Haven's Promise Page 5

  Ryan didn't miss a beat as he entered the request on his tablet, then took some measurements. Not able to visualize want she wanted from the small rectangle he had entered onto the drawing of the room, Nancy turned to Craig, who was standing with his arms around Barbara as they listened to the discussion.

  "You two can be my guinea pigs. Since you're the biggest guy I've ever seen, if the room is big enough for you two, it will fit anyone," she explained.

  Craig shrugged and, taking Barbara's hand, led her towards the area that Nancy had indicated. No one seemed to notice that Barbara had grown quiet, no longer talking with the others about what they were seeing.

  "Just stand here," Nancy instructed, positioning them in the area of the future dressing room. She stepped back and shook her head. "No, don't stand so close together. Craig, try to imagine you are dressing her." She paused and giggled, as his eyebrow lifted and Barbara's face turned pink. "Okay, right—you obviously know exactly what I mean. Now, ignore us and simply pretend that you just found the perfect outfit and want to see Bunny in it, before you plop down a large sum of money for the pleasure of presenting it to her in the deliciously sexy bags I'll be designing."

  Jason chuckled, not the least bit surprised as his wife directed the couple to do her bidding. He often helped the women; moving the same piece of furniture or holding a picture against various walls as they took forever to decide if the placement was absolutely perfect. He felt a twinge of sympathy, but was pleased when Craig fell into his role, reaching out and moving Barbara a few steps back before tilting his head to the side, using finger motions to indicate she was to do a slow turn—as if he were deciding whether the imagined outfit would suit his desires.

  "Hmmm, I'm not sure. Perhaps it would look better in pink," Craig mused, and reached for Barbara, pretending to take some invisible piece of lingerie off her body. Expecting to have at least drawn a soft giggle from her as his hands moved down her frame, Craig heard nothing but silence from his girl. "You okay?" he asked softly, but wasn't convinced when she simply nodded her head.

  Before Craig could question Barbara further, Ryan spoke. "You're right—we need to enlarge the space. After all, when I bring Julie in to try something on, I'll want a place to sit, so we need room for a large comfortable chair as well, in case I need to turn her across my knee to convince her that I have a great sense of fashion." He re-measured the area, smiling at Julie, who was blushing as she entered the new calculations into the iPad.

  "Thanks for playing along," Nancy said, giving Barbara a quick hug before turning again to Ryan. "Just remember; every shower, every tub, every bed, stool or chair needs to be large and sturdy enough to accommodate big people. We don't want anyone to fear they will break any chair they sit in or get stuck in a small tub."

  "Okay, ladies, we'll take care of the spaces, but it's up to you two to furnish the place when we're done."

  The design partners agreed and, satisfied that the boutique would meet her needs, Nancy followed the group to tour the new dining area. It too had been cleared, and the bricks of the old fireplace had been replaced with lighter, irregular shaped stones of various earth tones. Smooth river rocks had been laid out to form a curving hearth, where Elizabeth could imagine cushions offering a soft place for tender bottoms to sit if couples wished to enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in the few colder months, when a fire might actually be useful instead of merely decorative.

  "This is gorgeous," Garrett declared, stepping to the wall and running his hand across the stone. "Well done, Ryan, Julie."

  Ryan beamed with pleasure at the far more experienced man's praise. Both he and Julie had a great deal of respect for Garrett, who owned a hugely successful architectural firm in Houston but had clients all over the state of Texas.

  "What supplier did you use?"

  As the men discussed suppliers and different choices for stone, marble, quartz and tiles, the women called Julie over to discuss what type of lighting should hang in the room.

  "I'm thinking some type of chandelier hanging above each table," Liz said, looking up at the ceiling of the large space. "There only need to be eighteen tables, and that's only if the hotel is completely full. Do you think it will be too crowded?"

  "Well, since the tables will be small and we can spread them out quite a bit, that's probably doable," Julie said.

  Elizabeth was about to nod when she saw Barbara standing apart from the group, the happy smile from earlier no longer visible.

