Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
Robyn
She hesitated in giving an answer, but not because she felt panicked as she had that day in the cafeteria. Instead, she was contemplating his words, trying to decide if he was as sincere as he appeared or was just parroting Daddy phrases he’d had to have heard since he’d been at Rawhide. He might not be staying there, but his presence in the cafeteria as well as at last night’s Meet and Greet meant he’d been hanging around for over a week now.
He’s a rooster, not a parrot.
She managed not to roll her eyes or giggle as she told that voice to go away. The distraction was enough for her to decide the question of his role wasn’t one she was able to answer. At least not yet. Instead, she addressed what else had popped into her head.
“Who told you my last name is Byrd?”
“No one, why?”
“Then how did you know to call me that?”
“Can you grab the door and open it?” he asked instead of answering. Once she’d done so, he set her on the seat of his truck, then turned her legs to the front as carefully as her friends had handled the china cups that morning.
“I’m not gonna break, you know.”
“Then I’m doing my job correctly,” he said, drawing the seat belt across her chest and buckling it.
She was about to repeat her question after he’d slid behind the wheel when he answered it before she spoke. “I didn’t call you Ms. Bird, I called you little bird.”
“Why?”
He looked over, his brow furrowed. “ Why? I guess because your name is Robyn, which is also a type of bird, but seems a bit formal for my Li… I mean for you. I won’t do it again if you don’t like the endearment.”
My Little…
Endearment…
For as long as she could remember, she had been teased about her name. This was the very first time she considered being referred to as a bird with anything other than disdain. And then there was the fact that though he hadn’t actually called her ‘his Little,’ she knew he’d been about to.
“No. I-I think I like it.”
His smile caused her heart to give a little jump.
“Me too. But if you decide you don’t, promise to let me know?”
Robyn nodded. He started the truck and began to pull out of the drive but paused before turning onto the street. “I will say that while I didn’t know your last name, I didn’t think it was Nest despite your sign.”
Her eyes went to the sign slightly swaying in the breeze. It had taken her a long time to decide on a name for her B&B. She’d purposefully avoided anything having to do with birds, but no matter how many times she sketched a sign bearing other words, not a single one had felt right until she’d sighed and scrawled Robyn’s Nest just to get it out of her system. When she then sketched the letters into an arc over a nest of sticks and leaves, adding three brown-speckled blue eggs being watched over by a robin, she’d had to acknowledge it was the only name that would ever fit.
She turned to look across the seat. “That probably would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. I mean, can you imagine having to introduce yourself as Robyn Nest?”
“Personally, I think Robyn’s Nest is a cute name for a very cute B&B. I can’t imagine how it could be bad.”
This time she didn’t attempt to hide the roll of her eyes. “You can’t possibly have me believe that you don’t think Robyn Byrd is a bit ridiculous.”
“Bird, like a bird?”
“Exactly like that except spelled with a ‘y’ instead of the ‘i’. And before you start laughing, just know every one of my sisters is also named after a bird, including my twin Raven.”
“Wow, your parents must have loved you a lot,” he said.
“Are you nuts? How could you come to that conclusion?”
“Well, they obviously wanted to make sure their little chicks knew they were all part of one loving flock. Unless, they aren’t? Loving, I mean?”
“No, they are loving, but I also think they are a bit crazy. Seriously, how they expected a girl to go through life being teased for being an actual bird, I’ll never understand. I can’t tell you how many times I had people cawing at me and flapping their arms. My parents said it didn’t matter and would only make me stronger. Instead, it only–”
“Embarrassed you,” he offered.
“Yes. That’s why when you said…”
When she didn’t continue, Winston said, “When I said my name was Rooster, you knew you didn’t want to have anything to do with me or maybe felt like I was teasing you?”
She hesitated but then nodded. “That makes me sound like a terrible person, doesn’t it?”
“No, it makes you sound honest. Never belittle or ignore your feelings. If that’s how you feel, it’s not my job to question it.”
Without thinking, Robyn reached out and placed her hand on his thigh. “You don’t have to be nice. It was rude of me to run off like that. I mean you did save my life. But even if you hadn’t, it was not the way I want to be remembered. I apologize if I hurt your feelings.”
He glanced at her and smiled. “Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. And even if you don’t see me as future Daddy material, I hope you see me as a friend?”
Her heart lurched and not because he wanted to be her friend. Nope. It felt as if a small piece had just been ripped away and she knew why. She’d not only hurt his feelings, she’d practically screamed in his face that she would never consider him as her Daddy. Forget terrible, she was just plain stupid.
So just tell him already.
She couldn’t. But she could offer him the dignity of not having to wonder if she was a liar by keeping her sudden epiphany to herself, no matter how late it had come. Not only did she desperately want him to be her friend, he was probably the only man on earth she wanted to call Daddy.
