Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Heaven Leigh, what were you thinking, letting Ethan and Daniel roughhouse before the service? I swear I don’t know where your head is at. They’re your responsibility,” her mother snapped. “Remember, ‘Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger’.”

“Sorry, Mama. I was trying to get Rachel’s hair brushed.” The fact that her own blonde curls were a straggly mess because she hadn’t had time to do anything for herself would probably be next on the list of complaints.

Although she was only ten years old, she had four younger siblings to take care of. The seven-year-old twins never stayed still and fought constantly. Benjamin, the quiet one, was five. He was stubborn and would simply refuse to hear anything he didn’t like. And Rachel, the toddler, had to be watched every minute.

Her parents had their own concerns with her father’s ministry, so childcare had been left to her almost as soon as she could walk. Planning out the traveling routes so they could reach the most people with his tent revivals was their main focus.

And once they had a full house, Heaven Leigh was expected to have all five of them on stage, looking pristine in their pure white clothing, and ready to delight and entertain the visitors with their angelic voices. It was a full-family production and Heaven hated all of it.

“Our daughter, Heaven Leigh will start us off with ‘Amazing Grace’,” her father said. Always he said the two names together as one word, “Heavenly,” as if she’d been sent straight from above to perform on his stage.

It got so that just hearing her name with that pronunciation would make her cringe. She wasn’t sent from heaven. She was no angel. She was angry and rebellious—she just kept it wrapped up deep inside so it didn’t show, because if it did, then God would be angry.

That was one of many lessons her parents had taught her, along with how important appearance was. Another was that it didn’t matter that her parents were never kind or loving offstage, because they were perfect in the spotlight where it mattered. And hypocrisy… yeah, she’d learned about that too.

By the time she was sixteen, she just couldn’t take it anymore. One night she’d slipped out of the family bus with a small suitcase and a wad of money from the day’s offerings. She’d counted out exactly one-seventh of the money, figuring that was her fair share.

At the time it had seemed like a lot of money, but it hadn’t taken her nearly far enough. It had been a rough couple of months, living on the street. She set up a tip cup and sang for coins. In the beginning all she knew were hymns, but the longer she was out of her parents’ reach, the more popular music she learned.

The right songs in the right locations mattered. She sang hymns outside of churches when services were letting out. Popular music was for the parks. Usually she made enough to eat. She saved the extra money to splurge on cheap motel rooms for the nights when the shelters filled up.

It wasn’t the best life, but in a way, it was freeing. She never seriously considered going back and the strong independent streak that had been forced on her was a big help in managing her own life.

Then one day the skies opened up and dropped an opportunity into her lap. She saw a help-wanted sign in the window of a bakery. She knew how to bake. The promise of treats was the best way to make her siblings behave, so she’d gotten good at it.

The night before, she’d slept in a motel with a laundry room for guests, so she was clean and so were her clothes. Should she? She hesitated outside the door for so long that the woman behind the counter came out.

She was an older woman with a pleasantly weathered face. When she smiled, wrinkles wreathed her dark eyes. “You coming in, honey? I’m closing up in a few minutes.”

“I… I was just wondering about the sign.”

“The sign?” The woman turned back to look at the door. “Oh! You’re looking for a job?”

“Yes, ma’am. I mean I know how to bake a little.” She wasn’t sure how she’d handle the lack of identification, address, or phone, but she was hoping to hide her homeless status. No one was going to hire someone who didn’t have a set address.

“Well, I was thinking more of hiring someone for the counter, but come on in. Let’s talk.” She stepped back and motioned Heaven inside.

After another hesitation, Heaven decided to go ahead. What was the worst that could happen? She’d get thrown out? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.

It turned out to be the best decision she ever made.

Heaven found herself seated at a small table in back with a fresh blueberry muffin and a bottle of juice in front of her. In the meantime Barbara had introduced herself and gone into a full monologue about her history and that of the bakery.

It was a little overwhelming and Heaven struggled to keep up, nodding at the appropriate intervals. As soon as she finished the muffin, another one appeared in front of her. She slow-blinked in surprise and looked up.

Barbara paused in the middle of talking about how she’d started the bakery after being widowed. “Go on, honey. I’ve seen you singing down the street for tips. I’m sure you can use a snack. I’d give you a whole meal if I had one.”

That was when Heaven realized Barbara had already figured out she was passing her time between the streets and the local shelters. “I’m sorry. I know you probably can’t hire me. I shouldn’t have wasted your time. It’s just I—”

The older woman shook her head, her gray curls bouncing. “No, no, don’t worry about that. You know, when I heard you singing ‘Amazing Grace,’ it took me all the way back to my childhood in church. You’ve got a lovely voice.”

“Th-thank you.”

“What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Heaven.” She cleared her throat. “Heaven Leigh Robertson.” She’d considered changing it for a whole new start, but that felt too much like hiding who she was. So, since she’d left home, she’d changed the pronunciation of her middle name. It helped a lot once it didn’t sound so much like “heavenly”.

