“Quiet!” he bellowed.
An eerie silence fell over the cafeteria.
Chef looked around, obviously trying to make sense of the uproar. When his gaze landed on Nanny J with her hand wrapped around Sadie’s upper arm, his eyes narrowed.
Hayleigh’s tummy did a somersault as he approached them. Luckily, his attention was solely focused on Sadie for the time being. Sadie, who didn’t look at all as though she felt like laughing anymore.
“Hi, Chef,” she squeaked out.
“Sadie, what did you do to my guests?” he growled, crossing his arms over his massive chest, and pinning her with a glare.
“N-nothing, Chef.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Nanny J clucked her tongue. “I’ll make sure your Daddy knows to add lying to your list of offenses, little girl.”
Hayleigh was shocked to see tears filling Sadie’s eyes. “No, Nanny J, please don’t! It was just a harmless little prank!”
“What was a harmless prank, little girl?”
Sadie stiffened at the sound of her Daddy’s booming voice. Master Derek, owner of Rawhide Ranch, positioned himself beside Chef, mimicking the larger man’s stance.
Bowing her head, Sadie quietly confessed her crimes. “I-I just put some salt in the soda, that’s all.”
“You did what?” Chef roared, causing all of the submissives in hearing distance to jump.
Master Derek laid a hand on Chef’s arm, but he didn’t take his eyes off of his wayward little wife. “Sadie Marie, you aren’t going to sit for a week by the time I’m done with you. Who helped you with this prank?”
Hayleigh whimpered softly, but everyone was so focused on Sadie, they didn’t even notice. To her credit, Sadie fell on her sword just as she’d promised. “It was just me, Daddy. I swear!”
“I want to know when and how you pulled this off,” Chef demanded, his voice a low growl that made Hayleigh’s core clench with need. She was tempted to fess up, just to see what would happen. Maybe she’d finally get a proper spanking from him instead of a few lousy swats from his spoon like she sometimes got when she had kitchen duty.
“The drinks were all fine at breakfast,” Chef continued, his expression turning contemplative. “So, this ‘prank’ happened between the end of breakfast and the start of lunch. Perhaps around ten-thirty, when the kitchen staff takes their morning break?”
Oh, crap, crap, crap!Hayleigh began inching her way to the back of the group.
“Ten-thirty?” Professor Rogers had joined them, and Hayleigh just managed to bite back a groan. But it didn’t matter. Professor Rogers looked around and pinned her with a stern look. “Hayleigh. Front and center, little girl.”
Whimpering softly, Hayleigh shuffled to the front of the pack. “Y-yes, sir?”
“Did you know about this prank when you left my classroom to see the nurse this morning?”
If she told the truth, there was no doubt she’d be getting spanked right alongside Sadie. But if she lied, there was a good chance she’d be found out anyway and her punishment would be a bajillion times worse.
It was Chef who decided the issue for her. He was watching her intently, his mouth turned down in a disappointed frown. She didn’t want him to hate her, but maybe if she confessed and took her punishment like a good girl, he’d be able to forgive her.
Taking a deep breath, she focused on Professor Rogers. “Yes, sir. I helped Sadie with the prank.”
Chapter 2
After her confession,Hayleigh was ushered into Master Derek’s office with Sadie, Nanny J, and Professor Rogers. And Chef, who had refused to look at her the entire way.
In the office, Master Derek stood behind his desk and studied the group gathered in the large space. Side by side, Sadie and Hayleigh shuffled their feet, neither one daring to look up at the circle of very angry ‘grownups’ surrounding them. After a long, drawn out silence, he addressed his wife. “Explain yourself, Sadie Marie.”
“I-I’m sorry?” Sadie squeaked out.
“I didn’t ask for an apology, little girl. I asked for an explanation. What on earth possessed you to pull a stunt like this?”
Eyes still lowered, Sadie shrugged. “I read about it in a book and it sounded like fun.”