Chapter 20
FRIDAY
Dallas stretched before scooting backwards in the large bed, searching for Daddy’s heat.
When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, she basked in the feeling of what she knew was his unconditional love.
Pike pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “I love you, little girl.”
“I love you too, Dada,” she said before turning in his arms. She ran her hands up his bare chest.
“Happy Halloween, Bitty.”
“Happy Halloween, Dada.” Happy Halloween! She shot up from the bed and tried to untangle herself from the covers. “Dada! We hasta go see what Niki Rope and Danica left!”
He chuckled before pulling himself up and sitting upright. “I wondered how long it would take you before you realized today was the big day.”
Dallas slid from the bed and grabbed Teefs.
“Do you fink they liked my cards?” she asked. She hoped so. She’d made them each a beautiful thank you card for allowing her to host them. She used the best stickers and the shiniest glitter.
“I bet they loved them, Bitty. You worked so hard on them and I bet they were so thankful.”
“It was so super nice of them to let me be their host.”
“It was and you were so super nice to host them,” Daddy reminded her. Every night she’d left a thoughtful gift for them and a handmade craft. “Even though you orchestrated a large prank and blamed it on them, I think they still had a great time.”
Looking down, Dallas tried to hide her grin.
“What prank, Dada?” she asked, trying her very best to sound and look innocent.
“The prank that you somehow managed to get your entire nursery class involved in.”
Dallas gasped. “I had nuffin’ to do with that. Nuffin at all!”
Dada chuckled. “You didn’t help with sticking boobs on the ghosts?”
Sighing, Dallas put her hand on her hip. “Boo-bies, they’re boo-bies for Pennywise’s sake!”
Raising his eyebrow and giving her a pointed look, Daddy waited silently.
“Maybe I helped,” she admitted, realizing her passion over him using the correct prank probably gave her away.
“Maybe?”
Dallas studied her Daddy. It looked like he was trying to fight back a smile. Being at Rawhide had helped Daddy too. He seemed so much more at ease and Dallas was enjoying teasing this side of him too.
“Maybe I helped a teenie tiny bit.”
“Only a teenie tiny bit, huh?” he said, kneeling in front of her.
She nodded.
“Oh, so that whole plan must have been Tommy’s idea. I knew he was a smart boy.”
Frowning, Dallas shook her head. “No! I did! I came up with the whole plan all by myself! It was my idea, Dada! I’m so smart too,” she said, not willing to be unkind to her new friend, but also not willing to give all him the credit for her idea.
“Tommy and my other friends helped, and we couldn’t have pulled it all off without each other, but it was my idea! ’ she rambled, patting her chest.
Daddy winked at her and poked her belly. “I know. It was brilliant.”
She laughed. “Did you know the whole time?”
“I wasn’t sure at first. I knew you had the creativeness to come up with the plan, but I wasn’t sure you had the nerve to go through with it. I’m very proud of you for being so willing to open up and be yourself here.”
Dallas loved knowing Daddy was proud of her.
“You’re not in trouble, Bitty. It was a good prank and nobody got hurt.”
She hadn’t thought Daddy was mad at her, but it was always nice to hear it too. Daddy gave her a hug before straightening from in front of her.
He took her hand and they walked into the sitting area. Dallas gasped when she saw the large package wrapped in pretty jack-o’-lantern paper. “Look, Dada!”
Pike gave a long, expressive whistle. “Wow, I see, Bitty! They left you a big gift. You must have been the best ghostie host the spirit world has ever known!”
Dallas wasn’t sure that she’d been the best host ever, but she hoped they felt like she’d been a good host, and even more important, had become their friend.
“There’s a note,” she said, picking it up and handing it to Daddy.
He opened the orange envelope and pulled out a sparkly Halloween card.
Dear Dallas,
Thank you so much for hosting Danica and me.
We had so much fun meeting you and trying all of the goodies you left out for us.
We’ve been in Host a Ghost for many lifetimes and this was one of the best hosts we had.
Thank you for putting your whole heart into making sure we had a good time.
You’re very sweet and we are so happy to have you as our newest friend.
Happy Halloween,
Niki Rope and Danica
“They liked their stay, Dada!”
“Of course they did, Bitty. You worked so hard to make sure they had a good time. I bet they got you a super special gift,” he said, standing and setting her Halloween card next to one of the pumpkins she’d picked when they’d visited the pumpkin patch.
“Can I open it now, Dada?”
“You definitely have to open it now. What happens if it’s your very own ghost kitty and they need to potty. They might poop in the box,” he said.
She giggled. “Yucky!”
“Do you want me to hold Teefs while you open it?”
“Yas, please, Dada.”
Pike took the zombie lovie and turned her to face Dallas so she could see the unwrapping. Taking her cloth hands in his, he made her clap. “She’s cheering you on, Bitty.”
Smiling, she approached the package and grabbed a piece of the taped paper before looking at him for approval.
“I think that’s a great place to start,” he encouraged.
She pulled the paper revealing a black box.
“I gots a box!” she giggled, pulling the rest of the paper off.
“Does it say anything?” Daddy asked, studying the box.
“I don’t fink so,” she said, struggling to flip the large box around.
Daddy stepped in to help and she froze when she saw the fancy red writing on the box. Living Dead Dolls.
“Dallas? Bitty? Are you okay?” Daddy asked, his brow wrinkled in concern.
“I think… I think…” she tried to explain as her eyes filled with tears.
“You think what, Bitty?” Daddy asked, sitting on the couch and pulling her between his legs.
“I think this is something I really wanted. Like really, really, really wanted!”
Daddy smiled. “Well, let’s get it opened then, silly girl.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he opened the lid on the box for her.
“What is it?” he asked, motioning for her to look inside.
