler

Eowyn quickly ran a brush through her long ebony locks before giving herself a once-over in the mirror.  The years and harsh winters hadn’t been as kind to her as she would have liked, but she wasn’t bad for her 43 years on this earth either.  Giving herself a small smile her blue eyes twinkled in the early morning light, she then bounded down the stairs of her not-so-humble, wooden cabin towards the quiet chatter in her kitchen. 

The group of about a dozen men and women, each dressed in jeans, boots, and heavy flannel were going back and forth each doing their part in making breakfast while talking among themselves. The strong smell of coffee and bacon welcomed her as did a quiet chorus of “Morning, Boss, Good morning, Eowyn” and heads nodding greeted her.

“Good to see everyone up and going bright and early this morning. I just got some news.” Eowyn took her oversized travel mug and poured hot black liquid into it while she talked. “Montana Rail called to let me know there was a D-4 avalanche in Coyote Pass right after the Reindeer Express came through this morning.” 

Everyone in the kitchen stilled and looked at her. A D-4 avalanche was bad. On a scale from D-0 to D-5, a D-4 is about as bad as it gets. Enough to destroy buildings, crush cars, kill people, and make the pass unusable for the foreseeable future. 

“Just to be clear, I know Christmas is in two days. If you want off the ranch anytime soon, especially for the holiday, you need to be on the train when it gets here this afternoon.” Eowyn looked over her cup at the group giving each other looks. 

“Was anyone hurt?” Jonathan pipped up. “We can take some equipment out there to dig.”

“Not as far as we know, and there’s no one missing. The train just missed it. It’ll make the normal stop at Traveler’s Bend before dropping supplies here and letting people off for our tour and such.” 

Eowyn paused as the group collectively nodded and slowly went back to what they were doing. After a moment though, Jonathan asked, “Boss, it could be a month or more before someone can make it through. Do you need more people to stay? You planned five days without the full team here.” 

Eowyn smiled at the redhead. “No, we will be okay. You know they are low maintenance this time of year. No birthing or moving them really. Just feed and clean. And without the public train coming through here that takes off half the work. Jess will be here for any vet needs. Tuk is here to help me with the feedings and cleaning.  And Green over there. Well, he will be here to keep us entertained. I know the rest of you have holiday plans and deserve the break.” 

The group chuckled and Green’s ears turned red and he pulled his hat low over his eyes. 

“Now enough to chat. Let’s eat! I’m starving and we have work to do before needing to meet the train.” 

“Yes ma’am!” Green chirped from the opposite side of the room causing Eowyn’s eyebrow to go up in the young one’s direction. A random hand came from nowhere and smacked him on the back of the head. 

“You know how the Boss feels about that, Green. And that’s why we will never call you anything else,” one of the other ranch hands, Scott, said. Green huffed and the group formed a line up behind the spread of food on the counter.

Eowyn looked out the window and smiled just a bit as she waited her turn. The fresh snow was covering the distant mountains and the valley between. The herd of several hundred reindeer were mostly still in the field closest to them. The sunrise was still painting everything a light pink hue making it even more gorgeous. Secretly, she was glad most everyone was going home for a while. It would slow things down and she could have a break from the gruff group of mostly men that filled the room with her. 

—

Lily felt a bit naughty as she slipped a bill into the vending machine and chose a Snickers.  She was actually starving, the main reason why she’d hopped off the train.  The ride so far had been less than appealing with no true amenities on the train, at least not like she was used to. It was colder than she was expecting, the seats were uncomfortable, the food service was definitely sub-par, and there were too many burly men with beards. To top it off, there wasn’t even any decent Wi-Fi.  

When she had won these tickets to ride the Reindeer Express, she definitely had different ideas. But then the trip had almost seemed doomed from the start.  Her best friend couldn’t join her because her sister was getting married, her other friend couldn’t get the time off work, and in a last-ditch effort, even her old college roommate had to cancel because she’d come down with a nasty cold.  With her friends unavailable and her parents in the Bahamas for the holiday, Lily would have canceled if she had anywhere else to be, but then decided to live a little and just go with it. After all, you only live once, right? 

Ripping the wrapper open, she took a healthy bite of the candy, put another bill in for a bag of chips, and then got a soda from the machine next to it. With her perfectly balanced lunch, she sought out a table to enjoy her feast.  Lily then spent the next few minutes trying to enjoy her snacks and get some sort of signal from her cell, only to have one bar mock her as she couldn’t even get her email to load. 

As she sat she checked she glanced at the big clock in the lobby, she had plenty of time.  The hour-long stop seemed to be almost endless.  Restless and without her phone to amuse her, Lily found herself bouncing.  She was eventually forced to get up and walk.  She amused herself by reading some of the framed newspapers on the walls that told various stories of snow dog races, blizzards, avalanches, and the Reindeer themselves.  

Smiling a bit she reached out and touched a picture of a reindeer.  She’d always wanted to see one up close.  They’d always brought happy thoughts of the holidays and the good times when she was younger.  There was just something special about the idea of visits from Santa Claus and reindeer on the roof.  When she was little she’d even make reindeer chow out of oatmeal and glitter just for Santa’s chosen few.  At least she’d get that this year, and then she’d spend the actual holiday in a four-star resort with hot springs, massages, wi-fi, and the works.  

  A sudden blow of the train whistle startled her out of her musing and with a quick check to the clock, she realized she needed to get moving.  One more stop and she’d actually get to see a real-life reindeer.  It was going to be magical. 

Two minutes later, Lily had reclaimed her seat on the train.  She was excited now and knew it wasn’t going to be much further.  As the train started moving, she sat back in her seat and began to skim the beautiful landscape. There were clumps of snow on the ground that mixed with shrubs and the occasional cluster of bushes. There were rocks large and small, and the mountains in the distance were quite pretty.  She could almost imagine what they would look like as the sunset, turning purple and red and orange.   

Time seemed to slow and speed up at the same time as she let herself get lost in the snowy wonderland.  It was only when the train slowed and announced that they had reached the North Star Ranch, did her excitement began to grow anew.  This was the place where she’d finally get to see her reindeer.  Eager to get off the train, she tuned out the rest of the announcement, grabbed her coat and purse, and rushed to the nearest exit.  

Stepping out into the crisp air, Lily shivered and zipped up her coat.  It was colder here than at the last stop. The wind seemed to have picked up too.  With a smile, however, she followed the other tourists down a dirt path that dead-ended into a long winding fence.  She then bit her lip in disappointment as she looked one way and then the other only to not see any reindeer in sight. 

“Where are they?” Lily asked aloud. “We’ve come all this way to see an empty field?”

“They don’t always hang out by the fence, you know,” a tall man with jet-black hair and a matching beard replied. That’s what off-road vehicles are for.”

“Off-road…?” Lily echoed as the man turned and pointed. Following his finger, Lily noticed the three open-air Jeeps that were lined up behind a small shack.  “Oh, cool!”

“Yep.  Come on,” the man said before raising his voice so the small crowd could hear.  “My name is Cody, and that’s Jeff and Micheal,” he added, pointing to two other men dressed in the same sort of flannel jacket that he was wearing.  “We’re with the North Star, and we’re going to take you on a tour. Unfortunately, we need to be quick though, so we can get you folks back to the train. Come on now.  Five to a car.  Buckle up and prepare to see some of the most beautiful land on this here planet. The deer are pretty cute too.” 

—

Eowyn propped on the stall door looking over as Jess checked on a mother and foal. Contrary to popular belief deer weren’t the only animals they had on the ranch.  In fact, they had several dozen horses, a large herd of cattle, goats, and even a variety of fowl. 

“How’s she doing, Jess?” Eowyn questioned. 

“Well the braces are helping to straighten her legs but it’ll be a while yet before she can be turned out. I need to make her a new set.” 

Eowyn nodded and continued watching. Having animals born without straight legs wasn’t all that uncommon and usually, a month or so of cast would help their mobility long term.  It was good the little foal was coming along. Her thoughts were interrupted by the rumble of a line of cars on the road just outside the main barn they were in. 

“That must be the last load of visitors going out to the field. You know how those Christmas travelers get this time of year about the deer,” Jess said with a tilt of her head toward the barn doors.  

“Yep,” Eowyn agreed but shook her head at the thought. There was nothing too magical about those damn deer. They were stubborn, expensive, and honestly, a pain in the backside to take care of most of the time.  Plus, they were quite broute if you got between them and their food or babies. Still, the tourists loved them.  If only they knew. If they didn’t bring in so much profit from the tours alone she’d have sold them all years ago.

  “Alright, Jess, you keep working on those new casts. I’m going to supervise the group of visitors. Get Green to help you if you need anything.”

“Will do, Boss. Give everyone my best as they are leaving. It’ll be a while before we see them.”

 Eowyn nodded before going back out into the cold of the outdoors. She pulled her down jacket closer, hopped into her side-by-side, and drove off towards the group in the distance. 

—

Lily couldn’t sit still even though she was jammed into the back of a Jeep with two other people. She was so freaking excited to see and pet reindeer and they were speeding closer to them every moment.  

“I want to go over a few rules before we get to the field,” the driver half shouted. “You will stay inside the area we have fenced in. We don’t need to get y’all lost out here. There’s wolves, grizzlies, and a whole lot of nothing. It’s colder out here too. So don’t leave your jackets hats or nuthin’ in the car.  You’ll need them even if it’s only for a few minutes. Lastly, do not go into the field. They are not pets. You don’t get to touch them. They will headbutt you good if you get too close. And those antlers aren’t just for show either.” 

Lily’s heart dropped.  He had to be joking. They were so cute and fluffy. She needed to hug them! The closer she got the more the need had grown.  Surely the man didn’t mean everything he just said.  He was exaggerating, and it wasn’t like she was going to hurt them.  She just wanted to feel their fur firsthand.

As the Jeep finally slowed to a stop, Lily caught her first glance of an actual real-life reindeer! She couldn’t help the little squeal of excitement, only to blush as the rest of the passengers gave her strange looks.  Maybe they weren’t as excited as she was, but she couldn’t help it.  She was about to cross off a major bucket list item.  Who wouldn’t be excited about that?  

Looking out the window, Lily could now clearly see reindeer wandering about in the soft snow.  There were at least a dozen, varying in sizes from what she assumed was a full-grown male, to several smaller females some with and without antlers. There were a few caves too, which even if they weren’t newborns, were still adorable.  They were all right there, almost close enough to just reach out and touch! 

“Alright everyone out that’s getting out. We ain’t staying for long.” Lily instantly yanked on the door handle and stumbled from the backseat. The driver caught her and stood her upright. 

“Careful now youngin. You don’t want to hurt yourself.” 

Lily blushed and shuffled quickly to the wooden fence and climbed up to have a better look. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some of the others do the same.  There were even a couple of kids who were almost as excited as she was. Smiling, she only half listened to one of the guides who was giving an informational lecture and then started taking questions as she turned her attention back to the reindeer. 

One of the females without a calf started to lumber closer.  Lily watched in fascination as the guide produced a carrot from a bin next to where he’d been standing. As if on queue, the female came all the way to the edge of the fence, taking the carrot from him with ease.  Wishing she were closer, so she could have tried to touch it, she was disappointed as the female finished her treat and then returned to the field among the other animals. 

“Can I give one a carrot,” Lily suddenly asked as the guide met her eyes.

“No, I already told you they can be dangerous.  They know me.  They don’t know you.” 

Lily scowled at that, but the guide didn’t seem to notice as he returned his attention to the rest of the crowd and continued to answer questions.  The female certainly didn’t seem dangerous.  She’s taken the carrot right out of the guide’s hands.  Surely the guide was again exaggerating. 

“Alright, everyone back in the Jeeps.  We’re going to show you a little of the farm before heading back to the train,” the guide suddenly announced. 

Lily frowned and started to trudge back with the other visitors.  All she wanted to do was touch a reindeer and now her chance for that was over. Or did it have to be over?  Lily looked back over toward where the guide had been standing and the bin that held the carrots.  The silver, metal-bin was sitting on a grouping of rocks, keeping it off the ground, but also making it just high enough to give her an idea. 

With a quick glance back at the Jeeps to make sure no one was looking, she dashed to the bin, ducking down behind it and trying to make herself as small and as invisible as possible.  She covered her mouth, stifling a giggle as she sneakily watched the Jeeps load up and then drive off. 

Once alone, she opened the bin and pulled out the biggest carrot she could find.  She returned to the fence and waved the carrot at the closest animal.  “Come on over,” Lily called to it.  “Don’t you want this big yummy carrot?”

The animal watched her for a moment before turning and walking in the opposite direction. 

Lily frowned and stepped up onto the lower rung of the fence, again calling to the animal only to become frustrated as it again ignored her.   Her frown deepened, and she threw the carrot toward the reindeer.  “Come on, I know you want it!” 

The reindeer paused and moved closer to the carrot which was now a few feet away and sniffed it before taking it into its mouth.  Glad to finally get its attention, Lily dug back into the bin and pulled out a handful of carrots.  “Come on, I got lots.  I have enough for all of you,” she happily declared.

—

“What do you mean you lost one?” Eowyn growled, trying to keep her voice even.  “How does that even happen?”

“I’m sorry, Boss,” Cody stammered into the phone.  “We picked up 14 guests and only brought 13 back.  It was the blonde, I think. I don’t see her now.”

“What blonde?  Why didn’t you count at each stop? When was the last time you saw her?”

“We usually do, but with such a small group…” Cody stammered into the phone.

“Save it, Cody.  We’ll talk more later, right now we need to find her before she gets hurt or freezes to death. When did you last see her?”

“She was definitely with us when we stopped at Riker’s Ridge to see the herd. I can come back and help search.” He offered.

“I should make you come back, but no, go be with your family.  We’ll find her.  I’ll see you again after the pass opens.” Eowyn zipped her jacket up before she hopped back into her side-by-side and sped off towards the Riker’s Ridge.

“I outta known better to let them start doing tours! The last thing we need is some weak city girl out here in the middle of nowhere. She’ll miss that train if I don’t find her soon!” She cursed to herself, before reaching for the radio she let everyone know what was going on. At least as people were loading up to leave they could keep an eye out for her. 

Arriving at Riker’s Ridge, there were no obvious signs of the woman in the marked-off area. And the only noise was the faint sounds the train was making in the distance. She called over the radio again. Still no sign of her. Eowyn took her binoculars and stepped out of the side by side.

“HELLO? Is anyone out here?! You are gonna get left if we don’t get you back!” She waited. Nothing. Eowyn scanned all the Riker’s Ridge and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The reindeer were clumped together under evergreen trees, seeking shelter, but were still and quiet. 

“HELLO! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!? YOU ARE GOING TO GET LEFT!” Still nothing. Maybe they had miscounted. She radioed for a third time. Hoping. Praying. Wishing. They had found this damn woman. 

“No Boss, we still can’t find her. And they can’t hold the train much longer. There’s more snow coming in and it could block Willow Crossing.”  Eowyn sighed and scanned everywhere with her binoculars. There was nowhere she could be out here. Maybe at another stop. She better check. Just as she was scooting into her seat once more a blood-curdling scream rang out. Eowyn jumped out, slung her rifle over her back, and took off in the direction of the herd. Surely their guest hadn’t jumped the fence. 

—

Lily breathed hard as she lay flat on her back in the snow bank. Her head pounded a bit. The tour guy hadn’t been lying. They could butt something fierce. She tried to get up but she was a bit stuck in the hard snow. 

She suddenly heard a woman’s deep raspy voice in the distance, “I’m coming! Don’t move!” 

She couldn’t even if she wanted to. Hopefully, it would be quick. The cold and wet were seeping through her clothing. Stupid reindeer. They got grumpy when she ran out of carrots from her stash. A big one, that looked like a grumpy old man, started by nudging her, and the next thing she knew the grumpy one hit her square in the gut and she went flying. 

A face suddenly appeared in front of her, lit up almost angelic like with the sun behind her. Her rescuer she supposed. Firm jaw life with blue eyes, black hair turning gray, and skin tanned with what she assumed was many a day working in the sun. She couldn’t help but stare. 

“Can you hear me? What’s hurting other than that bump on the head?” 

Warm hands were touching her face now and jarred her back to reality. She groaned. “Everything. The old man got me good.” She tried to move again and this time the woman helped her.

“They will do that if you don’t know ‘em. Didn’t they tell you that?” 

Lily’s face blushed. “Yeah, I guess they did, but I’m stubborn sometimes.”

“You sure you’re not hurt?  Your back, your head?”

Lily wrinkled her nose as she touched the back of her own head.  There was a knot, but she’d had worse.  Her abdomen was sore too. Rubbing it, she looked back at her rescuer.  “Probably gonna bruise.”

