Chapter 7

"That's it for today, Jared," Ethan called as he gently patted the sweating appaloosa gelding on the neck. "I think Spot's had all he can handle for now."

Jared walked in from the field where he had been firing a pistol while Ethan soothed and comforted the wild-eyed horse after each shot.

"Is he doing any better?" the young man asked doubtfully.

"I think he is. It's just going to take some time. I'm going to work with the 2 year olds for a while. You get the tack cleaned and then you're free until it's time to make supper. Stay near the cabin, though."

"Can I go up and check the fish trap when I'm done with the tack?"

There was a small waterfall upstream a short way and Ethan and Jared had built a wicker fish trap below it. The fish that went over the fall landed in the trap, where the smaller ones could swim through the openings in the wicker, but the larger ones would remain until they were either removed or released.

"Take the rifle with you."

"Oh, Ethan, come on!" Jared protested. "It's less than a quarter mile upstream from here. What's going to happen to me that close to the cabin?"

"Nothing," Ethan replied. "Because you're going to have the rifle to protect yourself."

"Oh, yeah, right. Just in case I'm attacked by a mad killer trout."

"Jared," Ethan said warningly.

"All right! I'll take the damn gun!" Jared stomped off, muttering under his breath. Ethan was taking this entirely too far. What was the big deal, anyway? No one knew where he was, or even cared. And anyone that knew Fletch Dutton would know that he didn't tell anyone his secrets, let alone a woman. A pistol would be one thing; he could put it on a belt around his waist and forget about it. Carrying the rifle meant that he only had one hand free, and taking it everywhere he went was a big pain in the butt, one that he was rapidly getting tired of.

~~~~~~

Jared glanced anxiously at the sky. Cleaning the tack had taken longer than he had planned, and the sun was already close to the horizon. He'd have to hurry if he was going to get the fish and get it cleaned in time to make supper.

He hastened past the barn and started up the path that ran along the creek. He hoped there were some big ones today. Otherwise they'd have to have bacon and eggs for supper. It was too late to start anything else.

He was halfway to the waterfall when he realized that he'd left the rifle leaning against the barn door when he put the tack away. /Damn it!/ He turned to go back, then looked at the sun and hesitated. He didn't want to waste the time going back for the damn gun, or try to carry it and the fish at the same time. He could hear Ethan in the pasture, calling and chirruping to the young horses. If he hurried, he could get the fish and get back to the barn before Ethan finished with them. And what Ethan didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? The decision made, he continued up the bank, whistling under his breath.

He pushed his way through the berry bushes that grew along the bank near the waterfall, and stopped dead. A young brown bear, fat and ready for hibernation, stood in the creek at the bottom of the fall. The splintered remains of the trap lid floated near him as he shoved a succulent trout into his mouth with one paw while reaching into the trap with the other.

"DAMN YOU, BEAR!" Jared shouted in outrage. That bear was eating their dinner! He picked up a fist-sized rock and threw it at the bear, shouting as he did so. "GET OUT OF MY TRAP AND AWAY FROM MY FISH!"

He picked up another rock and then another and another, bouncing them off the bear as fast as he could, yelling at the top of his lungs. The bear turned to stare at the annoyance, a fish still held in his claws. He looked as if he might be about to back off, but then one of the rocks bounced off his sensitive nose. With an angry roar, he rose on his back legs and Jared suddenly realized that his action might not be a good idea.

"Good bear," he said soothingly, hands out in front of him as he backed away toward the cover of the bushes. "Never mind. You keep the fish. We'll have bacon and eggs. In fact, you can have the bacon too, if you want. We can get by on eggs."

He kept backing away as the bear waded out of the creek, then turned to run, but tripped over a fallen branch and fell flat on his face. As he scrabbled to get to his feet, waiting to be mauled, he had only one thought in his head. "Ethan is going to KILL me!"

A shot rang out, then two more, and he dropped on his face in the dirt, breathing heavily. Seconds later, he was snatched up and had the breath squeezed out of him in a gigantic hug.

"Are you all right, little boy?" Ethan asked anxiously, inspecting him from head to toe. "He didn't get to you, did he? Did he hurt you?"

Jared shook his head, unable to speak, and wrapped his arms around Ethan, holding on for dear life.

Ethan stood and held him tightly in return, rubbing his back with one hand. "I heard you shouting and couldn't imagine what was wrong so I came running. Why the HELL were you throwing rocks at that bear??"

"He... he was eating our supper," Jared replied shakily.

"Damn it, Jared!" Ethan stepped back and put his hands on the young man's shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed! Over a few fish!"

"I guess I wasn't thinking," Jared muttered, hanging his head. "I just saw him in the trap and I wanted to chase him away. They say if you're agressive enough, bears will run."

"But why throw rocks? Why not just shoot him, or at least shoot over his head?"

"Uh-" Jared ducked his head, scuffing one foot in the dirt.

"Jared?" Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Where's your rifle?"

Jared stood mute, staring at the ground in front of him.

"Jared." Ethan grasped the younger man's chin and forced it up. "Where is your rifle?"

"It's..., Um..., It's... I left it in the barn, Ethan," Jared confessed in a rush. "I didn't mean to, I just forgot it. Honest. I swear!"

The startled young man gasped as Ethan grabbed his arm and hauled him to a nearby fallen log, sitting and turning him over one knee before Jared had time to react.

Ethan swatted the upturned butt a half dozen times, each swat progressively harder.

"I can't believe it, little boy! I *told* you to keep that gun with you at all times! I gave you a direct order, and you deliberately disobeyed me! You could have been killed!"

He stopped abruptly and pushed Jared off of his lap.

"No. I'm not doing this while I'm so angry," he announced coldly. "Go down to the cabin, get your pants off, and get in the corner. Don't move until I get there. You understand me, little boy?"

Jared nodded dejectedly, his eyes full of tears and his lower lip quivering. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm so sorry."

"Go," he said implacably. He watched the young man trudge away, then pulled his knife and turned to the bear. He might as well bleed and hang the meat while he was calming down.

