Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“Seven is a lot. I was driving when you were in third grade. I graduated from college when you were still in elementary school,” Elizabeth said, calculating wildly in her brain.
“And when I’m seventy, you’ll be seventy-seven. Are you worried about what it will look like to others? Or are you worried about having a Daddy younger than you?”
She looked at him, unsure what to say. Elizabeth didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “Do you even know how to be a Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“That’s your entire answer?” she asked.
“Yes. Can I keep you safe? Can I play and have fun with my Little girl? Can I discipline you when you deserve it? Can I kiss you and make you love it?”
From the short amount of time they’d known each other, Elizabeth replayed all their interactions. A picture of him keeping her safe when he’d had to brake quickly flashed through her mind. And then, his strength to lift her effortlessly could definitely allow him to stretch her over his lap. Without meaning to move, Elizabeth lifted a hand to trace her lips. His kisses absolutely had been skilled.
Catching herself, she slowly lowered her hand from her mouth. She looked up to meet Tom’s gaze. The calm reassurance she felt in his regard made her take a deep breath and release it. Some of the worry flowed from her body with that exhale. She tried it again and felt even better.
“I’m an idiot, aren’t I?” she asked.
“You are very definitely not an idiot,” he corrected her with the same negative word, completely erasing her insinuation. “You are a very savvy Little girl faced with a Daddy for the first time.”
“It’s kind of off-balancing,” she admitted.
“Realize you don’t have to juggle everything on your own, Bunny. I can help with a lot of worries. Right now, I think we need to feel some air blow through our hair. Do you see that bridge up there?” he asked, pointing to a footbridge spanning a small stream.
“Yes.”
“Race you to it!” he shouted, pushing off from the ground and speeding toward the destination.
Without looking around, Elizabeth chased him. She dodged a large wolfhound who’d fallen in love with the sprinting Tom and thought it was an extremely exciting game. Her Daddy had had to stop to return him to his owner when he’d ripped his leash from her hand. He’d held tight to the leather lead to make sure Elizabeth’s wild charge didn’t distract the dog from being reunited with his owner.
My Daddy! She’d just thought of him as hers.
By the time Tom rejoined Elizabeth, she sat on the bridge railing, grinning at him. “Hey, Slowpoke. I think I’m the official winner! What do I get?”
“The winner gets to choose the prize. If it’s within my ability, it’s yours,” Tom answered.
“So you can’t make the moon always stay full or let me eat all the cupcakes I want without getting cavities or gaining an ounce,” she said, tapping on her chin as if she were trying to make a very difficult decision.
“I’ve got a great prize! How about another date?” she asked and held her breath.
“I’m extremely glad I let you win.” At Elizabeth’s loud snort challenging that statement, Tom laughed and added, “That’s a prize for me. Tomorrow, after Nibbles & Bites closes?”
“Can you take another afternoon off?” she wondered.
“Not normally, but I thought I’d take you to our farm and you can see where all the fresh vegetables are grown and probably see a few tame bunnies,” he offered.
“I’ll need to do some prep work on the next day’s dishes and clean the restaurant before I can go,” she warned.
“Let me put my number in your phone. You can call me when you’re thirty minutes from being ready to walk out. I’ll make deliveries while you work. Think you’ll be done around five?”
“If I skip a cupcake tomorrow. Yes, five would work,” she answered as she held out her phone.
A second later, she snatched it back and narrowed her gaze. “You’re not a serial killer, right?”
“I’m sure they would answer just as I’m going to… Of course I’m not.”
When she rolled her eyes at him, he added, “I promise to bring you home safe and sound. Besides, a serial killer wouldn’t have tame bunnies at the farm. Especially rascally rabbits who planned to overrun the farm before they were provided a safe area and their own mini garden.”
“Besieged by bunnies, huh?” she asked, double checking if she had his number already in her phone. “Look, I already put your cell phone in earlier.” She called it quickly so he would have her number.
“I’m becoming fonder of bunnies by the moment.” His expression told her he was no longer referring to the four-legged, furry creatures anymore.
“I guess like me, the other bunnies like the farm-to-table model too?” she teased, trying to keep the conversation light as Tom saved her number.