Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Leaning forward in her seat, Hadley gasped as she took in the famous Rawhide Ranch gate. The big shiny double Rs stood out against the wrought iron gate so proudly. The falling snow made the scene even more magical.
She smiled sheepishly when Finn chuckled at her enthusiasm. He gently chucked her under the chin. She knew he didn’t mind her excitement. She’d wanted to visit forever.
After talking to security, and showing their IDs, he pulled through the gate.
Hadley was amazed as they drove down the long gravel driveway. There were so many trees and even though the sky was gloomy because of the cold weather, it still looked picture-perfect to her. Clapping when a large barn came into view, she earned another chuckle from Finn. She squirmed and flushed and looked down at her feet.
“I understand, Peeps, it’s so exciting!” Finn encouraged.
Once he parked, he came around and took her hand, helping her stand. The snow crunched under her boots. She liked the sound, so she stomped a little more.
“Careful, Hadley. It can get slick,” Finn warned.
Stopping, she indulged in a full-body stretch after the long drive. He’d told Hadley someone would move their car once they were checked in.
“Are you ready for the best adventure ever?”
She nodded, making her curls fly around her.
He helped her slide her backpack on and grabbed his own, plus their two suitcases.
They climbed the six steps to the main entrance and Finn held the door open for Hadley. They made sure to shake the snow from their shoes before entering.
“Oh, wow, this is magnificent,” Finn said. They’d seen the pictures online but seeing the beautiful area in person was astonishing. Tall, vaulted ceilings, wood paneling, and a double-sided stone fireplace made the spacious area feel cozy. The smell of sugar cinnamon tickled Hadley’s nose and she took everything in.
“We need to find the reception area, Peeps. Oh, I bet it’s the large area right there that says Reception,” Finn said, chuckling. He took her hand and they walked over to the desk.
“Welcome! My name is Erika. Checking in?” a petite woman with short brown hair and sparkling brown eyes, said.
Hadley squeezed Finn’s hand hard. She was so nervous that her tummy hurt.
“Yes, the reservation is under Finn Williams,” he answered.
“Okay, let me get you pulled up. You can set your luggage there and Moses will come get it,” she said motioning to an area against the wall. “You can leave your keys with me and he’ll move your car as well.”
Once he’d given Erika his keys and his ID, he stroked Hadley’s hand with his thumb.
The small receptionist typed a minute before she looked up smiling, “I have you right here. One king room with an attached nursery.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Will you be going to preschool too?” Erika asked Hadley after checking her file.
“A few days.” Finn answered after she’d nodded her head.
“Awesome. You’re going to have so much fun and you’re visiting at the perfect time! Christmas is magical at Rawhide Ranch!” Erika encouraged. Hadley felt her tummy relax a bit at her calming words. She didn’t know why she was so nervous.
“Master Derek requested a meeting with you both after your arrival. Do you have time to do it now or would you rather get settled first?”
Hadley really hoped Finn would say he wanted to get settled before they met. She was really nervous and wanted to regroup a little bit. Plus they’d been on the road so many days, she just wanted to stretch her legs for a while.
“It was a bit of a drive for us today. Do you mind if we do it a bit later?”
“Of course. No problem. Here is your keycard. Please let us know if you need anything.”
“We will, thank you,” Finn answered.
“I can show them to their room,” a little brown-haired woman said as she skipped over to the desk. “Hi! My name is Sadie. My Daddy is Master Derek.”
“Well, hello.” Finn chuckled as Sadie gave a curtsey, her pigtails swaying with the movement. “This is Hadley and my name is Finn.”
“Sadie, you’ll be on your best behavior?” Erika questioned, looking nervous.
“I promise. I’m being extra good to make sure I stay on Santa’s nice list.”
Erika nodded. “Okay. Remember Master Derek put up Santa cams everywhere, so if you’re naughty, Santa will find out before your Daddy does.”
“I got it,” Sadie said, nodding. Hadley thought Sadie looked very determined to stay on the nice list.
“You can follow me,” Sadie said as she walked ahead of Finn and Hadley. “I’m not really naughty. I just like pulling pranks occasionally. Well… maybe more than occasionally.”
Finn laughed at her words and for some reason it made Hadley upset. She didn’t think Sadie’s words had been that funny. Hadley felt… almost jealous. Probably because of how beautiful Sadie was.
“Do you like pranks?” she asked, looking back at Hadley.
Hadley shook her head. She didn’t like pranks. She liked to be a good girl.
“You don’t talk much,” Sadie pointed out. “That’s okay. Daddy says I talk enough for three Littles.”
“Hadley is non-verbal right now. She has cards to help her talk to you, though. They’re called Picture Support Cards.”
“Oh. That’s so cool!” Sadie said, stopping in the middle of the hallway and eyeing the ring of cards Hadley was holding.
“What’s your favorite color?”
Pink . Hadley answered, locating her color cards quickly.
“How old are you?”
Twenty-three.
Sadie giggled. “No, silly! Your Little age.”
Two.
“Oh! So you’ll be in preschool? I’ll come by and see you! I have school, but we pass the Butterflies and Caterpillar Classrooms when we change classes!”
Hadley smiled and nodded. Maybe that would be nice.
“You’ll like the other Littles in the Caterpillars Room too! Well, the ones I know anyway. Some of their Daddies work here, so they go see Nanny J and Miss Price while they work. And a few are just visiting for Christmas. I don’t know them so well yet.”
Finn urged the girls on and they continued their chatter as they reached the elevators. “When you get off on the second floor, turn left. Your room will be on the right.”
“Thank you, Sadie. I’ll make sure to let Santa know how much help you were today,” Finn promised.
“Thank you, Master Finn! Have a good day!”
Hadley watched her skip away before Finn could even answer her.
“She was really nice, huh?”
Yes.
“See, I bet you’re going to make so many friends!”
She and Finn took the elevator to the second floor and stepped off.
“Do you think you can be a big girl and find our room?”
Hadley nodded and took off.
“Walking feet, Peeps,” he scolded.
She slowed down just barely and kept looking. Once she found it, she pointed and waited on Finn to catch up.
He unlocked the door and she rushed in. The first thing she saw was a large adult highchair. She fingered the beautiful dark wood in awe. She’s always wanted a special seat of her own at home. Often she daydreamed about a Daddy feeding her while she was strapped in nice and safe. Beside the highchair sat beside a small table meant for eating meals. Looking around, Hadley saw there was a small kitchen.
She abandoned the kitchen and ran through the small sitting area to find the attached nursery. Running through what she assumed was Finn’s room, she rushed through a connecting door and finally found what she’d been looking for. It was beautiful. It was painted a pretty cream color with green ruffled bedding. There was a beautiful mahogany crib pressed up against the wall. On the opposite wall, a padded changing table made from the same wood rested. Her favorite part was the rocking chair with a matching green pad tied to it. She rushed to it and tried to climb in it. It was so tall, but she worked until she got it. Once she was sitting on the lush padding, she leaned forward and back, setting a comfy rocking pace.