Clifton County Fireworks Read online

  The Clifton County Fireworks

  Joannie Kay

  Copyright 2008, 2013 Blushing Books and Joannie Kay

  The Clifton County Fireworks

  © 2010 Joannie Kay & Blushing Publications

  Originally published on July 1, 2008 at Spanking Romance.

  www.spankingromance.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  ISBN: 978-1-935152-67-5

  Published by Blushing PublicationsÒ, a subsidiary of

  ABCD Graphics and Design

  977 Seminole Trail #233

  Charlottesville, VA 22901

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  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

  Blushing Publications thanks you whole-heartedly for your purchase with us!

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  6

  Chapter Two

  11

  Chapter Three

  16

  Chapter Four

  22

  Chapter Five

  27

  Chapter One

  “Ma! Ma! MA!” Eight-year-old Jeremy Tanner ran into the dress shop where his mother was pinning up the hem on a new dress intended for the Fourth of July picnic for one of her best clients, Miss Priscilla Bishop.

  “Jeremy, I am not deaf! I can hear you.” Abigail smiled at her youngest child. “Please say ‘good afternoon’ to Miss Bishop.”

  Jeremy knew his Ma was a stickler for manners, so he took off his hat and smiled at the elderly spinster. “Good afternoon, Miss Bishop.”

  Priscilla smiled warmly. “Good afternoon, Master Jeremy. Now tell us what has you so excited on this fine day,” she invited. She loved bearing the latest news to all her friends, and the little redhead was just brimming with something exciting to tell Abigail.

  “We got real trouble, Ma!” Jeremy couldn’t restrain himself another second, even though he was pretty sure this was one of those times his Ma would call ‘personal’, and not for Miss Bishop’s ears.

  “What kind of trouble, Jeremy?” Abigail asked calmly, used to his exaggerated way of talking.

  “Guess who’s here!” Jeremy demanded, his green eyes wide.

  “Did Johnny get in early?” Abigail finished pinning the hem and stood up, looking around as if expecting to see her eldest son standing there with a grin on his handsome face.

  “No! Ma, listen! This is important! There’s gonna be fireworks!”

  “We always have fireworks on the Fourth of July, Master Jeremy.” Miss Bishop smiled at him, her eyes twinkling.

  “Yes, ma’am, we do.” Jeremy grinned. “But I mean the other kind of fireworks! Jennie Rose Clifton just got off the stage!”

  “What?” Abigail’s hand rose to her chest in distress. “Oh, noooo!”

  “’Spect we ought to send Johnny a wire and warn him not to come home?” Jeremy asked seriously. “He ain’t gonna be happy to find Jennie Rose in town!”

  “Jennie Rose won’t be happy to see Johnny in town, either.” Miss Bishop predicted. “Why, the last time those two were home at the same time they almost destroyed the entire town!”

  “I’m sure that nothing disastrous will happen, Miss Bishop.” Abigail regained her composure, and prayed she was right. The last time those two squared off on each other, they nearly destroyed Mr. McCauley’s Mercantile, and it had wiped out her savings to pay Johnny’s share of the damage, and while he’d paid back every last cent, she didn’t want to go through the embarrassment a second time. She turned her attention to Priscilla, “You can change now, Miss Bishop, and I’ll have this dress all ready tomorrow morning.”

  “Abigail, you do such lovely work, and so quickly, too. I’m sure my friends will be envious at the Fourth of July picnic.” Priscilla was always ready with a compliment for the young widow.

  “Thank you, Miss Bishop. I appreciate all your business, and the clients you’ve sent to me. You are a good friend.” Abigail’s smile was warm and genuine. Priscilla might be the town gossip, but she was a good-hearted woman and everyone loved her.

  After Miss Bishop went into the back room to change out of the new dress, Jeremy looked up at his mother and asked seriously, “What are we gonna do about Johnny, Ma?”

  “It’s too late to wire him, honey. We’re just going to have to pray that both he and Jennie Rose have grown up some in two year’s time!”

  ********************

  Jennie Rose stomped her foot angrily. “It isn’t fair! This is the first time I’ve dared show my face in Clifton in two years and that despicable Johnny Tanner is coming home, too! Why didn’t you warn me, Daddy?” She demanded.

  “I just found out a couple days ago, Jennie Rose, and you watch that tone of voice! You’re not so big I can’t turn you over my knee!”

  “You’re no better than he is, Daddy!” Jennie Rose felt her temper rise and she struggled to control it.

  “I expect you to remember that you are a lady, Jennie Rose. Stay away from Johnny Tanner. I’ve said all I’m going to say on the subject except for this: if you cause another public scene with that boy, I’m going to leave you to settle the damages yourself. I won’t pay your way out of a mess and send you east to live with your Aunt Caroline for two years so you won’t have to face folks here.”

  “I am sorry to hear you are so ashamed of me, Father!” Jennie Rose stood up and flipped her skirts as she walked from the room, her head held high. Her composure lasted only until she was positive he couldn’t see her. Then she ran upstairs to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed and burst into tears.

