Page 45 of A Little Christmas Wish

Nope, she definitely knew better than to tell him that because she’d been told, very sternly, that she wasn’t to get up on a step stool and adjust the decorations.

“Are you experiencing some memory loss?” he asked dryly.

“Nope. Not me. I was going to change a light bulb.”

There. That was the perfect explanation. Right?

Hmm . . . if the look on his face was any indication, then it was not the perfect excuse.

“You were going to get up on a step stool to change a light bulb?”

“Um, yep?” she asked.

“Do you think you’re allowed to do that?”

“Um, yep?” she repeated herself.

“Really? When you were forbidden from getting on the step stool to do the Christmas decorations? How is that any different?” he asked.

Well, rats.

There was a flaw in her flawless plan.

“Oops.”

“Oops is right,” he said sternly. He held out his hand to her and she sighed, placing her hand in his.

“But I didn’t actually do it, Daddy,” she complained. “Shouldn’t that count for something?”

“You would have done it if you hadn’t gotten caught. And you’re already in trouble anyway.”

“For what?” she asked.

“Are you forgetting about the night that you went outside on your own, without telling me? When we didn’t know that Leon had been taken care of?”

“That? That was weeks ago!”

“Yes, and this is the first opportunity that I’ve had to punish you.” He unlocked the door to her playroom and led her inside.

“We could just forget about punishment, Daddy,” she said.

“Could we? Hmm. Let me think about that for a moment.” He tapped his finger against his chin as though seriously contemplating doing that. Then he shook his head. “No, I think that goes against the Daddy code.”

Ink locked the door behind them even though she knew the twins and Zippy wouldn’t be back for a while. But Ink understood that she’d find it hard to relax with an unlocked door.

“There’s no such thing as a Daddy code!” she informed him.

“Of course there is.” He moved to the closet and drew out a Christmas outfit. This one was a pair of loose green pants and a red-and-white-striped top. Plus fluffy reindeer slippers.

“Come here,” he said as he sat in the rocking chair. He laid her clothes out on the stool next to him as she reluctantly walked over to stand between his legs.

“The Daddy code states that all Daddies must take good care of their Littles. They must love and cherish them. And punish them when necessary.”

Betsy sniffed in disdain as he stripped her off and put the new clothes on her. Betsy held onto his shoulders as she lifted each foot for him to slip the pants over.

“But, Daddy, rules are made to be broken. Aren’t they?”

“Us Daddies aren’t fond of that saying. And the rules I have for you arenotmade to be broken. Or you get yourself a hot bottom.”

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