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“Okay then, I… um should probably go eat and let you get to it.”
Master Derek squinted his eyes in thought. “I do believe that’s a good idea, But I am going to leave you with a word of caution since you have never visited our Ranch before. Perpetrators of pranks and other naughty behavior here are responsible for their own actions. So while your lie was a noble one, it was still a lie. I’ll expect one hundred lines on my desk first thing tomorrow morning that say ‘I will be honest with all Ranch staff no matter the consequences’. Understood?”
Piper nodded almost thankful that she was getting punished for the lie so she didn’t have to obsess about it more than she already would.
“Good girl. Now go eat and keep yourself out of any more trouble, hear me?” He raised a brow in warning.
She nodded again then turned to scurry away as fast as she could, avoiding all eye contact with anyone else in the room. There was no way she was going to be able to eat after all of that, but she had a feeling Master Derek would be watching. She sat at the furthest table with her back facing them and stared at her now lukewarm food.
Swallowing hard, she picked up the grilled cheese and took a bite. Miraculously, the cheese was still nice and melty and gooey and the instant she tasted it, her appetite returned. She could hear Master Derek’s deep voice behind her, but unfortunately, she’d moved too far away to hear what was actually going on. Maybe that was for the better. She finished her food and decided she’d had enough excitement for the day. Plus, she had one hundred lines to write and she knew herself; she wouldn’t be able to have any fun until they were finished.
CHAPTER THREE
Catherine had the hardest time focusing on her patients which was so far from the norm for her. When she was in her office, the entire outside world ceased to exist because her patients were her only priority during their sessions. Unfortunately, today all she could think about was that adorable redhead. Being a therapist with millions of different coping mechanisms, she was usually able to sort out her own mind, but nothing she did would get the image of that girl struggling with her suitcases out of her head. By the end of the day, she was frustrated and tired with a headache the size of the entire state of Montana.
Sitting at her desk, she massaged her forehead as she jotted down some notes and put them in files.
“You okay, Cat?” Sam asked as he entered.
“Just have a headache. It was a long day.”
Sam went to her mini refrigerator and got a bottle of water. Screwing off the cap, he set it on her desk in front of her.
“Should we grab something from one of the restaurants and have an easy night?”
She nodded. Usually she loved to go home and unwind by making a meal for them both. Cooking was usually her favorite form of therapy, but she couldn’t even imagine trying to cook something with how she was currently feeling.
“Do you have a preference?”
“No. I don’t want to make any decisions tonight,” she told him. It was basically his signal that she needed him to take charge. He may be her Dom, but while they were on Ranch property, they operated as equals. She liked to have that clear boundary for them both.
“Okay, my love. You get finished up and meet me in the lobby. Find a comfortable chair by the fireplace to relax and I’ll take care of getting our dinner.” He kissed the crown of her head.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in about fifteen minutes.” He closed the door gently as he left.
She put the last folder away and grabbed her phone, purse, and the water he had given her. She was so tired it felt like she was walking through sludge as she made the short trek to the lobby. There were a few people hanging around, but it was dinnertime and most everyone was likely enjoying their meals by then.
Finding a high-back recliner near the fireplace, she all but fell into it and sighed.
She felt tired and unsettled and over-the-top frustrated.
“What is going on with me right now?” she mumbled to herself. This couldn’t all be because of the redhead. She didn’t know a thing about the girl, not even her name. Hell, she could barely even make out her facial features with how far away she’d been when she looked out the window and saw her.
Trying to distract herself a bit, she looked around and noticed something odd. Five Littles were following Derek into his office, all with trays of food and glasses of… was that green milk? It was green something for sure, she just didn’t know what. Closing her eyes again, she laughed and shook her head. She could probably write a book filled with all of the out of the norm things that one could see during their stay at Rawhide Ranch. It would be highly amusing and probably a best seller.
“I’ve got our dinner. Ready to go?” Sam asked.
“Yes.” She stood and linked her arm with his as they made their way out the front door.
Their car was at the bottom of the steps all warmed up and ready to go.
“Thanks, Dax!” Sam gave him a wave. The young man was always making sure to bring their car around at the end of their shift even though the parking area wasn’t all that far away.
“No problem, Doctor Denten. See you tomorrow!”
Sam waved and opened the car door for her. He waited for her to sit and get buckled before handing her the food and closing the door.
