"Now, mind your own business, Montgomery," Crystal bellowed as Gerald all but pushed her in the window. She slammed it shut.
Jewel was laughing so hard she was doubled over. "You have to admire her spunk," she howled, straightening and wiping her eyes.
"That's not spunk, that's pure meanness," Jasper yelled, wiping the water from his face.
"I agree," Gabe said, "and if you don't blister her ass for this, I will."
"Oh go ahead," Jasper said stomping toward his horse. "If I put my hands on her right now I'll…"
"I'll do it," Gabe replied, "but first I have to take care of the instigator."
"Now, Gabe," Jewel began, backing up.
"Don't you 'now Gabe' me," he growled advancing on her. "This has your name written all over it."
"Leave Crystal go till tomorrow," Jasper said, mounting his horse. "I think you already have your hands full."
Turning, Gabe caught just a glimpse of Jewel's dress as she shot through the door and into the saloon. "Truer words were never spoken, my friend. I'll leave her to you."
***
He spanked her before breakfast. Jasper Montgomery simply strode through the double doors of The Red Petticoat Saloon, nodded once to Gabe who was arranging bottles behind the bar and marched up the stairs. Gabe heard his heavy footsteps down the hallway, a door open and close and three minutes later the howls began. They were enough to wake the whole place. He smiled and went back to work.
Jasper didn't bother to wake her. Sitting on her bed he pulled her warm sleepy body over his lap, shoved up her nightgown and proceeded to roast her ass. It took her a moment to realize what was happening and then she fought like hell to get away, all of her efforts wasted.
His hand fell over and over, her cries had absolutely no effect on him and she wondered when she would just burst into flames and become a cinder. He spanked her cheeks, her thighs and the underside of her bottom with an upward smack that stole her breath and cut her cries off mid scream.
When he was finished, which seemed like a very long time to Clem, and she wasn't much more than a weeping, snotty puddle of misery, he pushed her off his lap, flipped her over and shoved her down on the bed.
"That was a real spanking," he informed her, pinning her hands down on the bed. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket he wiped her mouth and nose before kissing her, hard. Then he was gone as quickly as he arrived, slamming the door behind him.
"Gabe," he said acknowledging the man as he walked past the bar. "Guess I'll see what Nettie has for breakfast. Suddenly I have quite an appetite."
"Think I'll join you, Montgomery. Seems we have more in common than I thought."
In no time at all, Nettie brought out big platters heaped with ham, eggs, biscuits and fried potatoes. Both men tucked into the meal with gusto.
"Chicken gumbo for dinner tonight, Mr. Gabe," Nettie said. "We got another flock of chickens from one of Miss Crystal's customers," she continued with a wink.
Jasper frowned. "Jewel tells me there have been strangers asking about McKay's son," he said as soon as Nettie returned to the kitchen. "Tell me what you've noticed?"
Gabe nodded. "This place is full of strangers. Crystal is good for business in general. We've got more men coming in for a good meal, we're serving more drinks and the other gems are working their tails off, no pun intended. The only one who's not happy is Crystal."
Jasper raised his eyebrow and looked at Gabe. Taking a sip of his coffee he indicated he'd like the other man to elaborate.
"Oh, she puts on a good show," Gabe continued. "She's so sweet to her customers it's enough to give you a toothache, and they fawn over her like she's a princess. They're in and out all afternoon too, not just at night. Every morning, she sneaks out the back door and rides."
"She goes to the mine," Jasper said.
"I know, I followed her," Gabe replied.
"I thought gems weren't allowed to go out alone?"
"They aren't once it starts to get dark," Gabe agreed, then clarified. "Crystal doesn't leave here as a gem, she leaves as a young boy. It bothered me quite a bit, but there wasn't much I could do to stop her. Technically she isn't breaking the curfew rule. Even if she were, I'm not sure spanking her each and every day would deter her. Even I couldn't go that far, not when she's such a sad little thing. She rides out, leaves that horse of hers a half mile or so away from the mine and moves closer. It's eerie how she can stay so still and quiet for so long watching, always watching. Most women couldn't sit still for that long, let alone keep quiet," he snorted.
"Did you say anything to her?"
"I was going to. I've thought about really laying down the law to her until I realized her friend, that Whiskers character, was the one out there most of the day. I do believe that man would lay down his life for her, he thinks that much of her."