“I bet,” Eowyn agreed before looking at her watch and sighing.  “Let’s get you back to the main house.  I have aspirin and a cold pack you can put on your head.” Lifting her radio, Eowyn reported, “I found her.  Taking her back to the main house. Those of you that are leaving, have a safe trip, the rest of you I’ll see soon.  It looks like we’re going to have a guest for a bit.”

Lily wrinkled her nose as she processed what her rescuer had just said.  “What do you mean by that?”

Eowyn shrugged.  “Your little stunt  just caused you to miss the train.”

“Oh God. When will the next one come, later tonight?”

Eowyn just shook her head. “You’ll be lucky to make it out of here by the New Year.  There was an avalanche and the pass is blocked.  Storm coming in tomorrow will make clearing it impossible for the foreseeable future.”

Lily’s chin dropped.  “Surely there is another way.  I can rent a car perhaps.”

Eowyn again shook her head.  “No rental place out here and even if you could get a vehicle, I wouldn’t let you drive through that storm.  You decided to break the rules and you’re now my responsibility.”

Lily frowned.  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Too late for that,” Eowyn replied as she gestured toward her side-by-side vehicle. 

“My name is Lily, by the way.  Lily Stranton.”

“Eowyn,” Eowyn said.  “But most people around here call me Boss.”

Lily climbed up into the passenger’s seat.  “You own this place?”

“No, but I’m in charge.”

“Okay, boss lady,” Lily teased with a smirk.

Eowyn raised an eyebrow as she turned the key.  “Eowyn will do.”

Lily’s smirk quickly faded.  This lady was way too uptight.  She was appreciative that she’d been found, but was having trouble processing being stuck.  The idea was pretty outrageous. There had to be some roads or maybe a small plane she could rent, although that would probably be very expensive.  Just going on this trip had been a splurge, even though the tickets had been covered, there still was food and the clothing she had to buy for the cold weather.  Oh, and the hotel… that was going to be a problem.  The room was non-refundable.  So much for an amazing Christmas this year. 

—

“Well, here it is. It’s the biggest house on the ranch. Downstairs is community space. Upstairs is my bedroom and rooms for my guests and the owners and such.” Eowyn opened the door to her cabin and ushered Lily inside. “Lodge is locked up for the holidays, so you’ll be staying here with me.” 

Lily seemed hesitant to enter the cabin deeper. “You live here? Alone? Where is everyone else?”

“The cabin is mine, but I’m rarely alone.  Everyone uses the kitchen.  Jess, our vet, and her husband Tuk, my second in command, are still here for the holiday.  They live in the apartment above the equipment garage. And Green is here too.  He’ll be staying in the bunkhouse though.”

“Green?” 

“Greenhorn? Low man on the totem pole. Stall muker whatever have you.” 

Lily nodded slowly. There was an awkward silence for a few moments. 

“Your clothes are wet and I’m sure you’re cold by now. We’ve probably got something about your size round here somewhere.” Eowyn pointed down the hall. “Showers that way help yourself and warm up. I’ll go find something for you to put on. You’re gonna need some real clothes if you stay out here.” Eowyn nodded and turned away from the woman in search of clothes. 

Lily found herself standing alone in the front hallway of a cozy two-story cabin as she watched her new acquaintance march off in the opposite direction. So far she was a bit of a mystery. But there wasn’t time to linger on that. Her body shivered which made her realize her fingers and toes both were painfully numb. Stupid freaking cold. She should have known better. 

Lily took a deep breath and watched Eowyn disappear behind the door in the old side of the living area before trudging down the hallway towards the bathroom. 

She quietly closed the heavy door behind her before she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her cheek was already turning blue and her nose was a blistered pink and so were the tips of her ears. What a mess. And her hair which started today nicely manicured was a stringy wet mess. Fantastic. She turned to the pearl white shower and flipped the hot water on full blast. At least they had hot water. 

Lily stripped all her wet clothing and left them in a pile before stepping into the steamy hot shower. Her body shivered again, beginning to release the cold that had taken over. As she warmed her thoughts again turned toward her host.  Eowyn was an odd name, but she supposed it fit.  Eowyn wasn’t like anyone else she’d ever met.  

Maybe it was just because she was older, but she seemed stern and no-nonsense.  Maybe that was a good thing.  Lily had never had anyone like that in her life before.  Her parents were the supportive type, but only when it suited them.  She was the baby, and her siblings were quite a bit older at 12 and 15 years, so she never was very close to them. They were both off to college and their own lives before she really remembered. Even now they didn’t have time for her.  

As she lost herself standing under the warm gentle water her thoughts turned again to Eowyn and how she’d ran to her rescue.  It was nice.  Almost like she cared. If only she had someone like that all the time.  Wouldn’t that be nice. 

—

Eowyn made a face at the clothes she had found in their storage closet. They weren’t perfect but she reckoned they were better than letting the girl freeze to death.  “I’ve got some clothes for you. Where do you want them?” she called towards the bathroom. 

She waited a moment but didn’t hear anything. Fear overcame her and her stomach tightened.  Perhaps she misjudged how badly Lily had been hurt.  She had hit her head and that could lead to all sorts of problems.

“Lily?!” Eowyn opened the door to check. Only as the door opened there was an obvious realization her visitor was just fine. The room was filled with steam and a very naked Lily was in the shower. 

“Sorry! I thought- I was- sorry!” She blurted, dropping the clothes on the floor before quickly shutting the door. Eowyn smacked herself in the face. Great now she’s going to think I’m a creep or something. Eowyn kicked the wall before going to find herself some coffee. 

The coffee was warm and it helped, but then there was little that a good cup of coffee didn’t fix. She still felt silly, walking in on Lily like that. She’d genuinely been concerned, but then seeing her with her hip turning colors hurt her heart. Still, she had been wrong, invading her privacy like that without a second thought. She had to remember Lily wasn’t one of the hands used to her overbearing tendency for safety. 

With a sigh, Eowyn took another sip and then turned as she sensed she wasn’t alone.  “Ah, Hi. Coffee?” she offered to Lily.  The girl had put on the clothing she’d offered, a pair of jeans that was about four sizes too big and an oversized flannel shirt.  She managed to tuck the shirt in, which was holding the pants up, but the overall look almost made Eowyn forget how embarrassed she’d been just a moment ago. 

“Sorry about the clothes, and ah… the shower,” Eowyn said as she moved to pour Lily a cup.  “Cream, sugar?”

“Yes, please,” Lily said, sliding into one of the kitchen chairs.  “And don’t worry about it.  Not like I have anything you haven’t seen before, right?” she added with a small smile. 

“I suppose not.  I was just worried about you.  I called out and you didn’t answer. Speaking of which,” Eowyn added, moving to the freezer and pulling out two bags of frozen peas.  “You should put this on that bump on your head and this on your hip.  I’ll get you some aspirin too.”

“That’s really not necessary. It’s not that bad.”

 Eowyn put the bag on Lily’s head and then put Lily’s hand on it to hold it in place then put the other bag in the other hand. “You will be staying here for a while. You might as well get used to doing what I tell ya.” Eowyn acerted. 

“You are serious about that? Can’t you just drive me out of here? That way I’m not in your way and I can get back to my vacation.” 

Eowyn sat back down and sipped from her steaming cup. “No can do. Driving would take ten hours on a good day. And with the snow we’ve had it could take days. I won’t risk it.” 

Lily’s lip went into a small pout which stirred something in Eowyn. “You might as well get comfy too. And you will be helping out with chores around here as well. You stay, you work,” she announced matter-of-factly. 

Lily’s mouth opened in surprise. “Come on, it’s not my fault I’m stuck here.”

“Actually it is,” Eowyn countered.  “If you wouldn’t have broken the rules and ditched the group, you could have made the train.  Besides, a little hard work won’t kill ya, and you might actually learn something useful.”

“I’m not afraid of hard work,” Lily huffed.

Eowyn took another sip of coffee as she studied the girl.  She was still pouting, which was in a way cute and in a way irritating.  She expected more from her staff… but Lily’s wasn’t one of hers.  She was a guest, albeit uninvited.  Still, there was something about the girl that made Eowyn want to protect her and make sure she not only was safe, but happy too.  Being gruff with her wasn’t going to help. She needed to back off a bit.   

“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Eowyn finally managed.  “So, tell me about yourself. What do you do?”

Lily sat back, shifting the bag of peas a bit in the process.  “I’m a web page developer.”

“Oh? That’s interesting, you work for one of those big companies?”

Lily shrugged.  “No, I freelance.  I like to pick my own projects, and the flexibility is nice.”

“I see.  That’s kinda why I’m here too.  I don’t own the place, just run it, but it’s nice to be my own Boss.  I get to do what I like to do.”

“That’s what’s important,” Lily agreed.  

“It is.  Speaking of which, we need to find a place for you. Do you cook?”

“Um, does boxed mac and cheese count?”

Eowyn wrinkled her nose.  “No, but it is getting late.  Come on, you can help me start dinner. You can cut vegetables, can’t you?”

“Don’t know… I guess I can try,” Lily answered with a straight face. 

Eowyn’s eyes went wide until Lily cracked a smile and giggled.  “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” she teased.

—

Sitting at the table, Lily was enjoying herself more than she thought she would.  The vet, Jess, was very funny. She seemed to be the only one who could get away with teasing Eoywn without getting a stare of death. After giving her a once over, at Eowyn’s instance, she’s been very helpful in finding Lily some clothing that was much closer to her size. Jess was a bit taller, but they were a similar build and anything was better than that scratchy flannel shirt.  Her husband, Tuk, was also very nice.  Green, as everyone called him, was funny too.  He kept practically tripping over his own feet as he scrambled to do everything Eoywn commanded. 

Out of everyone, however, she was most fascinated with Eoywn.  The tall stranger had to be in her early to mid-40s but never mentioned a family or much of anything about herself that didn’t involve the ranch.  She was pretty, even if overly independent, it seemed odd that she hadn’t had a partner, or kids or something.  Maybe Lily was missing something, but there was just something off about the boss lady, and it was just enough that it made her want to get to know Eowyn better. 

“Hey Boss, when we going to cut a tree to bring inside? You said we could if we stayed this year.” Jess suddenly questioned. All eyes turned to Eowyn. 

“Well-” she stopped mid-sentence and jumped from the table sprinting toward the door. 

“Horses out!” she shouted. And suddenly Jess, Tuk, and Green were all moving too. 

“What you waiting on, Lily? Let’s go!” Jess called behind her just as the group piled out the door. Lily now found herself stumbling toward the still-open front door before she shoved her feet into borrowed snow boots and ran into the cold darkness. 

“Lily get by that gate and when I say close it, you close it fast!” Eowyn yelled as she pointed to a gate across the yard that was dimly lit by one of the lights attached to the nearby barn. Lily ran and did just as asked. She’d have time later to ponder why she did what was asked without hesitation.

—

Lily shivered as she stood by the roaring fireplace in Eowyn’s cabin. They had been outside for hours chasing down horses and Lily’s arms were sore from pushing the heavy gate back and forth for much of it, letting the animals in one by one. Green was seated on the couch across from her looking solemn. There had been a good bit of yelling at him while the group was outside. Jess stood beside her also warming up and Eowyn and Tuk were still outside but promised they were coming soon. 

Footsteps were heard on the porch and Lily could hear Jess whisper, “This ain’t going to be good.”

Before she could question her, the front door swung open and Eowyn came in first with Tuk close behind. Neither said a word but quickly went to stand in front of Green. Their faces were hard and stiff. Lily’s stomach fluttered. 

“How many times have we had to discuss you doing all your chores?”  Green’s mouth went to open but he promptly shut it when Eowyn continued. “You were in charge of getting the lock on the gate fixed days ago. It’s still not fixed! I should fire you outright, but unfortunately for you, that’s just not possible right now. But don’t you worry, Green you will be punished. Apologize to Jess and Lily for causing them to have to get in this cold for 3 hours in the blasted middle of the night!”

 Green’s eyes were wide and the room was silent. 

“Now!” Eowyn ordered. The young man slowly looked between Jess and Lily. 

“I’m sorry Jess, Lily. It was stupid and irresponsible of me.” Eowyn took a step back from the man and looked at Tuk.

“I’ll be keeping a very close eye on you from now until the rail opens back up. Any more foolishness from you, you will be gone. As for now, Tuk is going to take you to the bunkhouse for a long conversation.” 

In the back of Lily’s mind she wondered just what kind of conversion they were going to have, but what was more interesting was Eowyn and how direct she’d been with her lecture.  She’d almost feel sorry for Green but realized he was lucky in a way too.  To have someone call her out when she’d make a mistake would be a welcome though.  No one had ever cared enough to do that before.   

“Bosss…” Green started but then again stole a look towards Lily and Jess. 

Without further explanation, Tuk half-pulled half led Green up and towards the front door. 

“I’ll see you later Jess. Don’t wait up .”

“Love you. Don’t be too long.” Jess answered. Lily stayed by the still-warm fire as Jess soon disappeared out the back door and Eowyn collapsed onto the couch.  

Lily watched Eowyn for a minute before sitting down next to her.   “That was something, wasn’t it?”

“You don’t know the half of it.  Green’s gonna be the death of me.” Eowyn slowly opened her eyes and looked at Lily.  “I’m sorry you got stuck in the middle of that.  That’s twice today you’ve nearly froze to death.”

Lily gave her a small shrug.  “I don’t mind helping. In a way it was fun.  I’ve never done anything like that before.  It was nice. Made me feel like I was part of something important.”

“You did good, kid,” Eowyn said with a small smile.

Lily smiled back in kind.  She knew Eowyn was kidding, but the praise was also nice to hear.  She was proud of herself and it seemed like Eowyn was proud of her too.  “Thanks. I am curious though, what are Tuk and Green going to talk about?” Lily asked curiously. 

“His punishment,” Eowyn answered matter of factly. 

“His punishment? Like extra chores or something?”  

“Something like that,” Eowyn said before pausing for a long moment.  “Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t concern you.” 

Lily slowly nodded, but inside she was torn.  It seemed like she and Eowyn were having a moment and then suddenly the older women closed down again. 

“Anyway, I should show you where you’ll be sleeping.” 

Lily again nodded as she followed Eowyn up the stairs and down a long hall.  The cabin was bigger than she realized as she passed by another bathroom and two more bedrooms before Eowyn finally stopped and pointed at a door on the left. 

“Here you go.  I’m right next door if you need anything.  There should be clean towels, and an extra blanket in the closet.”

“Okay, ah, thanks.  Are you going to bed now?”

“We get up early around here.  You’d be best to get some sleep too,” Eowyn explained.

“Ah, I suppose, it’s just…”

“Yeah? Go ahead and spit it out.”

Lily blushed and looked down toward the ground.  “I’m not used to sleeping without a TV, or some sort of noise.  It’s very… quiet here.”

Eowyn sighed, trying not to show her annoyance. “Don’t suppose you’re used to being in bed before 9, either.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Well, none of the rooms have TVs and even if they did there is no reception out here. I could get you a book,” Eowyn offered, but Lily only wrinkled her nose at the idea.
“I’ll just play on my phone.  Luckily I had a charger in my purse.”

“Okay, but remember what I said about getting up early.  No one sleeps in on the farm.”

—

Leaving Lily to get settled, Eowyn retired to her own room.  She’d given some thought to where to put Lily and decided to put her in the room next to her own.  The cabin had 4 bedrooms total, for when they did occasionally host guests. It had a large kitchen and communal space that everyone used on the daily, but usually, the men retired to the bunk house and Jess and Tuk to their little apartment above the equipment garage.  At night Eowyn usually enjoyed her solitude.  It would be odd having a single guest, but it felt right to have her nearby.  

She meant what she said about getting up early and hoped that Lily took her seriously. As she lay in her own bed, however, she had a hard time relaxing.  Her thoughts kept going back to Lily and just how much the girl reminded her of her younger self. 

Eowyn hadn’t always lived on the ranch.   She was probably just a year or two younger than Lily when she made her way here, taking up a summer job to get by.  She’d never had much of a family either, at least not before coming to the ranch.  She had a father, although she didn’t really remember him and her mother was more interested in the bottom of a bottle than her.  She practically raised herself, at least until she was 15 and finally had enough.  From there she’d gone from town to town, picking up odd jobs and learning a thing or two on the road. 

It wasn’t until she found her way to the North Star that things started to change.   The owner, Mac, and his wife Shirly were both patient and generous souls.  Back then a female ranch hand was practically unheard of, but they’d taken her in and Mac had gone out of his way to teach her the business.  It wasn’t long before she was his number two, and when he suddenly died of a heart attack some 15 years ago, Shirly had given her blessing for Eowyn to take over. Shirly lived with other family now, somewhere in Arizona, and left 99% of the ranch handling with Eowyn and Eowyn was fine with that.

