Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
They spent the next three weeks sprucing up the barn to create the petting zoo with Wren and Sadie’s help. Hayleigh and Everly sometimes showed up to work, too, although Hayleigh usually ended up in Wilbur and Babe’s stall, booping the pigs’ noses and giggling. The girls helped Reese paint the stall doors in bright, happy colors, and Arlo surprised her with hand-carved wooden plaques with each animal’s name on their stall doors, as well as a big sign he hung on Stella’s door proclaiming her proclivity to wander if the door wasn’t securely closed. Of course, Sadie decided to bling all the signs out with a few precisely-placed colored rhinestones and her carefully-wielded hot glue gun, which Reese was absolutely giddy about, while Arlo did his best to hide the fact that he was somewhat horrified.
Arlo worked hard all day, every day, doing everything Reese asked him to do. At first it had been hard to issue him orders. He was her Daddy, after all. And in the evening, or sometimes on a lunch break, he would remind her by turning her over his knee. Sometimes there was a lesson about self-esteem involved, and sometimes it was because she’d sassed him while she wasn’t actively being the boss of the petting zoo, and just as he’d promised, he never failed to remind her who the Daddy was. And with every single spanking came a sense of deep satisfaction she’d never felt before. Part of it was feeling she was learning about herself, and part of it was the release she got when she cried. He would then comfort her, wrapping her up in his big arms and holding her tight while rubbing her back, or stroking her hair. She was able to get out so much emotion, feelings she’d kept pent up for years, as well as from her more recent past, because she’d had no safe place to land when she fell. Not until Arlo.
But he hadn’t done more than kiss her, and she would have wondered if he didn’t want to, except she felt the evidence of his attraction every time she was laid across his lap. It made her needy, but it wasn’t something she felt she could ask for. Not even when she left a spanking with her body practically on fire with need for him to do more, to really touch her.
She spent a lot of nights with him at his place, which was really a log-cabin-style house. She felt so safe and cozy there, and she mostly wanted to be there with him, but she also sometimes appreciated having her own space in her semi-finished barn loft. She had an awful lot to think about, and she was still processing the enormous changes in her life, and all she’d been through. Plus, she didn’t like to leave the animals all alone as they adjusted to their new home.
Today was the day Wren was bringing some new animals over, and Reese was so excited. Wren and Sadie had kept the details a secret, for some reason, but if it was animals, she knew she’d love them.
She’d gotten up early that morning to clean all the stalls and take a quick shower, and she was chatting with Bossy P as he rode her shoulder when the girls arrived.
“Okay, Reesey, come outside to the petting zoo paddock and close your eyes!” Sadie announced.
“Close my eyes? Um, okay,” she answered, heading out to the large, gated enclosure Arlo had built, where the Ranch folks and visitors could pet the animals.
It was surrounded by a low fence with a double gate and wire mesh to keep any of the animals from escaping. It also had water troughs, several kinds of food dispensers labeled with which animal they were for, and Arlo had just put down a layer of fresh hay the day before. The rails were painted a cheerful, bright purple and yellow, and the enclosure was well-equipped and cheerful.
She covered her eyes with her hands, then she heard some shuffling, followed by giggles, and Wren and Sadie trying to shush each other.
“What are you two doing?” Reese asked. “You gonna bring an elephant in, or what?”
Then she heard a lot of scuffing noises, then she heard the flap of wings before Bossy P shouted, “Get the duck!”
“Okay,” Wren said. “Open your eyes!”
She did, then grinned. “Bossy, these are not ducks!”
Instead, a small flock of turkeys strutted around the petting zoo pen.
“Oh my gosh!” Reese exclaimed. “They’re so… cute? Sorta?”
Wren nodded enthusiastically. “They kinda are cute. Except when they poop. That’s super gross. But look, Reesey! There are six of ‘em, and their names are Ross, Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey.”
“Oh! They’re named after the characters from Friends ? That’s so funny!”
“And they all have a different personality, too!” Sadie chimed in. “Monica is super picky about what she eats, and Joey is not the brightest, but we love them all.”
Arlo came up to the rail outside the enclosure. “Turkeys aren’t the smartest birds, in general, but this group…” He rolled his eyes.
“But they deserved to be rescued, just like any other animals,” Wren said with an emphatic nod.
“That’s absolutely true,” he agreed. “But, Reese, honey, the turkeys already live on the Ranch—they’re just the warm-up. We have another surprise for you.”
