“Nothing.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “You lie a lot, baby girl.”
“I do not!”
“Yeah, you do. I can tell when you lie, remember?”
“I don’t have a tell, though! I’m really good at poker. Just ask Webb, I keep winning all the M&Ms.”
“You’ve been playing for M&Ms?” he asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ll need to have a word with him. He didn’t let you eat lots of candy while I was gone, did he?”
“No, of course not, Daddy.”
Hmm, he wasn’t sure he believed her. When she lied, she couldn’t look him in the eyes. He wondered if she only did that with him or everyone?
“You like M&Ms?”
“What kind of person wouldn’t like M&Ms? They’re the most delicious chocolate ever. I also like sour gummy worms. Do you like sour gummy worms, Daddy?”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever had any.”
“Daddy Z, that’s terrible! We’ll need to get you some. And if you don’t like them, then I will happily make the sacrifice of eating them for you.”
“How is it a sacrifice when you like them?”
She smacked her hand against her forehead. “Daddy! You’re so silly sometimes.”
“Hey, what have I said about hitting yourself? Stop that.”
“Sorry, Daddy Z. What were we talking about?”
Keira started swinging her feet back and forth and he could tell she wasn’t listening to a word he was saying.
“Are you listening to me, Little Thief?” he asked.
“Huh? What? Yeah, course I am, Daddy Z. Why wouldn’t I be listening to you? I certainly wasn’t sitting here thinking about sour gummy worms. Nuh-uh, not me. No sirree.”
“I think we’re going to have to add a no lying rule. And consequences for breaking it and any other rule.” He tapped her nose. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”
“Of course I did, Daddy Z.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” She gave him a big smile. Oh, she was so naughty.
“Repeat it back to me.”
“What?”
“Repeat back what I said.”
She scrunched her forehead into a frown. “But Daddy Z, that’s just silly! Why waste time repeating what you and I both already know?”
She thought she was so clever. “Then just give me the highlighted version. A summary.”