Page 42 of Finding Little Fiera

Fiera’s throat tightened unexpectedly. She hadn’t had this before… girls at her side, her Daddy at her back. She swallowed and managed to grin. “No syrup sabotage.”

Sadie sighed dramatically. “You’re no fun.”

“Strategic,” Fiera echoed, and this time, she meant it.

Master Mace placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. He was already such a steady presence in her life. He couldn’t be temporary. He just couldn’t be. With him, she was safe. If Laura was planning something, Fiera wouldn’t face it alone.

The sun shone bright as they left the lodge to head back to the campgrounds. Fiera stumbled, grabbing Master Mace’s arm. He steadied her, then eased her sunglasses from the top of her head. “That’s one,” he said, tapping her nose. “You really don’t want another spanking today for not wearing your sunglasses.”

The field beside the sundrenched campground spread wide, with the mountains standing like quiet sentinels, watching over the chaos about to unfold. Fiera felt it in her bones before her Daddy even called everyone together.

She couldn’t wait to start the first race. This was going to be so much fun, and if she didn’t run around soon and release some of this energy… well, things didn’t usually go smoothly when she had too much energy.

Chapter Fourteen

Master Mace strode into the clearing as if he owned it. She guessed, in a way, he did. Jeans snug on long legs, hat tipped back just enough to show his eyes, voice carrying easy and deep. “Gather around, Little rodeo riders,” he called. “Bounce your bulls over here.”

A line of bright inflatable bouncy bulls—red, blue, neon green—sat waiting like they were itching for trouble. Fiera stuck her arms through her bull’s handles and hugged it to her chest as she hurried over to where her Daddy stood.

Sadie bounced her bright blue bull beside Fiera’s red one, then stood, grimacing, and rubbed her bottom. “I don’t know why my Daddy couldn’t wait until after the races to explain why real bulls were off the table.”

Wren grinned. “You okay there, champ?”

Sadie lifted her chin. “I’m fine.” She winced as she shifted. “This is just a… mild but strategic discomfort.”

Daisy giggled. “Strategic?”

“Yes, strategic. Daddy and I had a strategic discussion,” Sadie muttered. “And I am still racing.”

Fiera bit back a smile. She had no room to talk. Her bottom wasn’t the most comfortable either.

Master Mace stepped onto a large wooden bucket he’d turned upside down and carried to the center of the clearing. “All right, here’s how our bull-riding race is gonna work. You will line up on your bull at the red line. When I say go, you bounce all the way to the stick straight across from you on the other side of the clearing.”

He pointed to the line of poles planted near the tree line. “You circle it and come back. If your bull throws you during the race, meaning you go fallin’ off, you’re disqualified. Each bull has a weight inside that moves. Means you gotta pay attention. It’s like ridin’ a wild bull at the rodeo.”

Several Littles squealed. Fiera’s stomach flipped.

Master Mace kept talking. “We’ll run five heats. The first two in each heat move on. We’ll narrow it down to ten for the final.” He scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on her for a heartbeat. “You fall off,” he added, his voice teasing but firm, “you can get back on and keep goin’. You’ll not win that heat but you can join another and try again.”

Wren pumped a fist. “Prepare to eat grass, peasants.”

Sadie gasped. “Rude.”

Daisy laughed. “I’m just hoping I don’t bounce into a tree.”

Fiera swallowed hard before swinging a leg over her bull. The second she tried a practice bounce, the internal weight shifted. The bull jerked. She tipped sharply to the left.

“Whoa, there.”

Strong hands caught her thighs before she went down. Heat shot through her at the contact. He was always there when she needed him.

“Easy, firefly.”

She looked up at him, embarrassed and anxious. “My bull hates me. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten the red one. Red is a high-energy color. It holds energy and action. But you didn’t have a yellow one… the color of fun and happiness, by the way.I’ll bet you would have picked a blue one because it matches your name. You know, confidence and loyalty and purpose.”

OMG! Her mouth would not stop. She looked at him, and he must have seen the panic in her eyes.

He lowered his forehead to hers and said, “Breathe with me, firefly. I’ve got you.”