Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Angel had heard about the strike after the fact. Even though it didn’t affect him at all, news did tend to travel quickly around the Ranch, especially when a group of Littles all got in trouble at once. Then the order came down from Derek. No desserts for any of the Littles who ate in the main building.

Instead they’d all be getting Brussels sprouts. He could only imagine how well that had gone over. Heaven, at least, hadn’t really seemed to mind. The one time he’d mentioned it, she just shrugged. “I like sprouts anyway,” she’d said and that was that.

He suspected that if Halloween hadn’t been coming up, Derek wouldn’t have made a blanket punishment like that, but toning down the sweets and upping the nutritious vegetables right before Halloween was probably just good thinking anyway.

It was Heaven who had suggested the cake pops, and he hadn’t thought, until he’d already agreed, that it might not be the best kind of dessert to plan when the people who would enjoy them the most couldn’t have any. But she was so excited to make them, he didn’t have the heart to backtrack.

And they came out perfectly. Better than his own, and he wasn’t bad at making the simple dessert. He’d done it often enough now that he had it down. But once they were done, it occurred to him that he couldn’t just lay them out for people to serve themselves as he normally would have.

It was one thing to tell the Littles they couldn’t have any, and another to put cute Halloween cake pops out in front of them and expect them to just look at them. It was almost guaranteed that at least one would try to sneak them—and honestly, he wouldn’t have been upset if they did.

But if they got caught, they would be banned from the Halloween event and that… well, he wouldn’t wish that on any Little. So he decided to serve them himself and remove the temptation of unsupervised treats.

He carried the whole upright stand out. It was the easiest way to keep them from getting smudged or broken. It was awkward but not heavy, and he made his way around the tables in the room easily enough, skipping the ones that only had Littles seated.

It was odd that none of the Littles got upset. He really had expected some pouty faces when they watched the cake pops go by, but there was nothing. In fact, he paused and frowned, they were barely paying any attention to the treats he carried. The sprouts on their plates were getting more attention than the desserts.

It was an odd night, but maybe, he thought, they were all just thinking about Halloween. When everyone who wasn’t being punished had helped themselves to the little pumpkin cake pops, he turned to carry the leftovers back to the kitchen. They could be put out the following day with the other batch Heaven had made.

“What the—ugh, what is this?” someone called out.

As he turned back, he heard a second disgusted voice. “Brussels sprouts dipped in chocolate? What on earth…”

His eyebrows went up as he saw people around the room spitting out mouthfuls and shaking their heads. He had a sinking suspicion before he even reached the first table. “What’s wrong?”

Nurse MacIntosh held up her cake pop soundlessly. She’d taken exactly one bite and exposed the raw vegetable inside. “I believe we have a prankster. Unless you were trying to go for a healthy dessert?” One eyebrow went up as she looked at Angel.

“No. These were supposed to be cake. I’m not sure what happened.”

‘I didn’t think so.” A delicate shudder rolled through her body as she put the sprout down.

Angel frowned. His eyes scanned around the room for Heaven. He hadn’t noticed her earlier, but now he saw her sitting on the far side at a table full of giggling Littles. It was one of the tables he’d skipped.

His eyes met hers and narrowed. Her entire face was filled with suppressed glee, but when she saw his eyes on her, she blanked her expression and looked down quickly. It was all the confirmation he needed.

Not that there had been any doubt, but he’d deal with her later. “Sorry, everyone. Apparently, we’ve all been victims of a prank. Don’t eat the cake pops… unless you like chocolate-covered Brussels sprouts.” He went around to each table and collected the “desserts”. Most hadn’t actually been touched yet luckily.

Derek came in just as he finished. He frowned as he looked at Angel. “Something wrong?”

Angel wasn’t sure if it was his expression, or the fact that he’d been heading out the door with a rack full of desserts, but once Derek took a good look at the cake pops, it became clear what the issue was.

His expression settled into one of grim annoyance. “A prank I assume?”

“Looks like it.”

“Revenge for the sprouts, I imagine.” Derek shook his head. “Who do you think was behind it?”

Angel sighed. “Well, I have a pretty good idea.” His glance went back to Heaven and Derek’s followed. She seemed oblivious.

