Page 19 of Axel

I think I might want him to be my Daddy…

Chapter 8

Axel

The strip was as colorful and perfectly maintained as ever. With the assortment of shop fronts and perfect mix of residents going about their daily business, it felt like an idealized scene out of a movie. And the crazy thing was that this was just another typical day in Eagle Ridge.

‘How’s that little butt of yours?’ Axel asked, standing to one side and holding his truck door open so that Arlo could hop out.

‘It’s still a bit tingly,’ Arlo said, blushing slightly but smiling too. ‘But… I kinda like it like that.’

Axel smiled. The pair of them had driven into town to collect the other parts of Arlo’s camping gear that hadn’t been repaired the day before. And not only that, but Axel was going to put Arlo’s refurbished tent in the dry cleaners along with his own tent too. The melted marshmallow and juice stains would only attract all kinds of ants and other little critters and thelast thing that Axel wanted was for Arlo to end up with a ton of unnecessary bites.

As far as the spanking went, Axel was happy that Arlo had learned his lesson. Arlo and Axel had chatted openly on the drive into town and Axel could tell that Arlo knew the spanking was well deserved – and he was also impressed how Arlo was able to own that fact so well.

Arlo might have had enough sass and spark to last a lifetime, but Axel was seeing that he had plenty of substance and character to back that up with. It might have been down in part to his military training, but Axel sensed that Arlo was the kind of boy who could be relied upon if times got tough or even a little dangerous.

As the pair of them began walking down the busy Eagle Ridge street, Axel was beginning to see that Arlo might just be the complete package. That being said, he also knew that his mischievous and wild side would always need to be watched over. Arlo had a rebellious streak, and it might take a Daddy to keep an eye on it for his own good.

Arlo’s got it all.

But the boy does need something to focus on though.

He needs to be challenged.

After dropping the tents off at the dry cleaners, there was a block of time to kill. And Axel had just the idea for how to fill it…

‘Arlo, I think you’re going to like this place,’ Axel smiled, walking alongside Arlo as the pair of them entered Beau’s Books, a bookstore that also doubled up as a micro-cinema.

Beau’s Books was run by a Daddy and Little couple called Beau and Nick. The pair of them had moved to Eagle Ridge from the big city around four years ago and quickly made it their home.

‘Hey, Nick,’ Axel said, walking over toward the counter. ‘I’d like you to meet my friend Arlo.’

‘Hey!’ Nick said, smiling as he adjusted his red-rimmed glasses and high-fived Arlo.

‘Hey!’ Arlo giggled, clearly happy to be in such a Little-friendly store. ‘This place looks awesome.’

Axel watched with a quiet delight as Nick gave Arlo a rapid-fire tour of the book shelves, play area, and then the super-cozy movie theatre room that was nestled at the rear of the store.

‘We have Disney season, Sci-Fi, action for the Daddies,’ Nick said, walking back over toward Axel hand in hand with Arlo. ‘Well, I actually love the action movies too, but maybe not quite as much as Beau does!’

‘Wow, so cool,’ Arlo said, a look of pure delight in his eyes.

‘But let me show you something that I love about this place,’ Axel smiled, walking over toward the cozy corner that was filled with beanbags and books. ‘After your late-night mischief, I think this could be just what the doctor ordered for you, young man.’

Axel took a seat on the big stack of beanbags and invited Arlo over.

‘Pick a book,’ Axel said, motioning toward the shelves around him. ‘And when you’ve got what you want, sit down with me and I’ll read you a story. You might even drift off and have a nap. We’ve got plenty of time, so don’t worry about that.’

‘Yeah… that sounds…great,’ Arlo said, busily eying up the books before making his choice. ‘Here, this one.’

Arlo handed Axel a book about an adventurous baby bear who has to go on a mission to find his missing honey. Axel chuckled as he imagined Arlo doing something similar himself.

‘Come on, sit nice and close,’ Axel said, opening his arm out and drawing Arlo all snug next to him. ‘Now let me begin…’

With that, Axel began to read the story and felt a sense of true satisfaction as Arlo listened quietly and attentively as he read the opening couple of chapters. Soon enough though, Axel could feel that Arlo’s breathing was getting heavier and heavier.

I think he might be…

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