Page 10 of Cherishing Little Charlee

“Abigail was so very lucky to have you as her Daddy,” I said, reaching for his hand.

“Thank you for saying that. This is why I don’t share often. I get emotional and upset. Remembering things and experiences that make me sad instead of happy.”

“One day when you catalog back through your memories, I hope you smile from the experience. Though it’s terrible that you inevitably went through a tough time with her, at least you brought her comfort and peace where she might not have had any.” I let go of his hand and wiped my eyes. My heart was sad for the lovely woman I’d never met. Someone who trusted Pierce enough to allow him to become her Daddy before she died.

“Aw, honey. Don’t cry.” He pointed at the glove box. “There’s tissues in there.”

I found a small package of tissues and pulled out a few. “It’s okay to cry when the emotions get overwhelming. No matter who you are,” I said softly as much to myself as to Pierce.

“Thank you, Charlee. My heart can’t take the same beating my body can.”

We sat in silence as he pulled into the bakery parking lot. I brought up his offer that he’d been talking about last night. It was important to understand what he intended before one of us got in over our heads. I needed to know why Pierce was set on assisting me for the next few weeks.

“Why do you want to help me?” I asked him what had been on my mind since last night. “It’s going to be a lot of work.”

“Your casual way of brushing off the instructions the doctor gave you cemented it for me. I won’t stand around idly and watch you burn out. If you don’t rest your wrist, elevate it, and keep the splint on, the sprain might take longer to heal.”

“If I agree to your offer of keeping a closer eye on me what exactly does that entail? And what happens if I don’t mind your suggestions?”

Pierce cocked his head to the side, studying me thoughtfully. I sort of knew what I wanted him to say, but he wasn’t a mind reader.

“Those are excellent questions, Charlee. Let’s shelve this for a moment. I promised you treats at the bakery. You can pickout anything you’d like while I think about how to properly respond to them. I’m not stalling, I just want to make sure you’re listening to what I’m saying. Right now I’m fairly certain anything I say will go in one ear and out the other.”

“You’re not entirely wrong. I’ll be as patient as I can be while we get treats.” Getting out of his truck, I waited for Pierce to hold out his hand for me. I laced my fingers in his and he kissed my knuckles. The tiny gesture made me feel like I was something special to him. And I was. Now only if I could match his transparency and tell him why I didn’t feel like I’d be a good match for him or for anyone.

PIERCE

Watching Charlee order a creme brulee donut, a slice of angel food cake with berries on top, and a chocolate covered sugar cookie brought a huge smile to my face. I ordered a chocolate croissant and two oatmeal raisin cookies for myself. I didn’t have a huge sweet tooth, but their items were phenomenal and the menu changed every week. They also hosted a guest baker several times a month to add to the mystery. We both loved coming here.

“Would you like to go to the coffee shop, Charlee?”

Grinning, she bobbed her head up and down. “Yes, please!”

Though we had a lot of deep topics to delve into, her enthusiasm was contagious. Walking next door, I sat her at a small booth in the back while getting our coffees. It was important to have privacy for the conversation we were about to have.

“Are you scared to become a Daddy again?” she blurted out.

I took a few moments as I stared into her beautiful eyes while thinking of the most tasteful, tactful way to respond. “Well, I want to say yes but that’s not entirely true. I’ve had dynamics with other people before Abigail. I think grief is an easy excuse.”

“Nothing about grief is easy,” she lamented.

“No, but maybe more of a convenient excuse. Especially after moving so close to the Ranch. I used to visit often, but now there’s no reason not to explore. I thought about approaching Master Derek and tossing my hat in the ring, so to speak, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready.”

“To clarify, are you offering to keep your eyes on me as a friend?” Charlee took a huge bite of her donut.

I watched her wipe the cream off her lips with her thumb before sliding the digit into her mouth.Shit.She was getting me hard but this wasn’t the time. Not with the important topic on the table.

“No, not as a friend.” I let the implications hang over us. “Unless that’s all you want. But I doubt you’re going to do what you’re told if that’s all I am. A friend doesn’t have any fire power. At least not when it comes to you taking care of your wrist.”

Instead of answering she polished off the donut. Charlee glanced at the additional treats but carefully moved the to-go containers to the side of the table. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully and I gave her the space to gather her thoughts.

“Do you want to be my Dom for the next three weeks, Pierce?”

“We’ll start there,” I said plainly.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but I don’t need and or want a Dom. I’m perfectly content with my life at the moment. I’m a big girl who knows exactly how to take care of myself.”

Leaning across the table, I took her non-injured hand. “Those things may be true. What’s your aversion to the word Little? Can you explain it to me? I really want to understand.”

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