Chapter 17
“I’ve got it! I have the one!” Brand held the doll up in the air.
Was he aware he was acting like a crazy person?
Yes.
Did he care?
No.
Jolie giggled at him from where she sat on the sofa. Four days had passed since he’d walked into Rawhide Ranch, and she’d been getting more color in her cheeks and coughing less every day.
He’d intended to open all the dolls as soon as Liam delivered them. But that had taken more time than expected. Plus, his girl got distracted easily.
Right now, she was coloring in a picture of a baby lion playing checkers with a baby giraffe.
It was cute.
“The one, Daddy?” she asked.
“The one. I present to you, the ultra-rare doll.” He held up a small doll with bright orange and black hair and big blue eyes.
“Ooh.” Her eyes lit up as she took it from him. “I can’t believe you found it!”
“Such little faith in your Daddy.” He gave her an injured look.
“Sorry, Daddy. It’s just you’ve been doing this for a while. How many dolls did you have to unpackage?”
He looked around the mess he’d made, feeling a bit foolish. “Uh, maybe fifty or sixty.”
“Daddy, you’ve made a terrible mess and I hope you’re gonna pick it all up.” She waggled a finger at him.
“I will after I put you down for your nap.”
“I’m not napping today,” she announced.
He turned to give her a look. “I’m sorry?”
“I’m not napping today.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Daddy, I feel good. I don’t need no nap. In fact, I was thinking of going for a walk. I haven’t even seen anything of the Ranch.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need to take it easy.”
“But we leave soon after the concert and I won’t have done anything except sit in this room.”
He studied her for a long moment. He hated seeing her so sad. And when she was upset, he wanted to fix it.
Moving over to her, he tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. “I tell you what. I’ll talk to Nurse Beverly when she comes to check on you and see if she agrees on a small outing tomorrow.”
She clapped her hands. “Really, Daddy?”
“Yes. Just a small one and you’ll behave and do whatever Daddy says.”
“Of course, Daddy. I’m a good girl.”
“Hmm, you do realize that if you’re well enough to go out and about, then you’ll also be well enough to get your butt spanked?”
“Daddy!” she cried.
“Now, what are the rules?” Brand asked as he coated her skin in sunscreen.
Jolie was pretty certain her skin was now coated in an inch-thick layer of the lotion.
He’d dressed her in the shorts and T-shirt this morning as well as putting her hair up into pigtails. They were terrible pigtails, uneven, one was up the top of her head, one further down. Most of her hair was in the right pigtail.
But she wasn’t complaining. He’d really tried hard.
Nurse Beverly had advised them to wait an extra day before Brand took her out and about. She wanted Jolie to have some more energy and also didn’t want to risk her passing on her germs to anyone.
Which she really didn’t want to do.
So yesterday, they’d played with the toys that had been in the basket and she’d rested lots. Then Brand had washed her hair again for her before attempting to braid it.
That had been a bit of a disaster too.
“I have to tell you straight away if I don’t feel well,” she said as he washed his hands and grabbed her sunhat. It didn’t really sit properly on her head with her pigtails, so he had to push one pigtail down.
Not exactly comfortable.
But she wasn’t complaining or being demanding.
Nope. She was a good girl.
Brand was not going to regret giving her a chance.
“What else?”
“I have to stay in your eyesight at all times. And I have to listen to you and do what you say.”
“Good girl. Right, let’s get your jacket.”
A jacket? Was he crazy?
“Um, Daddy, it’s quite warm outside. I don’t think I needs a jacket.”
“You’ve been sick. We need to keep you warm.” He looked out the window. “But you might be right. Let’s just get you a cardigan instead.”
Gross. All the sunscreen was getting on the material of the cardigan, and it made her feel yucky.
But she accepted it with a sigh.
They headed outside through the small courtyard.
“Where would you like to go?” he asked her as he held her hand. Sure, she was a bit warm, but she could handle it.
“Horsies! Playground! Arcade!”
“Well, let’s see how we get on. First, we’ll go see the horses.”
“Yay!”
She tried to run, tugging at his hand, but he drew her back. “No running, Bumblebee.”
“But, Daddy, there’s so much to see.”
“And we don’t have to see it all today. We’ll go visit the horses and then see how you’re feeling. After lunch, you need a nap and I have to go see where the set-up is for tomorrow.”
“I can help, Daddy.”
“We’ll see. I want you to have a good nap so you’re rested for the concert tomorrow.”
She sighed. “I feel so much better. I’m not even coughing anymore.”
“You still look pale to me. And you’re tired. You need to listen to Daddy.”
Shoot. She was doing it again. She wasn’t supposed to give him any trouble.
“Sorry, Daddy. I’ll be a good girl.”
Brand eyed his girl suspiciously as they watched the horses.
There was something going on with her and he couldn’t work out what it was.
“Hello!”
Turning, he saw Derek approaching. He held out his hand to the other man. “Hey, man, how is it going?”
“Good. Hello, darlin’, you’re looking a lot better.”
Jolie smiled shyly, pressing herself against Brand.
And he couldn’t say he hated it.
At all.
Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head.
“I’m glad I found you both, I wanted to see if you could meet with my people who’re organising everything tomorrow to make sure you have everything you need?” he asked Brand.
“Yeah, I was going to put Jolie down for a nap after lunch, but perhaps it would be better to come now.”
“That would be great. Jolie is welcome to go spend time with the other Littles if she wants. I believe there’s some finger painting going on this morning,” Derek offered.
She tightened her hold on him, and Brand knew she was feeling too shy to join in.
“Actually, I could use her input. Thanks for the offer, though.”
