Page 36 of Daddy's Little Cowgirl

“I know, so why are you talking…” She waved her hand.

“Spanish,” he said.

“Oh. Why are you talking Spanish?” she asked.

“I forgot you didn’t know it.”

She shrugged and turned back to the kittens. “Oh, they’re going to sleep. You should come see them.”

“Yeah, whatever. You better get up to the house,” the man said.

“I will. I don’t think the kittens will wake up until morning.”

“Probably not.”

He went down the steps, and she waited until they moved away. At the bottom, she waved and smiled. “Good night.”

They both nodded.

She concentrated on walking toward the house. She knew they were going to try something, and she needed to keep cool and not falter.

“Little girl,” one of the men yelled in Spanish at her to get her attention, but she didn’t flounder at all. She just kept walking.

“I told you she was clueless.”

“I know. Let’s get some sleep. We’re going to have a long night.”

Ellie walked in the back door. When she had the door locked behind her, she exhaled, leaned against the wood, and closed her eyes. She knew she needed to find her daddy immediately. But first, she had to stop shaking, or she’d fall on her face.

When she was ready and felt steady enough, she went to look for him. He’d know what to do. She knew he’d take care of everything.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ellie rushed into his office. She missed the fact that he was talking to someone until she got to him. She stopped short.

“Da … Ridge. I need to talk to you,” she said.

Ridge smiled and held out his hand. “Sweetheart, it’s okay to call me Daddy. This is my neighbor and friend, Rick Johnson. He owns the ranch next to us.”

She froze when her daddy told her the name. What were the odds that he was the Ricky those men were talking about? She wasn’t going to take a chance.

She tried to smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too. He told me you were beautiful, and you are.”

She felt herself turn red and start to fidget. She heard her daddy snort, and he pulled her down on his lap.

“Now, tell me, what’s got you upset?” Ridge asked.

“It’s one of the kittens. It looks sick. You need to come see it,” she said.

She liked how her daddy instantly looked concerned.

Ridge moved the hair off her face. “I’ll check it out before I come to bed.”

“Okay. I want to be there with you. I won’t sleep until I see her again,” Ellie said.

“Fine. Why don’t you rest right here while I finish my discussion?”

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