Lily, however, wasn’t exactly like her.  She had the same spunk maybe, but wasn’t interested in working a farm.  She hadn’t even intended on staying more than a few hours.  Getting stuck wasn’t either of their plans. Still, stuck she was, and Eowyn meant what she said about Lily earning her keep.  The city girl might run off the first chance she got, but in the meantime, she might learn a thing or two about good old-fashioned work and discipline. 

With that thought, Eowyn rolled over and hugged her pillow.  The farm hadn’t been the same since Mac left. When he died a piece of her did too.  It took her over two years just to move from that little room down the hall to the master where she now slept, but even here alone, she still had memories, and that was something that she’d always treasure. 

—

Lily raised her hand to cover her yawn.  She didn’t want Eowyn to see how tired she was.  5 AM had come too soon, but Lily had tried to keep positive. Her experience with the horses the night before had been exhausting, but also exhilarating.   She’s never been part of a team where everyone seemed to just know what to do quite like they had last night.  

Today though, she’d probably been busier than any other day of her life.  She probably got more steps in than a long day at Disney!  Eowyn had her shadow her all day, giving her one task after another.  She’d helped feed the chickens, milked a cow — by hand, and repaired a fence, AND that was all before breakfast! 

“Eat up Lily, we are right back at it as soon as we are done.”

 Lily looked to Eowyn who had a skillet in her hand plating hot food. “Too tired to eat,” she mumbled. 

Eowyn chuckled a bit. “The day is still early yet. Wait till tonight.” Eowyn grinned at her and continued with the dishing up. 

Soon the front door opened and the rest of the Christmas crew filed in. Jess and Tuk were hand in hand and Green was three steps behind still looking well chastised and silent.  Everyone sat and Jess looked at Green who still hadn’t said anything. 

“Surprised you can sit,” Jess snickered. 

“Jessica Marie.” Tuk and Eowyn scolded at once. The serious voice Eowyn held made Lily sit up straighter. 

“What?… sorry,” she said, pouring herself some coffee and shrinking into Tuk’s side. 

“What’s going on? Why wouldn’t Green be able to sit? Did you hurt yourself already this morning?” Lily looked Green up and down. He seems fine other than the blush he was sporting now. 

“He’s fine. Enough talk. Let’s eat.” Eowyn gave the group a serious look and everyone quieted down. 

Lily pushed the food around her plate. If she was still for more than ten minutes, sleep would definitely take over. 

“If we have time we can go pick a tree tonight. But that means everyone has to get everything done early which shouldn’t be too bad since we have an extra hand,” Eowyn advised. 

“I’m so excited to pick a tree, it’s my favorite tradition we have. Lily, have you ever cut a real tree before?” Jess asked curiously.

“No, we never really celebrated Christmas that much. So you really just go cut down a tree? That seems dangerous,” Lily answered as Eowyn shook her head but didn’t comment. 

“About as dangerous as you jumping fences to pet 300-pound animals,” Tuk quipped. 

“Tuk,” Eowyn hissed. 

“Sorry, Boss.”

“You lot are a pain in my ass this morning. Three minutes and y’all better be done. We need to clean the stalls. I’ll be waiting.” Eowyn dumped her plate in the sink and out the door she went leaving the rest of them in silence.

“Is she okay?” Lily asked 

“She’s fine, just in a bad mood,” Tuk answered. 

“Since 1987,” Jess commented. 

“Watch it.” Tuk gave his wife a look. 

“You’re in a bad mood too,” she snarked. 

“You’re asking for it.”

 Jess poked her tongue out at him and got up and left much like Eowyn did. 

“That woman,” Tuk whispered and followed close behind. 

Lily looked at Green. He shrugged and stood following behind Tuk.

—

“No! That’s where I draw the line! I’m NOT shoveling poop!” Eowyn watched Lilly stomp and throw the fork. 

“I don’t recall asking, Lily. I told you yesterday you stay, you work. You did this by breaking the rules so now you get to do the same thing as the rest of us.” 

Lily crossed her arms with a scowl which made Eowyn twitch. “I won’t! I’ve done everything else you wanted. I fed, chased, cleaned, brushed, moved, and 20 other things! I’m not scooping horse crap!” She stopped again and the scowl grew. 

Eowyn forced herself to take a deep breath. That little girl was asking for it. She was twitchy and if anyone else had spoken to her like that it would have not been good for them. But then Lily wasn’t just anyone. 

Eowyn leveled voice, “Lily, I’m not asking. Stop acting like a child or you won’t come with us to pick a tree tonight nor will you get to help decorate.” Eowyn picked up the fork and put it back in Lily’s hand. 

“I hate it here!” Lily screamed and yanked the fork away and started shoveling at the floor flinging the dirty hay everywhere. 

Eowyn sighed and went back to her own stall and started cleaning. Lily may claim that she hated it, but at least she was somewhat trying. Eowyn focused on the ground in front of her. The faster done with these chores the faster she couldn’t retreat from the frustrating blonde in the stall next to her. 

For all the bother, Lily still captured her imagination. She still felt a need to protect her and definitely wanted to know more about what made the blonde tick. It was enduring in a way. For the most part, she had done as best she could all day. She wasn’t a natural ranch hand but she was a hard worker. She was curious too. It was an odd combo because although she protested, she also seemed to be entranced with everything that was explained. She asked a million questions too. 

Eowyn glanced at the stall next to her. She could still see that pout on Lily’s lips that made her want to pull the woman over her knee right here and now. But it was also cute and made her wonder what it would be like to work with Lily every day.  Would she even want to try?  Would it be worth it?  Eowyn shook her head. There was no way that would ever happen. Lily was a city girl through and through so she might as well forget any thoughts like that right now. 

—

As Lily shoveled, she grumbled to herself.  It was stinky and dirty and gross, but as she looked up and caught Eowyn watching her, she couldn’t help but blush.  The older woman was growing on her.  Yes, she was grumpy, grouchy, and brash, but there was something in that sure, strict tone that was a total turn-on.  There was just something in the way that Eowyn spoke, with that edge and roughness that made Lily want to both obey and do anything the brunette wanted, but there was also a drive that made her want to run in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. 

Lily had always been independent and sure of herself,  She’d made do and was able to figure things out on her own.  When her dishwasher broke, she’d pulled it out and managed to get it working again, all by herself.  When she got lost in Switzerland and separated from her tour, she found her way back to the hotel on her own, even though she didn’t speak a word of French.  She even once figured out how to put in a new car battery.  

She didn’t need someone like Eowyn in her life.  This was all temporary anyway.  A few days and she’d be on her way, back home and back to her own daily grind. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what living on the ranch would really be like.  Besides being dirty, gross, and stinky, it had some appeal.  It was different, not being practically connected to her laptop or cell phone.  In fact, she hadn’t even brought her cell phone with her.  It was still on the nightstand in her room. There was no point since there wasn’t any real reception to be had.  The idea of unplugging was just as novel and entertaining as fantasizing about what it would be like to sit on Eowyn’s lap and cuddle. 

Lily chuckled at the thought.  The whole idea was silly. There was more to that between her and the older woman.  She couldn’t explain it, but early Eowyn’s praise had suddenly become more important than just about anything else. She found herself wondering what it would be to stay under her guidance even after the snow cleared. 

“Hey!  What did you stop for?” Eowyn called out to her.  “We have 18 more stalls to do.”

Lily’s eyes bulged.  All this time and she’d barely cleared one. “Seriously?  Why do we have to do it all?”

“Green, Tuk, and Jess have their own chores.  Just be thankful you don’t know what you’re doing or else you’d be doing this alone.”

Lily huffed, taking her frustration out on a large pile of muck, she used her fork to throw it into the bin. Spinning back around to grab another scoop, she didn’t realize how slippery the floor was.  One moment she was upright and the second she was flat on her back.  

“Owwwww,” Lily murmured, opening her eyes and blushing as she caught Eowyn’s blue orbs staring down at her. 

“Are you alright?” Eowyn asked giving her a hand.

“This seems to be becoming a pattern, and yes, I think so,” Lily answered, taking the hand and allowing Eowyn to pull her up into a sitting position. 

“Good,” Eowyn said and then wrinkled her nose.

“What?” Lily asked, turning her head and trying to see behind her.  It was only then that she realized the back of her jacket was not as pristine as it had been just moments ago.  “I landed in horse shit, didn’t I?”

“Yep.  It’s in your hair too.  Off to the showers.  You’re not to come back out until your hair is dry, understand me?”

“Oh?” Lily couldn’t help the smile.  

“Don’t get cocky. There is a hair dryer under the sink. I expect to see you again in 45 minutes.  Don’t make me come looking for you.”

Lily’s smile faded.  “Why you gotta be such a hard ass?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m trying to help, I’m covered in horse shit, and now you’re even putting a timer on my shower?”

Eowyn raised a single eyebrow.  “Now ya got 30 minutes.  I suggest you get moving. We still have a lot to do if you wanna get that tree.”

Lily’s eyes narrowed.  “I don’t care about your stupid tree.”

“That’s too bad, cuz everyone else does.  We work as a team around here.  Now you better get moving if you want that shower.”

Lily wanted to stomp her foot and tell Eowyn just where she could put her stupid tree, but she also felt disgusting.  The smell alone was starting to get to her much less the thought of what was actually in her hair.  “I’ll be back when I’m good and ready,” she finally declared, turning on her heel and marching back toward the main cabin.

“See you in 30,” Eowyn echoed back. 

As Lily stormed off back to the cabin she was close to tears.  She didn’t know why Eowyn snapped at her, or why she’d snapped back.  Or maybe she’d snapped first.  It wasn’t her fault she was covered in horse crap.  Maybe she’d been wrong about Eowyn.  She wanted to be mad, but then thinking about those blue eyes and the concern they’d held when Lily had fallen, it made her melt, just a little.  Still, she hadn’t liked that Eowyn had put a timer on her.  She was still her own person and had her own ability to make her own choices.  She meant what she said and was fully not planning on coming back until she was good and ready. 

—

Even though Eowyn had told Lily she had 30 minutes, she gave her a little more than twice that before she finally went looking.  She was hoping to give the blonde a little time to calm down and return on her own, but when she entered the cabin and found Lily sitting on the couch and leafing through an old magazine she frowned.   Lily obviously hadn’t taken her advice, and although inside and in front of a fire, her hair was definitely still wet.  There was no way she was planning on returning to the stalls. 

 Eowyn let out a small grunt to announce her presence but didn’t engage.  Rather, she made her way into the kitchen where she gave her hands a good scrub before putting on a new pot of coffee.  The work in the stable had kept her warm, but walking back to the house reminded her just what a December in Montana was all about.  

She sat down on a kitchen chair, facing the living room, and considered what she should do about her houseguest.  It was true that Lily wasn’t her employee.  She hadn’t agreed to the same contract that she had all her employees sign.  Life on the ranch was hard, and discipline was necessary, and even if seldomly applied, wasn’t unheard of.  Green’s recent indiscretion was proof enough of that.  

Still, Lily couldn’t be allowed to ignore a direct order. That was unacceptable and contract or not, there had to be a consequence.  

With another grunt, Eowyn picked up her coffee and returned to the living room.  She sat down on a chair in Lily’s direct line of sight, crossing her legs, and waiting for the blonde to say something. 

Lily managed almost three whole minutes before she slammed her magazine down.  “What?”

Eowyn raised a dark eyebrow.  “Care to explain why you didn’t return?”

“I didn’t feel like shoveling more crap.  I thought I made that clear.”

“I thought I made myself clear as well.  You stay, you work.”

Lily huffed.  “It’s not my idea to be here.  I wanted to leave, remember?”

“What you want is immaterial if it’s not possible.  While you’re here, you’re my responsibility and that means you do what I say,” Eowyn returned evenly.

Lily rolled her eyes.  “I’m going to my room.”

“That’s right you are.”

Lily froze, half rising from her seat.  “What?”

“You’re grounded to your room for the rest of the evening.  You will not be going with us to get the tree or to help decorate.”

Lily’s cheeks blushed in anger.  “I didn’t want to do anything with a stupid o’tree anyway,” she huffed before flying off the couch and sprinting up the stairs.  

Somehow Eowyn wasn’t surprised to hear the door to Lily’s room slam.  She sighed and took another sip of coffee.  Maybe Lily didn’t care, but something in the blonde’s reaction told her there was more to it than just angry words.  Lily was greener than Green, but Eowyn saw something in her.  There was a spark that seemed to come alive when she was with the animals and working around the ranch.  It was hard to explain, but Eowyn had seen it before.  Just maybe the outburst meant a little more than frustration at being stuck. 

—

Eowyn went back to her chores. In reality Lily did make the work go faster and by early afternoon she found herself back at the main cabin with Jess, Tuk, and Green. 

“How did Green do on his chores today?” She asked Tuk over their plates of lunch. Jess looked between the two of them seemingly waiting for an answer. 

“He did fine. I’m sure his bruised hind end was motivation enough,” Tuk answered as Green sunk lower in his chair and refused to look up. 

“That’s good to hear. Better than someone who shall not be named then.” Eowyn caught the raised eyebrow that was Tuk’s reaction but didn’t remark on it. 

“Maybe she needs what Green got,” Jess offered. 

“Jessica,” Tuk scolded. “I’ve already warned you. Tonight you and I will have a talk.”

 Eowyn shook her head. Those two. Jessica needed a talk about twice a week and at this point, it was nothing new. The entire ranch knew it wasn’t uncommon Jess was made to fetch a switch and the next thing you’d hear was the woman yelping from it being applied thoroughly.

“It’s okay Tuk, I’m afraid she’s right. It might come down to it.” 

The mood quieted as they all finished up. They chattered a bit about going to find a tree. Jess was going to get the ornaments and lights down from the attic while Tuk and Green hooked a trailer sled up one of the ATVs. 

“Well, I’m going to go feed our house guest and see if I can get her to stop being as stubborn as a mule. While you all get ready to go get a tree,” Eowyn announced after all the dishes were put away. 

“Good luck, Boss,” Tuk told her as he and Green left the cabin. 

“Thanks,” she told him. 

Eowyn busied herself in the kitchen putting together a basic meal for Lily. The woman really did confuse her. Seemed like a stranger and an old friend at the same time. She also seemed to be wrestling with something deep in her simultaneously. She recognized the signs. Half the greenhorns that landed her had the same look and attitude. It wasn’t far from what she found her own self in at one time in life. Eowyn took a deep breath and headed up the stairs. Hopefully Lily would be open to the peace offering so they could have a peaceful Christmas. 

—

Lily wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand it. She growled and huffed, and paced the room again. This wasn’t okay! Being grounded like some teenager. Screw this. It had been hours and no one had said anything to her. Lily went to the door and swung it open aggressively only to come face to face with Eowyn. 

“Where do you think you are going, Lily?” was the first thing out of her mouth. 

“Wherever I damn well please. You aren’t the Boss of me!” Lily noticed her brow shoot up and nose flare. Which made her insides melt. Eowyn stepped closer entering the space of the room. 

“I’m the boss of this ranch and by default when you are here I am the boss of you. Look Lily we can have a nice time while you are here or this can be as hard as possible. Right now you are going the hard as possible route. I don’t want that. You don’t know it yet but you don’t want that yet either.” Eowyn told her setting down the plate of food on the dresser. 

“Just because I’m stuck here doesn’t give you the right to treat me like a child,” Lily retorted.

“Then stop acting like one,” Eowyn replied evenly.   She then motioned at the tray of food. “Eat and do your time.  We’re going to go find a tree. We’ll decorate it tonight and have a nice breakfast in the morning after chores.”

“Chores tomorrow?  But it’s Christmas.”

“Animals still gotta eat.  Just leave the tray outside the door when you’re done.  And just so we’re clear, you’re not to leave this room except to use the toilet.”

Lily narrowed her eyes and turned away from Eowyn.  “Whatever.”

Eowyn paused for a moment before leaving.  She hadn’t said anything, which almost made Lily more angry.  She flopped down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.  It was plain and boring, just like the rest of this place.  

A few minutes passed as Lily finally gave in and looked toward the tray of food.  Even though she had spent the last few hours in her room, avoiding the hard work she had endured that morning, she was hungry.  Besides it smelled too good.  It had been ages since she had real fried chicken and mashed potatoes. 

