Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

When Caleb and Lara failed to return within a short time, Daniel had gone in search of them. His father had discouraged him from following, but Daniel had paid him no mind. He was an adult and though he respected and loved his father, he was not a boy to be scolded and bossed around.

He ought to have brought the shotgun with him, but decided to leave it with his father so the older man would have protection, if need be.

Daniel was a man of action.

Daniel had high expectations for himself and others. When they weren’t met, he was more inclined to punish than forgive. If he’d had his way, Lara would have been put out of their house and shunned for her selfish behavior. Family and community were the most important aspects of life to an Amish person, after God, of course. Lara had lied and endangered her friends.

Strictly speaking, her actions probably didn’t rise to the level of an official shunning as dictated by the leaders of the church, but given the new world order in which it appeared their homestead was a law unto itself, Daniel favored punishment that was swift and sure.

If she’d been his girl, and he now counted himself lucky she was not, at the very least she’d find riding in the buggy uncomfortable for several days. A good mouth soaping would cure her of lying, too.

Daniel’s thoughts were interrupted by loud voices a short distance away. An experienced hunter, he moved through the forest silently and peered from behind a large tree at a scene involving Caleb, Lara, and three other girls. One of the girls, a curvy brunette, had taken a few steps back from the group, which seemed to be centered around Caleb, Lara, and a girl with long auburn hair. A beautiful girl with stunning waves of chestnut-colored tresses. And bright blue eyes that sparked when she talked. He couldn’t make out the words, but the tone and body language did not indicate a happy reunion between Lara and the redhead.

It did not appear that anyone was in danger, so he took a moment to observe the whole vignette. The redhead had assumed a sassy posture with her arms crossed and hip jutting out. She was turned just enough so that he could see the curve of her bottom outlined by a pair of loose jeans.

Daniel, of course, did not think it was proper for young women to wear pants, but he considered making an exception for those with shapely hind ends. And flashing blue eyes.

Singularly focused on the redhead, he inched forward in order to hear the conversation. As he crept closer he watched her mouth move and tried to discern her words. His efforts were hampered by the lush pinkness of her lips. He imagined kissing those lips while maintaining a possessive grip on her rounded butt.

Distracted by his lascivious and impure thoughts, he stepped on a small tree branch. The entire group turned toward the sound of snapping wood, while Caleb pushed Lara behind him, shielding her with his body.

Daniel noticed the possessive move. He might as well get used to the idea of Lara as a sister-in-law. Caleb was smitten and no amount of common sense arguments would persuade him not to marry her. Caleb’s heart ruled his thinking more than Daniel believed was wise. But, Caleb did not seek his counsel and it was not Daniel’s place to give it.

“Daniel,” Caleb said, relaxing his stance. “Yee gave us a fright. Why are you sneaking around?”

“I heard raised voices, so I approached with caution.” Daniel turned his attention to the girl he’d been admiring for the last few minutes. Her gaze met his and his breath caught in his throat. A tingle of excitement spread from his heart directly to his manhood, which pulsed with interest. He had heard the English talk of love at first sight, but he had dismissed it as more of their worldly foolishness.

He was a practical Amish man. When he married—if he married—it would be after careful consideration and a proper courtship. If love resulted from the marriage, that was a bonus, but marriage was more about respect and obedience than flowers and romance. Yes, this girl was strikingly attractive and his libido had weighed in with an opinion, but Daniel was ruled by his head, not his heart and most certainly not by his dick.

“Nothing to be afraid of here.” She continued to maintain eye contact with him and took a step forward, holding out her hand. “I’m Brittany.” Daniel nodded and shook her proffered hand. The strength of her grip surprised him. “Thse are my friends, Grace and Katie.” She released her hold on him and pointed at the other two with her thumb. They both smiled and said ‘hello,’ though their presence barely registered with Daniel. His mind had gone to an image of Brittany’s fingers with a firm clasp on his rod.

“Look, I know you Amish guys have some weird issues about women being second-class citizens and all that, but you can still talk to us, right? Because all you’re doing now is staring and it’s a little weird.”

