Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“It’s just through here.” She pointed in the correct direction and took the lead to draw him back into the special area.
“What do you want to color with?” she asked. “Colored pencils or crayons?”
“I’m a crayon guy all the way through.”
“Me, too. Colored pencils leave too many lines and markers leave the page wet so it’s easy to smear,” she explained. “We can share a box.”
“Then we won’t have as many to pick up. Smart!” he complimented.
“Now, here’s the tough part. Choosing a picture. Let me get some coloring books.”
Axel kept his eyes from studying her fine bottom when she stood and walked quickly to the rack on the wall that held all sorts of books. She picked out two. One had a princess on it and another had cute animals.
“How about one of these?” she asked. She clearly favored the animal coloring book by tucking the princess one under it.
“I’ll take the one with puppies.”
“Or I can get another one,” Nicoya said quickly.
“No. This is perfect. I’d love to have a dog. What about you?”
Nicoya shrugged. “I’m not home enough to have a real dog, but I like to color them.” She set the princess book aside.
“I’ve always known that my Little wasn’t going to be a perfect princess. I want someone real and honest about who she is. Not someone who thinks she needs to play a role,” Axel said honestly.
“I can’t be a princess,” she said sadly. “I’m too tall and muscular. You need to be dainty to be a princess. I’ve always been too much of a tomboy.”
“Anyone who wants to be could be a princess. It’s more a state of mind than a physical form. Didn’t you know there are lots of different types of princesses?”
“Types of princesses?” she echoed.
He flipped through the pages to find a cute puppy with a ribbon tied around its collar. “I think I’ll do this one if it’s okay with you?”
“That’s cute. Go ahead. Would you pick one out for me?” she whispered.
“Of course,” Axel flipped through the pictures to find a cute kitty. “Do you like kittens?”
“I do, but they make me sneeze.”
“Let’s avoid a cat then,” he said in a serious tone. “How about this one?” Axel showed her a picture of a furry giant of a dog.
“He’s so cute! I bet he’d stand taller than me.”
“Or maybe me,” Axel suggested.
“You are pretty tall,” she commented as she considered his height as he sat next to her.
“My mother always complained about my long legs that were obviously empty when I was a teenager and devoured everything in the fridge and cabinets,” Axel said with a laugh as he carefully pulled both pages out of the coloring book.
“Did you grow up around here?”
“Not too far. My mom and dad are both gone now. A horrific traffic accident stole them away from me.”
“I’m sorry.” Nicoya shivered.
“I didn’t mean to stir up old memories.” Axel winced. Police officers saw the worst things on a shift.
Immediately, he changed the subject as he opened the massive crayon box to offer her one. “Did you have a dog growing up?”
“Ruffles. He was the best dog ever,” Nicoya commented, selecting brown and black crayons.
“What kind of a dog was Ruffles?”
“Stuffed,” she admitted, peeking up at him.
“Do you still have Ruffles?”
“Yes. He’s my bestest friend.”
“Maybe someday you’ll introduce me to him.”
“Maybe.”
Chapter Four
They colored for a few minutes quietly. Axel could tell she was thinking hard about something. Finally he asked, “What’s on your mind, Little girl?”
After a long hesitation, she whispered, “Do you think less of me because I’m Little?”
Axel pushed back his chair before tugging her chair from the table. He scooped her into his arms and sat her on his lap. When she dipped her head to keep from looking at him, he simply held her and rocked their bodies gently.
Finally, she relaxed against him.
“Littles are the bravest people I know. They are willing to listen to what their heart wants most. Many people go through their whole lives not paying attention to what would make them happiest because it’s scary to be that vulnerable—to feel what you’re feeling right now because you’re worried I will judge you. I would never do that. I’m actually in awe of your strength.”
“I’m just being me,” she murmured.
“Exactly. Some people are too frightened to be themselves.”
He felt Nicoya melt against him. The last of her reserve ebbed away.
“It was scary to walk in here that first time. I thought my heart would burst from my chest. And when I saw who was in the daycare, all I wanted to do was run away,” Nicoya admitted.
“But you didn’t. That sounds brave to me.”
She nodded against his shoulder before slowly pushing herself up so she could look at him directly. “Do I get a reward for being brave?”
“I think that would be a very good thing.” Axel cupped the back of her head to draw her forward. Pressing his mouth against hers, he teased her by tasting her inner lips with his tongue. To his delight, she opened her mouth and darted her tongue out to copy his action.