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A z watched Mandy to the door, torn between regret and satisfaction. He hadn’t wanted to spank her, but she’d pushed him into it.

Sighing, he started his truck and put it into gear. At least he could get her truck and bring it home for her. One of the fellows at the bar would help him.

His right hand throbbed and he wondered how her butt felt? It didn’t matter, not at this point. He was determined she would not waste herself on some lab jockey who couldn’t appreciate her. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, realizing he had another problem at the moment. The feel of her firm buttocks beneath his hand and her breasts bouncing against his thigh had created a powerful urge within him.

She was really getting to him.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he backed out of the driveway. He couldn’t lie to himself; he’d secretly thought of Mandy as his wife many times through the years, but he always squashed the idea. Being her friend was easier to deal with. He didn’t have anything to offer her yet, he wasn’t through school, and he didn’t want to get involved until he was.

Once out of school, he’d be working with Sheriff Dorney and ranching with his brothers. Then they could get married and look for a place to build their own home on the Golden G, or maybe move to the city. Would Mandy be happy in Kansas City? Or even St Louis?

The last he’d heard, she wanted to take over her grandmother's store. Hell, when was the last time they had ever had a decent conversation together? All they seemed to do was argue when they saw each other, or fight because she was up to something he didn’t approve of.

That was his fault, though; he couldn’t help being protective because Mandy had a wild streak in her. She was also beautiful, and men were attracted to her. He’d made it plain to anyone who came near her that she was off limits. That wasn’t fair to her either, but again, he couldn’t help it.

His conscience nagged at him. Maybe the sheriff was right. Could he lose her if he didn’t act soon? She sure seemed ready to up her game with this ridiculous notion of giving away her virginity.

Maybe he’d been fooling himself all along because he was the one who wasn’t ready to claim her. He hadn’t been protecting Mandy just as a big brother, but because she was his.

He growled low in his throat and ran his hands through his hair. Maybe he did need to let her know before it was too late. Maybe they needed to start dating seriously this summer, and not just spending hang-out time here and there. He could handle that; he’d invite her to dinner tomorrow night.

But what if she refuses to come?

***

I NSIDE THE HOUSE, SARA glanced up when Mandy ran past. Were those tears on her daughter’s face?

“Hey, honey...wait up,” she called softly as she wheeled her chair around and followed her towards the bedroom.

Mandy had already shut the bedroom door, so she maneuvered her wheelchair to the side and opened it. Inside, she could see her daughter, face down in the pillow, sobbing like her heart was breaking.

Concerned, she wheeled inside and over to the bed, reaching out to lay her hand on the shining curls. “What’s wrong, Sunshine?” She had always called Mandy her sunshine because her smile was like the sun coming out. It cheered and warmed her every time her daughter laughed. Especially after her husband died. Mandy had no idea how much she had leaned on her during that awful time.

“It’s just Az, being a first-class jerk,” she replied, sniffling and reaching for a Kleenex on the nightstand by her bed.

She didn’t miss Mandy’s wince as she sat up. A knowing smile curved her lips. “What has he done now?”

Mandy grabbed a Kleenex from the box on the side table and blew her nose before speaking. “He...he made me come home, even though I wasn’t drunk,” she exclaimed. “I had to leave my truck at the Saddle. That man is an arrogant, bossy, chauvinist pig, and now I don’t have a way to work tomorrow.”

“Didn’t he offer to come and get you?”

“Well...yeah, but that’s not the point.”

Sara grinned as Mandy eyed her suspiciously, as if she were defecting to Az’s side. “So, what is the point?”

“I could have driven home myself,” she grumped. “I wasn’t drunk, but no, he always has to play the macho protector, and it drives me crazy.” She got up and walked around, unconsciously rubbing her backside while she fumed and snuffled.

Sara didn’t miss the obvious. “Sore muscles, dear?” She phrased the question delicately.

Mandy flushed and jerked her hand away from her backside, her face turning beet red. “I...that is...uhm...” she stammered, at a sudden loss for words.