“Brittany!” Grace tugged on her friend’s sleeve. “Would you please stop insulting them?”

“I’m not insulting anyone.” She gestured toward Daniel. “He’s the one who snuck in here and now won’t talk to me. If anyone is being rude, it’s him.”

Katie joined the discussion, giving Brittany a meaningful look. “They’re farmers,” she hissed. “That means they probably have food. Real food. Could you please shut your yap before they decide to leave us out here to eat more twigs and berries?”

“When you ladies have finished bickering, I will be happy to escort you to our wagons, which are waiting back yonder.” Daniel spoke to all three, but looked directly at Brittany when he said the word ‘bickering.’

“We are not bickering,” she said, stepping past Grace and Katie to stand directly in front of Daniel, her blue eyes flashing up at him. “We are women who have opinions and are not afraid to speak up. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Only when it is a waste of time. We need to get home. There is work to be done.” Daniel took hold of Brittany’s upper arm, gave her a firm swat on her left bottom cheek, and said, “Let’s go.”

Brittany sat on the rough wooden bed of the wagon, facing out the back, watching where she’d been and unable to see what lay ahead. They had gathered up Mrs. Potter, Shawna, and Kimber, as well as what was worth salvaging from their camp amongst the trees. Everyone had worked to restore the area to its original state. “If there are other survivors,” Mr. Miller had said, “we do not want to leave any clues. We do not know who is friend and who is foe.”

Brittany glared at Daniel. She did not know if he was friend or foe, either.

Mrs. Potter and Grace rode in the buggy with Caleb and Lara, leaving the rest to travel with the kindly appearing Mr. Miller and his bossy son, Daniel. Katie chattered away and managed to draw out some conversation from the stoic Amish men. Kimber and Shawna turned to join the conversation with the men sitting on the bench seat at the front. Brittany kept to herself.

She was happy to leave their makeshift home in the forest, but she was not as eager as the others to jump with joy over being rescued by the Amish. Her arm still tingled from Daniel’s stern grip and she could not even think about the fact that he’d swatted her butt without feeling overwhelmed with anger. Anger and something else. She chose not to attempt to identify the feeling of womanly awareness that had come over her as soon as Daniel had stepped into her line of sight.

No doubt her sense and emotions were confounded after the world-altering events of the last several days. The fact that Lara had run off from camp and returned a day later engaged to an Amish man rocked her world a fair bit too.

The bitch had snuck away after leaving a stupid note and instead of being eaten by a wild animal, she’d returned showered, well-fed, and engaged.

Seriously? How did someone go out into the wilderness of a possibly uninhabited country and not only find friendly assistance, but get engaged. In a day?

It seemed like everything always went right for Lara and wrong for Brittany.

They arrived at the homestead and Brittany had to admit that, though plain, the house looked welcoming. Four more Amish emerged from the house and barns to assist them. They appeared younger than Daniel and Caleb, though still handsome and muscled like their older brothers.

When they’d been in the woods, she’d hated the idea of a world without men. Now it looked like there were a few left and her spirits lifted that much more. With a bright smile she stood, dusted off the front of her jeans and waited for one of the eligible brothers to help her from the wagon.

Sudden movement of the horses sent her tumbling over the back rail, landing in a heap surrounded by several pairs of work boots. “Damn it,” she said and stood as quickly as possible, turning toward the wagon to see Daniel stifling a laugh at her expense. She strode toward him, pointing an accusing finger. “You did that on purpose. What kind of man are you? Do you think I haven’t had a bad enough week, what with my whole world being destroyed and then being forced to live in the woods with this band of wimps, wondering if I’d have to spend the rest of my life listening to them whine and worry?” She paused to look around. The entire group stared at her. “And let’s not forget that I’ve been living on food the squirrels wouldn’t eat and I’m absolutely filthy.”

“Brittany!” Mrs. Potter stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We have all been through a great deal. But now we have found friends who wish to help us. Let us show them our gratitude instead of disdain.”

“Gratitude? He dumped me out of the wagon onto the ground on purpose.” Brittany’s voice became more shrill and her body shook with emotion. “And I’m supposed to thank him? Just what exactly have we all agreed to by coming here? Are we now their possessions?”

