Audrey Chancellor swung the horse around and pointed it at the high ridge that now stood in front of her. The High Country was no place for anyone, never you mind a lone woman. But the law was the law.

Audrey took a deep breath and blew a stray strand of red hair from under her wide-brimmed hat. If only Pa hadn’t taken a bullet, she thought. If only Jake and Thomas hadn’t had to take that prisoner to Hemingway. But ‘if only’ was only wishing and “if wishes were fishes then we would all have a good supper.” Her grandmother’s words rang through her brain.

Sure she was a full sworn deputy, Pa had seen to that. All the Chancellors were in law enforcement out here on the frontier. But she knew darn well that Pa and Jake only meant for her to keep gaol and do the paperwork. When Jake got back from Hemingway he was sure gonna wale the tar out of her for lighting out alone after that darn Indian.

Audrey straightened her hat and let go with another heavy sigh. It wasn’t too late to turn back. After all, the Indian had only winged P and her father had only gone after him in the first place because the mayor had said that no redskin could come to town.

She patted her ample right hip for her six-gun and then checked the Winchester in the saddle holster. She chewed her lip and then set her mouth sideways in consternation as she weighed up the options.

If she turned back now her elder cousin Jake would most likely still find out she had gone after the Indian. That meant a leathering in an empty cell or being sent out back to cut a switch for a trip to the woodshed. Previous variations played out in her head and none of them left her sitting any time soon.

If she headed up to the High Country most likely she wouldn’t catch-up with the Indian anyways, but at least she would have tried. It meant a spanking if she went and a spanking if she didn’t. She shrugged. The fact that she was over 21 would cut no ice with Jake and nor should it, she thought ruefully. If she had a spanking coming then she had a spanking coming, there was no sense in bitching about it.

So why wait? Was she afraid? Darn straight and not only of Jake. But Pa always said that don’t let off doing anything just because you’re scared. Nevertheless, the High Country was no place for anyone, especially a woman alone, she reminded herself. Audrey sucked in a breath and then kicked the horse forward and up the slope.

*

Cody Walking-Bear McKenzie sucked on a sprig of grass thoughtfully as he watched the rider come on. He hadn’t hurt the sheriff badly, but there was no way he was siting a horse this day and for a week or two to come. So the pursuer must either be a deputy or an outrider scout for a posse.

Deep-tanned and broad, Cody stood six-six in his moccasins and the firm dark eyes weighed up the opposition.

The rider was small, so maybe a scout. But Cody’s instinct said no. A posse would take another day to gather and he doubted they would bother unless the sheriff was dead. That pointed to a deputy trying to pick up a trail.

Cody could duck out easily but if the deputy was stubborn he might get lost and end up dying out here. That would be on Cody then and the law would not fast forgive. It would be best to jump the fool and slap him down a little before taking his guns and pointing him to the trail home.

*

Audrey saw the tracks and frowned. She knew darn well it had been intended that she see them and that meant a trap. Instinctively she reached for the Winchester, the weapon she was most proficient in and then thought better of it. A trap meant her quarry was close to. Instead of the rifle she palmed the pistol in its holster and dismounted.

Maybe the Indian was watching her already. Maybe he would just shoot her. Her tummy tightened and she felt sick. I should turn back, she thought, her eyes danced rapidly as she scanned the rocks. I really should turn back.

“Sister, don’t move,” a dark accented voice called out from behind her.

Audrey froze.

Cody had spotted that his pursuer was a girl an hour back. The revelation had left him a quandary, but it was now even more certain that he shouldn’t let this woman go any deeper into the High Country alone.

“I have come to take you in for shooting my Pa,” Audrey yelled back. But she didn’t move and allowed her grip on the handle of her six-gun to loosen and let go.

“Your Pa went for his gun first, there was no call,” Cody responded. “I would have left town. I know where I am not wanted.”

“That’s as maybe but…” Audrey worked her mouth. She was alone out here and she knew nothing about this man.

He had a point though. Her Pa never would have been so hasty if it hadn’t had been for the mayor. Where was the harm in being an Indian anyway? Only her Pa called them Breeds and look of disgust came over his face when he said it.

Jake always handled it better. He was polite and let the few Indians who braved town trade a little before moving them on. “Cash on the nail is cash on the nail,” he would say.

“Unhitch your belt real slow lady and kick your pistol away,” Cody told her.

The girl looked out of place, even out here. For one thing she wore pants like a man. Well not exactly like a man, she filled them out just fine.

Audrey was about to obey when old bones crackled at her feet. It sounded like grit and death rolled up in a tin can and she startled as she whirled around. By the time her pistol cleared the holster Cody was in view, his rifle blasting off a shot in his hands. He was big and mean-looking. Without thinking she fired too.

