Page 47 of Trained By Her Daddy

Chapter 18

“Since it’s Halloween, maybe I should put my big girl panties on and listen to a ghost story. What do you think, Daddy? Please? Just this one time?” I begged, pulling on his stiff shirttail.

“I don’t know, princess. We both know you’re prone to nightmares,” he managed through an exasperated sigh as he sat next to me on the bed. “But maybe I could cook up some realistic crime fiction without it being too frightening for you.”

Snuggling up against his brawny body, I purred like a kitten. “Cool. I love when you tell me a story, Daddy. You’re so good at conjuring up a fun fairytale.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment, Lori. But keep in mind that I’m a therapist, so my mindset is usually based on reality instead of fiction. Hey, you’re the author—so maybe you should be telling me a story.” He raised one sardonic brow high above the other while smoothing out the covers to make certain I was comfortable.

“Yes, but that would be too much like work, and this exercise is supposed to be relaxing.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. “Sorry, kiddo. I was just stalling for time. Maybe we should switch things up a bit tonight, and I’ll read you a story from a paperback?”

“Aww, Daddy. When I moved in, you promised me an original bedtime tale every night. And aren’t you the man who never backs out on his promises?”

Lovingly, he patted my hand. “You’re absolutely right, darlin’. Okay, let me take a stab at something spooky for my Crime Queen on Halloween.”

“Good rhyme,” I complimented, slipping a bit deeper under the comforter.

“Ahem. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and talented princess named Lori Hope Gold. But unfortunately, she was also a very naughty girl.”

My nose crinkled. “Whoever heard of a princess in a Halloween story?”

“Now, now, behave. I’m just getting started.”

I adored how his eyes glittered when he scolded me, so it seemed like a good moment to tease him.

“Was she really naughty, or did she just have a good sense of humor? Sometimes, it’s difficult for daddies to tell the difference. Especially strict daddies.”

“Trust me. She was naughty. Now may I continue?”

“Please do,” I said through an uneven smile.

“One fateful night, she closed her bedroom door and watched an episode of Dateline, even though it was way past her bedtime.”

My finger darted in the air. “Wait a minute, Pops. This one is a far cry from fiction.”

“I’m not happy with your sassy tone, young lady. Do you want a bedtime story, or a spankin’?”

“Please continue with the story,” I mumbled contritely, repositioning my hand under the comforter.

“Well, it seems our crafty princess didn’t learn her lesson, because I hear she was recently seen sneaking candy under her bed, and my guess is she intended to watch television while munching on Halloween treats.”

My lips pursed. There was no point in asking because I knew the answer.

“Her Daddy sees everything because he has eyes in the back of his head,” he continued playfully, tossing her a quick wink.

“Does he have good peripheral vision, or did he have another set surgically inserted for Halloween?”

“For someone who was caught hiding Kit Kats under her bed, this naughty girl is awfully brave to continue testing her Daddy. Don’t you agree?” John’s hazel eyes narrowed as he reached under the bed to retrieve the evidence—a small bowl filled with several bars of the chocolate covered treats.

“But I wasn’t going to eat them until tomorrow. I swear.”

“And you can be certain your television isn’t going to be switched on tonight, either.”

My sigh was heavy as I rolled my eyes. “But, Daddy, Dateline has a Halloween story about…”

“Yes, yes. I saw the episode teaser yesterday. And I’m sure you’d want to use some of the taped realistic events for your next novel. But my intelligent girl will need to make an important decision in the next few minutes based on some information I’m about to give her. So, would you like to hear what will happen to the naughty princess on Halloween if she watches tonight’s Dateline special about serial murderers?”

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