Protecting Penny (Submissives of Rawhide Ranch #28)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Penny

Consulting the spreadsheet I used to track progress in my bookgami project, I marked off the page number I’d just folded.

“Earth to Penny.” Bellamie’s comment came from only a few feet away, startling me.

Her sudden closeness caused me to bobble the book and wrinkle a few pages. I glanced up.

How long had she and our other two friends been standing there? I must have gotten so absorbed in my project, I hadn’t even noticed that the sounds of them cooking had stopped.

With a quick brush of my hand over the mussed paper, I closed the book and squeezed the front and back covers together to help reflatten the pages.

Bellamie, Starla, and Jolene huddled around me. It was nice of them to invite me to hang out, but I had to get this bookgami gift done.

We all knew that was only an excuse. Luckily they’re cool about my quirks.

The truth was that while her kitchen was spacious, with all of them working on recipes, it was a little too cramped for me.

Bellamie grimaced. “Sorry, didn’t mean to mess you up.”

Forcing a smile, I said, “The pages didn’t tear. They’ll be fine.”

“Thank goodness. We were wondering what you’re making this time.”

“Just a heart. It’s a gift for my mom’s wedding.”

“What a thoughtful idea.”

“I wanted it to last longer than her husband, so I’m not including initials this time.”

They laughed, and Jolene asked, “How many times has she been married? I forgot.”

“Jolene!” Starla elbowed her. “Don’t be rude.”

I shrugged. “The fact that we have to keep track gives a certain leeway. This is her fourth. I haven’t even met him.

Actually, I thought I met him, then there was a different guy, and I got confused about who she was with…

” I returned my attention to the book and dragged my thumb over the pages, some folded, some still begging to become part of the design.

Starla sat next to me on the couch, careful to avoid my spreadsheet. “On the upside, this is another chance for stepbrothers.”

My friends’ obsession with stepbrothers was lost on me. I was happy for each of them finding love so close to home but couldn’t understand how the family dynamic worked when their stepbrother became their husband, which made their mother or stepmom also their mother-in-law.

So complicated.

The only upside was that there were fewer family members to navigate, except that each of my friends married more than one man—at the same time. An interesting twist on my mom’s approach.

Again, so complicated, but that was how this town operated.

Some people thought they had been born in the wrong era, wishing they were Vikings or Regency, but I’d simply been born in the wrong town. The ménages and reverse harems of Eggplant Canyon had spread into Peach Bottom Valley and surrounding areas.

Life was hard enough to understand without defying social customs of marriage.

But my friends were each happily married to their stepbrothers and other men. My confusion wasn’t their problem.

“Or stepsisters…” Starla’s questioning tone and sudden fidgeting with the corner of my spreadsheet indicated the silence had grown to an awkward length.

“Or neither.” I gave the requisite response to ease their tension.

“What about the dating apps? Did you try any?” Bellamie asked.

Oh no! That was the single topic I’d hoped to avoid. Newly-in-love friends could be the worst about matchmaking. Couldn’t they tell I wasn’t fit for a relationship?

Best that I addressed it head-on. Clenching my book tighter, I tried out the white lie I’d practiced, “I did but didn’t get any matches.”

“Impossible.” Jolene planted herself on the floor in front of me and reached into my bag. I knew exactly what she was doing and didn’t stop her. If not for her nudges, the few bold steps I’d made wouldn’t exist.

She pulled out my phone. “Maybe you did it wrong? Mind if I check?”

She was trying to be supportive and had been accepting of how reserved I was for so long, she must have forgotten how hard it was for me to socialize.

I’d been part of the friend circle for as long as I could remember, and it was a safe space for me to watch their lives while staying in my comfort zone.

Taking a deep breath, I offered the other part of my practiced lie. “I didn’t like any of the guys.”

“There has to be somebody who sparked your interest. Please let us look.” Jolene turned the phone toward my face, checked the screen, then dramatically pouted. “Shoot. I forgot you don’t have facial recognition turned on.”

Thank goodness I hadn’t given any of them my password. Sharing things like that was nothing but trouble, despite the three of them giving each other full access with no apparent problems… because they’re best friends who trust and protect each other.

I’m part of that; it’s just not easy for me.

Time to come clean… or at least cleaner. “Fine. I’m not actually trying to match with anyone… yet. I don’t want any complications while my mom’s acting weird about her elopement.”

Jolene slid my phone back into my bag. “If she’s eloping, you don’t have to go to the wedding. I think you’re stalling.”

“I signed up for a class.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Bellamie clapped. “That’s awesome. What kind?”

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. I hadn’t been going to tell them. “It’s… out of town.”

Starla leaned away and stared at me. “An in-person class?”

She was right to be surprised.

Bellamie said, “I’m so proud of you. What’s the subject?”

How on earth did I tell my friends that I’d signed up for Rawhide Ranch, a kink experience, and that I wanted to get spanked and have unprotected sex and all kinds of deviant things? “It’s for five days, so there’s no point doing anything with the dating apps until I get back.”

Bellamie turned to Jolene and Starla. “Anyone else notice how she’s avoiding the subject?”

“It’s for bookgami,” I blurted out, immediately regretting my lack of creativity.

“Penny…” Jolene drew my name out. “You wouldn’t have avoided telling us if it was for bookgami.” Jolene poked my knee as Bellamie and Starla took her side.

Closing my eyes, I reminded myself that these were the least judgmental people in the world. My best friends. “Okay. You have to promise not to tell anyone.”

Their speed of agreement highlighted their excitement over getting a secret detail.

“It’s basically a dating workshop.” Further details weren’t necessary. Except of course they wanted as much as I would give, so I kept the rest equally vague.

“A friend of a friend went there and suggested I might enjoy the setting that has an acceptance of people who don’t do well with the normal dating scene.”

“Penny’s gonna get her kink on,” Jolene sang. Of course, that’s what she would assume. She’s so up front about her kinky adventures.

My comment was supposed to support my reserved nature, not kinkiness. I didn’t even know if I was kinky. I’d only taken one stupid online quiz.

Starla kicked her, and although I didn’t catch whatever look accompanied the kick, the mood shifted.

Jolene smiled as an apology. “I hope it’s what you’re looking for.”

If only she knew that what I was looking for was a Dom—even if only for the five days. And only as part of the workshops I planned on attending.

While everyone thought shyness and social awkwardness were my biggest problems for dating, I’d taken an online kink poll late one night and it suggested I was a sub.

The innate need for someone to take care of me and make decisions for me made a lot of sense when I read the results. That was the biggest reason I hadn’t connected with any guys. My psyche was wrought with ways I wasn’t mainstream.

Rawhide Ranch—where no one would know me—was the perfect place to explore without fear of judgment.

I’d promised myself to give it a chance… to give myself a chance. For five days I hoped to feel a little more normal.