Page 79 of Daddy P.I. 3.0

He stretches the arm he’s got around my shoulders until he can reach around and tap the tip of my nose. “Cheeky monkey. I know they’re not. I think she’s conflating them. But it’s moot. She’s too young to submit to anyone, no matter how much she wants to.”

Being too young to do something legally and needing it with your whole heart are totally different things.

I shift around so I can stroke his chest. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t want to dredge up old hurts. But you had domly-feelings really young?—”

“Ididn’tact on them,” Daddy says, his lips thinning down to a white line.

“You didn’t act on all parts of them,” I say, drawing a distinction I’ve thought about a lot, particularly watching Daddy interact with his sister. “Not on the sexual parts. But I think the line between you as Lizbeth’s big brother and you as a dominant is thin, Daddy. I’m not saying it’s bad. I see caretaking as a spectrum. Lizbeth’s told me you were even tougher on her with rules like doing her homework straight after school and her bedtime and her curfew when she got older than your mom and dad. She said your parents never had to punish her when she did silly things like eat too much Halloween candy or got caught texting her friends past her bedtime because you would give herthe cold shoulder for days until she apologized and promised she’d never do it again. You were being a good big brother, enforcing healthy habits. But you were also topping her, Daddy.”

Logan’s jaw flexes and I know I’m getting close to his line. This is still a touchy subject for him since he feels so very guilty about the thoughts he had about his sister.

I take his free hand and squeeze his fingers between mine. “I know this is wrapped up in your feeling that dominance and submission is sexual. But for lots of people, it’s not. It wasn’t for me and Matthew and although that became problematic by the end, at the beginning it was good and healthy and helped me heal after my divorce. Please can you see it that way?”

“I’ll think about it,” he grunts.

With anyone else, I’d feel he was giving me the brush-off. But not my Daddy. He will think about it. He’ll turn it over and over and in a week or two, he’ll mention it during Knee Time or when we’re having a postcoital cuddle. Daddy’s a deep feeler. He’ll suck my words into his heart. I hope they’ll assuage some of his guilt. I also hope they’ll help him see that True’s submissive needs could be met, even at her age, without crossing any line.

“So, if she’s okay with littleness and understands about dominance and submission, could we make the trip to see the Rexes an outing for the playgroup?” I ask, moving away from the touchy subject.

“Sure. Max has already asked to meet her but he and Cynnie are doing something with her stepmother and dad today.”

Oh, goodie. Cynnie’s been estranged from her family for months after she broke away from them to be with Max. The only family member who has supported Cynnie’s independence is her stepmother. They’ve been having meals and outings frequently to help Cynnie’s stepmother get to know Max. Cynnie mentioned during our trip to the corn maze that her stepmotherwas trying to get Cynnie’s dad to join them for a meal. I’ll call her later to find out how it went.

“I’ll put it in the chat,” I say.

Daddy grins suddenly. “What you’re really asking is whether I think it’s okay for True to meet Sammi.”

“Pretty much, Daddy.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, I’m actually more concerned about what Sammi might do to the museum than what he might say to True.”

“There aren’t any bunnies at the museum,” I point out.

Sammi’s been banned from zoos across the Tri-State area for his ... exuberance. We’ve had to put a “look with your eyes, not with your hands” rule in place with him for the Blunts’ therapy bunnies.

Daddy raises his eyebrows. “Bones. Big bones. Sharp, pointy bones.”

“Fossilized bones, Daddy. Even Sammi would have a hard time?—”

“No, don’t finish that thought. You’re tempting fate. I’m having visions of Sammi spinning around the museum clinging to a T-Rex vertebrae like that scene fromJurassic Park.”

I burst into giggles. “He wouldn’t.”

Daddy tips his head. “Not convinced, little girl.”

I don’tthinkhe would. But taking Sable’s walking harness and strapping it to Sammi’s wrist for the day wouldn’t be theworstidea, either.

My faith in the power of blanket forts and Disney movies slips a little when True watches all ofBravein my tent with its twinkly lights and still doesn’t give up the goods. It worked on Brenwhen she and Master Mac were going through it and I honestly thought there wasn’t a tougher nut to crack in the whole world.

But True’s even more guarded than Brenna. By the time we’ve finished the movie and fielded five hundred questions—mostly from Sammi—in the Littles’ Army chat about what we’re going to do at the museum, she still hasn’t told us her real name or who her social worker is. Daddy’s upstairs napping but I can foresee this ruining our afternoon.

Nothing should ruin visiting the Rexes.

As we pack up the tent, I put a gentle hand on True’s shoulder. She startles and turns around quickly. I expect her to relax when she sees it’s me but she doesn’t.

Something finally clicks together. “Is a woman hurting you?”

Her face freezes. “Wh-wha-why would you ask me that?”

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