15
“Eat your vegetables, Eden Celine,” Zeke said warningly.
She stared down at the broccoli and corn on her plate with a sigh. Gross.
She barely managed not to voice that out loud, though.
“Now, with a face like that I’m thinking maybe you need to go straight to bed rather than have any ice cream and TV time. . .”
“No, Daddy,” she said quickly. “I’ll eat them. Promise.”
“Good, because I was looking forward to cuddle time on the couch.”
It still amazed her this big, tough guy could say he wanted cuddle time. How could he be this perfect? Strong, sexy, and loving.
She was coming to crave his brand of care and attention and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. At some stage
, she’d have to find the strength to give him up.
And that might well tear her in two.
“Okay, Daddy.”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “My precious baby girl. Thank you.”
Earlier, she’d made a fuss when he’d put her down for a nap and she’d ended up over his knee, getting her butt warmed. And much to her surprise she’d slept for two hours. He’d put that weighted blanket over her again and she had to admit that the feel of it was like being enveloped in a warm hug. It wasn’t as good as a hug from Zeke, of course. But it was still a nice feeling.
Once dinner was over, and she’d eaten enough vegetables to satisfy him, he carried her into the bedroom. “We’ll get you ready for bed before we snuggle on the couch.”
He grabbed a different nightie from the one she wore last night. This was black and yellow striped.
“I’ll look like a giant bumblebee,” she complained as he started stripping her.
“I think bumblebees are cute.”
She rolled her eyes. “Really, Daddy!”
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, little miss,” he said with mock-sternness.
He raised her sweater and t-shirt up over her stomach and then started blowing raspberries on the soft skin.
“Daddy, no!”
“Best show me some respect, little brat. Do you remember who holds your ice cream privileges?”
“Daddy, you can’t take away my ice cream privileges!” She stared at him in horror.
“I can and will.”
“But that’s so mean. Ice cream is a necessity.”
He grinned at her nonsense. “A necessity?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded solemnly. “Ice cream makes people happy, without it they’d be sad and grumpy and then where would the world be?”
“You’re absolutely right. I never thought of it that way.”
She grinned at him happily, holding up her arms as he pulled off her first her sweater then t-shirt.