Page 4 of Promising Little Poppy

No, she certainly wasn’t here to look for a Little of her own. Those days were long gone.

Instead, CJ was here to focus on herself. She had special spa treatments booked and was even beginning to look forward to time in the Dungeon. When she checked in on Friday, the woman at the front desk told her of trail rides and bonfires, of movie nights and craft parties. The Ranch was designed to be a destination haven of sorts, and CJ could have easily seen herself getting lost in the magic of Rawhide Ranch at one point in her life. Now, she would just be happy if she made it through her time without the all-encompassing grief the end of her last relationship had left overwhelming her senses as it had seemed prone to do at the most unlikely of times.

And even if a small part of her felt incomplete without the love of a partner in her life—especially as she looked around at all the smiling faces in the cafeteria that seemed beyond happy—she was determined to learn to relax and to make herself a priority for once in her life.

“Thank you for the compliment, Sir. I was fortunate enough to work with Sebastian and his wife Maeve on a few occasions for some events at Styx and at Maeve’s bookstore back in Florida.”

As she finished her sentence, an adorable young brunette bounded up to where the pair stood, sliding under Derek’s arm without a care in the world. “Did you say something about photography?”

Derek schooled his features. “Sadie Marie Hawkins, what have I told you about interrupting me when I’m having conversations with our guests?”

Dressed in a pair of bright pink leggings and an oversized black sweater, she looked up at Derek with wide eyes CJ knew came from only the most well-practiced Littles. “Not to do it?”

“Is that a statement or a question, young lady?”

CJ couldn’t help but feel like she was invading a private moment. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t turn away, the pang in her chest returning as she watched the Ranch owner slip into Caregiver mode with an ease that came with years of practice dealing with the doe-eyed Little.

Finally breaking away from the moment, CJ picked up her tray and turned, trying to give the pair a moment alone.

Only for her tray to be knocked from her hands.

Lettuce rained down on her like the heavy snow that had continued to pile up outside the main building since she’d arrived just a few days earlier. Chickpeas pelted Master Derek, Sadie, and CJ like tiny balls of hail, and the delicious-smelling vinaigrette dressing once on her salad now coated her hair, cheeks, shirt, and pants as well as the wide-green-eyed woman who came to a sudden stop in front of the stunned-silent trio.

The newcomer looked horrified, her skin paling as she stood with her mouth in a perfect O shape that resembled one of those large-mouth basses that hung in the frat houses of every late nineties and early 2000s college campus across America. Several times, she opened and closed her mouth—each time as if trying to string together any words—all which had seemed to leave her brain as the lettuce, bean, and quinoa salads left CJ’s lunch tray.

And then, before anyone could say a word, she started to cry before turning on her heels and running from the room at a speed often reserved for Olympic-caliber athletes.

As if taking a moment to collect himself, Derek looked to the ceiling. “Angel.” He turned to the woman he had addressed as Sadie Marie Hawkins and it dawned on CJ that this must be the Ranch owner’s wife. “We’ll talk about the consequences of you interrupting me later. For now, would you please go retrieve Ms. Miller for me and bring her to my office?”

Without another word, the young woman scurried out of the cafeteria to find the mystery woman who had all but upended CJ’s afternoon.

Picking a piece of lettuce from his shoulder, Derek spoke with a calm, even voice as if incidents including airborne produce and raining salad dressing were the norm.

Then again, with a group of rambunctious Littles on the loose, CJ wouldn’t have been surprised if this wasn’t the first outburst of the kind. And though she hadn’t seen the instigator of the flying caper catastrophe sitting with the other Littles in the cafeteria, CJ would have sworn there was a Little inside the woman just waiting to come out.

“Would you please accept my apology, Ms. Winters? I assure you this is not the type of activity we want our Ranch guests to experience. Would you consider a quick change in the privacy of your room then a trip to my office? If you’ll bring your soiled clothes with you, I’ll have them cleaned and returned to you. I also have a proposition I hope might pique your interest.”

Surveying the mess around them that had already begun to be mopped up, CJ couldn’t think of a thing the Ranch owner had to offer other than the quiet solitude she had desperately been seeking when she’d booked her extended stay at Rawhide Ranch. Still, the barest hint of intrigue was there.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she nodded, a stray julienned carrot falling from her short yet extremely thick, dark brown hair. “Give me a half hour?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “And, CJ…” She had already started to leave but turned around at the sound of Derek’s deep voice. “Try to keep an open mind.”

CHAPTER 3

Poppy

For the second time in less than a week, Poppy found herself in front of the doors that led to Master Derek’s sprawling office.

Though this time, instead of simply barging in as she’d done on Friday, she sat on one of the plain, wooden benches that stretched alongside the wall outside his office. Certainly, walking in on the scene she previously encountered just a few days prior, was one way to cement the fact she needed to knock before entering a room.

Sniffling, she rubbed at her raw, red nose with a tissue that was well past its prime. Soggy and crumpled between her fingers, she couldn’t let it go, knowing she would likely be crying again within the next few minutes.

Ideas of what was about to happen to her swirled through her mind and she felt the tell-tale signs of anxiety sneaking in. Shaky hands, a cold sweat, and breath she felt like she couldn’t catch. Poppy knew something huge was about to happen and she had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like it one bit.

“Don’t worry,” Sadie told her from where she sat next to Poppy, her feet swinging back and forth as if she didn’t have a care in the world. The young woman had found Poppy where she had hidden back in the safety of her dorm and after much convincing, Poppy gave in, following Sadie back to the resort building—this time through the warmth of the tunnel system—with a look of defeat on her face the entire way. “My Daddy only wants what is best for us, Poppy. Sometimes, we just need a firm hand to remind us of that.”

That wasn’t what Poppy was worried about.

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