Spanking Romance Stories - Punished Wives Collection (16 page)

April shook her head and her nostrils flared. “Oh, no. His ego is big enough as it is.”

Susannah took a deep breath. “Okay. I think we’re about ready. Dad is out in the hallway pale as a ghost.” She looped her arm through Shoshana’s. “Did I tell you what he did to me at my wedding? We were about to walk down the aisle and I turned around and he was gone. Had to go to the bathroom and disappeared just like that. I thought I’d throw up.”

Shoshana’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched her younger sister, Elisabeth, walk down the aisle first to take her place near the stage. April followed and then Susannah. Her niece, Rebekah, went next, dropping flowers as she walked. The music became louder and everyone stood. Shoshana felt she was in a dream as she drifted down the aisle, her eyes on her groom. Susannah was right. He was drop-dead gorgeous, and when he smiled his dimpled smile and winked at her she felt she couldn’t breathe.

The wedding went off without a hitch, seeming to last only a short time compared to all the planning and work that went into it. They were married by her pastor, John Williams, in the church she’d attended her entire life. Jayden Williams played the piano and sang the special music. Her voice was lovely. She’d only married Gabe a few months back, but already the people of Pailville had come to love her. Shoshana was going to miss this little community.

But when Cameron kissed her, all regrets about leaving her friends and family fled. She’d follow this man to the ends of the earth. She blushed when they turned to face the crowd and Pastor Williams presented them as Mr. And Mrs. Cameron Jamison. Shoshana Jamison. She liked the sound of that.

They walked to the back of the church and stopped to shake the hands of all the well-wishers. It seemed strange to see men in well-tailored slacks and coats and women in expensive power suits exiting the humble church next to her plainly garbed friends and family. The women in her church wouldn’t even think of wearing pants at home, let alone at church. She wondered what they thought of Cameron’s family and felt her face heat.

Thankfully it was a lovely day since the reception would be held outside. It only vaguely resembled a traditional wedding reception in that there was a wedding cake and punch, but otherwise it was more like a church picnic with everyone bringing a covered dish to share. Shoshana was grateful to see the Williams boys along with her own brothers carrying folding chairs outside for Cameron’s family to sit on. They had no way of knowing they should have brought a blanket to eat on the ground. She and Cameron sat in a chair as well in an effort to be polite to his family. She met so many of them her head was spinning, but the most memorable was his mother’s sister. A formidable woman with stark white hair, she kept it no secret that she felt the whole affair rather quaint. She hadn’t realized people still lived this way. As the president of the Fayette County Chapter of the National Organization of Women, she was completely scandalized that many of the women of the church fixed their husbands’ plates and carried them to him before serving themselves.

“
April, love,” she called when Cameron’s sister passed by with Caleb.

April dutifully walked their way, her smile seeming pasted on her face. “Aunt Florence. It’s so good to see you.” She kissed the air next to her aunt’s powdered face before putting her hand on Caleb’s arm. “I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Caleb. Caleb, this is my Aunt Florence.”

Caleb nodded. “Ma’am.”

Aunt Florence studied Caleb with a frown on her face but she nodded to him in turn.

“
Quite a grim-looking young man,” she commented once they’d walked away.

Cameron’s eyes slid to his aunt. “He’s Shoshana’s brother, Aunt Florence.”

Her eyes met his, completely ignoring Shoshana. “Doesn’t change the fact. My sister tells me he’s quite domineering with April.” She shook her head. “I’ve got to get that girl alone and teach her a thing or two. Why couldn’t she be more like her sister?”

Cameron rolled his eyes. “I don’t think I could stand more than one Rona.”

“
At least she has a bit of a spine. I’m told that April lets that man tell her when to piss.” She looked up with a grimace as Cameron’s mother approached and patted the chair beside her. “Sit down here, Delores, and tell me what in the world we’re going to do with April.”

“
Now, Flo. Let’s not talk about that here,” Delores told her with a pat on the shoulder.

“
Ugh! This is horrible!” Cameron’s youngest sister, Rona, tiptoed over to a chair, one of her high heels in her hand. “You can’t even walk here! Cam, why in the world would you want to have a wedding in this God-forsaken place?”

“
That’s enough, Rona,” Cameron said.

Aunt Florence’s head snapped up and her mouth twisted into a sneer. “Well, aren’t you the man.”

Rona shook her head, holding out her heel for Cameron to see. “You could’ve had a proper wedding at the club.”

“
Rona... ” Cameron warned.

Shoshana stood to her feet.

Cameron squinted up at her, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Where are you going?”

“
I am going to sit with the
ladies
,” she told him. Looping her train around her arm, she flounced away.

“
What’s wrong?” April asked when Shoshana flopped down beside her and crossed her arms.

“
I’m sorry, April, but I don’t get along very well with your aunt or your mom or your sister.”

“
That’s okay. Neither do I, especially now that I’m trying to be a Titus 2 kind of gal.”

April pulled her knees up under her gown and rested her chin on them. Her sad gaze followed Caleb as he milled about, talking with this girl and that.

Shoshana swallowed and allowed her eyes to meet Cameron’s across the yard. It would be a shame to get a spanking on her wedding night.

April’s widened eyes snapped to hers. “Cameron wouldn’t spank you!”

Shoshana hadn’t realized she’d spoken the thought aloud, but she nodded. “Yes, he would. He’s done it before.”

April’s hand came up to cover her mouth, her face a picture of shock. “Mom would have a stroke.” Then she giggled.

