Page 176 of Double Daddies
“You haven’t seen a lot,” I point out.
“I’ve seenenough. I also might have peeked out whenever you guys were standing at the end of the sidewalk. I don’t know if they’ve told you they love you, but it’s clear by their actions and the way they look and talk to and about you.” She pats my hand. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
“I hope you’re right,” I whisper, my eyes still on the men talking.
I like Daddy and Papa too much to lose them. What if they found out something about me that they don’t like? What if they throw me to the curb and expect me to figure things out?
All the men turn around and walk toward us. Papa and Daddy are looking at me, and I can’t read their facial expressions. I wrap my hand around my stomach, nerves bubbling inside of me, making me nauseous.
“Nora,” Papa gently says, and I flinch.
“Little bit, it’s nothing bad.” Daddy kneels in front of me.
“Just tell me. Spit it out and get it over with,” I beg. “I can’t do this whole wait a little for suspense. Not unless you want me to puke everywhere and bawl my eyes out. I just can’t.”
“Take a deep breath,” Papa commands, holding my chin in his fingers.
I force myself to do what he says.
“Daddy and I need to go for a couple of hours. We’ll be back tonight, but while we’re gone, you’re going to stay with Thorin and Scarlett.” Papa looks directly into my eyes.
“Yo-you guys are leaving?” I whisper, disbelief in my voice.
“Just for a couple of hours.” Daddy places his hand on my knee. “We’ll be back tonight to snuggle and hold you while we sleep.”
I blink several times, trying to come to terms with what they are saying.
“We aren’t leaving you for good. We’re coming back,” Papa explains. “We just need to go into town for a job. We’ll be back soon.”
“Job?” My eyebrows furrow. “I thought you worked here.”
Daddy nodded. “We do, but almost all the men who work here also work for someone else. When we get back, we’ll explain everything.”
“You’re going to leave me on a cliffhanger? My brain is going to go a hundred miles per minute trying to figure out what it is.” My voice raises.
“It’s nothing bad, and in a couple of minutes, you’re going to have so much fun with Scarlett that you’ll forget about it until we get back.” Papa lets go of my chin. “Be a good girl for Thorin. He has permission to punish you if you break the rules. If it’s okay with you. You just let him know.”
I open and close my mouth, trying to come up with something to say, but I can’t. Who else could they possibly be working for? What type of job are they going on?
“We’ll see you later.” Daddy kisses my lips. “Love you.”
“Be a good girl.” Papa leans down and kisses me. “I love you.”
I watch as they walk out the front door, my eyes focused on the now-closed door. “They love me,” I whisper.
Chapter Twelve
Elijah
“I don’t like leaving her,” I say as we get closer and closer to the town she used to live in.
The whole time, she has only been an hour away from us.
“I don’t either, but Noah said he was off today.” Brix tightens his hold on the steering wheel. “She’s safe with Thorin. She’ll be okay.”
Silence fills the truck cab as we pull onto Mateo’s road.
“We’ve been to this little town how many times?”
