Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
At last, Mother Nature decided to play nice.
In Fiera’s experience, early August in southwestern Montana could’ve gone either way, but today, their last morning on the Ranch, she gifted them a stunner.
The sky stretched wide and impossibly blue.
Sunlight poured down, warm and golden, across the rolling land.
The mountains stood tall in the distance, their peaks sharp against the horizon, while the breeze carried the clean scent of sun-warmed pine, wild grass, and river water.
The fields were still lush, stubbornly green, and the only things drifting on the wind were cottonwood fluff and the faint promise of heat easing toward evening. The air held that high-summer sweetness. The sun warmed her skin without the oppressive heat of July.
“You didn’t even have to tell me to wear my sunglasses, Daddy,” she said as she skipped next to him.
The night before had been the best she’d ever known… and totally exhausting. Thankfully, Master Derek had arranged something with the airlines so she could ride home with her Daddy instead of flying. Long truck rides were better for napping.
“I noticed, babygirl. I’m glad we didn’t have to start the day off with a spanking. It’ll make riding in the truck easier.”
Oh, she’d be sore sitting down today, but for the best reasons. Her Daddy had done things to her last night that she hadn’t even known existed. That would be the main reason she needed to nap on the way home.
They were headed back to Wilder. Together. She had a Daddy! A Daddy who cared about her. A Daddy who she was already falling in love with, and who felt the same about her. Life couldn’t get much better.
The only regret she had was that she never got her painting back from the art show. She’d really wanted to give it to Master Mace, but now that wasn’t going to happen. He said she could paint him another one, and that was true. But it wouldn’t be the one from Rawhide Ranch.
“Let’s head to the cafeteria, little one. We’ll have one last stack of Chef Connor’s pancakes before we go.”
“Yay! I love pancakes. I heard that they celebrate National Pancake Day. Did you know there even was a pancake day? My favorite is chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup and chocolate milk on the side. What’s your favorite, Daddy?”
“I’m thinkin’ with the ride we’ve got ahead of us today, we’ll both be eatin’ regular pancakes after we eat our eggs and bacon along with our regular milk. My truck is big, but I don’t think they make a truck big enough to hold a Little girl hyped up on sugar for eight hours.”
That didn’t sound tasty at all. Never mind the fact that it had been tasty enough for seconds the day before. Leave the past in the past. That was her motto. “Daddy! That’s no fun. You can’t be Daddy Stick-in-the-Mud on the last day.”
He cut a Daddy look at her. Uh-oh.
“It’s not too late to turn back to the cabin and take care of that spankin’ we were just talking about.”
Yikes!
“I think Chef Connor’s plain ol’ ordinary pancakes are great! And who really likes chocolate milk? Not me. Nope.”
He nodded, although she was almost positive his lips twitched. “That’s good to know, firefly.”
When they entered the cafeteria, she looked at the table she’d sat at the past two mornings. Sure enough, Sadie, Wren, and Daisy were waiting, just like they’d planned. Sadie waved her over.
Master Mace guided her to the table. “You go ahead and visit. I’ll grab our breakfast.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, Sadie grabbed her hand, eyes wide. “You missed the talent show last night. Are you okay? I wanted to mount a rescue, but Daddy said no. Even when I said I was honor-bound to save my new best friend. What happened?”
Oh wow, Fiera hadn’t even thought about the talent show. Especially last night. “I’m fine,” she assured her friend. “Daddy and I were, um… busy.”
Wren elbowed Sadie. “Told you so. Now aren’t you glad you didn’t go storming over there?”
Daisy nodded. “I wouldn’t sneak over to your cabin with her, even though she dared me.”
Sadie grinned. “I guess there really is a first time for everything.”
They chattered until Mace returned with their food. “Eat while you talk, firefly. We have to get on the road.”
“No!” Sadie cried. “I’ll miss you too much if you leave. Master Mace, couldn’t you talk to my Daddy about working here and running rodeos every weekend?”
Fiera watched her Daddy go a little pale. “I wish I could. But Fiera and I both have commitments in Wilder that we can’t back out of. But I bet you’ll see us again.”
