Page 3 of Guiding Little Gabi

Smile and nod. Just smile and nod.

Nodding and smiling, Gabi said,“Thanks, I’ll do that.” Noticing the basket of goodies on the check-in desk, she grabbed a few of her favorites in case she got lost looking for the café, then she was on her way. She could do this. It was going to be the most fun ever!

CHAPTER 2

Sitting on one of the three sofas opposite the double-sided fireplace near the check-in desk, Gabi pretended to rummage through her backpack and put away her key card while observing the people milling around the lobby.

She’d been there for half an hour, watching as giggling Littles entered what she’d discerned to be the café and was trying to scrape up the courage to do the same. When a group of girls more animated than most stalked into the restaurant, her curiosity burned brighter than her fear.

They were obviously upset about something. If she could find out what it was, she could fix the problem. Then they might want to be her friend. Relief washed over her at finally having a plan.

Sneaking in, she found an empty table and, concentrating hard on not throwing up, took a seat. She faced the same challenge every year at the state fair when everyone wanted to ride the rollercoaster. Gabi loved rollercoasters, except that first one. All the fears of what could go wrong flooded her mind. But once she cowgirled up and rode her first roller coaster, nothing could hold her back.

Now, instead of riding a rollercoaster, she needed to introduce herself and make some friends. Could she do it?

She was a big Little girl. Was that a thing? Could you be Little and brave?

You do it every day. Of course you can. Eat that elephant one bite at a time!

Okay, that was great advice, but it wasn’t Beetlebrenda’s voice she heard. This voice was all Raleigh. How could she be so mad at him, and still have his imaginary voice make her feel better?

She had no answer for that, so she concentrated on being that big Little girl. She’d gotten herself to the Ranch. Maybe she’d even leave with new friends for life. All she had to do was muster the nerve to talk to the group of girls now seated a few tables away.

When another guest passed by Gabi’s table, the scent of fresh pancakes filled the air. And not just any pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes. Those were her very favorite pancakes in the world.

This day was getting better and better because chocolate chip pancakes meant chocolate fudge sauce for syrup. With her stomach growling, she had the nice lady behind the counter fill her plate with the fluffy, chocolatey pancakes, and enough fudgy chocolate sauce to sink three battleships. Because, hello… chocolate chip pancakes were the cure for everything that ailed anyone, ever.

She didn’t even try to hold back the moan of pleasure as the first bite of the fluffy, maple goodness melted in her mouth. Sheer perfection.

They filled her tummy with deliciousness and her soul with courage, not that she was surprised. Pancakes always made her feel better. She was pretty sure they could bring about world peace if people would give them a chance. Who could remain angry at other people with a tummy filled with pancake goodness?

And if pancakes could bring about world peace, they could certainly help her make new friends. So what if she was at the most famous resort for Daddies and Littles in the country without a Daddy? So what if she was almost the only person sitting alone in a cafe filled with people?

She could fix that. Probably.

Halfway across the room, four clearly upset girls sat, pushing their pancakes around on their plates instead of eating them.

“It’s not fair!” one of the girls practically shouted. Her friends hushed her and scanned the area as if to see if her outburst had garnered any attention.

Oh, the travesty. The inhumanity of it all. Four girls, all squandering the pancakes on their plates, the very thing that could make them feel better.

One of the girls, a pretty brunette, caught Gabi staring. Gabi dropped her gaze, but she couldn’t help wondering what they were so upset about. She hated it when people were upset, especially Littles. She needed to make it better, even if she’d never met them before. The longing to help nearly overwhelmed her.

Role assignment achieved. Gabi the Problem Solver to the rescue.

She’d recently helped her fellow Musketiaras back home get their bedtime extended. Every Little knew a nine o’clock bedtime was cruel and unusual punishment. With her help, the Daddies of Darling had relented and bumped bedtime back to 9:30. Of course, they’d cut their in-bed reading time by thirty minutes, but a win was a win in her book.

Her shoulders slumped at the thought of her beloved Musketiara sisters. She missed her friends. The memory of their latest shenanigans swept her away, leaving Gabi lost in her thoughts once more.

“Excuse me.” A voice interrupted her a minute later. “Mind if we join you?”

Blinking up at the four girls gathered around her at the table, Gabi could only nod. Wow, this was the first time the roller coaster had come to her.

“Awesome!” the perky brunette said. “My name’s Sadie. I love your boots! You have to tell me where you got them. Do you think they have them in lavender?”

Gabi tried to remember. “Oh, um, well, if they don’t, they should get some. That would be amazing.”

“I know, right?” Sadie said. “I’m guessing you’re new here. Welcome to Rawhide Ranch. These are my friends, Hayleigh, Wren, and Pippi.”

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