Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
The fairy lights in the ballroom gave the room a magical glow. Essie, on the other hand, was not glowing in a delicate, beautiful way. She was sweating bullets. Of all the days for the air conditioner to break!
Essie blew her hair out of her eyes as she hooked the lights into place along the top of the walls. She chanted on repeat that she was almost done and refused to check how close she was to the corner where she’d begun. Her fingers fumbled, and she dropped the clip.
Slumping over the summit of the ladder, she peered at the floor. Great! Now she’d have to climb down and force herself back up. Her legs already trembled. Essie wasn’t sure she could muster the energy to scale the rungs again.
“You need to get off that ladder, right now,” a grumpy voice demanded.
“Hey! Hand me that clip,” Essie called as she glanced toward the sound. Her gaze locked onto Edmund. His expression wasn’t happy at all. “Oh, sorry. You probably can’t do that.”
“Even if I could, I wouldn’t. You shouldn’t be up on a ladder in the first place, Essie. And you’ve exhausted yourself. I’m going to go get your Daddy.”
“Go ahead. You can’t talk to him,” Essie sassed. She was past the point of even knowing what she said. She wanted to get done and go have a cold shower.
“Is that right?” Edmund said.
He sounded so pissed, and Essie added, “I don’t think you can tell him. Can you?” She gasped when he disappeared with a stern look.
“Why do I have the feeling I’m in trouble?” Essie asked herself and the empty room. When no one answered, she started the long trek down the steep incline.
When she reached the bottom, her legs wobbled. Essie decided it was time for a break. She sat on the parquet floor and rested her head in her hands. At least the air was cooler down here.
“Marmalade? What is wrong with you?” Zander’s voice sounded confused. “Did you get into the kitty nip?”
“Wow, those twinklers are fantastic,” Zander said, admiring the lighting. The moment he spotted her in a lump on the floor, he launched himself across the ballroom. “Essie!”
“Hi, Daddy. I’m resting.”
“Did you fall?”
“No. I climbed all the way down to get that clip.” She pointed at the naughty fastener and wrinkled her nose.
“Why are you on a ladder in this heat?” Zander asked.
“Today is hang-the-lights day on my calendar. Unfortunately, on the air conditioner’s schedule, someone had penciled in stop working and get boiling hot at the ceiling level.”
“Did you consider switching tasks around on your list?”
“That would probably make the entire globe stop spinning in the right direction,” she said, stretching out on the floor. Did he really need to keep hovering over her?
“All right. You’re done, Little girl. Stand up for Daddy.”
“I’ve got stuff to do.”
“And I’ve got a hand ready to spank a naughty Little girl.”
“You’re not very nice.”
“Come on. I’m taking you to my place,” Zander said.
She cringed away from the hand he reached out to tug Essie to her feet. “You have creepy crawlers there. I don’t do bugs.”
“Not anymore. The experts certified my house bedbug-free.”
“Nice.” Essie reached a hand toward him and pulled it back. “Is your house cool?”
“Yes, Little girl. My air-conditioning is working well.”
“Even better.” Essie let him pull her to her feet. She swayed slightly against him, feeling dizzy. “These lights look even better when the room spins. I should serve strong drinks.”
“Close your eyes, sweetheart,” he instructed and leaned over to scoop her over his shoulder.
Essie didn’t have the energy to protest. Besides, her view was spectacular when she peeked. She patted his firm butt.
“Have you had any water today?”
“Too busy. I didn’t want to have to stop and pee.”
Zander stopped in the foyer and called out, “Sara, I’m driving Essie to my house to cool down.”
The housekeeper appeared quickly. “Good idea. The tech promises to have the part installed in an hour. The mansion will take a while to lower in temperature.”
“No cooking tonight, Sara. If you need a room, I have plenty. Drive on over.”
“I’ll be fine. My old bones like the heat,” Sara said. “Take care of Essie.”
“I will. I’ll bring her back tomorrow.”
Essie didn’t protest. She didn’t feel well. The thought of getting cool sounded incredible.
Walking out of Ferguson’s Folly, Zander juggled her a bit as he reached into his pocket to grab his truck keys. She heard the truck start several feet away and whispered, “Magic.”
“Remote start. I’ll get the air blasting for you.”
Soon, Zander had her buckled in a seat with a cold open bottle of water in her hand. He circled the hood and climbed in next to her. “Drink, Little girl.”
She nodded and raised the container to her lips. A sigh escaped her after swallowing. “That’s good.”
“More, Essie. I’m surprised you’re sweating after not drinking all day.”
“I’m a sweater. Well, not like a Nordic pullover or anything like that. I sweat a lot.”
“Good to know.”
“That doesn’t make me sound appealing, does it?” Essie wanted to care, but she was so tired.
“Everyone sweats, Little girl. When they don’t, they have a big problem.”
He didn’t sound too unhappy with her. “Am I still getting a spanking?”
