Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask—Nancy Newhall
Tula
“Ready, set, go!”
The shout startled Tula out of her thoughts and had her focusing on the pair standing in front of her as they struck a pose.
“We’re little teapots, short and stout,” they sang before placing a hand on their hip and lifting the other arm in the air with that hand bending to point toward the ground.
“Here are our handles, here are our spouts. When we get all steamed up, hear us shout”—they bent to the side—“tip us over and pour that tea out!”
Tula shook her head. “I think you need to work on those lyrics.” When the two girls both snarled, she jumped up and giggled. “Okay, okay, I’ll go get some cups.”
“Not on your life,” Sadie said, both hands going to her hips. “You’ll spill it right here and right now. We’ve been patient… hey, don’t you roll your eyes at me, little girl. We’ve been waiting all day!”
“She’s right,” Wren agreed, striking another pose. For this one she lifted both arms to the sky and threw her head back. “Just pour it over me.” She opened her mouth wide.
“Fine but only because you’re standing under a tree that just might have an itsy-bitsy spider thinking your mouth is a nice place to spin its web—”
“Ewwww!” Wren snapped her mouth closed.
“I don’t know,” Sadie said, tapping a fingertip against her chin. “It might be fun to watch her swallow a bug.”
“You two are nuts.” The moment Tula said the word, her face bloomed with heat.
“Ohhhh, she’s blushing!” Wren said, destroying Tula’s hope that the growing twilight would mask that very fact.
“Which means this is going to be juicy!” Sadie grabbed both of her friends’ hands and dragged them down to sit on the log.
“So spill it. Was it really peanuts in that bag?” Wren asked.
“No, that was River.”
“River? As in water?”
“No as in an otter,” Tula said and when the other two looked at each other and then back at her, she laughed. “A stuffy.”
“Which means your Daddy heard your wish for a fluffy prize! That’s so cute!” Wren said.
“While I agree a stuffy is fabulous, especially one that suits you so perfectly, no otter had you blushing. No matter how fluffy she is,” Sadie said. “So I’m going to need more tea.”
Tula looked around to make sure their fellow campers were occupied with activities that would keep them busy and not tuning in for this part of the story.
Then she lowered her voice and told them how she’d slipped up about the peanuts.
Both Wren and Sadie squealed and then slapped their hands over their mouths, both now looking around as well.
Once more Tula couldn’t help but compare these two with friends she’d had as a child growing up and ones she’d made in college when she was an adult.
She’d known Wren and Sadie for the shortest amount of time and yet felt closer to them than any others.
There was a unique bond that wound among every single Little in this camp that she would treasure forever.
“I’ve dreamed of finding a Daddy ever since I became aware that they existed, but I never really thought I’d find one who was even better than the ones in books. It’s like David was put here just for me. I know that makes me sound selfish, but it’s just how I feel.”
“It makes you sound like you know your heart,” Wren assured her.
“You don’t think it’s too fast? We already said the L-word and I’ve never ever told anyone other than family that I loved them.”
“No, there is no “right” amount of time. Wren’s right.
You know your heart and your soul recognizes its other half.
It’s said that Rawhide is known for magic and even though my Daddy has the reputation of setting up the gameboard, it’s up to the players to discover if their pieces fit together.
He must have known Master David and you are meant for each other before either of you did.
I’m just so very happy for both of you.”
“Me too,” Wren said. “Please tell me you’re staying.”
“I hope to. Daddy said he’d move wherever I wanted, but I’d love to stay here. I have some job offers, but I’ll be looking closer to home now that I’ve found where I belong.”
“Do you work in medicine too?” Wren asked.
“Not in the traditional sense, though I know a great deal about holistic medicine. I’ve always been fascinated that well before modern medicine became a thing, healers looked to nature to find remedies to help their people.
But I double majored in history and environmental sciences so I could study both. ”
“Then that is what you’re meant to do,” Sadie said. “You can teach us like you’ve been doing on this trip.”
Tula smiled. “I haven’t been teaching. I just told a couple of stories—”
“That taught us more than we knew, so, Miss Tula Rivers, you are indeed a teacher,” Wren declared.
“I’ve been considering working in a lab, but I think I’d like that,” Tula said as she allowed herself to see a different path. “History is full of stories.”
“Believe me, once my Daddy knows you’re interested, he’ll find you a spot.”
“Thanks, Sadie, but I can’t ask your Daddy to do my job hunting for me. He has an entire Ranch to run,” Tula said.
“And that Ranch includes a university,” Sadie said. “He’s always looking for teachers.”
“Wait, there is an actual university on the Ranch?”
“There is, Rawhide Ranch University. It’s not only accredited, it offers a lot of courses you’re not going to find at any Ivy League school,” Sadie said proudly.
“Like how to tie up your Little and the best techniques to torture her,” Wren offered.
“But only in the most delicious ways,” Sadie quickly added.
“Wow, that’s… well, that’s awfully tempting,” Tula said. “Even if I don’t teach, I think I’ll be looking into some of those courses.”
“Why wouldn’t you teach?” Wren asked.
