Page 45 of Sugar and Skulls

Once Katie becomes wrinkled like a prune I help her wash her hair and then get her dried off and into her clean clothes. “Come brush your teeth,” I tell her.

She rubs her finger over the bright pink toothbrush on the counter, suddenly becoming quiet.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Nothing,” she says, picking up the toothbrush and sticking it in her mouth.

“You know you can tell me anything?”

She nods bubbles dripping down her chin. I wipe off her mouth after she spits in the sink. I grab a brush and we head out to sit on the bed. As I’m running it through her curly brown hair someone knocks on the door. She jumps a little and slides behind me. I pat her leg to let her know she is safe. I won’t let anyone hurt her.

“Come in,” I holler.

Raffe opens the door but doesn’t cross the threshold. He is holding a book with a plate of cookies resting on the cover. “Thought you could use a little bedtime story and cookies,” he says, winking at me.

The butterflies I’ve always felt around him pound at my rib cage. “Awe look Katie. Cookies.”

She peeks around my torso narrowing her eyes at him. He holds the plate out. “They’re chocolate chip,” he encourages.

She slides off the bed and takes the plate and book quickly returning to me. She sets them on the bedside table and takes her position behind me.

“Goodnight, Katie,” he tells her.

She waves but doesn’t look at him.

“Good night, Jesse.” His fingers tap over his heart twice and then pulls the door closed.

Two minutes later another knock sounds at the door. “Come in,” I mumble with a mouth full of cookie.

Dirk pushes the door open. He leans against the door frame with two glasses of milk in one of his big hands. “Raffe is a dumbass. He forgot the milk.”

I tip my head in warning and point to Katie. “Language, Dirk.”

He smirks and Katie giggles. “You coming to get this milk or not?”

“Why don’t you bring it in? We don’t bite,” I tease.

“Bill has forbidden anyone from entering the princess’s cabin,” he says lazily.

Katie giggles again. I turn and look at her. She peeks at Dirk from behind me, a clear interest on her face. She doesn’t look scared of him at all. Which surprises me because he is a scary looking guy. They all are, but especially Dirk.

He winks at her and then his attention goes back to me. He holds the glasses out to me. I leave Katie on the bed to retrieve the drinks. When I try to pull them from his hand he pulls back, tugging me closer to him. “We need to talk, soon,” he says in a serious tone.

“Okay,” I sigh, not taking my eyes off the milk in his hand.

He tips my chin. “I mean it.”

I nod. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. Find me after breakfast.” He lets go of the milk and walks away.

I hand Katie a glass as I sip on the other one. Katie is studying my face. “What?” I ask.

“You’re so lucky. You have a daddy who lives in a castle and he protects you by not letting anyone come into your room. And, you have two boyfriends.”

I spit milk out of my mouth. Quickly I grab a towel and pat myself dry. “Katie. I don’t have any boyfriends.”

She giggles and slides under the covers. “I like the one with the tattoos best but the other one is really pretty.”

---