Sara laughed. “Let me guess. Az smacked your bottom a few times. Am I right?” The chagrined look on Mandy’s face confirmed it.

“He has a lot of nerve,” she snapped. “I can’t believe he did that. I should have him arrested.”

“It wouldn’t do you any good, honey. Sheriff Dorney is a male chauvinist pig, as you put it, from way back,” she replied with a chuckle.

“That’s not fair!” Mandy raised her voice in protest.

Mags stood up on the bed, woofing as if in agreement with her mistress’s plight.

“Do you really want to have him arrested?”

Mandy sighed and then shook her head. “Not really, Mom, I just want him to stop being so overprotective.” She massaged her bottom cheeks ruefully. “And I don’t want spanking me to become a habit.”

“Did you ever think that maybe he is in love with you?” she asked gently.

Mandy blinked. “He sure has a funny way of showing it, if he is.”

“Not really. Men are always protective of women they care about.”

“Maybe,” Mandy said doubtfully, “but I don’t know, Mom. Az has always thought of me as a little sister.” She walked over and surveyed herself in the mirror. “Maybe I should wear something more... eye-catching,” she mused.

“That would depend.”

“On what?”

“On whether or not you want to catch his eye.” Sara stared thoughtfully at her daughter. “You and Az have been friends since you were kids. Are you sure you want to turn that into something more?”

“Maybe...I’m not sure.”

“Try sleeping on it, dear,” Sara replied with a smile. “Maybe things will look different in the morning.”

“You’re probably right,” Mandy conceded. She leaned down to give her mother a kiss and a hug. “Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, dear.”

Sara wheeled herself down the hallway to the living room, her lips curved in a knowing smile. She’d always liked Az Newcomb. She couldn’t think of a better match for her headstrong daughter.

***

A S MANDY WATCHED HER mom leave, she bit her lip and thought of the kiss she and Az had shared earlier that day. Their relationship was already something more, irrevocably changed in the backroom of Benson’s Market. Her heartbeat quickened, and she admitted to herself that if she wanted to lose her virginity, she couldn’t think of a better person than Az.

But was that what she really wanted? Just to lose her virginity? Or were her feelings seriously changing for the stubborn boy who had become a sexy, obstinate, and aggravating man?

***

A FTER ACCOMPLISHING his mission, Az let himself wearily into the front door of the Golden G and headed for the liquor cabinet in the living room. The old stick-built home had been created during a time when families were expected to be large, with plenty of family members running around.

Improvements had been made since his great-grandparents' time with modern updates, but the bare bones of the old home were still as warm and welcoming as they had always been. Hardwood floors, the huge oak planks still hanging in the ceiling, and the stone fireplaces in most of the rooms for heating were all part of the yesteryear charm of the 1800s era.

Az loved the place, but he also intended to build his own home one day. The stone fireplace in the living room didn’t hold a fire, it was too warm this time of year. A 72-inch flatscreen television had been put above the fireplace, but nothing was on. The lights were low, so he automatically assumed his brothers were in their rooms or out at the barn.

Going straight to the liquor cabinet on the left side of the room, he took a bar glass from the glass cabinet above the small wooden bar, poured himself two fingers of tequila, and swallowed it. It went down with a slight burning sensation that was still soothing as he slid onto one of the three barstools, and his thoughts focused on the aggravating girl he’d just spanked.

He’d been furtively watching Mandy with Sam Pickering from behind the mirror over the bar all evening. Since the Saddle had become so popular in the last few years, Rusty Perkins, the owner, had replaced the regular mirror with a viewing mirror. It allowed him to observe the patrons and get a heads up when trouble was brewing. Being able to call the sheriff early had saved him a lot of money because repairs from brawls started by rowdy patrons were expensive. With the mirror, he didn’t have to ban anyone, and business was better than ever because his bar was safer.

Az knew Mandy was drinking too much too fast, even if the Mojitos were a mild drink. He’d also noted that she hadn’t eaten anything but a few french fries. And there was little doubt in his mind as to Sam Pickering’s intentions. No way was he letting that happen. He took another sip of his drink.

