Tabitha's Guardian (9 page)

“You are my only child, daughter. Of course
I wanted to see you wed in style. Your Aunt Janice was of immense
help with this.”

“Yes, she was, and I will summon her and
thank her personally.”

“She is still our guest, Tabby.”

Tabitha was truly shocked. It was no secret
that her father and her mother’s sister did not get along well. It
was difficult to believe!

“Janice is out shopping right now, but she
will be along, soon. Now, tell me about your honeymoon. Where did
you go?” Jenson asked yet again.

“Daddy, it was wonderful and romantic. Owen
took me to the Hawaiian Islands! It was so beautiful and so
peaceful there. We stayed in a lovely cabin at the Oberlin Resort,
and Owen even arranged for a private airlift there and home! I am
truly spoiled,” Tabitha confessed.

“I would say so,” Jenson agreed, pleased to
see his daughter so happy. “Owen, did you enjoy the trip as much as
Tabby did?”

“Yes, sir. I have read books on the Islands
since I was a young boy, and when Tabby told me how much she wanted
to go there someday, I decided there would be no better time than
our honeymoon.”

“I am truly happy you both had a great time,”
Jenson stated just before they heard another voice calling out.

“I am home, Jenson!”

“We are in my study, Janice!” Jenson called
out to her.

“Jenson, a terrible thing happened, and I…
Oh goodness! I did not realize you children were home!” Janice was
a pretty woman who looked nothing like her older sister. Where Rose
had been petite with red hair and green eyes, Janice was of average
build and had dark hair and dark eyes.

“Welcome home!” Aunt Janice hurried to give
Tabitha a huge hug and a kiss, and then did the same for Owen.
Janice made no secret of the fact that she simply adored Owen.

“Janice, you said that something terrible
happened? Are you all right?” Jenson asked in concern.

“I am not sure…”

“Aunt Janice, what happened?” Tabitha asked
in concern when she saw how distressed her aunt was.

“Please, sit down, Janice.” Owen took her
arm and guided her toward a chair. “Would you like some water?” he
offered.

“I would like some wine. Jenson, you know
what I usually drink.”

Tabitha noticed that her father jumped up to
go and pour the requested white wine and he delivered it to Janice,
and then knelt beside her chair and took her free hand in his. “You
are trembling, my dear. Please tell me what happened and I shall do
my best to deal with whomever upset you so.”

“A man grabbed my arm and pulled me toward
his open vehicle and then looked at me and said, ‘You are not her!’
and he released me and hurried away.”

“Did you recognize this man, Janice?” Jenson
asked.

“No, not at all. He had a crazy look in his
eyes. I must have reminded him of someone, and when he realized his
mistake he was too embarrassed to apologize.”

“I think this needs to be reported to the
Courts, Janice,” Owen said decisively.

“I agree,” Jenson said. “Make the call,
Owen.”

“Yes, sir.” Owen quickly called in the law
and suggested they would wish to bring along a sketch artist.

It was not long before there was a knock at
the door and Owen quickly explained the situation to the officers.
He knew them from his days as a guardian and they were very civil
with him and with Janice as well. They asked pertinent questions,
and the artist used Janice’s description to sketch a drawing.

“His eyes were crazier,” she tried to
explain. “Angrier.” She watched the man draw and then said, “Yes,
that is the man. Do you know him, Jenson?”

“No, I have never seen him before, Janice.
We are probably worrying for no good reason.”

“That may be, sir, but be vigilant for the
next while and if anything else suspicious occurs, let us know. In
the meantime, we will run this drawing through an ID scanning
machine and see if we can find anything to warrant further concern.
Madam, please be aware of your surroundings for the next few
weeks.”

“I am sure it was a case of mistaken
identity, Officer,” Janice said with a nervous smile for the
younger man. “I was caught unaware because my thoughts were
elsewhere.” She looked at Jenson then and smiled.

“Oh my!” Tabitha gasped in sudden
awareness.

“Do you recall something we need to know,
Madam?” the young officer asked.

