Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Fiera said, doing her best to get the forkful of syrup-logged pancakes into her mouth before it dripped on her shirt.
She’d been able to sneak an entire extra serving of the maple goodness poured onto her stack while her Daddy was getting her juice and milk.
“We’ll all sit at the same table to paint our pictures for the art show so we can give each other suggestions. ”
When no one said anything, she focused on her friends instead of her food.
At their exchanged nervous glances, an invisible hand gripped her tummy and twisted.
“What is it?” she asked, though she was fairly certain she didn’t want to know.
She shoved another sticky triangle of pancakes into her mouth, hoping to distract herself from her growing dread.
Daisy looked at Sadie and widened her eyes. “You should tell her.”
And now Fiera’s pancakes tasted like sawdust.
“I agree,” Wren piped in. “You should tell her.”
“Why should I be the one to tell her?” Sadie demanded.
“Never mind, I’ll do it.” Looking past Fiera’s shoulder, Sadie glared at someone before turning to Fiera.
“Okay, after the bonfire last night, lots of us went to the swimming pool in the courtyard. The Daddies all stood around and talked while we had a midnight swim.”
“Nine-thirty,” Daisy said.
Sadie turned to Daisy. “What?”
“You said we had a midnight swim, but it was only nine thirty.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to tell her?”
Daisy shook her head. “No, you go ahead.”
After a pause, Sadie continued. “Anyway, we went swimming. Laura was there. She’s made a few friends, and they are… well, let’s just say I think they’ll all be getting lumps of coal and switches from Santa this year.”
“And they were talking about you!” Daisy blurted out. It was more like the words escaped. When she realized what she’d said, she slapped both hands over her mouth.
Sadie threw her hands in the air and flopped back in her chair. “Fine! That’s just fine. You tell her the rest.”
Fiera’s mind blanked. The only reason her friends would be telling her this is if what Laura and her new friends were saying was about Fiera. It must have been really, really horrible if Santa was dealing out coal and switches.
“Well, somebody tell me. What did they say?”
“I’ll tell you,” Wren said. “Laura was telling everyone how mean you were and how you knocked her down on the first day. And how you cheated at the races yesterday. She’s trying her best to make everyone mad at you. We heard everything, and we didn’t like it.”
“So, guess what we did?” Sadie jumped back in. “We—”
Bouncing on her seat, Daisy broke in again. “We told them how nice you were and that you wouldn’t cheat or hurt anyone on purpose.”
“Daisy!” Sadie said. “You did it again!”
“Sorry,” Daisy answered. “I’m sorry. I just get so worked up. I won’t say anything else.”
Daisy acted out zipping an imaginary zipper across her mouth.
“I’ll fix this,” Wren told Sadie. “Daisy, I dare you not to say anything else at breakfast.”
Daisy opened her mouth, but then snapped it back shut, glaring at Wren.
“Anyway,” Sadie said. “We thought you should know. I don’t think those girls believe what we told them about you. You should probably tell your Daddy.”
Ooh, that Laura was such a witch! So much for her accepting Fiera’s apology. If Laura was going to talk about Fiera and spread rumors, then there was only one thing to do. And it had nothing to do with telling Fiera’s Daddy.
“I… um, thanks for letting me know. And thanks for standing up for me.”
“Standing up for you about what?” Mace asked.
Holy mackeroly! How could such a ginormous cowboy sneak up on people? Even more important, how long had he been standing there? It couldn’t have been long, or the girls would have told her. That meant he didn’t know.
Hopefully.
Panic welled up inside her. She wasn’t even sure why. She hadn’t done anything wrong. But whether it was years of fighting her own battles, or fear he’d believe what Laura and her friends said, she didn’t want her Daddy to know.
She had to think of something fast. Something believable.
Turning to face him, she smiled as brightly as she could.
“For… for breakfast, Daddy. The girls thought about sleeping in until it was time for the art class. But they remembered we were all going to meet here for breakfast, so they came.” She faced the table, widening her eyes so Sadie, Wren, and Daisy would stop looking at her like she had grown an extra head.
“Isn’t that right, you guys. We planned to all eat here. This morning. In the cafeteria. Right?”
Gah! If they didn’t play along, she was toast. She held her breath and waited.
“Absolutely,” Sadie said. Somehow, she made her smile look so much more natural. “We talked about it last night at the bonfire. Didn’t we, Wren?”
Wren scowled at Sadie. Then she frowned at Fiera. Turning to Mace, her face became the perfect blend of innocence and charm. “We sure did. Isn’t that right, Daisy?”
Daisy looked miserable, but with a sigh, she nodded.
Mace studied them all as Fiera held her breath. She appreciated her friends standing up for her, but none of them would be winning Academy Awards for acting any time soon.
When her Daddy turned his gaze to Fiera, she was sure he was on to them.
His eyes had that narrowed Daddy-figuring-things-out look.
But all he said was, “I see. Well, you girls sure did a good job acting surprised when we got here. And you planned it all last night, huh? I must say, I do love it when a good plan works.”
Fiera scanned his face to look for telltale signs of suspicion, but there weren’t any. She couldn’t believe that had worked. To be honest, she was a bit disappointed, but mostly relieved. Before she made sure she wasn’t in trouble, his phone rang.