“Kind of late to be hitting the booze, isn’t it, little brother?”

He swung around to see the big, barrel-chested body of his oldest brother, Hugh, rise from a lounge chair in front of the fireplace and turn to face him. “Didn’t you get enough of that at the Saddle?”

“Only one reason a man drinks alone, and that’s a woman,” chuckled another deep voice. His other brother, Aaron, rose from another chair to join them.

“You’re right, Aaron, that has to be it,” Hugh agreed.

Az eyed the two men sourly and tossed back the rest of his tequila shot. They reminded him of Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright from the old TV series, Bonanza.

“Well...if it isn’t Little Joe and Hoss...in the flesh. Since you are both older than I am by four and two years, respectively, I don’t consider either of you experts on the subject of women.”

“Little Mandy giving you fits again?” Hugh’s warm blue eyes twinkled and danced as he joined Az at the bar and poured himself a drink.

“Look who’s talking,” Az jibed. “You can’t even hold onto a woman, let alone give advice.” He grinned at his brother’s scowl. “That must be why you’re both sitting here in the dark alone instead of out on a date on a Friday night.”

“We just haven’t found the right one yet,” Aaron assured him, joining him and Hugh at the bar.

It was uncanny how much Aaron’s teasing face and dark hair resembled Little Joe with more modern clothing.

Az’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? What about Anna? I thought you two were going to tie the knot for sure.” Az poured himself another drink. “Whatever happened to her?” he chided.

Aaron grinned. “Nah, it was never serious. Anna wouldn’t have been happy living on a ranch, she was a city girl.”

“And I just haven’t convinced Mary yet that she can’t live without me,” Hugh piped up.

“Yeah, right...it’s more likely you’re both running scared.” Az grinned derisively when the barb found a niche, and Hugh flushed.

“No, I’m afraid it’s Mary who is running scared,” he said glumly. “I asked her to marry me, but she hasn’t made up her mind yet.”

“Why not?” Az asked as he and Aaron both stared curiously at their older brother.

Hugh looked uncomfortable. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because I paddled her little butt a while back. She’s been kind of cool towards me ever since. Says she needs time to think.”

Being a typical dominant male, Aaron asked, “Why would that bother her? It’s just par for the course in a relationship.”

Az stared at him in amazement. “It is? Since when?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never spanked Mandy’s butt,” Aaron taunted. “A girl as feisty as her?” He shook his head.

“Mandy and I are just friends.” Az flushed slightly, his throbbing hand denying the lie.

“You’ve been hovering over that little girl since you were kids,” Aaron replied scornfully. “Don’t bother telling me you aren’t in love with her. Damn, man—you always have been.”

Az scowled at him, tossed back his drink, and then set the glass on the bar. “Even if I were, I can’t think about marriage right now. Besides, she isn’t in love with me.” He stalked out of the room, leaving his brothers staring thoughtfully after him.

Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind as Az veered from the stairway towards the second floor. Instead, he went out the back door off the kitchen to the raised deck outside. Snagging a lawn chair, he plopped down with a grunt and closed his eyes.

The old rambling ranch house had a pretty, peaceful garden out back. The scent of wild honeysuckle tickled his nostrils. The mulberry trees and blackberry patches in the back pasture provided the delicious pies and jellies that his mom made every year from their berries. The trills of the Northern Mockingbirds, or the Whippoorwills as they were commonly known, caressed his ears from among the Mulberry branches, even this late. Those darned birds could go on all night when they wanted to.

Soft footsteps behind him told him his mother was awake. He turned to face her when she took the deck chair next to him. “Trouble sleeping, Mom?”

Beth Newcomb wrapped the lightweight purple robe around her and tied the belt with a chuckle. Her small feet, encased in purple scuffs, were stretched out in front of her. “You know me, I always have to make sure my babies are home before I can sleep.”

“How the heck do you sleep at all those research conferences you go to then?” he teased.

She smiled, her even white teeth barely visible in the pale starlight and the sliver of the new moon. “That’s different, of course.”