“Pretty name, Heaven. So you know how to bake, and you want a job.” It wasn’t a question, but Heaven nodded anyway. “You have a place to live?”

She considered lying, but honesty was still so heavily engrained in her, and she couldn’t quite do it. “No, ma’am. I stay at a shelter most nights unless they fill up.”

Barbara made a hmm sound. “Well, I can’t have an employee living on the streets. That wouldn’t do at all.”

Of course it wouldn’t. With a sigh, Heaven stood up. “That’s what I thought. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

The older woman blinked. “What? Oh no, honey, that’s not what I meant at all.” She waved her hands at Heaven. “Of course you can have the job. I just need to put you up too. I’ve got just the idea if you don’t mind trusting a stranger.” She paused, frowned. “You really shouldn’t you know. It’s not safe, but in this case…”

What else had Heaven done since she’d run away, but trust strangers. She just wasn’t exactly sure what Barbara was offering. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Sorry, dear. My thoughts get ahead of me sometimes. You need a place to live, and I was just remembering that there’s a little apartment upstairs.” Her pointer finger went ceilingward. “It’s just being used for storage right now and I have no idea what all is up there, but probably nothing of importance.”

Heaven was floored. “You… you’re going to rent me an apartment and give me a job?” She couldn’t believe she was that lucky.

“Don’t be silly. I’m not charging you rent for an unused attic. But there is a bathroom up there along with a microwave and a mini-fridge. I’m sure it would be more comfortable than a shelter.”

Heaven’s eyes widened like dinner plates, and she just stared speechless. Never in her life had anyone been so kind.

But there was a hitch.

Barbara pursed her lips as she examined Heaven. “Hmm. How old are you, Heaven? Tell me the truth now.”

Heaven had hoped to avoid that question too. She hesitated and then, “Sixteen.”

The older woman sighed. “Well, that’s a bit of a hitch.”

The hope and happiness that had swelled in Heaven’s chest started to deflate. Of course it was a hitch. She was a minor. That was always going to be a problem. Barbara could get in trouble for helping her. “It’s okay, ma’am.”

“Well, it’s not okay.” Barbara shook her head. A young girl on the streets is never okay, but don’t you worry. I know exactly who to call.”

And she did. Barbara, Heaven would find out, was very well known in the area for her charity work. She had contacts all over the place. And she wasn’t just the owner of one small bakery, but several scattered around the city.

Within an hour she’d drawn out Heaven’s life story, and then she’d gone into action. After multiple calls, she’d arranged to be assigned as an emergency foster guardian for Heaven, until the paperwork could be sorted. “It’s just temporary,” she explained. “But I’d be happy to keep you until you’re eighteen, of course. Lord knows I have plenty of room in my house, but with you being a runaway… it’s going to be safer to get you emancipated.”

“Emancipated?” Heaven asked hesitantly.

“Yes, you’ll be a minor who is recognized to be responsible enough to manage your own affairs. Once we settle that, then you can have your own apartment here, if you’d like. Until then you’ll stay with me and work part time.”

It sounded wonderful. She couldn’t believe any of it would happen, but it did. Everything Barbara promised came true over the next year. She even tried going to school for the first time in her life, but that didn’t last long.

Heaven didn’t deal well with the rules and structure of a public high school. She’d always been homeschooled and was easily able to keep up with the other students in most areas, but the classes made her feel hemmed in. A strict schedule for schoolwork, rather than fitting it in wherever, was a real struggle.

“Never mind,” Barbara said. “No sense driving yourself crazy. We’ll get you materials to study for the GED.”

By the time she was eighteen, she had her GED, was emancipated, living above the bakery, and her basic baking skills had really taken off. She could be trusted with even the most complicated cakes. Soon after that, Barbara made her a partner with a share in the business, and they expanded together, opening a few more bakeries in the state.

Barbara was more than just a friend and mentor by then. She’d basically become Heaven’s mom in every way that mattered. But she was getting up there in age and once she was sure that Heaven had mastered running the business, she began to step back slowly.

She wanted to keep baking and she always kept her hand in at the original bakery, the one Heaven had entered that first day. And Heaven, despite taking on all the responsibilities of dealing with managing a cluster of stores, still found time to bake there too. It was mostly just for fun at that point, and something they could do together, but she began to narrow her focus to learn more of the craft.

Her skills became refined over time, and she took an interest in making realistic cakes—the ones that couldn’t be told from non-edible items. That was where her real passion for creation went. Barbara thought it was amusing and they played games of “which one’s the cake?” many times.

But neither of them expected the hobby to catapult them to fame in the baking world. Social media played a big part in it. A channel she’d created, just to show off her fun little creations, suddenly went viral. Millions of people all over the world began to follow and offers came in for a reality show that would be based in that small bakery.