Shoshana smiled in turn but her heart wasn’t in it. “I guess so. Her own son, a male chauvinist and abuser of women, or at least, women’s bottoms.”

She watched with her heart in her throat as Cameron rose from his chair and strode in her direction. He held out a hand for her. “Come on.”

Shoshana put her hand in his and allowed him to help her to her feet. They walked hand in hand toward the stream. “Are you mad at me?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I’m not real happy with you. Shana, I’ve asked you before to try to get along with my family. You know I would love to see them come to God, and the quickest way to guarantee that will
not
happen is to set a poor example as a Christian.”

“
I’m sorry,” she said with tears in her voice.

Cameron cocked his head to look at her. Seeing her tears, he sighed and pulled her into his arms. “Come here.”

She sniffed against his chest and looked up into his face. “It’s just that they’re so... so rude. It’s hard for me not to say something. I guess I’ve always had a problem controlling my tongue.” She laid her head against him. “Are you going to punish me?” she asked in a small voice.

She felt him draw a deep breath and let it out before he shook his head. “Not on our wedding night. But you’d best not let it happen again.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded.

April had never felt so miserable and out of place in her life. After Shoshana left with Cameron for their honeymoon she had no one to talk to. Caleb continued to catch up with old friends. She didn’t know his family, and he didn’t seem too anxious to introduce her to them. Her own family didn’t understand her anymore and spent all their time trying to change her back into the woman she once was. No amount of explaining would convince them that she couldn’t go back. She had finally found her true self and going back to her old ways was something she neither wanted nor felt she was able to do. So she sat on her blanket alone with her misery.

The girl who had sung at the wedding sat down next to her and held out a hand. “Hello, I’m Jayden.”

April took her hand and tried to smile. “I’m April,” she returned. “Cameron’s sister. Nice to meet you.”

“
Oh,” Jayden said with a glance at her family all congregated off to the side. They appeared to be cleaning up their spot and readying themselves to leave. “I thought you were here alone.”

“
I am,” she said with another longing gaze at Caleb. “I don’t want to sit with my family because they don’t understand me, and my boyfriend seems to have forgotten me.” She smiled at the other girl to soften her words since they sounded so glum even to herself. “I’m afraid I’m not very good company. I’ve developed a headache and don’t feel very well. Maybe it’s because of the heat.”

Sympathy filled Jayden’s eyes. “Caleb Howard is your boyfriend?”

“
Yes,” April answered, following him with her eyes. He seemed to be coming her way, but then he moved to speak to yet another young lady who’d called for him. “At least I thought so.”

“
Why don’t you go tell him you don’t feel well?”

“
I’m afraid he’ll be mad at me if I interrupt him. He seems to be enjoying himself.”

Jayden rolled her eyes. “Those girls are hopeless. For ladies who claim such exemplary raising they sure can flirt with the best of them. And they have such a hard time believing one of ‘their’ guys could actually care for someone unlike themselves.”

April turned to her in surprise. “Weren’t you raised here?”

“
Oh no, honey. I was raised in Lexington by a gay mother. I had an awful time gaining acceptance here.” She smiled. “But once you’re one of them they really are nice people.” She took April by the hand and struggled to her feet. “Come on. It’s time to stake your claim.”

April pulled back. “I don’t think Caleb would care for that,” she told Jayden.

Jayden winked at her. “It’s all in how you go about it.”

April’s stomach rolled as they made their way over to Caleb who stood among a knot of girls. Jayden pulled her to his side, drawing his attention. April apologized with her eyes.

“
Caleb, your girlfriend isn’t feeling well but she’s afraid you’ll be upset if she interrupts you,” Jayden said, cutting off one of the girls in mid-sentence.

Caleb’s eyes slid to April’s face and his brow furrowed. The girl went on talking, but Caleb held his hand out for April and she put her hand in it, allowing herself to be pulled in beside him. He drew her head close and kissed her forehead, his eyes on the still chattering girl.

“
Excuse us,” he said as soon as the girl paused in her story. April was the recipient of several unfriendly looks before she walked back to their blanket with Caleb’s arm wrapped around her waist, but his attention was like a balm to her heart. For some reason it made her want to cry.

Caleb’s eyes filled with concern and he reached out to feel her forehead. “You should have told me sooner you weren’t feeling well, Sweetheart.”

A tear slid down her face. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself so much. I didn’t want to... ” She sighed and decided to tell him the truth. “I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with me.” More tears welled and rolled down her cheeks. “All those girls were around you and... ” She shrugged and swiped at her eyes.

“
... and you were sitting here all by yourself the whole time?” She nodded. He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “I should have gotten back over here sooner. I didn’t mean to neglect you. Every time I started this way I got sidetracked again. I apologize.” He released her and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Why didn’t you go visit with your family for awhile?”

She swallowed and lowered herself onto their blanket, a fresh welling of tears starting. “I didn’t want to... ” Her voice was hoarse so she cleared her throat. “... because they don’t understand me anymore. They don’t like the. .um. .changes I’ve made and they keep trying to change me back.”

Caleb folded himself down next to her and took her hand which he brought to his lips. “I like the changes you’ve made,” he told her. “I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but I find you a hundred times more beautiful now, both inside and out.”

She couldn’t help smiling through her tears. “You do?” He nodded. “I didn’t know... but it matters more that I’m beautiful to God than anything else.”

“
I know, and that’s what makes you so beautiful to me.”