Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Would you like to share that information with me?” he asked, smiling for the first time that evening.
“It’s bad.”
“As long as you aren’t prank calling your own employees, I think I can deal with just about anything,” he suggested.
“Oh, no! It’s not me.” She bit her lip and stared at him, trying to come up with the courage to tell him what she’d done to create this problem. He was going to think she had no business sense or common sense at all when she told him.
Daddy rubbed her back. “Jordi?”
“It’s my… My mother,” Jordi admitted, dropping her gaze so she couldn’t see his reaction.
A few excruciating seconds went by before Callen spoke again. “I’m not sure why you’re not looking at me. I’m confused. What am I missing?”
Jordi swallowed and tentatively lifted her gaze. “It’s all my fault,” she blurted. “You’re going to be disappointed with me and think I don’t have enough brains to run my own business.” She threw her arms up. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not meant to own a company. Maybe I’m too stupid to be in charge of money and dates and employees and purchase orders and even tools!” She was shouting now. “Maybe I’m not an adult at all. Maybe my mother is right!”
Callen’s eyes widened. “Sunshine, you know none of that is true. You’re going to have to explain better about what exactly happened, but I can say you are not your mother. I haven’t met her, of course, but you’ve shared that your home life wasn’t like a fifties television family. I would never judge you for the actions of others. If she had something to do with this, it’s not your fault.”
“I know I’m not her. It’s just so embarrassing. And it totally is my own fault.” Her shoulders slumped.
“Tell me how your mother got involved.”
“A few weeks ago when I first got the job for Shear Beauty, I stupidly answered the phone when my mother called. For some reason, I thought she would finally be proud of me. I had several jobs lined up, money coming in, good reviews on my website. I wanted her to be proud.”
“That’s reasonable, Sunshine. Everyone wants their parents to be proud of them. No matter how old we get, we still want our parents’ approval.” He was so calm and kind while he rubbed her back, listening to her every word.
He was…present. That was the best way to describe her Daddy. He always had time for her. He looked her in the eyes when she spoke. He thought everything she said was important and mattered. She’d never really had that before. Her father had loved her, but he’d been too busy raising four kids to sit down and look any one of them in the eye.
And her mother… What a joke. In hindsight, Jordi had never had that woman’s approval or attention. At least not positive attention.
“Tell Daddy the rest, Sunshine.”
Jordi sniffled and rubbed her eyes as she tried to compose herself enough to admit her mistake. “I shared my work calendar with her. I thought if she could see everything I had lined up, she would realize I’m successful.”
Jordi sucked back a sob and threw herself at her Daddy, tossing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. “Why was I so stupid?”
“Jordi Cross.” His voice was firm and stern. “If you call yourself stupid one more time, I’m going to take you over my knees and spank your bottom so hard you won’t be able to sit for days. You are a bright, smart, successful, spunky, hard-working business owner. Not one inch of you is stupid, and I don’t want to hear that word again. Understood?”
She slowly lifted her face. Tears were streaming down. “I think I’d rather you spank me,” she sobbed, and then she sat up straighter and her voice grew stronger. “I made a huge mistake. Maybe if you spanked my stupid ass, I could purge some of my stupid choices and I’d feel better,” she challenged.
Callen didn’t even flinch. He didn’t look away. He didn’t look angry. He simply carefully wrapped his arms around her and eased her tighter against his chest. He started rocking her, his palm rubbing the back of her neck.
She sobbed harder. Her anger morphed into real tears that wouldn’t stop falling. She cried for the young girl who hadn’t had a role model, the teenager who’d moved away for her own sanity, the adult who still couldn’t do enough to make her mother proud. She cried for her bad choices and because she was stressed and because she felt so incredibly lucky to have the Daddy who was holding her and validating her every step of the way.
She cried for a long time. When she finally sucked back the last sobs, Callen lifted the corner of his T-shirt up between them and wiped her face. “That’s my good girl. So brave and strong.”