Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
Lori
She’d never felt happier in her entire life. It was over. There was no longer a need to think about the past. Her Auntie B—no, that had been Barbara. Lauren had had an Auntie. Lori , though, Lori had something better, she had a Mommy and a brother! She looked around the room but didn’t see him. Perhaps he’d gone to use the bathroom.
“I’m so glad…”
Lori waited for Sadie to continue but instead, the Little threw her arms around Lori and hugged her, pulling her into the happy dance they’d shared in her room the night before. Had it really been only last night?
“I’m glad too,” Lori said, returning the hug, accepting the unspoken words as being those of a true friend.
Like magnets to steel, their circle grew larger as other Littles joined them until all her friends were twirling around and around. When dizziness began to overtake joy, or perhaps it was nausea reminding them that eating too many cookies and drinking too much cocoa after the intense story they’d shared wasn’t such a good idea, the twirling gradually slowed and then came to a complete stop.
Lori pressed her hand to her tummy. “Whew, no more dancing, okay?”
“Okay,” her friends chorused.
It was the sound of their combined voices that reminded Lori someone was missing. Despite her dizziness, she looked around the room again. “Where’s Blake?”
“He’s over there,” Haven said, pointing to the last place she’d seen him. “Oh, I guess he moved?”
They all looked around and when it was clear that Blake was nowhere to be seen, Lori went to tug on her Daddy’s hand.
“What is it, sweetpea?”
“I can’t find Blake.”
Her Daddy turning to glance around the room drew her Mommy’s attention.
“What is it? Oh my, Li’l Bit, you’re looking a little green around the gills. Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Beverly asked.
“No, oh, yes. I mean, we have to go see if Blake is in the bathroom!”
“Pumpkin, if he is, I’m sure he’ll be right back.”
“No! It’s taking too long! We have to go now! Daddy?—”
“Lori, there is no need to shout. I’m sure he’s?—”
“You’re not listening to me!” Lori screamed, fear stripping every bit of decorum from her. “He’s not here! We’ve looked everywhere and he’s not here! Blake is gone and we have to find him now!”
Her shout had everyone in the room go silent, but the fear in her voice was tangible.
“When was the last time anyone saw Blake?” Gordon asked.
“I talked to him a little while ago,” Miss Price said. “I told him that I’d rescued his drawing from the floor of the hall and couldn’t wait to watch him color it.”
Lori felt a flash of hope. “Is he coloring it now?”
“I wouldn’t think so,” the preschool teacher said. “I offered to go back with him whenever he was ready, but he never came to ask for me to go.”
“But you’re not sure,” Beverly said. “That’s fine, we’ll just go look.” She took Lori’s hand and then turned back to Gordon. “Can you check the bathroom? Oh, and the rooms up here? Sometimes when he’s feeling a little overwhelmed, he likes to be alone to… to… think.” Her voice broke on the last word.
Gordon pulled both her and Lori into a hug. “Don’t cry. We will all look for him. We’re going to find him.”
“How?” Lori wailed. “This lodge has a zillion rooms and lots and lots of other buildings. This Ranch is huge. He could be anywhere. He could be lost. He’s out there all alone!”
“Hey, calm down, darlin’,” Master Derek said as he squatted down to look her in the eyes. “I know you’re worried and scared, and I know this Ranch is pretty darn big, but you know what else I know?”
Lori didn’t but just the sound of his voice broke through the panic that was threatening to consume her. “Wh-what?”
“I know that there is no way your new brother is going to step off this Ranch. Remember, you found him before. And now, we not only have a bunch of people who will go out to find him, but we have security cameras and a big gate. I promise you, we will find him, okay?”
Lori nodded warily. “Can you start looking for him now?”
Master Derek chuckled and nodded. “Absolutely. You go with your Mommy and leave the rest to us.”
The room that had been swarming with people only a minute earlier cleared as the owner of Rawhide started handing out assignments. Lori watched as half the group followed after her Daddy, and the other half took off to look wherever Derek sent them. Soon it was only her Mommy and Sadie left with her.
