Her Cowboy Knight by Johnna Maquire

loosened his arms to let her look up at him.
    “I’ve ruined your tractor.”
    Cooper’s eyes crinkled. “We’ll stand that thing up with no problems. If there is any damage, that’s why I have insurance, baby.”
    “I threw mud at you.”
    Cooper frowned down at her. “Yep, and I spanked your little butt for it, too.” He kissed her hair and pulled her to his chest.
    “I’m sorry?”
    “Is that a question or a statement? Why don’t you tell me how all this happened?”
    Gabby hid her face in his chest. He squeezed her a little. “Not gonna work, little one.”
    Gabby groaned and mumbled into his chest, “You’re going to beat me again.”
    Cooper lifted her chin. “I didn’t beat you, and you know it. Now come on…” He sat her up on his knee. “Talk.”
    Gabby grimaced. “I was cleaning the shed and Jed moved the combine and then I finished and I thought I could learn to drive the tractor so I could be more useful so I Googled the directions and I was doing well until I saw Mabel, and I wanted to see where she went… and then… I crashed.”
    Cooper sat there a long time, then his shoulders started to shake. Soon he was laughing so hard he practically dumped both of them in the dirt. Gabby finally had enough and hit his shoulder. “It’s not funny!”
    “The goat! You crashed my combine over a goat! Oh, sweetheart, that is definitely funny. And you’re right. I should totally tear your little butt up for that one.”
    “But you won’t?”
    Cooper hugged her to him. “No, I won’t. You’ve had a bad enough day. Come on, let’s get you home.”
    He stood her on her feet, pulled up her shorts and panties, and walked her back to the house. He had her grab a quick shower while he made a sandwich for himself. “Bedtime for you.”
    Gabby rubbed her eyes. “But it’s still daylight!”
    “Or I could spank you and then put you to bed.”
    Gabby pouted, but she let him lay her on the bed. He flipped her onto her stomach and laid two quick swats on her bottom. He turned her back over and tucked her into bed with a kiss on the forehead. “That was for the goat.”
    He turned off the lights and went to call Jed to go rescue his combine.
     
    * * *
     
    The next morning, Gabby stepped out of the barn after she finished her first set of chores to find Cooper and Jed examining the combine she had tipped over the day before.
    Jed pushed his hat back and looked up. “I don’t think it’s any worse for wear. We’ll weld that fender back in place with no problem, once it’s washed up. For now, I’m heading down to the south pasture to check the fences. Coming, Coop?”
    Cooper shook his head. “Nope. I’ve got some phone calls to make today.”
    Jed headed to his truck, throwing over his shoulder, “Better you than me, buddy. See you later, Miss Gabby!”
    Cooper turned to Gabby. “So, guess who gets to wash the combine?”
    Gabby scrunched her face. “No mystery there, it’s a shit job around here.”
    Cooper raised an eyebrow and pulled her close with a hand to her bottom. “Are you seriously complaining about cleaning up your mess?”
    Gabby dropped her eyes and played with his shirt button. “No, sir.”
    Cooper spun her around and sent her on her way with a smack to her bottom. “Good. Try to stay out of trouble today, okay?”
    After her brief period of complaint, Gabby got to work with due diligence. She meticulously cleaned every part of the combine and soon had it as sparkling clean as a three-year-old piece of farm machinery can get. Cooper came out just as she was finishing the last swipe. He plucked her off the wheel and swung her around. She squealed, “Cooper! Put me down, you’re getting soap everywhere.”
    Cooper flipped her in the air and sat her on the wheel. He leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. “Thank you, baby.”
    Gabby pouted slightly. “Now my pants are all wet.”
    Cooper kissed her. “Sorry.”
    Gabby put her hands on his shoulders. “How