She had just finished the last bit of meat from the leg she’d been chewing on when she heard the noise of a motor outside.  With a slight frown, she made her way to the window.  The landscape might have normally taken her breath away.  Sparking, pristine white, with small bits of green where a tree or bush would poke through covered the land.  The reddish-orange glow that the sun projected just along the horizon was only enchanting the view.  It was so simple, yet almost beckoned her outside so she could see the true colors unhindered by the frosty glass of her window.  

Touching the window she used her sleeve to brush clear away the fog from her breath. She was then able to see the source of the motor.  It was one of the ATVs that was being hooked up to a sled. There were four other ATVs there as well and before long they all roared to life before disappearing into the distance.  

Lily let out a long sigh.  She didn’t really care about the tree, well maybe she did a little.  She didn’t remember the last time she helped decorate one.  Now that she and her brother and sister were adults, her parents never bothered, and there was no point in doing it just for her. What was harder though, was being left behind.  It was too quiet, and being left with nothing but her thoughts was hard.

Realizing why it was too quiet, she suddenly smirked.  Five ATVs meant that there was no one else at the Ranch.  She was alone, and if that was the case, there was no reason why she needed to stay anywhere she didn’t want to be. 

Lily smiled as she left her room.  The house was still too quiet, but as she made her way down to the kitchen her smile broadened as she discovered fresh baked cookies.  They weren’t even put away yet, still sitting on a cooling rack next to the stove.  Snagging not one, but two good-sized chocolate chip cookies, she took a healthy bite before her eyes drifted up to a board next to the door.  There, carefully labeled were several sets of keys.  

She hesitated. She wanted away from this god-forsaken ranch and the woman running it. But then again if Eowyn was telling the truth about how far town was, taking an ATV wasn’t a good idea. She weighed her choices. Endure weeks more at the ranch or risk getting out. Eowyn’s orders echoed in her head. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time shoveling horse crap. The memory of the smell alone urged her forward. Ignoring the ATV keys, she instead went for one of the pick-ups.  Hopefully, there was enough gas in it, at least to get her to the next bit of civilization.  Once safe she could hire some local to bring the truck back.  

Mind made up, she put on the jacket, hat, gloves, and boots she’d been given. She checked her purse for the phone charger and cards that had made it off the train.  Only then did she brave the cold and head out to the open garage that housed the ranch’s vehicles. 

Under the dim light, she looked for the bright pink sticker with the number “11” on it. She couldn’t wait to get in the small cab and the heat on. Even the brief time out here the cold was already seeping into her bones. How anyone lived here full time only God knew. Getting into the small cab, she gave it a moment to warm up as she cranked the heat.  As soon as the windows defrosted, she was off, reversing and carefully backing up out of the parking spot.

“Okay let’s blow this pop joint,” Lily muttered to herself as shot off in the direction of the highway. 

—

Eowyn leaned against the front end of the ATV letting the headlights illuminate the tree that Green was currently cutting down. Jess was right beside him supervising his every move. Tuk was next to her, also leaning up against the ATV.  He had given up on helping the duo several minutes ago. 

“I notice our visitor isn’t with us,” he offered. 

“Yes she’s grounded at the moment,” Eowyn replied.  The silence hung for a moment. 

“Do I even want to know?” Tuk questioned. 

Jess and Green started bickering, causing the older woman to roll her eyes. Even on Christmas Eve.  “She refused to help with the chores so I told her she was to stay in her room until morning.” 

Tuk grunted and nodded as they both watched the two continue to argue as the tree started to lean in one direction. At least they were making progress.

“Ya know, Boss I don’t usually give an opinion on what you do on the ranch, but don’t you think you are being a bit rough on the girl? She didn’t want to be here and it’s Christmas at that. I know she’s a right pain in the arse and she messed up jumping the fence, but she’s not a rancher like we are.” 

Eowyn’s nose wrinkled a bit. As much as she hated to admit it Tuk did have a point. 

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Eoweyn responded. 

“I won’t say anything else on it, Boss.” Tuk gave her a quick look. Green and Jess had started arguing louder and now we’re wrestling around under the leaning tree. They were attempting to shove snow down the other’s shirts.  

“Should I?” Tuk asked. 

“Please.” Eowyn encouraged him to take over for the two now-wet brats. 

“Alright enough you two. Go get the straps ready. Let me finish this.” He pulled one then the other out of the deep snow before going to the tree and pushing it over the rest of the way. 

Eowyn found herself thinking about the blonde she’d left pouting in the cabin. She was definitely a Christmas surprise. She was going to bring some fun and entertainment the next few days for sure. Maybe Tuk was right. She was their guest stuck here against her will even if it was because she broke the rules. Her men should have realized she was missing earlier.  When she got back she was going to talk to Lily.  Maybe it wouldn’t be too late for the blonde to join them and help decorate. 

“Alright everyone grab a part and drag,” Tuk instructed, bringing Eowyn from her musings.  

—

Lily was on the main road not two minutes before it started to snow.  She turned on the wipers and squinted into the oncoming flurries.  The last remaining bits of sun was giving her just enough glare to make seeing difficult. She found herself slowing down to compensate but knew that soon it would be dark.  There were no street lights and for the first time, she realized just what a horrible idea this had been.   

Still, she was committed now.  “Slow and steady,” she muttered to herself.  After all, it was just snow.  She’d driven in it before, kind of.  Two years ago she’d gone on a ski vacation with her best friend’s family.  It had been cold and snowing there too, albeit a bit different. There was snow, on the ground, not really on the road or falling from the sky, and it was daylight, but as long as she was careful, it would be fine. 

She just needed to relax.  It was just snow.  She looked down for a second to turn on the radio.  It was the old-fashioned kind, that had a dial. Lily twisted it one way and then the other trying to get a local station, only to frown at the static. She glanced down again, trying to figure out if there was an AM or FM button only to suddenly see something dart in front of her.  Panicking, Lily hit the brake hard, which caused the truck to serve.  

The road was slicker than she realized and the harder she tried to stop, the worse it became.  Before she knew it, she’d spun around and crashed the back end of the truck into a snow bank.  

Lily’s hands were shaking as she let go of the steering wheel.  She looked up only to see a large reindeer stare back at her from the other side of the road. 

“Damn it.” She muttered. Wasn’t this just grand? She tried to hit the gas to climb out of the snow bank but it didn’t budge. She was definitely stuck. It was then that the gas light clicked on glaring red in her face. “Of course!” She yelled into the empty cab. How long would the remaining gas last to at least keep her warm? The snow was falling harder and there was nothing but a thin light low on the horizon. 

—

“You guys shake off the tree good and get it on the porch. I don’t like the idea of bringing in anything live. I’m going to check on Lily.” Erowyn bounded up the steps into the quiet dark cabin. 

“Lily! We are back!” She went further up the stairs to the second floor. Odd all the lights were off even if it was pitch dark now. Maybe Lily was asleep. She knocked on Lily’s door. No answer. “Lily come on. I want to talk.” Erowyn knocked again. She wasn’t in the bathroom either, the light was off and the door was open. She decided to peek inside. Maybe she really was passed out exhausted. 

“Lily?” Erowyn opened the door to an empty bedroom. She stepped fully inside. The bed was empty and so was the desk chair. She looked around the room eyes narrowing. The few things Lily did have with her weren’t present either. No purse or phone charger. 

“Damn it, Lily,” Eowyn cursed as she raced down the stairs. “Lily! Where are you this isn’t funny!” she hollered as loudly as possible. “So help me!”

As she landed on the bottom floor Tuk Jess and Green all stood in the doorway looking at her. 

“She’s not up here. Spread out around here and the barns. Take a walkie. Channel seven. Find her. We are supposed to get 3 feet of snow tonight. She can’t be out in this weather.” Erowyn watched as each jumped into action instantly moving to grab a walkie and head in a different direction. Eowyn got one herself and finished looking through the house even though she doubted she was anywhere close now. 

“Tuk to Boss. I don’t think your little visitor is here. One of the trucks is missing.” Erowyn took a deep breath. That woman had a death wish. She had no idea where she was going or even how to get there, but she decided to steal a truck and drive there alone. She took another deep breath. The last thing she wanted to do was go on a rescue mission on Christmas Eve. 

“Alright, we have to go after her. She won’t get far. Hopefully, we can follow tracks. Fill up two trucks. Get some survival gear and supplies loaded up. Who knows what’ll be out there waiting. We leave in ten.” Erowyn squacked into the walkie talkie. 

—

Lily shivered again. Maybe she should try to walk back to the ranch. It was better than freezing to death in the confines of this truck. She’d made it several miles though. It would take her hours to walk back in this blizzard. Her stomach was a rock. She should have listened. Why was she always so stubborn? She had to learn to listen. She was quickly growing to hate the snow. And the cold. 

The snow was coming down harder now, and Lily was getting worried.  Just the thought of the snow made her feel colder. She zipped up her jacket and pulled her gloves back on.  At least she’d had the sense to bring them.  Not that it would really matter in the end if she froze to death. 

It was fully dark now too and to make it worse the truck suddenly sputtered and then died.  The gas was gone. It was only a matter of time before the battery died as well and she wouldn’t only be without heat, but without light too.  She groaned in frustration.  She was going to die out here.  She was going to die all alone, and no one would even find her until the spring when she was only a pile of bones in a beat-up old pickup half off a road leading to nowhere.

“Okay, that sounds pretty dismal,” Lily chuckled to herself.   “Great, now I’m losing my mind.  I actually found that funny.”

Desperate and a bit bored, she started to explore the truck.  Maybe if she was lucky she could find something that might help her.  They have to keep emergency supplies around somewhere, right?  Eowyn seems like the type that didn’t take chances with things like safety, or at least she hoped she didn’t. 

—

Eowyn kept her eyes peeled as she slowly made her way down the road.  She and Green had gone east, while Jess and Tuk went west.  Lily had to have gone one way or the other, but as she got further and further away from the ranch, her worry only grew.  No one should be out in this storm, least of all a city girl like Lily. 

“We go much further, we’re gonna be outta walkie range, Boss,” Green reported. 

“I know,” Eowyn frowned.  The walkies had a 5 mile range. It covered the whole ranch and then some, but wasn’t really meant for this.  “Check in with Tuk and Jess and… wait a minute.  You see that?”

“Lights?  Yeah, I think so.  They are facing the wrong way though.” 

Eowyn grunted and pulled up along the white pick-up with the North Star emblem painted on the door.  The truck had definitely skidded around, hitting a snow bank, and was stuck half in the ditch.  She couldn’t see any major damage, but then she couldn’t see Lily either.  She hoped the girl wasn’t dumb enough to get out and try to walk.

Pulling up beside the pick-up, Eowyn threw it in park before jumping out and quickly making her way over.  “Lily! Lily, are you in there?  Are you hurt?”

Eowyn pulled on the handle to the door, only to find it locked.  The windows were fogged over enough that she couldn’t quite see in either.  “Lily!” she called again, banging on the door.  “Open up, it’s me, Eowyn.  Are you okay?  Do you need help?”

Eowyn looked over at Green, who had already radioed to let Tuk and Jess know they’d found the pickup.  Knowing her second, he was probably already heading in their direction.  She pulled on the handle again, relieved when it opened. 

“Eowyn?” Lily called, falling into her arms. 

Eowyn pulled the blonde into her arms, hugging her tightly.  “Thank God.  Are you alright? Are you hurt?” 

—

Lily let herself melt into Eowyn’s strong and warm embrace. The heat had been off for almost an hour. The feeling was gone in both her fingers and toes, and Lily’s vision was blurry with tears.  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I messed everything up.” 

Eowyn’s arms tightened around her further. She felt herself being lifted. “Let’s get you back to the ranch,” Eowyn quietly told her. 

She let herself relax into the strong arms that cradled her close, shielding her from the snow. Lily couldn’t stop the tears from coming. She had convinced herself she was going to freeze to death. Freeze to death because she’d been too stubborn to just shovel horse crap. In the few steps it was to the running truck Lily couldn’t help but realize she didn’t want to let go of Eowyn. 

Eowyn tried to set Lily in the backseat,but she stubbornly held tight to Ewyon’s jacket. 

“Please,” she whimpered. 

“Okay okay, I’ve got you.” Lily stayed close as Eowyn climbed into the backseat with Lily still in her arms. 

“You musta been scared all out here alone.” Eowyn whispered to her. 

Lily nodded and tucked herself into Eowyn’s side.  She’d never been so desperate to be next to anyone like this before.  It was like a raw need to be held and comforted, and warmed by Eowyn and Eowyn alone.

“Green drive us back to the ranch. None of us need to be here any longer.” 

“Yes Boss,” Green answered. He shut the door and got into the driver’s seat. He radioed Tuk again before putting the truck in gear and they slowly lurched forward then he took his time turning around in the road. 

Lily shivered more against the strong chest that held her. Somehow the cold was still holding to her. She felt Eowyn move a bit and more warm air was hitting her. 

“Do you often get yourself in these predicaments, Lily?” 

Reluctantly Lily looked up into Eowyn’s piercing eyes. “Not- not- too often,” she chattered. A bit of doubt wiggled in though. Maybe not this bad of a predicament but there had been a few occasions when she made less than ideal decisions. Not that she currently wanted to tell Eowyn or Green that. 

“Mmm for some reason I think that might not be the entire truth,” Eowyn answered. She reached between them and pulled off Lily’s gloves, rubbing her bright red hands. “You are boarding of frostbite, Lily. We got to get you thawed out.” 

With that, Lily’s hands were stuck under the layers of Eowyn’s clothing against her warm skin. It was an odd feeling. Intimate but not sexual even though she felt the bare skin of the older woman’s toned abdomen 

“Thank you for rescuing me. Again,” Lily sniffled.  “I don’t deserve it.” 

Eowyn squeezed her a bit. “You’d save us all a lot of ache if you’d keep yourself safe for a while Miss Lily.” 

Lily chewed her lip. The guilt was something. She had ruined their night decorating the tree. Not to mention it wasn’t safe for them to be out driving in these conditions. 

“Yes Boss it won’t happen again,” she assured. “I’ll do what you say when you say it and only that. You’ll see… hey ouch!” she then yelped as she felt a sharp pinch to her side.  “

You don’t call me boss. You call me Eowyn,” the rancher chided. 

“Yes ma’am!” Lily sniffled. 

Green chuckled from the front seat, as Eowyn reached forward and popped him on the back of the head.  “Hey!  Driving here, Boss!”

“Don’t call me ma’am either,” Eowyn scolded.

The tone was enough to make Lily squirm.  “Sorry.”

Eowyn sighed and pulled Lily a bit closer.  “How are the hands doing?  Are your feet cold too?”

“Tingly,” Lily admitted. “Both are.  I honestly don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along.  I don’t know… I just… I’m so sorry,” she said as tears again welled up.   “I’ll make it up to you.  I’ll do extra chores.  I’ll listen to everything you say.  I’ll… I’ll…” 

“You relax and don’t worry about any of that right now. First, we get you back to the cabin and get you properly warmed up and checked over.  Then we’ll talk about everything else.” 

Lily bit her lip but nodded.  Eowyn’s words were making another part of her tingly, and not in a good way.  She was ashamed of her behavior, but the way that Eowyn’s tone was somehow both scolding and caring it made her feel very much like a naughty schoolgirl getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar.  The feeling was unsettling, but somehow in Eowyn’s embrace, it felt okay too, or as if it was going to be okay. 

She allowed herself to relax and between the heater and Eowyn’s comfort, she finally stopped chattering.  It almost became too comfortable as she suddenly felt herself become sleepy.  Just as she was starting to doze, however, she felt Eowyn tap her.  “None of that now, you’re a bit big to be carried inside, even by Green.”

Lily felt her cheeks warm with a blush but was glad to be distracted as the ranch finally came into view.  A minute later, she was be ushered out of the truck and back into the warmth of the cabin, where thankfully, there was a roaring fire ready to greet her.  

She was sat down in a chair in front of it where Eowyn and Jess then started to fuss over her, stripping her of her jacket, gloves, boots, and shoes.  She could do little but go along as Jess and Eowyn talked over her, examining her for injury and frostbite.  

“I think she’ll live,” Jess said to Eowyn as Lily found a hot cup of cocoa handed to her.  

“Yeah, I think so too,” Eowyn agreed.  “You have no idea how lucky you were, Lily.”

Lily chewed her lip before looking down into the steaming cup.  The heat felt wonderful on her hands.  “I’m sorry.  I am.  I’ll… I’ll be good and stay out of everyone’s way.  Thank for you the help, but I think I’ll just head up to bed.”

“I don’t think so.  We still have a tree to decorate, and you need to finish warming up,” Jess responded. 

