Courted by Discipline: A Courting Romance (In Hyacinth Book 1) Page 6

  Turning toward her mother, Kathy slowly walked over and sat down next to her. “I’m confused. And angry. And I don’t know why.”

  Carilyn wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Part of it is you’re a teenager and these are natural emotions. Part of it is you feel you’re being forced into something. But I also think part of it is there’s at least some part of you that likes the idea. And so far, the guys who have shown up have been… less than stellar.”

  Huffing a laugh that held no humor, Kathy nodded, leaning against her mother’s shoulder. “I feel like I’m all over the place. Why are we going to all this trouble for nothing?” Because her mother hit it exactly right. She was both angry that this was happening and rather excited about the prospect of meeting the right guy without having to go to all the trouble of kissing a bunch of frogs first. And so far she wasn’t impressed.

  Kissing her lightly on the forehead, Carilyn squeezed her tight. “If it makes you feel better? Your dad and I are in complete agreement. Michael was nice, but you on a farm for the rest of your life? We don’t see it. And as far as Joseph. What was he thinking? You’re still in high school. Idiot.”

  Grinning at her mother’s support, Kathy hugged her back. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome. But you know your dad’s still going to spank you.”

  “Yeah.” And she definitely wasn’t looking forward to it.

  “So let me go so he can do that and then you can join me in the kitchen to start the roast.” Nodding, Kathy held on for a few more seconds before she finally released.

  Tired and feeling really stupid as her actions went through her head, she could not believe how bratty she had acted. It was as though she regressed to eight years old. Thinking about it, she had been spanked more since they arrived in Hyacinth than in the year previous. She was honest enough with herself to recognize it was her at fault. Her dad had not turned into an absolute disciplinarian. Instead, she had been doing some pretty stupid things. It was as though she had stepped out to break all of his rudeness rules lately. Embarrassment slid through her veins and she tucked herself into a ball.

  When the door shut again, she didn’t look up. “I’m sorry.” When he didn’t respond, she peeked through her hands to see him standing in front of his desk holding… oh, no. The paddle. Her eyes widened as she sat up. She had only been paddled once before with that hard piece of wood. It was awful! “No, Daddy, please!” she begged, tears pricking her eyes. His eyes were incredibly kind as he looked at her and pointed to the desk. What was worse? She knew she deserved it. Sniffling and hiccupping back sobs, she stood up and walked over to his desk, bending over and placing her elbows down, dropping her head into her hands. This was going to hurt.

  When he used his belt, she never heard it coming. But she could swear she heard the paddle as it soared through the air. As it landed on her tush, the air was knocked out of her and she cried out.

  “One,” he said quietly.

  Even worse. He was counting with this one. This was so not good. When he counted, it meant he planned to do it for more than ten. She wouldn’t be able to sit down until next week! The blows fell hard, a few seconds between each one and by the time he stopped, tears and other liquid soaked her face and hands, her sniffles and sobs ringing in her ears.

  His hand rubbed lightly on her lower back, strangely comforting considering her backend was going up in flames and throbbing like crazy. How was she going to sit down at the table tonight? As her sobs slowed, he helped her stand up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm, tight hug. There were no words, but she continued to hiccup and sob softly against his chest for several more minutes.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she murmured when she could finally speak.

  “Shh. I know. Today I want you to help your mom in the kitchen. When you aren’t cooking, you’ll have a paper to write for me.”

  The paddle and a paper. Oy. This was really bad. She hadn’t gotten this bad of a punishment since she was twelve years old and had snuck off to a friend’s house. “Okay.”

  “Five thousand words on what you did wrong, why you did it, and how you can stop yourself from doing it again. Due to me by mid-week.”

