The Problem With Jordan Read Free Page A

When she didn’t immediately reply, he gave her another firm spank. “Is that clear?” he repeated. This time she nodded, crying too hard to speak. “Do you have any more to say on the subject of this shotgun marriage being my fault?” he demanded with another firm spank right on top of the last one. She shook her head no. “Neither of us asked for this, Jordan, but it is what it is. When you’re done crying, come on out to the kitchen.”
    He got up off the bed and left the bedroom. Cray had always hated hearing a woman cry. It always made him sad, and even though he knew she’d earned the spanking, he felt bad for correcting her. Cray worked with ease in the kitchen and in a decent amount of time he had a good meal on the table. He walked to the bedroom and opened the door. “Come on out now, Jordan. I have dinner ready and I’m starving. I didn’t get breakfast this morning, and I don’t want this food to get cold.”
    Jordan wiggled to the foot of the bed and then slid off. She reached down to pull up her pants, and was shocked to realize they felt sizes too small. She reached for her coat, but Cray beat her to it.
    “You won’t need this. It’s not cold in here, and one of the first things we’re going to discuss is your clothing. I won’t have my wife wearing pants, or a man’s coat that is miles too big.”
    “The coat was my Pa’s; he was killed back east fighting against slavery,” she volunteered.
    “I’m sorry to hear that, Jordan. I lost both of my brothers, one fighting for the north, the other for the south. To them it wasn’t a slavery issue, but an issue of union versus state.” He pulled out a chair for her and she gingerly eased herself on the wooden seat, only to hop up right away and look at him in horror. “Oh hell!” he muttered. He stomped over to the sofa on the far end of the room and returned with a soft pillow. “I won’t do this in the future, but I’m going to make an exception this one time since we need to talk. Sit down.”
    If he’d used a sharp tone of voice with her, Jordan wouldn’t have done it, but the words were more of an invitation, and she was anxious to find out what he had to say. She could always leave after her belly was full.
    “After we finish eating and cleaning up, we’re going to town and get you some new clothes, and we are going to go to the Evans’ house and you are going to explain to them why you gave me their little boy’s name.”
     
     
     

Chapter Two
     
    “Timmy’s name was the first one I could think of in the moment,” Jordan admitted, answering Cray’s question with honesty as she squirmed on her chair. Even with the soft pillow, it hurt to sit! Cray spanked really hard.
    “I frightened his poor mother when I went there looking for you,” Cray told her, his look full of disapproval. “At the very least, you owe that woman an apology.”
    “I intended to do that anyway!” Jordan told him just before popping a piece of her steak in her mouth. “Oh gosh! I haven’t had steak this good since Aunt Hermione died!”
    “Enjoy it,” he gruffly ordered, watching her savor the bite. How dare the town let this girl ‘fend’ for herself and not see to it she had decent meals? It was no wonder she was forced to steal food.
    “I am enjoying it because I never know where my next meal is coming from,” she said.
    “You are my wife now, and your meals will be at this table. I don’t even want to hear of you trying to fend for yourself, young lady, or I will take my belt to your butt.” He looked at her expression of disbelief and gentled his tone to speak again. “I won’t let you go hungry, Jordan. Not as long as there is breath in my body.”
    “Are you really so wealthy?” she asked, looking at him intently to see if he was telling her the truth.
    “I’m not wealthy by most standards,” he told her. “But, I am not poor, either. I’m careful of my money, and prefer to work to earn my way.” Cray decided it was