It was safer, somehow, not having it. No reminders of the world outside. No missed calls from clients who didn’t understand the word “boundaries”. No email inbox reminding her of the real life waiting across the ocean in South Africa.
When she first came over to visit with Greg, she’d told him she’d only be able to come for a month. She’d convinced herself that it was the perfect amount of time. If it worked out, she could start working with some of her clients from the US, and stay a bit longer, and if it didn’t, she’d have an out.
Now she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Go home at the original date on her return ticket or just visit with her friends until all her savings ran out and she was forced to go home and become an adult again.
The thought of leaving made something in her ache. But she knew she couldn’t stay in this bubble forever, no matter how inviting everyone made it out to be.
But for the time being, she still had a few weeks before she needed to make the final call, so she’d decided to enjoy it while she could.
She’d made friends. Littles who had wrapped her up in their strange and lovely world of crayons and cuddles. Who taught her the right way to eat macaroni with ranch. And that therightkind of mac and cheese could only ever come from Chef Connor. The last being a travesty in her opinion, but then they’d never had her homemade cheese sauce so she couldn’t really blame them.
They’d also gotten into trouble over a forbidden snack run to the big kitchen after lights out, which had landed Sydney in her very first Ranch-style timeout. Complete with a lecture from the very scary Nanny J, the Ranch’s strict disciplinarian in charge of all unclaimed Littles.
Throughout it all, she couldn’t deny that she felt safe.
Safe. What a word. It was something she hadn’t felt, not really, since before her parents left her.
And then, there was Levi. And Roland.
Levi, she now knew, was one of the Ranch’s guards. That explained why she kept bumping into him. On the path to thecafeteria, at the playground, and even once at the stables where she’d been hiding after a particularly emotional day.
He hadn’t said much. Just sat beside her and gently tucked her hair behind her ear while she lay in the hay and sang a nonsensical song that always got stuck in her head. At some point, she must have fallen asleep, because when she next opened her eyes, she was in the bedroom she now shared with Chloe.
Levi wasn’t the only one turning up everywhere, though. Roland was also a steady presence. A kind, patient one. He was gentle in a way that made the walls around her cracked heart quiver. Sydney had caught herself looking for the two of them more than once. Hoping that both men would show up near the art class, playroom or cafeteria. Or even just show up at her door and offer to take her for a darn walk.
She still didn’t know what to make of either of them. What it meant that they were always near, always watching over her like she was someone worth watching. But she wasn’t quite ready to name the flutter in her chest whenever Levi called her Little miss, or when Roland smiled that extra special smile at her.
Maybe all these things could mean something.
But in Sydney’s experience, whenever something good was on the horizon, it meant something bad was just around the corner, waiting to pop her bubble.
So for now, she’d enjoy the happy, ignore the impending doom, and keep her head in the sand.
At least until the grown-up world came knocking again.
Which, thankfully, wasn’t this morning.
Bouncing from her room on a sugar high, courtesy of a not-so-sanctioned midnight cookie raid with Billy and Chloe, Sydney practically skipped down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Her hair was still tousled, and she hadn’t even washed the sleep from her face, but she felt light. Carefree. Normal.
She rounded the corner at full tilt and slammed straight into a wall of solid muscle.
“Oof!” she gasped, stumbling back a step before a pair of large hands caught her shoulders and steadied her.
“Well now,” came Levi’s unmistakable drawl, amusement twinkling in his deep voice. “Whoa there, little miss,” he drawled, that sexy country accent wrapping around her like a hug. “Running in the halls might earn you more than a scolding. Could land you a sore bottom if you’re not careful.”
Her eyes widened dramatically. “Are you threatening me, Master Levi?” she teased, lips twitching into a smirk. “BecauseonlyDaddies get to spank Little girls’ bottoms.”
Levi’s grin was slow and dangerous. “Bratty Littles need to make sure they know all the Ranch rules before they go mouthing off. You might end up in Master Derek’s office, and I’m pretty sure I can convince him to let me give you that spanking you’re so desperate for.”
Her face flamed.
And before she could find a sassy comeback, his fingers were already gently tucking a strand of wild hair behind her ear. That simple, quiet gesture melted every protest off her tongue.
He crouched down until he was eye-level with her, eyes serious now, even soft. “Hey, little miss. You busy tonight?”
“Um,” she said, brain short-circuiting. “No?”
“How about you come over to our place for dinner? Me and Roland. Nothing fancy, just food and maybe a movie after. You up for that?”