  "What do you think, Bunny?" Liz asked, walking closer to her.

  "What?" Barbara said, as if surprised to be addressed.

  "What do you think about the lighting?" Elizabeth repeated, her look quizzical as she realized that Barbara seemed withdrawn from the conversation. "Hey, are you okay?"

  Barbara shrugged. "I'm fine."

  Looking over at Nancy and Ariel, as if to see whether her feelings that something was definitely wrong weren't hers alone, she saw that Nancy was also looking confused. Liz's protective instinct kicked in. "Barbara, talk to me. Honey, I value your opinion a great deal. I don't need people just telling me what's doable, I need people I love being honest and keeping me on track. Please, tell me the truth."

  Barbara struggled to keep her feelings under control. Avoiding looking at anyone, she answered. "Make sure you leave enough room for Nancy's huge chairs, and remember, they'll stick out even more when people are sitting; especially fat people." Conscious of several gasps, she looked up, her eyes flashing. "Even though eighteen chandeliers will make this room look like a lighting store, I'm sure your beautiful guests won't mind being on display—hell, seat them next to my fat ass and they'll feel even more glamorous and petite. Of course, they'll have to wait until someone greases the door and pries me out of Nancy's dressing room!"

  "Barbara, I didn't mean—" Nancy attempted, only to have Barbara turn and glare at her.

  "Forget it," Barbara practically snarled. "I won't be buying sexy lingerie unless you plan on placing an order with Omar the tent maker. And, there's no way in hell I'll eat in here. I don't need people wondering what the fuck Craig is doing eating with a woman who would look far more comfortable in some barn eating at the trough!"

  "Whoa, Barb," Ariel said softly, "Where did that come from? I don't understand…"

  "Of course you don't—none of you could possibly understand!" Barbara had been able to contain her embarrassment when Ryan and Nancy had talked about big people, even though she had felt embarrassed when pretending to 'fit' into the proposed dressing room with Craig. However, her heart had shattered when Craig had suggested that perhaps the fantasy lingerie he pretended to dress her in would 'look better in pink'—as if the sight of her standing clothed in some ridiculously sexy item was unbearable. Even though the voice of reason in her head was screaming that he would never publicly say such a thing, the far more fragile voice in her heart whispered its fear that he secretly wished she was as small and dainty as the women around her.

  Liz's own heart hurt, hearing the pain and anger in Barbara's voice. "Honey—"

  "No," Barbara said, shaking off Liz's hand. "Just… just do whatever the hell you want, but leave me out of it. I don't fucking care." Her voice broke on the last word because, God, she did care. She cared very much. She had fallen under the spell of Haven's promise of acceptance, but now felt that promise didn't include her. Tears began to cloud her vision. Unaware that the men had moved closer to see what the commotion was about, Barbara turned, and attempted to run from the room. She didn't make it two steps before she was caught by Craig, who ignored her flailing arms and hugged her to his chest.

  "Stop," he said, calmly. Even though he didn't understand what had caused her apparent meltdown, her behavior reminded him of the first day they had met. As her chosen Dominant, and, more importantly, as the man who loved her, he had no qualms about stopping her flight.

  "Let me go, dammit," Barbara yelled, her struggles ineffective against his tightening hold. She didn't hear her frie
nds' gasps above the crisp, sharp slap of Craig's large hand against the seat of her overalls.

  "Don't!" she yelped, attempting to put her hands back to cover her rear. Her order was ignored as Craig simply tucked her beneath his arm and slapped her bottom twice more. "Stop!"

  "Unless you want to take this to the Woodshed, I suggest you calm yourself down, young lady," Craig warned. He released her, but kept a hand on her arm.

  "Shit, like I care!" she shouted defiantly, tears of hurt fury escaping to slip down her cheeks. "Didn't you hear Nancy? It would take a paddle the size of Texas to make an—"

  "No, please, I didn't…" Nancy cried, but her voice was barely heard as Craig continued.

