Harmony whistled as she walked up the stairs. Spending last night in Ben’s arms had been a dream come true. She hadn’t even really thought about the fact that her bottom was incredibly sore from the back-to-back spankings he’d given her. That didn’t matter at all. In fact, she’d gladly bare her bottom for another one, if it meant he would kiss her again, caress her and make love to her again.

She put her key in the door, but before she could turn it, it pulled forward and she toppled into her husband’s arms.

“Where have you been?” His voice was full of tension.

“Downstairs. I forgot to tell them we’d be two for breakfast today.” She tried, and failed to hide the smile that spread across her face at his look of relief. “Were you worried I’d run?”

“Yeah, a little.” He managed to look sheepish. “After all, you were gone yesterday morning when I woke up.”

She grimaced. “Sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“It better not. I’m very good at spanking, I hope you remember that.”

Her hand went to her behind and she nodded. “Are we staying the week?”

“We are. Our first order of business is to talk to the man about the house you wanted to rent, and tell him you won’t need it. After that, I thought we’d shop for furniture, and for some new clothes for you, too.”

“Sounds like fun,” she said with a smile. “Can we take a nap this afternoon?”

His frown made her laugh. “Are you tired?”

“No, I just want to get you back into bed before tonight.”

This time, his smile was genuine. “Well, this is an interesting development. I’m glad to know you enjoyed last night.”

“Very much so, but I think I need some practice. Will you help me?”

“It will be my honor.”

Three weeks later, Harmony felt as if her feet still weren’t touching the floor. She’d expected her father to be angry with her. Instead, he was thrilled. Her mother had cried at not being included in the wedding, until she found out that the Ben wanted to have another ceremony in Mac’s Crossing, so members of the family could attend. Then she was over the moon, making plans and insisting that they wait long enough for her only child to have a ‘real’ wedding dress.

Ben had agreed, but he’d made it plain to everyone who would listen that they were already married, and as such would be living together. Which brought up the problem of finding a house. Ben insisted they find something near town, since he could be needed at all hours of the day or night.

They’d had trouble thinking of something, until Josh reminded his brother that the Beaton house, which sat not far off the town square, was empty, and had been empty since the Beatons had moved back east.

Ben had inquired at the bank, and Win told him the house could be purchased for back taxes. And when Ben had carried Harmony over the threshold, she knew she was home. The place was very roomy, but also very dirty, and overrun with mice. The first order of business was getting rid of the pests, which involved her father bringing several barn carts into the city to live in the house for a few days. That was all it took. The cats were happy, and the mice were gone.

Then, Harmony, her mother, and the four other MacAllister brides, Vanessa, Dawn, Ruby and Sarah had attacked the house with buckets, rags and soapy water, washing every surface until it sparkled.

By the time the furniture they’d bought was delivered, Harmony was in seventh heaven. Once the mice were gone, and the house clean, she and Ben had been sleeping on the floor. She was so thrilled to have a bed she felt as if this was the first day of the rest of her life. She said so to Ben, and he laughed.

“Geeze, put me behind the bed, huh?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. We will be sharing this bed, you know. So, you’re included in my happiness.”

“That’s nice to know.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “Is the dress ready for the wedding? I’m getting anxious to get it over with.”

“Get it over with?” Harmony stared at him, her face falling into a frown. “Why do you want to get it over with? Are you tired of being married to me already?”

The look he gave her made her laugh. “No. What I’m tired of is every old lady in town grinning at me and asking ‘How’s newlywed life, Sheriff’? or ‘When’s that pretty little wife of yours going to come to town’? Or, and this one makes me mad, ‘Did you tie her to the sofa before you left the house today’? It’s like they don’t really believe we’re married. Or they think I can’t keep hold of you. I want them to see the real deal.”

“They’re just jealous because you’ve been laughing so much the last three weeks.”

He crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. “I have been doing that.” His kiss was gentle. “And I’m happy about it.”

“Me, too.” She put her head on his chest, and then watched as he lifted papers from the table.

“What’s this?”

“A new story. I got a letter from my publisher the other day, reminding me I was behind schedule, and he needed a new Virginia and Seth story, very soon. I’m having trouble, though, thinking about anything but my new husband.”

“What’s happening in this one?”

“Virginia and Seth are on their way to San Francisco, and he’s a little angry with her because she did something he said not to. So, they’re not talking.”

Ben snorted in disgust. “You should have him spank her.”

“What? My heroine can’t get spanked.”

“Why not? The writer does.” He narrowed his eyes at her, but instead of anger, there was humor in them.

“Not since we got married, remember? I’ve been a good girl.”

He rubbed his chin and watched her. “Hmm, maybe you need help with this scene.”

