Chapter Thirty-Three
DAISY
“Daddy, I need to work, though,” Daisy whined.
“You’re not working today. I know you told your authors what you were doing last night. And I have a sneaky suspicion that they aren’t expecting you to work today.”
Daisy pulled out her phone to see two different texts from her authors telling her to have a good day with her man.
She was ahead with work, but she didn’t like to randomly take days off.
What if they needed something last-minute and she wasn’t there to help them?
It was her job, and she felt guilty taking today off.
“Nope. I have already talked to one of your authors about you taking today off in advance. I didn’t know whether we were going to spend it together or if you just needed to be by yourself after spending the night at my house,” Daddy explained. “But I wanted to leave the option open to you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and Daisy quickly waved her hands in front of her face, trying to stop them.
“I can’t believe I’m crying,” she choked out as his Daddy walked toward her.
Daddy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to let yourself feel emotions, all of them.”
“I haven’t cried this much in my life,” she whispered.
“Maybe it’s time you cried more. You always have a shoulder to cry on now. Arms to hold you tight so you feel protected, safe, loved.” Daddy held her tighter.
“Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest.
“Any time, Little Flower. Any time.”
Daisy stayed in his arms for who knew how long before he finally pulled back and looked at her.
“I want you to go sit on the couch and relax. Read a book or watch a show while I fix the toilet,” Daddy said. “It won’t take me long, and then we can do whatever you want after.”
Daisy gripped onto his shirt, not wanting to let him go. She didn’t really want to be out of his sight, much less be in a room all by herself, knowing he was in the bathroom.
“Let’s get you under a blanket,” Daddy said, but she still wouldn’t budge.
She didn’t know why she wouldn’t let him go, but she just didn’t—couldn’t—bring herself to let him go.
“Daisy, are you okay?” Daddy asked.
Her cheeks flushed. “I don’t. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I don’t want to let go. I don’t want to be away from you. The thought of you being in the bathroom and me being in the living room doesn’t sit well with me.”
Daddy had told her that communication was very important in their relationship.
She knew that from the books she read. But to actually put it into practice was a lot harder than she initially thought.
Daisy overthought a lot of things. She had taken a leap of faith and had told him her thoughts just now.
“Daddy is so proud of you for telling me,” he gently said. “How about I find a little stool, and you can sit in the bathroom while I fix the toilet? That way, you don’t have to be out of my sight, and I can keep an eye on you.”
Daisy nodded. “I… I think I would like that,” she whispered.
Daddy smiled. “Good. Then, it’s all set. Why don’t you head up to the bathroom, and I’ll be right behind you?”
Daisy didn’t let go of his shirt when he took a step away from her.
She was feeling especially clingy today, and she didn’t know why.
Maybe it was because she had never had someone wake her up so gently before.
Or maybe it was because he cooked breakfast for her and fed her slowly, monitoring that she ate every single bite.
He was making sure that she was well taken care of, and Daisy appreciated that.
“Don’t want to leave me yet?” Daddy asked.
“No, I don’t. I don’t feel like... I don’t feel like I should leave you yet. There’s just something in me that wants to be close to you,” she mumbled.
“That’s okay, Little Flower. Everything is going to be okay. Why don’t you just hold on to my shirt? We’ll walk into the pantry, and then we’ll go and get the stool before heading to the bathroom.”
Daisy grabbed onto Daddy’s shirt as he led her through the house. It was a relief to know that he wasn’t trying to make her stay in one room on her own. He was taking it very seriously and wanted to be accommodating.
Even her own mother wasn’t this considerate.
“Why didn’t you tell me that the toilet was overflowing?” Daddy asked.
She shrugged as she sat on the stool.
“That isn’t an answer, Little Daisy. You know,” He gave her a pointed look.
Daisy sighed and hung her head. “I was going to tell you. Then I met you at the bar and learned you were my landlord. I didn’t want to bother you. I just didn’t want to make it seem like I was trying to get things out of you. I didn’t want you to think that I was going to be too much of a hassle.”
She was going to message him about it because it had already been over a week, but after meeting him, she’d decided not to. She didn’t want to bring all that attention to herself.
“So, you were just going to deal with this until you moved out, or until I found out about it when I did an inspection?” Daddy asked.
“I didn’t really think that far ahead. I didn’t want to bother you too much since you had already taken me out of the bar, given me your jacket, taken me to the office, and then driven me home and wanted to tuck me in bed,” she rambled.
“I was going to tell you at some point, but I didn’t want it to be so close to the bar incident.