  "Barbara Grace Dietrich, that's enough," he said, his lips compressing as he looked down at her. "Texas might contain a lot of bullshit, but I will not listen to any more of it from you, young lady. I believe we've had this discussion before, and you know I don't like repeating myself. I don't know what's put a bee up your ass, but I can promise you that if you don't calm down right this minute, it won't take anything but my hand to squash it." He felt her tremble in his hold and softened his tone.

  "I love you, and, Bunny, I think you are the most beautiful, adorable woman on this planet. I hope to God that one day you can see yourself as others see you. Sweetheart, you have got to stop thinking you are anything short of incredible. You've got to stop demeaning yourself."

  It was as though someone stuck a needle into a helium balloon. The anger leaked from Barbara's entire body at his words. Everyone in the room saw the instant change in the defiant young attorney. Looking around, she saw her family and friends all staring at her; nothing but expressions of concern on their faces. Barbara felt her face flush as a sense of overwhelming guilt consumed her.

  "I-I wasn't… I," she began.

  "Don't," Craig said, shaking his head as he took her hand. The group parted as he moved towards a corner of the room, and casually guided Barbara to face the wall.

  Every woman in the room instantly had empathy for her friend.

  "You will stand here, and decide whether lying to me and everyone who loves you is truly the way you want to go."

  His tone had Barbara's butt clenching, and she knew her face showed her embarrassment at being placed in the corner like a naughty child. Hearing Craig—her chosen Daddy—address her as Bunny had reminded her instantly of what happened to naughty girls who threw tantrums. No matter how embarrassed she felt at this moment, the child inside her understood that her daddy had known she needed to be exactly where he had placed her. It took a moment for her to process the fact that Craig was still speaking, only realizing it when he gave a deep sigh, dropping his hands to cup her buttocks, which suddenly clenched very tightly.

  "I asked whether you understand," Craig repeated, in a tone that had her stomach doing flip flops.

  "Umm, I'm sorry… I-I didn't hear you," she confessed, deciding that trying to pretend she had heard him would most likely backfire.

  "Bunny, I said; when you have made your decision about what you really want to tell me, I'll be in the kitchen. Until then," he paused, as his huge hand lifted to give her bottom a soft pat, "you can stand in the corner and also think about the sentences in your future."

  She had no need for further explanation, his warning from weeks ago instantly returning. "Yes, Sir," she said softly. "I-I understand."

  "Good," Craig said, removing his hand but leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "I hope to see you join us soon, honey." With that, he turned and walked past the group into the kitchen—the very place where he had begun to realize he was falling hard for the woman he had just put nose to the wall.

  When both Nancy and Elizabeth began to drift to the corner, Jason and Logan took their hands, shook their heads and led them to follow Craig. The dining room emptied, leaving Barbara all alone to seriously think about her behavior.

  Despite the fact that she knew she could turn around and walk away, calling a cab to take her back to Houston if necessary, for some reason the very intelligent, very successful young attorney remained exactly where she was, her nose pressed to the wall. Remembering his calm tone, even as he'd told her he was aware that she was about to lie to him, gave her the courage necessary to assess what had really caused her to explode. The feel of Craig's hand on her butt and the kiss he had dropped on her head let her know that he would take her in hand, but do so out of love and concern. His statement that she was beautiful almost made her tears begin again.

  She realized that she had been drifting back into the depression and sadness of her life before Craig had pulled her from the mire, to show her how it felt to be truly loved. Remembering the shock and looks of hurt on Nancy's and Elizabeth's faces made her wish her Daddy had pulled her overalls down, stripped her panties to her knees, and blistered her bottom. That's what little girls, or, she confessed, big girls who acted like she had, deserved. Taking several deep breaths, she turned from the corner. It wouldn't be easy, but it was up to her to make this right.

  Chapter 4

  As she entered the kitchen, Barbara braced herself. Not even noticing the remarkable changes in the room, she was only aware of everyone turning towards her.

