Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“That frees you to carry Toothie and hold your daddy’s hand at the same time.”
“I’d love to borrow it,” she answered with a smile.
“I’ll get it later. For now, can we set it here?” Zale asked, placing the keychain with the normal-size key and the small diary key on the island.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“You’re very welcome, kitten. Ask for anything you need. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered and smiled.
That smile went right to his heart. It took a lot to frighten Zale. He’d dealt with mortal wounds, harrowing situations, and way too many close calls in his job. Seeing her shut down out of terror this evening had taken at least a year off his life. He loved seeing her happy.
After one more kiss, Zale forced himself to see to dinner. With potatoes cooking in the microwave, Zale stepped outside to heat up the grill. He’d placed a package of chicken wings in the refrigerator to thaw that morning. With the addition of a few grilled vegetables, they’d have a nutritious dinner.
“I could have made something,” she offered, watching him toss the vegetables and chicken in a quick sauce he concocted.
“No cooking for you, little girl. That’s Daddy’s job.”
“But I like to cook.”
“What’s your favorite thing to make? Perhaps we can work on a few things in the kitchen together,” Zale suggested.
“I like those marshmallow bars made with the breakfast cereal and that snack mix that has Worcestershire sauce on it. I’m not good at veggie or meat things.”
“It sounds like you’re going to eat healthier here. What are your favorite veggies?”
“I like lettuce. Not the weeds kind, but the stuff that’s lighter green.”
“Iceberg?”
“Yeah, that’s it. And baby carrots with ranch dressing. Potatoes are okay.”
“You need more variety in your diet, kitten, to be healthy and strong. We’ll experiment with others to see what you like. Maybe your daddy can cook them, so you like the flavor of a few more.”
He squashed down a laugh at the pure skepticism on her face. “I want you to be healthy, so you feel good and live for a very long time. I just found you.”
Zale saw thoughts flit across her expressive face. He loved watching her process things. After dropping a kiss on her head, he headed outside to put everything on the grill.
When he returned in a few minutes, Zale didn’t say anymore on the subject. He knew that nutrition was the key for his body to function at the highest levels. Hopefully, she’d notice that she had more energy with something other than snack mix and marshmallow treats in her system.
“Okay,” she said with a heavy sigh.
“Okay?”
“I’ll try some new things.”
“Thank you, kitten. Would you like to set the table for Daddy?”
“Yes, please.” She jumped at the opportunity to help.
He checked on the grill and flipped everything while she set the plates and silverware on the table. When he returned, Zale announced, “Five minutes. Chocolate in your milk?”
“Just some iced tea for me.”
“No caffeine, kitten. Regular or chocolate milk?”
“Chocolate,” she chose with another loud sigh.
He made a mental note to himself. So far, he’d earned one eye roll and two sighs. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a pad of paper. They’d work on rules after dinner.
CHAPTER 11
Soon, everything was on the table. He was happy to see she eagerly helped herself to the chicken and potatoes. Zale placed a few pieces of squash and peppers on her plate.
Pippa chattered happily and asked a million questions about his job. Some he could answer and others, not. He noticed she steadfastly ignored the small pile of grilled vegetables. When she reached for more potatoes, he wrapped his hand around hers on the serving fork.
“Eat a few bites of your vegetables first.”
“But I don’t want those tonight.”
“No more potatoes until you try a couple pieces,” he told her firmly.
Pippa stared at him with an open mouth. “I thought you were kidding. I don’t have to eat what you tell me to.”
“Who’s in charge, little girl, in all those books that you’ve read?”
“The daddy, but those are fiction. This is real life.”
“Daddy is still in charge in real life, Pippa. You like Daddy’s chicken. You’ll never know if you like the vegetables if you don’t try them.”
Her expressions revealed the battle happening inside her. She wanted to please him, but didn’t want to taste the small pile on her plate. Moving ever so slowly, she stabbed the smallest squash piece and lifted it to her wrinkled nose. “It doesn’t smell good.”
“Try it,” he suggested, keeping his tone light.
Her mouth opened by millimeters as if she hoped he’d tell her she didn’t have to eat it. When he didn’t stop her, she placed it on the tip of her tongue. Zale helped himself to a bite as well and chewed, enjoying its freshness.
He watched Pippa’s expression from the corner of his eye as she closed her mouth and chewed. Interest flittered across her features. She helped herself to another bite and then tried a red pepper.