Page 14 of Healing Hazel
“Even if they haven’t, it doesn’t matter. What is obvious is that they haven’t really talked, am I right or am I right?” Julie asked, giving me a look that told me she wasn’t going to believe any bullshit excuses.
“Yes, you’re right, on both points,” I admitted.
“Then why are you still standing there? Go find Hazel and tell her she’s been worrying about nothing and if she still refuses to believe you love her for her, then by all that is holy, spank some sense into her because if you’re a real Dom and not just a wannabe, you’ll know that spankings are not limited to Littles. Got it?”
It felt as if a weight had lifted off my chest and I finally could grin even if it was a bit shaky. If only it were that easy. I had reasons for not going all Dommy on Hazel, but that was a conversation for only the two of us, so I just said, “Got it. Thanks, Julie.”
“Don’t mention it. Oh, and Master Derek, now that you’re here, do you want to just eat in?”
“That’ll be fine,” Derek said.
“Thank goodness. Now I won’t spend a sleepless night thinking of how awful microwaved hamburgers can be. It will just take a moment,” she said, grabbing the two bags and disappearing into the kitchen only to stick her head out and say, “And Sadie, I think you make a great actress!”
“Thanks, Julie.” Sadie gave a small curtsy that had her Daddy chuckling.
And with that, Julie was gone, leaving the three of us standing there. I felt like a dunce but Sadie didn’t take advantage of that fact. Instead, she smiled and patted my arm. “I guess it would have been easier for you if I just came out and told you.”
“You think?” I asked, my brow lifting, causing her to giggle. “Regardless, Sadie, thanks for trying. I just don’t understand how I could have made Hazel feel that way or why she was too scared to just tell me herself.”
“Maybe because you met her at a tea party attended by a bunch of Littles who not only looked guilty, but were a bit uneasy because, well, you know, the stolen pregnancy tests and all that.”
“Stolen?”
I was glad it was Derek picking up on that not me, because it gave me a chance to watch someone who definitely was a Little from the top of her head to her cute little toes squirm a bit. Once again proving that Hazel was exactly who I’d thought she was from the very start. A woman who ached to submit. Not as a Little, but as someone born to be a natural submissive.
“The tests were most likely free samples from one of the medical supply houses, so no worries.”
Sadie practically beamed at me. “And all that disrespect and rudeness was only to try to make a point, so no worries there either, right Dr. Berringer?”
“Well…”
Her eyes widened. “Hey, you can’t go all Daddy-like now!”
I chuckled and reached out to give her a hug. “No worries. Thanks, and don’t forget, dinner out wherever you two would like and it’s on me.”
“Thanks!”
Derrick gave me a look that said we’d be continuing the discussion out of the hearing of Little ears and I just nodded, respecting the man far too much to question his judgment.
It was only after they’d slid into another booth to await their dinner and I left to walk outside did I realize I had another problem. The fact that her car was no longer parked in the lot next to the lodge let me know she’d hightailed it off the Ranch. For the first time, I wished Hazel was a Little, if only because it would just take me a few minutes to reach the Littles’ Dorm. She could have lived in the university dorms or on Rawhide Ridge, but the fact was that Hazel’s home was a garage apartment in Porter’s Corner. Even for me, that was a bit too far to walk tonight.
It had gotten colder, so I pulled the collar of my jacket up around my neck and stuck my hands in the pockets. The moon was out and I took a long moment to simply look up at the billions of stars twinkling against the midnight blue of the sky. I’d been to a lot of places around the globe, but never had the sky seemed so close or as immense as it did in Montana. A sudden flare of light appeared, and as I tracked its arc across the heavens, I made a vow. No matter how long it took, or how many conversations were required, I’d convince Hazel she didn’t haveto work at being anything other than what she was. An incredible woman.
The past hour had me realizing I’d been doing the exact same thing as Sadie. While definitely not as entertaining or obvious, I’d been equivocating with Hazel in an effort to spare her discomfort of any sort. Instead, I’d caused her stress without even meaning to. If I’d just been honest, all this angst wouldn’t have caused the sadness I’d seen in my girl’s eyes.
I lifted a hand to wave at Tiago who was manning the gate. He waved back but didn’t say anything as if he knew I was deep in thought. By the time I was within sight of the turn off to the road leading to Rawhide Ridge, I heard tires pulling onto the gravel shoulder behind me. I turned to see Lawson’s jeep.
“Want a lift?” my brother asked.
I didn’t even hesitate. “Thanks, but I think I’ll walk.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some thinking to do.”
Lawson nodded and then tossed something at me. Reflexes had me catching what turned out to be a pair of gloves.
“You might be some endurance runner, but, Baby B, you live in Montana now. Even that fuzz on your face isn’t going to keep you warm. Frostbite isn’t some rare thing out here.”