“I’ve just finally felt free enough to let my Little out and—”
“And she can stay out,” Wren said quickly.
“I’m a Little and I work in the barns and help Daddy with trail rides for guests.
Sadie is a Little but also takes on the role of hostess and receptionist and, well, you name it, she can pretty much do it.
Heaven Leigh is a Little and she works with her Daddy, Angel, at their bakery and chocolate shop on the Ridge.
That’s where those awesome cupcakes came from. ”
“What she’s saying is that you can be Little and do more than put up tents and do chores at camp. You can be Little and still do a Big job if you want to.”
“If that’s true, then the Ranch is indeed magic,” Tula said.
“When Uncle Moses told me he was at home here, I knew it had to be a very special place. But I sorta thought he was biased because he fell in love with Aunt Jayne. I was so happy for him because he deserves the best of everything, but I never ever dreamed I’d find an entire bunch—no, an entire giggle—of new Little friends, a Daddy, and now maybe a job?
I’m afraid to pinch myself because I don’t want to chance discovering it is all nothing but a dream. ”
Her two friends didn’t even look at each other, but as one, they reached out and began tickling Tula until all three were on the ground, rolling about. It took all of two seconds before they were joined by others until the entire area was full of writhing Littles shrieking in laughter.
When Tula had a chance to look up, she found her Daddy and Master Travis standing at the edge of the group. “Dare I even ask what you’re doing, otter?” her Daddy asked as he walked toward her.
“I’m only doing what you said, Daddy.” She reached for the hand he offered.
“Funny, I don’t recall saying anything about pretending to be a wiggle worm,” he said as he pulled her to her feet.
“Maybe not in so many words,” Tula countered with a huge smile. “But you did mention getting down and dirty.”
Master Travis chuckled. “I think she’s got you there.”
Littles started popping up like gophers from their holes, picking up the chant, “Tula, Tula, Tula.”
Despite the support, Tula wasn’t so sure about that because judging by the way her Daddy’s lip was curling and his eyebrow was arching, she suddenly felt that he had her exactly where he wanted.
Then again, the fluttering in her tummy and the ache in her princess peanut told her she was absolutely okay with that.
“May I ask a question?” she asked as they walked away from the others.
“You will never need permission to ask questions, otter.”
“Do Daddies get spanked?”
“Well, I can’t answer for all Daddies, but I can say with certainty that your Daddy doesn’t. Why?”
“Because last time you took me on a walk, I got spanked for not getting permission, and I didn’t hear you telling Master Travis we were going into the woods.” She gestured to the trees they were approaching.
Her Daddy chuckled. “Good thing that’s not our destination then. We’re heading for your hive with a quick stop at the river.”
“Why?”
“Because some Little girl rolled about in the dirt.”
“Didn’t we just establish that you’re the one who said you like dirty?”
His bark of laughter echoed as they’d reached the river. “Otter, that’s not exactly the type of dirty I was talking about.”
“No?”
“No.” He pushed her hair back so that he could bend and speak close to her ear.
“I’m going to wash all that dirt off you and then, little girl, I’m going to spread you wide and lick every single inch of your naked skin.
Once you’re all nice and slick, I’m going to teach you the difference between a punishment spanking and a funishment one.
After I’m positive your butt is nice and rosy, I’m going to take your princess peanut between my teeth and nibble.
” He demonstrated by nipping on the lobe of her ear, causing her to gasp and arch into him.
Releasing her ear, he slid his hand beneath the curtain of her hair.
“While I feast, I’m going to slide my fingers into your pussy and finger fuck you hard.
” His fingers curled around her neck and her nipples instantly hardened.
“And do you want to know what I’m going to do when you are begging me to let you come? ”
God help her, she would die if she didn’t ask. “Ye… yes, Daddy.”
He drew his tongue over her pebbled flesh before kissing a spot behind her ear. She shuddered again at the warmth of his breath as it flowed over the wet skin. Though he was whispering, she heard every word.
“I’m going to inform you that if you wish to come, you’re going to have to beg me to push my thumb into the tight little rosette of your ass and fuck it as well.”
“But that’s dir…” Realizing what she’d been about to say, she shook her head and smiled. “You could have just said you like a bit of dirty talk, Daddy.”
He pulled back just enough so their eyes could meet. “Little girl, I promise you, dirty talking is not what I’m talking about.”
“You… you mean,” she paused, the images his words had created once again playing across her mind’s eye. She tore her gaze away only to look around to assure they hadn’t been joined by the others, then dropped her voice to a whisper as well. “You’re really going to… to do all… all of that?”
“That and much, much more,” her Daddy promised.
Her shiver had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he’d pulled her t-shirt over her head and dropped it to the ground.
It had everything to do with the delicious feeling that swept over her when he flattened his hand and ran it down her body until it disappeared into the waistband of her shorts.
And when his fingertips slid over her clit and he tsked, and whispered, “My, my, who’s the dirty one now? ” she knew the answer.
“It’s me, Daddy, I’m your dirty girl.”
After all, how could a girl lie when he’d not even begun to wash her and she was already absolutely dripping wet.