Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 111278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
He drew her onto his lap, holding her tight. “If we don’t find them, then it’s simple.”
“It is?”
“Yep. I’ll quit my job and become your own personal bodyguard.”
She let out a huff of laughter. But then she realized he wasn’t laughing back.
Oh shit.
He was serious.
“Daddy, you can’t do that.”
“Sure I can. That’s the plan.”
Crap. They really needed to find these guys. She loved him to death, but if he was following her around all the time, she might just end up killing him.
“Now, if you didn’t hurt yourself and weren’t in pain and you didn’t have an accident—”
“Daddy, I’m a big girl. Big girls don’t have accidents.”
“Well, you never know. You might have been too busy playing and not noticed that you needed to pee. Why did you call out like that?”
“Because I’m trying to get the dress onto Sally, but she won’t stay still! And it’s super frustrating. Tell her off, Daddy. I think she needs a spanking and timeout.”
“Hmm, I know another girl that needs a spanking and a timeout.”
“Really? Who? Have you gotten me another dolly?” She peered around, as though searching for this doll.
“Her name is Gwendolyn.”
“Like me.” She smiled up at him. That smile dropped at his stern look.
“That’s because I’m talking about you. Did you really yell out like that because you couldn’t get the dress on your doll, Shortcake?”
“Um. I don’t want to lie, but I also feel like telling the truth is going to get me into trouble.”
“No spanking yet. But you’re going into timeout for five minutes to think about what you did and why yelling out help to Daddy like that should only be reserved for times when you really need help.”
“But . . . Sally was misbehaving.”
“Don’t worry, Sally is going with you.” He lifted her off his lap and stood, before reaching down to help her up. Then he grabbed Sally in his other hand and marched them both over to the timeout corner.
He’d put a wooden chair in the corner because he didn’t want her standing for too long. And he’d said that she’d probably end up spending a lot of time in this corner.
She’d scoffed at that.
Turns out, she shouldn’t have. She spent far longer than she liked in this corner. He hadn’t spanked her yet. But that was only because he worried about harming her. Not because she hadn’t earned them.
She still had to hide that darn punishment book. It sat on a shelf in the bedroom. It wouldn’t take much.
“Are you thinking about what you did, Gwendolyn Mary?” his stern voice asked.
Oh drat.
“Are you sure you’re not a mind-reader, Daddy?”
“All us Daddies are. And we have eyes in the back of our heads to stop naughty Littles from getting in trouble.”
Uh-huh, sure he did.
“Your time starts over again since you haven’t been doing what you were told.”
Well. Hell.
She glanced down at Sally who was sitting on the floor facing the corner. “This is all your fault, Sally. Butterball wouldn’t have betrayed me this way. I should have played with her.”
“Shortcake. Be quiet and think about what you did.”
With a sigh, she fell silent and tried to think. It had been a bit of an overreaction.
But she had just wanted Daddy. She’d needed him. However, perhaps she hadn’t needed him right then and there.
“Come out of the corner now.”
When she turned, he was walking toward her. She moved straight into his embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her, rocking her back and forth.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have yelled out like that.”
“All is forgiven, darling girl. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
42
“Right. Let’s see if you’re ready.” Dominic tugged up the zipper of her jacket.
It would barely do up because he had dressed her in seven layers of clothing.
No joke.
And the worst thing was . . . it was sunny outside! Sure, it wasn’t summer, but it definitely wasn’t chilly enough to warrant being smothered to death in clothing.
“It’s too much clothing.”
“I want you to be warm. You can’t catch a chill.” He wrapped a scarf around her neck.
“I can’t breathe.”
He eyed her. “You can breathe.”
“I’m going to get too hot, pass out, fall over, and embarrass myself in front of everyone. Then, I’ll never be able to leave this cabin again. Ever.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Daddy! I can barely move. It’s not even that cold out there. Do you want me to faint from overheating?”
“All right. I take your point. I’ll take off one layer.”
Lord, help her.
The man was impossible. He was just lucky she loved him. Or she might have had to smother him with a pillow.
They walked up to where the barbeque was being held by the Littles’ playground. Yep, there were so many Littles living here on Sanctuary Ranch that they’d had a playground built for them.
This was her first time meeting everyone. While the girls had sent her gifts, and Ellie and Abby had visited several times, she hadn’t met them all in person.