Page 25 of Lacey's Daddy
He smiles. “As soon as you want, Little one. How about we plan to stop there after we see the doctor, yeah?”
I can’t stop the smile that splits my face. Books. I want to hold them against me. I’m so excited. “Maybe my dolly can go with us. She should learn to read, too.”
“That’s a great idea.” He strokes my sore wrist. “How is your arm feeling this afternoon?”
“It’s okay. It’s better.” It does feel better, but I know it will take a long time to heal.
“That’s a good sign. I’m going to have the doctor take X-rays tomorrow just to be sure.”
I wiggle my wrist and look up at him. “I don’t think it’s broken, Daddy. X-rays are expensive.”
He cups my face. “You’ll be under my insurance, Little one. Daddies on the island take their Littles to the clinic far more often than people go on the mainland. It’s preventative. In your case, I want X-rays of your entire body. I want to be certain you don’t have any internal damage we need to be aware of.”
“Okay,” I mutter. There is no way I’m going to be able to talk Daddy out of going to the clinic. I might as well accept it.
“Good girl.”
My body gets warm when he calls me hisgood girl.
“I have something for you, Little one.”
I glance around. “Where?”
“One of the packages that came earlier. Want to come see it?”
I nod. I’m excited. I shouldn’t be letting him buy me things, but I’m swept up in the excitement. Someone cares. Daddy does.
He gently lifts me out of the playpen and props me on his hip. “Hold on to your doll, Little one.”
I keep her tight against my chest.
Daddy sits on the recliner, settles me across his lap, and then reaches down to pick up the package next to him. It’s flat and still in the brown delivery packaging.
I put my doll in my lap and take the mysterious gift from his hands.
“Pull the little tab across the top to open it,” he instructs.
I give a tug, and it unravels in a curly Q. When I reach inside, I squeal. I don’t have to pull it out to know it’s a book, but I yank it out and let the packaging fall to the floor.
“Daddy!” At first, I don’t care what book it is. It’s a book, and it’s mine, but then as I’m petting the front of it, I realize it’s the same book I showed Daddy in the nursery—the one that got burned in the fire.
I can’t help the fact that I start to cry.
Daddy sets my doll on the end table and hugs me to his chest. “I’m a horrible Daddy,” he says.
I frown as I sob. “Why?”
“Because I keep making you cry.”
I shake my head. “These are happy tears, Daddy. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever gotten me.” I hug him tighter. I’m such a lucky Little girl.
Chapter Nine
I’m grinning from ear to ear as we approach the island on Sunday. It’s so beautiful. I feel lighter than I’ve ever felt in my life. The air is so clean. I keep inhaling deep lungsful and giggling. I haven’t coughed a single time since we got on the ferry. I don’t think I coughed much at Noah’s apartment either.
Daddy is happy, too. Every time I turn around to look at him, he’s smiling. He’s not looking at the approaching beach. He’s looking at me.
Everything in my world is upside down. I’ve never left the mainland in my life. I’ve never been on a boat. I’ve never been more than a few miles away from my home. I’ve never seen the ocean even though I lived only a few hours from the shore all my life.
