Page 44 of Little Bits of Daddy (Montana Daddies)

Hmm. What to name her horse? It had to be something regal. Something befitting such a fine steed.

“Princess Peaches,” she told him proudly.

Macca laughed. “Princess Peaches is perfect.”

“Sweet pea,you are not wearing your boots to bed,” Macca told her as she stood next to the bed, dressed in her striped pink and white pajamas with the bottoms tucked into her boots.

“I don’t want to take them off,” she moaned.

Macca pointed at the bed. “Sit down and I’ll help you take them off. They can sit right next to the bed and you can put them on as soon as you wake up. But you are not wearing them to bed.”

Her bottom lip dropped out. “That’s not fair.”

“Boots are not worn in bed.”

“But these aren’t just any boots, they’re special cowgirl boots.” She’d ridden her rocking horse until she’d felt ill with all the motion. Then Macca had made her get off and play something quieter for a while. So she’d done some coloring until dinner time.

But she hadn’t taken her boots off once since he’d given them to her.

“Little girl, I’m not going to tell you again,” he said in a stern voice.

She sighed heavily and sat on the bed. “Fine. But I want them to sit on the bedside table so I can see them.”

“They’ll stay on the floor by the bed and that’s final. Any more arguments and I won’t be taking you on a picnic tomorrow.”

Her mouth dropped open. “A picnic? We’re going on a picnic?”

“We will be if someone’s attitude doesn’t result in her going over her Daddy’s knee to get her bottom warmed and spending tomorrow writing lines about listening to Daddy when he tells her something.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” she said quickly. He tugged off her boots. She did watch carefully to make sure he set them by the bed like he said he would.

“We’re really going on a picnic?” she asked as he pulled back the covers.

“We are.”

“Where? What are we taking to eat? Are we driving there?”

“Well, I thought we might ride to this nice spot I know of.”

Her eyes widened. “Ride there? Like on a horse?”

“Yes, baby girl, on a horse.”

“A real horse?”

“Well, I don’t think we’d get very far on Princess Peaches.”

She rolled her eyes. “Daddy!”

“What do you think? Does that sound like fun?”

She nodded. “Oh yes. I’ve never been on a picnic! Do you need me to make anything to take with us?”

“You. . .you’ve never been on a picnic?” He gaped at her and she squirmed a little.

“Umm, no. Unless eating lunch in the park counts?”

He frowned and muttered something under his breath. Then he shook his head. “Well, I guess it’s going to be a day of firsts for you. First time on a horse. And first picnic.”

---