  "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I am so sorry. I-I have no excuse for acting like that. I know you all care about me…" she hesitated, as if she had no idea how to continue. Craig was instantly at her side, drawing her into his arms.

  "It's going to be okay, honey," he said softly. "I think your apology is enough for now. We can discuss this later, Bunny."

  "No… no." Barbara swiped her hands across her face to wipe away the tears that had wet her cheeks. "It's not enough." She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering but reflecting strength behind the tears. "Please, may I speak before… before you punish me?" At his soft smile and nod, she turned within his arms, drawing his hands around her waist as if making sure he wouldn't let her go. Looking at the rest of the group, she explained.

  "I am sorry that I threw a tantrum. Not a single one of you is responsible for my behavior. Nancy, Liz—please forgive me. I just, well, all I kept thinking about was how I used to feel; ugly and… and unlovable." She saw tears begin to fall down Nancy's cheeks, and hurried to continue. "It's something I promise I'm going to work on. I know I couldn't do it without all of you, especially Craig. Please forgive me and, and please don't give up on me." Her voice broke again, and within moments, Craig had released her, allowing her friends to gather her into their embrace.

  While tears and words of apology, forgiveness and encouragement came from the small, tight circle, Craig looked up to see Benjamin walking towards him, a smile on his face. Reaching the tall, younger man, Ben clapped Craig on the back.

  They watched Helen join the women, slipping her arm around her daughter's waist. "God, she reminds me of her mother," Ben said. Chuckling at the surprised look on Craig's face at the quite obvious physical differences between mother and daughter, Ben nodded. "Believe it or not, Helen used to have the same insecurities as Barbara. It took me quite a while to convince Helen that just because she was short, skinny as a rail, and was about as developed as a boy, she was not only beautiful and an extremely special lady, but that I would never have eyes for another woman on this planet. Dietrich women blossom under the love and strength of their men, son. You just keep doing what you are doing, no matter how long it takes to convince my girl that you are the one man for her. You spank her, but always remember to let her know she is loved, no matter how badly she behaves. She's her mother's daughter, and I promise, our Bunny is worth the effort, son."

  "No argument here, Sir," Craig said. "She already has my total commitment. I'll spend the rest of my life reminding her that she has my heart and soul as well." With another pat on Craig's broad back, Ben walked over to the women and clapped his hands.

  "Enough of this hen-party," he said with a smile. "Let's finish the tour, and then I am praying that Craig and Bunny remembered to bring me some lunch."

/>   The women laughed, wiped their damp faces with their fingers, and nodded.

  When her father gave her a hug, his hands moving to cup her face, Barbara smiled. "Sorry, Dad," she said, but his finger moved to press against her lips.

  "Baby steps, Bunny," he said softly. "You're doing fine. Just trust your Daddy, and all the past hurts will eventually disappear." He gave her a kiss, then turned her towards Craig, giving her bottom a quick pop.

  Barbara accepted a hug and kiss from Craig. "I really am sorry, Daddy," she said softly. "I know, baby," Craig assured her, as he kissed her again. "I'm proud of you."

  "Does that mean the corner time is all that—"

  "Not a chance," he said, his voice low but firm. "Just be grateful that you came out of that corner with the truth. I would hate to have to add to what you have coming later." He was prouder of her than she could imagine when she kept her eyes on his.

  "Yes, Sir," she said, nodding and accepting the fact that despite her general apology to the group, she would be answering to the man she had chosen as her Daddy and disciplinarian. "I love you, Daddy."

  "I love you more, Bunny girl," Craig said, the remnants of tension disappearing.

  Stepping out of his embrace, she opened her arms to indicate the room. "Isn't this incredible?"

  There was no evidence left of the poor sad room that she and Craig had worked together to demolish on the first day they had met. The walls had been stripped of the hideous wallpaper, smooth, new sheetrock put up, and new pipes and electrical wiring installed. The floor, previously covered with cracked and filthy linoleum, was gone, and samples of tiles, stones and wood flooring were laid out in different areas, obviously awaiting Elizabeth's final decision before the new floor was laid.