Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
“All right.”
“And I definitely want you to sleep.”
“I’ll try.”
“You’ll do more than try. I think that’s part of the problem, that you’re not getting enough sleep. So you’re going to have a nap now.”
“A nap?” she groaned. “But, Daddy, I’ve got other things to do!”
“No, you don’t. I’m going to make you a bottle and you can have a nice nap. Doesn’t that sound good?”
It sounded boring.
“I think there’s more exciting things we could be doing, Daddy.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”
“Christmas shopping!”
“Nope. You need sleep. You can play with your toys for a few minutes while I get your bottle ready.”
He settled her in her teepee and handed her Stella. She already had Stella’s things in the teepee from the other day.
“Oh, Stella. Why am I being so silly?” she asked. “You think it’s because I didn’t take you shopping with me? But you can’t come everywhere with me . . . no, people won’t understand a big girl like me carrying a dolly around. Floppy doesn’t get to go either.”
The doll scowled. Wow. Stella was really upset with her.
“I’m sorry, Stella. But you don’t get everything you want,” she told her doll firmly. “Now, don’t you stomp your foot at me, young lady!”
Yikes.
What just came out of her mouth? She’d sounded like Daddy just then and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“You have to have your bottle, Stella,” she told her doll, picking up the baby bottle. “Be a good girl.”
“Is everything all right in here?” Ink asked.
She jumped slightly. “Daddy! You surprised me. You shouldn’t sneak up on me. It’s not very nice.”
“I’m sorry, baby. Didn’t you hear me come into the room?” he asked, crouching down.
“No, I was too busy scolding Stella. She is being naughty. She’s upset that I didn’t take her shopping today and she’s refusing to have her bottle.”
“That is very naughty. Perhaps you should put her into Time Out,” he suggested.
“I can’t do that, Daddy! It’s not nice. I’m not you.”
He shot her a look. “Are you saying I’m not nice, Button?”
Uh-oh.
“I didn’t say that, Daddy,” she said hastily. “In fact, I was just telling Stella what a really nice Daddy I have. The bestest, greatest, most amazing Daddy in the world.”
“Nice save,” he muttered.
“I thought so.”
“Come on, leave Stella for the moment. It’s time for your bottle.”
She sighed. “Daddy, I don’t drinks from a bottle. I’m a big girl.”
How could he not see that?
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes! I know how old I am, Daddy!”
“So you don’t want to sit on Daddy’s lap and be cuddled up against his chest as he feeds you a bottle?” he asked.
Wait! When he put it like that . . .
“You know, maybe I could have a bottle. But I don’ts need the nap.”
“You need the nap,” he said firmly. “You have dark marks under your eyes. You haven’t been sleeping and you’re jumping at shadows. Bottle and nap.”
Reaching down, he lifted her, then carried her over to the rocking chair. It was painted white with a soft peachy-pink blanket resting over the back of it.
He sat in the chair and she saw he’d already put her bottle on the small side table next to the chair.
After he settled her back against one arm, he reached over and grabbed the bottle, placing it against her lips. Opening her mouth, she started to suck.
Betsy had no idea how he thought she was going to sleep.
There was no way.
Not . . . happening . . .
Ink carefully removed the bottle from between her lips and set it to one side. He didn’t immediately put her into bed. Instead, he rocked the chair back and forth as he stared down at her sleeping face.
He knew he should put her into bed, but he was enjoying holding her too much. She was so beautiful. Her perfect mouth was slightly open as she breathed in deeply.
Ink hated the dark marks under her eyes. Betsy worried so much over everyone else. She needed someone to look out for her because she’d never do it for herself.
Resting his head back against the chair, he closed his eyes for a long moment.
They couldn’t find Zippy’s foster father. It was like he’d disappeared into thin air. That couldn’t be possible, though.
So where the hell was he?
Betsy made a small noise of fear.
“Hush, baby. You’re all right,” he soothed, tightening his hold slightly. “Shh. Shh.”
She immediately quietened.
He’d just hold her for a while longer and leave the rest of the world behind.
10
“School going okay, kid?” Ink asked.
Zippy sighed. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
“Your teacher all right?”
“She’s okay.”
“The other kids? Are they being nice? Did you make any friends?” he asked.
“Ink?”
“Yeah?”
“You’ve got to chill,” she advised him. “Or you’re gonna give yourself a heart attack with all this worry.”
“Right. Sorry. Just making sure that no one is being mean to you.”