“Those are important questions, child,” Solomon Miller said, walking to the center of the gathering. “I believe we need to come to some clear understandings on all those things. However, not until you ladies have all had an opportunity to get clean, fed, and rested.”

“I suppose you want to give me a bottle and a nap, like I’m a child. I’m an adult.” She stomped her foot to emphasize her point.

“Father,” Daniel said as he moved to stand beside her, “please permit me to address this young lady’s concerns now. In private.”

Solomon Miller studied his son for a moment, glanced at Brittany and then said, “That might be wise.”

Just that quickly, Brittany found herself propelled toward a small building, Daniel’s hand once again gripping her upper arm. They were halfway to their destination before Brittany gathered her wits enough to speak. “What do you think you’re doing? Take your hand off me.” She twisted away, but could not break his hold. Remembering the lessons from a self-defense class, she sat, forcing her weight to the ground. Instead of freeing her from her captor, the two of them ended up tangled together on the hard dirt.

What Brittany lacked in strength she made up for in agility and foolishness. She managed to straddle Daniel’s large body. Her backend rested on his stomach and she crossed his arms over his chest and held them there. “Now, will you listen to me, you big Amish brute? You cannot treat me this way. I won’t stand for it. Has that penetrated your thick skull?”

In response, Daniel broke her flimsy grasp on his arms, hugged her to him, stood and tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Won’t stand for it, eh?” His ease in neutralizing her dominant position fueled Brittany’s anger and poor thinking.

“I thought you Amish were peaceful and accepting.”

“We are peaceful and accepting of God’s will.” He carried her inside a small building stacked full of firewood and set her feet on the floor. “We are not peaceful and accepting of tantrums. The Amish are very strict with their children, as you will learn.”

Hands fisted at her hips, she glared at him. “I have told you I am not a child.”

“Your rudeness, lack of respect, and uncooperative attitude say otherwise. But,” he pulled up a chair and sat down as though he had not a care in the world, “we shall remedy that and then you will be able to enjoy being here, safe and protected, with your friends.” He patted his lap and said, “Come here.”

Daniel had closed and locked the door when they entered. The building was windowless and she was no match for Daniel physically. She had no idea what sort of weird Amish ritual he had planned for her, but she had no option but to comply. Resigned, she stepped forward and sat on his knee.

His laughter broke the tension in the room. “I did not mean for you to sit on my lap,” he said. “Though that might be something for us to do together in the future.” He flipped her over and perched her across his thighs. “This is what I had in mind.” He punctuated his point with a sharp swat to her bottom.

“What do you think you’re doing, you big caveman?”

Daniel shifted in the chair and pulled her closer to his firm torso. “This,” he said, “is the woodshed. Do you know what happens in the woodshed?”

“What the hell kind of freak show is this?” Brittany grabbed hold of Daniel’s hard thigh and pushed up in an attempt to free herself from his grip. “Let me out of here, I’m going back out into the forest.”

“In the woodshed, people get punished for their bad behavior.” Daniel spoke as though she hadn’t said anything. He calmly removed her hands from his thighs and held them easily behind her back in his left hand while his right palm continued to pepper her backside. Left cheek, right cheek, center.

“Did you hear me?”

“Of course I heard you, you’re screeching like a barn owl.” He spoke and spanked at the same time. The speed and intensity of his swats increased.

“Then why don’t you answer me?” Brittany said between clenched teeth. She hated to show that his punishment was bothering her, but her rear end was starting to sting and worse than that, it was embarrassing. And infuriating.

Daniel paused and raised her to stand between his legs. Relief flooded over her, though she was surprised that he’d given up so quickly. She took him for a much more determined man. She looked down into Daniel’s face expecting to see that he’d abandoned his ludicrous notion of punishing her like she was a child. Instead, he gazed steadily into her eyes. “I did not answer you because I do not respond to sarcasm. At least not with words.” He squeezed her left cheek, in case she hadn’t figured out his meaning. “Now, we are going to get a few things straight. This is an Amish homestead. We don’t tolerate bad behavior and the sooner you learn that, the better it will be… for all of us.”

