Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
They talked for a few hours, until Wren’s Daddy Travis texted Arlo asking him to send Wren back home and to tell Sadie Derek wanted her, as well. The girls left with promises to meet with Reese and get to work on the petting zoo the next day.
“How are you doing, sweetheart? It’s been a heck of a day. Are you tired?”
“A little bit, maybe. But I have to give the animals their dinner.”
“Why don’t you let me take care of that while you go lie down for a bit?”
“Oh, but I can?—”
“Reese,” he interrupted, his tone stern. “You need rest, and your Daddy has determined you need a nap. I was phrasing it as a question, but you’re about to learn that I take your wellbeing very seriously. And you clearly need some rest. Because we’re going to have dinner and have a serious discussion at my house this evening, I suggest you get up to the loft and lie down in bed while I take care of everyone down here.”
“I’m the boss!” Bossy P squawked from Arlo’s shoulder, where he’d spent the entire conversation with the girls.
“You go and keep Reese company, P,” Arlo told the parrot, who flew immediately to Reese.
“I guess… I guess I am kinda tired,” she said, her body flooding with both guilt and relief at having him take over.
“Good girl. I’ll send you a text in time to wake up and wash your face before dinner, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Good. I’ll see you at six o’clock. Now up you go.”
He laid his big hand across the small of her back and guided her to the stairs, and before she started up them, he laid a sweet kiss on the top of her head. As she climbed the stairs, eager now for a quick nap, she wondered how a kiss on her head could make her tingle all over?
She laid on her bed and covered herself with a quilt there, and Bossy P curled up in the crook of her arm, making a low purring noise.
There was so much happening, between taking in the whole Ranch and what went on there, setting up a petting zoo for her animals, and most of all, Arlo asking to be her Daddy. She thought she’d just lie there with her head buzzing, but in minutes, to the sound of the parrot’s gentle purr, she was fast asleep.
Arlo waited for Reese to reply to his text message. He knew she was worn out, but the hour and a half nap should have helped. He’d checked in on her after he’d cared for all her animals, and she’d been fast asleep, Bossy P cuddled up under her chin. Her face had looked so sweet. She looked so innocent when she was awake, but seeing her sleeping with her honey-blonde hair spread out on the pillows and her long lashes resting on her cheeks, there was such a pure sweetness to her he could barely stand it. She looked like the perfect little princess, and he had to force himself to look away and head back down the stairs so he wouldn’t feel like some kind of creeper.
It had been a full five minutes without any answer, so he sent another text—and this time, she replied right away.
Reese: I was cuddling with Stella when you texted and I left my phone upstairs. I just got your messages.
Arlo: You knew to expect my text. We’ll have to talk about that not happening again.
Reese: I’m sorry, Sir.
Arlo: Have you had time to wash your face and brush your teeth and check to make sure all the animals are good for the night?
Reese: Why do I need to wash my face?
Arlo: I guess when you get to my place we’ll have a discussion about that.
Reese: Okay. Sir.
Arlo: I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes to pick you up. That should be enough time to accomplish the things I asked you to do.
Reese: Yes, Sir.
Arlo took in a deep breath. He’d need to remember that she had no real life experience with a Daddy/Little girl dynamic, and he had no idea what she’d learned from her reading. But he knew it was important to establish roles and rules as early as possible, so he didn’t mind if the text exchange made her sweat a little.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, Arlo entered the barn to find Reese waiting for him.
She smiled shyly at him, her blue eyes wide. “Hi.”
“Hi, babygirl,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out to his truck.
When he opened the door, she looked a bit wary, but adorable in her jeans and her pink t-shirt, with a pair of tan cowboy boots that had seen better days. The jeans fit her curvy little body perfectly, but they’d need to shop for some Little clothes for her, and some new boots, too.
“Let me help you up.”
He lifted her up onto the running board and she slid onto the seat. After buckling her seatbelt, he shut the door behind her. The drive to the Ridge was quick and silent. At his home, he led her inside and to the brown leather sofa in the living room. He sat down, then took her hands and pulled her closer, until she stood between his knees.
“First, how are you feeling? Rested enough to talk?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Good. I’m gonna always make sure you’ve had enough sleep and are eating well. That’s part of my job as a Daddy. Now, let’s go over some expectations. First, you can always expect that I will take care of you in every way I can, from rest and healthy meals to seeing that you don’t work too hard in the barn, especially when school starts again for you. I want you to be able to focus on your studies.”
“If I’m still here,” she said quietly, her gaze dropping.
He lifted her chin with a finger. “Sweetheart, I know that as of now this arrangement is temporary, but if it runs into the fall when school starts up again, that’ll be part of it, and I need you to know my thoughts about it before it happens. Okay?”
“Okay. Yes, Sir.”
“I also need you to know that you’ve already broken my first rule several times tonight.”
Her eyes got huge and round. “I… I did what?”
“What was my first rule?”
Her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. “Um… oh! I’m supposed to call you Daddy.”
