2. Chapter 2
Daphne
After the best sleep she’d had in a very long time following the best Chicken Alfredo she had ever eaten in her life, she decided to explore the town a bit.
It was small, but she wanted to see what all it had.
She moseyed down the old sidewalk that had definitely seen better days.
The town was charming in that stereotypical small-town way.
On one side, there was a drugstore on the corner, a hardware store, barber shop, and diner.
On the other side, there was a coffee shop, a bakery, a clothing boutique, and the coziest-looking bookstore she had ever seen.
Despite its charming nature, there was a darkness that filled the air.
She wasn’t sure why, but it almost felt dangerous.
She knew the mountains could be dangerous, but the town gave off this vibe, like something could happen at any moment.
She looked over her shoulder, half expecting her ex to show up behind her.
The rugged mountain ranges sent a shiver down her spine.
She was positive she would never feel safe again.
Maybe she should have gone to see her brother instead.
At least there she would have the support of family.
Sighing at herself and shaking off those thoughts, she continued walking down the street.
This was a ski town. During the off season, it was filled with outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to hike, raft down the rivers, and camp.
During the winter months, there was skiing, sledding, tubing, and other winter activities.
She looked at the mountain behind her and couldn’t wait to get on some skis this winter.
She also thought about finding somewhere she could ride horses, or at least do a carriage ride.
She loved horses. Continuing to window shop, she stopped at the bookstore.
“Into the Pages. Hmmm, sounds like an adventure waiting to happen,” she mused.
The bell chimed, announcing her appearance in the bookstore.
Inhaling deeply, the smell of leather, wood, and smoke attacked her senses.
It smelled like comfort. The library was the only place she could go and the only place where she felt safe.
Escaping into whimsical worlds, dangerous war-torn battles, brooding mafia men, and commanding cowboys became her lifeline.
This bookstore was something out of a fairytale.
Floor-to-ceiling shelves covered every inch of wall space, and the aisles were packed full of adventures just waiting to be read.
The dark wood created a somber, intimate feeling.
Books lined every shelf, and there were piles on the floor too.
A massive fireplace in the back looked well used, huge couches and chairs placed before it, and she knew in the winter months it would be the coziest reading area.
She walked aimlessly down each aisle of books.
Reaching out, she allowed her fingers to brush against the spines of the books.
Some of these looked old and well loved, while others looked brand new.
She continued browsing until she heard a throat being cleared.
Startled, she turned around to find the most intriguing man standing at the end of the aisle.
His hair was white, like bright white. Whiter than any paper she had ever seen.
It was short, buzzed on the sides. His eyes were piercing blue with a speckle of green.
They were mesmerizing, and she found herself entranced.
They didn’t speak for a long moment. It was like time stood still.
She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt safe.
She felt, for the first time in her life, like something good was coming her way.
It was an inexplicable feeling, but one that had her having an out-of-body experience.
A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her back to the here and now. “I’m sorry to startle you, miss, but I am Oliver and I own Into the Pages. Is there anything I can help you with?” His kind eyes met hers and he smiled at her.
“Can you make me disappear into one of these worlds so I don’t have to be in this one anymore?
” she asked with a bitter laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.
I just love reading and this bookstore is what dreams are made of.
Do you mind if I just read for a bit? I just got to town and I don’t want to just sit in the hotel room.
As soon as I find a job, I promise I will buy a book.
” She knew she was rambling, but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“I had to leave my Kindle behind and I don’t have any books with me.
I could even clean or something in exchange for a book? ” She looked at him hopefully.
“My dear child, you can be here for as long as you want and read as many books as you want. While this may be a bookstore and I do sell books, this is also a sort of library. So as long as you promise to be a very good girl and bring my book back, you may check out any book you would like.”
Her brown eyes grew wide. “Really? That’s so kind of you, Mr. Oliver.”
“I try to do the right thing. Now. How about you have a look around and see what catches your attention? I will be around if you need anything. Just ring the bell at the front desk.” And with that, the man was gone.
She walked around, touching the books, looking at the covers, seeing what grabbed her attention.
Mr. Oliver had everything. He had fiction and non-fiction, and everything in-between.
She stopped at the relationship section as she spotted a book about friendship.
That needed to be sent to the bitches who had hurt her.
She didn’t consider herself a violent person, but she wanted to be when it came to them.
Her brother had offered to take care of them for her, but she didn’t know what that meant and opted to not find out.
He was protective of her, which she appreciated.
She wasn’t a mean person and considered herself to be a levelheaded person.
But just the thought of that group made her fists clench and her blood boil.
They had destroyed her heart, and she wanted them to pay, right along with her stupid ex-husband, who did nothing to protect her.
He never stood up for her. She was pretty sure he never even loved her.
He just wanted the money she had. He could get fucked as well, as far as she was concerned.
Moving on from the self-help relationship book section, she found her happy place.
Romance. The stories that would send her to another world.
There was always conflict, but in the end, she was loved and cared for; she got her happily ever after.
Coming across a book she found interesting, she read the back:
This Little girl was running from the world. Destroyed by the people she thought loved her, she was convinced she would never be loved, let alone find a man to call Daddy.
He was the Don. The ruler of the Irish Mafia in a small mountain town. He discovered a Little girl who was in trouble. He made it his life’s mission to show her what love really was. Even if it meant burning the world down for her.
“This is just what I need. A strong man who will burn the world down for me.” She sighed as she held the book to her chest and whispered into the universe, “If only this kind of love existed in real life.”
She took the book to the back of the store and sat in the comfortable chairs. She opened the book and got sucked into the world of mafia men, sassy women, and danger beyond every corner. She was so lost in the book, she didn’t hear Kiera as she came over to sit next to her.
“Whatcha readin’?” she asked.