“You guys can go ahead. I’ll just stay out of the way then,” Lily said with a slight frown.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Eowyn vetoed.  “You’re going to help, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I thought I was grounded.”

“You are, but that doesn’t mean I have to be an ass about it.  It’s Christmas Eve after all.  And you did promise to do what I say when I say it several times on the way back here.”

“Well, I suppose to did,” Lily hedged but slowly nodded.  “If you insist.”

“I do,” Eowyn answered.  “Tuk hit the music.  We need to get a little Christmas spirit in here if we’re gonna do this right.”

“Yes, Boss,” Tuck said with a smile before popping a CD into the stereo and hitting play.

—

Erowyn sat back and sipped her steaming cup of coffee and watched as Jess and Lily fussed over the perfect placement of tinsel on the tree. They had taken to ordering around Green and Tuk too which was amusing. 

“No no more to the right.” Jess told Green. 

“Yes! More to the right,” Lily giggled.  Erowyn could see the eye roll come from Green. It was time to intervene. 

“Okay, you two it’s about time to turn it it’s nearly midnight.” Jess gave a small stomp and started to argue before Tuk stepped in. 

“Jess you are in enough trouble. Tell the others goodnight.” Tuk stood and began putting his coat and boots back on. 

“Yes sir.” She mumbled. She wrapped her arms around Lily squeezing her tightly. “Try not to run off again tonight!”

Erowyn noticed the blush rise again. “Not going anywhere,” Lily responded quietly. 

“Good. See you in the morning! We will make cinnamon rolls!” Jess excitedly explained. 

“Sounds fun!” Jess scurried out the door after Tuk towards the door. 

“Green why don’t you head back to the bunk? We will be up early to feed and things.” Green nodded. 

“Yes, Boss, sounds good. I’ll see ya in the morning,” Green excused himself and left Lily and Eowyn alone. 

“And then there were two.” Erowyn said to Lily once the front door was closed behind Green. 

Erowyn patted the seat next to her on the couch. 

“Come over here. Let’s talk.” Lily came and sat close to her. “How are your hands and feet feeling? Back to normal?” 

“Yes, I think so.” Lily answered taking a moment to study her hands. 

“Good I’m glad.” They sat in silence for a few moments. Erowyn found Lily moving closer to her and leaning in. “You could have really been hurt today.” 

Lily sniffled and nodded.  “I know. It was so stupid of me. I feel horrible.” 

Erowyn wrapped an arm around Lily and pulled her close. “Do you always hold onto so much guilt Lily? It’s not good for you.” Eowyn watched the woman’s nose crinkle

“What makes you think I feel guilty?” Lily replied.  She sat up a little straighter, but Eowyn was far from convinced.  

“I’ve been watching you all night.  You’ve held back, been too reserved, and seem uncomfortable.”

“Oh? Maybe I’m just tired.  It’s been a long day,” Lily replied. 

“It has, but you know it’s more than just that.  I haven’t known you long, Miss Lily, but I know you well enough to know when something is off.”  Lily looked down and Eowyn gave her a minute before she prompted again.  “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Maybe,” Lily hedged.  “I just… I just thought you’d be more upset.  I did a really stupid thing.”

“You did, I agree.  You could have been hurt, gotten frostbite, flipped the truck, gotten lost and we might not have found you while you froze to death.  So many things could have happened, Lily.  You’re so lucky it wasn’t more than some cold toes and a bent fender.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily answered, her eyes starting to water again.  “I wish I wouldn’t have been so stupid.”

“I never said you were stupid, Lily.”

“You never said I wasn’t either.”

Eowyn let out a heavy sigh and hugged Lily to her.  “You’re not stupid, you hear me.  I don’t want you to ever say that about yourself again.”  Lily sniffled and nodded into Eowyn’s shoulder.  “Good girl, now back to you feeling guilty, maybe we should do something about that.”

“What do you mean?’ Lily said, finally pulling away from Eowyn to meet her eyes. 

“Well, over the years I’ve found the best way to deal with guilt was to take responsibility for your own actions. We have a system here at the ranch that allows for that, and although you’re technically not part of our little family, I think in your case we can make an exception.”

“I’ll fix the truck, and I’ll work and do whatever chores I need to to pay for my way.  Maybe I can help…”

“Lily,” Eowyn interrupted. “I appreciate that you want to make amends. Honestly, I don’t really care about the truck.  If we stopped every time a vehicle got a dent or a scratch we’d never get anything done around here.  And you’d be doing the chores anyway.  The system we have is a bit more involved than that.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Do you remember when Green left the gate open?”

“And we were all outside in nearly sub degree temperatures chasing horses?”

“Yes.  Think about it for a moment.  Why do you think he would have had trouble sitting the next day after Tuk had a long talk with him in the bunkhouse?”

Lily wrinkled her nose before her eyes went wide.  “Are they…. Are they gay?” she almost whispered. 

It was then Eowyn’s turn to wrinkle her forehead before she tilted her head back and let out a loud laugh.  “Oh God, no,” she continued to laugh.  It took a long moment for her to settle down, and when she did she could only shake her head at Lily’s confused expression. 

“Lily, they didn’t do a lot of talking.  Tuk gave him a good dose of his belt.  He spanked him.”

“Oh,” Lily said with a frown.  Her lips pressed together in thought.  “Is that what you mean by making amends?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to force you.  You’re not part of the crew here and so you haven’t signed our discipline contract. I am, however, offering to help you let go of some of that guilt. There is very little that a good o’ fashioned spanking won’t help when someone feels like they need to make amends.” 

“By giving me a spanking? Seriously?”

“Yes,” Eowyn returned evenly.

“I…” Lily started and then trailed off as if she were debating her options.  “I’ve never been spanked before.  I mean, I don’t know… would you want to use your belt too?” she stumbled over her words as she eyes traveled to Eowyn’s waist.

“No,” Eowyn said, waiting for Lily’s eyes to rise again.  “That’s a bit harsh, even for this.  I would bend you across my knee and use my palm though.  I won’t lie to you.  It’ll hurt, and you’ll probably cry, but afterwards, you will feel better.”

—

Lily chewed her lip and studied Eowyn. Almost everything in her wanted to fling herself over the woman’s lap. She wanted to trust her. She wanted to trust this woman who had saved her life twice already. There was a tug to also be held by her. To embrace the strong but soft arms that held her earlier. However, she also wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. This place and these people all seemed to be exactly what she was looking for. Safety, security, a home, somewhere to find purpose and belong. Despite the cold, wetness, and hard work, deep down she felt better mucking stales with Eowyn than she had staring at a computer hours and hours a day. 

“Lily? I didn’t mean to scare you. Like I said. I won’t force you. You have no obligation to do this. I just think it will make you feel better.” Eowyn was looking at her with those knowing blue eyes. Lily couldn’t bear to hold the gaze. 

“Can.. can I think on it?” she asked quietly, studying the twinkling lights of the now-decorated tree. Eowyn covered her hand with her own. 

“Of course, Lily. I think that’s a good idea. I think we both need to retire to bed. It’s late and like I told the others the morning is going to come early. Let’s change and I’ll come tuck you in for the night.” Eowyn stood and offered a hand to Lily. Lily took it and followed Eowyn up the stairs. They departed ways when the older woman disappeared into the master suite. 

Alone in her own room, Lily looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin was slightly rosey from being in the cold so much the last couple of days.  She felt different, as if she’d come to some realization that her life wasn’t what she wanted it to be.  She’d seen a new way and a new reality, one that perhaps was better, more fulfilling than she’d dared to hope. 

But was it just an illusion?  Could be be a reality? Could there be something between her and Eowyn?  Some connection on some basic level that somehow her heart was pointing her toward? 

And then there was Eowyn and what a proposition Eowyn had given her. She’d heard of such things. In the night when she was tucked into bed and no one could look over her shoulder at what she was googling. She had read some stories about it. Even looked at a few forums, but had never taken the leap. But with a stranger? Was Eowyn a stranger now? She’d saved her life. Twice in as many days, in fact.  

“What are you thinking Lily? This is insane,” she said to herself. 

“Not as insane as stealing a truck and getting stuck outside in a blizzard.” Eowyn had appeared in the doorway. She was now dressed in a matching set of green flannel PJs. She looked comfortable. Like she would give the warmest coziest cuddle ever. 

“I do feel really bad about that,” Lily acknowledged. She turned to Eowyn resisting the urge to melt into a puddle at her feet. 

“I know you do, Lily. Have you thought about what I offered?” Eowyn came into the room and sat on the bench at the end of the bed. 

Lily watched her, hesitating. She wanted to say yes. To give it a try. But also it was scary. Still, it was curious. “If I said yes.. and I’m not saying I am. But what would happen?” Lily questioned. 

“Well,” Eowyn drew out patting the bench beside her and waiting until Lily sat down.  “The first thing you would need to know is that if you agreed, I would then be in charge.  You would need to do everything I say or risk making the punishment worse.  I don’t expect you to be quiet or still, but I do expect you to be obedient.  When I say I am in charge, I mean that in every way.  I would decide when, where, how long, and when I think you’ve had enough.  Expect that your boundaries will be pushed, or else you won’t reach that level of true forgiveness and that inner peace you need to forgive yourself.”

“Inner peace.  I like that idea, but I was looking for more, ah… details.” Lily paused shifting and trying to get the words out without blushing too deeply.  “I ah, you said that you’d spank me, with your hand… like over your knee?”

“Yes,” Eowyn confirmed. “That is where we would start.”

“Start?” Lily echoed.  “What if.. What if it’s too much and I can’t?”

“Lily, we haven’t known each other long, but I will promise you that I’ll always be fair.  I won’t ask for more than I think you can give, but if you really want me to stop, we can set up a safe word.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a word that you can say and I will stop, no matter what, no questions asked.  It can be for any reason, but know that a safe word is sacred.  If you abuse it, then the trust between us can become an issue.   Does that make sense?”

“Yes, I think so.  I like that idea. So what’s a good safe word?”

“Something that you won’t use in everyday language.  For instance, the word stop, wouldn’t work. But it has to be something you’ll not forget either.”

“Hmmm, how about Rudolph?”

“Rudolph?” Eowyn smiled.  “Perfect.  Now, have you decided?”

Lily took in a deep breath.  “I think so.  I feel like I’ve been struggling lately.  Not just making bad decisions here at the ranch, but in my life in general.  I think… I think this is very embarrassing, but I want to say yes.”

“Alright, Lily, then I need to hear you say it. The words will begin a verbal contract between us.”

Lily chewed her lip for a moment but eventually nodded.  “I’d like to try, Eowyn.  I’d like to let go and let you help me.”  Lily paused and looked up, meeting Eowyn’s blue eyes again.  She was watching her like she was waiting for more.  It was hard to give her more, to say it. “I um, I want you to spank me.  Please, Eowyn, please help me.”

“Good girl,” Eowyn praised.  “I know that wasn’t easy and I’ll be glad to help you.”

 Eowyn’s words did something to Lily.  Her insides twisted.  Not in a bad way, or a good way, but in a way that made her feel anxious and excited at the same time.  It was the weirdest feeling, but somehow she also felt special.  She liked Eowyn praising her, making her feel like she was somehow proud of her.  That was a feeling she hadn’t had in too long. 

“Okay, Lily come stand here in front of me.” 

Lily slowly did what she was ordered. She shifted in front of Eowyns and looked down at the older woman who was so sure of herself. 

“Good girl. You just keep doing what I say and this will be easier for you.”

“Yes, Boss.” Lily told her. Her heart was beating hard in her chest. 

Eowyn gave her a look.  “I told you not to call me boss.  It’s Eowyn.  Now, I think it’s time we bring these pants down, Lily. You won’t be needing them.”

—

Eowyn reached for the waistband of Lily’s sweats. The blonde pulled away subtly but didn’t move out of her reach. It was understandable. Being depantsed in a nonsexual encounter was embarrassing. She pulled them down revealing pale blue bikini panties. She paused for a moment to study the bruise that had finished forming since the last time she saw her with out clothes. 

“Okay now, you come on over.  Settle across my lap.”

“Okay.” She meekly whispered. Eowyn offered a hand to the now pantless Lily and led her into position. She allowed them both a few quiet moments to settle and adjust. Eowyn put an arm around Lily pulling her closer against her own body. She shifted her leg pushing Lily’s partially over cheeks into prime position. 

“I want you to tell me if I hurt your hip. I’m going to hold you to me so you don’t fall off. But if it hurts we will change positions.” Lily nodded and adjusted slightly. 

“Yes Eowyn. I’ll tell you.”

“Alright, Lily. Why don’t you tell me why you are over my lap.”

“Wha- what?” Lily strained to look back at Eowyn. 

“I want to hear you say out loud why your bottom is upended and over my knee,” Eowyn encouraged. 

“Because you offered?” Lily’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. 

“Yes, I know that Lily, but I meant what led to my offering.” 

Lily turned back around and sagged over her knee. “Because I’m a screw-up that can’t do anything right?” 

Without warning Eowyn let a firey swat across Lily’s sit spot.  “Watch it, Lily. I won’t have you talkin about yourself like that.  We all make mistakes, but that is why we are here, so we can move past them.  Now,” Eowyn continued, resting a warm hand on Lily’s upturned rear.  “How about you tell me what specifically we will be addressing tonight? What were those decisions?” 

Lily squirmed and whimpered. She was undoubtedly shocked from the first real swat she’d ever gotten in her life, but perhaps her words were also having an effect.  

After a moment, Lily sighed and then admitted. “You’ve literally saved my life twice in as many days.  I obviously am not making the best decisions. I mean… I tried to pet the reindeer and got myself hurled into a snow bank you had to pull me out of.” 

Eowyn adjusted and patted the bottom in front of her firmly.  “True, and why should you have not done that?” 

Lily let out a small whine and wiggled under her hand. “Because it was dangerous and I knew I wasn’t supposed to leave the fenced area.”

“Exactly. And what else did you do to need a spanking in order to repent?”

“I stole one of your trucks, tried to run off, wrecked it, and got stuck in a blizzard,” she rushed out.

“Correct. And I don’t think I even need to begin to tell you all the ways that was a bad idea, do I?” Eowyn scolded.

“No ma’am,” she whispered. 

“Didn’t think so, and for the record, the only time you get to call me ma’am is when you are in this position, clear?”

“Yes… ma’am,” Lily repeated.

“Right then.” Eowyn picked her hand up and began her slow descent onto partially covered flesh. She moved back and forth between Lily’a cheeks wanting to start slow and steady. She watched her breath and reaction for signs that it was too much but didn’t find any other than the tension Lily’s entire body held. 

The two fell into a steady pattern. Eowyn warmed the bottom over her lap and Lily stayed still and stoic. One dozen swats turned to two, and as Eowyn continued, Lily started to let out small gasps and wiggles.  It was almost too cute, Lily trying to hold it in, embarrassed or even determined not to give in to the pain, but Eowyn knew it was only a matter of time.  

Switching it up, Eowyn aimed for a bit lower, covering Lily’s sit spots and evening out the color on the rest of her bottom. The change elicited even more movement from Lily.  She was quickly losing her ability to hide her emotions.  It was good progress, but Eowyn knew that Lily was far from repentant yet. 

Eowyn stopped for a moment rubbing one warm cheek in a circular pattern as she waited for Lily to relax enough to listen.  “Lily, I want you to tell me again why you are getting this spanking.”

Lily tensed for a moment, but Eowyn was patient, moving from one cheek to the next in calming circles. 

After a minute or two, Lily gave in and again relaxed her body.  “Do I have to say it again?” she almost whispered. 

“Yes. All of it.”

Lily squirmed and let out a long sigh.  “I messed up, twice.  Once with the reindeer and again with the truck tonight.  I’m bad about listening to reason and good advice and I need help to get my life back together.” 

Eowyn, rubbed for a moment as she digested Lily’s words.  “Are there more things in your life that you feel like you’ve lost control over?”

Lily wiggled, and although Eowyn couldn’t see her face, she thought she heard her sniffle.  “Yes… everything.”

“It can’t be all bad.  You made it out here on your own.”

“Bearly.  I almost became reindeer road kill… twice.”

“Twice?”

Lily nodded.  “There was a big reindeer in the road.  That’s how I ended up in the snow bank.”

“I see,” Eowyn nodded.  “You and I, we’re gonna talk more over the next few days, but or now, let’s get on with this lesson.”

“Lesson?” Lily squeaked.

“Yes, you in learning to forgive yourself,” Eowyn confirmed before she patted Lily’s behind again. Without further ado she hooked her GI gers in the pale blue panties tugging them half down to meet the woman’s pants. Not giving Lily time to respond she then raised her hand up and began the lesson anew.  This time though there was no pacing.  She focused solely on turning Lily’s backside crimson as she swatted all over it.  Sit spots blurred into the meater part of her behind, and even the tops of Lily’s thighs were not forgotten. 

