While everyone thought shyness and social awkwardness were my biggest problems for dating, I’d taken an online kink poll late one night and it suggested I was a sub.
The innate need for someone to take care of me and make decisions for me made a lot of sense when I read the results.Thatwas the biggest reason I hadn’t connected with any guys. My psyche was wrought with ways I wasn’t mainstream.
Rawhide Ranch—where no one would know me—was the perfect place to explore without fear of judgment.
I’d promised myself to give it a chance… to give myself a chance. For five days I hoped to feel a little more normal.
Chapter Two
Atlas
Petting zoo maintenance? Decorate horses for a unicorn party?
No. Fucking. Way. The schedule for this week had to be a sick joke. Horses weren’t supposed to sparkle. They were majestic animals that were perfect without the addition of glitter and paint.
That wasn’t at all what I’d expected when Dad asked me and my brothers to take jobs as ranch hands at the kink ranch our stepsister was going to attend.
I slapped the paper onto the countertop at the check-in desk. Noting that Erika had left the check-in area, I grumbled to my brothers. “I’m not a shit shoveler.”
Everest laughed. “What’s wrong, Atlas? You shovel plenty of your own every time you open your mouth.”
“Fuck off. I have no desire to shovel shit, play dress up with horses,orbabysit our stepsister. She signed up for a kink camp. I doubt she did that by accident. I’m outta here.”
Phoenix huffed. “Hold on. Dad doesn’t ask us for much.”
Everest smirked. “Let him leave, Phoenix. He can let Dad know he’s gone soft—can’t lower himself to mucking stalls anymore.”
How did they not see how messed up this was? “Dad’s the one who’s gone soft. Marrying a woman he hasn’t even introduced us to and promising we’ll keep an eye on her daughter because she’s worried about her. He even gave up his annual trip with his best friend to marry this woman. What’s gotten into him?”
I wouldn’t normally go back on my word to my father, but he’d pushed my limits with this request. My brothers were going to have to handle this one. “You’re just brownnosing because you think it’ll affect his decision on who to turn his business over to.”
Phoenix shrugged. “Work smarter, not harder.”
“Exactly my point.”
Everest checked his phone. “Shouldn’t Penny have been here a couple of hours ago?”
I was done with this whole scenario. “She probably found out her mom was meddling in her sex life and backed out.”
“Isn’t it weird to have your siblings around for something like this, even though we’ve never met?” Phoenix backed me up for once.
“I’m focusing on the fun we can have once our workday is done,” Everest said.
Erika stopped in the doorway and asked, “Everything okay?”
I watched her expression for a moment, even though her tone indicated she hadn’t overheard our conversation.
Not only were we to keep our identity a secret from Penny, but Dad had asked us not to tell the staff that we were related to her or they might separate us.
“All good.” Everest winked at me and continued, “Today’s tasks are complete, and we’re going over the exciting lineup for the rest of the week.”
A cool breeze whipped through the room as the door opened and a group of Littles entered.
I texted our dad, asking him to find out if he knew why she wasn’t here yet. With any luck, she’d changed her mind and I could go home. The Ranch had only needed two ranch hands, but then decided to hire all three of us.
After a few back and forth texts, everyone was getting worried that no one had heard from Penny. My comment that she might have decided not to attend didn’t account for why she wasn’t responding to calls or texts.
Giggling broke out from the Littles. One of them said, “You can’t do that. You’re supposed to spy a color.”
