Page 38 of Daddy's Treat

“We’ll figure it out when the time comes. Where is all this coming from?” Kade has a desperate confusion in his voice, and I know that he’s feeling helpless because he’s in Florida and can’t get to me. And I feel like a jerk for doing this over the phone.

“It just seems like everything is stacked against us. Dean Michaels, Louise, the age difference, medical school…” My heart is cracking into a million pieces because I’m terrified that Kade is going to agree with me. I need him to be my voice of reason right now. What if he isn’t, though? What if he agrees?

“Penny, honey, it’s okay. I know it’s a lot. I promise you Dean Michaels is being taken care of. She won’t be bothering us ever again. Louise is a non-issue because there is nothing there. We still have another whole semester to figure out medical school. And we will figure it out, shortcake. I refuse to let you go that easily. The age difference… Unless you’ve decided you’re not into the geriatric crowd, there’s nothing to worry about that either. It’s just a number.”

I giggle-snort at him calling himself geriatric. He’s right that age is just a number. It’s only ten years. That’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.

“Do you trust me, Penny?”

I don’t even have to think about my answer. “Of course, Kade. You saved me from a killer clown. You’re my hero.”

“Then trust me in this too. Okay?”

“Okay.” I wish I really felt that everything was going to be okay. I hate that I’m having doubts. I wish that Kade were here. He’d hold me and get me out of my own head. All I want to do is build a pillow fort and hide away for a while. I fake a yawn. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to turn in.”

Kade sounds worried when he tells me he’ll see me tomorrow afternoon. He wishes me good luck on my test, but says he knows I don’t need luck because I’m brilliant.

For some reason, I find myself going to the pink and purple room instead of Kade’s room. Everything is exactly as it was the last time I was in here except a stuffed bear is on the bed wearing a candy corn costume. It’s the silliest, best thing anyone has ever gotten me.

There is a note under the bear.

I’ll be home soon, shortcake. Take your new friend and go sleep in my bed where you belong. xx Kade

I wonder how he knew I would end up in this room while he was away. Sometimes the man is scary perceptive and knows what I’m going to do even before I do. It’s one of the things that make him a great dominant… an excellent daddy.

I take my bear and his note to the master bedroom and crawl up into the massive bed. I sleep here so often that I have a side of the bed. Instead, I sleep on Kade’s side, wallowing in his scent. I fall into a restless sleep and dream about clowns chasing me. When I wake up the next morning, I feel like a garbage fire.

15

Kade

I throwmy phone on the bed and pace the room. I’m worried about Penny. I don’t understand exactly what happened to make her doubt us so thoroughly. It’s like she’s grasping onto any reason for why we aren’t a good match.

We are a fucking perfect match. Doesn’t she know how much I love her? Hell, doesn’t she realize she loves me too? She’s said it several times in her sleep mixed up with the candy corn, hamster wheelchairs, and random things from whatever she’d been studying that day.

It’s almost worrisome how many of her dreams revolve around candy corn. Then again, she buys it by the case. When questioned, she said, ‘I have to stock up. It has to last awholeyear.’ And acted likeIwas the crazy person. Especially when I mentioned that candy corn isn’t just for Halloween anymore. I got a thirty-minute lecture on how monstrous pastel candy corn is and that all those whacky flavored versions are an abomination.

She’s very passionate about all things candy corn. At least I’ve almost got her convinced it is not its own food group. A couple good sessions with the hairbrush helped do the convincing.

There is a knock on the door, and before I can answer, Walt pushes the door open. “Hey Uncle Kade, mom is making me go to bed. Would you read to me?”

“Sure, buddy.”

Three books and forty-five minutes later, Walt is asleep. I rub my hands down my face as I walk into the common room between the two bedrooms of the suite. Louise is already in her pajamas, lounging on the couch casually flipping through a magazine.

I’m not sure if what Penny said has gotten to me or what, but I’m seeing what Louise chose for her bedtime attire in an entirely different light. She’s wearing a lacy tank top type thing that shows off a lot of cleavage, and her shorts are so short they could pass for underwear. All the other times they’ve traveled with me and stayed in my suite she’s always worn comfortable pajama pants and ratty old t-shirts. Nothing at all like what she has on now.

She looks up from her magazine and gives me a warm smile. “He finally asleep?”

“Yeah, he finally came down from that sugar high and crashed.”

Louise sets aside the magazine and gets up from the couch. Does she have a little extra swing to her hips as she walks toward me? I rub my hands down my face again. I’m losing my mind.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Louise puts her hand on my chest and looks up at me through her lashes.

“Just something that Penny said tonight.”

I don’t think the anger that flashes in Louise’s eyes is my imagination, but she smiles and asks if I want to talk about it.

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