Page 62 of Auctioned to Dr. Daddy

At least, I’m still not much of a horse guy. They’re big. I don’t get how my little girl isn’t afraid of them. But it’s clear that Tabitha’s not. She pets Bella’s muzzle and laughs when the horse snorts at her.

“She’s so soft,” says Tabitha, in awe.

“Mhm. Their noses are like velvet.” Demi reaches around Tabitha to pet the other horse, a much larger, much younger thing. His dark brown fur is split up only by a white streak running down the front of his face. “This big boy here is Dreamer.”

“Hi, Dreamer,” says Tabitha. “Can I pet you too?”

“You can,” says Demi. “But you’ve got to be slow.”

We stay out here for a while. Tabitha is absolutely enthralled by the horses but eventually, we all have to admit that it’s time to head back to the farm.

Tabitha hurries over to me, grabbing at my shirt with one hand. Obligingly, I bend at the waist to ask her, “What’s up, Tabby?”

Tabitha looks up at me with big eyes, then over her shoulder. Her voice drops down into a whisper that seems almost fretful when she asks, “Can we come back, Daddy?”

My heart skips a beat.

I scoop her up into my arms so that she’s propped on my hip. Tabitha curls up against my chest, tangling one chubby fist into the front of my shirt.

I can’t help the bright, gleaming smile that splits across my face and don’t even bother to keep my voice down low when I tell her, “Yes, honey. We can come back. Absolutely.”

Tabitha yawns. “Good.”

“You know,” says Demi, falling into place at our side. “If your daddy doesn’t mind it too much, next time you come out, I can teach you how to brush them.”

Tabitha’s expression lights up. “Daddy?”

A part of me wants to ask whether that’s safe or not, but if Demi suggested it, she’s certain that it’s safe. She wouldn’t offer to do anything that could put Tabitha in harm’s way. And I’ll take any chance to come out here more often.

“I think that would be great,” I say. We make our way back to the guest house. It’s not dinner time yet, but it’s definitely starting to get late in the day. I plop Tabitha down on the porch and say, “Why don’t you go wash those dirty hands of yours.”

Tabitha laughs and holds her hands out, palms up. They’re caked in dust from petting the horses. “They were dirty!”

“That’s why we need to brush them next time,” says Demi, happily. “Get them nice and clean.”

“Like you’re going to be, after you wash up,” I say.

Demi tacks on, “I think that there might be some cookies in the fridge. Shame there’s no one around with clean hands to have them.”

With a laugh, Tabitha takes off for the bathroom.

Demi asks, “The cookies are fine, right?”

I lean over and kiss her. I keep it on the chaste side in case my daughter comes back quicker than expected, but there’s lingering passion in the touch anyway. “You need to stop second-guessing yourself. You’re amazing with kids, and Tabitha loves you.”

My hand settles on her belly. It’s too early to feel the way that it swells beneath my touch, but I find myself thinking about that all the same. There had been no greater moment than when Tabitha was born. I can’t wait to have a new baby in the house.

“And you’re going to be an amazing mother to this one, too,” I say, softly. “Trust me.”

“You know,” Demi tells me, with a smile. “I’m actually starting to think that you might be right about that.”

“Good. Now, go get those cookies. She’s going to be ravenous when she gets back,” I warn, and as Demi turns and heads to the kitchen, I can’t help reaching out and giving her ass a swat. She yelps and looks over my shoulder, eyes narrowed playfully.

She wags a finger at me. “Just wait until we’re alone next time,” she teases. “I’ll make sure that I get back at you for that one.”

I press a hand to my chest in mock concern. “Oh no, I don’t know how I’ll handle…” The mock concern fades. “Waiting for that.” My eyes are glittering. “I’m practically itching to see you get back at me for it.”

She rolls her eyes and goes into the kitchen to fetch the cookies. And as a grinning Tabitha comes running out with still slightly wet hands to get them, I find myself unable to shake this overwhelming sensation of happiness that’s settled over me.

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