The Rancher's Rules Read Online Free Page B

good.” Rafe was spitting mad and even the sight of Annie’s tear-stained face didn’t soften his anger. “As long as I’m responsible for you, which I seem to be right now, you’ll do as I say and follow my rules. The first one is that you are to dress proper, in women’s clothes, every day. I don’t want to see you wearing those britches again. The second one is that I better not catch you swearing again. That’s no way for a young lady to be talkin’. And you just keep away from the bunkhouse. You’ve got no reason to be in there and I better not catch you hanging around there or playing cards with the hands again. And you cannot go riding until further notice.”
    Annie’s breath caught at this last one. “No riding?” She couldn’t bear it; what was she supposed to do all day? “Why not?”
    “Because I said so.” Rafe wasn’t about to start explaining himself. “That’s reason enough. And if you don’t follow my rules, you’ll find yourself over my knee again quicker than you can blink an eye. Is that clear?”
    Annie didn’t answer and just stared at the floor instead, still trying to get her crying under control.
    Rafe grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger, lifting Annie’s tear-streaked face to his. “Is. That. Clear?” The anger in Rafe’s voice and his hard expression left no doubt that he would reinforce his rules with another, immediate, trip over his knee.
    Annie realized she’d best answer. Now. “Yes, sir.” It was barely more than a whisper. Annie was still in shock. Between the spanking and all the rules, she couldn’t seem to stop crying. She wished that she had never come out west and she wished she had never met Rafe Stanton.
    “Now you’ll get yourself to bed and make sure you remember everything I told you. I have some things to tend to out in the barn, then I’ll be coming back here to sleep in the spare room so I can keep an eye on you.” Rafe stood, put the chair he had been sitting in back at the table and stepped around Annie to head out. He stopped just behind her and delivered a quick hard wallop to her already sore backside.
    Annie jumped with a shriek.
    “Git!” Rafe’s stern voice left her no choice but to practically run to her room and slam the door. She leaned back against the closed door and heard the back door open and close as Rafe left to tend to the evening chores. Annie slowly sunk to the floor, wincing when her bottom hit, the tears starting up all over again. She wasn’t just crying over the spanking. It was much more than that.
    Annie didn’t know who she was anymore, not like she used to. Things had gotten so confusing and so complicated. It seemed like she needed to change, but she just didn’t know how. Jenny was settling into her new life and, while that made Annie happy, she knew that her sister was growing away from her. It hurt to lose her, even a little, and even though she knew it had to happen. Things had to change sometime.
    She couldn’t stay here, she just couldn’t. Her unhappiness would wear on Jenny and trouble her. She didn’t want to do that to her sister. She loved her too much. Jenny seemed real happy and Tom seemed like a decent fella, unlike his best friend, who would give her sister the life she had been dreaming of. Annie didn’t want to detract from that in any way. She decided right then and there that it would be all right if she left. The thought gave Annie peace. She would miss Jenny for sure, but it was the only way. This was the life that Jenny wanted, but it certainly wasn’t the life that Annie wanted. She didn’t really know what she wanted, except maybe for things to go back to the way they were. And that was impossible. The life they had back east was gone. Everything was changing and she would have to change too and make some kind of life for herself. It would be hard and scary, but she had to find her own way. If she stayed here, she would just be the third wheel in Jenny’s life.
    Her