The night air felt like silk on Az’s skin now that the heat of the day was past. Despite the sultriness of Missouri’s weather, it was always cooler at night, especially in the late spring. The full heat of summer wouldn’t begin until the summer solstice.

“Are you and Bill going to the Memorial Day barbecue in town this weekend?” he asked. Bill was a fellow professor who often visited from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

“Not this year,” she replied, staring out into the darkness.

Az didn’t press her. His mom hadn’t been the same since she’d lost his dad. None of them had been the same, but he was pretty sure she was lonely. His mother was still a pretty woman in her late fifties. The professional brown bob layered along her chin and slightly down her back was complemented with golden brown eyes and a slender figure. She and Bill had been an item for a few years, but wedding bells never seemed to enter the picture.

“I heard your brothers teasing you about Mandy,” she offered, changing the subject. “Were you two out tonight?”

Az hesitated. “Not really. We were both at the Saddle, but we weren’t together. She had a little too much to drink, so I took her home.”

Beth chuckled. “I’m guessing she didn’t agree with your analysis of her condition.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked warily.

She turned to face him. “I’m aware of her feelings towards you hovering over her.”

“I’m not hovering,” Az objected for the second time today.

“Son, you’ve been carrying a torch for Mandy for years, whether you believe it or not. You might want to ask yourself why it was so important for you to look out for her all these years. Because it wasn’t out of the goodness of your heart, although you’re a good man.”

Az grunted. He’d been asking himself that very same thing all afternoon. “Maybe,” he finally admitted. “I’m not sure either of us is ready for a serious relationship, though.”

Beth snorted. “Well...while you’re thinking about getting ready, you might realize that she’s thinking too. And whether or not you’re in her thoughts, or some other man is, will be up to you.” She reached out and placed a palm on his arm. “Don’t wait too long, son. The right one doesn’t come along every day,” she added wistfully, turning her face back to the stars and leaning back in her chair. “You don’t want to waste precious time you could have had together just dithering.”

Az’s stomach clenched. He couldn’t resist asking, “What about you, Mom?”

She hesitated, then sighed. “Adam was my right one, Az. No one else has ever come close. So, until that happens, if it happens, I’m better off alone than only giving half of me to another man.”

Az’s heart tugged, and he went quiet. His thoughts were so focused on Mandy that he almost missed the lights bobbing off and on across the west cattle pasture. How would a light get into one of their pastures...unless?

He jumped up. “Did you see that, Mom?”

Beth jumped up. “See what?”

“Those lights out there.”

Beth squinted in the direction Az was pointing. “Yes...yes, now I see them. What are they?”

“Hugh! Aaron!” Az yelled to his brothers as he ran for the back door. The two men met him in the kitchen.

“What? What’s going on, Az?” A concerned Hugh was striding across the kitchen floor.

“There are lights in the pasture!”

“Rustlers!” Aaron yelped. “Come on, let’s catch ’em red-handed.”

“Horses will be faster in the pastures than a truck,” Hugh said, sprinting for the door.

“What if they have guns?” Az asked, pausing in mid-run. “Shouldn’t we grab our rifles?”

“You grab the rifles, we’ll have the horses ready,” Hugh ordered with authority only an older brother can wield and get by with.

“Do you want me to call Sheriff Dorney?” Beth asked with a frown as she came through the doorway.

“No, not until we know what’s out there,” Hugh threw over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

What seemed like a mad scramble quickly became an organized and efficient manhunt, the three brothers picking their way around the creek and jumping the fences. They were about halfway into the west pasture when the lights went out.

“They are on the run,” Aaron hissed, “they must have seen us coming.”

“I don’t see anything, though,” Az replied uneasily, slowing his horse to a walk as his eyes strained to see through the dim moonlight. Shapes and sizes were distorted at night, and distance was often miscalculated. “I could have sworn the light was coming from this area...not much further up ahead.”

“Much farther and we’ll be on Possum Lake Road,” Hugh whispered. “I don’t like it.”

