Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
“I know it’s very fast and this probably isn’t what you had in mind, but I do think it’s what’s best for her,” Beau said, feeling very much like a teenager trying to ask a firm father for permission to date his daughter.
Derek laughed, a deep belly laugh. “Beau, I moved Sadie into my home the first day I met her. I didn’t feel like she would do well in the Littles’ Wing and I knew in my heart she was mine. I am not going to judge you for having the same thoughts about Palmer.”
The corner of Beau’s mouth tipped up, relieved to be given permission. He had been worried Derek would think he lost his mind.
“I also want to move her to the preschool room. She's not enjoying her classes, but she loves Nanny J.”
“Miss Price and Miss Samantha will be thrilled.”
“Okay then,” Beau said, surprised his conversation had gone so quickly.
“Anything else?” Derek asked. The smug bastard looked almost amused.
“I had a whole speech planned.”
Derek laughed again before clapping Beau on the shoulder. “You have my blessing. I know she’s in great hands. Whatever you do, I will support you.”
“Uncle Beau Bear!” Pippi shouted from her chair. Palmer waved, probably not brave enough to shout in the restaurant.
He waved excitedly back at the Littles. He made his way to them and pressed a kiss to both of their red curls. They almost looked related because of their similarities.
After he settled beside Sam, he picked up a menu. “I’m so glad I made it in time to eat with my best girls.”
“It’s us. We’re his best girls,” Pippi leaned over, whispering not at all quietly to Palmer.
“I want to be your best girl,” Sam teased, causing both Littles to giggle.
“Did your meeting go okay?” Palmer asked. Her relaxed features were gone and Beau hated that she was worried.
“It did. It went great,” Beau assured her. He stretched his hand across the table and set it palm up. Palmer studied it for a moment before placing her own palm on top of his.
“Well, Palmer has been a very good girl this morning. She was ready when we picked her up and she has such wonderful manners,” Catherine praised.
Ducking her head, Palmer studied the table. Poor baby. Beau understood how hard praise could be when you’d never received any before.
“I’m so glad you were a good girl for Auntie Catherine,” Beau praised.
When Palmer didn’t answer, he reached over and pulled her chair closer to him, draping his arm over the back of it. “What did you pick for breakfast?”
“Chocolate chip pancakes.”
“Oh, yummy!”
Beau chatted with everyone between feeding Palmer bits of her breakfast. She didn’t balk and he took that as a good sign, especially considering the things he was going to be introducing her to over the next few days.
He rubbed her back before pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“I missed you this morning,” she admitted softly.
For a minute, Beau forgot how to breathe. Her whispered admission turned him into a gooey pile of Daddy Dom.
“I missed you too, pretty baby. My morning wasn’t the same without seeing your sweet face.”
“I wish I didn’t have to go to class today. I want t-to spend time with you.”
Her shoulders stiffened as soon as she spoke the words and Beau imagined it was because she was bracing for rejection. Beau admired her bravery. He knew how hard it had been for her to admit her feelings.
“Well, I have good news for you, babygirl. You’re not going to class today. We are going to have a special day today!”
“A special day?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s going to be just me and you all day! I have so many fun plans for us.”
Palmer lit up, almost glowing with excitement and he knew he would do anything to keep that sweet smile on her face.
Palmer sat on the couch in Beau’s living room, wringing her hands together.
“Pretty baby, I promise I’m not going to feed you to the horses. You don’t need to look so frightened,” Beau said, peeking at her from the bedroom.
Palmer lifted her head and gave the teeniest tiniest look of sass. “What about Stella the Cow? Are you gonna feed me to her?”
Chuckling, Beau shook his head. “I promise not to feed you to the cow either.”
“What about Alfie?” Palmer tapped her chin as she waited for his answer.
Fucking adorable.
“I promise not to feed you to the alpaca either.”
Her shoulders shook with soft laughter. “He thinks he’s a horsie. I haven’t met him yet, but I really want to.”
Beau finished unpacking the last item he’d purchased and set it on the bed for her. “You haven’t met Alfie yet?” The alpaca who thought he was a horse seemed to be very popular with the Littles. He was surprised to hear Palmer hadn’t been to the stables yet.
