Page 58 of Daddy, Take Me Away
“Thank you, babygirl. Are you ready to eat?”
Micah looked a bit startled, her eyes going to the window. He knew it had still been light outside when they’d played, but now the only thing gleaming was the moon hanging low in the sky.
“How long have I been out?”
“Let’s just say you took a good nap,” Stone said, pulling the covers back to reveal she was dressed in the nightgown he’d picked out earlier. Helping her out of bed, he waited until she’d slipped her feet into slippers that looked like webbed feet despite being cotton-candy pink before leading her out into the hall. “Careful on the stairs,” he began and then added, “never mind,” before sweeping her up into his arms. She giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he carried her down to the first floor.
“Oh, something smells good,” she said, taking an exaggerated inhale. “You’re a man of many talents Mr. Barrows.”
“Am I, Mrs. Barrows?” he said, grinning in pleasure.
“Yep, you’re a chef, a great escort, a fantastic lover, a stern but fair disciplinarian, a master at telling me stories, you give me goosies when you sing to me and, if you forget the fact you tend to bend the rules of fair play, you are the bestest Daddy any Little could ever ask for.”
Stone laughed and kissed the tip of her nose as he set her in a chair at the kitchen table. “Thank you, Webby. That’s the highest compliment you could ever give me, except I don’t bend the rules. You simply find some more difficult to follow.”
“Right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Tell me that the next time you f-word me so hard I pass out!”
“Complaining?”
“Not even a little bit,” she said, pulling his head down to kiss him when he placed a napkin in her lap.
“Good because as I recall, you are the one who agreed to that last pull of the string.”
He could practically see her buttocks clenching at the reminder, but just grinned and moved to grab plates. In just a couple of minutes, he slid hers in front of her and was treated with a second large inhalation.
“I’m starving!” As if to prove her words true, she used her spoon and fork to twirl spaghetti into a huge ball. When she began to lift it to her mouth, Stone reached out and stilled her hand.
“Don’t even think about it. You put that much into your mouth and you’re likely to choke.”
She wasn’t very skilled at it, but he still saw her eyebrow attempt to lift as his often did. He had a very good idea of what she was trying to express without actually having to voice the words.
“Cute, but I’m not kidding. If you want to prove how wide you can part your jaws, I’ll be happy to help you later. But right now, unless you want me to feed you myself, I suggest you rethink that bite.”
Micah hesitated, but made the right decision, pushing the noodles off her fork and starting again, this time stopping when she coiled a manageable mouthful. After she’d transferred it to her mouth, he passed her the basket that held garlic bread with a layer of melted cheese on top.
“Cheesy toast!” she said, reaching for a slice the moment he lifted the napkin keeping it warm. “Make that a Michelin chef. This is yummy!”
Stone ate his own dinner, the fact that she was truly enjoying hers more important to him than his. Micah was a picky eater and seeing her devour her entire serving of spaghetti and then ask for more was a gift.
“I will gladly fix you another portion, but are you sure you can eat it?—”
“Yes!”
Ignoring the fact she’d cut him off, Stone continued, “and still have room for dessert.”
“Dessert? You made dessert, like a real dessert?”
Not sure if he should be just a tad offended, Stone let the matter slide. “I did if you count strawberry cupcakes and ice cream a real dessert.”
“I do!” she said. “I’ll take that instead of more s’getti.”
She devoured her dessert as well. After reaching across the table to wipe away a smear of pink icing she had on her chin, Stone stood and began to clear the table. Micah jumped up and helped.
“You cooked, I can wash, Daddy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive, you’ve been up longer and done a lot more than I have. You can even take a shower if you’d like.”
