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“I was. I just…” Her voice trailed off then because Alastair was looking past her, to the dresser where the sticker lay in two pieces. He walked past her and picked it up.
“What really happened?”
She looked slightly panicked. “I-I…” She stammered, started again, stalled but when Alastair remained quiet, quiet enough to create a space for words to fill she offered an explanation. “I felt like it was silly to get ice cream for just doing something so ordinary.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He closed the distance between them. “And you wouldn’t lie to me, right?”
“No. No, Sir.”
“If it was just a matter of not wanting to go, why were you crying?”
“Who said I was crying?”
Alastair arched a brow.
“Oh. Kit.”
“She said you were upset. She seemed to think someone had done something to you.”
“Kit doesn’t know what happened.”
“Is she wrong?”
Dora turned away and put her head back. Alastair could tell she was blinking back tears. His arms ached to hold her, to comfort her. When she turned back, she took a ragged breath. “I like it here. This is the first place I’ve been where I’ve had a friend like Bobbi who sees me the way I see myself. It’s the first place I’ve lived where I’m allowed to be myself. It’s hard being a Little, especially for… for someone like me. I knew it wouldn’t be perfect here…” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t want to make trouble. I’ll be okay.”
“What do you mean you don’t want to make trouble?”
“Professor Robinson. Please. I’d rather not talk about it.” She hastily wiped away a tear with the cuff of her sleeve. “I’m sorry I didn’t go get ice cream with you.”
“That’s not why I’m upset. I’m worried about you, Dora.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m used to…” She caught herself, stopped. “I’ll be fine.”
“Dora.” He stepped forward, taking her face in his hands and tipping it up. She was so pretty, with her teary eyes and pale skin, like a sad doll. And he knew then what he’d been feeling wasn’t imagined. It had been years since he’d felt this… fierce for another person—since he’d experienced this level of attraction. Part of him wanted to hug her, the other part wanted to take hold of her, to use his Daddy voice to demand she tell him who had hurt her. But he sensed a fragility in her, a trauma so familiar to his own. Having found herself close to acceptance, she didn’t want to jeopardize it.
She didn’t think he understood. “Oh, babygirl, if you only knew…”
The way she was looking up at him, so sweet and trusting. God, he wanted to kiss her, but didn’t want their first kiss to be when she was in such a vulnerable state. Dora required the gentle, skillful handling of someone who understood who she was and where she was coming from. There would be time for everything.
“You’re coming to help me tomorrow?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And ice cream afterward? We accept all rainchecks here at the Ranch.”
This elicited a tiny laugh. “Yes. I will go with you for ice cream after school.”
“And since you’ll be working with me, you won’t be able to escape.”
“I wouldn’t want to… escape, I mean.”
Alastair smiled. He walked back over to the dresser and picked up the two halves of the sticker again. “May I?”
“Yes, Professor Robinson,” she said, and he could tell she was curious about why he wanted the sticker but didn’t ask. He didn’t want to tell her. She’d find out soon enough.
“One more thing, Dora?” He smiled. “Call me Alastair?”