“What about your bad behavior?” Brittany raised her chin in a challenge. “You dumped me out of the wagon on purpose. You know you did.”

One corner of Daniel’s mouth twitched. “It’s important for you to learn not to stand in a wagon without holding onto the rail.”

“Oh, aren’t you Mr. Thoughtful? If you ask me, you’re Mr. Hypocrite.”

“I can see that talking is pointless with you.” A firm tug on her waistband and Daniel had her pants around her thighs. “And you may call me Mr. Miller.”

The jeans she’d been wearing for the better part of a week had provided at least some protection for her tender flesh and dignity, but no more. Brittany crossed her hands over her feminine parts and felt a blush run from her knees to her neck. She was grateful for the minimal covering provided by her panties.

Daniel gave her cotton-covered bottom a slap, then stood and turned the chair around. He positioned her hands flat on the seat and then moved behind her and angled her hips slightly upward. “Yes,” he said and she glanced back at him and noticed a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, “that will do perfectly.”

“Perfectly for what?” Flutters of anxiety flitted through her tummy. This was not going well, at all.

“Perfectly for teaching you all the lessons that you have failed to learn. Or maybe no one bothered to teach you.” His wide palm landed in the center of her panty-covered bottom, raising her hips a bit with the impact.

“I-I do not need your lessons,” she said, sarcasm emphasizing her last word.

“Sarcasm elimination is lesson number one.” He swatted in earnest up and down the right side of her ass from the curvy center to the tender underside while she gripped the seat of the chair and bounced up and down on her heels.

“Y-you have no right!”

“Well, you may speak the truth there.” The spanking stopped and Daniel moved to stand near Brittany’s head so she could see his face. She steeled her features so as not to give away her relief that he had halted his punishment. “If you do not wish to follow the rules of Amish society, and polite society in general, then perhaps it would be better if you returned to live in the woods among the beasts which also have no self-control.”

“What? Are you saying I am like an animal? I have plenty of self-control. I’ll show you. Now get back there and spank my ass.”

“I had no intention of stopping. But thank you for giving me permission to do what is clearly necessary.”

Brittany gritted her teeth and groaned. It was like she’d walked right into his trap. Damn. Why did she have to think of an animal analogy? Was she really a beast with no self-control?

She’d show him. Planting her feet rigidly to the floor of the woodshed, she gripped the seat of the chair unflinchingly and clamped her mouth shut. She’d take whatever he meted out and not complain or seek mercy.

Daniel returned to his post near her cotton-covered bottom and resumed spanking with renewed vigor, not that anything about him lacked vigor. Brittany squeezed her eyes closed and willed herself not to respond to the swats to her backend or to think about the infuriating Amish man who had locked her in the tiny woodshed.

The quiet of the small building was only interrupted by the slaps of Daniel’s hand against her rear. Opening her eyes, she peeked at him over her shoulder. Apparently, her silence seemed to have no effect on Daniel and his ambivalence just pissed her off.

“Aren’t you done yet?”

He paused for a moment and patted the tingling underside of her bottom. “I thought I might be making progress, but your tone and words show that I have not. So, the answer to your question is no. I am not done yet.”

Swatting the sensitive area at the tops of her thighs caused Brittany to wince and stifle a yelp. It hurt and she wanted to shout at him to stop, but her pride would not allow it. Daniel continued his discipline and Brittany lost track of time or the number of times he spanked her. Finally, he stopped.

Unsure of what to do, she remained in position. He gave her bottom one final smack then gave her an order.

“Stand in the corner. Nose to the wall. Do not move until I return.”

Glancing up, she saw him point toward the corner in the rear of the woodshed. Hobbled by her lowered pants, she did as he ordered.

When she heard the door open and close, she forced herself to count to twenty before looking around to see if he’d left, though she knew he had. He emanated such masculine energy that his absence was readily apparent when he vacated the space. As though the air had left the room.

Although she knew she should pull up her pants, literally and figuratively, and get the hell out of there, she didn’t. She leaned her head against the smooth wooden wall and tried to clear her mind. It was impossible to think with the wild pounding of her heart.