Lily gasped and started to drum her feet.  Eowyn’s arm, which was holding Lily’s around her hips, tightened as Lily’s squirms and struggles intensified.  

“Oh, ow!  Please, no more!” Lily cried out throwing her hand back to cover herself.  

Eowyn didn’t miss a beat as she grabbed it mid-swat and pinned it into the small of Lily’s back.  The movement allowed her to also switch it up again and aim solely for the very tops of Lily’s thighs.  

The change intensified Lily’s protests.  She became more verbal and then started to break down.  Cries and pleas became incomprehensible blubbers as Lily finally gave into her pain and started to cry.  It was only then that Eowyn slowed her attack, mixing swats with rubs and pats. 

The tension in Lily’s body was gone now too.  She lay limp over Eowyn’s thighs, whimpering and crying softly to herself.  Eowyn let her, stopping the spanks altogether and returning to the soft soothing circles that had calmed her before.  

“It’s all over now Lily. You are forgiven by me and it’s time to forgive yourself too,” Eowyn said, holding Lily close to her as she slowly calmed. 

“Can I get up now?” Lily whimpered. 

“Of course, sweetheart.” Eowyn helped her up onto her feet making sure she was steady before letting go. 

Lily’s hand found her bottom and slowly touched and then rubbed. “That hurt more than I expected it to,” she hiccuped out. 

Eoweyn smiled at the cute sight of other woman doing her first ‘spanking dance.’

 “Yes, they do and there’s more where that came from if it’s needed and earned.” Eowyn stood and wrapped her arms around Lily and squeezed her in a long hug. 

“Won’t be needed ma’am, promise!” 

Eowyn laughed a bit.  She had her doubts but would let Lily have her moment. She helped Lily pull her pants and panties back into place and kissed her on the forehead.

“It’s even later now. Let me tuck you in bed,” Eoweyn encouraged as she noticed Lily’s eyes become big and wet again. “What’s wrong, Lily?” 

“I don’t want to be alone,” she admitted leaning into Eowyn even further. 

Eowyn cupped her face. “You won’t be alone while you are here if that’s what you want. I will sleep in bed with you. Nothing funny I promise, Lily.”

“I’d like that,” Lily whispered. 

Eowyn took her hand, and walked them both around to the side of the bed and directed, “In you get.” 

Lily crawled into the bed and was met with a light swat on her bottom causing her to yelp.  Eowyn crawled in next to her and reached up to turn off the bedside light.  She then welcomed Lily into her arms, letting the blonde tuck into her. 

“It still stings, and it’s warm.”

“I know I can feel it,” Eowyn chuckled.  You’ll be sore for a day or so.” 

The two settled in bed snuggled close together, Eowyn holding Lily in her arms. Lily’s eyes were heavy she closed them but whispered to Eowyn.  “I like it here. It feels like a family. A family I haven’t had in a long time.” 

Eowyn rubbed Lily’s bottom tenderly.  “I’m not opposed to you staying, Lily, but I think we should talk about it outside this emotional moment.” 

Lily became heavier on her chest and she kept rubbing the warm flesh. 

“Good idea.” Lily half mumbled. Two beats later Lily’s breathing was slow and even. 

Eowyn closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the younger woman’s presence. Having someone to care for on this level was something she hadn’t had in a really long time. It filled a hole she didn’t know she was missing and one that she didn’t want to lose. It would take time to figure it all out, but time was something they had. Until then she would enjoy this moment and this night with her newfound family. 

“Merry Christmas, my Lily,” she murmured as she finally closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep. 

Sale for Christmas

As a little treat, I’m putting my entire General’s series (The Sangrian Tiger’s Tale) up for sale for the next week. Starting on Monday, December 21, each of the first three books will be just 99 cents. You can find them on Amazon.

The General’s Guardian: A Sangrian Tiger’s Tale: Book I  

The General’s Choice: A Sangrian Tiger’s Tale: Book II

The Guardian’s Ground Rules: A Sangrian Tiger’s Tale: Book III 

As another special treat, I’m going to give you a little snippet from Book IV. I’m still working on this book, but here is a bit from the begining :).

The General’s Challenge: The Sangrian Tiger’s Tale, Book IV

“Keridwen…”

“What,” Keridwen snapped before Silver could get any more out.  “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Silver frowned, not liking Keridwen comment at all.  They’d had a busy day, but that didn’t excuse Keridwen being curt with her. The camp had been cleaned out, with the bulk of the troops being sent back with the twins and the mothers to Fort Hawk. The rest had moved into more secure quarters at the inn.  Keridwen, Silver, and Kaileigh had taken rooms, while Keridwen’s men filled in the rest, including a few tents on the immediate grounds. Keridwen also sent out multiple messages; to Fort Lion, Keridwen’s men who had already left for Fort Lion, Fort Hawk, and along the path that would eventually reach the Capital.

It had taken quite a bit of talking on Silver’s part to keep Keridwen in town and not follow her men to Fort Lion. The ransom note was rather cryptic and made demands that weren’t possible.  Keridwen wasn’t going to leave without her niece, and although she’d pulled the troops back, she wasn’t going to leave Silver or herself vulnerable either. After a bit of back and forth, Keridwen had reluctantly agreed that banging on Arther’s door personally probably wouldn’t be the best thing for their niece.  Staying in town was a compromise, one that Silver hoped didn’t backfire.

Instead, they’d settled in and decided it was best to wait for more information.  There would have to be a second contact and Keridwen was hoping that showing that she’d was willing to compromise would be enough.  Currently, she was studying a map that was spread out across the table, and she was clearly irritated.

Silver frowned. She could understand Keridwen’s worry.  She was also terrified that something would happen to their niece, but until they had more information, they simply couldn’t act.  Keridwen, however, wasn’t doing either of them a favor by neglecting herself. 

Even before Little Keridwen had gone missing, Silver had been told that the General had not been eating or sleeping.  She had hoped that the chat they’d had before the fire would have made Keridwen more willing, but then she could hardly blame her either.  Even though they’d talked about it, Keridwen hadn’t been the only one neglecting herself.  Silver hadn’t been doing much better.  Now that they were back together, she was going to try harder.  She was also was going to make sure Keridwen was a least making the barest effort to keep herself healthy.

With that thought in mind, Silver put a hand on Keridwen’s shoulder, forcing her to look up from the map.  “I want you to take a break and eat,” she ordered simply.

“Silver,” Keridwen responded, her tone clearly a whine.  “I’m trying to think here.”

Silver raised an eyebrow, which only seemed to make Keridwen pout.  The General was tired, and her actions were doing nothing but advertising it.  “Come over to the bed, Keridwen. Sit with me and eat.  We can talk. Maybe we can brainstorm this a bit.”

“With all due respect, that’s all I’ve been doing since we got that blasted note.  There is something about it that just doesn’t add up, and I can’t figure it out.  I’m missing something.”

“Then let’s talk about it.  Maybe we can figure it out together.”

Keridwen set her jaw, but after a moment, finally snapped, “Fine.”

Silver set her own jaw and in one swift motion, gave the General a swat with her palm across her backside.

“Hey!” Keridwen immediately protested.  Her own hand went to her bottom as she strategically turned away from Silver.  “What was that for?”

“Where do I start?” Silver countered.  “Sit. Eat.  And drop the attitude.”

Keridwen’s lip actually tucked into a pout, but she wisely didn’t argue as she scooted past Silver and took a seat on the bed.  Silver joined her and after a long minute, Keridwen looked up and met Silver’s eyes.  “I’m sorry,” she said.  “This whole mess.  It’s too much.”

Silver reached across the bed and hugged Keridwen.  “It’s going to be okay, honey.  I know, I worried about her too, but they wouldn’t dare hurt her.  It’s only a stalling tactic to gain some sort of advantage.  Arther is probably going to make a run for the border.”

Keridwen slowly shook her head.  “I should have gone with them.”

“I know it feels like we are doing nothing but think about it — the biggest way we can put Little Keridwen in danger is to pressure them.  We have to step back, for her sake.”

Keridwen again shook her head but let out a long sigh.  When she again met Silver’s eyes, they were glazed over with tears.  “How can I ever face my sister again if something happens to my niece.  I’m such a failure.  I feel helpless and trapped.  How could this even happen?”

Silver shifted again and pulled Keridwen closer. She could feel her own eyes begin to sting with tears.  “It’s my fault.  I should have taken her back.  I let my own worry about you and the twins overshadow my senses.  I should have just turned around and brought her straight back to the castle.”

“No, you did the right thing.  You had to take the chance for our girls.  Who knows how long they could have evaded those imposters?  It is I that should have had my men guarding them.  I should have had more patrols.  That fire should have never happened.”

“A lot shouldn’t have happened, Keridwen, but we can’t change the past.  We can only move forward.”

“Even if Little Keridwen pays the price?”

Silver frowned.  “We won’t let that happen.”

“Silver, we have no control.”

Silver fingered the locket around her neck.  “I’m tired of having no control.  We’re going to take it back.”

“How?”

“We are going to start by eating dinner and getting a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow is a new day, and we are going to face it together.”

A Tail of Two Wolves, Part II

This is the 2nd and last part of this SHORT story. If you’d like to read the 1st, it can be found here.

A Tale of Two Wolves, Part II

“Hey now,” I warned as I finally moved my hand to her right cheek.  “You know better than that.  You also know we are far from done.”  I then proceeded to light up her right cheek, focusing only on it until she squealed in protest. 

Pulling back, I kneaded again, giving her a moment to settle and refocus.  A good thirty seconds passed, maybe a full minute before I raised my hand again.

***

I tried to catch my breath when I felt Wolfie’s hand leave my bottom again. That wasn’t good. I tensed slightly waiting for her hand to fall again. And fall it did. It was hard and stingy and the swats were meshing together to create a molten hot mess of my bottom. My hips squirmed every single swat that landed. The sound reverberated loudly and drowned out my noises of discomfort. Her arm tightened around me as she held me securely in place. She was trying to make a point and using my bottom for the lesson. She squeezed my fingers again in reassurance. 

“Owie, Wolf! That hurts.” I swear she smacked harder when I started to squeal in pain. I could only imagine the satisfied look on her face. 

“It’s a spanking, it’s supposed to hurt, little girl.” 

My body tingled with her quiet scolding. I could only mew as she made the swats impossibly harder and lower. She went to my thighs and started spanking there. 

“Wolfie! OW! Not my thighs! Please!!” I kicked and squirmed from the first swat. They hurt so much more. Damn it. “OW!!”

She stopped only a moment, “If you keep kicking we will be getting out the cane and I’ll bend you over the desk.” 

Her threat made me tear up. As soon as she was done talking she went back to spanking me as hard as she could with her hand focusing mainly on the thighs. 

“You are turning my favorite nice pink color,” she mused as she finally stopped and traced the underside of each cheek. 

“Wolfieeeee. It hurts,” I pleaded. And it did. Even her light rubbing touch was slightly uncomfortable. 

“Are you going to be a good girl for me or should I keep going?” she questioned while still playing with my bottom. 

***

I gave my naughty little wolf a pat, knowing what she was thinking.  She hadn’t near enough attention yet, but I always gave her the chance. She whined a moment, but then kicked her leg. “I’m not a girl, I’m a wolf,” she reiterated.

“I see,” I said, giving her another pat before I reached over and picked up her favorite hairbrush from the nightstand. “Then we need to step this up a bit.”

She groaned and squirmed as I rubbed the cool wood over her bottom, almost as if she was rethinking her choice, but then kicked again.  That was my cue.  I pulled back the hairbrush and let her have the first pop.  It wasn’t hard, but enough to let her know that I wasn’t playing around.  She had just asked for more, and more I was willing to give. 

I started out slowly, but methodically, as I moved from cheek to cheek in a steady and stingy rhythm.  My naughty wolf yipped in protest, but I didn’t let that deter me.  

            “You like it when I paint your bottom red with this, don’t you?”

“No,” she whined and kicked again. 

Pop pop pop, went the brush, definitely making its impression. The pinkened cheeks slowly started to deepen in color as I was making sure my point was well understood. Pop pop pop, I continued the drumming just as her toes echoed my rhythm on the bed quilt. 

“Owie,” my brat cried.  

Pop pop pop.   

“Please,” she begged.

Pop pop pop.

“Okay!  Owie!” she finally claimed, her voice rising into that tone in which I knew she was getting close to giving in. 

***

I clung to the bedsheets as the sting in my bottom grew to an almost unbearable level. Damn that brush. Damn my need to be smacked at 3 in the morning. She wasn’t holding back. She now was focusing on the extra sensitive area at the very bottom of my cheeks. It got harder and harder not to fight for her to stop the spanking. 

“Owie, Wolfie!” I flexed my toes and she drummed my bottom. I struggled to catch my breath just as my bottom was struggling to not roll off her lap and beg off. 

“Wolf! It hurts! Ow ow ow!” 

She didn’t respond, but did slow, only to make the swats fuller and I’m not sure how, but stingier too!. The swats seemed to send my entire body into shock and there was not a chance of just relaxing into it! She intended for me to not want or ask for anymore for a few hours at least.  Another hot swat fell and I couldn’t help the tears that leaked into out of my eyes, 

“Wolfie! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, ma’am!” I was desperate now. My bottom felt like it couldn’t get any sorer. From just below my tailbone to the top quarter of my thighs felt like 100 bees were inside my skin stinging me over and over. 

With two more pops, she stopped and sat the brush aside. I felt her hand come and begin to gently rub my hurt bottom. “Are you going to behave and sleep now, little wolf?”

 I nodded.  “Yes ma’am. Sleep and behave.” I whimpered when she pinched a cheek. 

***

I gave my brat a pinch and then patted the pillow next to me.  She smiled and moved to lay with her nose just inches from mine. I couldn’t help giving it a little kiss.  “Remember you said you were ready to sleep.”

Her lip tucked into a small pout but she nodded as she shoved her shorts off and kicked them across the room.  

“Can I stay?”

“Yes, if you also promise not to steal the covers.”

“I need Luna,” she mumbles, her eyes already closing. 

I let out a small sigh and sat up to retrieve her stuffed bear. it had been knocked to the floor during the ruckus. Handing her her bear, I kissed her cheek again.  “Night, honey.”

“Night, Wolfie,” she again mumbled.  “Forgive?”

“Of course I forgive you.  My girl.  My wolf.  Love you.”

“Love too,” my girl nodded and snuggled into her pillow.

With a small smile and another sigh, I settled back into my side of the bed and tucked into my own pillow.   I turned to watch her breathe.  She’s quiet now, and still.  I think she’s fallen asleep.  I watched her for several minutes, my own eyes starting to finally feel heavy again.  

“Night, little wolf,” I whisper before finally giving in.  I think we’ll both sleep well… well at least for the rest of this night. 

The End… for now. 

A Tail of Two Wolves – Part I

This is a little first-person story and my buddy Logan Tyler and I wrote together. If you’d like to read more of her work, you can find it here. Enjoy!

The Tail of Two Wolves

I sighed and stared at the ceiling of the dark hotel room. I turned onto my right side and looked across the room to see my wolf curled up quietly snoring. I kicked the blankets before flopping back onto my back as the air conditioner clicked on again. It had to be 3 am now. Wolfie had been asleep for at least four hours and I had been relegated to bed, phone-free when she went herself. She was tired and passed out fast, but I didn’t feel the same. I couldn’t resist kicking the mattress again. My body had grown accustomed to going asleep with a hot bottom the past six nights and it wasn’t happy tonight was different.

         “Ah, fer fucks sake.” I grabbed Luna by the arm and stood to sneak around to the empty side of her bed. I carefully pulled the blanket back and slid into bed careful to dodge the long brown hair feathered across the pillows. 

         I laid down on the cool sheets and wiggled as close to her as possible. I froze for a moment when she twitched watching to see if I had woken her before I whispered, “Wolfie.” I chewed my lip as she didn’t move again. I carefully poked her cheek. “Wolfie.”

         She moved her head and stopped snoring, but didn’t wake up. I growled a little. It wasn’t fair for her to be asleep when I was awake and right here!

         “Wolfie, wake up.” I poked her in the chest a little harder.

***

I felt myself snort as I woke up to something poking me.  I opened one eye only to discover that I was no longer alone. My little pup had decided to crawl into bed next to me. 

“What time is it?” I mumbled. “Ugh.  Why aren’t you asleep?”

         She said nothing, of course, only giving me those ‘big puppy-dog eyes.’ She was lonely and wanted me. 

