Page 5 of Little Bits of Daddy (Montana Daddies)

All right, now she just felt awkward. She’d never sat on anyone’s lap except for Clint’s. And yet, when Kent’s arms wrapped around her, she felt safe.

“Shh now. Shh. You’re gonna make yourself sick if you keep crying like this and then Clint’s gonna wallop my ass.”

She let out a watery giggle. Kent reached over and grabbed a tissue from a box sitting on the small side table next to the couch. He wiped her face, then held it up to her nose. She quickly grabbed hold of it, blowing her own nose.

“I’m so sorry,” she told him in a low voice.

“I know you are. Although I wasn’t expecting any tears until you got your butt walloped.”

Horror filled her. “You’re not going to spank me, are you?”

“You’re under my authority while Clint is away,” he pointed out.

Oh God. She hadn’t thought about that.

“But don’t worry, I’m going to leave that to Clint. You want to tell me what you were thinking?”

“I just wanted to get a few photos. Did Ra… ah, Jed bring in my camera?”

“No. But we can get it from him later.”

“I only meant to go a short distance into the woods, then turn around and come back,” she explained.

“You’re not supposed to go off the pathways at all, though, are you?” he asked sternly.

“No,” she said with a sigh.

“And you should be wearing a warmer jacket, as well as gloves and a hat, shouldn’t you?”

“It’s spring!”

“It’s just come out of winter and this is Montana. Do you realize what could have happened to you? What if Jed hadn’t found you? What if it had gotten dark? What if you’d encountered a wild animal?”

“This is all the stupid bunny’s fault. I just wanted a few photos and it was seriously cute.”

He tapped her nose. “It was not the bunny’s fault and you know it. This was Charlie’s fault. And mine.”

“Yours?” she asked curiously.

“Yep. Because obviously you need closer watching. So, until Clint gets back, you are grounded.”

“Grounded?” What the hell did that mean?

His eyebrows rose. “You’ve never been grounded before?”

She shook her head.

“No, my aunt used to lock me in the closet to punish me.” her voice trailed off and to her surprise he squeezed her tight.

“Well, that will never happen again.”

“So, what does being grounded mean?” She wiggled off his lap, not entirely comfortable about sitting there.

She’d watched enough TV to know what it meant, of course, but she didn’t know how it pertained to her. She was an adult, after all. Her Little side only came out with Daddy. He was the only one she trusted with that part of herself.

“That means, from now until Clint returns, you are not to leave the house without my permission. You are going to come to work with me each day. I’ll find some activities to keep you entertained and out of mischief. But I want you where I can keep a close eye on you. You’re not going to wander off on my watch again.”

“You’re joking, right?” He had to be. Any minute he was going to crack up and… nope, he was shaking his head, his face stern.

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