The guy had yelled a few awful things to her and then left. Riley hadn’t been able to sleep for the rest of the night.
The next day, she moved around in a daze from exhaustion and despair.
How could she take what she was going through for another four weeks?
She didn’t have it in her, becoming more tired and thinner every day. Physically being around the horses wasn’t wise without being there mentally. One wrong move could cost her life or get her injured. The fact she was also terrified her distraction could get a child hurt terrified her and made her nerves even tighter.
Something had to be done, and her only recourse was Noah, but he was too busy for her. Once again, she had no one, and she was at her wit’s end.
Chapter Seven
Noah finally caught up with Riley a few days later. He spotted her standing on the bottom rung of the fence by the barn and petting one of the horses.
“Hey, sweetheart. I didn’t see you at dinner.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t hungry.”
He studied her profile. “How is everything going?”
“Good.”
The distress in her tone was clear even though she tried to hide from him. “Riley, look at me.”
She sighed and turned toward him.
He studied her, sighed, and then pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. It probably feels like I’m not here for you, but I am. It’s been crazy around here all week.”
She hugged his waist. “I’m not your problem.”
“You’re not a problem, baby. You look like you haven’t gotten any sleep, and you’ve lost weight.”
She shrugged again.
“Tell me what’s going on?”
She sighed. “I don’t fit in here. I don’t fit in anywhere.”
“Yes, you do, baby girl.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Something’s wrong with me, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.”
He grasped her shoulders and leaned back a bit to see her face. “You don’t need to be fixed.”
“No one is going ever to want me.”
“Yes, they will.” He set his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me. You’re just one of those women who need a daddy to take care of them.”
Her brows puckered in confusion. “I have a daddy, and he doesn’t want to take care of me.”
“No, that’s your father, baby girl. I’m talking about a big/little relationship.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s a relationship between two adults, but the woman wants to let the man take care of her, make decisions, support, and love her. Most littles are women who don’t understand the grown-up world or just don’t want to live in the chaos.”
Riley’s heart tripped in her chest. That was what she needed, but there were so many questions rolling through her mind. “What does the man get out of it?”
“The man has a burning need to take care of his little. He wants to dress her, feed her, and make decisions for her.”