“Now that is a surprise. She doesn’t usually get herself in that kind of trouble. Interesting.” And then he pitched his voice to be heard across the room, “Heaven Leigh.”

Her head jerked up and the smile on her face slipped away. Derek crooked a finger at her. There was dread in every step, as she slowly made her way across the cafeteria.

Angel didn’t feel the least bit sympathetic. He was angry. At first he hadn’t really thought about when she could have done this.

It hadn’t been while he’d watched her. He’d overseen the whole baking and decorating process. But then he remembered giving her a pass to work in the kitchen at night. Alone.

Clearly she’d used that time to set up this prank, and he felt… tricked. Used. A little bit hurt, even though he tried to tell himself he shouldn’t take it personally. It was natural for Littles and subs to take advantage occasionally. It had been his mistake for trusting her with too much responsibility.

He wasn’t even sure what to say, so it was good that Derek had plenty of words.

“Heaven Leigh… did you do this?” he demanded.

“Do what?”

Angel didn’t miss the way her eyes slid to the tray he held. He was sure Derek had noted it as well.

Derek’s expression darkened. “Did you cover Brussels sprouts in chocolate so they would be served as dessert?”

“Oh yeah, that. Yes, Sir, I did.”

Both men stared at her. That wasn’t exactly the answer either had expected. Even though he’d been pretty sure, the confirmation still hurt. “Why?” he asked.

Heaven shrugged. “It seemed fair. I’ve been eating sprouts all week, even though I was with you all day when the trouble happened.” She pointed at Angel. “And I’d already told Sadie I wasn’t going to be part of the strike anyhow. Hayleigh did too, since her classes were too important to skip, but she’s still had to have her least favorite thing for dinner every night.”

“It’s just a serving of vegetables, Heaven. It’s not like you’ve all been tortured over it. Even when no one is in trouble, we still have Brussels sprouts for dinner sometimes.” Derek shook his head, sighing.

“Once in a while is not the same as every night. Besides, that isn’t the point. It was unfair, and I thought this would even things out.”

Angel cleared his throat. “So, this was the surprise you were working on, chiquita?”

She didn’t look at him as she answered, “Yes.” There was a hint of guilt there.

“Sir,” he said, correcting her with a firmness in his tone.

“Yes, Sir,” she repeated. There was no sass, but no apology in the words either.

Something in her expression, and in the way she looked at the nearest table and then away quickly, made him think there might be more to the prank. A gut sense told him that he was missing something. He focused in on one Little who was happily eating a sprout without even the slightest wince. He wondered…

“Heaven, is there anything else you need to confess?” he asked.

Her mouth dropped in surprise, but she snapped it shut quickly. “Isn’t this enough? I mean… I thought it was a pretty good prank for my first one.”

There was that deflection again. She didn’t really answer his question; she just asked one in return that made it seem like she was answering.

Derek apparently noticed too. “Heaven Leigh… let’s try this again, and this time you will answer the question. Is there something else you need to tell us?”

Heaven Leigh frowned. Her mouth stayed closed, and she didn’t reply. That was all Angel needed, to realize she was hiding something.

“Heaven Leigh, I expect an answer. You’re digging yourself a hole, young lady. I—”

The happy Littles, eating their sprouts without one complaint gave Angel enough of a hint about what it was. He touched the owner’s arm. “Hold on, Derek. I think I have an idea about what’s going on.”

Angel moved over to the closest table with Littles who were still eating. He leaned in, said, “Excuse me, niño. I’m going to steal one of those,” and then plucked a Brussels sprout off the plate.

The Little boy protested, which only made Angel more suspicious. He straightened as he held it up to examine it. The second he picked it up he realized something was wrong. It looked right, but it didn’t feel right. When he broke it in half, the truth became clear.

He was impressed. Really, incredibly impressed as he looked over the outside shell. If he hadn’t seen the evidence with his own eyes, he would never have believed it was really cake and chocolate. Realistic… he shook his head, that didn’t begin to describe the art involved.

Angel held out his hand, with the broken faux sprout, as he turned back to Derek and Heaven. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this kind of sprout before. Have you?”