“There you are,” Master Travis said, stepping up behind Wren. “I thought you wanted to help me feed the new foal this morning.”
Wren jumped up. “Oh, shoot! I forgot.” She ran around the table and gave Fiera a hug. “It was really great to meet you. I’m glad your Daddy will be bringing you back to visit again.”
Fiera hugged her back. “Me, too! And congratulations on all your summer camp medals. I think the only one you didn’t win was the one we ran backward.”
Wren’s many medals clanked around her neck as she stepped back. “Yeah, thanks, Master Mace. It was a lot of fun.”
“Go turn in your tray,” Master Travis said. “We need to hurry.”
While Wren did as her Daddy said, Master Mace asked, “So, what happened to Master James and Laura?”
Fiera frowned. Laura was the one who ruined Fiera’s gift to her Daddy. If they had a jail under the Dungeon, she hoped they had thrown her in there.
Master Travis tipped his cowboy hat back. “All I know is they left the Ranch about an hour after they met with Master Derek.”
The terse look on her Daddy’s face told Fiera he hoped she’d been thrown in Rawhide jail, too. Or maybe something even worse. But all he said was, “I see. That’s good to hear.”
Master Travis nodded. “I have to say, I don’t see good things for them. Master James looked like he was at the end of his rope.”
Her Daddy nodded back. “I thought so, too. She’s one tough Little cookie. The thing that bothers me is people don’t usually bully people unless they’ve been bullied themselves.”
“That’s true. I’m sure Master Derek will keep an eye on the situation. He usually does.”
“I’m ready,” Wren said, bouncing on her toes. “I can’t wait. See you soon, Fiera.”
Fiera watched them walk out the cafeteria door. That was how she was the first to spot Master Gavin. He walked straight to their table.
“Fiera, I’m so glad I caught you. I wanted you to have this.” He opened his art satchel and handed Fiera her painting.
Fiera’s heart soared. “Thank you, Master Gavin! Thank you so much!” Turning to Master Mace, she said, “Look, Daddy. See? I made this for you! That’s you on the horse, and the storm is the color of your eyes. Do you like it?”
“I love it, firefly. It’s the best painting I’ve ever seen.”
His words warmed Fiera’s heart. She’d never been prouder of anything more than that painting.
“I’m not finished,” Master Gavin said. “I also need to give you this.” He pulled out a gold medal that read “Best Use of Color”.
“Oh wow. Thank you.” She took the medal, her eyes bright with tears. She’d never won a medal before coming to Rawhide. Now she’d won two!
“Here, firefly, let Daddy help.” Mace took the medal from her and hung it around her neck. Sadie and Daisy clapped and cheered. It was a perfect moment. “We best gettin’ on the road, babygirl.”
Mace watched as the girls hugged goodbye. Although he didn’t let it show, he was as sorry to leave as Fiera. To say his life had changed at Rawhide Ranch was the understatement of his life.
As he and Fiera headed for the front doors, Master Derek stepped out of his office. He met them just inside the main door.
“You on your way?” Derek asked, extending his hand.
Mace shook his hand and said, “We are. Thanks for the invite to help in your rodeo.”
Derek grinned. “I think you did more than help. The feedback I’ve gotten has been nothing but positive. Everyone is asking if we’ll be doing it again, so I might be giving you a call.”
“That would be great. I look forward to hearin’ from you.”
Derek’s expression grew more serious. He turned to Fiera and said, “I’m sure Little girls about to go on long trips should visit the bathroom one more time.”
She looked straight at Master Mace and said, “Nuh-uh. I don’t have to pee at all.”
Right. He’d had this conversation with too many Littles to fall for that. “Maybe not now, but you will. I want you to go try.”
With a sigh that said everyone in the room was crazy except for her, Fiera turned and headed for the Little girl’s room.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Mace asked, “Somethin’ you wanted to tell me?”
“There is,” Derek said, his face grim. “I’ve had a call from Wilder from a man named Boone Daniels.
He owns the ranch bordering the Three Eagles Ranch.
Apparently, he has a private security business.
He’s heard some talk around Wilder, and it seems our friend Erwin Pierce has been letting everyone know he’s none too pleased with Fiera.
