Page 31 of Big Daddy Firemen

“Is there anything we can do to make sure the other buildings are safe?” she asked. She looked at Joe. “Our businesses.” Her eyes found Doc Worden next. “Your office.”

“We’ll be keeping an eye on things,” Walker told her. “But obviously we can’t be there all the time. Do you have cameras?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But does that mean there’s someone I need to be watching for?”

Walker offered her the best reassuring smile he could. “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying.”

“Walker, cameras wouldn’t do much good in preventing a fire.” Doc spoke up. “And if the whole place goes up in flames, those cameras will, too. Won’t be much use either way, it seems.”

Walker conceded the point with a dip of his head. “Yeah. But if you have your video uploaded to a server—well, say the worst did happen—we’d at least have a better idea of what started that fire. Assuming it’s captured on video. Might go a long way in preventing any more.”

Everyone seemed to agree with that. The mood was still pretty somber. It was Jason who stood up and gave voice to what so many others were feeling.

“This is a special community. The kind of place I’ve been looking for. A place where me and my cutie can build the kind of life we want. A lot of folks don’t get our… lifestyle. But Big Cedaris a safe haven. A refuge. I’ll be damned if I see it go up in smoke. Literally.”

Everyone cheered. Walker and the other two firefighters nodded.

“It won’t come to that,” Walker quickly assured him. He looked gravely seriously as he made eye contact with every other person in that room, his voice having a finality to it when he spoke again, adding two little but powerful words.

“I promise.”

At the general store,things were getting out of hand.

“I’m not sure your Daddy wants you stacking all those boxes,” Daisy told Mindy.

The Little just continued to giggle as she stacked more boxes on top of the tower she’d already constructed. “Don’t worry,” she answered. “They’re empty. Even if they fall on me, they won’t hurt. See?” She demonstrated by holding one over her head and then letting it fall. The cardboard thudded atop her skull and then fell to the floor. “Ouch! My noggin!”

Daisy sighed. “See?” She put her hands on her hips, cocked her head, and shot the naughty Little a glance that told her the stunt had not been smart.

“Sorry,” Mindy grumbled. “I didn’t think it would hurt at all.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Daisy said. “It was your head.”

“Well, if we can’t stack boxes,” Grace chimed in, “then what are we supposed to build our forts with?”

She was across the room, arranging her boxes in a different shape than Mindy’s, going wider rather than tall. Propped against her fort was a long Nerf gun, ready for the battle thatwould be raging just as soon as everyone had arranged the defense positions.

Some were on teams—like Alyssa and Selena—while others were going at it alone. The room was big enough to accommodate it and based upon the items it held, was used for a playroom as much as, if not more than, the store’s inventory space.

“You’re the coolest babysitter ever!” Selena said to Daisy. She stopped building her fort, pulled out a box of candy from the pocket of the romper she wore, and popped some in her mouth. “Because you won’t tell my Daddy I’m eating candy before lunch. Will you?” She grinned.

“I, uh, well… I’m not sure,” Daisy admitted.

She didn’t want to get the Little in trouble, but she was supposed to keep them in line, too.

Selena was of average height and build, with curly dark hair and big eyes that held a healthy dose of mischief. Daisy suspected the woman was trouble with a capital T.

A loud thud jarred everyone and from their own activities.

Belinda opened her mouth, letting the pacifier fall from between her lips, as she offered a meek, “Sorry.”

The pink babydoll dress she had on didn’t do a lot to cover the bulky diaper she wore. Several of the other Littles were dressed in similar dresses, but only Belinda sported a nappy.

Alyssa, for example, had on pink, frilly panties that matched her own dress. She pranced around the room excitedly, getting ready for the impending Nerf battle. “I don’t think that box is empty, Belinda,” Alyssa said, walking over to the one that had just fallen.

She was proven right when the side of it split open to reveal packaged sippy cups bulging out.

“That’s merchandise,” Daisy noted. “I don’t think Joe would like it if we were making a mess out of all this. It costs him money.”

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