1. Marshall

Chapter 1

Marshall

THREE MONTHS AGO

The Eagle Ridge Ranch play barn was filled with the sound of joyous laughter. The whole gang was there, and the mischievous Littles were playing all kinds of pranks on their Daddies as they charged around with careless abandon having the time of their lives.

Marshall was twenty-four years old and had lived in Eagle Ridge his whole life. With his dazzling smile and unlimited supply of sass, Marshall was the kind of Little who rarely took a backward step in life. Marshall was outgoing, fun loving, and had what seemed like limitless energy.

With his hazel eyes and cropped black hair, Marshall cut a distinctive figure as he dashed around the play barn, determined to have as much fun as possible with his friends. And if he could sass some Daddies at the same time, then that was even better .

‘Hey, Dale! Watch me!' Marshall hollered bouncing off the edge of the rainbow colored trampoline and into the depths of the fully loaded ball pit. ‘No Daddy could ever catch me! Too slow, and too clumsy for Super Marshall! Wahoooo !'

‘Awesome!' Dale called back, turning and smiling at his Daddy, Kipp. ‘My turn now!'

Since converting his uncle's old ranch into the Eagle Ridge Ranch and making it a safe space for Littles and Daddies to be themselves without any fear of judgement, Kipp and his boy Dale had seen other pairings come together and it was a feeling that filled them both with pride.

Marshall could see that Dale and Kipp were building something truly special at the ranch and it made him gladder than ever to be a Eagle Ridge resident. Marshall loved his childhood growing up in such a wholesome town, and it was beginning to look like his adult life there was going to be even better

And Marshall loved nothing more than going to the ranch and expressing himself and having as much fun as was humanly possible. The fact that Marshall didn't have his own Daddy was fine too. The Eagle Ridge Ranch wasn't only for Daddy and Little couples. Single Daddies and Littles were welcomed with open arms, and everyone was able to enjoy the experience and take whatever they wanted from it.

Of course, this didn't mean that Marshall had no experience of Daddies – and one Eagle Ridge Daddy in particular…

‘ Yay , that was so much fun,' Marshall said as he approached Max and enthusiastically held out his hands to take a pineapple and orange juice box out of his big, strong hands. ‘ We should jump off the trampoline together. I know you're a Daddy, but Daddies need to have fun too.'

‘That's true,' Max replied, smiling and leading Marshall over toward the quiet chill out corner of the barn. ‘But we need to talk about something.'

Marshall smiled and nodded.

The fact was that Marshall knew what Max was probably going to say. And despite knowing what was coming, Marshall still didn't want to hear it being spoken out loud.

‘You know I'm headed out of town for the next couple of months, don't you?' Max asked, sitting down on the enormous polka dot beanbag and welcoming Marshall as he sat next to him.

‘ Yup , I do,' Marshall said, trying not to sound too downcast. ‘But you'll be coming back, right?'

‘Of course I will!' Max chuckled. ‘It's called The Hot Plate for a reason.'

Marshall smiled. He had always got on well with Max, ever since his first shift at the diner. And there was always chemistry between them too – the kind of spark that had spilled over into some steamy, very physical moments between them.

But despite being seemingly well matched, Marshall and Max had never taken the next step and tried being Daddy and Little together. It wasn't that Marshall didn't find Max attractive, or often find himself imagining all the naughty things they could do together .

Marshall figured that him and Max simply weren't meant for one another – and the feeling was mutual from Max's point of view too. But that didn't mean that Max going away for a couple of months was good. Far from it, in fact.

‘Anyway, I just wanted to say…' Max said, hesitating for a moment and then gathering himself once more. ‘I think it's time we officially closed the door and any fooling around together. I don't think it's helping you find a Daddy. And in truth it's probably not helping me either.'

Marshall had figured the same thing himself but had been putting off bringing it up with Max. But Max being a Daddy, he clearly felt like now was the right time and he was probably right.

‘You think you being away is like a reset or a clean break?' Marshall asked, knowing the answer himself.

‘I do,' Max said, wrapping his strong arm around Marshall and kissing him on the forehead. ‘And so do you. But that doesn't mean we won't still be friends. There'll just be a clearer boundary.'

Marshall smiled. He felt a little bit sad, but at the same time Marshall knew that this was the right thing to do. With the sound of the Littles and Daddies having fun in the barn filling the air, Marshall looked up to Max and gave him one final kiss on the cheek.