Barbara was hesitant. She’d finally reached a point where she baked only because she wanted to. There was plenty of money and all the bakeries were doing well, so it seemed pointless. Once it became clear that Heaven would be the star in the production, and that she wouldn’t need to be part of it at all, she was completely willing.

In fact, she encouraged Heaven to do it. “Honey, you have some amazing skills and a real eye for design. Why not? You enjoy it and I think people will love watching what you bake.”

So Heaven had agreed but hadn’t thought much would come from it. She was wrong.

It had been life-changing for both of them. Barbara became a beloved “character” who popped in and out of episodes when she felt like it. They hired more workers to help with the complicated creations and their client list now included a breathtaking list of celebrities.

That was just for her original creations though. They continued to sell regular baked goods in an ever-growing chain that eventually reached across several states. And there was a mid-level store brand of cakes that were shipped to groceries across the country too.

It was exhausting juggling everything and neither of them could handle all the paperwork that piled up. Their little business had to make the jump to corporation, complete with a board to help run everything. Heaven thought that would free her up for more time to relax, but it didn’t really since she was co-head of the board with Barbara.

Her small life was no longer small. It was overwhelming and often felt like too much, but when she was really struggling, Barbara was there to help her through it. She soothed Heaven through the doubts and helped her make the tough decisions.

And then Barbara was gone.

She was gone and she’d left everything to Heaven. Heaven’s share had been more than enough to pay all her bills and give her a decent life, but she’d been floored at seeing the full value of everything in black and white. It was more money than she’d ever imagined possessing. Too much really for someone who had grown up with a simple life.

It freaked her out more than a little. Between that and the grief, Heaven had been entirely unable to function. The problem was that she’d never been allowed to just… not function before. It hadn’t been acceptable.

So she tried to keep going. Attending board meetings, and there were a lot of them, because the death of the founder required damage control. But she barely felt capable of handling her duties before and had relied heavily on Barbara to make the tough decisions. Now she was alone, and it was too much.

The board had lawyers, accountants, and others who had more skill at this sort of thing, so she took their advice and basically became a figurehead with no real opinions of her own. She couldn’t look past her own pain for long enough to form any ideas anyway.

When they gently suggested she take a bereavement leave, she was more than happy to accept. Only that meant she spent all her time at home, with nothing to do but think. Even baking didn’t give her the same happiness it used to, because she just ended up thinking about Barbara.

Desperate to keep herself occupied, she found herself online, scrolling through the Internet mindlessly. She’d always been curious about BDSM and had been fantasizing about certain aspects of it since she was a teenager, so it was natural she would eventually go searching for more information when she had hours of time to fill. It was eye-opening and more than a little bit shocking to realize this was a thing people really did.

But it was compelling, and the more she read, the more she realized she was intrigued by the idea of submission and discipline. With zero experience in that domain, she wondered how someone could even get involved. Did you just mention it on a date? “Hey, would you mind spanking me?” That seemed weird.

She had almost no experience dating anyway. She wasn’t exactly a virgin, but she wasn’t far from it. Moving past the hangups of a religious childhood had been difficult, but her overloaded schedule was the real reason she never had time to go out and meet people. Time was one thing she did have now, and online dating was perfectly respectable these days, so that was a possibility to consider in the future.

Then one day she stumbled on a forum for Littles, and confusion over what that was exactly made her click to read more. The next six hours were a blur as she pored through everything. She devoured every post and article and then went searching for more.

Suddenly it all became clear. A Little was what she needed to be. A chance to experience a real childhood, while someone took care of her for a change? Yes, perfect. Adding in the obvious aspect of having to submit to someone’s authority and then accept punishment if she broke the rules tied it in nicely to her kinky fantasies.

The only thing was, Heaven couldn’t actually picture anyone wanting to take on all the work. Maybe a normal woman could have that, but not one with her crazy messed up life. Besides, she honestly didn’t get what a Caregiver or Daddy would get out of the experience. It just seemed like so much effort, and then trying to find someone who was into that was another issue.

“Hi, I’m Heaven. I’m your date for tonight. I’m looking for someone to treat me like a Little girl,” didn’t seem like it would go over well. The emotional rollercoaster of realizing exactly what she needed, followed by the crushing understanding that she could never have it… took away all the excitement she’d begun to build.

She shut off the computer and spent the next day in bed moping. When she finally forced herself to get up and eat something, the computer sat there taunting her. She avoided it. If she couldn’t have that kind of life, she didn’t want to read about it either.

That resolve lasted all of two days before she was back online searching for blogs about living as a Little and fictional stories filled with happy Littles and Daddies—and that was how she found out about Rawhide Ranch. A brief mention in a blog post sent her on a deep dive while her lunch sat uneaten.

Hours later she had the solution to her problem. She finally knew the next step to take, and where she needed to be.