Read Online Lucinda by Paige Mallory - Free Book Online

was required to give her an injection because she was grieving uncontrollably for her brother, and she spent the night in my professional care.  What makes the situation different, Miss McCrae?  You both spent the night under my roof, in my bed.  If Miss Jacobs is of ill repute, then you, madam, are of equal ill repute.”  The women gasped again, and he was sure he heard some giggles.
    “How dare you imply that my behavior is like that harlot’s?  She chased after you out into Apache country!  And everyone knows you switched her bare in the livery stable.  You should be ashamed, Doc Z.  You bared that young woman to whip her, and now you need to do the right thing and marry her!”  She looked at the other women and said with a smile, “Of course, I wouldn’t want to marry a woman who would ask for a job in a saloon!”
    “What?” Henry bellowed, and Mac softly stepped closer in case he needed to protect Miss McCrea, even though he wished he wasn’t wearing a badge at the moment.  The sharp-tongued woman caused more than her share of trouble in the town.
    “She’s headed for the saloon to ask for work.  No one else will hire her, of course!” the woman stated firmly.
    “Miss McCrae, how I wish you were a man right now… or not as old as you are.  I swear, I’d like nothing more than to give you the hiding you deserve.”  Henry stomped out of her Dress Shoppe and toward the saloon.  Maybe he couldn’t spank the elderly woman, but he could and would make Miss Brat wish she hadn’t set foot inside the damn saloon!
    Henry walked through the swinging doors just in time to see Lucinda flip a cowboy through the air and over the bar.  Her cheeks were a bright red and she was furious.  “You are in trouble, Miss Brat,” he stated as he bent down and put his shoulder to her waist and then straightened to his full height, lifting her off her feet.
    “Put me down, Henry!” she scolded angrily.  “That man made improper suggestions to me, and…  You just put me down so I can smack him silly!”
    “You don’t want me to put you down here, because when I do put you down, it’s going to be over my knee, young lady.  This is not the place a lady looks for work,” he told her, enforcing the words with a hard slap to her already sore bottom.  “This whole town is convinced you are of loose morals, Lucinda… and that is MY fault.  We’re going to take care of that matter first, and then, you are getting your rear paddled proper,” he promised.
    “You going to marry that hot-headed she-cat, Doc Z?” one man asked with a wide grin.
    “I am.”
    “No you are not!” Lucinda argued, earning herself another hard spank.  “Owwww!  Henry, I’m already sore!” she complained.  “Please put me down!”
    “Not on your life,” he stated firmly.  “We’re going to find the Reverend and get married right now.  I’m not going to have folks talking bad about you, Lucy, when you haven’t done one damned thing to deserve it.”
    “I won’t marry you!” she protested.  Henry’s hand fell once more on her tender backside, and Henry continued to spank her the whole of the distance to the Church.
    “Are you ready to be sensible now?” he asked as he walked inside the Church and found the Reverend, “Or do I need to sit down and turn you over my knee and toss up your skirts here before God and the Reverend and spank some sense into you?”
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    “Please don’t spank me, Henry!  I am so sore I would die!” Lucinda exaggerated, controlling her temper in the face of his obvious anger. “I don’t want you to be mad at me just because I was trying to find work.  I’m almost out of money.”
    He put her down and asked once again, “Are you going to speak your vows, Lucy?”
    “I don’t want you to feel obligated; you did nothing to be ashamed of!” she insisted, embarrassed to be having this conversation in front of the minister, who was making no bones