Page 17 of Guiding Little Gabi

When they entered the room, he led her to the plush leather couch in front of the fireplace. She tried to sit beside him but hopped back up the second her bottom hit the couch cushion.

“Ow!” She held her bottom and bounced on her toes. Since he’d only given her the occasional swat before, she hadn’t known how hard he spanked before she gave him her heart. A heart, even now, she wasn’t sure he wanted. Or could be trusted with.

In her experience, aside from her Musketiara besties, most people wanted her around as long as she met their needs—and mostly when others weren’t around. Why was she the hiddenfriend? And why wasn’t it a two-way street when it came to being there for her when she needed something?

Raleigh didn’t do that. He was the same no matter where they were. But he must have decided she was too much trouble. It had hurt when he’d pulled away all those months ago. She didn’t even know what she’d done, other than being herself. So that had to be the problem. She’d picked the wrong role.

She’d wanted Raleigh to be her Daddy ever since the first time she’d seen him in the local coffee shop. He’d ordered a large coffee with two sugars but no cream, then sat at the table right next to hers. Maybe love at first sight wasn’t a thing, but lust at first sight sure was.

Talk about tall, dark, and handsome with his crisp white shirt, suspenders, and a bow tie. Who knew bow ties and suspenders were so hot?

A tap on her nose interrupted her thoughts, accompanied by a very deep, Daddy voice saying, “Boop.”

Blinking, she focused on Raleigh, only now realizing that she’d somehow gone from dancing around while holding her still burning bottom to straddling his lap on the oversized loveseat.

“Did you just boop my nose?”

Eyes twinkling, he nodded. “I did. Would you like me to do it again?”

It took her a minute to answer because she got lost in the depths of his forest green eyes. She liked it when he booped her nose. It made her feel Little. But she had other, even more important things to discuss.

With reluctance, she shook her head.

“Hmm, we have a few things to talk about, don’t we, babygirl?”

With equal reluctance, she nodded, her heart stuttering at what he might say.

“You’re right. I’ve been sending mixed messages, and I’m sorry about that. I had some things to work through after what happened back in January.”

This past January? When the General kidnapped her friend Lovie? Sure, they’d taken her, too, which had been awful. That hadn’t been Raleigh’s fault, but that had to be what he meant.

“What kind of things? Did you think I was too much trouble? I knew I should have smacked those guys right in the face! And I never, ever should have left with them just because they said we had to. But I was worried about Lovie. What if they’d hurt her? I know you said to stay in our seats, but I didn’t know what to do! That’s why you stopped wanting to be my Daddy, isn’t it? Because I’m too much trouble? I can be?—”

She ceased speaking when he pressed a finger to her lips. The stern look on his face did not bode well for an already well-toasted bottom.

“Is it ever okay for you to say mean things about people?”

Darn it. “No, Daddy.” At least she could still call him that for a few more days while they were on the Ranch. But then he wouldn’t have to be her Daddy anymore.

“Last time I checked, you were people. That means no mean words about yourself. What’s the drill?”

It wouldn’t be prudent for him to see her roll her eyes, but she was rolling them on the inside. “Three sweet words for every mean one.”

“Right. Now let’s hear them. Three sweet things about my babygirl.”

Grr. They had more important things to discuss. “I’m patient. I’m persistent. And I’m patient.”

“You already said that, teacup.”

“Yeah, but it’s extra true right now, so I said it twice. Why did you change your mind about being my Daddy?”

The sorrow on his face confused her. What had she said wrong now? He was the one who’d pulled back. Why were Daddies so confusing?

He cupped her face between his hands, still warm from spanking her. It took all she could do not to nuzzle her cheek against his palm. “Gabrielle, listen to me. Nothing that happened that day was your fault. You did exactly what you should have. I didn’t pull back because of anything you did or didn’t do. I pulled back because of what I did, and I’m sorry I didn’t explain that to you.”

“What do you mean, ‘what you did’? You didn’t do anything.”

“And that’s the problem. I knew the General had a score to settle with Lovie when she destroyed those legal files. Because of her photographic memory, she now has information that can put him away for life, and he had no way of knowing exactly what she saw. Of course, he would come after her to shut her up. I should have protected you, but instead, I let him and his men get the better of me. Lovie wasn’t the only one to suffer that day. You went through it with her. And, while Lovie had Law to help her through, you’ve continued to suffer all the consequences since then. I pulled away because you deserve better than that. You deserve a Daddy you can count on.”

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