Then you saw me at the grocery store and helped me out.
Then I felt even worse when I thought that I was going to tell you, so I didn’t. ” She sighed.
Daddy turned to her and gave her a pointed look.
“You are never going to bother me. I want to know these things so that I can fix them. While I try to look out for things, I’m not here all the time, so I can’t.
I want to take care of you. And you telling me about it right after you found out I was your landlord wouldn’t make me think you were bothering me. ”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I really didn’t mean to keep it from you for so long, and I didn’t mean to tell you like that, either. I really was going to tell you, but it was just going to be next month,” she shyly said.
It was actually going to be longer than a month, but Daddy didn’t need to know that.
“Even if it was a month or another day, that is still too long. When something comes up, I want you to tell me right away. I don’t care if I’m in a meeting or if I’m out of town.
I want you to call me and tell me. I will always make time for you,” Daddy said as he started to fix the toilet.
“You are my woman, my Little, my other half. I don’t want you to have things that are wrong and not know to be able to fix them.
I want to know right away so that I can make sure that your life is happy, stress-free, and enjoyable. ”
Daisy took a deep breath in. “I’ve always wanted that, but I’ve been providing for myself for so long.
I don’t know how to ask for or accept help.
I’m not accustomed to all of this. It’s going to take me a long time to actually come and tell you when things are wrong.
I don’t want to inconvenience anyone, and the fact you’re with me makes me not want to tell you because I don’t want to run you off. ”
She couldn’t believe that she had just said that. Maybe she was getting more used comfortable around him than she thought she was.
“And I understand that. I’m not asking you to change in an hour. I know that it’s going to take some time, and I’m here for that. No matter how long it takes you to come to me right away. I’m not going anywhere.”
Daisy pressed her palms into her eyes as her tears threatened to spill. She was not going to cry again. She couldn’t cry again.
“Oh, Little Flower. I’m sorry that I keep making you so upset, but I’m not sorry for what I’m saying.
You need to hear them more often because they’re true.
There are so many people in this town who want to take care of you.
They want to be your friends. You have so many more people than you realize,” he gently said.
“I’m just not used to any of this. I’m not used to having people who want to be my friends. I’m not used to having a man interested in me. Or having people not look at my health conditions, or who I work for, or how I want to live my life,” she whispered.
“And all of them were fools for not realizing you are a catch. You are absolutely perfect in who you are. I don’t want anything to change about you.
I want you, and I want Chilli. I want your love, and I want everything about you.
” Daddy finished up fixing the toilet before turning to her.
“I want everything that you will give me. I want you to be comfortable. I want to cherish and love you. I want to discipline you when you’re naughty.
I want to give you rewards when you’ve been exceptionally good.
I want to give you rules. And I want you to move into my house.
” He paused. “I want to wake up and see you. I want to go to bed and be the last person I see before I close my eyes.”
“Daddy,” she managed to squeak out as a ball of emotions formed in her throat.
“I know I said I was going to take it slow, but sometimes I think being slow can actually hinder things. I don’t want you to get in your head and think that I don’t want you or that I’m second-guessing about you having a Chilli, or you thinking that you’re more trouble than you’re worth.
You deserve so much. I love taking care of you, and I love having you with me,” he continued.
“You have brightened up my world in ways I didn’t think were possible.
I never thought that I would find somebody who just fit in with me so well, as you do.
You are everything that I want, need, and more. ”
“Daddy,” she choked out.
“I know, I know, but I need to say this to you. I need you to know that you mean so much to me. You coming to tell me anything will not bother me or burden me. If anything, you coming to me will make me happy, make me feel wanted, needed,” he gently said.
“I know I’ve probably overwhelmed you, but I needed you to hear my thoughts and know that you are important to a lot of people in Springfield, me included.
You may not believe us, but we are going to show you through our actions and words. ”
Tears freely ran down her face as Daddy finished talking. No one, no one had ever taken the time to say those things to her.
Maybe Janelle was right, and he was the perfect Daddy for her. That he was the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.
And the thought didn’t scare her, in this moment.
If anything, it made a warm, fuzzy feeling spread across her chest at the thought of spending the rest of her life with him.
It sounded amazing because she knew Daddy would take care of her.
She knew that he would love her unconditionally, and she would love him back.
“Now, the toilet is fixed. Why don’t we go snuggle on the couch until lunchtime, and I’ll make you something to eat? Then the rest of the day you can decide what we want to do,” Daddy offered as he washed his hands, turning to her when they were dried and held out his hand.