Az pulled back beside Hugh. “Have we lost any cattle, Hugh? The sheriff told me today that he’s had reports from various ranchers about missing cattle, including Randy Berenger.” He reined his mount in tighter.

“Shh—what’s that?” Hugh held his hand up to stop all conversation, and the men strained to listen.

“Sounds like a truck engine,” Aaron replied, looking towards the road. “If it is, whoever was here is just leaving.”

“Come on, let’s investigate from here to the road,” Hugh ordered, urging his horse forward. “Spread out and holler if you hear or see anything. Not too far apart now, we don’t want anyone to run into danger without close backup.”

Az, Aaron, and Hugh automatically spread out in three different directions, each picking their way carefully towards the dusty road that wound around and curled up to Possum Lake Dam.

They were just coming out of the trees along the edge of their property when a shot rang out in the still night air. Hugh tumbled off his horse, landing flat on his back.

“My God, Hugh has been shot!” Aaron yelled the chilling words to Az, and they both sent their horses thundering towards their fallen brother, fearing the worst.

When they reached him, they leaped off their mounts and knelt beside him, frantically searching for blood to see where he’d been hit. Their hands were all over him, and he began to slap them away, bellowing disgustedly, “Get your hands off me, I’m fine, just bruised from the fall.”

“You didn’t get shot?” Az’s eyes narrowed as he searched his brother’s chest carefully.

“No—I didn’t get shot.”

“Then how come you fell off your horse?” Aaron asked, exasperated. “You had us thinking you’d been killed, you fool.”

“For your information, I was reacting to the gunshot,” Hugh huffed, drawing himself up to a sitting position. “Something I see you both failed to do.”

“By falling backwards off your horse like an idiot?” Aaron was incredulous.

Az hid a small grin of relief. Just like Hoss and Little Joe, those two were always bickering, although their hearts were made of gold. He and Aaron were both relieved to see that Hugh wasn’t shot after all.

“Hold it right there, varmints! I got my Bessie aimed at your heads,” ordered a thin, reedy voice.

“Skeeter Davis, is that you? What the devil are you doing out here taking wild shots at people?” Hugh thundered, standing up as a skinny old man came into view.

Skeeter lowered his rifle in disappointment. “Oh—it’s just you Newcomb boys. And here I thought I’d caught me the varmints that have been dumping in the lake.” Suddenly, he raised his gun again. “Unless it’s you that’s been dumping.”

“Put that gun down, you goldarned fool, before you actually shoot somebody,” Aaron ordered. He eyed the old man with his scraggly-looking beard. “What are you talking about? What dumping?”

“Someone’s been dumping in the lake?” Az asked, his attention riveted on Skeeter.

“That’s what I said,” Skeeter replied testily.

“What are they dumping?” Hugh asked, shoving his black hat back on his head.

“How should I know? I’m not going to dive into it and find out. That end of the lake is deeper than a con man’s wallet.”

“How come you haven’t told the sheriff?” Aaron demanded.

“Because I just ain’t got around to it yet,” Skeeter answered impatiently. Glaring at the men, he turned and stalked off, his shotgun over his arm. Skeeter was a law unto himself, and most people thought he was plumb loco.

The brothers looked at each other and shook their heads. “It’s too late to go nosing around in the dark,” Hugh said. “Let’s get back to the house. Whoever was here is long gone now, anyway.”

“Shouldn’t we call Dorney?” Aaron asked, taking out his cell phone.

“No point in it,” Az replied. “We can’t see anything in the dark, and we don’t even know for sure that anything was taken. It’s black as pitch out here with no moon. At first light, we’ll check the pasture. Then we’ll call Evan if we find anything missing.”

His brothers agreed. As they rode back to the house, Az yawned so wide his eyes watered. Lord, he was tired. His thoughts drifted back to Mandy and the sight of her denim-covered backside wiggling and bucking over his lap. Now there was a memory to sleep with—or not, as the case might be. Some things kept you awake more than put you to sleep though, and Mandy’s cute little butt was going to be one of them.