Travis came from around the barn with a rope in his hand, leading two calves, both of them black-and-white, and looking only a few weeks old.
Reese slapped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t squeal and scare them, then she slid her hand away and said in a whisper, “Oh. My. Gawd. Babies!”
Everyone was grinning at her, and she was so excited she could barely stand it. Then it occurred to her that these two baby cows must be there for a reason.
“Do they… do they have a mama cow?” she asked.
Travis shook his head. “Nope, they sure don’t. I just picked them up yesterday, and they’re both sweet as can be. They’re twins; two little girls. Wren and I will take care of feeding them, since you’ve already got the entire zoo on your plate. But come and say hi.”
She forced herself to walk over slowly, pausing to hand off Bossy P to Arlo so he wouldn’t scare the calves. They were so tiny.
She approached, and Travis gave her a nod of encouragement. She squatted down to stroke their necks, and one of them nuzzled her hand.
“Is she hungry?”
“They’re pretty much always hungry. Here.”
Travis pulled a big bottle of milk from his back pocket, and Wren came over to show her how to hold it while the calf drank before offering another bottle for her sister.
“This is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen,” Reese said. “Especially the way their ears wiggle while they drink. And they have the longest eyelashes.”
“They’re gonna need names,” Travis said. “We thought you might like to name them.”
“Me? Really?”
How was it that these people she’d barely known a month—other than Wren—were already treating her like family? It made her chest go warm and tight, and she had to blink back some tears.
“What are you calling them, Reese?” Sadie asked.
“Um, what about Elsa and Anna?” she suggested, citing characters from one of her favorite movies.
Sadie quietly clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. “Oh, that’s perfect!”
“Elsa and Anna it is,” Travis proclaimed. “They’re gonna live in the barn here. Arlo, can you make a sign for their stall door?”
“Of course. I’ll get right on it,” he answered. “Right after Reese and I get back from town. We have to go pick up supplies.”
“No problem,” Travis said. “Wren and I will get these two settled in while you’re gone. And we’ll get these turkeys out of here, too. But they can come back once Arlo builds a coop for them. They’ll be right next to the chicken coop out back.”
“Gosh, this petting zoo really is happening,” Reese said quietly, in awe of it all. She was already in love with the newly hatched baby chicks that would grow up in the Ranch’s zoo.
“Yep!” Wren said. “I told you we’d make it happen.”
“Yep, you did!”
“Okay, Reese, you ready to head into town with me?” Arlo asked.
“I am. Um, lemme go grab my backpack.”
“And your water bottle,” he reminded her.
“Yes, Sir,” she said, with only a little sass in her tone.
She excitedly got into Arlo’s truck with him, eager to get to town and grab all the things the animals would need from the feed store, plus new halters for Stella, Clancy and Clara, as well as Alfie, the Ranch’s resident alpaca, who thought he was a horse, and preferred to be stabled next to China, the blind pony that was used as a therapy horse.
They chatted on the way to town, and she kept peeking at her Daddy’s handsome profile as they talked. She loved the little bit of gray at his temples and in his short beard, and the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes were about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.
Once they reached town, they picked up their order at the feed store, and Arlo loaded it all into his truck. They stopped for lunch at the local diner, and chatted about the petting zoo and how ridiculous the turkeys were, and how adorable the new calves were. Then they drove to the general store to get some groceries for Arlo’s house.
He loaded up a small basket, chatted with the checker as he bagged the few items, then he took Reese’s hand and they headed for the exit. And came to a dead stop as Ernie stalked through the door, heading straight for them. She clutched Arlo’s hand, her heart hammering a hundred miles an hour.
“Reese? Who is that guy? Is it him?”
She nodded, then cleared her throat that had suddenly gone tight. “It’s him. Ernie Hutchinson.”
“He’s the one who threatened to euthanize your animals, huh?”
“Ye-yes,” she stuttered.
“Who’s this guy? Your Daddy ?” Ernie demanded loudly, putting a sneering emphasis on the word “Daddy”.
Reese stepped closer to Arlo, and he put a protective arm around her shoulders. She hadn’t told him everything about Ernie, or the things he’d done. She hadn’t told anyone. But it didn’t matter. He was her Daddy, and he noticed the small nuances she gave off and was there when she needed him.
