they left. Then came the Allens and the Martins. My smile was starting the fray by the time the Garcias left. I had to remind myself it went with the territory of living in a small town. I’d gotten so used to the anonymity of the big city.
Dinner at Memaw’s was a nice reprieve, but I’d subjected myself to more socializing than I had in years and had lost my patience for more. I made my excuses to my parents when we returned home and retreated to our bedroom.
Flopping down on the bed, I groaned as Carson shut the door and joined me.
“How are you holding up, little darling?” he asked, his hand rubbing my back.
“Uh-uh.”
“Aww my poor baby,” he cooed, cuddling against my side. “How can Daddy make it better?”
I rolled my head and looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “We can’t do that here,” I whispered against the blanket, scandalized yet intrigued by what he had planned.
“Why not? The door is locked.”
I looked at the door, and sure enough, the little switch on the doorknob had been flipped into the locked position. He must have done it when he’d followed me into the room. Carson slid off the bed and opened his suitcase. Shifting around his clothes, he pulled out a cute pink summer dress with little capped sleeves and held it up. “What do you think?”
Allowing myself to slip into little space for some much needed tender loving care, I crawled off the bed and joined him. I started poking at the pockets of his suitcase, wondering what other fun surprises were hiding inside. “What else did you bring, Daddy?”
Daddy smiled as he reached for my shirt and pulled it off over my head. “Lots of stuff my little darling will like.”
Giggling, I stood up on my knees when he reached for the button of my jeans and helped him disrobe me. Naked, I shyly placed my hands in my lap to cover my naughty bits while Daddy pulled out a pair of panties.
He rolled his eyes and swatted away my hands as he helped me into my silky underwear. He slipped the dress over my head and then reached around me to zip up the back. “How’s that?” he asked.
“It’s pretty,” I replied, tossing up the layers of the skirt to see them float in the air before settling around my legs.
“Good.” He reached into his suitcase again and pulled out a hairbrush and a few hair ties that he looped around his wrist.
I placed my hands on the floor and scooted around, giving him my back so he could fix my hair. I loved it when Daddy played with my hair. He was the absolute bestest.
“What do you feel like today?” he asked, running the brush through my hair.
“Ummm.” Rocking back and forth, I pressed a finger to my lips. “Space buns!” I said, surprising no one. Daddy was becoming a real master of the space bun I’d asked for it so many times. I just looked so cute with them!
Daddy laughed as he parted my hair down the center. “Space buns for my little darling it is.”
Still playing with my skirt, I hummed as Daddy pulled my hair tight, loving every tug and pull against my scalp.
“Hold still,” he said, his hand capturing my jaw and holding me in place.
Keeping my head steady for him, he finished the other side in seconds. “There,” he said, pressing a kiss to the nape of my neck. “All done.”
With a happy little squeal, I bounced up off the floor and raced toward the closet mirror to inspect his work. My short hair created two of the cutest space buns ever. I rocked back and forth, loving the feel of the fabric swirling against my legs.
“Well?”
I spun around in front of the mirror, still admiring myself. “It’s perfect, Daddy.” Skipping across the room, I bent down and smacked a kiss against his upturned lips. “I love it.”
“I’m glad.” Grabbing me by the waist, Daddy pulled me down into his lap and rubbed his scruffies against my exposed neckline. “I like it when my boy is happy.”
Leaning back against his chest, I placed my hands on my hips and surveyed the room. “There’s not a whole lot to do,” I said with a pout.
“Ah ah ah,” Daddy replied, snagging the edge of his suitcase and bringing it closer. “Daddies think of everything.”
“What is it?” I crawled out of his lap and sat on the floor