Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Bed! She didn’t want to go to bed!
But she also didn’t want to spend time in the corner. Shoot. This was a dilemma.
Although there was only really one thing to do. And it was the right thing to do.
Plus, she really didn’t want to spend all day in bed.
“Daddy, I wasn’t dizzy because of my cold,” she confessed as he settled her on the bed.
He sat facing her. “You weren’t?”
“No, I was just overwhelmed by you buying all those dolls… for me. Nobody has ever done anything like that. You-you didn’t need to.”
“Of course I did. I told you, you deserve an ultra-rare doll. And much more. And I’m going to get you everything you need and desire.”
Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek. “You’re crazy, Daddy.”
“Crazy for you.” He kissed her forehead and she sighed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I just wish we could kiss for real. Stupid cold.”
He cupped her face. “I don’t care about your cold. I just don’t want our first kiss to be while you’re not feeling a hundred percent.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Understand?”
“Yeah. I understand.”
“Good girl. You really feel all right? No dizziness?” he asked.
Well, yeah. She still felt like she’d been run over by a truck. And her head was a bit stuffy. But on the whole, she was heaps better.
“Then it’s into timeout for you!” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the corner of the bedroom. After setting her down on her feet, he walked into the other room and came back with a dining chair that he set behind her.
“Sit down. Ten minutes. And I expect you to think about how you need to obey Daddy and what you could have done differently.”
Rats.
Her and her big, honest mouth.
It was always getting her in trouble.
CHAPTER 17
“I’ve got it! I have the one!” Brand held the doll up in the air.
Was he aware he was acting like a crazy person?
Yes.
Did he care?
No.
Jolie giggled at him from where she sat on the sofa. Four days had passed since he’d walked into Rawhide Ranch, and she’d been getting more color in her cheeks and coughing less every day.
He’d intended to open all the dolls as soon as Liam delivered them. But that had taken more time than expected. Plus, his girl got distracted easily.
Right now, she was coloring in a picture of a baby lion playing checkers with a baby giraffe.
It was cute.
“The one, Daddy?” she asked.
“The one. I present to you, the ultra-rare doll.” He held up a small doll with bright orange and black hair and big blue eyes.
“Ooh.” Her eyes lit up as she took it from him. “I can’t believe you found it!”
“Such little faith in your Daddy.” He gave her an injured look.
“Sorry, Daddy. It’s just you’ve been doing this for a while. How many dolls did you have to unpackage?”
He looked around the mess he’d made, feeling a bit foolish. “Uh, maybe fifty or sixty.”
“Daddy, you’ve made a terrible mess and I hope you’re gonna pick it all up.” She waggled a finger at him.
“I will after I put you down for your nap.”
“I’m not napping today,” she announced.
He turned to give her a look. “I’m sorry?”
“I’m not napping today.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Daddy, I feel good. I don’t need no nap. In fact, I was thinking of going for a walk. I haven’t even seen anything of the Ranch.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need to take it easy.”
“But we leave soon after the concert and I won’t have done anything except sit in this room.”
He studied her for a long moment. He hated seeing her so sad. And when she was upset, he wanted to fix it.
Moving over to her, he tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. “I tell you what. I’ll talk to Nurse Beverly when she comes to check on you and see if she agrees on a small outing tomorrow.”
She clapped her hands. “Really, Daddy?”
“Yes. Just a small one and you’ll behave and do whatever Daddy says.”
“Of course, Daddy. I’m a good girl.”
“Hmm, you do realize that if you’re well enough to go out and about, then you’ll also be well enough to get your butt spanked?”
“Daddy!” she cried.
“Now, what are the rules?” Brand asked as he coated her skin in sunscreen.
Jolie was pretty certain her skin was now coated in an inch-thick layer of the lotion.
He’d dressed her in the shorts and T-shirt this morning as well as putting her hair up into pigtails. They were terrible pigtails, uneven, one was up the top of her head, one further down. Most of her hair was in the right pigtail.
But she wasn’t complaining. He’d really tried hard.
Nurse Beverly had advised them to wait an extra day before Brand took her out and about. She wanted Jolie to have some more energy and also didn’t want to risk her passing on her germs to anyone.