“Arlo Flint, and you are?” Arlo said, ever the gentleman, putting his hand out to Ernie for a handshake.
Ernie looked down at his hand but didn’t move to reciprocate. “Ernie Hutchinson. I’m the one who got away. Glad to see she lowered her standards.”
Arlo dropped his hand and tightened his hold on her. “That so? Funny, I don’t see my Reese with a pansy boy like you. She deserves a strong man in her life. One who spoils and protects her, not one who tries to embarrass her to make himself look better. Are you really that insecure in your manhood that you have to insult a stranger just because he has a pretty girl on his arm?”
Ernie’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Who the hell do you think you are, you disgusting damn pervert? You don’t think I know where she took my parents’ beloved animals? You don’t think I know what you all do out there on that ranch?”
Reese would have been intimidated, but having Arlo at her side assured her she was safe. Ernie had no power over her anymore.
“Your behavior and attitude tell me all I need to know,” Arlo said, his hold tightening on Reese’s shoulder. “You might think you know what goes on at the Ranch, but you don’t have the damndest clue, and you never will if I have any say in the matter. And it so happens that I do. If you were so worried about the animals, then why did Reese have to flee your farm so quickly with them in tow? Why was she forced to ask complete strangers for help? Oh, that’s right, because you actually don’t give a fuck about what happened to her, or them. Now if you’ll excuse us, we don’t have time for the likes of you. We have way more important things to do.”
Arlo turned them around and walked in the opposite direction. She was so relieved at the way he had handled the situation. Reese could hear Ernie sputtering and huffing behind them, and she couldn’t help but to turn around and smile at him, even going as far as giving a little wave. He’d thought he’d had her between a rock and a hard place, and that she would eventually have to crawl back to him on her hands and knees like he’d said when she left. But that wasn’t the case. Reese had not only found a new and better home for her crew, but for herself as well.
“Behave, little girl.” Arlo dipped his head and spoke low in her ear.
“What? I was just waving goodbye. It’s the polite thing to do, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.” He chuckled. “Well, you were white as a ghost when you first saw him, and I’m going to warn you now that we will be discussing that later.”
If he hadn’t been holding her against him she would have stopped in her tracks, but his momentum kept them moving. She didn’t want to tell him about Ernie. It was embarrassing and painful, and it made her feel cheap and dirty. It also made her feel guilty. She should have gone to the police when he attacked her in the barn, but she hadn’t wanted to hurt his parents like that. She hadn’t wanted to lose them. Unfortunately, she’d lost them, anyway, which meant Ernie got away with hurting her. A horrible thought punched her in the gut. If he had done that to her, what was to stop him from doing it to someone else? Her blood ran cold and she all of a sudden felt like she was going to be sick.
“Bathroom,” she told Arlo as she ducked out of his hold and ran around the side of the building toward the restrooms. She barely made it to the toilet when her lunch came back up, and as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Afterward, all she could do was cry.
While the encounter with the spineless jerk from Reese’s past had been awkward and uncomfortable, her reaction to the entire thing was downright worrying. He’d followed as she’d run to the bathroom, and he could hear her getting sick. Women’s bathroom be damned, when he heard her crying, he couldn’t stop himself from going in.
“Reese?” He knocked on her stall. “Open the door.”
“Excuse me, sir, but you can’t be in here,” an employee who was washing her hands told him.
“I understand that, ma’am, but this is a pressing situation. My little lady is getting sick, and I’m just trying to be here for her.”
Thankfully, Reese opened the stall at that moment. Her face was pale, almost green, and her eyes were red and wet with tears.
The employee looked back and forth between them. “Ma’am, are you okay? Do you want this man in here?”
“I’m okay, but yes, please, can he stay? I promise we’ll be out in a minute.”
“Okay then. I’ll put a closed sign on the door to give y’all some privacy, and so no unsuspecting woman should come in.”
“Thank you, we really appreciate it. We’ll be as quick as we can, I just want to make sure she’s not going to get sick in your store.”
“That’s much appreciated.” The woman left and Arlo turned to his Little girl.
“What happened? Are you ill?” He felt her forehead.
“I’m not sick, Daddy. Well, not like with germs.”
Arlo took her to the sink, grabbed a paper towel, and turned on the cold water. “What is it then? Does it have something to do with that sad little man back there?”