“I’d like that.”
“Me too and since I don’t have anything going on for the next few days, I can be your legs until your ankle heals.”
“You don’t have to do that! I’m sure it’s not broken.”
“Helping out is what friends do. So broken or sprained, unless you want your guests to find their hostess sleeping on the couch and being told to rummage in that hidden fridge for their own breakfast, I don’t think you have a choice.”
That thought did the trick as she instantly shook her head. “The couch. Can you imagine the reviews I’d get?”
Giving it some thought, he grinned. “Let’s see. How about ‘Little couch bird refuses to leave her nest’. Or ‘Despite its name, there is no red, red robin bob, bob, bobbin’ along to assist her guests at this B&B’? Wait, one more?—”
“Stop!” she said with a groan. “Okay, you win. You can help but only until my ankle’s better. Can you cook?”
“Not really, but I’m pretty good at following directions.”
She was highly skeptical, but willing to give him a chance. “I guess that could be fun. It’s not often we see a Daddy following a Little’s orders.”
When the green of his eyes turned the color of the conifers outside the truck’s windows, the words she’d spoken played on rewind.
Before she could do any damage control, he said, ““I’m quite the fan of having fun.”
Wow. Unless she wanted to make a complete fool of herself, she was going to need help with far more than cooking or running her B&B. It was definitely time to set up a girls’-only tea party. She’d just need to find a way to make sure the subject of that upcoming conversation wasn’t demanding he be the one to serve the tea.
From the heat in her face, Robyn knew her cheeks had to be red as she was carried into the resort. She didn’t know whether to pray for intervention or pray they didn’t run into any of her friends before they reached the infirmary.
“Robyn? What happened?”
So much for prayers. “I fell off my shoe,” she said as Erika came to meet them midway across the lobby.
“Do you mean out of your shoes?” Luna asked as she joined them.
“Nope, she means off. I’m shocked any woman who wears high heels can manage more than two steps before twisting an ankle,” Winston said.
“You’d be surprised. In the Dungeon, you’ll see women in stilettos as thin as a toothpick and at least six inches high walking as if they were barefoot.” Luna shook her head, her smile wide. “It’s pretty remarkable. How tall were your heels?”
“Maybe three inches and they were pumps, not stilettos,” Robyn said. “I told Roo… him that I was fine, but?—”
“But being a Daddy, he’s not about to take your word for it.”
Robyn closed her eyes and bit back a moan. Forget her friends. She’d never even considered running into Master Derek. She wasn’t about to contradict the very man she’d asked to help her find a Daddy, even if the man holding her wouldn’t be that Daddy.
“Which only adds points in his favor,” Derek continued. “Are you coming or going?”
“Coming,” Winston said, which, for some reason, had Robyn’s face heating anew.
“Nurse MacIntosh is on duty and if needed, she can call for Doc Nelson,” Derek said.
“We’ll let you know,” Winston said.
Robyn liked the fact he’d said ‘ we’ll ’. It made her feel included though from her position of being carried like an infant, she appeared to be totally incapable of doing anything for herself.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
It was good advice, but accepting help was something Robyn found difficult to do. She’d learned at a young age to fight for herself, but needing to ask for assistance was a concept she was still working on. Working with Hayleigh had been the biggest chance she’d ever taken. And that had turned out more than just fine. They’d become friends and through that friendship, Robyn had gathered more friends and support than she’d ever imagined possible.
“You good?” Winston asked.
Robyn was surprised to see that while she’d been in her head, he’d left the others behind and they were now standing in front of the infirmary’s door. “Yes, thanks… wait!” Stories she’d heard about the Ranch’s nurse were demanding attention. They were like the ones she’d heard about Nanny J, only these stories involved more than the possibility of having one’s skirt pulled up and panties pushed down to bare a misbehaving Little’s bottom for a spanking.
The shouted word did not cause the outcome she desired. Instead of waiting, Winston kicked the door with the toe of his boot. “Open the door. We need help out here!”
“No! I didn’t mean…” She might as well have been talking to herself for all the good it did. Before she had a chance to blink, she was not only inside the infirmary, she was sitting on an exam table and being told to stick her tongue out.
“My throat doesn’t hurt, it’s my ankle,” she said.
“Your Daddy has already told me about your ankle, but any time a patient comes in, it’s best to make sure they aren’t suffering from any underlying symptoms.”
“But—”
“We’ll deal with that end in a bit.”
“What? No! I mean he’s not my–” There was no chance of completing her sentence as a wooden tongue depressor was inserted between her lips and pushing her tongue down.
“Say ahhh.”
