Page 21 of Deciding for Little Dallas
“No, it’s heated, baby. Daddy wouldn’t let you in a cold pool,” he promised, kissing her cheek.
“Fun!” She clapped her hands together, her earlier embarrassment gone. Pike noticed she’d slipped into speaking in one-word sentences, not that he minded. Actually, he hoped it was a sign she was getting comfortable as Baby Dallas.
“I think you’ll have so much fun. And Daddy got you a spooky spider swimsuit.”
“Spooky!” She clapped again.
“Well, Daddy actually ordered you several spooky swimsuits, but I think you will like the spooky spider one the best.”
Pike stepped off the elevator and walked toward their room. “Eat?” she asked, her face wrinkled into a frown.
“We’re going to order room service and eat in our room. Daddy wants you to be cozy and have a bottle before your nap and he wants to rock you for a bit. He missed you today.”?
Dallas laughed. “We were together alla the day.”?
He unlocked the door and set her on the sofa in the sitting room. “We were, but Daddy didn’t get to baby you or hold you and now he needs to,” he explained, after kneeling in front of her.
She threw her arms around him and pressed kisses to his face. “I love you, Daddy. So manies.”?
“I love you too, baby. So manies,” he repeated, meaning each word with his entire heart.
CHAPTER 9
WEDNESDAY
“There’s a spooky clown in the hallway,” Dallas said, peeking out the door the next morning.
“A spooky clown?” Pike asked, feeling genuinely confused.
“Yas. Is eating friends.”
“The clown is eating friends?”
“Yas.”
Pike studied her for a minute trying to decide what game they were playing.
“Do you want to be friends with the spooky clown?” he asked his? horror-loving Little girl. “Do you want to play with the spooky clown?”
“Nu.”
“Is the spooky clown part of the Halloween festivities? Daddy can sign you up if you want to go. We can do anything you want to, Bitty.” He hadn’t seen anything about a clown in all of the colorful announcements for Halloween festivities, but he would find out for her.
“Nu. I dun want to. Is a mean clown. We can’t get past it. Is blocking the elevator. So sad,” she said in a sing-song tone. Toeing off her shoes she sat back down on the hardwood floor and started to tug on the frilly socks he’d put her in thatmorning.? “No breakfast today. No Caterpillars today. Maybe damorrow.”?
Pike laughed, deep and genuine when he realized her plan. Kneeling, he pulled her socks back up her legs and put the sweetest little leather patent shoes back on her feet. “There is no spooky clown blocking the elevators, naughty girl. I know you’re nervous, but you’re going to have so much fun in the Caterpillar Room. You’ll play with your Little friends, make lots of crafts, get snuggles, and I heard there was a special guest coming to read you a Halloween book this week.” He stood and then helped her to her feet. “Daddy would never send you somewhere he thought you wouldn’t like, and you only have to stay for a tiny while each day, just long enough for Daddy to attend classes.”
“I go wif you, Daddy, please?” she asked. Her tears pulled at his heartstrings, but being a Daddy meant he needed to do what was best for her. Even when that was hard.?
“Bitty, has Daddy ever lied to you?”
She shook her head, making the bright green bow clipped in her curls flop.
“Do you think Daddy would ever lie to you?”
“No, Daddy.”
“I promise you’re going to have so much fun today, okay? I know you have some big feelings, but I want you to try it for Daddy. Can you be brave?”