~~~

Jared stumbled into the cabin and over to the bed. He fumbled with the laces of his new boots until he got them untied and taken off, then stood and pushed his suspenders down and unbuttoned his pants, berating himself all the while. How could he have been so stupid? Ethan warned him over and over about acting without thinking, but he hadn't learned a thing. What was*wrong* with him?

He took his pants off and folded them neatly, then hesitated. Ethan hadn't told him to take his underwear off, but all of his prior spankings had been on a bare butt. He debated the slight protection that they would offer against the risk of making the man even angrier, and took them off, too. Trudging over to the corner, he leaned his head against the wall and waited miserably for Ethan to arrive. He stood there for what seemed an eternity. The shadows gathered and the cabin was almost dark when the door finally opened. He risked a quick look over his shoulder, hoping against hope that Ethan had calmed down.

"Face the corner, Jared."

It was too dark to see Ethan's face, but the stern voice didn't give him much hope. He gulped back a sob and turned to face the wall again. He listened intently, tracking Ethan's movements by the sounds he made. First, there were the twin thumps of the two rifles being put back on the rack, then the rasp of a match and the chink of the lamp chimney, followed by the warm glow of the lamplight. Next there was the clank of the stove door being opened and the faint thud of wood being added. He could hear Ethan walking from the main room to the pantry and back, and then the sound of iron against iron as Ethan set a pot on the stove. He could see Ethan in his peripheral vision as the older man built up the fire in the fireplace, then the man moved out of his sight and there were more noises he couldn't identify. Finally, there was the scrape of a chair being moved away from the table, and Ethan spoke again.

"All right. Come here, little boy."

Jared dragged his feet over to where Ethan waited by the table. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I didn't-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening, as he saw the leather strap lying on the table.

"No, Ethan. Please, no," he pleaded desperately. "You don't need that. I won't do it again, I promise!"

"Come here, Jared," Ethan commanded as he held out his hand to the unwilling young man.

Jared stifled a whimper as he was pulled down over the older man's hard thighs.

"You didn't seem to get the message about the rifle," Ethan said, adjusting the younger man's position so that he was held tightly against Ethan's stomach, feet barely touching the floor. "I told you to carry it to keep you safe, not to be mean or spiteful, and I expected you to do it. That bear could have *killed* you, Jared!" He pushed the soft flannel shirt farther up the young man's back, revealing the soft swell of his buttocks, resting his hand against them.

"I got the message, Ethan. I'll carry it from now on, I'll never forget it again. I SWEAR!" his voice rose as the hand lifted and the first swat landed.

"Why should I believe you, little boy?" Ethan asked sternly, delivering several more hard swats, "you told me you would carry it before."

"I'm sorry! I meant to! It won't happen again!" Jared cried as the spanking and the lecture continued.

"The consequences don't go away just because you're sorry, little boy. Just like being sorry wouldn't have kept you from being mauled by that bear."

With that statement, Ethan stopped lecturing, devoting his full attention to the lesson he was delivering to his partner's bottom. The swats came fast and furious now, until finally, when the frantically kicking young man was positive that he couldn't endure a moment longer, Ethan delivered the last swat.

He rested his hand on the younger man's fiery red bottom, rubbing Jared's back with the other one. "Breath, Jared. It's all right. It's almost over," he ordered softly.

When the crying had slowed and Jared was calmer, Ethan let the young man slide to his knees on the floor. Jared immediately crumpled against Ethan's leg and held tightly, burying his face against the pants leg, trying to stifle his sobs.

Ethan looked down at the young man, judging his emotional state before taking him by the shoulders, encouraging him to stand up. "Come on, little boy, we're almost done."

Jared stood and instinctively tried to burrow into the strong shoulder as he had after other punishments, but this time Ethan stopped him.

"No, little boy, we aren't done yet."

Jared looked at him, first in confusion, then in horror. "No Ethan, please don't. I'm sorry. Please..." He tried again to burrow into the older man's shoulder.

Ethan gave in to a quick hug before pulling back, his voice turning hard again. "Bend over the table, Jared," he said sternly, guiding the younger man over to the table, turning him around and bending him forward.

