Page 188 of Daddy's Naughty List

Melissa’s jaw dropped. “That’s a long time.”

“It is. I keep track of it carefully because I know what’s important. In high school, I found the most precious person at a football game. She was a clarinet player in the band. Not the best. Probably the worst,” he said, feeling his lips curve fondly.

“Why aren’t you still with her?”

“Her stepfather picked her up one night. I didn’t know he was drunk. He was always in a crappy mood. There was an accident and Ellen died. He didn’t.”

“She was your Little girl?” Melissa asked.

“We didn’t know what kind of relationship we had. We were kids. But yes. She was Little.”

“That’s so sad,” Melissa said, with tears in her eyes. She stood and walked the short distance to offer Rocky her last chocolate.

He took it and unwrapped the gift carefully before lifting it to her lips. “You eat it for me, Little girl.”

When she opened her mouth, he set it gently inside, feeling his heart swell in his chest. She trusted him and let him take care of her with that small piece of chocolate. Rocky dared to reach out and gather her into his arms, lifting her to sit on his lap.Please let this damn rickety chair hold together. Please let her accept comfort.

To his delight, she curled up on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. Rocky rubbed her back lightly as he tried to memorize this moment in time. Her scent, her warmth, the feel of her body relaxed against him.

“Little girl,” he breathed out softly. “I’m so glad I found you.”

“I’m glad I found you, too.”

The sound of the rodents returning to the kitchen made her lift her feet up. She lifted her head to look toward the open doorway.

“I can’t let you stay here. It’s taken years for me to forgive myself for letting Ellen get in that car. I can’t leave you in jeopardy. It’s not safe here.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she whispered.

“You do now. You can stay with me. No strings attached.”

“I don’t even know you,” she protested weakly.

“We can get to know each other. You know the PLAYTIME app does a background check. You can send my information to someone you trust. Tami and Archer.”

The scurry of feet made her shudder. “I hate it here.”

“Then let me get you out of here. Tonight. You’re hurt. I would bet you don’t sleep well. You’ve endured this way too long.”

Silence stretched between them as she studied his face. Finally, she whispered, “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

“Thank you, Melissa. Go pack a bag with whatever you need through the week, and we’ll come back to grab the rest. Is it all right for me to look through your phone to find Tami and Archer’s contact information and send them a photo of my driver’s license with my address?”

She nodded before running toward the bedroom in her eagerness to get out of there.

There was only one Archer and one Tami in her directory. Rocky started a combined message with both numbers. He sent them a screenshot of his ID, the Match Found notice, and this message:

This is Rocky Harrison. The PLAYTIME app matched Melissa and I together. Faced with the infestation in her apartment, I’ve convinced Melissa to stay in the guest room of my home. My address is above. If you’d like to have a character reference, you are welcome to call the city manager. I own a business in town, and we’ve worked closely together. I’ll send his personal number. He can attest that I’m reliable and honest. I will take care of Melissa while she decides whether she’d like to be my Little girl.

After adding one more bit of information to an app on her phone, he picked up her medicine before following Melissa to her bedroom to help her pack. At the doorway, he paused, stunned to see a raised dais constructed from cinderblocks and wood planks. She’d included large bowls of water in the design around each column. A thin mattress draped over the wood. Several layers of duct tape covered the unfinished edge of the platform. He guessed to guard against splinters.

“How can I help?” he asked, trying not to look shocked by the furniture she’d created to keep a variety of creatures away from her at night. How had she ever slept on the board-hard bed?

“Would you grab the two work shirts and the jeans from the closet? It’s best to give them a shake. I’ve packed everything else,” Melissa said, taking the sack of medicine and supplies.

When he returned with those items, she folded them carefully and added them to her suitcase. Rocky noticed she carefully smoothed the shirts over one section in the interior. Melissa closed the zipper.

“That’s all I have.”

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