Page 10 of Guiding Little Gabi

“As am I. I’ve never had this problem come up with a guest before. Shortly after arriving at the Ranch, Gabi made friends with a few girls, and they got into a bit of trouble. Gabi offered advice to the girls, which they acted upon because she led them to believe she was a lawyer. I think we can both see the problem here.”

Damn it. Of course, she did. Raleigh fought the urge to bang his head on his desk. “Did she organize a strike? She did that recently here in Darling and won all the women a later bedtime.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “Something like that. I don’t know the legal codes in Tennessee, but here in Montana, it’s against the law to represent yourself as a public servant, and that includes lawyers. I was willing to extend her grace if she were indeed a lawyer in Tennessee. Sinceshe isn’t, my hands are tied. I pretty much have a zero tolerance policy on lying, especially when that lie involves breaking the law.”

Raleigh’s palm itched. How many times had he told her to stop telling people she was a lawyer? The people in Darling just went along with it because they liked her. How could she possibly think strangers in Montana would do the same?

“Derek. If I could take a minute of your time, I’d like to share a few things with you, if I may, concerning Gabi.”

Derek didn’t stop him, so he told the man everything. Everything about Darling. Everything about Gabi. Everything about what had happened six months before. And how, more than anything, he wanted to make it right. “You don’t know me, but if I could ask for a favor? I’d like to handle this situation personally. I’ll fill out whatever paperwork is necessary, and I can be there in six hours by plane.”

Another long pause. In a tone Raleigh could only describe as droll, Derek said, “We have an extensive application process, Mr. Stevens. You should know, I’m very protective of the people who live and visit my Ranch. I’m also pretty good at reading people. I like Gabi. She reminds me a bit of my Sadie. So, here’s what I’m willing to do. I’ll fax you a copy of the paperwork. If you fill it out and everything checks out, I have no problem with your flying here to meet with me. I’ll confine her to her room until you arrive. When you get here, I’ll meet with you first, listen to your plan for dealing with this situation, and give you my answer. I’ll warn you now, you may be wasting your time. I’m not saying I’ll agree to your plan, but I do agree to listen. At the very least, I may be able to assign one of the single Daddies here on the Ranch to be her caregiver for the time she’s here.”

“Over my dead body. I respect the care you take in screening the people you allow on your Ranch. If you send me the paperwork, I’ll fill it out and fax it back to you immediately. Ihave access to a private jet. Is there a place near your Ranch I can land?”

“There’s a helicopter pad here on the roof of the main lodge. Porter’s Corner has a small airstrip that might accommodate a private plane.”

“Perfect. I’ll be there as soon as possible. And it won’t be a wasted trip. If you decide to press charges, she’ll need a good lawyer. Unlike Gabi, I can practice law in Montana.”

“It’s settled then. I think I’m looking forward to meeting you, Raleigh.”

“The feeling is mutual, Derek. I’ll be there soon.”

He disconnected the call and went to find Lovie. He’d need her help canceling appointments and filling in for a few days where she could. Then he had to pack and plan. His fax machine buzzed, and the paperwork Derek had spoken of came through.

When the pages had all been printed, he looked them over. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. He should be able to fill out the paperwork easily enough.

It looked like he was headed to Rawhide Ranch. When he got there, his little teacup would find out what a tempest really was.

Raleigh adjusted his sunglasses as he stepped out of the taxi and stared at the massive three-story building in front of him. “Welcome to Rawhide Ranch,” he muttered.

He hadn’t known what to expect. It had been hard to visualize the scale of Rawhide Ranch from the pictures he’d looked through on the plane as he flew in, and again on the short ride from Porter’s Corner to the Ranch.

The smoldering late-afternoon heat punched him in the chest like a heavyweight boxer. July in Montana didn’t messaround. The more moderate temperatures of the Eastern Tennessee mountains suited Raleigh better, though he supposed Montana had a nice set of mountains as well.

He hadn’t had time to think about suitable clothes after receiving Derek’s call that morning. Thankfully, he was on retainer with a client who owned a private jet.

The large double door opened, and a tall man in blue jeans and a white button-down shirt, complete with a bolo tie, walked down the wide steps of the front porch. He was followed by a Native American man who was slightly taller.

Raleigh met them at the base of the steps. Extending a hand, he said, “You must be Master Derek. I’m Raleigh Stevens.” He wanted to introduce himself as Gabi’s Daddy, but he needed to talk with her first. For all he knew, she might have decided she no longer wanted him to be her Daddy.

Derek grasped Raleigh’s hand in a firm handshake. “You made good time, Raleigh. Call me Derek. I like a man who can make things happen when it’s important. This is Moses. We can head to my office to talk. Moses will take care of your bags. They’ll either be in your room or behind the check-in desk, depending on how our conversation goes.”

Raleigh cleared his throat, doing his best not to feel threatened. “I understand. I think after our conversation, you’ll see that neither I nor Gabi poses any type of danger.”

Derek stared at him for several minutes. Why did it feel like the Ranch owner could see straight into his soul? Raleigh waited, unsure of what to say.

Seeming to come to a decision, Derek nodded and, with a warm grin, said, “I’m sure you’re right, but I’d like to discuss what happened and why. Let’s go to my office.”

As they crossed the lobby, Raleigh couldn’t help but admire the attention someone had paid to every detail, from the rustic wood-paneled walls made of actual roughhewn wood to theworn wooden floors strewn with what looked to be authentic handwoven rugs. The overall reds, whites, and blues made him wonder if they were changed seasonally, given that they were only a few days away from the Fourth of July.

Derek paused to speak to a petite, elfin woman behind the large check-in desk. “Erika, please get Mr. Stevens’ keycard ready.”

“Absolutely, Master Derek. It should only take a moment.”

“Thank you, darlin’,” Derek said. Turning to Raleigh, he showed him the way to his office. “I don’t know what we’d do without Erika here. She keeps us all going. Her husband is Jared Stark, the head of our legal department. I’ll make sure to introduce you at some point while you’re here with us.”

Interesting, Raleigh had expected to have to earn the right to stay, but it sounded like Derek had already made up his mind.

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