         “Oh, alright,” I said as I opened my arms and my little wolf made herself comfortable using my chest as her pillow.  

         Satisfied that I might be able to close my eyes and return to my slumber, I attempted to do so, only to be interrupted by a squirm, another poke, and a whimper. 

         “Yessss?” I drew out.

         “I can’t sleep.”

         “I see.” I reached down and grabbed the nearest cheek, giving her bottom a good squeeze, “You need to try.”

            “But…”

         I squeezed again. “Yes?” I asked as her lip fell into a pout. “If you can behave you can stay here.  If not, you have to go back to your own bed.” The pouting lip protruded further, but I tapped her on the end of the nose.  “I mean it, little girl. I’m tired and if you keep poking your wolf, you’re going to get a reaction that you’re not going to like.”

***

         My bottom tingled under Wolfie’s touch as I willed myself to relax against her. I tried to silence all the other noise in the room. I focused on the sound and feel of her heartbeat under me. It was mere moments before I felt her breathing even out and the arm around me go limp. I sighed… I’ve never seen someone sleep so quickly and deeply. I closed my eyes and urged my brain to stop thinking about how much I was craving her touch. Damn… it was only twelve hours ago! Stupid brain.

            I did enjoy my position though. She was comfy and just the right temperature. I smiled a bit and tried to remember every single detail of this moment. I was enveloped in her love and the fresh smell of her soap and shampoo. The way she felt; soft yet certain. The way she sounded with the occasional little reassuring puff of a snore. The warm protected feeling I had in my tummy was just so right. I wanted to be right here forever. Well, it was almost perfect.  It was just missing one thing; a warm butt.  That would be nice. Sigh.

      I felt myself get emotional as well as I laid there on her chest. We had so little time together and I wanted every moment we had to be together, even if it’s just watching stupid Disney movies. But she was asleep! The restlessness returned and I opened my eyes and looked up at her still-sleeping face. I pulled the covers hard.

         “Wolf! Wake up!”

***

         The shout startled me as I felt my heart practically leap out of my chest.  “Hey! Don’t do that.  You scared me!”

         “But…” she protested, that bottom lip trembling.

         “Do you need to go back to your own bed?”

         “No… I just…” 

         “Yessss?”

         “I just miss you,” she whined. 

         “I’m right here,” I protested. “I’m tired. It’s the middle of the night!”

         “So? Wolves are supposed to be awake in the middle of the night.  We nocturnal, ‘memer?” 

         “Real, wolves maybe.” I sighed heavily.  “I think I understand.”  I then moved, shooing my little pup off my chest as I sat up and tucked a pillow behind my back. 

            “I think you’re asking for a bit of attention, young lady,” I announced meeting two innocent hazel eyes. 

   “I not a young lady, I’m a wolf pup ,” my girl protested with a mock howl.

         “Un-huh.  You’re about to be a sorry little wolf pup,” I said as I grabbed her arm and pulled her up and over my lap. I was expecting more of a protest, but all I got was a little whine as I pulled down her pajama shorts and exposed her panties. 

         “Wolfie!  That’s embarrassing!” she whined. 

         “Yep,” I replied as I swatted her left cheek.  “And I’m about to make you howl, little wolf.”

         “No,” she protested as she tried to cover.

         Undaunted, I grabbed her wrist and pinned it to her back.  I swatted again, this time one good spank on the center of each cheek.

***

          I whimpered, squirmed, and turned red as I was finally trapped bottom up over my wolfie’s lap. Her hand was slow but unrelenting in its determination to cover my bottom in warmth. My hips seemed to have a mind of their own as every swat was met with a slight move away from the sting. I tried to choke back the noise that was growing too as she expertly moved lower down my bottom smacking where it stung more and was less protected by my panties. I squeezed the hand holding mine. 

I didn’t have to be quiet. We were alone and no one could hear us in the privacy of our suit. 

“Wolfie!” I pleaded. 

“I’m right here, honey.” She stopped a moment and slowly rubbed each cheek and gave it a squeeze. “Mine,” she murmured, before her hand made its way to the waistband of my panties. She very slowly wiggled them down my hips exposing my bare bottom to her, before she started rubbing again.

 I shivered. Her hand was intoxicating to me.  It was the one thing that would drive right home to my insides. Spank me all day with a paddle sure, but the moment she touched me with her palm my body melted into a pile of mush. Even if it was just a light pat or rub, I couldn’t help but squirm in reaction. It was too personal. Her skin met mine. She was hurting herself to give me what I wanted. Her hand is my kryptonite and she knew it. 

“Wolfie!” I whimpered again. 

***

I kneaded a cheek and then swatted my pup again.  She was just getting warmed up and despite the late hour, I knew neither of us would be getting any sleep until she’d had her fill. I lifted my hand again, I brought it down hard on her right cheek and then again, echoing on her left. 

I moved my hand across her bottom, taping the undercheek of her left side a few times, each time a little harder.  By the tenth swat, she was starting to protest.  I knew she hated it when I focused on only one cheek, but then again it was a great way to get her attention as well.  Another dozen stingy swats rained down on the left, enough that she squirmed and almost twisted away. 

“Hey now,” I warned as I finally moved my hand to her right cheek.  “You know better than that.  You also know we are far from done.”  I then proceeded to light up her right cheek, focusing only on it until she squealed in protest. 

Pulling back, I kneaded again, giving her a moment to settle and refocus.  A good thirty seconds passed, maybe a full minute before I raised my hand again.

Guardian Island — Coming October 6th.

It’s avaiable for pre-order now, but will be available on October 6th on Amazon here. Here is a snippet from one of the times were Jade get’s herself into some hot water. If you’d like to check out a couple of other scences they can be found here and here!

Now alone with just Sienna and Madeline, Jade felt the butterflies in her tummy swirl.  Madeline must have sensed her discomfort because she put a supportive hand on Jade’s leg.  “Auntie, please don’t be mad.  Jade was brave enough to come back.  She didn’t mean it.”

“Were you there?  Did you see what happened?” Sienna asked.

Madeline shook her head.  “No, but I saw Jade right after.  She was really upset, and she’s right, Adam is a jerk.  You should paddle him good.  He doesn’t get it like the other novas do.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Madeline shrugged.  “People talk.  They don’t always realize what they are saying.”

“I need more than that, Madeline.”

“Adam is a handful.”  Madeline shrugged again.  “I don’t want to get anyone into trouble, but someone should put him in his place.  What Jade did was a good thing.”

“You know I can’t excuse the violence, but I also understand what you mean.  Sometimes you’re just too smart for your own good.” Sienna gave Madeline a reassuring smile.  “I’ll look into this, but I think it’s time for you to go home too.  You’re filthy!”

Madeline wrinkled her nose.  “I was on my way back from the sparring grounds when I got sidetracked.  Jade, do you want me to stay?  I will.”

Jade had resumed studying her hands that were twisting in her lap.  She was only able to give a non-committal shrug to Madeline’s request.  Deep down, she was terrified to be alone with Sienna, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit that fear aloud.  Still, she knew she couldn’t use the girl as a crutch either.  In the end, she found herself shrugging again but looked up at Sienna.  She almost felt shy as she asked.  “Promise all we’ll do is talk?”

“I promise,” Sienna said.

“Okay,” Jade agreed.

“Great, then I’ll let you two talk.  If you need me, Jade. I’ll be at the dorm,” Madeline said reassuringly.  She stood and put her hand on Jade’s shoulder supportively.  “It’s going to be okay,” she further encouraged.

“I know.  Thanks.”

Madeline gave her a smile and another pat before she took her leave.  Now alone with Sienna, however, she found herself having a hard time making eye contact.

 “How about we go upstairs?  I think we’ll be a little more comfortable there,” Sienna decided.  She stood and offered her hand to Jade.  Jade took it without question, almost glad that Sienna was so calm.  It was reassuring, and for that, at least, Jade was thankful.

It didn’t take long before Jade found herself ushered up to the living quarters and over to Sienna’s padded bench.  There Jade couldn’t help curling up next to her as Sienna offered her arms in invite.

“I’m really sorry,” Jade broke the silence.  “I shouldn’t have hit him.  I lost my temper.”

Coming soon — Guardian Island

It’s finally coming! Available now for preorder here, and will be released on Amazon in just a few days — Tuesday, October 6th!!

A high school dropout, Jade was alone with no real family or friends. Just barely making ends meet and working in a second-hand motorbike shop, she thought she couldn’t lose anymore until she lost her world as well.   While riding her bike home, she was cut off, her bike skidding uncontrollably, and then there as blackness.  When she woke, everything was different.

Sienna was the leader of her world, a strange, isolated island that was full or more questions than answers.  Which each full moon, someone new would appear on the island.  Where that person came from and why was a mystery, but they always found their place.  They became a need filled, or a prayer answered.  At least everyone so far had… but then there was Jade.

Jade was different.  Combative and impossible, she Sienna butt heads from the start.  Both stubborn, yet both lost in their own ways, they somehow connect.  Through old-fashioned discipline, love, and sheer force of will, Sienna opens Jade’s eyes to a new reality, while Jade teaches Sienna about just what it takes to be a true leader. Like all things, however, nothing can stay the same forever.   Just as Jade and Sienna start to accept one another, Sienna’s niece, Madeline, discovers a new reality that could change everything.  Will Jade and Sienna love and determination be able to survive these new discoveries, or will their world’s collide, ruining the society that Sienna has worked so hard to create and their love in the process?     

Guardian Island — Teaser #2

Here is another little bit from Guardian Island. It’s getting very close to the edits being done… I’m excited!

Guardian Island — excert #2

Sienna looked up to find Jade lurking in the doorway.  She had the brush in hand but seemed to hesitate to go any further.  She hadn’t yet changed into the common tunics and leggings that the compound wore, so everything about her was dark.  From her midnight-hair to her black jeans and t-shirt, she was oddly out of place.  Still, there was something about her that was almost too familiar.  Catching those blue eyes confirmed it.  Sienna was being drawn to her, almost as if…  no, Sienna broke off the thought.  It wasn’t right.  She couldn’t.  She was the leader, and Jade, her nova.  Plus, she was a woman, and that just complicated things.  

With a frown, Sienna pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and reached out to Jade, beckoning her closer with her fingers.  Jade hesitated a moment before her face became hardened.  With determination, she practically marched to Sienna and pushed the brush at her.

Sienna rose an eyebrow, but took the brush, setting it on the chair next to her.  “Are you going to fight me, Jade?”

Jade stiffened but only shrugged.

“Tell me what you are thinking.  Are you just trying to appease me?  Do you think yourself deserving?  Perhaps you are just curious?”

“I… I don’t know.  This is stupid.”

Sienna stood and gently touched Jade’s cheek, forcing their eyes to meet. “Is it?”

“Yes,” Jade spat.  “If it makes you feel better about yourself to beat me, then fine.  I can take it.”

“This isn’t about beating, Jade.  It’s not even about pain or punishment.  It’s about submission.  Do you understand that?”

For a moment, Jade’s eyes clouded in a clear sign of confusion.  She didn’t admit it, and Sienna instinctively knew she couldn’t, not yet, but as her face again took on that protective mask of indifference, it was crystal clear to Sienna.  Jade didn’t understand their way.  She would have to be taught, and as her guardian, it would be Sienna’s job to make sure she was instructed correctly.

“Alright.  Tell me what you think is going to happen, Jade.”

Again, confusion flashed across Jade’s face as if she wasn’t expecting to be asked that question.  She took a long moment to answer, and Sienna patiently waited until she admitted, “You’re going to hit my backside with the flat of that brush in some vain attempt to get to me agree that you’re superior to me and that I’m helpless.”

“So, you don’t think you deserve a spanking?”

“You’re the one holding me prisoner.”

“I told you, you were free to leave, yet you are the one who opted to bring me the hairbrush.”

Jade shifted from foot to foot.  “Maybe I’m a little curious. I want to see what your island has to offer before I make up my mind to leave.  You made it clear the only way I can stay is if I submit to you and that hairbrush.”

“Ah,” Sienna nodded. “So, you are willing to submit.”

“No, but I’m willing to try,” Jade admitted.  She shifted again.  “Can we get this over with?”

“Alright,” Sienna agreed.  She leaned back to pick up the hairbrush and then gave Jade a slight nod. “Turn around, bend over, and put your hands on your knees,” she ordered in a soft voice.

Jade only hesitated a moment before returning the nod and assuming the position.

The agreement surprised Sienna.  She was expecting more of a fight.  She stood there, almost frozen for a moment as she not only digested Jade’s willingness but her position.  Suddenly the tight denim pants Jade was wearing was distracting.  Her backside was lush and full, and Sienna couldn’t help but picture what it would look like beneath the clothing.   Her heart rate quickened, and she found her mouth dry. 

She didn’t understand at first, but then, as she felt her underclothes suddenly become damp, she did.  Jade, especially in her willingness to submit, was turning her on.  Her mind flashed to the day before when Jade had kissed her.  The action at the time had alarmed and confused her.  Sienna had thought about it the whole night before.  She thought it was just a fluke, but now looking down at Jade’s shapely and most inviting backside, she couldn’t help but want more.

Sienna looked down at the brush in her hand.  It was about submission.  It was about admitting one was wrong and seeking redemption through the pain and humiliation of a spanking, but suddenly this felt wrong.  Jade needed to know the rules.  She needed to understand them, but she didn’t, not yet.  She hadn’t been given the opportunity.  Sienna had a duty, yet she couldn’t… it had suddenly become too hard.

Guardian Island — Preview

As promised here is a little excert from my soon to be published, Guardian Island. Enjoy!

Sienna raised an eyebrow at her, and then bent to pick up the chair that had been somehow knocked over.  Taking a seat, she motioned to the other chair that was across the small table in front of her.  “My name is Sienna.  I’m not going to hurt you, but I would like to talk with you.”

The nova blinked as if she wasn’t sure what to do.  Her face flashed a rainbow of emotions before finally hardening.  “Fuck you.  Why are you keeping me here?  Who the hell are you anyway?”

Sienna took in a deep breath.  She wasn’t used to being spoken to in such a manner. Even in the worst situations, the newcomers were usually civil.  This one was obviously different.  “I told you,” she repeated slowly and evenly.  “My name is Sienna.  I’m the leader here, and if you will just calm down and have a seat, I’ll try my best to answer your questions.”

“Are you some kinda cop?  I didn’t have anything on me.”

Sienna wrinkled her forehead.  “Please, sit.” She then waited, but eventually, the newcomer crept closer to the offered chair and slid into it.  “There,” Sienna managed a smile.  “Now, you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

“You have got to be shitting me,” the newcomer snapped with a roll her eyes.  “You have my crap.  Surely you know who I am.  Where is my bag?  You have no right to keep it from me.”

“I actually have every right.  This is my island.  We live by my rules.”

“No one owns an island. You’re full of shit.”

Sienna took another deep breath.  “You will stop throwing insults at me and start behaving civilly, or I shall leave.” 

The newcomer narrowed her eyes, and Sienna wondered just how far she was going to push when she finally let out a sigh of her own.  “Fine, I’ll listen, but no promises.  I don’t trust you, and I don’t believe anything you say.”

“Fair enough,” Sienna nodded.  “You didn’t tell me your name.”

“Jade,” the girl snapped.

“Jade,” Sienna smiled. “A pretty name.   It suits you.”

Jade snorted.  “If you say so.”

Sienna let out a small sigh.  “Alright, let’s start at the beginning.  You’re special. You’ve been picked for a very specific purpose.  We might not know what that is right now, but you belong here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Before waking up, what’s the last thing you remember?”

Jade wrinkled her forehead.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Humor me.  What’s the last thing you remember?”

Jade was quiet for a moment, but finally admitted, “My bike.”

“Bike?”

“Motorcycle.  I was riding it.   I was on the freeway and got cut off by some asshat in a beat-up old pick-up.  I swerved and felt the bike slide….” Jade stopped as her eyes suddenly became large.  “Crap, am I dead?”

“Do you feel dead?” Sienna asked.  She’d actually heard that question before and wasn’t a hundred percent sure herself.  Many novas had a similar story of being snatched from the other side at a moment of panic or distress.

Jade put her hand on her chest as if she was checking for a heartbeat.  “I don’t think so.  Death isn’t supposed to hurt, and I have a gnarly headache.”

“That’s the aftereffects of the portal.  It’ll fade in a few hours.  If you would have let her, Darla would have given you something for it.”

“That bitch with the cold hands?  When I woke up, she had them up my shirt!”

“Watch the language,” Sienna warned.   “And she’s a doctor.  She was examining you.”

“Bullsh…” Jade started but stopped as Sienna raised a finger in warning.