“No, Sir, I was kinda scared. I haven’t visited the petting zoo either, but I want to hold the baby goats so badly.”
Beau crossed the space between them and held out his hand. She rose, taking it. “How about we go visit this week?”
Palmer’s eyes widened and sparkled. “You’d take me?”
“Of course I will, silly girl!” Beau booped her on the nose. “I’d take you anywhere!”
Beau led her into his bedroom, his heart fluttering in excitement.
“Oh no. You made a mess,” she whispered in horror.
Beau laughed a big belly laugh. He supposed he had made a mess when he was unpacking all the bags and boxes. “I did, but it was for a good reason.”
Scanning the mess comically, she shook her head. “I don’t think there’s a good enough reason for this mess.”
Oh, she was a little neat freak. He’d have to make sure he remembered to pick up after himself. Immediately and not as an afterthought. “I was excited to unpack all your gifts, pretty baby. I think that’s a good reason.”
“Gifts?”
The surprise in her voice killed him. It was absolutely unfathomable to her that someone would want to buy her gifts.
“Yes, gifts for you.”
“T-that’s really nice. Thank you.”
Her sweet words were negated by the skepticism on her face. That was okay. The love of everyone in the Ranch would get her there eventually.
She stopped beside the king bed and stared at all of the goodies. “It’s all for me?”
“Every single package, pretty baby.”
Palmer stood in front of all the packages, shifting foot to foot.
“You can touch them, honey. They’re yours,” Beau encouraged.
Tentatively, with trembling hands, Palmer reached out and started examining the packages.
She held up a pack of mermaids and shark figures. “Bath toys!” She pressed the brightly colored packaging to her chest. “I don’t think I’ve ever had bath toys before.”
Her soft admission broke something else inside of him and he grew angry at how mean the world could be.
“Maybe you can take a bath with your friends tonight,” he encouraged.
She nodded before picking up another package. “Baby clothes! The baby will love these!”
Beau didn’t comment on how she referred to the doll as “the baby” and not “my baby” He knew how hard it could be to hope for happy things. Once again, he was confident the Ranch would get her there.
Each excited squeal and happy sigh went straight to Beau’s head and he felt invincible. He was pretty sure Superman didn’t stand a chance next to him.
“Pretty panties.” Those words were breathed much more reverently. She looked at Beau and he sent her a gentle wink.
“Every Little one needs pretty training panties.” He’d emphasized training panties, hoping to shape the rest of their conversation.
“I’m a big girl!” she said, in an extremely Little girl way. She poked her bottom lip out so far, Beau could have parked his 4x4 on it.
Chuckling, he closed the space between them and gave her a squeeze. “I think you’ve been a Big girl for a very long time, but now you’re safe and I think you’d like to be Daddy’s Little girl.”
Flipping the panties over and over in her hands, Palmer stood quietly for a long while. Beau waited, not willing to rush her.
Finally she blew out a deep breath—a breath Beau imagined weighed a ton—and nodded.
“There’s nothing wrong with being Daddy’s Little girl, Palmer.”
“Is not bad?”
Beau’s skin prickled with irritation. Not with her, of course, but with whoever had taught her that her needs were bad. He’d like to be given five minutes alone with them.
Beau scooped Palmer in his arms and settled on the bed with her lying across his lap. “It’s not bad, baby.”
She tried to use her curls as a curtain to hide her face, but Beau gathered them in his hand and held them away.
“Sometimes I feel like I should be Big.” Her fingers twisted in her shirt, almost to the point of stretching the fabric.
“But why?”
She answered by shrugging her shoulders.
“Do you think the Little ones in the preschool program are bad?”
Whipping her head around to face him, she shook her head rapidly. “No! I don’t think that.”
“How about the Little ones in the nursery?”
“No! They’re not bad either!”
If their conversation hadn’t been so serious, Beau would have found her vehement responses adorable.
“Then why would you think you’re bad?”
Her brow furrowed as she processed his words.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, finally meeting his eye.
“It’s time for you to start living, pretty baby.”