Susie
accompanied her daddy almost eagerly. Kelly couldn't see her face, but, from
the skip in her step, she wondered if public punishments were something Susie-Q
was not only accustomed to, but enjoyed.
As
they approached Mr. Cartwright's building, Kelly gave Daddy's hand another
small tug. He glanced down at her. Something in her expression must have
indicated how uneasy she was, because he immediately bent down to speak with
her privately. "Do you know what you did wrong?"
"Yes,
sir."
"Did
you think I wouldn't punish you for your poor attitude and etiquette?"
"No,
but…"
"But
what?"
"I
thought you'd wait until we got home. I—" Kelly put her hands over her
face.
"Normally,
I would have, but you directly defied me in front of my friend, and I consider
that inexcusable. Since Susie did the same thing, I think it's appropriate you
are both punished together."
Lowering
her hands, Kelly whispered, "She likes it."
He
frowned. "What?"
"She
enjoys getting spanked before an audience. I can tell. She's not upset at all.
This will be fun for her."
"I
sincerely doubt her daddy is going to make this a pleasant experience,
Kelly."
"I
think he will. I think they—"
"Enough.
I've listened to your objections, but they aren't going to change my mind. You
were naughty, Kelly. And what happens to naughty little girls?"
"They
get spanked by their daddies," she parroted back.
"That's
right, and unless you want Susie's daddy to add in a few swats of his own on
your backside, I suggest you stop fussing and start obeying."
When Child Services attempts to place her in a Residential Treatment Center next, Kelly's growing mistrust has her running away again and again. Homeless and penniless with no relatives to harbor her, and a penchant for escaping her caretakers, Kelly is finally handed over to one of the few parish orphanages remaining in existence until age at 18, when she is released.
Possessing only a little money, few skills and even fewer resources, Kelly's attempts at job hunting end up with her prowling the streets in desperation until a wealthy stranger makes her a proposition she is too cold and hungry to refuse. Though, it isn't until he takes her home that she realizes just what it is she's gotten herself into.
Note about the characters in this story:
Though Learning to be Little will be the newest book in the series, it actually begins immediately after A Dom's Dilemma, then takes the reader into Kelly's past in a sequel/prequel. The story is a departure for me in that the majority of its chronological time line takes place before the two books I've already published, but it belongs in the middle of the series. I expect two, possibly three more books in the series to be available in the near future.
Learning to be Little: Kelly's Story is available on Kindle Unlimited, and for purchase on Amazon.