The Indian fell hard and backwards with a sickening crunch. It was only after he tumbled over the rocks that Audrey saw the rattler on the ground. What was left of it anyway.

“Bitching hell,” she gasped, falling back on the worse cuss words she knew or pretended to know at any rate. “Hey Indian…? Mister? Are you alright?”

Audrey crept forward at a stoop to where she had last seen him, her pistol lamely waving in the same direction as if another rattlesnake would leap out at her at any moment.

“You going to shoot me again?” the man growled as he clambered to his feet.

A well-blanched Audrey shook her head vigorously and holstered her gun.

“Sorry,” she winced, “You alright?”

“Probably,” Cody admitted as he dusted himself off.

“You saved my life,” Audrey said sheepishly.

“And you nearly killed me for it,” Cody said angrily.

“I reckon,” Audrey groaned.

“Why I ought to… I ought to spank the living…” Cody snarled.

Audrey laughed nervously. “I guess if you did then I’d have a red skin too.”

Cody stared at her in disbelief and narrowed his eyes. “Is that a joke?”

“No Sir I… I mean I…” she knew the man’s look, it wasn’t so very different to Jake’s or her Pa’s in such circumstances.

“You really gonna spank me?” Audrey asked nervously, her teeth devouring her lower lip.

Cody was surprised at the change in the girl’s demeanour and folded his arms as he weighed the situation up.

When the man didn’t answer Audrey dropped her gaze and began t unhitch her gun belt. The band hitching up her pants came next and to Cody’s surprised she began doing a shimmy and shucking down her denims.

“I guess I got it coming,” she said ruefully.

Cody was not only surprised by this turn of events, he was shocked to see that the girl wore nothing under her pants.

“I guess you do,” Cody agreed as he took the initiative.

*

“I am only letting you do this because you saved my life,” Audrey said ruefully, “That, and I think you got a tough break back in town.”

“And the fact that I shot your Pa…?” Cody asked incredulously as she snuggled down across his lap.

“Oh, that was nothing, you only winged him,” Audrey scoffed, “He’s been shot plenty of times afore. He’ll be back in the saddle by Tuesday.”

Cody pinned her hands into the small of her back and adjusted his thigh so that her bare bottom curved upwards rather more. She was beautiful she decided, but obviously crazy.

“I wasn’t going to shoot you,” Audrey admitted meekly, “I mean I never shot anyone and confronting you up here and almost killing you and all… well I guess it learned me that I should have stuck to the gaol like Pa and Jake told me. I am so gonna get it.”

“Worse than this?” Cody asked as hand slapped down hard across bare flesh.

Audrey squealed as if she meant it and for a few long seconds she bucked up and down obscenely as she squirmed. “Much worse,” she finally replied breathily.

“That remains to be seen,” Cody growled, put out that his own prowess was being compared unfavourably with this Jake.

The Indian’s great arm swung down like a paddle and it came down fast and hard. In moments Audrey was not only the reddest bottomed girl in the territory but could have won state medals for bawling.

“Jiminy,” she piped up, “You sure do spank hard.” She was panting like a girl in a race now and she was suddenly very eager to reach the finish line.

However, despite Cody’s pace and energy, he was a conducting a marathon not a sprint and they were only just getting started.

“Whoo-hoo, I’m sorry,” Audrey wailed heedless of any dignity.

“You sure are,” Cody chuckled as he set in to spank her for a good portion of the afternoon.

*

Sobbing hard, Audrey had steadied herself on all fours for a good 15 minutes. Her behind was as hot as pipe-stove coals and twice as bright. That had been some spanking, she thought ruefully as she calmed herself down. She had totally forgotten that she was showing the Indian her bare bottom. But at least he was handsome and if a girl was going to get a spanking it might as well be by an expert.

“I guess I’ll be going now,” Cody said with a very great reluctance.

Audrey sniffed and nodded, she was too shy to look up and meet his eyes.

“No hard feelings?” Cody asked as he swung himself into the palomino that had seemingly come from nowhere.

“No Sir,” Audrey winced as she at last began to rise to haul up her pants. “Getting a spanking is an occupational hazard for a girl in this territory,” she added ruefully.

Cody nodded and wheeling his horse he quite literally rode off into the sunset.

The Indian spanked her good, Audrey admitted, but after braving the High Country and getting captured she now faced Jake. That meant the belt and a switching, she reckoned. She only prayed that corner time wouldn’t be in the gaol house where she could be seen. But she wasn’t hopeful, she wasn’t hopeful at all.