"No, Ethan. Don't, please don't." Jared cried out, even as he complied with the order. "Please. I promise I won't do it again."

"I warned you what would happen, didn't I?"

A small shudder went though Jared as he felt his shirt being pushed back over his waist, and Ethan's large hand effectively pinning him in place on the table. He squirmed against the hard grip, testing the hold, looking for an avenue of escape and finding none.

Behind him, he heard Ethan say, "When I give you an order, little boy, I expect it to be obeyed. Always. Not only if you agree with it, or only if you feel like it at the time - Always. Is that clear?"

Jared nodded, then laid his head on his folded arms in despair.

"I have to be able to trust you, little boy," Ethan told him sternly, "and that includes knowing that you're going to obey me. I would rather you did it out of love, but if it's only because you fear punishment, that will do. And if the strap is what it takes to keep you from taking foolish risks with your life, then I will not hesitate to lay it across your backside every night if I have to." He raised the folded strap and brought it down sharply across both cheeks.

Jared had no time to recover from the first stroke before the second was delivered with equal strength and determination, followed immediately by two more. He gave a loud, sobbing cry that barely had time to start before the fifth and final stroke was laid across his butt.

Ethan tossed the strap on the table, and pulled Jared's shirt back down, covering the angry red welts.

As soon as Ethan took his hand away, Jared was moving, turning and wrapping his arms around the big man's neck, clutching him blindly and sobbing into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ethan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be bad, I didn't mean to disappoint you."

"Shhh, shhh," Ethan soothed him, holding him close and stroking his hair. "It's all right, little boy. It's all over now." He continued to hold him, rubbing his back and murmuring soft wordless reassurances until the sobbing had eased. "I don't think you need to get dressed again. Let's get this shirt off of you and put your nightshirt on, all right?"

Jared shook his head vigorously, clinging to Ethan like a leech.

Ethan stood holding him a moment longer, then picked him up and carried him over to the chair by the fireplace and put him down next to it. "I need you to stand here while I put some wood on the fire, Jared. I'm not going anywhere." He gently pulled the clinging arms from around his neck.

Jared gave a reluctant nod and stood beside the chair, sniffling and watching every move as Ethan added wood to the fire, then got the young man's nightshirt and a blanket. He remained silent when Ethan returned to his side, merely raising his arms obediently when told to, letting Ethan undress him and put his nightshirt on as if he were a small child.

When Ethan finally sat down in the chair, Jared collapsed onto his lap with a heartfelt sigh, only to gasp in agony as his aching backside contacted Ethan's hard thighs.

"Shhh, it's all right, let's just move you a little." Ethan helped him settle into a position where his weight was taken by his back and legs instead of his bottom.

"I'm cold," Jared complained once he was gingerly settled into place.

Ethan wrapped the blanket around him, cradling him gently until the sniffles had died away to an occasional hiccup and the young man slept. Laying Jared on the bed, he pulled the covers over him, then went and dished up a plate of warmed over chicken and dumplings, standing next to the stove to eat it. Damn, but he had hated doing that. He didn't know what else to do though. Jared had the conviction of immortality that all young men his age did. He just would *not* take threats to his safety seriously. Maybe now he would at least humor Ethan, whether he truly believed the reasoning or not.

"Ethan!"

He heard the panic in the tearful voice and dropped his half-empty plate to hurry over to him. "I'm right here, little boy."

"Thirsty," Jared complained, scrubbing his hands over his face.

"You need to eat, too," Ethan said as he watched him gulp down the glass of water the older man brought to him.

"No." Jared shook his head obstinately. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat anyway, little boy." Ethan took the glass and refilled it with milk before dishing up more chicken and dumplings. "You can't go without supper, you're too thin already."

He sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and pulled the reluctant young man into a sitting position on his lap. "Just eat a few bites for me," he coaxed, holding the spoon to Jared's lips.

Jared slowly ate one bite, then another, for once feeling like it was too much effort to argue. He managed to eat about half of the food and drink most of the milk before turning his head and pushing the spoon away.

"All right, I guess that's enough for now." Ethan put the plate to one side and eased Jared back under the covers. "You lie here and stay warm while I wash up the dishes.

Jared waited a few minutes, then cautiously slipped out from under the covers and lay with his head at the foot of the bed where he could see Ethan working in the kitchen area.

"Jared, get back under those covers," Ethan said without looking around.

"I just want to see what you're doing," Jared protested.

"I'm washing a pan. Now get back under those blankets."

"Hold me? Please?" the young man pleaded as he did as he was told.

Ethan quickly finished what he was doing, then undressed and slid under the covers, gathering the young man close and resting the dark blond head against his shoulder.

"I love you, Ethan," Jared whispered as he snuggled up against the warm, hard body next to him.

"I love you too, little boy."

"I promise I'll do better. Don't send me away. Please."

"Of course I won't send you away, little boy," Ethan promised huskily, holding the young man even closer. "You may spend a lot of time unable to sit comfortably, but I will *never* send you away."