“No! Oh… No, Officer,” she hastily denied,
aware of all eyes looking at her in consternation. Could it
possibly be that her father and her aunt were falling in love? It
certainly appeared so, but it was not her place to question her
father on such matters.

The officers left and once again Janice tried
to convince everyone that there was no reason to make such a
fuss.

“I insist you take care, Janice. I would
feel better if you do not leave this house alone until we hear from
the police as to this man’s criminal record.”

“Oh, Jenson, do not carry on so!”

“I insist, Janice. Do not test my resolve on
this matter.”

“Well! Are you not the bossy one?” Janice
turned up her chin and the look in her eyes was challenging.

“Tabitha, I think we should give your father
and aunt some privacy to discuss this matter. Come along and I
shall help you unpack from our trip.”

“But ” Tabitha wanted to stay, but Owen
gave her no choice in the matter. He took her arm and quickly led
her from the room, shutting the doors to her father’s study behind
them. He knew how he would react if he were the one being
challenged by Tabby’s pretty aunt, and his wife did not need to be
witness to the scene.

* * * * *

“How could you speak to me so in front of
Tabitha and Owen?” Janice angrily demanded.

“How could I not? Janice, you just had a
frightening experience and I shall not permit you to pretend it
does not matter! We are talking about your safety!” Jenson
declared.

“I am capable of deciding for myself.”

“You are pushing me, Janice, and it would
not be wise on your part. It is my duty to keep you safe.”

“I am not a duty to be performed, Jenson! I
have functioned on my own for several years now, and—Stop! What are
you about?” she squealed as Jenson took her by the arm and pulled
her around his desk. He took a seat in his chair and then hauled
her over his knee. “No, Jenson! Do not! I am not your child!”

“I never spanked my daughter, Janice, but I
shall give you a reason to heed my warnings about your safety.”
Jenson raised his hand and brought it down with a sharp smack on
Janice’s plump bottom. He felt her stiffen on his lap and he gave
her another firm spank. “I am not being arbitrary, young woman. I
am trying to keep you safe. Who knows what that man was thinking? I
shall not have you harmed.” He gave her a couple more spanks. “I
care about you!” He spanked her again and then asked, “Do you now
believe you can behave with caution, my dear?”

“I cannot believe you are treating me this
way, Jenson! Did you also treat my sister thusly?” the woman
demanded, refusing to answer his question.

“I only spanked Rose when she gave me cause
to do so, and that was not often, my dear. You are not your sister,
however, and you are extremely feisty. While I like that very much,
I must know that you are safe. You are too important to me to
permit you to put yourself at risk. If I must continue to make your
bottom smart to impress this upon you, then I shall continue as
long as necessary.”

“I will heed your concerns, Jenson,” Janice
said, her voice full of meekness, which was not normal for her. “I
am not used to anyone having concern for me, and I reacted badly.
Please forgive me?”

Jenson lifted her to sit upon his lap. “Of
course you are forgiven, my sweet lady.”

“Oh, Jenson, what are we to tell Tabby and
Owen?”

“The truth, my dear.”

* * * * *

Tabitha looked at Owen and asked, “Husband,
why did you drag me from my father’s study? I wanted to help!”

“Your father needed to speak firmly to your
aunt, and it will be less embarrassing for her if there are no
witnesses.”

“No witnesses?” Tabitha looked at Owen
questioningly.

“Your father was about to give Janice a
spanking,” Owen explained, and he was prepared when his own feisty
redhead turned to run to the door and downstairs. “No, my love,
your presence is not required at the moment. You need to stay out
of their personal issues.”

“I cannot do that! Daddy will anger Aunt
Janice, and I could tell that he is in love with her… and she with
him. Let me go, Owen, before Daddy ruins everything!”

“A man has to be head of his house, wife. It
is time for you to settle down and tend to unpacking our baggage
before I find it necessary to settle you with a spanking.”

Tabitha could hear the firmness in Owen’s
voice, and it reminded her of when he was her guardian. The man
knew how to be intimidating, but she felt he was wrong in this
instance. “Owen, I believe I am a better judge of the situation
than you are. This is my father and my aunt, and I know both of
them very well, and I think that I should try to help them before
the situation deteriorates. Please, darling, try to see this my
way.”