Says he still loves her and, once he’s taught her a lesson, he’ll take her back. I just thought you should know.”
Mace saw red. That fucker had better not come near Fiera. Not if he didn’t want to be eating through a tube for the rest of his life.
“Thanks for lettin’ me know. I’ll be havin’ a talk with Erwin the Vermin as soon as my boots hit the Wilder town limits.”
Derek grinned. “Erwin the Vermin? Come up with that yourself, did you?”
“Unfortunately, I learned it from Fiera. And speakin’ of Fiera, you are quite the matchmaker, aren’t you?”
Derek didn’t bother to deny it. “Best part of my job,” he said. “Well, one of the highlights anyway. I’m glad it worked out for you and your Little girl.”
Mace caught a movement in the corner of his eye.
Derek extended his hand again. As they shook hands, Derek said, “I do keep tabs on the people I help connect. And if I hear that you aren’t taking proper care of that Little girl, we’ll be talking again.”
Mace made the choice to be thankful he wasn’t the only one who cared about his little firefly. “I’m gonna take good care of her.”
Derek nodded and stepped back as Fiera skipped toward them. The weight of Derek’s words lifted from his shoulders. She was the sunshine in his world. He would make sure she never lost her joy.
“Okay,” she called out when she was almost close enough not to have to yell. “So, I had to pee a little bit, but not much.”
With a grin, he lifted her to sit on his hip. “Ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said.
He tipped her sunglasses in place as they walked through the double doors and grinned as she pointed to the truck where Giddy had stuck his head out the trailer window. Mace stopped before the horse so Fiera could stroke her fingers down Giddy’s forelock.
“Are you ready to go?” Fiera asked and then broke into giggles when the horse neighed loudly and nodded his head. “We’re going to have so much fun together when we all get home, aren’t we?”
When Giddy nodded again and his Little giggled, Mace had to agree. As he opened the door and slid her inside, he smiled. To quote his friend Phoenix Lotus, Mace’s life was filled with “beauteous vibrations” because a Little girl named Fiera Danielle Sharpe—for now—had totally rocked his world.
His smile was huge as he glanced at his little firefly’s face as she adjusted Sniffles so the stuffie could look out the windshield before she turned to look up at him.
“Daddy, Sniffles wants to know how long it’s gonna take us to get home.”
“Well, we’re starting later than I’d planned and there’s the fact that not only did you talk me into driving through Yellowstone National Park—”
“But only because you said Giddy would love to stretch his legs along the Yellowstone River,” Fiera interrupted to say.
Mace tilted his head, his eyebrow arching. “I said that? Are you sure, babygirl?”
She had the grace to flush. “Well, maybe you didn’t say it exactly like that, but I distinctly recall us discussing how much fun it would be to visit Yellowstone before winter sets in. You know how deep the snows get in the mountains. We wouldn’t want Giddy’s feet to get frozen, would we?”
He chuckled. “No, we definitely wouldn’t want that,” Mace allowed. “Add in some additional breaks for Giddy to stretch his legs and a certain Little girl’s potty breaks—”
“And snacks,” Fiera cut in again. “Sniffles says you can’t forget snacks, Daddy!”
Mace grinned. “Of course not. Everyone knows snacks are a requirement for any road trip. Taking all that into consideration, we should get there in a couple of days.”
Fiera nodded, her brow furrowing. Mace could practically see her calculating the hours until their arrival.
“Perfect! That means we’ll be home on hump-day, Daddy!” As if realizing what she’d just said could be taken in a far more risqué way, her cheeks flushed and she giggled before burying her face in Sniffles’ fur.
As for him? Her words were enough to cause him to have an epiphany.
Not only had the cosmos seen fit to gift him with a second chance at happiness, the very first day of their future together in Wilder would fall on a day he’d sworn he’d hate forever.
From this day forward, Wednesday was going to be his all-time favorite day of the week.
And when his Little shot him a side-eye before collapsing into giggles again, he decided she had the right idea.
“That’s right, little firefly, and Daddy is going to show you that hump-days are the best days ever!”
The End