  * * * * *

  It was truly difficult to do anything after that. She went into the kitchen to help her mom, but the dinner tonight was more simplified than the rest. Roast, vegetables, and an apple pie for dessert. Her mother helped her make the pie and then left her to spice the roast and vegetables and put them in the oven. She kept shifting from one foot to the other to try and lesson the sting and discomfort she felt. And yet while physically she felt horrible, she felt a little more clear-headed at least. Kathy was not ever sure why discipline actually did that, but it did.

  She stood at the kitchen counter to start her paper; sitting down just was not an option. An hour before dinner, Carilyn walked in and patted her shoulder. “Go on up and take a shower and get ready. Wear the polka dots. They’re cute.” Nodding, as Kathy hadn’t thought as far as what she would wear, she took the paperwork with her and went to her room, putting the essay on her nightstand.

  Taking a shower when you’ve been spanked that hard was a really bad idea. She just had forgotten that part until she got under the hot water and it ran over her backside. Yiping, she turned the hot water almost completely off and finished off with cold. Her outfit was already laid out, and just the act of getting dressed was uncomfortable, let alone going downstairs knowing she was going to have to sit down.

  There were already voices in the living room as she descended the stairs. Walking into the living room, she was startled at who was seated across from her parents. Alexander Covington, Jr.’s bright blue eyes turned and met hers as he stood up. Her parents turned and smiled at her as she stared at their guest.

  “Kathy, do you remember Alexander?” her father said and just hearing his voice reminded her not to be stupid. Being rude in this house was a bad thing.

  “Yes,” she said walking forward and stretching out her hand toward his. “Nice to see you again.”

  Something twinkled in the back of his eyes as he shook her hand. “And you as well, Miss Bretherton.” He stayed standing and she knew he was waiting for her to sit down. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping her parents would allow her to escape into the kitchen, but her father just pointed at the sofa. Knowing she would be sitting next to him somehow made the discomfort worse as she turned and sat down, unable not to grimace as she did so. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice. Instead he sat down next to her, reached behind him and came out with a bouquet of flowers. “I hope you enjoy wildflowers,” he said in a warm voice as he handed it to her. “My mother’s a florist and when I went over to her hothouse to get you some, she insisted wildflowers would be best.”

  “I love them. Thanks.” She really did. They weren’t roses which to her should only be from someone you loved, they weren’t a fake report card with his accomplishments on them which was what Joseph brought her, and they weren’t pickles.

  “I hope you enjoy roast,” Carilyn said in the pause that followed Kathy’s words. “It’s our usual Sunday evening fare.”

  “I love all food,” he said. “Plus, I grew up around cattle. I think not enjoying beef goes against the code.”

  As the three of them stood up, Kathy did too, surprised when her parents walked into the dining room leaving her to walk in with Alexander. “How are you enjoying Hyacinth?” he asked her as he pulled out her chair for her. Kathy was about to make an excuse about having to get the food from the kitchen when she realized it was already laid out on the table. Obviously her mother had been busy.

  “I’m getting used to it,” she hedged as she gingerly slid onto the hard wooden chair, grimacing as she did so. After her mother sat down, both men took their seats, her father at the head and Alexander at the foot of the table. “I love our house.” At least that was one good thing she could share.

  “The old Mortimer place,” he sa
id nodding. “You’ve really brightened it up.”

  Her father put his hands palm up on the table and she slid her hand into his and held her hand out to Alexander. Both Michael and Joseph had had sweaty palms and she had rubbed her hand on her leg afterward. Alexander did not. His hand was large, firm, and sent goose pimples up her arm. Her father gave a simple prayer, and as the platters made their way around the table, Kathy searched desperately for something to say. She hadn’t felt like talking before, but all of a sudden now, she wanted to.

  “What do you do?” she finally asked, spearing a couple carrots and putting them on her plate.

  “Attorney. My firm’s out of Chicago. I came here a year ago when Dad became ill with the expectation of going back, but now… I’ve settled back into Hyacinth life and am considering staying. Do you know what you want to do?”

