Page 24 of Lion's Little Scamp

She squeaked in surprise when Harrigan touched her shoulders and spun her around. “What’s wrong?”

He had dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt but was barefoot and despite the misery she was in, she found his bare, hairy toes so very sexy.

“I’m sorry, Daidi,” she cried as she wrapped her arms around her middle and dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry. Please don’t send me away. I’ll be good from now on. I promise. I pinkie promise.”

Harrigan stared down at the sobbing Little girl and his heart hurt for whatever trash thoughts were going through her mind. Scooping her up, he carried her to his recliner and sat down with her sitting across his lap.

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close, pushing her face into the side of his neck. She continued crying so hard, he was afraid she was going to make herself sick.

Not knowing what else to do, he began to reassure her. “Shh, scamp, it’s all right. You are my mate. I would never get rid of you. Shh, baby girl. It’s going to be all right.”

He continued until her tears slowed and stopped. In time she settled, completely relaxed against his chest. He kept a tight hold on her until she tilted her head back and looked at him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered yet again, her eyes filled with sadness and resignation.

“What are you sorry for, scamp?”

Irish shrugged as she turned her head and looked across the room. “Everything.”

“You’re sorry for everything,” Harrigan repeated, not sure he understood what she was saying.

“Uh-huh.”

Taking a slow, deep breath, the fear and worry that had held him in its grip loosened. His mate was here, in his arms. She was safe. His Daddy side surged forward, needing to assure his mate that while she was in trouble, it was not nearly as bad as she might think. She was definitely not responsible for everything. After spending the last two weeks with her, he had come to the realization days ago that Irish felt that anything and everything that went wrong was her fault.

“Tell me what everything includes,” he said as he began to rub a palm up and down her spine, feeling each individual vertebra. He had a feeling her mind was already punishing her more than he ever would. Her next words proved him right.

“Everything. Abandoning my job. Leaving the barn to go with Talia and Poppy. Getting lost. Causing you and Master Lonergan and Master Diego to have to stop what you were doing to come looking for us,” she said, her voice thin and watery. “I wasn’t running away! I thought Poppy told Master Sullivan we were leaving… but I should have told him myself. No, I shouldn’t have gone at all! I’m so sorry!”

Harrigan thought for a moment before speaking. Talking had never been one of his strengths. He was a man of action, not words. But his sweet Little mate needed what only he could give her.

Massaging her neck, he said, “Look at me, please.”

Slowly, one degree at a time, she lifted her head until he could look deep into her eyes.

“Now, while I agree that leaving your chores and not letting Master Sullivan know where you were going was very naughty, you are not responsible for getting lost on the mountain. From what I saw up there, you were leading the other two back down. Right?”

She blinked before nodding slowly. “Sailor taught me how to find and follow a backtrail.”

“That was a very smart thing to do.”

She shrugged. “I was cold and getting mad at them for getting lost, but I didn’t want to yell at my new friends.”

“You are a good friend. I hope Talia and Poppy realize that, once their butts stop hurting.”

“Why would their butts be hurting?”

“Because I have no doubt that they are laying across their Daddies’ laps right now, getting a long, hard spanking for kidnapping you from your work detail and taking you into the woods without telling anyone. Also, for the candy, cookies, and sodas they no doubt had in their backpacks.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Now while you did leave your assigned job and go with them, which is a punishable offense, the rest of what you are blaming yourself for is not your fault. As your guardian, your Daidi, and your mate, I will spank you for leaving your work detail, but not for anything else.”

Irish nodded and then looked into his eyes. “So, you won’t send me away when my training ends?”

“Absolutely not. You are my mate. Why would you think such a thing?”

“Because you say you’re my mate, and my Daidi, but we haven’t had sex. You haven’t mated me.” She gave a one shoulder shrug as her voice dropped to a whisper. “I figured it was because you weren’t sure you wanted to keep me.”

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