Page 42 of Their Little Foursome

Understanding the opportunity doing so would offer, Gordon nodded. “A little walkabout through the woods sounds good. Shall we go?”

CHAPTER 19

Blake

He’d considered going to the mine, but was afraid that if Roman was there, he might start asking questions about why he was unaccompanied by a Big. In fact, showing up without a Big anywhere on the Ranch pretty much left his presence open to discussion. Blake didn’t want to discuss anything with anybody. As he walked, his feelings had shifted and he didn’t like where they were going.

Instead of taking the path toward the mountain, he stepped off it and went into the woods. He loved the woods for various reasons. One being that Georgie’s Daddy, Master Lucas, didn’t trim, snip, and shape every leaf in the woods to within an inch of their lives. He loved the fact he always felt like he was protected when he walked among the towering trees. He loved sitting on a fallen log and just listening to the sounds of birds and squirrels. The serenity that would sweep through him always reminded him of how it felt to be in his Mommy’s arms.

And that was who she was. She washisMommy. How he’d thought he could simply walk away he’d never know. What hedid know was that he wasn’t going to give her up without a fight. Though he really, really didn’t want to fight Lori. He wasn’t all that worried about her pinches or her punches. She was a Little like him, only littler. Besides, little sisters were supposed to be annoying, right? It was because he was supposed to be the one protecting her… not fighting with her.

Of course, she wasn’treallyhis little sister. Just saying so didn’t make it fact.

Just wishing it shouldn’t either, but Lori sure believes it does.

“Shut up,” he mumbled. The voice in his head just tsked as he kicked at a boulder and yelped when it returned the favor by stubbing his toe.

He sat on the rock and rubbed his toe through his sneaker to ease the sting. Hearing a growl, he froze and cautiously looked around. Master Lucas wouldn’t dare let a mountain lion or a bear roam around the Ranch would he? Perhaps they knew not to go into the manicured lawn and gardens in case the head landscape architect went after them with his pruning shears.

I’m pretty sure wild animals aren’t afraid of a gardening tool.

The voice was right, of course. They could go wherever they wanted. But there were lots of people who walked around the gardens. And there were security cameras to make sure everyone was safe wherever they were on the Ranch. Except for one tiny little flaw. The cameras weren’t in the woods. Which meant, bears, lions, and bobcats had one place to hide and to hunt… and that place was exactly where he was currently sitting.

The next growl seemed to be louder and Blake slammed his eyes closed and slapped his hands over his mouth to stifle a whimper that threatened to give away his position. When he heard it a third time, he opened his eyes the tiniest bit and looked down as he’d swear that’s where the sound originated.Instead of seeing anything furry or threatening, he saw his sneakered feet. The fourth growl had him dropping his hands from his mouth to his belly. It was the source of the rumbling. He was hungry. He could barely remember breakfast though he knew it had to have included a bowl of oatmeal. His Mommy always made him eat oats. They weren’t so bad. Especially when she added some fruit and sprinkled a spoon of brown sugar across the top. He also loved it when she added a few walnuts they’d cracked open. She never failed to warn him to be careful when he used a sharp little tool to pick out the meat. He always felt so proud when he was able to pull out an entire walnut half without it being broken. For some reason, those always tasted the best.

“Stop thinking about food!” he demanded.

Just get up and go home. Maybe no one’s noticed you left.

“Yeah, and maybe Master Derek will forget all about me leaving the lodge without permission and walking to the woods without letting Mommy know where I was going.” He winced. “And I’m positive Master Derek won’t be standing, paddle in hand, ready to tan my hide even after my Mommy blisters it. Or maybe it will be my Daddy who will spank me…”

Whoa, Daddy?

Suddenly the idea of having a Daddy wasn’t all that bad. In fact, if he were being honest, and since he was out here all alone and everything, he could admit that having Gordon as a Daddy wouldn’t be awful as he’d originally thought.

But he’s Lori’s Daddy.

“If I can share my Mommy with Lori, she can share her Daddy with me! That’s what siblings do.”

For the first time since he’d snuck out of the family room, he felt lighter. Better. Could he have been wrong? He’d been wrong about a lot of things before. Heck, he’d been wrong about thebiggest things of all. He hadn’t failed in saving Lori and Gordon hadn’t failed him in letting those men go free.

Duh. Newsflash. All that was part of the story. You know, the one your family just told.

Blake didn’t tell the voice to shut up. Instead, he nodded.

“You’re right. I coulda had a family, a real family, but I blew it.”

“Notcould have, Blake, youdohave a real family.”

Blake almost fell off the boulder at the words being spoken, not by any bear or cat, but by the man who stepped out of the shadow of a tree. Blake didn’t know what to do. Despite his epiphany, he was scared. And when he got scared, he started bawling.

Right on cue, the waterworks started. He was pretty sure any wild animals took cover at the sound of his wailing as he buried his face in his arms and wept.

CHAPTER 20

Gordon

When they reached the gates, Jared introduced Gordon to Tiago, the guard on duty.

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