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)
Betsy wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re the best Daddy in the world, did you know that?”
“I did. But it’s always good to hear.”
She went to sleep that night with a huge smile on her face.
And woke up the next morning to the happy squeals of a little girl . . . amazed and ecstatic that Santa had visited her.
There were gifts and laughter.
Love and magic.
Too much food.
This Christmas was as magical and amazing and blessed as she’d hoped and wished it would be.
As it would always be.
EPILOGUE
Five months later . . .
“Bonnie? Do you want to come and check what I’ve done with the shop?” Betsy asked as she walked into the trampoline park that Bonnie was in the midst of creating.
It was going to be amazing. There were huge trampolines cut up into sections with pads between them. And a big foam pit for Littles to jump into.
Bonnie was bouncing up and down. She went up high into the air and did a flip before landing. Her landing wasn’t the best and she fell onto her butt.
“Wow! That was amazing.” Betsy clapped her hands as Bonnie sat up with a smile.
“Thanks. I need to fix the landing, though.”
“Bonnie!” Titus yelled as he stormed across the trampolines. “What do you think you are doing? You could have hurt yourself!”
Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes at Betsy who held back her giggles.
Titus was . . . well, overbearing was a nice word for it. A total mother hen in a large, menacing package.
But he grew on you . . . kind of.
“I’m sure whatever you did is amazing!” Bonnie said. “You need a raise. Titus, give her some cash.”
Both of them gave Bonnie exasperated looks.
“I don’t need a raise,” Betsy told her. “This is my job.”
“I’m not giving her cash. You can’t keep giving away cash or you’ll go broke.”
Bonnie just shrugged with a smile as she stood and bounced again. “Sheesh. You guys need to chill. Do some bouncing.”
Betsy’s phone started ringing and alarm filled her as she saw it was Zippy’s school.
“I have to go take this. It’s Zippy’s school.”
Bonnie gave her a worried look and waved her off.
Betsy stepped off into the corridor and took the call.
“Hello? This is Betsy McClain.”
“Ms. McClain, this is Mrs. Pearson. I’m Principal Burns’ personal assistant. I’m afraid to tell you that there has been an altercation at school.”
“Is Zippy all right?”
“She’s fine. The small boy she punched in the nose isn’t so fine.”
What? What had happened?
And why did this woman sound so judgy?
“You’ll need to come down and see Principal Burns.”
“I’ll be right there.”
As she drove to the school, Betsy called Ink and left a message. She knew he had a meeting with some big clients this morning so he was probably still busy, but hopefully he’d get her message.
Pulling up to the school, she jumped out of her car and rushed inside. She glanced down at herself, aware that she was wearing one of the outfits from LittleLand. It was a dress that was cinched in at the waist and flowed out. There were small daisies all over the white material.
It was actually one of Millie’s creations and one of her favorites.
Oh well. It would be fine.
She walked into the waiting area for the principal’s office and saw a young boy holding his nose. A woman and man who were likely his parents sat on either side of him. They scowled as they saw her.
“You ought to be ashamed of your daughter’s behavior, hitting our Eliot,” the woman said.
“And what did your Eliot do to get punched?” she asked.
Eliot looked very guilty.
Betsy marched up to the desk where an older woman eyed her with suspicion. “Where is my daughter?”
“Foster daughter,” she said.
Betsy leaned over the desk. “My. Daughter.”
“In with Principal Burns.”
Betsy marched into the office without waiting for the old bat at the desk.
“Why, I never!” Mrs. Pearson said from behind her. “I’m sorry, Principal Burns.”
The older man waved her off. Betsy actually liked him. He’d always seemed kind and fair.
Zippy turned to Betsy. “Mr. Burns, you didn’t have to bring Betsy down here.”
“Actually, I did,” the principal said. “You hit another child, Zippy. That can get you suspended, if not expelled.”
Oh hell.
Betsy walked to Zippy, crouching next to her. “Are you all right, Zippy?”
“Yeah. Eliot is all talk. He can’t punch. He had his thumb on the inside of his fist. Rookie mistake.”
“So he tried to hit you?”
“Yeah. After I told him what a jerk he was. That he was a bully and that he smelled.”
“You didn’t say he tried to punch you, Zippy,” Mr. Burns said.
“No one asked.”
“Why did you call him those things, sweetheart?” she asked.
“Because he was being mean to Grace. He called her four-eyes and said she was dumb. Grace isn’t dumb.”
No, she was very smart. And Zippy’s best friend. They were an unlikely pair. The fierce tomboy and the quiet, shy girl.