Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
“I don’t want to be the focus of the show,” Mallory repeated for the fifth time in the last half hour.
She wasn’t sure if Sadie was deliberately ignoring her or was just determined to center everything around the dozen paintings she’d brought with her from home and the caricatures she’d begun drawing since being at Rawhide.
“Yes, we know, Mallory, but you’re the artist we want everyone to see. We’ve got a couple of other artists who are going to take part, right, Payne?”
Payne nodded. “Yes, and that includes me, but you’re going to be the main draw. Especially since we’re going to use the picture of Sherlock the llama on the program,” Payne said, holding up the picture she’d drawn her first morning with Fletcher.
It was a cute picture, one of her favorites, and though Payne had repeatedly assured her it was fabulous, she still wasn’t sure it was good enough for the program’s cover.
“Do you think Master Colt can make frames for the paintings?” Reese asked as she walked around the table where they’d laid out her work.
The paintings were on one side, colorful, full of life and passion.
On the other side of the table were pages and pages of the caricatures she’d drawn.
She, Payne, and Sadie had spent the morning before carefully cutting the pages out of her sketchbook and sorting through them, choosing the best to be included in the show.
Reese had pulled a dozen sketches that she wanted to put together in a coloring book that would be sold at the Ranch store.
Mallory had hesitated to give her consent until she’d come up with the condition that any money raised would be donated to care for the zoo animals that she and so many others had fallen in love with.
“Oh, I have an additional picture for the coloring book, if you’re interested,” Mallory said, pulling out her newest sketchbook.
Flipping through several pages, she carefully tore the page out before laying it on the table.
“Since you didn’t get the turkeys fully trained to line dance, I thought you’d like this instead. ”
Reese and Sadie looked at the picture and began to giggle. The page showed a group of turkeys tripping over one another.
“What are they supposed to be doing?” Payne asked.
“Dancing!” Sadie shouted and then she pulled Reese away from the table and the two began doing the line dance they’d been trying to teach the turkeys.
Payne laughed and nudged Mallory with his elbow. “I’d say you nailed it. Those turkeys have a far better chance of dancing on paper than in real life.”
Mallory smiled. “Yeah, but you’ve got to admit, it would be rather amazing.”
“Amazing? Nope, dancing turkeys would be awesome!” Sadie squealed.
“We can hang it in the show and put it in the coloring book. Would that be all right?” Reese asked.
Mallory nodded. “You can do whatever you want with it.”
“And we’ll need to get something to use as a backboard so the sketches don’t wrinkle or droop.
If Master Colt agrees to make frames for the paintings maybe he’ll do the same for the sketches?
” For the first time since the meeting had begun in one of the empty classrooms in the Littles’ Wing, Sadie sounded unsure.
“If you tell me how to find his workshop, I can go talk to him. Maybe even help if he’ll let me,” Mallory said.
Anything to get away from this trio who seem determined to turn what was supposed to be a simple little showing of her work into a circus of major proportions.
Someone knocking on the hall door drew their attention. When it opened and Fletcher walked in, Mallory sighed with relief. Maybe he could talk some sense into her friends.
“How’s it going?” he asked as he crossed to her, pulling her into his arms and giving her a hug.
“Master Fletcher, you need to order Mallory to cooperate, otherwise we’re never going to be ready in time. The show is only a week away,” Reese looked at Fletcher with a big-eyed, puppy dog expression.
When he looked down at her with one eyebrow raised, Mallory melted and leaned against him.
“I don’t want to be the focus of the show,” she repeated once again, this time addressing the one person she thought might understand.
“Is it because you’re nervous to show your work to people? Or do you not think you’re worthy of the title artist?” Fletcher asked as he cuddled her close with strong arms hugging her.
Mallory thought about his question but one look in Payne’s direction had her sigh and then whisper, “Both, I think. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
“I know putting yourself out there is difficult, but do you think I would have shared your work with anyone if I didn’t think you were an amazing artist?”
One of the boulders in Mallory’s stomach crumbled away as she said, “No, I guess not.”
“And do you think Sadie and Reece would be this excited about putting the show together if they didn’t think your work was beautiful and needed to be shared with the world?”
“No, Sir,” she whispered as another boulder melted away.
“And do you think Reece would want to make your pictures of her animal friends into a coloring book if she thought they were ugly?”
“No, Sir.”
“And do you actually think Payne, a fellow artist and animal lover, would keep encouraging you to share your talent with everyone if he didn’t honestly consider you to be incredibly talented?”
One look in Payne’s direction and seeing one hand planted on his cocked hip while he waggled that same finger like he’d done that day at the barn, had her sighing again. “Well, no, but—”
“No buts,” Fletcher cut her off before she could start arguing again. “You are an artist with an amazing way of seeing and drawing the world around you. I’ll bet you a million dollars that every one of your paintings sells before the evening of the show is over.”
His confidence had her pulling back to look into his face. Though he was smiling, she could see how serious he was reflected in his eyes. “But I don’t have a million dollars to bet with.”
“If they don’t all sell and you win the bet, you will owe me one Mallory Blackstone original painting. And I get to choose the subject.”
She blinked again before nodding and holding out her hand. “It’s a bet. But you aren’t allowed to buy anything in order to win the wager.”
Fletcher chuckled and wrapped his hand around hers, shaking it up and down three times. “It’s a bet. Now, are you ladies and gent done with your planning? Or should I ask Chef Connor to make some box lunches so you don’t get in trouble with your Daddies for missing lunch?”
“No need to do that, Fletcher,” Master Derek said, stepping into the room. “They’ve worked enough today and can get together tomorrow morning to finish up if they need to.”
“But, Daddy,” Sadie started to argue, swallowing back whatever else she was planning to say when he turned and looked at her. “Yep, tomorrow’s fine. In fact it’s perfect. No problem at all. We’re done for today.”
Mallory did not argue when Fletcher turned them to the doorway. As they left the room, she paused and turned back to look at the team. “Thank you for all the work you’re putting into this. I’ll try to be more positive from now on.”
“You’re very welcome,” they said in unison as they waved. “We’ll let you know if we need to meet again tomorrow.
Instead of heading to the cafeteria or one of the restaurants for lunch, Fletcher guided his sweet but insecure rope bunny out the front door and down the stairs to where his car waited.
“Where are we going?” Mallory asked as he helped her into the passenger’s seat.
“We’re going into town,” he said, wrapping the safety belt around her and hooking it securely.
He had her identification in his pocket in case she needed it but had left the rest of her wallet in their room so she wouldn’t be tempted to argue about spending money.
It might be an underhanded way of doing things, but Fletcher didn’t care.
Sometimes a Dominant had to be sneaky to get his way without punishing his subbie for wanting to make things even.
Life wasn’t about balance or making things even all the time.
Life was about loving and giving what you could and, for Fletcher, it meant buying his rope bunny a new dress for her big night and whatever else she might need to make the transition from a Rawhide Ranch service submissive to being his woman, submissive, and rope bunny as they built their future together.
He parked in front of the diner and turned off the engine.
“Lunch at the diner?” she looked at him, confused but trying not to show any fear.
“Lunch at the diner followed by shopping for a new outfit for your show and some new art supplies to play with,” Fletcher said, releasing his seatbelt.
He was impressed when she remained seated and waited for him to come around and help her from the car. He laced their fingers together before looking around the small town. “Eat or shopping first?”
A loud rumbling from Mallory’s stomach answered before she could say anything.
“Eat first it is,” he said with a chuckle, guiding her to the diner’s front door.