He wet the paper towel and used it to gently clean her face, although the tears still seemed to be falling. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and hug all her pain and sadness away, but he really needed to know what was going on first.
“Can we please not do this here? I can’t…. Can we please go home?”
Something was very wrong, and he didn’t like it one bit. He liked it even less that she had him by the balls and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it that very minute.
He took her by the shoulders and bent down to make sure they were eye to eye. “We can, but don’t think we’re not going to talk about all of this when you calm down. You’re scaring me.” Being vulnerable was hard for him, but he needed her to know what he was feeling.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. Please don’t be scared. I’m fine. Everything is okay now.”
He didn’t believe her, but there was nothing he could do.
“Is your stomach gonna hold up long enough for us to get out of here?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Okay then, let’s go.” He scooped her into his arms and stalked out of the bathroom.
“Arlo! I can walk!” She squirmed in his hold.
“We’ll move faster this way. Behave,” he growled.
She wasn’t squirming enough to fall out of his arms, but he didn’t want to take the chance. Thankfully his edict worked, and she stopped fighting. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face. If she was embarrassed, he didn’t care. None of these people meant anything to him while she meant the world. He’d never felt that more deeply than right now, seeing her scared and hurting. Every fiber of his being needed to make sure she was okay. Needed it to be him who made everything okay for her.
He carried her all the way out to the truck and set her inside, making sure she was buckled in before he rounded the front and got in the driver’s side.
“How’s your stomach?”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to get sick anymore. I’m just really tired now.” She leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes.
Arlo sighed heavily as he turned over the engine. He’d let her rest, but as soon as he thought she was well enough, she would be telling him what the fuck was happening.
He glanced over and saw she was asleep, her long lashes resting on her still-pale cheeks. He decided to phone ahead and ask for Travis and Moses to unload the truck so he could get her to his house, where they were going to have a long talk. His instincts were all fired up, and he knew there was something she’d been keeping from him—something to do with that jackass Ernie. He could understand if their unexpected meeting made her nervous or even angry, but she’d had a very visceral reaction to seeing him and that warranted an explanation in his opinion.
By the time he pulled into his driveway, Reese was deeply asleep, and she barely stirred as he parked, got out, and went around to the passenger side, where he lifted her out.
“Hmm, what?” she said groggily, her eyes fluttering open. “Why are you carrying me? Again.”
“Because you’re worn out, little boss. And because I want to.”
She let out a yawn. “Do you always get to do what you want?”
“Yep. Most of the time, I do.”
He thought she’d struggle, but she just rested her head on his shoulder. He didn’t like seeing all the sass gone out of her. It told him something was very, very wrong.
Climbing his porch steps, he opened the door and carried her inside, and set her down on the couch, covered her with a soft throw blanket, went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and brought it back.
“Drink this, babygirl.”
“But I don’t need it.”
“That wasn’t a request.” He sat next to her and held her chin in his hand. “Is that clear?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she said with a sigh, as she accepted the bottle he’d opened and took a few good gulps.
“Now,” he started, “I need you to tell me about that Ernie guy. And I already know he threatened to put all the animals down, which is bad. But your reaction felt like there was more to the story.” He paused as she instantly dropped her gaze. “A lot more.”
She looked down at the blanket in her lap and rubbed the label on the Gatorade bottle. “I… really don’t want to talk about it.”
He took her chin in his fingers again. “I figured you wouldn’t, or you would have already told me. But I’m your Daddy, babygirl. Do you remember what that means?”
“That you spank me when I need it?”
“Do you need it now?”
She was silent for a moment, and it was like he could see her racing thoughts flit through her head. He really hoped she said yes, because he wanted to help her quiet her mind and let go of whatever had her so twisted up inside. Sure, he could spank her even if she didn’t admit to needing it, but it would mean so much more if she did.
She closed her eyes and nodded as best as she could with her chin still trapped in his grasp. “Yes please, Daddy. It always helps me get my head straight.”
“Good girl. I agree that it helps you, honey, but I don’t think this is the time yet. You need to tell me why you reacted the way you did. Then, I can help spank the bad feelings out of you after if it’s appropriate—because I can see there are some very bad feelings there—but I can’t expect to spank you first and have you be able to discuss it with me afterward.”
She let out a long sigh. “Okay.”
He gave her a minute to let her find her words.
“So…” she began, then paused as her eyes filled with tears. “Something… something really, really bad happened to me.”