Page 12 of Tilly's Tutus
Lottie smiled at her, looking tired and more relaxed than she’d been in ages. “After today, I don’t think we’ll have a problem with that.”
“Then let’s do it.”
Lottie nodded as she pulled out her phone and started scrolling and tapping on the screen. By the time Tilly parked in front of the house they would be moving out of in just a few weeks, her sister had found what appeared to be the last available hotel room in town. It only had one king-size bed, but at least they wouldn’t have to sleep in the SUV. Since Carri had texted earlier that she had not been allowed to sleep in the ballroom, but had gone home with Rooker instead, she mightnot need a spot in the room, but hopefully the hotel had a rollaway bed if needed.
Lottie was surprisingly okay with Carri’s change of sleeping plans. Tilly wasn’t sure if it was because they had met and grilled Rooker about his intentions, or because she’d met a man of her own. A man Lottie had yet to introduce to them.
After texting Carter that she had arrived home, Tilly began carrying the cardboard boxes she and Carri had already packed with the rest of their inventory, piling them by the front door. By the time she packed a bag of clothes for the weekend for her and one for Carri, she was yawning nearly constantly and was more than ready to go to bed.
She made sure to set the alarm on her phone as well as the one on the clock on her dresser that she could only silence by getting up and crossing the room. She’d learned in college that if she had the alarm near the bed, she was liable to shut it off, roll over, and go back to sleep. And that was the last thing she needed to do tomorrow.
After cleaning up and changing into an oversized t-shirt, Tilly crawled into bed and dug under the covers until she found Bunny Boop, the crocheted bunny rabbit that Carri had given her for Christmas. The cute stuffie had become her best friend as soon as she’d hugged her. Bunny Boop lived in her bed most of the time, but she would have to remember to pack her in the morning because she had not slept a night without her since she’d come into her life.
“It was a really good day, Bunny Boop. I sold a lot of stuff and gave away even more of the fliers we’d made,” Tilly whispered to her confidant. “And guess what? I met a man. He’s a policeman. And a Daddy. I think he just might betheDaddy I’ve been looking for. We’ll just have to see. But right now, I need to sleep. I’ll tell you everything else tomorrow.”
Holding the rabbit under her chin, Tilly closed her eyes and smiled as the vision of Carter in his uniform came to her.
Yes, he just might be the forever Daddy she’d been hoping and praying for.
Carter watched Tilly pull their SUV into the parking lot and up to the sidewalk beside the building. He’d arrived only a few minutes before, after she’d texted him that they were on their way and it would take twenty minutes to arrive. There was nearly an hour before the first sessions of the convention would begin, but he had a feeling the Smith sisters might need his assistance before he clocked in for the day.
The sisters went to the back of the SUV. When Tilly opened the door, he saw it was stacked high with boxes. Climbing from his car, he headed over to see if he could help get them unloaded. He watched as Lottie grabbed a box and headed inside.
“Good morning, little one,” he said as he approached.
“Papa! Good morning!” Tilly said as she bounced on her toes. “Can you stay here and watch our stuff while we carry the boxes inside?”
He frowned when he realized she was serious. “How about if Papa carries boxes inside and Tilly stays here and behaves?”
She blinked and tilted her head as if she did not understand. “But Papa, they’re our boxes. We should move them.”
“But Papas move the big stuff. Little girls are meant to open doors.”
Before she could come up with a counterargument, he grabbed the largest box he could reach and carried it toward the building. Just as he reached the door, it opened and Carri, thethird sister, pushed out a rolling cart. She maneuvered it out of his way and then held the door for him to enter.
Tilly’s name was on the top of the box in big letters, so he carried it into the ballroom and into her booth. Lottie gave him a look from her area, but he just nodded and headed back out.
By the time he reached the sidewalk, Tilly and Carri had loaded the rest of the boxes onto the cart and Tilly was closing the back of her SUV.
“Need some help?”
“I think we’ve got it,” Carri answered.
“I’ll be right back,” Tilly said at the same time.
Carter watched as she drove the SUV across the lot, parking it next to his truck. When she returned, he opened his arms. He closed them around her when she walked up, pulling her in for a long hug.
“Good morning, little one,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
This morning her hair was pulled into a pair of pigtails with green ribbons that matched her t-shirt with a hippo wearing a tutu on the front. Her leggings were also green and she wore the same colorful, sparkly sneakers. He could see a green tutu sticking out of a bag, which he knew she would be putting on once she was inside.
“Morning, Papa,” she whispered as she snuggled into his arms.
“Excuse me, can we get this inside before you go all lovey-dovey on each other?” Carri asked, sounding amused by their public display of affection.
“Yes, ma’am,” Carter said, reluctantly releasing Tilly and moving to the handle of the cart. “Why don’t I pull and you two can make sure nothing falls off?”
It only took a few minutes to get the cart into the ballroom. After making sure they did not need any more help, Carter gaveTilly a kiss that had vendors passing by hooting and whistling when he finally released her.
