Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
She drained about half of the water before he set it aside to rock her in his arms, swaying back and forth. “Good girl. Now, how about you tell me what happened to make you cry so hard you couldn’t even finish climbing the stairs to get home.”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about it. Not with him. Not with anyone. She wanted to climb into bed, fall into a deep sleep, and pray that today never happened when she woke up tomorrow. If she said it out loud, it would make it more real.
He kissed her forehead and tapped her nose. “You are a stubborn Little girl, aren’t you?”
She stared at him. Why was he being so nice? Wasn’t he horrified by the contents of her apartment?
She glanced around. Her living room wasn’t a total disaster, but it was filled with everything Little, including many princess items. The throw blanket, decorative pillows, stuffies, plastic plates, bowls, and cups she hadn’t put in the sink.
He was waiting patiently when she looked back at him.
“You don’t want to hear about my stupid problems,” she murmured.
He frowned. “How about you let me decide that, sweetie. I bet you’ll feel better if you unload. Tell me what happened,” he insisted.
She drew in a breath. Why not? What could it hurt? He was already in her apartment, and either he wasn’t very discerning or he wasn’t judgmental. “I lost my job.” She looked down at her hands in her lap and wrung her fingers together.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie. What happened?”
“They were downsizing, and my position got cut.”
“I don’t even know where you worked. What did you do?”
“It was a factory that makes children’s toys. I worked on an assembly line.” She held up her hands between them. “I have small fingers and good eyes. I could put tiny pieces in place before the toys got boxed.”
He took one of her hands in his and held it. “You sure do have small hands. They are pretty ones too.”
She frowned. “Guess I can start painting my nails again,” she muttered absentmindedly, trying to think of the bright side. “Although I won’t be able to afford polish.” She shuddered. “Or this apartment.”
He flinched, and she noticed. “Sounds like you could use some help.”
She shrugged. “Unless you know someone in desperate need of a person with small fingers and good fine-motor skills, I’m afraid I don’t have many other tricks.”
It suddenly felt weird sitting on Theo’s lap, and she tried to slide off him to put some distance between them. But he held her steady, his hands on her hips. “I’ll have to think on that. In the meantime, how about if I fix you something to eat, and maybe we can play a game or do a puzzle together to help you relax. I’m good at tucking Little girls into bed.” His smile was genuine. Wasn’t it?
Chapter Two
Annie stared at this man. Her neighbor. A man she knew nothing about except that his name was Theo, and he was a nurse somewhere. She only knew that because he’d told her, and she often saw him in scrubs.
She’d never had the nerve to speak to him before. And she barely did now. “I bet you have better things to do.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than spend the evening with my pretty Little neighbor who could use a friend.”
“Pretty?” she blurted before she could stop herself.
“Of course.” He stroked her hair. “Prettiest Little girl I know. I love the days when I get to see you coming and going.” He lifted a lock of her hair and bounced it in his palm. “I’m pretty good with fixing hair too. I bet you’d feel better if I put some pigtails in it and added some of those bows you have in the bathroom.”
She gasped. Shocked didn’t begin to describe her. “I’m Little,” she blurted.
“I can see that.” His smile grew. “I’ve always known it though. I have Little radar.” He released her hand and tickled her tummy playfully.
She was warming up to him and even giggled. “Are you a Daddy?”
“I am.”
“Do you have a Little girl of your own?” She’d never seen anyone else coming or going from his apartment, but anything was possible.
“Nope. I haven’t had time. I’ve been working a lot of hours and building a house.”
“Oh.” She knew her eyes were wide again. “You’re building a house?” That meant he would be moving from this apartment soon. That made her sad, but she would probably have to move out before he did since she didn’t have any way to pay the rent.
“Yep. It’s almost done. I’ll be moving into it soon.”
She frowned. The thought that he would be moving made her feel depressed. Not that she’d ever even spoken to him until today, but she liked knowing he was next door for some reason. “Is it far away?” she asked in a soft voice.