Feeling as if she’d fallen headfirst down that rabbit hole, Robyn obeyed. She had a light shining down her throat and a cotton swab tickling her tonsils. When that was over, she had her eyes and ears checked and then a stethoscope pressed against her chest. And not over her dress mind you. Oh, no, not at this Ranch. Instead, she’d had her dress unzipped, the bodice lowered to not only trap her arms but to enable Nurse MacIntosh to press the cold circle of metal directly against her skin.
Robyn was positive she would have died of mortification if not for the fact she’d watched Winston sneaking a glance, not at her face but directly at her chest where her demi-bra lifted her breasts up nicely, giving her the illusion of having cleavage. When she saw his hand move to discreetly shift himself in his pants, she ducked her head. Not in shame but in acknowledgement that he was aroused. Well, that made two of them because her panties had started dampening the moment he’d plopped her down onto the island in her kitchen.
“All right, you may lie back now.”
Robyn found that a bit difficult to do when her arms were half in and half out of the sleeves of her dress.
“Let me help.” Winston gently grasped her shoulders and guided her to lie back.
When he tugged her bodice up, she lifted a hand and grabbed his shirt front and pulled him down until his face filled her vision.
“Listen, cowboy. If she so much as tries to pull my panties down, I swear I’ll die and when I do, I’m gonna come back and haunt you for the rest of your life! And believe me, when I say haunt, I mean drive you bat-shit crazy. Is that clear?”
“As crystal,” Winston said, then shocked her into silence by kissing the tip of her nose. “I’ve got you.”
While she was still mulling over how a kiss on a nose could make one’s nipples tighten, he proved to be as good as his word. When the nurse suggested Robyn’s temperature might be elevated and opened a box that held the largest, longest thermometer Robyn had ever seen, Winston had placed the back of his hand against her forehead.”
“She’s not. But if one develops, I’ll let you know. Right now, I just want to make sure her ankle is only bruised and would appreciate tips on how to keep it stable for the next few days to allow it time to heal.”
Robyn could see the flash of disappointment in the nurse’s eyes as she snapped the case closed. She knew Littles both loved and feared the woman for her rigid requirement of a very thorough exam. Robyn suddenly remembered that if she’d screamed “red” the nurse would freeze like a statue. Safe words were magic here on the Ranch. Utter one and it was instantly given attention.
Beverly nodded and spent the next few minutes gently manipulating Robyn’s ankle. “I don’t believe it’s broken, but if the swelling gets worse or the pain increases, we can arrange for an x-ray. For now, I think keeping it elevated and wrapped will work. I know you just opened your B&B, Robyn, and I know you’re excited, but I’m afraid you really are going to need to keep as much weight off this as possible. Staying off of it completely would be even better. Do you have anyone to help you?”
Robyn nodded, looking at Winston. “I do. Like I said before, he’s not my Daddy but he is my friend. He’s also a guest at my B&B so he volunteered to help me out.”
“Okay then, you’re going to need to follow the technique known as RICE which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.”
“I did ice it when it happened and she hasn’t put any weight on it since,” Winston offered.
“That’s perfect. If you’ll grab that ace bandage, I’ll show you how to wrap it. If that’s not enough to hold it immobile, we can add a brace.”
Robyn watched as the two worked together. The nurse not only wrapped her ankle, which hurt at first but actually made her ankle feel better, but then she unwrapped it and watched while Winston repeated the steps… not once but three times. She almost giggled at the serious expression on his face but was afraid that if she so much as squeaked, he’d forget his promise about baring her bottom and she’d find that glass rod sliding up her butt.
“Do you need to potty?”
The nurse’s question snapped Robyn out of that minefield only to shove her into another.
“I can bring you a potty pan or your Daddy… excuse me, your friend can carry you to the toilet.”
“No… um, no thank you. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure, you were doing some squirming,” Winston said, drawing her eyes to his.
Seeing the humor in the green depths, she narrowed hers. “I’m quite positive, thank you. I’m just feeling a bit like a Christmas gift with all this wrapping and unwrapping,” she said with sugary sweetness dripping from her tone.
Winston chuckled. “Good thing we’re done then. Want to sit up?”
Good grief. Did nothing cause this cowboy to lose his patience? “Yes, please.”
He helped her sit and then zipped up the dress she’d forgotten all about. He adjusted the collar and then tapped her nose with the end of his fingertip. “I think you’ve earned a prize.”
“Oh goodie, is this when you give me a lollipop?”
“I’m not sure what he’s going to give you, but the lolly is on me.” Nurse MacIntosh removed the top of a glass jar and held it out to her. “You did very well and I’m very excited to hear nothing but lovely compliments about your B&B. If you don’t mind, I’d love to make a reservation in a few weeks. I’d promise not to even bring my thermometer, but Gordon and I do insist on checking our Littles’ temperatures nightly.”