Heaven gulped and closed her eyes. Derek frowned and held out his hand so Angel could dump the cake into it. “This is… actually very clever, Heaven. I’ve seen your work in pictures, but up close it’s impressive.” He didn’t sound annoyed as much as curious.

“T-thanks, Master Derek,” she said as she shifted her feet nervously. “Does this mean I’m not in trouble?” There was a hopeful note to the question.

Derek snorted. “No. Who else was involved in this?”

“No one. It was all me. I didn’t even tell anyone what I was doing,” she said without even a little hedging.

He examined the sprout for a few more seconds and shook his head. “Well, it would have been nice if you’d used your talents to make people happy, instead of…” He waved a hand at the occupants of the cafeteria.

“The Littles are all very happy, Sir.” She even dared to grin at him.

“But I’m not. And I’m fairly sure no one who bit into a raw Brussels sprout is thrilled either.”

“Oh, um… yeah. Well, can’t please everyone, I guess.” She inched back a foot or so, but Angel moved to intercept, stepping behind her to block the escape route—just in case.

Derek raised his voice to be heard across the room. “Excuse me, please pardon the interruption. Heaven Leigh has something to say about the… mistake regarding the cake pops.” He shot her a look, waiting.

Her face flamed bright red and she looked down at her feet, mumbling, “Um… sorry.”

“I think you can do better than that, Heaven. Tell everyone why you’re sorry and look at people when you apologize.” It was clearly an order, backed up with iron.

She sighed and forced herself to look up. All eyes were on her. “I’m not sorry I switched the real cake pops for chocolate-dipped sprouts though, because punishing everyone for something only some people did isn’t fair.”

Angel cleared his throat and she looked at him. “Isn’t that what you did, chica?”

“Huh?” She frowned.

“Do you think every Dom, Top, and Big in this room were involved in the decision to feed the Littles sprouts this week?” he asked.

“Uh… I…” she trailed off.

“I believe the decision was Chef’s and Master Derek’s, and neither of them were here to eat the cake pops I served anyway. So the reality is… you only punished innocent people.” He wanted to say more.

He wanted to tell her how he felt about being used to give her access to a place she wouldn’t normally be allowed. He’d trusted her and she’d broken his trust, but he’d wait for that. What he’d said was enough to make his point.

“Oh. Oh, I didn’t…” A guilty look flashed across her face. “I guess I didn’t look at it that way.”

“No. You didn’t. You decided to lump all the ‘Bigs’ into one group and treat them the same regardless of whether they’d done anything to upset you. No one sitting here right now was involved in the decision, so you owe them a real apology.” He didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m really sorry I played a prank on everyone. It was wrong to take out my frustration on people who didn’t do anything wrong.” The sincerity was somewhat ruined by the look she shot Master Derek, making it clear she thought he did deserve a mouthful of raw sprout.

Angel offered her a slight smile. He couldn’t say he was proud of her at the moment, but the girl certainly did have a lot of spunk. Not many would risk burying themselves deeper like that. He looked over to see what Derek was going to think of the apology.

To his surprise… Derek looked thoughtful. “It’s not often I’m wrong, but when I am, I do admit it. So, it seems like I also owe some people an apology. Littles, if you were not involved in the strike, and still had to ‘suffer’ with Brussels sprouts, then I’m sorry. While I do understand Chef’s decision, it was a little unfair.”

Heaven’s mouth dropped open for the second time, and this time it just hung there as she stared.

Derek looked amused. “What? You didn’t think I could admit I was wrong? A good Dom should always be able to admit a mistake, Heaven Leigh.”

It took her a few seconds to get her voice back, but when she did, she said, “Does this mean we can call the whole thing even?”

“Definitely not. You’re still in trouble for multiple broken rules. You could have come to my office to discuss the punishment if you felt it was unfair. Pranks were not the way to go. Speaking of… why don’t you head to my office right now, young lady. We’re going to have a long discussion about using your words, and not your cake decorating talents, to make a point in the future.”

She looked to Angel, a flash of… need changed her expression and then it was gone. “Yes, Sir,” she said, as her eyes dropped to the floor, and she turned to go.

Something clicked as Angel put two and two together. Maybe she hadn’t been trying to hurt him or use him to get away with anything… she’d been trying to get his attention in a uniquely Little way—by getting herself in big trouble.

