Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 26164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Hey, baby. Don’t fall asleep yet.” Crouching, he put a pair of socks on her feet. Shit. Maybe he should just wrap her up in the blanket and carry her to his place. After banking the fire, checking the front door was locked, and turning off all the lights except for the one in the back room, he managed to get her to lie down on the blanket. Then he wrapped her up.
“You’re good at that,” she croaked. “I’m snug as a bug in a rug.”
“Good, baby.”
“Wait. Princess Pickles.”
“She’s already at my place,” he told her dryly.
“Naughty kitty. Think she likes you better than me.”
He didn’t understand why. “Where are your keys?”
“On the table, but I don’t need them.”
“I’m going to lock up your house, you’ll need them to get back in.”
She yawned. “Oh, the back-door lock doesn’t work.”
What the fuck?
Calm. Calm.
He forced himself to relax. But this girl . . . if he’d ever met someone in more need of a keeper, he didn’t know who it was. He couldn’t decide which urge was greater, to spank her or coddle her.
“When you’re feeling better, you and I are going to have words.”
“Ooh, what kinds of words? Will you call me baby? Or little girl? Because I like when you call me that. And when you don’t look at me like I’m dog poop.”
He stared down at her. “I’ve never looked at you like you’re dog poop.”
“Uh-huh, sure you didn’t. It’s okay. I forgive you. Maybe you were just having a bad day or two or a few bad weeks. It’s all right.”
But it wasn’t. It really wasn’t. All she’d done was be nice to him and he’d made her feel like dog poo.
Good going, asshole.
“I’m sorry, Lucie.”
“What for?” She stared up at him with glazed eyes. Would she even remember this conversation tomorrow?
“For being such a grouchy asshole when you were just trying to be friendly.”
“Oh. That’s all right. I forgive you. I know I can be annoying.”
“You’re not annoying,” he told her firmly. “And I won’t have you say that about yourself.”
“All right, Daddy.”
He froze. She didn’t say that, right? He stared down at her, but her eyes were drooping. Maybe it was a joke. Calling him Daddy because he’d gotten all stern with her. That had to be it.
She wasn’t a Little.
But his mind traveled to what he’d found in her bedroom. Didn’t mean anything. Lots of people wore cute pajamas and had children’s clocks on their bedside table. And liked bubble baths.
Shit.
He picked her up.
“Wait! Ziggy!”
“What’s a Ziggy?” he asked.
“My puppy.”
“You have a puppy?” How had he missed a dog?
“Oh, there he is, under the cushion.”
He set her down and drew out the scruffiest stuffed dog he’d ever seen. It only had one eye, and it looked like one of the ears had been chewed on.
“Ziggy! Need Ziggy!” she said in a high voice.
He put Ziggy in her bag, then picked her back up.
“No, don’t wanna go to school,” she mumbled.
His tension eased. She was obviously having a dream.
“Please, Gran. Can I stay home today? Got a calculus test and math is the worst. All the numbers.”
He had to smile at that as he carried her out to the backroom. Setting her down, he kept one hand on her so she didn’t slide off the bench as he hastily put on his coat and boots.
Then he lifted her again.
“Atticus?” she said in a small voice.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Thanks for taking care of me. You’re the best.”
If only that were the truth. He’d been a jerk to her. But he could try to make up for it now. He’d take care of her, get her healthy, and send her home.
Should be easy, right?
4
Easy, huh? Yeah, right.
After carrying her to his place, he’d left her in the spare bedroom to put her pajamas on while he found some cold medicine.
Walking back into the bedroom, he found Lucie lying sideways on the bed with only one leg in her bottoms. Thankfully, she’d managed to get her top on and a pair of panties.
“Okay, let’s get you into bed, all right?”
“Can’t move, too tired,” she grumbled as he carefully rolled her over and pulled her pajama bottoms up. Damn, her skin was smooth. He tucked her in under the covers.
“I have some cold medicine for you.” He held up the packet of pills.
“Don’t want them.” She screwed her nose up. Shit, that was cute.
“It will help you feel better.”
“Do you have some candy?”
“Candy?” Why would she want candy?
“I need something sweet afterward.”
Giving her a stern look, he sat on the bed, facing her. He’d bought the cabin furnished, which was the only reason there was a bed in here.
“Little girl, are you asking me to bribe you to take your medicine?” he asked sternly.
She gave him a pleading look. “Don’t you know the saying?”