Taking a deep breath, she reached into the box and pulled out the prettiest spooky baby doll she’d ever seen. It was the exact one she’d wanted, but she’d had no idea she would be so gorgeous.
“Oh, she’s beautiful,” she said, studying the doll. Short blonde hair, bloodshot bright green eyes, red and purple veins, and green-tinted skin made up the most gorgeous babydoll she’d ever known.
“What is it?” Daddy asked, looking over her new best friend.
“It’s a Living Dead Doll,” Dallas said with awe in her voice.
“Living dead?” he repeated sounding confused.
“Yes! They’re reborn dolls, custom made to look like something super-duper spooky. They have aliens, monsters, and zombies. This baby is a zombie,” Dallas said, holding the dolly close. Tears rolled down her face. “Oh, Dada, I love her so much.”
Daddy smiled. “She’s beautiful, Bitty. She’s so lucky to have you.”
Rocking the doll back and forth, Dallas was overcome with emotion.
“What are you going to name her, Bitty?”
Dallas pulled the doll away from her chest and studied her closely. “Hers name is Juliet, but I’m callin’ her JuJu for short.”
Pulling them both into his arms, Daddy pressed a kiss to the baby’s head. “Welcome to the family, Juju. We’re glad you’re here.” He made Teefs give JuJu a kiss too.
“I have something for you, Dada,” she said pulling away from him. Nerves made her tummy dance.
“Something for me?” Dada asked.
She nodded and handed him JuJu to hold.
Walking across the kitchen, she opened her diaper bag and pulled out Daddy’s book from the bottom of her bag. She’d been so super sneaky and covered it with diapers so he wouldn’t see it.
“I made you a special Halloween book,” she said, timidly handing it to him. “I drew all the pictures myself.”
“You made this for me, baby?”
Dallas nodded, biting her lip. She reached down and lifted her pacifier to her mouth from the string it was hanging from. Sucking the soother helped her nerves tremendously.
Dada drew her to him and set her in his lap as he opened the card. “Is this us the first day we arrived, Bitty?”
She nodded.
Daddy pressed a kiss to the back of her head as he flipped the pages. Stopping at one particular one, Dallas’s face heated. “This is a picture of you getting your first diaper change.”
“I fink that was when I first realized you were right and I needed—we needed—this,” she said once she’d pulled the pacifier from her mouth.
Daddy squeezed her as she continued looking through pages.
“Thank you, Bitty Baby. Daddy will cherish this forever.”
Dallas carried Juju in a baby carrier strapped to her chest and held Teefs in one hand.
She felt like a very busy mommy. She was having so much fun at the big Halloween party.
Her belly was full of candy, and her heart was full of love.
Everyone looked so festive in their costumes.
and the large room had been transformed into a spooky place to celebrate.
Tables were decorated with orange and black cloths.
, The pumpkins they’d painted in class had been used as table toppers and were paired with flowers and other trinkets to make them even more magical.
The carved jack-o’-lanterns all had flickering lights inside them.
A fog drifted through the room seeming to be a living thing as strobe lights flashed within its misty depths.
Ghosts and bats hung from the ceiling, the air making them appear to dip and swoop about.
Skeletons were attached to the walls and table legs, a few missing leg bones that were being used to stir the goodies filling witches’ cauldrons set along the tables.
Altogether, the decorations utterly transformed the room into the spookiest and most perfect setting for the Ranch’s Halloween festivities.
Dallas thought it all looked very magical.
“Oh, she’s beautiful, Dallas,” Eloise said, walking over and admiring Juju. Her Daddy stood on one side of her and her Papa stood on the other. They made the cutest peanut butter and jelly sandwich Dallas had ever seen. “Is that the one you wanted?”
“Thank you!” Dallas answered from where she sat on Daddy’s lap. He was feeding her bites of treats. “It was the exact one I wanted.”
“More Boo-bies?!” another grown-up shouted as they approached the tables of food. “How many are there?”
Dallas and Eloise shared a look before giggling. There were hundreds of them and the grown-ups would definitely be finding them all night. She couldn’t wait for Master Shane to realize someone had stuck boo-bies on the ghost on his sweater.
“You look so pretty, Dallas. I love your cowgirl mermaid costume,” Sadie said walking over. She was dressed like a witch.
“Thank you. I like your witch costume!”
“Thank you, my ghost left it for me!”
“That’s so fun,” Dallas answered.
“Oh, what a spooky baby,” Sadie said, looking over Juju. “Her outfit is adorable!”
Dallas couldn’t agree more. Juju was wearing a black fleece top with the cutest ghost on the front.
The ghost had her eyes closed and had the biggest smile on her face.
A huge purple bow sat on top the ghostie’s head and a pair of white bats flew above it.
Juju’s leggings were purple with all sorts of Halloween motifs all over them.
Everything from smiling jack-o’-lanterns to ghosts were surrounded by delicious-looking candy treats.
A bow matching the leggings was pinned to the top of her baby’s head.
She was just perfect. “Thank you. My ghosties left her for me.”
“Oh! What a great gift,” Hayleigh said walking over.
“My ghostie left me a gift card to my favorite store in Porter’s Corner.
It’s an art gallery with the coolest unique items that artists have made, but I can’t decide what I want to spend it on.
I keep debating between this gorgeous patchwork quilt or some pretty hand-thrown vases.
I keep going back and forth, back and forth.
It is such a hard choice!” Hayleigh complained.
Dallas rested against Daddy, his warm heat giving her strength. “Maybe you should let your Daddy decide for you. He will know what you need better than you do and I bet he will make the right choice for you.”
“You think so?” Hayleigh asked, looking a bit relieved.
“Mine did.” Dallas answered, looking up at Pike.
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Happy Halloween, Bitty Baby.”
“Happy Halloween, Dada.”
The End