“Yes, that was it. And did you call me that tonight, either in our texts, or when you got here?”
“No, Sir. I mean no, Daddy, I didn’t. I forgot.”
“Well then, I need to make sure you’ll remember going forward. Now come and lay over Daddy’s knee.”
“I…. you want me to do what?” she asked, shock all over her face.
He stroked her hair from her blushing cheek, then held her hands again. “You broke a rule, honey. And you need to have consequences whenever that happens. There’s no time like the present to get started, so come on and lay across my lap. You’re about to get your first spanking.”
“But… um, I-I thought we were gonna have dinner.”
“We will, but this is more important than food.” When he felt her try to pull her hands out of his, he held on tighter, leaning a little closer. “Reese. Do you trust me with the job of Daddying you?”
She nodded. “Yes,” she said very quietly, her eyes already brimming with tears.
“Do you understand that part of this is being held accountable for your actions?”
“Yes. I… I understand.”
“Then do you want to tell me what the tears are about?”
She paused, biting her lip, and he wiped a tear with his thumb as it fell. Her whole face grew red, and he could see she was working something out in her head.
Finally, she said, “It’s because… it’s because this is what I’ve wanted for a really long time. And I can’t believe I get to have this.”
“Aw, babygirl. You sure do. And trust me, you’ll believe it once I’m spanking your cute little butt. Now, over you go.”
She paused, and he guided her, understanding she wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. Once she was laid over his lap, he told her, “Since this is the first time, I won’t bare your bottom. But we are gonna slide your jeans down so I can spank over your underwear.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she said before going completely silent.
Reaching under her to unbutton her jeans, he slid the zipper down, then pushed her jeans down over her thighs. She was wearing pink undies that matched her t-shirt, except they were trimmed in white lace and had kittens printed all over them. She’d been a Little long before she’d come to the Ranch; that much was certain. He’d already guessed it, but this was more proof. He’d also guessed she needed the relief a spanking would give her, and he was dead certain he was right about that, too.
“This is going to hurt a little. And I’m going to talk to you about why rules are so important while I spank you.” He smoothed the palm of his hand over the cotton of her underwear and felt her body tense for a moment. But as he continued to lightly knead the perfect globes of her bottom, she began to relax, and after a minute or two, he let the first spank fall.
“Oh!”
“Yeah, it can be surprising at first, but that didn’t really hurt, did it?”
“No, not really,” she admitted.
“It should always be ‘no, Daddy’.”
“I’m sorry. No, Daddy.”
“This one might,” he warned before smacking her a bit harder, and he heard her sharp breath. He smacked the other cheek, and this time she gasped. He started an even rhythm, spanking one cheek, then the other, and began to talk to her.
“There are rules for a reason, babygirl. Some rules, like you calling me Daddy, and you obeying when I tell you to wash your face, helps us to remain in the right headspace for our dynamic. It’s a reminder that I’m always here for you, and that I am in charge of your health and wellbeing.”
He spanked her hard enough that she let out another gasp. “It’s a reminder that I will care for you, protect you, punish you as needed, just as I’m doing now.”
He smacked her butt hard, and she cried out.
“Owww!”
“That’s right, honey. It hurts. But sometimes you need that hurt to redeem you from any infractions.” He spanked her again. “And sometimes you need that hurt on the outside in order to process the bigger hurt inside you.” He gave her sweet butt a good, hard smack, and she let out a short sob.
“I know, sweetheart. I’ve got you. You can cry with me any time you need to. And if you need a spanking to help you let those tears go, I will do that for you, too. I think you need it now.”
He spanked her bottom, one cheek, then the other, each smack harder than the last. Reese’s body went tight all over, and he moved lower to smack the back of her bare thigh, making her howl.
“Owww! Daddy!”
“That’s right, my babygirl. I’m your Daddy. You’re safe with me.” As he continued the spanking, she hiccupped, then real sobs began to pour out of her. It hurt his heart, but he knew this Little girl needed it.
“Good girl,” he crooned as he kept up the rhythm and pink welts started to rise on her thighs.
He spanked her harder, faster, until she howled her pain, then collapsed in his lap, limp except for her enormous, gulping sobs. He pulled her jeans up and sat her upright in his lap, and her arms went around his neck as she cried into his shirt.
“I know, babygirl,” he crooned to her as he rubbed her back. “You did a very good job for your first spanking. I want you to know how proud I am of you.”
“You’re… you’re…” she hiccupped. “You’re proud of me?”
“I sure am. You handled it like a champ, and you allowed yourself to let it help you dig down to some of the feelings you’ve been holding inside. That’s not good for you, so it’s my job to help you find a way to release them. I know it’s not easy, sweetheart, and that’s why I’m so proud.”
She buried her head in his neck and he felt the tears still on her face. He pulled a clean bandanna from his back pocket. “Here, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
He wiped her face, then held it to her nose. “Blow.”
“What?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
“Go ahead and blow while Daddy helps you.”
“But it’s kinda gross.”
