Chapter 1
“Hays. Psst, Hayleigh!”
Groaning at the familiar, excited voice, Hayleigh Conway twisted in her seat to face Sadie Hawkins, co-owner and prank queen of Rawhide Ranch. The brunette’s eyes twinkled with mischief, as always. Sadie couldn’t seem to go a week without getting herself – and often her friends – into trouble.
“What’s up?” Hayleigh asked.
“Want to help me play a prank?”
Right on cue!Normally, Hayleigh enjoyed Sadie’s pranks, but the last time she had let herself get talked into a Sadie scheme, she'd gotten her bottom switched in public, and put on kitchen duty. Kitchen duty with the smoking hot chef who Hayleigh had been crushing on for months. Since the camp out incident, Hayleigh had been determined to show Chef she could be a good girl. And good girls did not let themselves get talked into pulling pranks in the middle of the school day. On the other hand, Sadie’s pranks were almost always good for a laugh. “I don’t know,” Hayleigh hedged as she weighed her options.
“Aww, come on. It’ll be fun! And it’s totally harmless, I swear.” Clasping her hands in front of her, Sadie widened her eyes. “Please, Hays. If I get caught, I won’t tell anybody you helped me, I promise.”
It was pretty much impossible to tell Sadie no, especially when she really wanted something. “Dammit,” Hayleigh muttered, glancing around to make sure she wasn’t overheard. “Whatcha need?”
“I just need you to buy me some time. You’ll pretend to get sick and I’ll say I’m taking you to the infirmary. On our way there, we’ll just make a short little detour by the kitchen.”
The kitchen. With Chef.Crap on a cracker.“What are you going to do in the kitchen?”
“Just a harmless little prank.”
“You said harmless twice already.” Which meant it probably wasn’t harmless where their butts were concerned.
“Scout’s honor,” Sadie said, holding up three fingers.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Hayleigh considered the logistics. “The kitchen is going to be packed.” Other than late at night, it seemed like the kitchen was a constant buzz of activity.
“Nope.” Sadie shook her head, her pigtails flying. “Chef lets everyone take a half hour break between breakfast cleanup and lunch prep. And if I do get caught, I’ll tell everyone you really were sick and I tricked you. Okay?”
Hayleigh could feel her resistance crumbling. “All right. But you owe me!”
With a quiet squeal, Sadie did a little dance in her seat. “Thank you! I’ll tap you three times on the shoulder and that’s your signal to say you don’t feel good. Got it?”
“Got it,” Hayleigh replied with a grin. Even though she knew she was going to regret this, she couldn’t deny the little buzz of excitement. The thrill of wondering if they would get caught, and the delicious anticipation of the punishment that would be meted out when they did.
If someone had told her six months ago she’d be happy and thriving in a place where she could live out her deepest, most forbidden fantasies, she’d have laughed in their faces. Or cursed them for teasing her in such a cruel way.
Granted, in most of those pre-Ranch fantasies, the person holding her accountable was a giant teddy-bear of a man who also made her scream with passion after he’d spanked her bottom good and proper. But if she couldn’t have a Daddy of her own, then the caregivers at the Ranch were a pretty good consolation prize.
Professor Rogers walked into the classroom, interrupting Hayleigh’s wandering thoughts. “Good morning, class.”
“Good morning, Professor,” the classroom full of the Ranch’s resident Littles chorused back.
“This morning we’re going to be talking about the reading you were all assigned last night.”
Less than ten minutes into the lecture, Hayleigh felt three firm taps on her right shoulder.Crap on a cracker. Already? Swallowing hard, Hayleigh lifted her hand in the air. “Uh, Professor? Sir?”
Professor Rogers turned away from the whiteboard and frowned. “Yes, Hayleigh?”
“I-I don’t feel so good.” Well, at least it wasn’t a complete lie. Butterflies were doing cartwheels in her tummy and she honest-to-God wondered if she was going to puke right there.
“What’s wrong?”
“My tummy,” she whispered as pitifully as she could.
From behind her, Sadie spoke up. “Professor, Hays was saying before breakfast she didn’t feel very good. Do you want me to walk her to the nurse?”
“Yes. But right to the nurse and then you’re to come straight back, Sadie Hawkins. Understood?”