Angel cleared his throat. “Actually, Derek… can I speak to you for a minute? Alone?”

Derek looked at him, one eyebrow going up as he nodded. They stepped out into the hall. Once they were far enough away, Derek stopped. “You think I should let her off?”

The chocolatier snorted. “No. She deserves a good long spanking for all of this. I’d just like to handle it myself.”

One eyebrow went up as the Ranch owner examined Angel. “I have no objections to you handling the punishment, but… does this mean something more?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know, Derek. She’s—” He stopped and took a deep breath. “I sound like an idiot, sorry. Honestly, I’ve started to feel things for her that I haven’t felt in a long time. It scares the hell out of me. And she’s pretty much everything I wanted…”

“But?” Derek prodded when Angel trailed off.

Angel shrugged. “I don’t know if she feels the same way. I was angry when I realized she’d abused my trust to pull off these pranks, I still am, but then I started to wonder if she’d done it on purpose to see what I’d do. I could just be reading into things though.” He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know how people figure this stuff out. It’s hard.”

Derek laughed and shook his head. “This is the easy part, my friend. Just wait. But no, I don’t think you’re reading into things. Sadie tells me the poor girl turns red any time someone mentions your name, and she was definitely looking to you to intercede in there.”

There was something tight in Angel’s chest and it began to loosen as Derek reassured him. “You think? It’s been so fast I was worried I was feeling things way too soon.”

“This is Rawhide Ranch, Angel, that kind of thing happens.” He clapped the chocolatier on the back. “My advice… if you want to make it official, talk to her about it before the punishment. Before all the emotions make it hard to think with a clear head. You’ll both be more sure of any decisions you make that way.”

That made sense. It really did, and he would definitely take that advice… but was he ready to suggest something official? He kept thinking about how short the time had been. Were the hours they’d shared in the kitchen, and one punishment spanking really enough to make a decision like that?

But that kiss they’d shared… that had been pure passion. It had set every nerve on fire. She’d felt it too. He knew she had. “You’re right. I’ll talk to her tonight and see what she thinks.”

Derek nodded. A smile flashed across his face, but he made it disappear when he poked his head back into the cafeteria to call Heaven out. She’d been standing right where they left her, studiously avoiding the stares aimed in her direction.

The Littles were looking at her like she was a hero. The people who had gotten a taste of raw sprout were frowning, and the rest of the room wore looks of confusion. Some of those were guests, and Heaven also hadn’t considered how her prank might affect them either.

“Heaven, out here please.” He stepped back and motioned for her to go past.

“You’re not going to cancel Halloween for the Littles who ate the fake sprouts are you? Because they really didn’t know. And I don’t think anyone would turn down cake if it was served to them.” She seemed anxious to make sure she hadn’t ruined the holiday for anyone.

Derek shook his head. “No, you’re right. Asking a Little to reject cake would be like asking a tiger to ignore a steak. You’re the only one being held responsible for your actions. Which means Halloween is canceled for you alone, and –”

“Actually, Derek… I have a better idea,” Angel said quickly. He pulled Derek aside and lowered his voice, reminding him that Heaven avoided Halloween usually, so that wouldn’t really be a punishment. The opposite however…

Derek thought about it. His eyes settled on her as he considered. “Well, it’s an unusual punishment. You’re sure it’s not a trigger for her? I’m not a fan of punishments that cause emotional trauma around here.”

“She said it’s not. We’ve talked about it, and she admitted it’s basically just a habit from childhood. I know being forbidden wouldn’t be a punishment for her, but having to participate might be… or it might help her get over her general dislike of Halloween. Either way I’d call that a win.”

“Well, I’ll leave that up to you then.” He pitched his voice louder so Heaven could hear. “Heaven, Angel will be dealing with your punishment for tonight’s events. Unless you have any objections to that I should know about?”

She shook her head quickly. “No, Sir. No objections.” Neither of them missed the way her eyes lit up.

“Good. I’ll leave you to it then. And Heaven… no more pranks, young lady.” There was iron in the words but the resigned sigh at the end made it clear he wasn’t holding out hope on that.