Page 60 of Gene

“Can I bring a blanket and Tinkle?”

“Of course you can,” he replied.

They both got out of bed, dressed, and gathered everything they needed before heading to the car. Gene made sure Sammi was buckled in and comfortable before getting in on his side and driving to the farm.

It didn’t take them long to get to the Little Farm. Gene helped Sammi out of the car and headed to his office with her in his arms. She snuggled into his embrace, fully relaxing as he got into his office. Ezekiel was already there, and Gene had a bad feeling in his stomach.

“Give me one second,” Gene said as he placed Sammi on the couch, kissing Sammi’s forehead before walking out with Ezekiel.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as they stood outside his office.

“The guy you were meeting today to collect the ingredient from, he just called, saying he’s stuck in some small town since his car broke down. I offered to go down there and get the product while helping him fix his car, but he only wants you,” Ezekiel replied.

Gene closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. “That paranoid bastard,” he whispered.

“I tried to reason, but he said he would only meet with you. He also said that it could either take a couple of days for you to get there or it would possibly take up to a week without you. He said he’s not leaving the truck no matter what, which means it could be a while before he gets it looked at,” Ezekiel explained.

Gene looked over at Sammi, who was now fast asleep on his couch. He didn’t want to leave her, but he couldn’t wait a week or more for the ingredient. They were relying on that to get this next batch out on time.

“I’ll leave right after I talk to Sammi and tell her I need to head out of town for a bit,” Gene replied.

Ezekiel nodded. “He didn’t give me an address, so you’ll have to call him when you set off.”

“Okay, Anything else?” Gene asked.

Ezekiel shook his head.

“Good. I’m going to give Sammi some time off until I come back. I don’t want her overdoing it since she’s moving her stuff into her brother’s house this weekend, and I won’t be here,” he explained. “If you see her working, you send her home immediately. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Gene looked back at Sammi and headed into his office, stopping right in front of her. Bending down, he slowly ran his hand up and down her back, applying a little pressure each time to slowly rouse her.

“Little One, I need you to wake up,” he gently said.

She hummed and slightly cracked her eyes open. “Is it nine yet?”

“No, Little One, I’m sorry. It’s six, but I need you to wake up so I can talk to you about something important.”

Sammi whined and pushed herself to sitting. He didn’t like that he had to wake her up. He didn’t like that he had to leave her all of the sudden.

“Yes, Daddy?” she finally asked, looking more awake.

Gene took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Daddy just found out that he has to go meet somebody about a shipment for the next couple of days. His car broke down, and he only wants me, so I have to go.”

“When do you leave?” she asked, her voice full of worry.

“Right now. I’m going to drop you off at my house so you can sleep, but then I have to get on the road.”

“Can I come with you?”

His heartstrings tugged as she asked that. “I’m sorry, Little One, but you can’t come with me. The guy is a little paranoid. If he saw another person, it wouldn’t end well.”

Her bottom lip poked out, and he wanted to take back what he said and tell her she could come along, but he knew he couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to keep her out of the guy's sight while also taking care of her. It would be nearly impossible to have his attention split for so long.

He cupped her face with his hands. “I know, Little One. I don’t like it any more than you do, but I need to do this. A lot of people are depending on this ingredient to do their jobs. I’m the only one the guy wants to see. I promise I’ll keep in contact with you while I’m gone. I don’t know when I’ll be able to be on my phone, but I will make time to text you and maybe even call you.”

Sammi nodded. “Okay, Daddy.”

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