  For a moment, she couldn’t think of how to answer. He wanted to know what she wanted to do? Like in a vocation? Neither of the other guys had asked that. Her eyes slid to her mother who rather looked like the cat who had found the cream. Looking back at Alexander, she shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I hope to figure it out at some point.” Realizing how lame that sounded, she flushed slightly only to have him smile.

  “You’re only eighteen. And not even started your senior year in high school yet. You have plenty of time. I had no idea I wanted to go into law until my senior year in college.”

  “What did you get your bachelor’s in?” Gerald asked.

  “Animal husbandry. I expected to come back and help my dad on the ranch. But when the bug hit me about law after spending a summer interning at a law firm, I was a goner. Passed the bar a year before I came back here.”

  He was very personable. There was an ease to his words and he had no trouble answering anyone’s questions. Plus, he always turned to bring her into the conversation as though her opinion mattered. As the dinner progressed, he won both of her parents over and she had the feeling he was winning with her as well. He was either really good at schmoozing, or they had found a winner in amongst the Hyacinth frogs.

  “Have you had the chance to meet anyone else?” he asked kindly as she and her mother removed the dinner plates to get ready for dessert.

  “I met a few girls at the picnic last week,” she said as she picked up his plate. “We’ve been so busy I haven’t really had the time to do anything else yet.”

  He nodded. “There are a lot of things to keep you busy. My sister would be a good one to talk to. She knows which events are worth it and which ones aren’t.”

  “Who’s your sister?” she asked as she pulled the ice cream out of the freezer and carried it into the dining room where her mother had already taken the pie and pie plates.

  “Her name’s Camille. Bright red hair, green eyes, very chipper. You can’t miss her.” From anyone else, she might wonder if they were being mean, but from the expression on his face, he adored his little sister.

  “It must be nice to have siblings… wait. Cami?” she spluttered as she sat down, squeaking as she had forgotten her sore rump for a moment.

  His eyebrows rose, though he seemed to overlook her squeak. “You’ve met her?”

  “Yes.” Kathy turned to her father. “Cami’s the girl who wanted me to go volunteering with her.”

  Gerald’s eyes lit up. “Well, then I approve. Her father’s a good man. Next time she asks, you may say yes.”

  The rest of the time went far too fast. Before she was ready for it, the pie and ice cream were gone and Alexander rose to leave. “Thank you for this wonderful meal,” he said, looking at her mother. “It was delicious.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Alexander, but Kathy’s the one who made it.”

  He turned his bright blue eyes on her and smiled. “Thank you, Kathy. You’re a good cook.”

  Gerald stood up and accompanied him to the front door with Kathy gaping after them. As she turned to her mother, Carilyn started to giggle. “You should see your face.”

  Trying to ignore that, Kathy stood up, wincing a little, and gathered the plates. “I’m sure there is something wrong with him,” she said airily. “After all… wow.”

  Laughing, sounding delighted, her mother brought in the rest of the dishes. “I have to agree with you. He kind of has the whole package, doesn’t he? Good looking, lucrative business field, and a great personality.” She bumped hips with Kathy. “Oh, look. They aren’t all vermin.”

  Squeaking out a laugh, Kathy started the dishes while Carilyn cleaned up.

  Chapter 5

  By Tuesday, Kathy’s room was a bright, vibrant peach and her bathroom a sky blue. Plus, she had something to look forward to. Camille was picking her up to go to a mall about an hour away and she hoped to pick her mind about her brother. If she could figure out a way to do it quietly. She wasn’t sure if her new friend knew her brother had been over at Kathy’s house on Sunday or if she was supposed to know.

  When a shiny black Mercedes pulled into the drive, Kathy was a bit surprised. True, she hoped her parents would get her a car at some point, but a Mercedes? That seemed over the top. How rich were the Covingtons anyway?

  “Hi!” Cami called as she hopped out of the driver’s seat. “I talked Xan into letting me take his car today. He’s such a good brother. Dad wanted me to take his old, rusty truck.”