  Didn’t her parent realize how much she’d missed him the last two years? Missed her home, her friends? Missed living where she could go riding every day… and put on a pair of pants without shocking every man, woman, and child within ten miles? Apparently not. And, why did her father blame her for the trouble Johnny Tanner caused? The man embarrassed and humiliated her in front of the entire town. Jennie Rose felt her face turn a burning red as she remembered two years earlier at the annual Fourth of July picnic…

  “Now listen up everyone,” the mayor called out in his deep voice, “We have this pretty basket lunch up for bids, and since the ribbon tied on the handle matches the one in Miss Jennie Rose’s pretty red hair, I reckon we all know who the lovely lady is who will be joining one of you lucky gents for the right bid. Remember, the money goes for a good cause, our new schoolhouse, so open up those wallets and start the bidding at a dollar!”

  “Two bits.” An older man called out.

  Jennie Rose frowned just a tad. She wanted the handsome Johnny Tanner to buy her basket, and made sure to tell him hers would have a blue ribbon tied to the handle.

  “We have a bid of two bits.” The Mayor said. “Who will give me fifty cents?” Another man, who Jennie Rose didn’t know, offered the asked for amount, and she was pleased when Adrian Murdock offered a dollar. While she didn’t want to have lu
nch with Adrian, the bank teller was preferable to eating with a complete stranger. To her surprise, the bidding continued, but not one of the bids was from Johnny Tanner.

  “We have a bid of four dollars for Miss Jennie Rose’s basket, going once, twice, and…”

  “Ten dollars!” Johnny Tanner’s voice carried across the crowd of onlookers, who immediately gasped in shocked surprise, and then burst into applause as they realized the generous bid would go a long way toward helping with the new schoolhouse.

  “Sold to Johnny Tanner for the sum of ten dollars!” The Mayor rapped his gavel before the young redhead could recant his bid. “Thank you, son.” He said gratefully as Johnny stepped forward to pay him for the lunch. “Miss Jennie Rose, I hope you put a whole pie in this basket!” He teased just a bit when she stepped forward to join Johnny.

  Johnny smiled at Jennie Rose and offered her his arm, which she accepted with a smile of her own. “Let’s enjoy our lunch, Jennie Rose.” He said. They walked off together and found a quiet spot under a tree, still in sight of everyone else at the gathering, but one that was fairly private.

  “I thought you’d forgotten all about bidding on my lunch basket.” Jennie Rose pouted just a bit.

  “Nawww, I was just letting the guys all have some fun.” Johnny grinned boyishly, showing his white teeth. “You look right pretty today, Jennie Rose.”

  “Why, thank you. Your Mama made this dress for me.” She said.

  “Ma is great.” He said with pride. “She hasn’t had an easy time of it, but she’s worked hard to raise me and Jeremy since Pa died.”

  “You work hard, too.” Jennie Rose acknowledged. He worked at the lumber mill, and had done so even when he was still in school. “You didn’t need to spend a whole ten dollars for lunch…”

  “Yes I did. I wanted everyone to know that I consider you my girl, Jennie Rose.”

  She laughed happily, and then opened the basket and took out a nice, new tablecloth she’d hemmed herself, and once it was spread on the ground, she took out napkins and dishes and then laid out food.

  “This looks good.” Johnny’s green eyes were bright. “You fixed enough for several lunches.”

  “I enjoy cooking and baking.” She insisted, serving him a plate heaped with fried chicken, potato salad, pickled beets and eggs, and a small portion of slaw. She took much smaller servings for herself. “Do you like the fried chicken?” She asked, fishing for a compliment when he took a bite and put it back on his plate.

  “It’s crispy on the outside.” He said, trying to be truthful without complaining that it was raw inside. He wasn’t about to eat it and get sick.

  “What is wrong with it?” Jennie Rose could tell he was hedging.

  “I’m used to Ma’s fried chicken.” Johnny smiled at her. “Are you going to enter the talent contest?” He asked, trying to change the subject while he choked down a bite of potato salad. The potatoes weren’t done, and the dressing was salty. The pickled beets were too sour, and the slaw was the only thing edible on the plate. “This slaw is wonderful, Jennie Rose!” He said sincerely.

  “And you don’t like anything else, right?” She was insulted.

  “Well, I’m sure you’re still learning to cook, and when you get to be Ma’s age, you’ll have it perfected.” Johnny tried hard to be diplomatic.

  “Tell me what I did wrong!” She ordered angrily.

  “Well, taste it, Jennie Rose. Your chicken is raw inside. The potatoes aren’t done in your potato salad, and the pickled beets are too sour. But, you did a great job on the slaw.” He assured her.

  “I didn’t fix the slaw!” Jennie Rose got to her feet, took the jar of lemonade she’d brought to share and dumped the contents all over Johnny’s red head. “I’d rather not go to the dance with you tonight, Mr. Picky!” She started to walk away, only to have him jump up and grab her and whirl her around.

  “You’d best apologize for that stunt, young lady.”

  “I will not! You insulted my cooking!”

  “I told you the truth. If you eat that chicken, you’ll get sick.”

  “Then don’t eat it! I don’t care!” She yelled at him, drawing the attention of everyone sitting close by, enjoying their lunches.

