Chapter 5
Saturday morning flew by as Coco danced her way through all the tasks she needed to complete. When all the cages were clean, and she’d given the animals staying over the weekend clean water and food, she double-checked that Isabella didn’t need her to do anything else.
“You’ve done everything! Go hang out with that Daddy,” Isabella told her.
“Thanks!” Coco said before dashing out the door.
Thank goodness, Sofia and Isabella hadn’t pestered her with questions.
She knew they were so excited for her. Maybe after this weekend, she’d want to share more, but for now, Coco wanted to keep this new relationship private.
Finding out Daddies really existed and being matched with Roman seemed like a dream.
She hadn’t gotten over being scared that she’d wake up and find it had all been a dream.
Following the GPS on her phone, Coco drove into a very nice neighborhood of big houses with immaculate lawns. Holy smokes. Did Roman really live here?
The trail ended at a sunny yellow house with white shutters and a big front porch. There were giant oak trees in the front yard. An image of raking leaves and jumping into them popped into her mind as she pulled into the driveway. Would the neighborhood be too stuffy for that much fun?
She parked her car and gathered her courage. A movement at the door caught her eye, and Coco glanced up to see Roman dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt step out onto the porch. He waved at her with a big smile as he walked her way.
Jumping out of the car, Coco ran toward him and jumped into his open arms. He took a step back to absorb the impact as he caught her and squeezed her securely to his body. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Now that’s the kind of greeting I’d like to share every day, Little girl!” he said before kissing her hard. “How was work?”
“Good. I love the clinic. Sofia and Isabella are the absolute best.”
“Hooray! I’m glad you’re enjoying your time there. Are you ready to have some fun with Daddy?”
“Yes. I’ve got stuff in my car. Is it still okay to do some laundry?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course. Let’s go get your things.” After one more kiss that made her head whirl, Roman set her feet down on the concrete. He followed her to her car and carried her laundry basket and backpack inside.
Setting her backpack on the huge kitchen island, he suggested, “Let’s get a load of clothes in the washer and then I’ll show you around.”
“Okay.” Coco trailed him into the large laundry room.
Roman showed her where everything was before leaving her alone to put her clothes into the large washer.
Grateful to have some privacy, Coco separated out her work clothes that she would need to deep clean and dumped everything else into the machine.
She hadn’t considered how intimate it was to have someone else see her underwear and soiled clothes.
With luck, she could hide her panties and bras at the bottom of the basket.
“Are you hungry, Coco?” Roman’s voice called from the kitchen, spurring her to return.
“Starving. I should have stopped to get something. Would you like a burger? I could run back out,” she suggested.
“That won’t happen. Let’s have a quick sandwich now, and we can have an early dinner tonight. I think I promised you I’d grill something outside.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Coco said.
“I’m glad to have you here. Let me take care of you, Little girl.”
His expression reassured her she wasn’t imposing. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Good girl. Pull out one of those stools and sit down,” he instructed.
She smiled to herself as her body and mind responded to his praise. How could two words make her feel so amazing? Coco wanted to be his good girl. She took a seat and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Were you on your feet all day, Coco?”
“Yes. It feels good to sit down. I need to build up my endurance to stand for a long time. It’s quite a transition from being a student at a desk to the physicality of standing, squatting, bending, and twisting that comes with working at the clinic.”
“I bet.”
“What do you do?” Coco asked, realizing she’d never asked him questions.
“I own the mall,” he told her as he pulled out deli packages, mustard, mayo, lettuce, and pickles from the refrigerator.
“The mall?” she repeated in shock. The town had a huge mall on the east side. There had to be sixty businesses inside, including some well-known clothing and department stores. How rich was Roman?
“The last ten years have been tough on indoor shopping areas. I picked up the mall when it was almost empty of businesses with the intention of bringing it back to life.”
“There are many things happening there now. I’ve been to adoption events at the mall.”
“Yes, there’s a fashion show tonight.”
“Do you need to be there?” she asked.
“No. I have a manager and security details for that. You are my priority.”
His words resonated within her. When had anyone other than her parents put her first? Definitely not her friends. She was just one of their crowd. Coco doubted that the kids she’d hung out with in high school noticed that she wasn’t around. She had drifted away to complete her studies.
“Ham or roast beef?”
“Ham with mustard, please.”
“Of course. Do you like sweet or dill pickles?” he asked, gesturing at the jars.
“Sweet.”
In a short time, a yummy sandwich sat in front of her, cut diagonally. She stared at the special plate he’d placed in front of her. It was pink with scalloped edges. Divided into three sections by raised borders, it would keep everything separated.
“This is so fun! I love it,” she told him, running her finger over the edge.
“I’m so glad. Now, would you rather have potato chips and dip or carrots and ranch in the other two sections?”
“Carrots!” she answered.
In a flash, he had the other sections filled and a sippy cup of chocolate milk in front of her. When he sat next to her at the island, she picked up one of the baby vegetables and plunked it into the salad dressing.
“Dip, dip, dip,” he said to accompany her actions.
“Ranch, Daddy,” she corrected him.
He froze, making her stop to look at him. “Say it again, Little girl.”
Her face turned pink as she replayed her words in her mind. She’d called him Daddy. “Daddy?” she repeated.
Roman exploded from his chair and plucked Coco up into his arms. He twirled her around the kitchen, pressing kisses all over her face. When he stopped, she clung to him, giggling at his celebration.
“I guess you want me to call you Daddy?” she asked.
“For the rest of my life,” he answered, squeezing her tight.
“Isn’t it awfully early for you to know we’re supposed to be together?”
He grinned at her. “Damn you’re cute. I think I’ll keep you.”
Roman returned her to her seat and slid into his next to her. “Eat, Little girl. Ask any questions you have. Let’s get to know each other better.”
To her delight, the conversation between them flowed easily. Just like last night, Roman was an ideal meal companion. He asked questions and truly seemed interested in her answers. By the time the buzzer on the washing machine sounded, she had a strange feeling inside. Was that love?
“Coco, you’re worrying too much. Relax and enjoy our time together. Some things are out of our control. Our relationship is one of them. Do you feel the tie between us?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Me too. I like it a lot. Can you eat anything else?”
“No way.” The buzzer sounded again. “I should go change that load. Is it okay for me to put in a load of my scrubs?”
“Of course it is. Want to change out of these and wash all of them?” he suggested, tugging on her sleeve.
“That would be perfect. Where can I change?”
“Let’s grab your backpack and I’ll give you a tour of the house.”
He showed her the half bathroom off the kitchen before steering her with a hand on her lower back into the hallway.
There was another bathroom at the end of the hallway and three guest rooms. Isolated on the other side of the family room was the massive master bedroom.
Coco struggled to keep from staring at the enormous bed that dominated the room.
What would making love to Roman be like?
“One more room to see, Little girl.” Roman opened a door that she had guessed was a walk-in closet, but she was very wrong.
Coco walked in to see a room painted in pink and white.
There was an oversized crib on one side with the railing lowered to invite her to explore.
A big toy chest sat on another wall with a bookshelf and a comfy-looking beanbag chair.
Coco instantly wished to grab a book and cuddle up to read.
Her gaze settled on a large dresser-like piece of furniture with a padded top, a large drawer, and open cubbies underneath. Were those diapers stacked inside one?
“How do you like your room, Little girl? Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to change.”
“Nothing. This is incredible. I love it.”
“This is a Little room, Coco. In here, Daddy takes care of you completely. Are you ready for Daddy to help you change clothes?”