  “Xan?” Kathy said, sliding into the passenger seat and enjoying the feel of the leather.

  “Yeah, my brother. Well, it’s short for Alexander. I’ve called him Xander for as long as I can remember and that changed to Xan over time. He’s probably more like my uncle than my brother. Comes from being a decade older than I am. Plus, he’s a lot like Dad.” Camille chatted away, filling Kathy in without her having to ask. “He didn’t want to come home last year but he did it because Dad was really sick. We thought he was gonna die at one point. They finally found a treatment that worked and as Dad got better, we’ve kind of been waiting to see when he would go back to Chicago. But now… Now we think he’s here to stay.” She appeared pleased with that thought.

  “Why’s that?”

  “He’s courting. Or, more to be precise, he’s made it clear to Dad that he found someone he’s interested in. If that moves onto an official courting year, he’ll probably be here for good.”

  “So, tell me more about this whole courting thing works. I have to admit – I’m a bit overwhelmed.”

  “Why?” Cami asked, glancing at her before turning back to the road. “Have you had your first interested guy already?” Kathy wasn’t quite sure to answer that. Another quick glance, this time Cami’s eyes were wide. “You have! Haven’t you?”

  “Umm, yeah. Three of them, actually. This last weekend.”

  At first there was no response from the girl next to her and then she started to laugh. “It’s not funny!”

  Camille nodded. “Yes, it is. You know nothing of our customs, find out you are on your way to getting courted, and have three guys in one weekend?” Giggling, she swerved half off the road and had to swerve back. “That’s funny! Most of us start getting a visitor maybe once a month when we’re seventeen. I guess since you are already eighteen and you’re new, they’re attacking at once. Who were they?” Before Kathy could decide whether or not to tell her, she said, “Wait, don’t tell me. We’re actually not supposed to ask and definitely not supposed to tell.”

  That was a nice rule. But Kathy could not resist saying, “Well, I won’t tell you who two of them were, but one of them was a Joseph Lafferty.”

  “Ewww,” Cami said loudly. “He’s such a dork. I had him as a teacher for the last two years.” She shuddered. “Creepo. I heard he tried for Marjorie, but her father turned him down. Wouldn’t even let him come to dinner.”

  “Is Marjorie in our year?” Kathy remembered the name being mentioned but not much more about her.

  “No. She graduated this year. Has a queen bee complex. I’m sure her and James will be a nice couple.” Something in the way she said it made Kathy
think there was a joke in there somewhere. “So, did you like any of the three?” she asked as she pulled off the highway.

  “One was okay. The other two not so much.”

  “I’m dying to know who Xan wants to court,” Cami admitted with a sigh as they waited at a light. “I wanna know if I’m gonna have a sister-in-law I can adore, or one I hate.”

  They arrived at the mall a few minutes later and Kathy felt that thrill that came from hitting a mall, trying on new clothes, and walking around checking everyone out. “So what are the steps in this whole courting ritual thingy?” she asked as they each got a pretzel and continued their walk.

  “Well,” Cami said through a full mouth, “there’s the first dinner and then normally if a guy’s interested he will request another dinner and another until he kind of becomes a fixture at the dinner table. Then he will go before the town council and declare his intention to court said girl. I don’t know the semantics behind it all, but usually a week or two later, the official courting announcement is made. They have a party and the girl gets to show off whatever gift she received from her man. And then… things kind of change.”

  “Change how?”

  “Well, you can finally kiss. If the girl’s in school, she wears a slightly different uniform stating she’s taken in no uncertain terms. Kind of like wearing a huge engagement ring. And the closer and closer they get to the end of the year, if he hasn’t already procured a home, they will shop for one and start getting it ready. He has to officially get her father’s permission to propose and pop the question by the year anniversary of the courting or it’s nullified. Though I’ve never heard of one actually being reversed. All the girls are engaged by that point, a few even married.” She sighed softly, a dreamy look on her face. “I can’t wait until Damian courts me.”