Heat flooded Robyn’s entire body. “Um, that’s… that’s nice. I mean, I’d love that—love to have you stay! Thank you,” Robyn said, pretty amazed to realize she meant it. Just like she’d experienced with the couple of public spankings she had earned in her time at the Ranch, once the deed was over and paid for with a few swats, or in this case, a little embarrassment, it was like nothing had happened. “Just give me a call whenever you’re ready,” she added as Winston scooped her off the table and into his arms again.
“So about this treat”—she tugged the wrapper off the cherry-flavored lollipop and popped it into her mouth for a few sucks before pulling it out again—“what are you thinking?”
“Little bird, you don’t want to know what I’m thinking, but if you keep sucking on that candy, I’m going to have to find a place to set you down so I can adjust myself again.”
Robyn laughed and threw caution to the wind, making sure he was aware of each time her cheeks hollowed as she drew on the sucker and popped her lips every time she pulled it free. His growl had her lady bits tingling in a way she’d never experienced before. It wasn’t until they actually approached Master Derek’s office that she stopped teasing.
“I’ll behave!”
He looked down at her. “That’s a mighty interesting reaction, little bird. We are definitely going to be exploring it later. Right now, I’m just following through on a promise to let Derek know how you’re doing.”
“Oh, right,” Robyn said, remembering the conversation in the lobby.
When Erika told them Derek had someone in his office, Winston’s attempt to take a seat on the bench outside the Ranch owner’s office had Robyn yanking on his shirt as if to pull him back to standing. “You can’t sit there!”
“Why not?” he asked, managing to make it to his feet with only a slight stumble. “Afraid it’s not going to hold my weight?”
“No.” Robyn reached up to pull his head closer to hers. “That’s where naughty Littles and submissives sit when they are sent here or called to Master Derek’s office. You know, waiting to be spanked.”
Winston’s eyebrows rose as he looked back at the bench. “Hmmm, I like it.”
“Figures.” Robyn rolled her eyes. “But since I wasn’t sent or called for, we need to sit in one of those chairs.” She used her lollipop to point to a set of leather chairs.
Winston took a seat but kept her on his lap. They spent enough time waiting for Erika to let them know Derek was about to be free for Robyn to finish her lollipop and for him to take the stick and dispose of it in the trash can beside Erika’s desk after he stood.
To Robyn’s surprise, when the door opened, it wasn’t to disgorge some poor red-faced, and most likely, red-bottomed Little. Instead, it was Master Jagger. She knew he had his own ranch not far from Rawhide and often helped Master Derek out with horse doings.
“Oh, hey. We were just talking about the horses. I’ve decided that I’m interested in talking to your friend. If he’s still interested, that is.”
“I’ll give him a call later and find out. I haven’t talked to him yet as I didn’t want to raise his hopes if you weren’t ready. Can I let you know after dinner?”
“Sure, no rush,” Jagger said before turning his attention to Robyn. “Wren told Moira your grand opening went great, but obviously, she must have misspoken.” He gestured toward her bare feet and wrapped ankle.
“No, I mean the opening did go far better than I could ever hope, then I went and twisted my ankle, but I’ll be fine.”
“Make sure you stay off it,” Jagger said. “I’ve got a horse in the same condition. As hard as it is to keep her still, experience has taught me that keeping a Little down is far harder. You make sure you obey your Daddy, you hear me?”
Robyn nodded. “I will. I heard about the mustangs. Can I come see them?”
“Sure, Moira would love to see you. Why don’t you and Rooster join us for lunch tomorrow?”
“That sounds good. By then I’ll have talked to Mac,” Winston answered before she could.
“Great, see you tomorrow then.” He shifted his eyes to meet Robyn’s. “That is as long as your mode of transportation is the same as it is right now.”
“It’s not fair to expect Ro… um, to expect to be carried around all the time.”
“Life’s not fair, but if I see him setting you on your feet instead of setting your butt into a chair, then he’s not the Daddy I think he is. You two have a good evening, now.”
“We will,” Winston answered before she could, which was just as well because she was not only a bit tongue-tied but thought she had missed objecting when Master Jagger had spoken of her having a Daddy, and now a wave of fatigue was coursing through her. Thankfully, after saying goodbye to Master Jagger, they only spent about ten minutes in Master Derek’s office with Winston doing all the talking except for the occasional, “Yes, sir,” Robyn gave in confirmation of a statement.
“So, about that treat for being such a good girl for your exam. I was thinking dinner. Your choice of location and cuisine.”
“How about Robyn’s Nest?”
“I thought you didn’t do dinner?”
“I don’t for guests,” Robyn confirmed. “But since you’re a friend and there is a huge bowl of macaroni and cheese in the fridge along with finger sandwiches and some pastries, I figured we could have a leftover night and eat there?”
“Works for me,” Winston said, adjusting her in his arms. “But first, a short stop.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”