Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
“Hands over your eyes.”
She put her hands over eyes, dancing about in excitement. “What’s the surprise, Daddy? What’s the surprise?”
Five days had passed since Stafford had come home to find her up the ladder and spanked her.
Since then, he’d been making more time to spend with her. Two nights ago, he’d set up a movie night with blankets and hot chocolate. He’d even set up a place for Mr. Whiskers and Mrs. Flopsy to sit.
Her Little was slipping out more and more around him. But today he’d actually taken the entire day off. He’d been holed up in this room, getting her surprise finished.
To say she was excited was an understatement.
“I’m not going to tell you. I’m going to show you. Bear in mind, it’s a work in progress. All right?”
“I’ll love it, Daddy. No matter what.” Because he’d spent time doing this for her.
And that was worth so much to her.
“Take my hand and keep your eyes closed. Good girl.” He led her into the room.
“Now open your eyes.”
She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. A gasp escaped her.
“Daddy! You . . . what . . . how? You can’t have done all of this today!”
“No, I got up early each morning to paint the room. And Grandpa Jack kept you busy while I snuck in the boxes of things I’d bought.”
“You shouldn’t have done all of this.”
“Do you like it?” There was a note of uncertainty in his voice. “We can change anything that you don’t like.”
“What wouldn’t I like?” She spun around, taking it all in. Three walls were painted white, but the fourth wall was a deep, dark purple. The bed was the same one that had already been in here, but he had put a white cover on it and a purple fluffy blanket lay over the end. There was also a matching fluffy purple cushion. There wasn’t much furniture, just two white wooden nightstands.
“The cushion and blanket came from the same shop. And then I saw this white, fluffy rug.”
That rug looked so nice. Skipping over, she lay on her back and moved her arms and legs back and forth like she was making a snow angel.
“This rug is the bestest rug ever!”
“Is it?” he murmured. “And what about the stage?”
“Oh my God! You built me a stage!”
In one corner of the room, there was a small stage built about half a foot off the floor. It wasn’t terribly high or big, but it was just perfect for her. There was even a purple velvet curtain that could be pulled around it.
“You know that friend I had come in to sit with Grandpa Jack while we had a picnic the other day? Well, he built this for me.”
That picnic lunch had been awesome. He’d driven her out to an elevated spot with an amazing view of the ranch and they’d sat and watched the sunset as they’d eaten the food she’d packed.
“That was so sneaky, Daddy!” she cried.
He shrugged. “Us Daddies have to be sneaky sometimes so we can surprise our nosy Littles.”
“I only tried to peek once!” she protested.
He’d warned away from peeking. Unfortunately, the one time she’d tried to look, he’d caught her.
She’d had to spend some time in the corner.
That had sucked.
Daddy needed to loosen up a bit. He had far more rules than she thought were necessary. They’d gone through all the rules in detail the day after the ladder incident. There were so many she’d actually started to fall asleep part way through the conversation.
She now had a bedtime of ten! Which was actually going to be one of the hardest rules to follow. And she had a bunch of safety rules, especially for when she was off the ranch. As well as rules covering respect, honesty, and communication.
But she had to admit that she liked having rules and boundaries. It meant she didn’t have to worry so much about what she did and said.
“I need to get a show ready, Daddy!” she cried, moving to the stage.
“Wait a moment. I might have bought you a few more things.” He dragged several badly wrapped presents out from under the bed. “Uh, turns out that gift wrapping is not one of my strengths.”
“That’s okay, Daddy.” She patted his shoulder before sitting down on the floor. “I can teach you. It’s going to be really hard for you, but I’m sure with practice you can get better.”
“Thanks,” he said dryly as he sat next to her.
“You’re welcome,” she sang as she tried to open one of the gifts. “Uh, Daddy, did you use the whole roll of tape?”
“You mean you’re not supposed to?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Oh, Daddy.” Finally, she managed to rip off all the paper and squealed. “It’s a magic kit! One of the best ones you can buy! Oh, Daddy! It’s amazing.” Blakely threw herself at him, laying kisses on his face.
“You’re welcome, babygirl.”
“I cannot wait to practice my magic tricks. Sooo cool.”
“Well, why don’t you open your other gifts,” he suggested.
Blakely clapped her hands. She tore into the other gifts. There were packets of air-dry clay, some painting supplies, and some make-your-own slime kits.
“I thought we could set up an area for you in here to do your experiments and crafts,” he explained.
“So much fun, Daddy! This is all amazing. I’m so spoiled.”
“Well, there’s one more gift. I didn’t want to wrap it.” He got up and moved to the closet, opening the door.
When he turned back, he was carrying a white metal cage with the most gorgeous white owl she’d ever seen inside it.
“Oh, Daddy!” she cried.
“Do you like him?”
“Like him? I love him!”
He set the cage down in front of her and she opened it carefully, drawing the owl out into her arms. “His feathers are so soft. What’s his name?”
“That’s for you to decide, babygirl.”
“Hmm. I think I’ll call him Marshmallow.”
“Marshmallow?” Stafford asked, looking a bit taken aback.
“Is there something wrong with Marshmallow?” she asked.
“No, of course not. Marshmallow it is.”
Frustration filled her as she attempted the trick again. “Damn it!”
