Page 1 of Guiding Little Gabi

CHAPTER 1

Gabi Schwindler stared at the massive building looming closer as she drove down the gravel driveway. Her fingers ached from the tight grip she maintained on the steering wheel. It took all her strength to keep driving forward rather than turn around and head back through the giant iron gate.

She’d had some crazy ideas in her life, but flying halfway across the country—by herself—to stay in a famous resort catering to Littles and those in the BDSM lifestyle was the craziest.

Yeah, when she got home to Darling, she was going to have her friend Lovie print a T-shirt for her that said, “Brave Little Badass”. Lovie would probably make one for herself, too. Once she got home, maybe they could make one for each of the Littles in their club, the Musketiaras.

If she planned on going back home. Which she didn’t.

But anyone, anywhere, would love a funny shirt like that. Anyone except Raleigh Stevens. Raleigh didn’t mind saying bad words, but he didn’t like her saying them. He’d probably think wearing them was the same thing. Stupid Daddy rules.

Then again, he didn’t want to be her Daddy. That was the whole reason she’d left Darling in the first place. He’d acted likehe wanted to be a Daddy,herDaddy, for the past four years. She’d waited and waited for him to make it official.

After all that time, she’d finally brought it up. It turned out he didn’t want to be her Daddy at all. She couldn’t stay after that. Now, not only did she not have a Daddy, but she’d also lost her girl posse, the Musketiaras, too. All because of that rat fink stinker, Raleigh Stevens.

Didn’t you say you would never mention his name again, even in your head?

Stupid Beetlebrenda. Her inner voice was easier to deal with when she imagined it as the female version of Beetlejuice. But this time, Beetlebrenda was right. No more thinking about Raleigh the Rat Fink.

She redirected her attention to Rawhide Ranch’s main building. The place was so close to heaven the heat wafting from the roof under the afternoon sun formed a halo over the beautiful lodge.

She’d arrived later than she’d hoped. She hadn’t gotten to sleep until almost dawn. It hadn’t been the best hotel she’d ever stayed at. She liked to think of it as the best she could afford. She’d run all the way from her car to her room and pushed a chair against the door since the chain was broken. She was safety conscious that way.

Once she’d gotten up and ready, she’d headed out. After a night of noises she couldn’t identify coming from just outside her room, she locked her car doors first thing. The automatic lock button didn’t work in her car either, but that was okay. So what if she had to scramble over the seat to manually lock the back doors? She described her rental car as the best she could afford, too.

She was here now. That was all that mattered. She made it to Rawhide Ranch.

A long porch extended across the front of the large resort building. She’d always wanted a house with a porch like that. It was as if they’d been inside her head when they decorated it with all the porch swings and rocking chairs.

Even though Gabi sucked at keeping plants alive, she wanted flower beds in front of her dream porch and hanging baskets filled with colorful plants just like those adorning the porch in the ever-shrinking distance.

Her heart battered against her chest so fast she feared she might pass out. Pressing her palm against her chest, she practiced her slow-breathing exercises. For the first time in months, they didn’t help.

Had she made a huge mistake by coming here? For the past two days, all she had focused on was escaping from Darling, Tennessee.

But she loved her hometown. It was Raleigh the Rat Fink who should move. He was the one she wanted to get away from.

Uh-huh. That’s why you’ve been crying for the past two days.

“Really, Beetlebrenda? You live in my head rent-free, and you’re going to kick me while I’m down?”

Gabi found it most effective to speak aloud to the pushy voice that spoke to her. Did everyone have a voice that spoke to them? Surely they did, right? Unfortunately, just because her voice annoyed her didn’t mean Beetlebrenda was wrong.

She’d give anything in the world for Raleigh to be here with her. They would have had so much fun. She would have said she was excellent at reading people until two days ago. Even all her friends thought he wanted to be her Daddy.

But he didn’t. Now, she had only herself. She had nothing better to look forward to than a week of loneliness.

She knew she wasn’t everyone’s cup of hot chocolate... because ewww, come on, everyone knows tea is just gross. Shedidn’t mean to get on people’s nerves, but she always did. She wanted to help people. Was that such a crime?

“Ma’am?” someone called out. “Ma’am!”

Stomping on the brakes, the only way to make the car stop, she skidded to a halt. A rosy blush stained her cheeks as she realized she had nearly driven right past the main building.

She tended to get caught up in her thoughts sometimes. Okay, most of the time. Her mother had always smiled and called her cerebral.

“Ma'am?” the same voice repeated, this time much closer.

Glancing out her window, she saw only a bright red-and-white-checked shirt. Leaning closer and looking up, she noticed the man standing beside her door.

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