Page 11 of Hearing Little Hadley

“A trail ride?” Derek suggested.

She shook her head.

“A horse…” he trailed off trying to think of what she meant. “Ah, the alpaca. She wants to meet Alfie. You’re not signed up for that, silly girl, it’s just something you want to do.”

She nodded excitingly.

“He thinks he’s a horse!” Sadie giggled. “A horse!”

Hadley’s shoulder shook with silent laughter.

“Do you know about the turkeys?”

Hadley shook her head.

“Wren saved six turkeys that were supposed to be for Thanksgiving. Now they live at her house. They’re all so silly too! Monica is my favorite because she’s kinda neurotic.”

Finn adored the way Hadley leaned forward when Sadie talked, like she was hanging on to every word.

“I bet Sadie could take you and Master Finn to meet Alfie during your stay, right, Sadie?”

“Yes, Daddy. And maybe we could visit the turkeys too?”

“If that’s something they would like to do and if it is okay with Master Travis and Wren, you may.”

Hadley was already nodding her head at rapid speed and Derek chuckled.

“Is it okay with you, Finn?”

“Yes, I personally would love to meet a neurotic turkey.”

“The Littles staged a protest to keep the turkeys from being food. They made signs and everything, and we respected their request and now we purchase frozen turkeys,” Derek explained, stroking Sadie’s hair.

“They were our friends, not our feast,” Sadie explained.

The two Little girls skipped ahead of the men once again. Their bellies were full of the chocolate cake they’d been given when they’d eaten all their other food.

“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us tonight,” Finn said.

“I’ve enjoyed myself. I hope I didn’t make her to uncomfortable by asking about her being nonverbal. Usually, I speak with Littles in my office, but she seems much too shy for that.”

“Yes, I think that would have terrified her.”

“She doesn’t speak because of fear,” the observant Ranch Master pointed out.

Finn nodded.

“Poor Little girl,” Derek said.

“Sadie’s done a lot to calm Hadley’s nerves.”

“I think maybe that was Sadie’s intention. I heard shehelpedyou find your room today?”

“She did,” Finn agreed with a chuckle.

“My Little girl is very observant and very sensitive. She can’t stand to see someone hurting. I think she sensed your Little girl might be.”

“She’s not my Little girl,” Finn corrected.

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