Chapter Thirteen
Gunnar had let Twyla pick out a stuffy to bring to bed with her from the bins in the nursery. She’d picked a brown and white dog who she named Pinky because her nose and collar were pink. Goddamn adorable.
He’d tucked both Twyla and Pinky into his bed, and Twyla had giggled when he gave Pinky a good night kiss too. That sound made his heart swell so big he thought it might burst. What a world of difference from the tough bad girl she pretended to be at school.
When he’d shut the light out, he came downstairs to find a text on his phone:
I’ll see you and Miss Smith at 9am sharp tomorrow. Don’t make me regret this.
Fuck. Jim had said first thing in the morning, but nine was earlier than he’d hoped. What was Twyla going to wear? Her clothes were ruined, nothing of his would fit her in any reasonable way, and he wouldn’t leave her alone to run out and pick things up. If she woke up and he wasn’t here? She’d panic. No, he had to come up with another solution.
Eric would help him out, but he’d troubled the good doctor enough for today. But he could try calling Marni. He didn’t know Marni as well as he knew Eric, but she worked in his littles clinic and they’d always gotten along well. And if she wasn’t free, well, he was an intelligent person. He’d figure something else out. He had other friends in the DDlg world who would help him out.
Gunnar found Marni Mills in his contacts and pressed the call button, settled into his couch while he waited for her to pick up. Thought about what he would say to Jim the next day.
“Hey, Gunnar. What’s up?”
Marni could’ve been a radio DJ with her voice like a rockslide, but no, she’d chosen to be a nurse and he knew she must be a damn good one if Eric kept her on. Plus she knew how to be discreet too. No way Eric would tolerate gossips in his office at all, but especially not in the littles clinic. There was just too much at stake for too many people.
“Evening, Marni. I’m sorry to bother you but I’m in a bit of a spot and I was hoping you could help me out.”
“If I can, sure. What’s going on?”
He gave her a brief synopsis of what had happened with Twyla, and then finished with his request. “It’s a lot to ask, but could you pick up some clothes for her and drop them by? I’d do it myself, but—”
“Oh, no. You can’t leave that little girl alone, not right now. She needs her daddy.”
Gunnar sighed with relief and rubbed his forehead. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who understood. “My thoughts exactly. I hate to impose but if you could help me out, I’d owe you big time and you’d have my eternal gratitude.”
“It’s no trouble. Can you give me her sizes and any hints about her style? And let me know how many outfits you want.”
“Thanks, Marn. You’re a lifesaver.”