Page 47 of Finding Little Fiera

He stopped in front of her, folding his arms. “That was creative.” He worked to keep his voice even. He’d loved seeing her joy, but she could have been seriously hurt.

Her eyes lit. “It was?”

“It was also the closest I’ve come to a heart attack in ten years.”

She blinked.

He narrowed his eyes. “I thought you were gonna crack your head open.”

Her expression softened. “Oh.”

“You run like that again,” he continued, lowering his voice so only she could hear, “and you won’t sit down for a month of Sundays.”

Her mouth fell open. “A month of Sundays?” she echoed faintly.

“That’s right.” Her gaze lifted to a spot in the sky well above his head as she did the math. He saw it happen and waited.

“Wait.” Her brows pulled together. “That’s… that’s like?—”

“Over half a year,” he confirmed calmly.

Her eyes went huge. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

Behind them, Wren snorted. “He would.”

Sadie nodded solemnly. “He absolutely would. I’ve heard that tone before.”

Fiera stared at him like he’d just outlawed breathing. “But we were just playing.”

His gaze softened a fraction. “I know.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice further. “And I loved seein’ you like that. But,” he added firmly, “you scare me like that again, and I’ll remind you real clear what consequences feel like.”

Her breath caught, and a shiver ran through her. He’d been a Daddy long enough to recognize fear when he saw it. She was not afraid. His cock recognized it, too.

“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.

He brushed his knuckles lightly down her cheek. “Good girl.”

Then he stepped to the wooden bucket and shifted back into camp leader mode. “All right! You have about fifteen minutes until the next event. You aren’t going to want to miss this one. I want everyone to drink some water, and I’ll see you back here in fifteen!”

The Littles scattered. Fiera lingered one heartbeat longer before turning to her friends.

He watched her go. She moved lighter than she had that morning. As a matter of fact, the way she laughed without checking who might be watching told him she felt lighter, too. Satisfaction that he’d played a part in that swelled inside him. That was the moment he knew. There was no chance of his remaining objective about his “temporary Little”. He was already in deeper than he’d planned.

His little firefly was learning how to play without armor. She was beginning to shine. That made her brave. It also made her vulnerable. He’d be damned if he wouldn’t protect that light with everything he had.

Chapter Sixteen

The laughter from the stick horse race was still rolling across the field when Master Derek’s voice boomed from near the equipment shed. The camp staff had already set the stage for the next event. “All right, cowboys and cowgirls,” he called, clapping his hands once. “It’s time to start the Rawhide Ranch Little Bronco Bustin’ Event. Daddies and Mommies, find your Littles and keep them close. I’ll explain the rules in a second, so gather around.”

A ripple of excited squeals moved through the Littles as they all scattered to find their Bigs. Fiera wiped sweat from her temple and looked around for her Daddy. That was the problem with having your Daddy run the rodeo. He was busy most of the time. Okay, so not most of the time, but a lot of it anyway.

Giving up, she sat on one of the picnic tables facing away from the crowd. It would probably be a long time. He might not be able to do the event with her at all. That really stunk, because she’d been looking forward to the Bronco Bustin’ event with the giant inflatable set up near the edge of the clearing.

Her eyes widened when a pair of large, calloused hands landed on her shoulders. “I thought you wanted to go BroncoBustin’, little girl. Is that still what you want? How are you feeling with all the noise and sunlight?”

Who was this man? He’d known her such a short time, and yet he’d paid more attention to her Waardenburg Syndrome than anyone she’d ever known. Growing up, her parents decided that WS wasn’t a good look for them. They refused to accept her diagnosis or work to implement any of the accommodations the doctors suggested. Erwin the Vermin thought it was an act she put on to take her attention away from him.