“Nothing about you will ever be gross, honey. Come on; do as Daddy says.”
She hesitated for another second, then blew her nose into the bandanna. He helped her finish wiping her face, then he rolled the bandanna up and set it on the floor.
“What do you need, sweetheart? Something to drink? A snack before we eat dinner?”
“Will you just… hold me for a while?” she asked, her voice very quiet and child-like.
“Of course. Come here.”
He moved her until she was straddling his lap and she wound her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder. And while the cuddle might have been for her, it was for him, too. He couldn’t remember feeling anything that quieted his soul like embracing this Little girl.
He listened to her breathing as it slowed down, and there was only another sniffle or two as they sat together. Emotions were playing wildly in his chest, too powerful for him to get a good hold on it. Emotions, and his body heating with need for her, but that he could—and would—contain. But when she finally sat up and blinked those long lashes at him, her big blue eyes still damp from crying, his heart just about burst out of his chest.
“Daddy?” she said tentatively, as if she were trying out the word for the first time. “Will you kiss me, please?”
What was a man to do?
He bent and pressed his lips gently to hers, and hers felt like the sweetest, silkiest lips he’d ever touched. He pulled back, not wanting to rush her, but she grabbed his face in both her little hands, and lifted her chin, silently asking to be kissed again.
He kissed her, and her mouth was so soft and needy, pressing harder against him. He wanted to let his tongue dart out, to taste her sweet lips, but he held back. And when she ground her body down on his lap, he abruptly let her go.
“Babygirl, I don’t think I need to tell you what you do to me. But we need to take things slow. You’ve been through a lot. And I need to make sure I’m a safe place for you.”
“I do feel safe with you,” she said with a small pout.
“I’m glad. But I’m the one in charge, and it’s my job to navigate our dynamic. You may feel ready for something, but I will always be the one to decide when you really are ready.”
“Okay.” She let out a long breath.
“Now, earlier you went into Little space for a bit. Do you know about how old you were?”
“Five,” she answered without hesitation.
“You seem awfully sure of that.”
“I’ve known it for a long time,” she admitted. She bit her lip, then released it and said in almost a whisper, “That’s when my dad left me.”
“Aw, baby,” he said, his heart hurting for everything she’d been through. He pulled her head back to his shoulder, and she rested it there. “I am gonna help you work through that, too. Okay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said.
They sat together with her head pillowed on his shoulder until he felt her petite body relax against him.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you some dinner.”
He stood up with her in his arms, then set her gently on the floor before getting a glass of water from the kitchen and waiting while she drank all of it.
After they’d eaten and she’d helped him wash the dishes, he folded the dishtowel and smiled down at her.
“Okay, let’s get going.” He held his hand out to her, but she just stared at it.
“Go where?”
“Back to the Ranch and your bed. It’s been a long day for you.”
“I don’t… get to stay here? With you?” Her eyes brimmed with tears and her lower lip quivered.
“It’s too soon to spend the night together, honey.”
“But I… but, Daddy, I just had my very first spanking a little while ago, and I’m having all sorts of feelings, and I’m still kinda Little a little bit and… and…” She burst into tears.
He grabbed her and picked her up and held her in his arms.
“Okay, sweetheart. I’m just a little out of practice, I guess. Of course you can stay with me, and I’ll cuddle you all night long.”
He carried her into his bedroom and set her on the edge of his big bed and pulled her boots off. Then he got one of his t-shirts from the dresser and gave it to her.
“The bathroom is just over there. Why don’t you wash up and get changed and we’ll get into bed.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said.
He watched her walk off to the bathroom, and he went down the hall to the other bathroom to wash his own face, then he made his way back to the bedroom and quickly changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and a clean t-shirt. He usually slept bare, but he couldn’t do that with her. Not yet.
He pulled the covers back and sat back against the pillows. When she came out of the bathroom, his big t-shirt reaching her knees, he thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.
“Hop on up, honey,” he said, patting the bed next to him.
She crawled up and curled into his side, and he pulled the blankets over her, then turned off the bedside lamp.
“Reese? You sure Bossy P will be all right without you?”
“Mm-hmm,” she said sleepily. “He’s used to sleeping with the animals. They keep each other company.”
“Ah, okay. Good.” He laid next to her, listening to her breathing slow down, feeling her body go slack against his. It had been a very long time since he’d felt anything like this, and he wasn’t sure how he’d managed to live without it.
This lovely Little girl was already so far under his skin, he didn’t think she’d ever be anywhere else, even though they’d only known each other a few days. It felt so good to have someone to care for. That wasn’t going to change even if she moved away from the Ranch. But he couldn’t stand to even think about that right now. He didn’t want this feeling to ever go away; the sense of being her Daddy, of watching out for her, protecting her. That need to do everything possible for her, knowing he could make her life easier, better. Knowing he could help to take her stress and worry away.
He knew they’d rescued Reese; him, Derek, Travis and Wren. But maybe she was rescuing him, too.