“I’ve asked you nicely and told you I don’t care for that language.  You will stop using it.”

“You can’t control what I say.”

“No, but I can help you to make better choices.  If you choose to curse again, I will leave. We will not continue this conversation until you apologize and promise to behave.”

Jade narrowed her eyes.  “Screw you.  You can’t treat me like a fucking child.”

“Alright,” Sienna nodded.  “When you are ready to talk again, let the guard at the door know, and they will send for me.”  With that, Sienna got up and quite purposely left the room. 

“Is everything okay?” Derrick asked when Sienna reappeared. ­

“She calmer now?” Brice added.

“I still need to finish my examination,” Darla also added.

Sienna held up a hand, silencing them all.  “She needs some time.  Brice, can you and Derrick set up a schedule?  I need two people out here at all times until she can calm down.  I told her when she was ready to behave, she can ask for me.  Please keep me appraised of how she’s doing.  Also, and this is important, I don’t want anyone talking to her.   No communication, understand?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?  She’s a newcomer,” Darla argued.

“She’s an insolate brat that needs a good spanking, but first she needs to learn some respect, and I won’t have any of you argue with me about it.   Do I make myself clear?”

Darla bit her lip but nodded.  As Sienna eyed Derrick and Brice, she was pleased to get twin nods from them as well.  The last thing she wanted to do was discipline her greeter team.  They were just trying to do their jobs, and it wasn’t really their fault the newcomer was so hard to get along with.  

“Good,” Sienna said.  “Darla, you might want to go check on Charlie.  That eye is going to be pretty tender for a few days.  Make sure no permanent damage was done.”

“I’ll do that, and Sienna, I’m sorry.  I was just trying…”

“To have too big of a heart,” Sienna cut her off. “It’s okay.  I’m not upset, with any of you,” she added, looking up at her team.  “This one just needs to be handled differently.” 

“Sienna, does that mean you’re going to take on her guardianship yourself?”  Derrick suddenly asked.  The question caught Sienna off guard.  She’d already mentally set up the nova with Michael, the compound’s butcher.

 It was a bit unusual, as he’d only been on the island himself for seven years. He had been officially released from his own guardianship two years ago, but he’d yet to be given the rank of full guardian.  One usually needed to wait at least a decade for that.  Newly released novas had to be on their own, and a positive member of the community, for long enough to be able to take on the responsibility. Michael was a sweet though, and he’d proven himself worthy.  She was hoping they’d even make a match.  He deserved someone to care for and possibly even love.

Sienna, on the other hand, hadn’t been an official guardian since Sarah had come.  After Madeline was born, she’d focused mainly on her.   As leader, of course, she looked over the entire compound, but on a personal level, Madeline had been her primary responsibility.  Madeline, though, had recently moved out.  Her room was vacant, and she seemed happy in the dorms with the other unattached girls.

“Possibly,” she finally answered.  “We’ll see if she comes around.  In the meantime, you have my orders.”

Ryan’s Rules — Part 6

I know it’s been a bit, but Logan and I were finally able to finish this little gem!

You can find parts one, two, three, four,  and five here!

Also, keep an eye on this site.  I’m going to be doing some more posting soon, including some special bits from a brand new book.  Guardian Island is a new novel that will be on Amazon soon.

 

Emily whimpered as Ryan again raised her palm, starting the spanking anew.  This time the swats came faster and in sets — three at a time on each cheek.  Emily let out a small squeak of protest, but dug in and concentrated on staying in position.  She certainly wasn’t going to make this any worse then it had to be. 

It seemed Ryan was trying to make her entire bottom molten hot before she even got the belt. The spanks were relentless, still continuing in the sets of three as she moved about every inch of skin available including her thighs. Emily couldn’t help moving, helplessly trying to find purchase on anything that might give her relief.  Ryan, however, continued even as Emily began to cry out with every spank Ryan laid onto her already tender backside. Finally, after a particularly hard series of back and forth between sit spots,  Ryan stopped and gently rubbed Emily’s hot backside. Emily whimpered, knowing she would have a reminder every time she sat the next few days.. 

“Okay, little girl. All done with that. Catch your breath.” 

Emily tried to slowly relax her body and lay limply across Ryan’s lap. She caught her breath and murmured, “I’m sorry for breaking the rules. I’m never going to do it again.” 

Ryans simply squeezed each of Emily’s sore bottom cheeks in turn. “I’m sure you think that, but let’s make sure, okay? You ready to finish this?” 

Emily whimpered under Ryan’s hand but nodded her head.  “Yes, ma’am. Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

“Good.” Ryan guided Emily up to stand in front of her before standing as well.  “I love you, baby. I only want what’s best for you,” she further reassured Emily with a kiss to Emily’s forehead. She then put a pillow on the edge of the bed before directing, “Over the bed, honey.” 

With a sigh, Emily slowly moved toward the bed while Ryan unbuckled the belt from around her waist.  Emily didn’t like this scenario, one bit, but it wasn’t like Ryan was giving her choice.  Slowly, she willed herself to bend over, leaving her bottom in prime and was too vulnerable position. She waited, closed her eyes, and shivered as she heard the leather belt, being pulled through the loops as Ryan quite purposely removed it. 

         “Okay baby. It’s really important to stay in position. I don’t want to get your hands,” Ryan explained as she folded Emily’s nightshirt up and out of the way again before doubling the belt and lining it up across her two pink cheeks. 

Ryan tapped the belt in warning before pulling it back and laying a medium swat across the full of Emily’s bottom. She then didn’t give much pause before pulling back to lay another medium swat in almost the same place. 

Emily gasped as her toes danced on the carpet, but she managed to stay mostly in position, but Ryan didn’t give her any quarter as she ignored her protests and continued with the swats. She laid them down slowly, but steady, in a meticulous pattern all up and down Emily’s bottom.   A dozen swats followed, falling on her already throbbing butt without pause.  Not only turning the pink of her bottom much closer to bright red but making Emily regret every rule she’d carelessly broken.

         Now in agony, Emily held tightly to the covers under her. Ryan’s use if the belt was relentless. Her right cheek especially felt like it’d be bruised for a week. Even while whimpering, however, she still wasn’t ready for it to stop. Not yet. She was on the verge of actual tears and she craved that. “Please,” she whimpered, knowing that Ryan would understand.

“I know, baby,” came the replay and a gentle rub to the closest throbbing cheek. There was then a pause and the buckle of the belt clinked as Ryan changed sides. 

Emily resisted reaching back to touch her hot skin. There was a warning tap again and then a quiet whoosh a fraction of a second before the belt fell again across the meaty part of her bottom. Emily gasped and grabbed the blanket in her fists tighter. The swats seemed harder, but maybe she was just because her already abused bottom was so tender. 

Still, it didn’t deter Ryan from building up a steady rhythm again. Splat. Splat. Splat. “I’m going to be keeping a much closer eye on you,” Ryan lectured between swats. “You will be eating right and taking care of yourself or you will be right back here getting a spanking.” 

Emily whimpered as another dozen stokes were applied before Ryan stopped the spanking, laying the belt down and stepping beside her to rub her tender bottom. “We are almost done. You have taken your spanking like a good girl.” 

Emily allowed herself to relax into the touch a moment. Although in the back of her mind she knew the worst was yet to come. “I’m so sorry I’m making you punish me this hard, Ryan. I’ll try not to be naughty again.” 

Ryan continued rubbing for several long moments, most likely to make sure Emily’s butt wasn’t asleep for the next part. Emily couldn’t lie though. It’d been a while since she had the chance to truly enjoy Ryan’s touch and felt a tingle between her legs stir.

         “Okay sweetheart. Five more, one for each rule. They will be hard.”

 Emily whimpered but nodded. Ryan’s hand left her bottom before the belt was picked up for a final time.

         Emily forced her bottom to relax and buried her face deep into the covers of their bed. The belt tapped her bottom, but only stayed a moment before it came down much harder and lower than any other swat before. POP! The belt burned across her sit spots. Emily felt tears burn her eyes. But another swat stung across her sit spots again. POP! Her body jerked under the pain before tears began leaking from her eyes. The next two hard swats landed on her sit spots building impossibly more ache as tears fell faster. The final was the hardest of them all, it snapped quickly low across her thighs. Emily squealed loudly as the feeling settled into her legs, but she let herself cry into the covers. 

A moment passed before she felt Ryan’s hand on her back, and then the bed sink slightly as Ryan sat down next to her.  Emily found herself shifting, putting her head in Ryan’s lap.  “I’m sorry, so sorry,” she sniffled as Ryan pet her hair. 

“It’s over now,” Ryan reassured her.  “You’re forgiven.”

The words, like magic, allowed Emily’s tears to start anew, but Ryan said nothing as she continued to stroke and pet Emily’s hair.  

Several long minutes passed before Emily sniffled and turned her head so she could meet Ryan’s eyes.  “I’m not going to be able to sit down for a week, you know that right?”

Ryan chuckled.  “A day, maybe two.” She winked and tapped Emily who moved her head and to let Ryan shift positions. Both now laying down,  Emily then scooted up a bit so that she could lay her head on Ryan’s shoulder. 

“That’s more comfortable,” Emily said sighing in contentment.  “Why am I tired?”

“I think we’re both tired.  Maybe a nap and then a good dinner, or lunch… depending on how long we sleep.”

“Or midnight snack?” 

Ryan smiled and kissed Emily’s head.  “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Night,” Emily returned with a smile and curled in a bit tighter.  “Love you.” 

“Love you more.”

“Always.”

Emily waited for a moment for Ryan to say something more, but when she didn’t she looked up only to realize that Ryan had fallen fast asleep.  With a small smile, she pulled a blanket over both of them, kissed Ryan’s cheek, and settled back down onto her chest.  She smiled again, and reaching down to give her still-warm bottom a rub, she closed her eyes and let herself relax.  Within moments she had joined Ryan in much needed and well-earned slumber.  

Ryan’s Rules — Part 5

I know it’s been a while, but here it is!   You can find parts 1, 2, 3,  and 4 here.

Emily suddenly froze as she heard movement behind her.  Ryan had entered the room.  She could sense her, but she’d yet to say anything. Then it became quiet again.  Painfully quiet. Emily shifted and strained her ears but there was not a sound for several long minutes. 

Time seemed to pass at a snail’s pace, leaving Emily in a whirlwind of nerves and regret, but when she finally heard Ryan speak, she could only shiver at her tone. 

“Come here, Emily.” 

Her voice was low, dangerous even, and it made Emily wish she could hide in the corner forever.   Slowly, Emily gathered her courage and turned to face her partner. Ryan’s face was stern, yet almost blank of emotion. Emily found herself hesitating before she was able to convince her feet to move. She managed to trudge over to stand in front of Ryan who was seated in the middle of their couch.  It was the same couch where she was sleeping only hours earlier. 

Emily then looked down, studying Ryan’s lap as Ryan held her hands and looked up at her.

“Why don’t you tell me why we are here?” Ryan asked in a firm but caring tone. 

“I broke the rules,” Emily answered.  

“What rules did you break, Em?” Ryan continued to probe. 

Emily’s eyes traveled up Ryan’s only partially covered legs, up to her cleavage, past slender shoulders, and finally to her face.

“All of ‘em,” she mumbled feeling her face warm. 

Ryan squeezed her hands, almost reassuringly. “I want you to explain them to me, honey. All of them.”

Emily gulped.  She knew she was in trouble, but suddenly face to face with Ryan and forced to reply Ryan’s rules aloud, she realized just how deep she’d gone.  After all, it wasn’t that out of the ordinary for her to break a rule here or there. Her laundry often ‘missed’ the hamper, or she’d press something a little too far, but to think that she’d actually broken all five rules at once was a little unfathomable. 

“Um,” Emily stuttered, then let out a long sigh.  “I need to take care of myself, clean up after myself, be honest, remember to eat, and um, stay safe.”   

“Very good,” Ryan nodded.  “Now tell me how you broke each one of those rules?”

“Ryan,” Emily started to whine but got cut off by a raised eyebrow.  “Okay, fine. I um, didn’t eat dinner.”

“Yes, the ice cream.”

“Yeah, and I fell asleep on the sofa and didn’t pick up my clothes in the living room.”

“Very good, and?”

“And, I um… I didn’t do the rounds before I fell asleep to make sure everything was locked up for the night.”

“I see,” Ryan frowned.  “So by my count that’s four? What are we missing?”

“Well…I didn’t go grocery shopping like I promised I would,” Emily added with a small blush.  “I know that’s not technically a lie, but I did break my word, as I knew it was my turn and I didn’t follow through… and…”

Ryan’s frown deepened with her confession, making Emily shift back and forth from foot to foot. “And?”

“And, I haven’t really been honest with you lately.  I haven’t gone shopping because I just haven’t been eating, well a lot.  It’s been busy at work, and well, the vending machine isn’t the best place to get lunch.”

“I see,” Ryan nodded.  “I figured that you probably forgot to lock up  since you fell asleep with the TV still on…”

Emily’s cheeks flushed as she interrupted. “I didn’t leave anything open on purpose, and technically, you were the last one to leave the house today, so if anything wasn’t locked it wasn’t really my fault.”

Ryan gave her a look and Emily cringed a moment before Ryan popped her thigh. “You know that’s not an excuse, young lady, but I’m not really concerned with that so much. I’m much more concerned with you skipping meals, Em. You know that’s a big one.  How many days have you had lunch from the vending machine, or just skipped a meal altogether?”

“A few,” Emily frowned, wishing that she could rub her thigh.  Ryan was still holding her hands and her thigh was stinging from the slap, but she knew that was nothing compared to how much her backside would soon be stinging when Ryan really got to work. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled.

“I know you are, Em, but you know that’s also not good enough.  You have a spanking coming, and a big one at that. Come on now, let’s get this moving.”

Emily bit her lip as Ryan finally let go of her hands and then helped her step out of the shorts she’s slipped on before breakfast.  She hadn’t bothered with panties and now as she shivered in the short-cropped pajama shirt she wondered if she hadn’t made a mistake.  Maybe Ryan would have let her leave them on, at least for a little while.  

With a sigh and a wrinkle of her nose at the thought, she was too soon distracted as Ryan tipped her over her lap.  Emily found herself looking at the carpet and using her fingertips to balance herself as Ryan, tapped her other end with her palm.

“You know I love you, Em.  I’m sorry I have to do this,” Ryan paused before giving her a solid swat on her right cheek, “but you know you need me to remind you that the rules aren’t just there for my pleasure.”  Ryan paused again, giving her a stingy and quick series of a half-dozen spanks. “It’s to keep you both healthy and safe.”

“I know,” Emily sniffled as Ryan’s lecture ended. Another swat landed, this time on her left cheek and then was echoed on her right.  Spank after spank rang down in a slow and steady, bouncing from sensitive cheek to sensitive cheek.  

“Ouch!” Emily cried out at Ryan managed to swat her more tender sit-spots.  She couldn’t help wiggling and whining as the heat started to spread. Ryan was only getting started and Emily was already wishing it was over.  “Please, Ryan, I’m sorry. I am!”

“Un-huh,” Ryan grunted before giving her a face and evil dozen pops.  She then paused and rubbed for a moment before saying, “I should spank you every night for a week with all that naughtiness that you just confessed.  It’s been a long time since I really lit you up, little girl, but tonight a handful of swats isn’t going to cover it.”

Her warning over, Ryan then resumed the spanking, which only seemed to get harder and hotter by the moment.  Emily was biting her lip, trying to keep the protest at a minimum, but she was also quickly losing her resolve.  “Oh! Owie!” she whined as Ryan’s hand only continued its dance. 

In her head, Emily tried to distract herself.  She tried to count the swats but didn’t get past ten before she practically wiggled off Ryan’s lap.  Ryan had to again pause to pull her back into position. She took a moment to rub her hand over Emily’s bare bottom, which now felt hot and tingly as Ryan’s stong palm caressed it.  

“I think it’s been too long, if you think you can just wiggle off like that, Em.  Do it again and there will be consequences, understand?”

Emily gulped.  “Yes ma’am,” she replied, thinking back to some of her earliest punishments.  The only time Ryan had ever used a belt was to remind her to stay in position, and that lesson had only needed to be repeated twice.  She wasn’t about to let tonight be a third time.  

“Good,” Ryan nodded before giving her bottom a pat.  “I think we’re almost warm enough, but not quite yet.”

Emily whimpered as Ryan again raised her palm, starting the spanking anew.  This time the swats came faster and in sets — three at a time on each cheek.  Emily let out a small squeak of protest, but dug in and concentrated on staying in position.  She certainly wasn’t going to make this any worse then it had to be.