Page 22 of Protecting Little Phoebe

“Ahh, here you are, Phoebe.” Miss Price walked up to them, looking stern. “You’ll need an escort back to your room. I can take you now before I go and help Nanny J deal with a number of naughty Littles.”

He hated the way Phoebe lowered her gaze, her shoulders rising.

“Actually, Miss Price, I thought I could escort Phoebe back to her room.” He met the gaze of the other woman calmly. She eyed him up, obviously torn. He knew that she just wanted to make sure that Phoebe was safe.

“I don’t know. Does Phoebe know you?”

“Barren is my Knight in Pressed Pants,” Phoebe told her. “He rescued me when my pickup broke down. I trust him.”

“Do you want him to walk you to your room, Phoebe?” Miss Price asked. “Because you can say no. Your safety and happiness are important.”

He noticed the way Phoebe straightened. The relief that filled her face. He got the feeling that she wasn’t used to people caring about her like this. “You can say no, Phoebe,” he told her. “Without any consequences.”

Phoebe nodded, smiling. “But I would like you to walk back with me, Barren. Please.”

Miss Price still stared at them both. “All right, Phoebe is a guest rather than a Ranch Little, but I still care about her as though she were one of my own. Take care of her.”

“Well, that was me warned,” he joked as Miss Price turned away.

“You were right about everyone here being welcoming and protective. I’ve never felt more safe to be myself,” she said as he grasped hold of her hand. It was still too cold.

“Are you being yourself?” he asked as he walked her toward the guest wing.

“I’m trying to,” she told him. “Sometimes, it’s scary.”

They entered the guest wing and he paused, turning to her. “I understand that. But you shouldn’t feel like you have to change to make anyone else happy. All right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Have you met some friends or someone else?” he asked. Wow. That was subtle. He winced as he waited for her to reply.

“I’ve made some friends. Tommy, in the preschool is so much fun and all the other Littles have been so welcoming.”

“I’m glad, sweetheart.” But he hated that she sounded so shocked by that. As though she hadn’t anticipated that someone might want to be nice and welcoming to her.

“I don’t know what you mean by someone else, though?” she asked.

“I suppose I mean have you met anyone who you would like to be your Daddy.” He wasn’t even breathing as he asked that.

“No,” she said quietly. “I haven’t met anyone like that since I’ve been here.”

He wanted to question her further, but he wasn’t sure he should push her.

“That’s not… I mean, I came here because I wanted a safe space. You know?” she asked.

Right. She wasn’t looking for a Daddy and he should back the hell off. “I understand.”

Rats. Why had she said that? Basically she’d just told him that she didn’t want a Daddy when that wasn’t actually true. Well, it was true that wasn’t the reason she’d come to Rawhide Ranch. But just because she hadn’t been actively searching for a Daddy didn’t mean she didn’t want one. Although there was only one Daddy she wanted.

Oh crap. She couldn’t believe she was thinking that. She didn’t know him. She shouldn’t be imagining him as her Daddy. Over these five days she’d been keeping herself extra busy so she didn’t think about it.

But it hadn’t worked. Every night she’d climbed into bed and dreamed about him, wondering what he was doing, if he thought about her. It was so dumb. All he’d done was pay her a bit of attention and care and now she was dreaming of being his.

So no, she hadn’t even thought about trying to find another Daddy. Or being with anyone else like that. Heck, she’d barely met any Daddies. She’d spent her time hiding with the other Littles.

Urgh. Was that what she’d been doing? She’d been hiding?

“I didn’t mean… I mean if I did find someone… I just wasn’t searching for one… I was just… urgh.”

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