Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Tilly finished packing everything she’d brought to Carter’s house with a sigh. While she wished she could move in and stay with her Daddy forever, her sisters needed her to keep the peace between them. There was also the apartment they would be moving into in a few weeks.
She also needed to put her full attention toward marketing her Little clothes with the hope that she could sell enough to eventually quit working at the daycare center.
She loved the kids and running the center wasn’t too challenging, but she much preferred to spend her days designing, making, and selling clothes.
The days spent at the convention made her more certain than ever that this was what she wanted to do with her life.
“Ready to go?” Carter asked from the bedroom doorway. He looked as reluctant as she was to leave for the convention center and the last day of Littlepalooza. Though she knew he was attracted to her and she really wished he’d say something about having a future together.
Tilly took a breath and nodded as she picked up BB tucked her into her carryall. “I’m ready.”
She carried her bags to the doorway and did not argue when he took the bag with her clothes in it. Following him down the hall and to the front door, she focused on his ass, accentuated nicely by his black cargo pants.
The temptation to squeeze one of those tight buns overcame her. Reaching out, Tilly cupped her hand over his right ass cheek and squeezed.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Carter demanded as he spun around to look at her. He sounded both outraged and turned on by her action.
Tilly giggled as the sillies rolled through her before shrugging. “Sorry, Papa. Couldn’t help myself. Your butt was just asking to be squeezed.”
Rooker shook his head as he opened the front door. “From now on you walk in front of me, little dancer, because I’m absolutely certain my butt does not talk.”
Tilly’s giggles grew as she danced out the front door, across the front porch and down the stairs.
“Are you sure, Papa? Have you ever asked it a question? And what about farts? Are you saying you don’t fart?
Not even after eating beans? I thought everybody’s butt talked after eating beans.
And chili. And doesn’t beer make farts?”
A low grumbly growl made her think she should shut her mouth and stop poking the bear … Daddy.
She was so busy laughing, she could not fight when Carter grabbed her arm and popped her butt three times. It wasn’t as effective as it could have been since she was already wearing her tutu.
She jumped when he released her a moment later. “What was that for?”
“I thought I heard your butt ask for a spanking,” he said with a chuckle as he around her to open the passenger door. After setting her weekend bag on the floor, Carter lifted her into the seat and buckled her in.
He brushed a kiss on her lips before backing out and closing the door. Tilly watched as he rounded the front of the truck, chuckling and shaking his head as he muttered something to himself.
It made her happy that she could get him to laugh so early in the morning, even as she grew sad that this would be their last morning together, at least for a while. Maybe someday they would be back together spending nights and mornings like this.
She could only hope.
The drive into town was made in silence, and Tilly had to focus on breathing and blinking to keep her tears at bay.
This was why she’d never indulged in one-night stands or weekend trysts.
It was too hard to say goodbye at the end.
She’d watched Carri go through it several times before deciding those kind of relationships were not for her.
But without knowing how Carter felt about her, she also was not comfortable telling him that she thought she’d fallen in love with him in less than three days.
What if he’d changed his mind and decided he didn’t want her around any longer?
Though they had already discussed it, she still found herself nervous to admit her feelings were growing so strong so quickly.
Once he parked, she fumbled for her bags with one hand and the safety belt latch with the other. She froze when he laid a hand on her arm.
“We need to talk for just a minute before we go inside.”
The sight of Tilly’s tear-filled eyes gutted him. Needing to hold her and not sit across the truck from her, Carter climbed out and went around. After helping her out, he took her hand in his and led her to the empty park next to the convention center.
Sitting at the picnic table, he lifted her to sit on his lap facing him. She wiped the tears that had escaped before linking her fingers together. “What do you want to talk about, Papa?” she whispered.
“Look in my eyes, Tilly,” he requested in a low, steel-laced tone.
Her gaze lifted to meet his and he could see the pain and sadness filling her. “I want to talk about what happens between us after today. It may be too soon, but I love you, and I don’t want to lose you.”
Tilly eyes widened and hope slowly chased out the pain. “You love me?” she asked. “Are you sure it’s not just gas or something?”
“No, Matilda Ann, it is not gas or something. I’ve been looking for my Little girl for a lot of years and I’ve found her in you. Now the question is, are you interested in having more of a relationship with me?”
Tilly stopped breathing for a handful of seconds before she threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, Papa. I love you, too. I want more of a relationship with you so so so much!”
Carter flinched when she squealed in his ear, but could not help laughing at her enthusiasm.
Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tight.
“That makes me very, very happy. Now, let’s get inside and go to work.
We can tell your sisters you’re coming to live with Papa after things close down this afternoon. ”
Tilly nodded, though she didn’t look quite as confident as he felt. “Um, I think I need to talk to them alone, Papa. We’ve been the three Smith sisters all our lives and I’m not sure how they’ll take me just going off with someone I met a few days ago.”
Carter thought about her situation and though he knew they were losing their home in the near future, he also understood that he was pushing this relationship forward at the speed of sounds. He was surprised he hadn’t heard a sonic boom yet.
Taking a deep breath he nodded. “I understand, little dancer, but I want you to think about this. Your sisters are just as grownup as you are, give or take a few minutes. You need to start thinking about yourself and your life and not let them make your decisions for you.”
Tilly looked thoughtful for a minute, before she nodded.
“You’re probably right, but they’re my sisters, the only family I have left in the world.
I can’t just turn my back and walk away from them like that.
I’m sorry if that hurts you, but losing my family because I don’t give them time to get used to the idea of us hurts me.
Maybe we need to think about this some more. ”
With that, Tilly climbed from his lap and ran toward the convention center.
Though he wanted to yell at her about running in the parking lot, he didn’t.
Instead, he sat and thought over the conversation and realized she was right.
He was asking too much from her much too soon.
And he did need to get to know her sisters so that they would approve and not try to pull them apart once he’d figured out how to get Tilly to talk to him once again.