Sammi blinked several times, thinking about what he had said, trying to see if he was telling the truth. Gene kept his word on everything he did. She didn’t have much experience with it, but she had heard some of the other coworkers saying that when Gene said something, he would make it happen, that he would keep his word.
“But Nolan knew,” she whispered, looking at her feet.
She was almost one hundred percent sure that he knew. The way he gave her a knowing look as she left, like he knew she had just gotten spanked.
“I promise you I didn’t tell him. What makes you think that he knows?”
“He gave me a knowing look as I left and said something,” she mumbled.
“Because he probably does know. I’m only telling you this because I know he’s fine with it, but Nolan is a Daddy. You know Springfield has lots of Daddies, and he’s one of them. Daddies know when Littles have gotten disciplined or look guilty because they’ve done something,” Gene explained.
Sammi’s head snapped up, and looked at Gene. That made so much sense now. Nolan was always looking out for her. At first, she thought it was just him being kind and Gene asking him to, but she was a little suspicious. Some of the things he said and did just reminded her of books she read.
“So yes, he probably did know what had happened. Is that why you called out of work?”
She nodded and looked away from Gene. “I know I lied to Ezekiel about being sick, but I just couldn’t come in and face either of you. I didn’t even know if I was going to come back tomorrow or at all…” She trailed off at the end.
“Little One,” he softly said. “I’m sorry you felt that way. I know it wasn’t Nolan’s intention, and it wasn’t mine either. Next time, no punishment will happen at the farm. We’ll wait until after work when we can go to my house or yours.”
“How did you find me?” she asked. “I didn’t list this as my home.”
Gene gave her a disapproved look. “Ohh, I know. I asked Ezekiel where you lived since he had your file. He gave me an address, but that was your parents’ house. And if I remember correctly, after they died, you moved and let your brother stay in the house. I asked around before I got here to see where your new house was. It’s a small town, and a couple people remembered you moving into this house.”
And if Deccan said it was okay, she was going to move out of it soon. She couldn’t help but take in her living room. It wasn’t home, but it was hers. She had made it her house and part of her would be sad to sell it. But she had to do what she had to do to pay off the debt.
“How... How do you know that?” Sammi looked back at Gene.
His hands came forward and her face. “I was here in town when it happened. I made sure that you guys had things you needed.”
“All the random food appearing at our door?” she whispered.
“Yes, Little One, that was me.”
Tears pooled in her eyes at his words. She and her brother had no idea who had been sending the food, but they had been super grateful for it. She had no desire to cook at that point, and her brother didn’t know how to cook much either.
Both of them were in their mid-twenties when their parents died, still living at home. Neither of them cared that they hadn’t moved out. Her parents were happy for them to live there. They contributed to food, paid rent, and helped clean up.
“I’ve had my eye on you for a while, but as I was going to approach you, they died, and it wasn’t the appropriate time. And then you became my employee, and I was trying to be so good at keeping it professional. But I can’t, and I’m not going to. You are mine,” he declared.
Her mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that he was the mysterious person who had sent them food during the hardest time of their lives. Sammi had tried to ask around to figure out who had sent it, but nobody would say.
“Now, do you want to open the door so I can give you a big cuddle?” Gene asked.
Sammi pushed the door open, and before she knew it, his arms wrapped around her. She sighed and snuggled into his chest. It felt just like yesterday after he spanked her. She felt content, safe. All the voices in her head were silent as he just hugged her.
“Next time something like this happens, I want you to come to me straight away. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
She hesitated for a second. She had only called him Daddy in her head but never out loud.
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay. Soon.”
It wasn’t that Sammi wasn’t ready to call him Daddy out loud. She was, and she couldn’t wait for the day, but she didn’t want to get too comfortable when she had no idea what was wrong with her. She could be dying, and she didn’t want him to hear her call him Daddy and him be having to grieve afterward. It was better to wait so he didn’t lose her.
“Now, relax for the rest of the day, but I expect to see you tomorrow, understand?” Daddy asked.