Page 69 of Daddy's Little Matchmaker

“Okay.”

While Tessy colored, he checked his phone for places to stream episodes of Land of the Lost. By the time she was done with her picture, he knew how to get it.

“You did a really nice job,” Connor said. “Do you want to cut it out and hang it on the refrigerator?”

She put a hand over the picture as if she were protecting it. “No, Daddy! The pictures have to all stay in the book. That way once they’re all colored it’s like you have a picture book.”

“I see.” He nodded. “No taking the pictures out of the coloring book. Got it. Time to put them away.”

She removed her hand from the picture, and he stacked the three coloring books together and put the crayon box on top.

“Where should I put them?”

Tessy scrutinized the stack for a few moments. “Do I get to color them anytime, or only when you’re here?”

“You can color them anytime,” he assured her.

She grinned. “They can go in my nightstand beside my bed.”

“Okay.” Connor took a step in that direction, but then paused. “If Daddy finds out that you’ve been losing sleep because of too much coloring, I’ll have to make a rule about when you can and can’t color.”

She pouted.

“Understand?” he prompted.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Okay. Go sit on the couch and wait for me.”

Once she stood, he grabbed her pillow as well as the coloring items and took them all to her bedroom. He came back and found her waiting for him on the couch. It only took a couple of minutes for him to pull up episode one.

“Oh, you found it!” She remained sitting, but bounced up and down a couple of times with excitement.

Once the show was queued up, Connor sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Ready?”

“Yes, Daddy. Thank you for finding it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Over the next three hours, they watched six episodes, laughing frequently, and pausing it to talk once in a while.

When episode six was done, Connor turned off the television. “Okay, time to get ready for bed.”

“Bed?” Tessy pushed away from him and sat up straight. She looked at her wall clock and shook he head. “It’s not even ten yet, Daddy. We can watch another episode.”

Connor rubbed her back. “No more television tonight sweetheart. You need sleep.”

“But it’s not eventen,” she whined.

“I know, but it’s time to get ready for bed, and then Daddy’s going to read you a story to help you fall asleep.”

She scowled at him and crossed her arms.

Before she had a chance to say anything, Connor quickly yanked her across his lap, swatted her backside twice while she gasped and yelped, and then sat her back up on the couch. He pointed a finger at her. “What did I tell you about scowling at me?”

She burst into tears.

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