“Language, babygirl,” Stafford warned from where he was setting up her crafting area.
They’d gone out this morning to get a table and some more furniture to use as storage for her things.
Every evening for the past two weeks, they’d wait until Grandpa Jack retired for the night, then come in here to play. It was so much easier for her to slip into Little headspace in her playroom. And Stafford seemed to relax as soon as he walked through the door.
Today was Saturday, though, so she got to spend all afternoon with Daddy in the playroom.
“But I just can’t get it, Daddy!”
“Well, maybe I can help you.”
“I don’t think you can, Daddy. I’m just bad at it. I’m never going to be a good magician, even with Marshmallow’s help.” She kicked the stage with frustration, then let out a cry, hopping around as pain shot up her foot.
“Blakely!”
Stafford scooped her up and carried her to the bed, sitting her down. Then he crouched in front of her and grabbed her foot, inspecting her toes. “What were you thinking?”
“I don’t know. I got frustrated.”
“Can you wiggle your toes?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s okay. It just stung.” She moved her toes back and forth to show him that they were fine.
She felt really stupid, though.
Stafford eyed her for a long moment. “I think someone is cranky.”
“Am not,” she grumbled.
“Ahh, yes you are. You got frustrated and hurt yourself. You also spoke badly about yourself. None of those things are allowed, are they?”
Uh-oh.
“I can’t do it, though, Daddy.”
“And Daddy offered to help you,” he pointed out.
“But magicians shouldn’t need help.”
“Everyone needs help. Don’t magicians have assistants?”
“They just get chopped in half.”
“Well, I don’t really want to get chopped in half. I also don’t want you to hurt yourself when you get frustrated. What are we going to do to remind you that it’s not acceptable to harm yourself? Or to speak badly about yourself?”
“Um, have some donuts?” she suggested.
“What?”
“You could give me donuts. That would help me remember.”
“Nice try,” he replied dryly. “Not happening. What will help you remember is a hot bottom. And after your spanking, you can have a nap.”
“Nooo, Daddy! I don’t want a spanking! Or a nap!”
“Well, it’s not about what you want. Now, are you sure your toes are all right? I should put some ice on them.”
“My toes don’t need ice, Daddy.”
“I think it would be safer to ice them.” He got up and picked her up, putting her on his hip as he walked to the door.
Stafford set her down on the kitchen counter as he found an ice pack in the freezer to put on her foot. Grandpa Jack shuffled into the kitchen and she tensed slightly.
Even though he’d sat her down a couple of weeks ago and told her that she didn’t need to hide who she was around him, she still wondered if he’d find it weird or upsetting.
“What happened?” Grandpa Jack asked as Stafford put an ice pack on her foot.
“Blakely kicked her stage and hurt her toes.”
“Ahh,” Grandpa Jack said. “Can you walk on it okay? It’s not hurt too bad?”
“No, it’s really fine. Daddy’s being overprotective.” She eyed Grandpa Jack as she called Stafford Daddy in front of him. But he didn’t even blink.
“Well, I told him he should probably have padded the edges of that stage,” Grandpa Jack said gruffly. “You could bang into it and really hurt yourself.”
“She kicked it on purpose when she got frustrated,” Stafford told him.
“Ahh, so now you’re going to have a sore toe and a sore bottom. Not very smart, huh?” Grandpa Jack walked toward the porch. “Just gonna sit outside on the new porch so don’t worry about me hearing anything.”
Stafford had hired the same friend who’d built her stage to rip up the old floorboards on the porch and lay down some new ones. He’d only had time to do the front of the house, but it was so much safer now.
Blakely knew she was blushing as Stafford picked her up and carried her and the ice pack back to her playroom. He sat down and arranged her so she was lying over his lap, with her legs and torso both resting on the bed. He even put the ice back under her foot.
How thoughtful of him.
Then he tugged down her black pants and panties.
“Why are you getting your bottom spanked?” he asked.
She groaned.
He’d really cottoned onto this Daddy stuff quick once they’d started communicating better. She’d thought she’d be able to get away with far more than she had.
“Because I kicked the stage,” she answered.
“Yes. And?”
“And because I’m a terrible magician.”
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Smack! Smack! Smack!
“No. Try again,” he said sternly.
“Ouchie, Daddy! That hurt.”
“Well, that wasn’t even part of your spanking.”
What?
“What do you mean? That was my spanking!” she cried.
“I’m afraid not, babygirl. That was a punishment for saying you were a terrible magician. Why aren’t you allowed to say things like that?”
“Because I’ve got to respect myself and I’m not allowed to say bad things.” She sniffled. “Not nice to spank Blakely, Daddy.”
“It’s not nice for Blakely to say bad things about herself. Daddy doesn’t like that.”
He started to spank her again. And this time, there was no pausing partway through. He spanked her until her bottom was burning and she was lying limply over his lap, crying.
Once he’d finished, he moved them so he was lying on his back on the bed and she was on top of him, her chest against his. He rubbed her back, murmuring to her quietly.
Blakely sighed tiredly, her eyes closing.
“That’s it. Just go to sleep. I’ve got you. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
He better not.
“I’ll always take care of you. Because you’re my precious babygirl and I love you.”
“I love you too, my very own magic cowboy Daddy.”
The End