Chapter Thirty-Eight
It was Saturday and Gideon had let Plum sleep in. Normally he wouldn’t wake her up for anything short of an emergency, but this morning he was buzzing with anticipation like a kid on Christmas morning. Today was going to be a good day and he couldn’t wait to get it started.
Come ten o’clock, despite trying to distract himself by working on the plans for Easter, he couldn’t take it anymore. He climbed the stairs and went into their bedroom to find Plum under a disheveled pile of bedclothes, her aubergine hair spread across the white pillowcase. She was beautiful and she was his, and he hoped she would be very happy today.
He sat beside her on the bed and brushed a stray strand of hair off her forehead, stroked his thumb across the soft skin of her cheek. Kissed her temple and then the corner of her jaw.
His little plum blossom smiled without opening her eyes and he kissed her forehead before murmuring, “Good morning, darling.”
“Mmm,” she hummed sleepily. “Morning, Daddy.”
Finally her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him.
“It’s time to get up, get dressed, have some breakfast.”
A frown creased her forehead and her chin. “That sounds like a lot of work. Are you sure it isn’t nap time?”
He let out a laugh as he tapped her nose. “I literally just woke you up so no, it’s not nap time. I will gladly put you down for a nap this afternoon if you like, but in order to go down for a nap, you have to get up first. See how this works?”
Plum gave him what would probably qualify as an award winning scowl, if there were awards for such things.
“Come on, love. Up you get. We’re going to go for a walk. Just around the neighborhood.”
“Gideon—”
“Ah, no arguments. I know your crutches aren’t the most comfortable but you’ve been cooped up in this house for too long and it’s a beautiful day to get some air. I’ll even give you a piggyback ride when your shoulders get sore.”
There was a spark of interest in her eyes and he zeroed in on it. “We’ll have a nice day. Go for a walk, come back and read for a bit before lunch. I boiled some eggs when I got up so we can have a picnic out back with some egg salad BLTs and we’ll have a fun dinner tonight. How do nachos and video games sound?”
“Really?” she asked, eyes wide and eager but also not quite believing her good fortune.
“Yes, really.”
“That sounds great but you usually have so much to do on Saturdays.”
She was so sweet to worry but she didn’t need to. He’d done his best to squeeze in some extra work this week, plus he’d been so keyed up about today that it had been hard to sleep so he’d fit in some extra work during those hours too.
“I do,” he agreed. “But today is all for you.Iam all for you.”
“Okay,” she said cautiously like she might not fully believe it.
Ian could be impulsive and had a temper on him but he also had an understanding of people—littles especially—that rivaled and in some cases surpassed his own. He’d have to do something nice for the man who had helped him hatch this plot.
“Plum,” he said, taking up her hand, and nipping at each one of her fingertips. “I hope you know that even when I can’t give you my full attention twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week that I’m always here for you. I’m always yours. You don’t have to wonder if I want to be with you or if you can have something from me. The answer is always yes. Maybe not at that very second but I promise you can never ask me for too much. I’m responsible for my time and energy and I’ll say if I can’t right then. But I’ll never be upset with you for asking. Do you understand?”
Judging by her expression she was fully in middle space—open and vulnerable still with some pride and self-consciousness poking through.
“I think so.”
“Good. That being said, is there anything you’d like this morning before we go out for our walk?”
“Could you…could you give me a bath, Daddy?”
His Plum was very much a middle but sometimes enjoyed more little activities too—being bathed, having him do her hair, being put down for a nap. He enjoyed doing those things for her, with her—more ways to tell her he cared without saying so although he liked to tell her in words as well.
“Oh, yes, love. It would be my pleasure.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then dropped them on her cheeks and her brows, the corner of her sweet mouth before slanting his mouth against hers. Perhaps they could spare a little time…