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‘sorry’ at least a hundred times! But, Elizabeth was forced to admit, she did not feel abused. She felt much loved when he tucked her into bed.
    All of a sudden, she looked around and realized she didn’t know where she was! How was she to find her way back to Craig’s house? She tried to remain calm as she looked around for someone she could ask, but no one seemed to be home.
    * * *
    Just as he was planning to leave the house to go and search for the redhead, his cell phone rang. “Johnson.”
    “Lieutenant, this is Wally. That little gal you are trying’ to protect is out walking by herself. I don’t think that is such a good idea, even if this is a secured neighborhood.”
    “Where is she, Wally?” The man answered, and Craig thanked him and took off to find her and bring her home, and then he was going to give her a real spanking! He jumped into his car and quickly drove to the other side of the housing development, looking for Elizabeth.
    * * *
    Elizabeth spotted the man when he started following her. At first, she wasn’t concerned, but when she turned to go down another street, he followed. And soon she realized that he was following her for real. She didn’t know what to do. She was terrified and wondered if whoever broke into her house and attacked her had followed her and Craig here. She said a little prayer, hoping that Craig would try to find her. She knew she was a pain, but she really needed his help. Just when she was sure the man was going to grab her, she saw Craig’s car come around the corner. Elizabeth ran out into the street, mindless of the fact he could run her down if he so chose.
    “Elizabeth! What do you think you’re doing?” he growled at her, jumping out of the car.
    “Oh, God! Craig, that man has been following me! I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do. Thank you for coming!”
    “Is she your guest, Johnson?” the man asked with a puzzled look on his face.
    “Yes, sir, she is. She thought you were going to hurt her, and I’m sure that make her appear suspicious,”
    “Young lady, I put men like that in prison. I’m Judge Weatherby, and you are?” he asked, smiling at her.
    “Oh dear, a judge!” Elizabeth moaned in embarrassment. “My name is Elizabeth Matthews, sir.”
    Craig explained that he brought Elizabeth to the gated community to keep her safe, and then he listened to the judge scold him for permitting her to walk the streets in broad daylight.
    “Judge, I didn’t tell Craig I was going for a walk. I’m sure that if he’d known, he would have forbidden me to leave the house. In retrospect, it wasn’t very smart.”
    “Well, no harm has come to you, and I certainly wouldn’t have permitted anyone to hurt you, I guarantee that.” He looked at Craig and said, “I like her, Johnson. She defended you when she knew she was the one in the wrong. I find that admirable when all I do most of the day is hear people blame everyone else for their wrongdoings.”
    “She is a very sweet young woman,” Craig admitted. He’d been impressed with her defense of him, too. Most of the women he’d dated would have thrown him under the bus, but not his Lizzy. “Thank you for keeping an eye on her, Judge Weatherby.”
    “It was my pleasure.” The judge smiled at them. “I need to get on home before my wife sends out a search party. She would do it, too.” The smile on his face said that he wouldn’t mind if she did.
    “You come with me, little girl. You are in some big trouble,” Craig warned Elizabeth as he opened the car door for her.
    “I’m sorry, Craig. I didn’t think that it could be dangerous. I just needed to clear my head. No one has ever cared about me… And you, well, you are different.”
    “Is that a good thing? Or are you still pouting because I spanked you?”
    “I’m not exactly pouting, but I am wondering why you care so much what I do?”
    “You are special, and I feel as though I’ve known you forever.” It was the