“Ben.” She took a step backwards.

“They’re on a train, right, so there won’t be room for him to take her over his knee. Unless they have a private compartment. Do they?”

“Yes.” She shook her head. “Seth is not going to spank Virginia.”

“Yes, he is,” Ben said. “And let me show you how he’s going to do it.”

He grabbed her around the waist, turning her toward the wall. “Lift your skirts and hold them up.”

“No!” His body was flat against hers and she struggled against him even as she laughed. “Stop that, this instant! You are terrible.”

“Do as you’re told, wife. Right now.”

She shook her head again and he just laughed, which made her blood boil.

“Now, he’s going to have to make sure the curtains are drawn, even though they’re on a moving train.” Ben pushed himself harder against her and Harmony stifled a moan. “Then, he’s going to have to make her mind. Do as you’re told, Harmony. Lift your skirts.”

“No. I don’t want to be spanked.”

“Well, we have to rehearse the scene. Now, either lift them, or I’ll rip them.”

Harmony inhaled sharply. “You wouldn’t! This is one of my new dresses.”

“Then you’d better do as you’re told, and not push your husband’s patience anymore.” When she didn’t move, he grasped her hips. “Harmony.”

The warning was clear. She gathered her skirts, pulling them up around her waist. When he laughed, she giggled herself.

“I should have known. No bloomers.”

“I hate them!”

“I know.” He took a step back from her, then grasped her hips and gently pulled her toward him. “Now, bend over at the waist, just a little bit, with one hand on the wall to steady yourself. Imagine you’re on a train, a rocking train, roaring toward San Francisco.” His hand caressed her behind.

“Ben, please.”

“Shush. I’m not Ben, I’m Seth, and you’re Virginia.” His hand came down on her behind, not nearly as hard as it had the first two times he’d spanked it. It came down again and again, though, and the sharp slaps turned into a burning sensation.

“I get the idea. That’s enough.”

“I don’t think so, Virginia. You’ve been a bad girl.”

“Ben… Ow!” The slap was harder than the last ones.

“Seth.”

She giggled. “Seth. Please stop.”

“No.” Now, when Ben would slap her behind, he would grab a handful of cheek and shake it. “Nice and red. Bad girl.”

Wetness started to form between Harmony’s thighs. She thought about the erotic picture they must make, her with her skirts above her hips, slightly bent. Him fully clothed, his silver sheriff’s star shining on his chest, spanking her as if she were a bad girl.

“Ben.” This time the word was full of desire, and when he leaned over and kissed her neck, she shivered.

“Have you been a bad girl, Virginia?”

“Yes, Seth.” She bit her lip to keep from crying out as the slaps increased in intensity.

“This will teach you to behave, won’t it?”

“Yes, my husband.” He didn’t spank her long, just enough for her to know she would feel it while she sat at the table that afternoon, writing.

“Now, this is for Harmony. I’d better see a bunch of newly written pages when I get home tonight, or you’re going to be in a whole lot of trouble. You understand me, young lady?”

“Yes, Sheriff MacAllister.” She giggled as he spanked her again, her giggles turning to moans when the slaps landed harder. She wanted to ask him to carry her to the bed and make love to her. They’d done it every night since they got married, with Ben careful so as to make sure they didn’t make a baby.

When the last slap landed, she stayed in place, sighing when he placed his still clothed body hard against hers. “If you finish all your pages, tonight I’ll reward you.”

“You reward me that way every night.”

“No, I mean a special reward. How about a midnight ride down to the creek? Then, we can make love in the moonlight.”

“Oh, Ben, that sounds so wonderful.” She turned into his arms and kissed him, her lips claiming his like his so often did hers. “My goal today is six pages. I’ll have them done when you get home, I promise.”

“And, Seth’s going to spank Virginia?”

“Definitely. My publisher may take it out because it’s so risqué, but he’s definitely going to spank her.”

“Good. I can’t wait to read it.” He kissed her nose, and then strode from the house, coming back in long enough to ask for fried chicken for dinner, if she had the time.

Harmony sat down immediately and started to write. Her behind ached just enough to remind her of her husband, and of Virginia’s fake spanking that she’d received. Seth definitely did spank his wife in her new novel. And Virginia took it like the independent, modern-day woman that she was. She put up a fuss, but eventually succumbed to her husband’s punishment.

When Harmony had written nine pages, and done it in record time, she stood and stretched, then went to the butcher’s to order a chicken. While it was being prepared, she stopped in to talk to Ruby at the newspaper office.

“I’m going to have a manuscript done in a few days,” she said, waving at Corbin as he worked the press. “This one is very good, I think.”

“They’re all good,” Ruby said. “What’s the news on the wedding?”