“Yes. But after you recover. Thank goodness Marmalade ran across the road. I was on my way to town. He acted so weird, I trailed after him.”
“Edmund sent him. I wouldn’t follow his directions either. He said he was going to tell you. I reminded him that you couldn’t hear him. He didn’t like that.” Essie guessed she was rambling but couldn’t stop talking.
“Drink, Essie.”
Obediently, she swallowed more of the cold water. The liquid tasted amazing. She could tell from his expression that Zander doubted that a ghost had gotten a message to him. Quickly, she changed the subject. “How long has your house been livable?”
“About a week. Are you tired of me?”
“No!” she blurted quickly. “Well, not if you’re happy staying with me.”
“I am. A Daddy’s place is with his Little girl.” Zander stopped in front of his home. “Don’t move. I’ll come get you.”
“I can walk.”
“Of course you can.”
Zander rounded the hood once again and opened the door. “Come here, Little girl.” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the entrance. A tall man welcomed them.
“Is that Miss Essie?”
Zander answered for her. “It is, Miller. The air-conditioning at Ferguson’s Folly is broken. Essie’s overheated. We’ll stay here tonight to let the house cool when the tech finishes. Could you call for a pizza in a couple of hours?”
“You can count on me, sir. I’m glad to see you again, Miss Essie. Feel better.”
“Thank you.”
She waited for Zander to move down the hallway before asking, “Have I met him before?”
“Yes. His dad worked in the stables here for years. Miller visited here often when we were kids. You hit him with a water balloon once when you were aiming for me.”
“I remember that now. I’ve always had a terrible throwing arm. If I remember, he didn’t get mad. He swiped a few water balloons and joined the epic battle.”
“He did.” Zander chuckled as he walked into a bedroom. He closed the door with his elbow and carried her into the large bathroom. “Bath time for you, Little girl. I want to get your temperature down.”
“Ooo! A cool bath sounds amazing.”
Zander sat her on the edge of the tub and leaned in to turn on the water. When the faucet gushed with cold liquid, he turned his attention to her. “Out of those clothes, Essie.”
“I can get undressed,” she protested when he lifted the hem of her shirt.
“Daddy’s in charge.”
She nodded and allowed him to help her. Every ounce of her energy had evaporated. Zander would take care of her. She smiled to herself.
“What are you thinking about, Little girl?”
“How lucky I am to have you.”
“I feel exactly the same.” Zander kissed her tenderly before adding, “In the tub, sweetheart.”
She dipped one foot into the water and shrieked. “That’s not chilled. That’s like an ice bath!”
“The water isn’t that cold, Essie.”
Shaking her head, Essie crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t getting into that frigid pool. “No way!”
Zander relented and added a bit of warm water to the tub. He leaned over and swirled the water around to mix the two temperatures. This time when Essie stepped in, she allowed him to help her settle in the tub. Zander lowered himself to kneel on the bathroom floor to bathe her.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Never be afraid to tell me when something isn’t right. Most of the time, I’ll listen. But there will be some occasions when I won’t modify my plans for you.”
“I’ll still ask.”
“Of course you will, Little girl. And that’s a good thing. Little girls should tell their Daddies when they’re worried. Now, relax against the back of the tub, and let’s get your temperature down.”
Zander moved the water lazily around her with gentle swipes of his hand. Essie closed her eyes and imagined steam rising from the surface as she cooled off. She giggled at the funny image.
“I love that sound, Little girl. Feeling better?”
“Yes, Daddy. Thank you.”
“You rest. Daddy’s going to get you clean. Keep your eyes closed. Let’s dip your hair into the water.” Zander helped her slide down further in the tub. She let him be in charge and realized how much she trusted him. Zander would never allow her to be at risk.
As he swirled water over her scalp, Essie moaned with delight. “Good, huh?” he asked. “Just wait.”
Zander supported her with a hand between her shoulder blades.
He lifted her slightly from the water and opened a container with a click.
She held her breath to see what he would do.
When his fingers lathered sweet-smelling shampoo through her matted hair, she wiggled her toes.
He didn’t rush but blissfully rubbed her head.
No salon treatment could equal the sensations he lavished on her.
“That’s so good,” she murmured.
“I’m glad, Little girl. Let’s rinse this out.”
Essie was putty in his hands as he tended to her so gently. By the time he’d cleaned the sweat from her skin, Essie hovered on the brink of sleep. She blinked hard, trying to keep herself awake as he scooped her out of the tub and patted the moisture away.
“Nap time, Little girl,” he said, scooping her into his arms. He carried her to the king-size bed and tucked her into the crisp sheets.
The thought of bedbugs drifted through her mind, but Essie dismissed that worry immediately.
Even in her groggy state, she knew Zander would never expose her to any discomfort or danger.
He tucked the covers under her chin before kissing her forehead.
“Sleep, Essie.”
“Night, night, Daddy.”