“The matter is between Jenson and Janice and
my Tabby does not need to help. They are both adults, and if I were
your parent, I would haul Janice over my knee and give her a good
reason to obey me and accept my concerns for her safety as
viable.”

“But, Aunt Janice will be mortified!” Tabby
gasped, indignant for the other woman.

“She will also feel loved.” Owen seemed so
sure of himself and Tabitha realized that she was not going to sway
him. Reluctantly, she turned her attention to the luggage her
husband had carried upstairs. She had many new items to unpack as
well as the new clothing she had made for her trousseau. There were
also Owen’s things to unpack. Thankfully, she had anticipated this
and had already procured space to help make the bedroom his as well
as hers.

“I just noticed that your sewing area is no
longer here!” Owen said in surprise.

“Daddy and I came up with the idea to move
my sewing area elsewhere, so we could make this bedroom more
appropriate for us. Do you approve?” she asked, smiling at him.

“Yes. We have our own private sitting area
now, and you have added storage for my clothing and belongings.
Thank you, Tabby,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her
tenderly. “I am a fortunate man.”

“It is I who is fortunate, husband. You knew
that it would be difficult for me to leave Daddy living here all
alone, and when he asked you to consider living here, you accepted.
Daddy and I want you to have no regrets about that decision.”

“I would have my wife happy, Tabitha Rose.
This home is large enough that it will be no hardship to live here.
And, when it is necessary for me to go out on an emergency call at
night, you will not be alone. This pleases me.”

“And me,” she agreed. She stood on tiptoe to
kiss him. The kissing led to other things, and unpacking took quite
a while.

It was nearly time for dinner when Owen
agreed they could go downstairs.

“There you are!” Jenson greeted them fondly.
“I told Janice that I would give you five more minutes before I
went upstairs to see if you were sleeping.”

“We were unpacking, Daddy, and that task is
all finished. We had plenty of space for Owen’s belongings.”

“Sir, thank you for all the work you put in
to help Tabby prepare our room. I appreciate that we have our own
sitting room and entertainment area upstairs in our bedroom.”

“We thought it best to give Tabby more space
for her sewing; I am glad you like everything, son. Welcome home.”
He shook Owen’s hand, and then hugged him, patting him on the back.
“I still want to hear about your honeymoon.”

“There is a lot to tell,” Tabitha assured
her father, wondering why Janice was so quiet. “Aunt Janice, you
would have loved the islands, I am positive. The beach was
splendid.”

“Where did you stay?” Janice asked, and was
impressed when Tabby answered. “It sounds as though you saved a
pretty penny in order to take such a fabulous trip, Owen.”

“I saved most of my earnings as a guardian,
Janice, and who better to spend it on other than my new bride? The
islands were a place that both of us expressed a desire to visit,
and we shall have wonderful memories to share for all of our
married life together.”

“And one not so nice memory,” Tabitha
reminded him.

“It is behind us now, my love,” Owen was
quick to assure her. “It is not something you need to share if you
do not wish to discuss the matter.”

“I want to tell Daddy and Aunt Janice how
you saved me from harm, husband. I am proud of you for your
actions.”

“Tell us what happened, Tabby,” Jenson urged,
a worried look on his face.

“We were on a tour, Daddy, and apparently
the tour guide instructed all of us to remain with the group when
we stopped at this particular historical site, but I was pouting
over something Owen said earlier, and I did not hear the guide’s
warning. Owen was caught up in discussion with another gentleman on
the tour, and I slipped off to be alone for a few moments. Two men
attempted to abduct me. I screamed for Owen, and he came running,
and he protected me.”

“Tabby did well protecting herself, Jenson,
before I could reach her. I am thankful you insisted she learn
self-defense. She learned her lessons well.” He could see that
Jenson was still concerned. “She was not harmed, sir, just badly
frightened.”

“Daughter, it was not safe for you to wander
so far from the group.”

“I know, Daddy, and you may be sure that I
have learned my lesson thoroughly.”

“I certainly hope so, Tabby.”