Page 49 of Daddy's Little Matchmaker

“Gwen!” Tessica said. “It is not acceptable to shove things or throw things when you’re unhappy.” She stood up and pointed to the other room. “Five-minute timeout on the couch.”

“Noo!” Gwen cried, a tear running down her cheek.

“If I have to take you over there, you’ll get swatted before your timeout,” Tessica warned.

Gwen jumped up, ran to the couch, flung herself face down, and wailed into the cushions as if the world were ending.

Tessica rolled her eyes at the theatrics, checked the clock on the wall for the time, and sat back down. She focused on Connor to check in, but he was staring at her with so much intensity, that the words got stuck in her throat.

Connor said, “I’d like to check in with you in the bedroom once Gwen settles down.”

Tessica nodded. “Of course.” She hoped he didn’t think that she’d undermined his authority by taking the lead once Gwen went too far.

Connor picked up Gwen’s plate, put it back where it belonged, and righted the puzzle. Then he took a bite of his sandwich and said in an exaggerated voice, “Wow. It’s been a few years since I got a sandwich from Sam’s Deli. It’s really good.”

Gwen’s crying went from loud wails to soft sniffles, as she clearly listened in to what Connor was saying.

Tessica took a bite of her sandwich, and then spoke a bit louder than normal. “You’re right, it’s good. Everything tastes fresh. I’m impressed.”

“I usually get the roast beef for myself, but I figured turkey would be the best bet for a crowd-pleaser.”

“Probably a good idea,” Tessica agreed. “And thank you for getting whole wheat like I asked. I truly dislike white bread. It always gets so soggy.”

“Whole wheat is a lot better for you, too,” Connor pointed out.

“Mommy Tessica?” Gwen said from the couch.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.” Her breath hitched as she spoke.

“Thank you for apologizing.” Tessica checked the clock. “Three more minutes, and then you can come back to the table.”

Connor tilted his head toward the bedroom. “Ready to check in?”

“Sure.” Tessica stood up and focused on Gwen. “Daddy Connor and I are going to go talk in the bedroom for just a minute. You stay on the couch until we come out. Okay?”

“Okay,” Gwen agreed, wiping the tears off her face, and using the hem of her shirt to wipe her nose.

“There are tissues on the table beside the couch,” Tessica told her. “Please use those instead of your shirt.”

Once Gwen had obeyed, Tessica nodded, and led the way to the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Keeping her voice low, Tessica said, “I think the worst of it is over. She should be well behaved for the rest of the afternoon.”

“Is Gwen upset about eating lunch because she has issues with her weight or food?”

“No,” Tessica answered with a frown. She really hoped the next words out of his mouth weren’t going to be something offensive.

“That’s good. I don’t want to open a can of worms by demanding she eat something if she’s got any kind of eating disorder or food sensitivities.”

Pleased with his concern for Gwen, Tessica’s frown melted. “I’m certain she would have told me about it if she had issues around food or weight. Gwen’s issues center around her father. From what she’s said he was an unaffectionate workaholic prone to making promises and not following through on them.”

“Okay.” Connor nodded. “I can work with that. I enjoy showing affection and I always follow through on my promises, but that one will take time to prove. When we go back out, I could carry her back to the table and let her eat lunch sitting on my lap.”

Tessica’s heartbeat picked up at that mental image. “Carry her?”

“Gwen’s short, and not all that heavy. I’ll have no problems picking her up. I’ve found that being manhandled can help snap a Little or a submissive out of a bad mood. It’s difficult to be morose when someone effortlessly tosses you over their shoulder and carries you to into another room.”

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