“Daddy said I can help you look, okay?”
Lori knew Sadie had stayed to offer her support and she gladly accepted it. “Thank you. Can you take me to the Butterfly Room?”
The trio left the family room and were soon crossing over the threshold where wood became marble. Lori remembered how excited she’d been the first time she’d walked down this hall. That excitement had been replaced by shock at looking into the face of a man she’d never believed she’d find. Now, shock had become fear as they came to a door decorated with colorful butterflies. Before Sadie had a chance to reassure her they’d find Blake inside coloring, the door opened to reveal Miss Price.
“He’s not here,” she said. “None of the Littles have seen him.”
“Did you check the Caterpillar Room?” her Mommy asked.
“Yes, Nanny J and I both did. We talked to Luna and Carrie, the service submissives, who took over our classes when we went to look for Blake the first time,” Miss Price said. “We even checked across the hall. None of the teachers or their students knew he was even missing.”
Lori could sense Beverly’s growing concern. She’d been Blake’s Mommy longer than she’d been Lori’s Auntie. Squeezing her hand, she said, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna find him. Master Derek promised we would.”
“And my Daddy never breaks a promise,” Sadie assured her.
As if needing to check for herself, Beverly opened every door in the Littles’ Wing and looked inside. Lori saw far more Littles than she’d expected and on every face, she saw the concern they had for a missing friend. It was evident that Blake was very much loved by so many people.
A thought occurred to her and she let her hand slip free of her Mommy’s as Beverly took a second look into a bathroom attached to what she’d called a timeout room.
“What’s the matter?” Sadie asked.
“Maybe… maybe he left because of-of me.”
“Why would you even think that? We saw you two in the woods and sitting in the room upstairs. You were always holding hands and?—”
“Maybe he was just being nice. You know, he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I-I just told him he was my brother. I-I didn’t even ask!” Lori felt the burning of unshed tears filling her eyes. “And I-I stole his Mommy!” With that, she burst into sobs, burying her face in her hands.
“Oh, Lori, no,” Sadie said. “Blake isn’t like that?—”
“Isn’t like what?” Beverly asked and then saw Lori sobbing as if her heart was breaking. “What’s happened? Lori, what’s wrong? Sadie, what is going on?”
“I don’t know! She was talking about it being her fault Blake isn’t here. That she… she stole you from him, but I know that’s not true.”
Beverly wrapped her arms around the sobbing Little, then reached out to draw Sadie to her as well when she started crying. “Hush now,” she murmured, rubbing their backs. “It’s going to be fine. This is just a little misunderstanding. When we find Blake, and I promise you we will, everything will be fine.”
“How do you know?” wailed Lori. “What if he hates me for being so stupid? I didn’t even ask him if he’d share you! What if he never comes back?”
“He will come back.” This was said firmly and in a male voice.
The three women looked to see Gordon standing in the doorway.
“Wh-when?” Lori managed.
“As soon as I go get him. Beverly, will you take Lori to our room? I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I swear to you, when you open the door, both Blake and I will be walking inside.”
Lori ran and flung herself at her Daddy who bent to pick her up. “Go with Mommy, sweetpea. Keep her company for me, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy, you just go get Blake and bring him home to us.”
“I will,” he said and kissed her cheek. He took the time to give Beverly a kiss as well and to thank Sadie for staying with them.
When Lori asked if Sadie could go to the room with them, her Daddy said, “If that is okay with both Sadie and her Daddy.”
“Daddy said I can stay as long as I’m needed,” Sadie assured him. “I’ll help take care of both of them.”
“I’m sure you will, sweetheart. Thank you.”
Lori dried her face with her sleeve and reached out for Beverly and Lori’s hands. “I’ll show you to the room, but first we need to go back upstairs.”
“Why? I’m sure if Blake were there, we’d be told,” her Mommy said.
Sadie smiled and explained, “Because in all the commotion, we forgot to get Fauna and Scott. They need to be there when Blake comes home.”
The three retraced their steps and once the stuffies were securely in Lori’s hands, they went to the room to wait.