“Mountain Mafia Daddy,” Daphne replied, her cheeks turning pink.
“Oooooo, that sounds really good! I love a good mafia Daddy book. I mean, I like any Daddy book, but mafia men are so great. They’re so dangerous but protective.” Kiera giggled.
Sighing, Daphne looked into the distance.
“Yeah, if only they existed in real life. I could go for some mafia men in my life to protect and keep me safe. To fight for me. I mean, I know I can take care of myself. I am well educated and can do anything I put my mind to, but sometimes it would be nice to be taken care of for a change.” Her throat was clogged with emotion.
“I totally get it. That’s the best part of being Little, too.
You get to shed your adult responsibilities, and a Daddy or Mommy or Auntie or Uncle can take care of you.
Or you can have a combination of all of the above.
I have a Daddy and several Uncles who take care of me and help make sure I am safe.
It really is a wonderful thing.” Kiera squeezed Daphne’s hand reassuringly.
“But what if I’m not Little? I mean, I’m not a Little like the girl in this book.
I have no problem at all with how she is Little, but it doesn’t resonate with me.
I don’t want to wear diapers or drink from a bottle.
I wouldn’t mind some cute dresses and outfits, but I don’t think I want to be that Little.
I don’t know if I’m making any sense.” Her brows furrowed as she looked to Kiera for validation.
“That makes perfect sense! And of course you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. And you only have to be the kind of Little you want to be. There are no rules for that, as long as everyone is a consenting adult.” Kiera made it sound so simple.
“I guess that makes sense.” Daphne nodded and looked at the cover again.
An attractive older man holding a gun was on the cover.
She wanted that. “I just wish I could make the worlds come to life, ya know? Like live in this world instead of my current one. Even though the main character still has hard stuff happen to her, she is so taken care of, and I want that.” She was wistful as she stared at the cover.
“You can have that and more if you really want to.” Kiera picked at her nails. “You just have to wish upon a star and think happy thoughts. The universe has a way of listening to us in ways we don’t always understand.”
“I seriously doubt that a mafia man is going to come in here and sweep me off my feet,” Daphne scoffed.
“Well, maybe not, but Winter Peak is kind of a magical place,” Kiera whispered.
“I found it when I was driving away from a bad situation and all my dreams have come true. It has happened more than once, from what I have been told. This place just knows what we need and places the right person in your path. It’s kinda hard to understand, but I know your perfect match is just waiting for you.
” She was so sincere that Daphne believed her.
“Well, I don’t know if I quite believe that, but you seem pretty sure, so I will hold out hope that maybe my happily ever after is out there.” She sighed, running her hand over the bruises that covered her face.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Kiera whispered.
“My ex is a narcissistic asshole.” Daphne snorted. “I don’t mean to make light of it, but there is really no other good explanation. If I tell you what happened, do you promise to keep it a secret?”
“I dunno. I want to say yes, but if my Daddy asks…” Her voice dropped off.
“You’ll have to say something.” She sighed. “I know. It’s ok. I won’t put you in that predicament.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I’m a pretty good listener and even if I can’t keep your secret, I will listen and not judge and I can promise you that every single person here will fight to keep you safe.” Kiera was facing her, her doe eyes boring into her soul.
“I believe you. I just…he isn’t a good man. He beat me a lot. The last beating he gave me made me lose my pregnancy.” She rubbed her hand over her belly, tears silently streaming down her face. “I wasn’t far along, maybe six weeks. But it hurts. More than I thought it would.”
Kiera came over and put her arms around her as she sobbed. Both girls cried and didn’t say anything to one another.
“Hey, Little girls, what’s going on?” Liam’s voice startled Daphne and she quickly swiped at her eyes.
“Hey, Liam. Nothing. Just remembering some hard things and I got sad. It made Kiera sad too and she was comforting me.” She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t feel comfortable telling him anything.
“Does this have to do with the bruises on your face?” His gentle, calm voice shook her. What kind of man was this? He didn’t yell or raise his voice. His calm demeanor soothed her in inexplicable ways.
“I am not ready to share anything with you if that’s ok, Mister Liam.” She didn’t want to anger him, so she figured using some sort of honorific was the best move.
He smiled, his eyes creasing around the edges. “You can absolutely keep some things private, I promise. Unless you are in current danger, I don’t need to know everything that happened. Just know that we all want to keep you safe, OK?”
“Yes, Sir, Mister Liam.” She nodded and then blurted out, “Kiera doesn’t know either, so you can’t spank it out of her!” She sat back in her chair, eyes wide, waiting for him to punish her.
He threw his head back and laughed. A great big, booming, genuine laugh. “I promise I won’t try to get any secrets out of Kiera, sweet girl. She knows what she has to tell me and what she doesn’t. When it comes to secrets, they are allowed as long as no one is in danger.”
Giggling at his laugh, she nodded.
Kiera spoke up. “I promise you’re safe here, Daphne.
I know your ex wasn’t a kind person, but I promise, as long as you’re honest, you’re safe.
Let the men and women here protect you. You can stay with us for as long as you need it.
We have a few guest rooms and you can stay in one while you figure out what to do next. ”
“Thank you. I honestly might take you up on that. I don’t know why, but I trust you both. I probably shouldn’t, but I do.” She shrugged as if this explained everything.
“You can absolutely trust us. Daddy is the best Daddy in the world. Well, he’s my Daddy but he can be your Uncle. Of course, with that comes a sore bottom and that would just be booey.”
“Booey, huh?” Her Daddy laughed at her.
“Uh-huh, booey.” Her decisive nod made them all laugh.
“I know about the world and I’ve always wanted a Daddy, which seems at odds given what I went through, but I know enough through my brother and his husband and their Little girl that what my ex did was not kink or BDSM or anything; it was abuse.
It took me a while to see that, but I did, eventually. ”