He glanced at his phone. “I’ve gotta take this, little one. Can you girls make it to the art tent on time?”
“Yes, Daddy. We’ll be there early.”
“You don’t have to be there early. Just don’t be late. And what had you better be wearing?”
She couldn’t resist teasing him. “A smile and my can-do spirit.”
He gave her that look that made her bottom tingle and her nether parts spasm in wonderful ways. “Those are good, too, but if you aren’t wearing your sunglasses as well, Daddy will show you what he ‘can-do’ to a bratty little bottom.”
Her cheeks heated, but she wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or excitement. “I’ll wear them, Daddy. And we will be the first ones in the tent. You’ll see.”
By the time they’d finished their pancakes, washed their hands, gone back for Fiera’s sunglasses, and made their way to the campgrounds in a route that took them by the courtyard swimming pool, Daisy’s room to get her summer camper hat, and the petting zoo that was only open for an hour that morning, there were almost no spaces left in the art tent.
Mace was already there and waiting for them because, of course he was.
After glancing pointedly at the time on his phone, he glared at her and held up one finger.
Well, that gave her two more strikes to play with before serious consequences ensued.
That shouldn’t be a problem since she was practically an angel ninety percent of the time.
It was just that the other ten percent could come out some days to bite her on the butt.
She’d just have to make sure today wasn’t one of those days.
Together, the girls picked up a canvas and paints—red, blue, yellow, white, and black–and headed to the tables. Unfortunately, the sole large table left had only three empty seats.
Master Gavin Doyle, the art professor at Rawhide University, stood behind a podium at the front of the tent. He didn’t look any happier than her Daddy. Sheesh! “Sadie, Wren, Daisy… one of you take the single seat table. Everyone else take a seat at that table.”
Fiera didn’t want to separate the three amigos, as she thought of them. “That’s okay, Master Gavin. I’ll take the single table.”
Master Gavin nodded, ready to get things rolling. “That’s fine. Fiera, you sit at the single-seat table over there.” He pointed to the small desk-sized table on the opposite side of the tent from her friends.
Even though it meant she wouldn’t be able to get suggestions from her friends, it would be easier for her to concentrate at a table by herself.
With a contented sigh, she made her way across the tent, navigating tables while trying to keep her paints from sliding off her canvas.
At least her Daddy was on his way to help her.
Just the thought of him being near him made her feel better. That was until she heard a familiar but unwelcome voice. Glancing around the nearby tables, her heart sank when she spotted Laura sitting at the large table right next to hers.
She froze in place. Her Daddy must have noticed because before she could throw her supplies to the ground and stomp on them, he was there.
Why, of all the tables in the tent, did she have to sit at the one right next to her archenemy?
It wasn’t fair. She couldn’t paint a pretty picture sitting next to a table of people who hated her.
Mace had stopped in front of her, blocking her view of Laura’s table. “Let’s get you seated, naughty girl. If you hadn’t been late, you could have sat with your friends. As it is, you’ll have to make the best of it. Next time you need to listen to Daddy.”
“But, Daddy, I can’t—”
“Fiera Danielle, Master Gavin is waiting for you to sit down so he can start his class. I suggest you get a move on and take your seat. Unless you’d rather head back to the cabin and discuss the meaning of the phrases ‘don’t be late’ and ‘or else’.”
Her bottom tingled. If she wound up discussing things with her Daddy, she wouldn’t be able to paint the picture she wanted to paint for him.
She’d thought about it all morning. It was going to be a painting of him, riding his horse across a field with mountains in the background and a storm on the horizon.
She wanted to give him something as a “thank you for being my Daddy” gift.
She’d do anything, even put up with sitting next to Laura the Loudmouth Loser, if it meant she could give the painting to her Daddy.
After the art contest, of course. She’d try her best to get a ribbon, but the best reward would be the look on his face when he saw it.
When he had everything on her table, he turned it so that she wouldn’t have to even look at Laura. He wasn’t just a hot, macho cowboy Daddy. He was a smart, hot, macho cowboy Daddy.
Leaning close, he said, “If the noise gets to be too much, firefly, turn your hearing aids down or to noise blocking. I’ll stay in the tent as long as I can, but I have to teach another lasso class. But I’ll be back as soon as I can. Are you going to be all right?”
Warmth swept through her. He was the perfect Daddy. “I’ll be fine, Daddy. I already know what I’m going to paint.”
“Can’t wait to see it, babygirl.” He kissed her forehead.
It wasn’t her favorite place for him to kiss her, but it was definitely in the top three.
Master Gavin scanned the tables, making sure he had everyone’s attention before he spoke. “All right. Now that we’re all in place, let me go over the rules. You should all have your blank canvas….”
“That’s her,” Laura says, her words deliberately loud enough for Fiera to hear. “She’s the one who ran into me and butted my head. You need to be careful around her. And have you seen her crazy hair? I mean, who does that? Who wants to look like a Disney villain?”
Turning in her chair, Fiera glared at Laura. “For the last time, I didn’t run into you on purpose. And you better stop talking about me, or you’ll be sorry.” She looked to the place her Daddy had been standing moments earlier, but he wasn’t there.