Derek gave him a knowing look and smiled at Jolie. “Of course. My Sadie was a bit jealous when she heard how many dolls your Daddy bought you.”
“Oh,” Jolie said. “I have some left, would she like some?”
“Well, those are yours, though, darlin’.”
“But I don’t need them all. I can share them.” Then she glanced up at Brand worriedly. “Oh no, maybe not. They’re Brand’s. I forgot.”
He frowned. “They’re not mine, Bumblebee. I bought them for you.”
She nodded, biting her lip. She looked like she wanted to say something but was holding back.
Brand rubbed his hand up and down her back. How was he going to get her to tell him what was going on?
His worries got pushed out of his mind as he met with several people on the Ranch about tomorrow. Festivities were starting early afternoon. There were going to be crafting stations, some carnival games, and a friendly baseball game.
By the end of the meeting, he had a headache, and he was getting worried about his girl. She’d been quiet through most of the meeting, and by the end she looked a bit tired and hot.
“Right, if that’s all, I need to feed Jolie and get her down for a nap.”
She blushed and hid her face in his bicep where she sat next to him. They’d had the meeting outside where everything was happening tomorrow.
They all said goodbye, and he picked her up, carrying her back to their room.
“I can walk, Daddy,” she mumbled.
“Of course you can. But I like to carry you. Makes me feel needed.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Silly Daddy.”
He ran his hand under her top, feeling how hot and sweaty she was.
“Baby, are you too hot?” They entered their suite and he put her down.
“Yeah, maybe a bit.”
“Shit. Another temperature spike?”
“No, I think I just got a bit hot outside.”
Fuck. And she’d barely drunk any water. He set her on the sofa and quickly took off her cardigan, then her T-shirt.
“Daddy! What are you doing?” she asked when she was sitting there in just her bra and shorts.
“Cooling you down.” Jumping up, he grabbed her baby bottle and filled it with water.
He sat on the sofa and drew her onto his lap, laying her back against his arm as he put the nipple between her lips.
“Shit. I overdressed you. Then I forgot to make sure you were drinking.”
She frowned up at him, trying to pull her mouth away from the bottle.
“Uh-uh, keep drinking. I want this all gone. Tomorrow, you’re going to need to sit in the shade. And keep drinking water. Understand?” He was a terrible Daddy.
Why didn’t she tell him, though?
When the water was all gone, he sat her up and rubbed her back. Then he turned her to face him, studying her.
“You were supposed to tell me if you weren’t feeling well.”
“I was feeling all right!”
“You were far too hot. And getting dehydrated. I should have noticed. I’m a terrible Daddy.”
“No, you’re not! Don’t say that!”
He thought it was true, though. He had no experience at this, but his overconfidence and arrogance had led him to think he could do this.
“Brand, you’re amazing at this. you’re everything I could ever want in a Daddy. I promise, it was my fault. I didn’t tell you I was uncomfortable so how could you know?”
“I should have noticed.”
“But I didn’t want you to know,” she blurted out.
Huh? “Why not?”
“You were busy. I don’t want to be a bother. You’re important and I didn’t want to interrupt. I don’t want to be too demanding and make you regret being with me.”
His mouth dropped open as she laid everything out.
She bit her lip. “Shoot. I didn’t quite mean to blurt that all out.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. Is that really what you think? Do you think I’m more important than you?”
“You are!”
“And that if you’re too much of a bother, I’ll regret all of this?” he asked.
“Um, well, maybe.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “You think I’m so fickle I’d just throw you away if you were too much work?”
“No! It’s just… it’s happened before.”
“What do you mean?” he asked. What sort of idiot would throw her away?
“I’m a lot of work. That’s what Keith said.”
“Who. The. Fuck. Is. Keith?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Nobody.”
“Jolie,” he warned.
“My ex.”
“So, he really is nobody.”
“What?” she asked.
“Well, he’s obviously stupid for letting you go. For not seeing how precious and amazing you are.”
“He cheated on me. With a woman who is a member of the same club. I haven’t been able to return since. He said… he said I was too much work. Too needy and demanding.”
“Fucking Keith is a fucking idiot. I am not more important than you. And you are not to keep things from me because you’re worried about bothering me. By keeping what you were feeling to yourself, you took away from me. Because these last few days, I’ve felt something I haven’t ever felt. Do you know what that is?”
“What?”
“Wanted. Needed. As though I was doing something really important. Desired for who I am, not just the idea of who I am.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Brand. I didn’t mean to take anything away from you.”
“Taking care of you, being your Daddy, it’s made me feel whole in a way I never have. But I need you to believe in me. In us. All right? This won’t work if you hold back.”
She nodded. “I just don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me. As long as you want me. As long as you care for me.”
“I do,” she whispered. “I know it’s too early for this, but I love you, Brand.”
“That’s good to hear because I love you too, Jolie.”
“Really?”
“Baby, how could I not? You’re amazing. So stunningly beautiful and talented. You make me smile. You make me feel like I was missing something and now I’m whole. I’m not ever letting you go, Bumblebee. So best you get that through your head. All right?”
She smiled at him. “All right.”
“Good, now come here.” He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her head close to his.
And then he kissed her.
Fuck it was good. She was soft and she tasted delicious. She followed his lead, letting him take control.
He had to end it before he took things too far.
Pulling back, he ran his finger over her bottom lip.
“Don’t stop,” she begged.
“Baby, if I don’t stop, then I’m going to keep going.” He wriggled his eyebrows at her.
“But I want you to keep going.”
“I will, once you’re at a hundred percent.”
“I’m not going to break, Brand.”
“Ahh, but you’re precious to me, baby. And I’m always going to treat you with care. I promise.”