Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Baby girl, I would never think that. Ever. I will take you on as many picnics as you desire. I would never stop doing things you enjoy just because you broke a rule. Remember, if you’re naughty you get punished and then all is forgiven. Right?”
“Right,” she whispered, looking more hopeful.
“Let’s get your socks and boots back on to keep your feet warm.” She sat on the ground and he knelt in front of her. Grabbing her feet, he rubbed his hands over them to warm them.
Then he drew on her socks. The sky had darkened even further. Right, they weren’t going to be lingering.
“Your punishment is going to have to wait until we get home. I want to beat the rain and I don’t want you growing any colder.”
He stood then held his hand out to her, pulling her onto her feet before leading her over to Beast. “You can’t ride on your own all wrapped up and you’ll be warmer with me.”
Unsurprisingly, he didn’t hear any arguments.
She was trembling non-stop when they entered the mudroom that led onto the kitchen of their small cabin.
Macca pulled the door shut behind them. They’d hadn’t quite made it back to the stables before the rain had arrived. And it had come down in buckets. Even though they’d only been a few minutes away, they’d quickly become soaked.
Thankfully, Linc had offered to run them both back to Macca’s cabin in his truck. He was such a nice guy. She’d felt bad about getting the seat in his truck all wet, but he’d waved off her apology, giving her worried looks as he’d turned on the heat, blasting her.
“Right, sweet pea. Let’s get you inside and take off the rest of those clothes. I’ll run you a bath.”
Macca was just as wet as she was, yet he didn’t seem to be affected at all. Her teeth chattered together as she reached for her jacket with chilled fingers.
“Not in here, baby. Just take your boots off and leave the blanket. Go inside where it’s warmer.”
“We’ll get the floors all wet.”
“That’s what a mop is for. Inside. Now.”
She shuffled into the kitchen.
“Clothes off. I’ll start a bath.” Macca quickly pulled off his shirt and jeans and strode into the living room in just his boxers. That was a sight she would have admired more if she wasn’t so chilled.
He quickly returned and picked her up in his arms. He held her against his chest with an arm under her bottom, her legs dangling free.
“H-how can you b-be so warm?” she asked, her teeth still chattering as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“It’s all my muscle,” he boasted with a wink. “Poor baby, you’re like a popsicle. The bath is filling and the heater is on.” He set her down in the bathroom, which was toasty warm, so he could test the temperature of the water. Then he turned off the taps and helped her climb in.
“Ouchy,” she mumbled as her cold skin encountered the warm water.
“Hurts?” he asked with sympathy.
“Like little pins pricking me.” Not the best feeling in the world.
“It’s a good thing. Means you’re warming up.” He grabbed a washcloth and soaked it in the water.
“Do you want to get in the bath with me?”
“I’ll take care of you first, sweet pea. Not sure we’d both fit in that bath. All the water would probably end up on the floor.”
She nodded solemnly. “You are pretty big, Daddy.”
“Big!” he protested with mock-outrage.
“Uh-huh, it’s all those muscles.”
“Good save, sweet pea. Now lay back. Do you want me to wash your hair?”
She shook her head. Her hair had stayed relatively dry under the big hat. A reason to be pleased he’d insisted on her wearing it.
“I’ll get your shower cap.”
Her hair was in pigtails so he could have just pinned it up. But her shower cap was so cute she didn’t mind wearing it. It was pink with eyes at the front and a unicorn horn at the top.
Macca grabbed it from a bathroom drawer as well as some of her toys. She grabbed her bath crayons with excitement. They were her favorite.
He pulled her pigtails up into the shower cap then started bathing her. She was used to him washing her in the bath and didn’t pay him much attention. Bath crayons were far more interesting. She turned to the tile on the wall and drew a picture of a horse and then a stream and some trees.
“What do you think, Daddy?”
“I think that’s very good, sweet pea. You’re very talented.”
“Bath crayons aren’t as good as paints.”
“We need to get you some paints then. And some canvases, since using bath crayons on tile is fine but using paint on walls is a big no-no.”
“Aww, Daddy, don’t you want me to paint a mural in the living room?” she teased. “It could use a bit of decoration.”