  “You didn’t need to dump lemonade on me.” He growled, his own temper flaring.

  “I’ll do as I damned please!” She retorted.

  “You need a spanking!”

  “I do not!” She indignantly denied. The look in his green eyes warned her he was seriously considering doing just as he said. “You wouldn’t dare!” She hauled off and kicked him on the shin, just as hard as she possibly could.

  Johnny immediately released the little redhead to jump on his other foot while he grabbed his leg and groaned in pain. “You little hellion. Your Daddy should have tossed up your skirts a few times instead of babying you!” He glared at her, and then announced, “Maybe it’s not too late for someone to do just that!”

  He reached for her and Jennie Rose turned tail and ran. She could see his intentions clearly in his snapping green eyes, and she was positive it would go badly for her if he got his hands on her. Her only hope was to get to her father, who would never let Johnny touch her.

  The problem was that Johnny Tanner ran as fast as she did…maybe even faster! She was having a terrible time staying out of reach, and with all the people about, she was forever bumping into someone. She decided to duck inside the Mercantile and hope that he wouldn’t see her. She quickly hid behind a table laden with yard goods, but the horrible redhead followed her inside. Jennie Rose did the only thing she could and shoved the table over on him and ran behind the candy counter. Johnny jumped up, only to duck when she heaved jar after jar of candy at his head. She grabbed canned goods, boots, nails, hammers, and anything and everything she could lay her hands on while people screamed and tried to avoid being hit with something.

  “When I get my hands on you, little girl, you are going to wish you’d stayed home today!” Johnny dared to threaten her.

  “Ohhhh! You are the most infuriating person I’ve ever met in my entire life!” Jennie Rose stopped throwing things long enough to declare, and in that instant, he had her. “Let me go! Help! Help! Help!” She screamed, but no one stepped forward to interfere. In fact, people seemed curious as to what Johnny was going to do next. “You let me go!”

  “Not on your life, brat!” Johnny answered her. He took a seat on the short bench people used to try on new shoes and boots, and hauled her struggling body down over his lap. “I’m going to enjoy this, Jennie Rose Clifton!” He tossed up her shirts to reveal her lace-trimmed drawers, and started spanking her rounded bottom with a lot of enthusiasm. “Maybe this will teach you some manners, little girl!” He scolded, spanking her soundly.

  “Stop it, you fool! Let me go! Oh, I hate you, Johnny Tanner! I really hate you!”

  “You don’t douse a man with lemonade because he tells you that you can’t cook worth a damn!”

  “Oh! How dare you!”

  “Maybe because I paid ten dollars for the privilege, you spoiled little brat! You need to seriously grow up!” He continued to spank her backside, and showed no signs of stopping.

  “Owwwww! You’re hurting me!” Jennie Rose finally started crying. “Let me go!”

  It was about then that the Sheriff came striding into the store and stayed Johnny’s hand. “Let Jennie Rose up, son. Folks are getting an eyeful.”

  Blessedly, Johnny stopped spanking and dumped Jennie Rose on the floor. She quickly scrambled to her feet and smoothed down her skirts, her face completely scarlet.

  “I expect you two have the funds to pay for the mess you made of Mr. McCauley’s Mercantile?” The Sheriff looked at the two of them sternly.

  Her first time home in two year’s time, and of course Johnny Tanner would have to be home to spoil it. The thing was, not a day had gone by during those two years that she hadn’t thought of him and wondered what he was doing, and if he ever spared her a thought
.

  ********************

  Johnny decided to bed down outside of town. His Ma and little brother would be sound asleep by now, and he didn’t want to wake them, or startle his Ma by coming in the door so late at night. Besides, he needed the time to gather his courage to face the people in Clifton. He let his temper goad him into behaving like an ass two years ago, and he never wanted to put his Ma through something that embarrassing again.

  He’d left town before the fireworks that night, and hadn’t been home since. According to his Ma, Jennie Rose Clifton left town the next morning on the stage, headed east, and hadn’t been home since. That saddened him. He hadn’t meant for one little spanking to have lasting repercussions for both of them. He should have kept his mouth shut about the food, even though it was awful.

  He made a pot of coffee and heated up some beans for his supper. He’d eaten more beans in the last two years than he could recall, and home cooked meals were few and far in between. Mostly he ate at restaurants or in saloons that served food, when he wasn’t on the trail. That meant beans and jerky, if he was lucky. Jennie Rose would love knowing that, he was sure…if she ever thought of him.

  ********************

  Jennie Rose was up early, having promised herself the simple joy of wearing pants and going for a ride. Her father had plenty of horses in his barn, and it didn’t take her long to put a blanket and saddle on a stallion, mount up, and be on her way. Her father wouldn’t be down for breakfast for at least another two hours, and she fully intended to enjoy this time alone. Sooner or later she was going to have to put in an appearance and say hello to old friends and neighbors, but she needed this time alone first. Hopefully, no one would dare to bring up what happened two years ago!

  Jennie Rose couldn’t imagine coming face to face with Johnny. She’d told her Aunt Caroline all about the humiliating incident, and Aunt Caroline’s answer was to teach her how to cook. It still made her blush to realize that everything Johnny had said about her cooking was true.