“Probably a week from Saturday,” Harmony replied. “Ben’s very anxious to get it over with. He says all the old ladies in town are asking him about it.”

Ruby looked affronted, then laughed. “So, he thinks I’m an old lady, huh? Well, I’ll show him. The next time he comes in, I’m going to bombard him with questions.”

They both laughed, then Harmony went to the store, to pick up a jar of green beans, and some potatoes, to go with the chicken. While Sarah gathered her order, Harmony frowned at two men who were looking over the tack Josh kept in the store.

“Who are they?”

“I imagine they’re hands working the area,” Sarah replied. “Although, they’re not dressed like hands. And they’ve been in here a few days in a row. Josh is a little worried about it. He’s afraid they might rob him one day. As a matter of fact, he sent Tessie’s youngest to look for Ben. Do you know where he’s at?”

“No, I haven’t seen him since this morning.” Harmony studied the two men, who were looking around, but trying too hard to act as if they were shopping, and not looking around. When Ben walked in, she relaxed a bit. Her handsome, lawman husband would keep things on the straight and narrow, she knew that.

“Sarah.” Ben’s voice boomed out. “Where’s Josh?”

The two men turned toward Ben, both of them looking nervous. They quickly left without buying anything and Ben followed them out, stopping to kiss Harmony’s forehead before he left.

“They’re trouble,” Harmony said. “I hope nothing too bad happens. There’s never any crime here, though. It makes me wonder what they’re up to.”

Ben was late getting home for dinner that evening. Harmony had placed the food in the oven, to keep it warm, now she took it out and put it on the table. He took off his hat, sat it down in the living room, and then plopped down into a chair.

“Who were they?” She could tell he was nervous about the men who had been in town today.

“I’ve got their names, or at least the ones they gave me, written down at the office,” Ben replied. “They’re up to no good. I watched them ride out of town earlier. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be back.”

“What can you do?”

“Not much. I’ve put businessmen on alert to be looking for anyone suspicious. But other than that, I can’t arrest them for shopping in the store, or trying to get change for a big bill at the bank.”

She sat down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I made fried chicken.”

“That’s good.” He smiled at her and kissed her gently. “And did you write your six pages?”

“I did better than that. I wrote nine.”

“I’m proud of you.” This time the kiss lingered longer, and he nibbled on her lower lip. “Did Virginia get spanked?”

“Yes, she did.” Harmony threw back her head and laughed. “My publisher is going to be appalled.”

“Good,” Ben said. “It’ll probably boost your sales. Now, I have something important to ask.”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if we postponed our midnight ride? I’d like to stay close to town tonight, in case those two come back.”

“Of course. I understand completely.”

When he shook his head, she cupped his cheek. “What?”

“This is what I worried about all those years when I said I would never get married,” Ben said. “I worried that the job would interfere, and it has.”

“No, Ben. It’s not. Your job is part of you, and I love you, just as you are.”

“I think I love you, too.”

“You think? Well, if you don’t know, we need to work on that.”

“And we will, right after dinner. I’ve been thinking about that fried chicken all day long.”

Three days later, the men had not appeared again, and Ben started to relax. He figured they had just been passing through town, and had seen the store, or the bank, as an easy mark. He’d let them know differently, or at least he hoped he had. Since he hadn’t seen them, he thought he’d been successful.

Now, he needed to turn his attentions to his new wife, and let her know that he more than thought he loved her. He knew he did. He’d realized it the other night when she’d rolled toward him in bed, snuggling close to his side.

Ben had been awake, wondering what was happening outside. He’d held her close and watched her face as she slept. She was so sweet, and so loving and giving, there was no way he couldn’t return it. He’d been glad when her courses had come that month. He’d been very afraid that their repeated couplings would produce a baby. Not that he didn’t want one, he just didn’t want one this quickly. He wanted more time with her. He wanted to be selfish for just a while longer.

His feelings made him wonder why he’d taken so long to get married. If he’d known Harmony was so sweet, he would have married her when they were younger, and he would have even more time with her. But he hadn’t, so he needed to make sure every moment counted now.

At five on the dot, he locked the Sheriff’s Office, sending his deputy home, reminding him that Ben would be at his cabin tonight, but would be back in the morning.

“Make sure you keep an eye out, Mark, and take a twirl around town about ten, just to make sure.”

Mark had nodded, and Ben had been a little upset to be missing that part of the evening. Lately, when he’d made ‘the rounds’, Harmony had gone with him. He’d grown to love their moonlight walks as they checked to make sure stores were locked and nothing was wrong in town.

Lots of time she dressed in pants and one of his shirts, tied around her waist. He knew the older ladies in town would be shocked to see her dressed like that, but he loved it. It made him smile now, just thinking about it.

