Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nerves were making her all jittery as she stood in the living room waiting for Jeb to come inside. He’d just pulled up after dropping Wyatt off at his friend’s house.
She glanced down at herself.
Did she look all right? She hadn’t been sure what to wear.
So she’d chosen one of her favorite outfits.
A tutu skirt in bright orange with orange-and-pink-striped knee-high socks.
Then she had on a pink t-shirt with an alligator on the front and a green cardigan over it.
Her blonde hair was tied up in two pigtails with green ribbons.
Hopefully he thought she looked cute.
What if he didn’t?
Oh, who cared? She thought she looked adorable and that was all that mattered.
Jeb walked in and she turned to him. “I look adorable!”
His eyebrows rose. “Yes, you do.”
Oh.
Her shoulders slumped. Yep. She was being an idiot.
“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I was worried you wouldn’t think that I was cute.”
“Well, that was silly. Of course I do. But sorry who?”
Huh?
“How do you address me?” he asked.
“Oh. Sorry, Daddy.” She could feel her cheeks heat even as her tummy danced with excitement.
“Good girl. Come with me.” He held out his hand and she walked forward and slid her hand into his.
“Where are we going, Daddy?”
“To one of the spare rooms. We can stay in the living room but I do occasionally get visitors and I thought you might feel more comfortable in a private space.”
That was thoughtful.
They entered a room with a single bed, nightstand and set of drawers. The walls were painted a soft gray and all the furniture was cream. There was something soothing about the room.
“I haven’t really got anything for you to play with,” he said awkwardly. “Or do. Or bottles or pacifiers or anything. Hell, I didn’t even ask how young your Little is.”
He looked so unsure that it surprised her. Jeb was never unsure. Why? Did he think she wasn’t going to be good at this?
“Not a great first experience for you,” he added.
She suddenly realized that he was concerned about her. About her enjoyment.
Stepping forward, she smiled at him. “I don’t mind what we do, Daddy. I just want to spend time with you. I don’t think I regress young enough to need bottles or pacifiers. I’d really be happy with some paper and coloring pens.”
“Yeah?” he said, brushing her hair off her face.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“All right then, precious girl. Let’s go see what Daddy can find.”
Half an hour later, she was lying on her stomach on the floor, drawing a picture of a tree.
“Wow, little girl. That’s an amazing drawing,” Daddy said as he stood over her.
He’d gone to get them a snack and she could feel her stomach rumbling.
“Do you think so, Daddy? I didn’t think it was that great. I was gonna rip it up and start again.”
“Whoa, no you don’t,” he said as he sat and placed the tray he’d been carrying on the floor. “Why would you want to rip it up?”
“I dunno.” She sat up, staring down at the paper. “It’s not that good.”
“I think it’s amazing. No ripping up pictures.”
“Really? My father always used to . . .” she trailed off as his face grew red.
Uh oh.
He didn’t look very happy.
“What did that bastard do?” he asked.
“Um, well, he was never happy with any of my art. Said it was pointless, a waste of time. Most of the stuff I showed him when I was younger he ripped up. So then I stopped showing him. But I ended up ripping most of it up myself.”
“Listen to me,” he ordered, cupping her chin in his hand. “He was lying to you. You’re an amazing artist and this picture should never be ripped up. None of them should. Doesn’t matter how good or bad they are.”
Shoot.
How had she not seen what her father was doing to her? How he was trying to undermine her confidence?
“I never saw what he was doing.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to see it while you’re living it. But when you’re away from it, then you can have some more perspective.”
Yeah, she guessed he was right.
“Perhaps you can draw another picture after your snack,” he said. “And your punishment.”
“My punishment? Why? I haven’t been naughty!”
“Did you forget about yesterday?” he asked.
Well. Hell.
She kind of had.
“I think we could forget about that, don’t you, Daddy?” she asked.
“Not happening, little girl. You need to eat your snack and then we can get that punishment over and done with. Then you can draw some more before lunch and a nap.”
Yikes.
He had everything planned out. Casey wasn’t really a planner. She preferred to go with the flow.
“I really don’t feel like being spanked today, though, Daddy,” she told him. “Perhaps we could schedule that on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? In a few days?”
“No, next year.”
He snorted. “Nice try, little girl. Not happening. You’re getting punished today.” He grabbed the plate of food from the tray and set it down in front of her.
Casey wrinkled her nose. “Uh, Daddy, what is this?”
“This is your snack.”
“But . . . but it’s vegetables! Vegetables aren’t a snack! They’re the thing that you try to avoid eating at dinner. A snack is cookies and milk. Or doughnuts. They’re a great snack.”
Poor Daddy. He really needed her help if he thought that this was a snack. He’d taken away her candy stash so she was dying for a sugar hit. And the carrot and cucumber slices with ranch dipping sauce just weren’t going to help her with her cravings.
“Those things aren’t good for you.”
“Food doesn’t always have to be good for you, Daddy,” she complained. “It can be sugar and carbs, you know.”
“I know. In moderation. But you seem to live on sugar and not much else. I’m worried about the state of your teeth.”
“I am not going to the dentist.”
Not. Happening.
And she didn’t care about her disintegrating tooth.
He just gave her a stern look.
“I want a lollipop.”
“Excuse me?” he said.
Oops. It seems that she might have forgotten her manners due to the lack of sugar in her blood.
“Please may I have a lollipop?” she asked.
There. Now she’d get some sugary goodness.
“No.”
She gasped so much that she actually slid onto her back. “What?”
He loomed over her, shaking his head. “That’s very dramatic. Sit up.”
“I can’t. I think I’m stuck. You said that I had to ask for a lollipop when I wanted one.”
“I did.”
“Then why isn’t there one in my mouth?” She pointed at her mouth for emphasis before he helped her up.
“Because you don’t need more sugar. You need some healthy food. If you’re a good girl you might get something later.”
“I have to be a good girl?” she wailed. “This sucks. I’ve been duped.”
“You’re being very dramatic, little girl. And if you don’t want to find yourself standing in the corner, then you’ll eat your veggies.”
“Nope. Not happening. And I’m not standing in the corner.”