‘I'm good,' Marshall said, standing up and putting his hands on his hips. ‘But I definitely need to find my friends and challenge them to a race up the climbing frame. This juice has got me pumped! '

Max smiled his charming smile and waved Marshall away.

For Marshall, it was an end to a fun chapter in his life. He might have felt a tinge of sadness at the realization that his and Max's relationship was now formally going to be friends only, but there was a super-quick way of getting over it – and Marshall being Marshall, he was determined to show his fellow Littles who the climbing frame champion was once and for all.

PRESENT DAY

The Hot Plate was full of the usual hustle and bustle that went a long way to making the atmosphere there so great. With its polished retro style and sumptuous menu of freshly prepared food and coffee, it was the premium spot in all of Eagle Ridge for those who wanted good food and drink served in a hurry.

‘Kitchen! We've got two toasted wraps, and a tripe-bagel delight too,' Marshall called out, fresh from serving the corner booth their pancakes and coffee breakfast. ‘Let's go, go, go!'

With Max's business trip having extended into an unexpected third month, Marshall was now more or less the day to day manager of the diner. Marshall would still need to check in with Max to confirm any major decisions, but such was the trust between them that Marshall was able to make most calls himself.

The extra responsibility of being in charge sat well with Marshall, and the extra pay was handy too. Marshall might have been a frivolous and fun loving Little, but when it came to financial matters, he was careful and cautious. If Marshall had extra money, there was only one place it was going, and that was straight to the bank.

Growing up, Marshall was fortunate to have two of the most loving and supportive parents a child could ever dream of. And when Marshall began to explore his identity as a Little, his parents were on hand to offer their love and support, with not one iota of judgement in sight.

However, that didn't mean that Marshall always had it easy growing up.

There had been a prolonged period of financial uncertainty where his father lost his job and a couple of investments had turned sour. This had led to Marshall's parents nearly having to sell their beloved house, and Marshall's home, and move away from Eagle Ridge. Somehow, Marshall's mother and father had held onto the house and gradually worked themselves back onto an even keel.

But the pain of those tough years had never left Marshall.

Marshall would sometimes think back to the mealtimes where his parents were barely eating anything just so they could scrimp and save to pay the electricity or water bills. Marshall never went without food, but the tense atmosphere in the house during the toughest times made it feel like he was living through everything that his parents were.

Still, that was all in the past. Marshall had a great relationship with his mom and pop, and he loved the fact that he could still go and visit them at his childhood home whenever he wanted. There was something so rewarding and nourishing about spending time at his family home and remembering all the good times – and there were plenty of those – that he and his parents had together over the years.

With all this in mind, Marshall had been saving his extra wages with a long term view of being able to afford to buy his own place. Marshall didn't know when he would be ready to start a family, but one day the time would come and Marshall knew that he wanted to have the security of a home to start the process.

‘ Hmmm . I'm going to need more tips,' Marshall giggled, breaking himself out of his home ownership fantasy and practically gliding across the counter so that he could serve his next customer. ‘Black coffee, Mr. Withers?'

Marshall knew most of his regular customers' orders and prided himself on getting to know the people as individuals too. Not only did this make his customers feel good, but it made Marshall feel all bright and happy himself.

There might not have been a Daddy in his life, and this was especially true since him and Max decided to draw a line in the sand, but that wasn't going to stop Marshall living his best Little life.

And speaking of his Little life, Marshall saw his phone flash with some messages. As he waited for Mr. Withers' coffee to brew, Marshall picked his phone up and cast his eye on the rapidly incoming notes…

NICK: Dudes, it's book club day! I hope we're all up to date on our reading hehe. I know I am (my Daddy would light my butt up if I wasn't LOL.) Anyway, just to confirm. This evening, Beau's Books, the reading corner, be there or be… a diaper. XoXoXo

DALE: Are you kidding me? I've been looking forward to this all week. No spoilers, but I'm actually thinking that this is the best book I've read so far this year. Eeek, I can't wait to talk about it. Can you tell? Xxxxxx

ARLO: Love , love, love this book. But the ending? Hmmmm. We need to talk about it. Marshall? Are you there? We need your thoughts! XoXo

NICK: Guys, let's save all this good stuff for later! And don't worry, I've got Beau making us hot chocolate with all the toppings too. Yay!

Marshall heart-reacted all of the messages but there was simply no time for him to even contemplate typing out a message of his own. Marshall was too busy keeping the diner afloat and providing the residents of Eagle Ridge with their daily dose of good food and perfectly brewed coffee.

