Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
He gladly picked her up and cradled her in his arms, rocking her for a few minutes before she squirmed.
“Put me down now, Daddy. I want to hang my decals!”
“Okay, Pumpkin, but you better let Daddy snuggle you again later.”
“I will. I promise.”
Hunter spent the next thirty minutes indulging his Little girl as she arranged the decals around the room and rearranged them several times before deciding she had them all just right.
She’d chosen to hang the new food pyramid over the changing table because she said she wanted to have something to look at that made her giggle any time he changed her because she was still embarrassed by that part of being Little.
Hunter helped her choose a puzzle and settled her at the small table that was just her size in the corner of the room so she could put it together while he made dinner.
Before leaving the room, he grabbed a new pacifier out of the drawer of the changing table and brought it to her. After crouching down next to her, he fastened it to the front of her dress with a clip.
She glanced down and lifted it, looking uncertain. “It’s a kitten,” she pointed out, twisting it around a few times so she could see all sides. It indeed had a kitten on the front and so did the clip.
“Yep. I have a zebra one too. He matches Zigzag.”
CC glanced at the stuffed zebra sitting in the corner of the room and smiled. “That’s funny, Daddy.” She glanced back at the pacifier in her hand.
He stroked her hair. “Sometimes Little girls like to soothe themselves with a paci. If you decide you want to try it, you’ll have it clipped to your dress. You can pop it in and out without losing it.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her forehead and rose to leave the room. When he got to the door, he grabbed the frame and turned back to look at her.
He smiled so broadly it was a wonder his face didn’t hurt. His precious Little girl was already sucking the paci while she dumped the pieces of her puzzle onto the table.
Yeah, he really needed to put a ring on her finger and soon.
Chapter Twenty
Tangerine stepped out of the cat carrier and slunk low to the ground as he looked around. CC held her breath waiting to see what her large cat would do in the new environment. He’d hung out at her Purrfect Coffee Shop with his menagerie of adoptable cats while CC and Hunter had moved her clothes and special belongings to his house. She’d been sure to bring the big basket of his toys and the heated mat Tangerine loved to lounge on while she watched TV in the evening.
“It’s okay, kitty,” Hunter reassured him, settling cross-legged on the floor nearby. “I hope you’ll like your new home.”
CC was pleased to see the cat scurry to cuddle next to Hunter as the discombobulated feline tried to make sense of this new location. She watched Hunter’s skilled hands stroke the cat’s orange fur to reassure him that everything was okay. A loud purr rewarded his efforts.
After several seconds passed, Tangerine dared to leave the safety of his spot next to Hunter. They watched the cat roam around the room, sniffing at different pieces of furniture and spots on the carpet. He buried his head in his basket and plucked out his favorite catnip duckie. After several bats of his paw, the cat abandoned the toy to continue his tour.
When his fuzzy tail disappeared into the hall, Hunter looked at CC. “Should we follow him?”
“He’s safe to explore. It’s probably best for him to feel free to roam around without supervision,” CC suggested.
Hunter nodded and smoothly rose to his feet. Holding a hand out to her, he suggested, “Come sit on Daddy’s lap. Let’s rest a bit together as Tangerine explores. Moving wiped out my energy.”
“Me, too.”
Following him to the couch, she cuddled on his lap as soon as he sat down. CC inhaled deeply, loving the masculine scent that was completely Hunter. She tucked her head under his jawline and relaxed against him as he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close.
“I love having you here with me, Pumpkin. You make my house a home. Have you thought about what you’ll do with your house?”
“I think I’ll just wait for a while to make sure you don’t get tired of me and Tangerine,” she admitted.
“That’s not going to happen, Little girl. I love you.” Hunter leaned her back so he could look at her face.
“I love you, too. I don’t want to ever leave here. It’s just that I need to have somewhere to go if everything falls apart again,” CC tried to explain.
“You mean like when Darren was killed?” he probed, running his fingers through her hair.