“Great,” Erika said. “Now, we just want to make sure we have this stuff right. Can you confirm that you’ll be doing an acoustic set plus your electric guitar for a few songs, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re a solo act, with no backup singers?”
Being a solo act was suddenly an accurate way to describe her entire life, wasn’t it? It was a little scary, and she had to remind herself that she always had Kierra to back her up. And Brock. Where the heck was he, anyway? She was feeling a little abandoned by him, even though she knew she’d been a brat to him the night before. She just couldn’t help it sometimes, and she’d been so mad! But back to business.
“No, it’s me alone on stage with my guitar.”
“No backup band? Just you?”
She nodded.
“We want to be sure we know how to set up the stage for you,” Master Derek said. “If you need any musicians up there with you, I know some local people. But part of why we wanted to talk to you is to make sure you’re really all right, and that you have everything you need. Are your rooms okay?”
“The suite is perfect and this whole place is… amazing! I feel so comfortable here, being able to be myself. That doesn’t usually happen anywhere else that’s not totally private.”
“Rawhide Ranch is private,” he said. “Everyone who comes here signs a non-disclosure agreement, so no one will ‘out’ you or take pictures of you here without your permission. You’re about as safe as you can be, I promise,” Master Derek told her, and she believed him.
He seemed like the type of Daddy who really knew how to be a Daddy. And from what she’d learned about the Ranch, he was sort of a Daddy to any Little here who didn’t have one of their own. Did he even have any idea how much she needed that right now?
“Thank you so much! To be honest, I’m feeling a little lost, and I appreciate you being so nice to me. I didn’t expect this to happen… well, maybe some part of me did. Ugh!”
The tears were starting again, and she didn’t like it.
Master Derek bent over her and said gently, “Little one, would you like to talk to another Little about your situation? Would that help? Because my Little, Sadie, is very easy to talk to and she might be able to help. We also have some on-site counselors who are always ready to help out.”
“I don’t know, I might like that. Talking to Sadie, I mean. But what about my show?”
“We can talk business later. I can call Sadie to come here right now, or would you like to eat breakfast with her? Have you already eaten? There’s a nice patio right outside of my office, so you’d have total privacy.”
“Really? That would be nice, I guess. And I had a pastry and coffee, but maybe a real breakfast is a good idea.”
“Little girls can’t survive on nothing but coffee and pastries,” Derek pronounced. “We’ll get ahold of Sadie, and I’ll order a healthy breakfast in for you, too.”
Some part of her wanted to protest, but she realized she was too upset for her bratty side to come out. She’d reserve that for Brock later.
Brock.
Even now, just thinking about him made her a little tingly all over.
Stop it!
But maybe she should try to find him to let him know where she was.
“Master Derek? I should probably tell my bodyguard Brock where I am.”
“I’ll text him right now,” Erika said, her fingers moving fast on her phone. “Okay, done! Now let me find Sadie.”
Moments later, the door swung open and Brock barged in, his face a little red. He was dressed in gym clothes, and his big, tattooed muscles peeked out from the cut off sleeves of his T-shirt.
“Kyra Marie Kicks, where the heck have you been all morning? I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to find you.”
“You don’t have much hair to begin with,” she answered. Why did Brock always make her feel sassy?
His hand went to his head, making her smile. “I’m hardly going bald.”
“Nope, but it’s pretty short.”