But Marshall did allow his mind to wander for one moment. Nick, Arlo, and Dale all had their own Daddies to look after them, keep them warm at night, and heat their butts up too when they needed it .

Of course, Marshall was super-happy for his friends, but he couldn't deny that sometimes he felt a little lost as the conversation turned to all things Daddy. Marshall didn't feel envious of his friends, it was more the case that he just couldn't contribute anything to the discussion and would find himself unintentionally feeling a bit sidelined.

Marshall wasn't going to let this spoil his fun at the book club later though – after all, the topic of conversation was going to be all about a handsome elf and his mischievous unicorn best friend. Daddies weren't part of book club, and that was the way it was going to stay!

Beau's Books was as warm and welcoming as ever.

Set over two floors, Beau's Books was run by Beau and his Little, Nick. Together, the two of them made sure to stock a wide array of books and boardgames that would appeal to the whole cross-section of the residents in Eagle Ridge.

Of course, being a Daddy and Little owned store, there was a definite emphasis on making sure that Daddies and their boys were thoroughly catered toward. From a wide ranging section of action and adventure novels for Daddies through to the vast expanse of shelving for any and all the books a Little could desire, Beau and Nick had it covered.

With the shop closed for the day, it was a free run for Marshall and his Little friends – but they were only headed for one place …

‘ Aaaah , book club corner is the best,' Arlo giggled, holding his stuffie Sass up close to his chest.

‘Sure is,' Dale replied, his own stuffy Rebel looking like the most handsome otter in the world. ‘ Oooh , look. The hot chocolates are coming.'

Marshall turned around and saw Nick and his Daddy Beau walking over toward them with a tray of hot chocolates in the cutest book-themed mugs going.

‘Hey, Beachie,' Marshall giggled. ‘I might let you try some of the hot chocolate. But the marshmallows are all mine.'

The three Littles giggled and sat up to take their warm mugs and then get down to the important business of reviewing that week's book. With the perfectly cozy environment around them and a soft soundtrack of relaxing nursery rhymes just about audible, it wasn't long before the four friends were deep into book-talk and enjoying every minute of it too.

Marshall took a moment to look around at his friends as they talked, listened, and laughed with one another.

I'm so lucky.

How many people can say that they're this happy?

Eagle Ridge is the perfect place to be.

However unfortunately for Marshall, the conversation did inevitably take a turn toward Daddies when Dale compared the novel's anti-hero, a grumpy goat, to his Daddy. It was all a joke of course, but Marshall couldn't help bristling a little as the no-Daddy rule was broken .

‘ Poo ! No Daddies at book club!' Marshall said. ‘Unless they're bringing hot chocolate.'

‘ Naaaw , someone's missing Max,' Arlo said, a knowing look in his eye.

‘Hey, it's not like that,' Marshall replied. ‘We had fun. But it was never going to be a real thing. We're friends. And anyway, stop trying to distract me… no Daddies means no Daddies.'

Marshall tried to sound serious but couldn't help bursting into laughter. Marshall knew that his friends weren't trying to rub his nose in it that he was the only one without a Daddy. Perhaps he was too sensitive about the whole thing, or maybe the reality was that Marshall was actually so ready for a Daddy that even the mention of the D-word was enough to have him pining for what his life could be like with a Daddy to hold him tight and keep him safe.

After what Marshall had seen his parents go through, stability was important too. Marshall wanted a Daddy who could assure him that everything was going to go to plan and there would never be any financial danger or serious roadblocks to a happy life.

‘Come on, Marshall,' Arlo said, a knowing look in his eyes. ‘You want a Daddy, don't you?'

‘I guess… maybe,' Marshall said, clutching his stuffie close to his heart. ‘But it can't be any hot guy with perfect pecs and killer arms. Any Daddy of mine needs to be respectable, solid as a rock, and know what he wants from life. Oh, and if he has a big Daddy dick too then that's a bonus! '

Marshall and his friends all laughed and before long the conversation was back on all matters relating to elves, unicorns, Daddy goats, and mysterious castles. Marshall was having a wonderful time, with or without a Daddy, and he wouldn't have changed it for the world.

The fantasy rebellious and dangerous Daddies could stay in Marshall's late night naughty dreams – Marshall was looking for a crisp, clean Daddy who fit the perfect Eagle Ridge mold…