When he got home, he found her putting the finishing touches on dinner: roast beef with potatoes, with carrots on the side.

“Delicious,” he said. “I’m going to gain twenty pounds, you know, if we’re not careful.”

“We’ll walk it off tonight,” she said with a smile.

“No, tonight I’m going to take you on that moonlight ride I promised. We’ll ride down to the cabin, and make love near the creek. Then, we’ll come back late tonight, or early in the morning, depending on how we’re feeling. Either way, I’m not going to work in the morning.”

“I love it! I won’t, either. I’m almost done with my latest novel, but it can wait a day.”

“Good. Then let’s eat, and then get to it. I’m anxious to take you out of town, Mrs. MacAllister, even if it is for just a night.”

When they got to the cabin, the first thing Harmony did was run for the creek, throwing off her clothes as she ran. It was dark, and the moon was full. Ben called out after her, but she didn’t answer.

He’d been so stressed the last few days that she wanted to help him to relax, and going skinny-dipping in the creek would help him to relax, she knew that. She jumped into the water, crying out at the coldness.

She looked up to see her husband, spreading out a large blanket and dropping two large towel sheets on the ground. His hands went to his shirt buttons and she laughed. Soon, he joined her in the water, his howl at the sharpness of the water making her laugh.

“What’s wrong, Sheriff? Too much for you?” She splashed water at him, faster and faster until the water seemed to be flying through the air as if by magic.

He frowned in mock anger, and then lunged for her. She managed to escape his arms for a few minutes, and then yelped when he leaned over and scooped her over his shoulders, slapping her bottom a few times as he held her firm.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to show you that nothing’s too much for me.” He slapped her ass a few more times, then leaned over and dumped her into the water. Her bottom hit the sandy bottom and she grunted. Then, she sputtered and laughed as he ran toward shore. She stood and raced after him, intent on pushing him into the water, too.

But he had other plans. He tackled her, taking her down on the blanket and turning her over quickly. His hand came down on her behind sharply, but instead of crying out, she laughed. The spanking was playful, and it continued for a while, causing tingling sensations to spread through her body.

When he leaned over and blew his breath against her neck, she shivered. She was cold from the water, true, but it was the closeness of her husband that made her body quake with need.

“Harmony,” he whispered as he lifted her hips and slipped inside her. “I love you.”

“Oh, Ben.” Tears of joy stained her cheeks as she turned her face to him. “I love you, too. But you already know that.”

He turned her so that they were facing each other, and then settled himself inside her again. She wrapped her legs around him and held him close as they loved, their lips traveling over each other’s faces and necks until they climaxed together.

“So sweet,” he said, kissing her check. “So very sweet.”

He fell asleep on top of her, and Harmony continued to hold him, amazed that her life had changed so much in so short a time. Next Saturday would be their ‘wedding’, with a large reception afterward at Win and Vanessa’s house.

Harmony had protested that it was too much, but Win had insisted, saying that he and his brothers had thought Ben would never marry, and were thrilled to see that he was so happy with Harmony in his life.

She fell asleep in his arms, her thoughts straying to possible endings for her latest novel, and how beautiful her dress was for Saturday.

It was Ben who jerked awake at the sound of yelling. He jumped up, unmindful of the fact that he was naked and rushed toward the voices. At the entrance of the cabin he found Josh, who didn’t bat an eyebrow at his brother’s appearance.

“They robbed the bank.”

“What? Who?”

“Those men. Only there were more than two of them. They showed up at Win’s house and made him go with them to open the safe. Then they hightailed it out of town.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“They boxed Mark on the head, but he seems to be okay.”

“They didn’t hurt Win, or Vanessa or the kids?”

“No. They threatened to, though, if Win didn’t do what they wanted.”

Ben turned to where Harmony stood, fully clothed. She held out his own clothes and he took them, dressing quickly.

“Go back to town and ring the church bells,” Ben said. “Wake everyone up so we can set out and look for them at first light.”

Josh nodded and ran back for his horse. Ben turned to Harmony.

“Just throw everything in the cabin and we’ll get it later.”

“This is my fault,” she said. “They were just waiting for an opportunity, and they took it when they saw you leave town. And you left town because of me. Oh, Ben, I’m sorry.”

“This is no one’s fault,” he said. “Except the men who did it. I won’t allow criminals to dictate my life, even if my job is catching them. I allowed that idea to keep me from marrying, which was bad. I deserve a life, too. I left town with you tonight for us, because I wanted some time with my wife. Don’t you dare blame yourself, do you understand?”

She nodded, her face as grim as his.

“These men will be behind bars in Denver before the sun sets tomorrow. Mark my words.”