Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Rose snagged it from the bin. “This one is an elephant.” She held him up so his front legs were reaching out as if he wanted a hug. “He’s been waiting for the perfect child to claim him. Or her.”
When Adam didn’t say anything for a few seconds, Rose looked up from the elephant to the man and found him staring at her instead of the stuffie. His lips were lifted slightly at the corners, making his eyes crinkle.
Suddenly Rose realized she’d been talking about the elephant as if she were introducing the fellow to a toddler, not a grown man. She pursed her lips and held her breath.
Adam was still looking at her, still smiling. Indulgently? He lifted a hand and slowly reached out. For a moment, she thought he was going to stroke her cheek, but at the last second, he jerked his attention to the stuffie and patted the elephant awkwardly on the head instead.
Adam’s voice was lower and softer when he spoke again. “She’s perfect. I’m certain Amelia will say she’s a girl. I wouldn’t dare name her, but I’d bet my last dollar she’ll be named Sally or Betsy. Every time Amelia introduces me to her entourage, those are the two names she seems to have assigned to nearly all of them.”
Rose’s face heated as she tried to relax. Adam made her feel more self-conscious than any man had in a long time. Wouldn’t it be amazing if he were a Daddy? Her Daddy?
She stared into space for a moment, picturing this hottie as her Daddy, holding her hand while she skipped along beside him, needing to skip just to keep up with his long strides.
Finally, she shook the absurd visual from her mind when she realized Adam had spoken again. “I’m sorry. My mind wandered. What were you saying?”
He smiled again. “I’ve decided to make two Stuff-Its tonight. I want the second one to be your choice. Make the perfect stuffie exactly how you would do it if you were the one shopping for a new stuffie tonight.”
Rose felt herself grinning as she pulled her shoulders back and glanced at the bins. Every once in a while she got a customer who asked her to make the Stuff-It of her choice. Usually an older person purchasing the Stuff-It as a gift. They didn’t care which one it was.
The prospect always made Rose giddy. She loved pretending she was picking one out for herself. It was silly, of course. After all, she owned the shop. She could make any stuffie she wanted with any accessories she wanted any day of the week.
She didn’t though because somehow it didn’t seem special to own a stuffie she bought herself without the help of a Daddy to guide her. She had stuffed and outfitted about a dozen Stuff-Its to use as displays around the shop, but she didn’t have a single one on her shelf at home in her personal collection.
“You sure?” she asked, twisting back to look at Adam. Why would he want to buy a second one?
“Positive. I’ll pick out everything for the elephant. You make a second one exactly how you’d like it.”
“Okay…” She had to force herself not to clap her hands together. She wasn’t in Little space here. This was her business. She was always professional while at work. Still… It was impossible not to get a bit excited, especially since no one but Adam was around to see her, and he certainly didn’t seem to judge her enthusiasm.
It took her several seconds to decide which stuffie most appealed to her this week. It was always changing. Finally, she opted for one of the newer stuffies—a beagle with long floppy ears.
She felt lighter on her feet as she snatched him up and had to remind herself not to hug him to her chest. Shop owner, Rose. Not a Little. You’re at work.
To be honest, she was always at work these days. She was trying to run a successful business after all. She hadn’t had time to satisfy her Little side much in months.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Adam’s eyes were dancing with indulgence as she turned toward the machine they would use to fill the beagle and elephant with fluff. Luckily, she hadn’t turned it off yet for the night.
She held the beagle out toward Adam. “Would you mind holding him while I fill the elephant?”
“Of course.” Adam carefully arranged the beagle in his huge hands so that his head was upright. He also petted the little guy’s ears so they would lie flat.
A small gasp escaped Rose’s lips before she jerked her gaze to Adam’s. Was he making fun of her? He didn’t look like it. He still looked like the most perfect, kind, amazing Daddy she’d ever seen. Was it possible he was a Daddy? Just because he was in her shop buying a Stuff-It or two didn’t make him a Daddy. It just made him an amazing uncle.