Page 26 of Daddy's Little Chaos Gremlin

“Yes, Daddy,” I replied. “You said we’re going home to your real home and that I get to go with you.”

“And you’re not upset?” Daddy asked.

“Upset about what?”

“Us pretending that apartment was where we lived when we set up your trial?”

“Why would I be upset?” I asked, looking from Daddy to Tristan, who grinned and looked quite pleased with my answer. “You could have stayed in one of the rooms at Honey Hearth for the trial and that would have been okay, too. I’m just glad you chose me.”

Daddy crushed me to his chest, then Tristan squished me from behind as a car honked, the arrival of our cab saving me from being squashed completely.

“Any other choice in the world would have been wrong,” Daddy told me as he opened the door so Tristan and I could get in before he joined us in the back.

It was a good thing I was small or they’d have been squashing me again. As it was, Tristan cuddled against my side with most of his weight leaning against me and I could feel how tired he was after the long day we’d had. I wasn’t tired exactly, more like content and ready for cuddles and a long session nursing from Daddy, whose milk was beginning to soak the front of his shirt again. At home I could help him with that more often and maybe there would be room on the floor for him to stretch out and draw with us, too.

Or it could be smaller, the little voice in the back of my head reminded me. True, it could be smaller, so maybe we’d have to have coloring sessions at the table together sometime. That would have space for the three of us. Surely with Daddy and Tristan working, I’d need to start watching online videos so I could brush up on my cooking skills. I’d never had the chance to really develop any, outside of what you could do on an RV stove or over a grill, but I wanted to be able to contribute as much as I could to my new home.

I was just grateful to have one.

“Don’t you at least want to knowwhywe did it?” Daddy asked once we were underway.

“Not really,” I said. “That’s kinda your business. I’m sure you had a good reason but I don’t think I need to know it. The only thing that matters to me is that you want me with you. I’m good at doing chores and there are videos for every recipe imaginable, so I’ll learn how to help in the kitchen.”

“Awe, cutie, that’s one chore you don’t have to worry about,” Daddy said as he hugged me close. “Theo prepares all our meals and keeps the fridge and pantry stocked with a variety of snack options. You won’t have to worry about having options you enjoy, I’ve already given him the list we made, and he assured me he’d have your favorites by the time we got home.”

“Who’s Theo?”

“Our chef,” Tristan explained. “He’s awesome. He always matches the theme of the meal to whatever I’m unveiling, but I love his everyday meals best. He makes the most amazing chicken and dumplings, and his steaks will melt on your tongue.”

“Mmmm, I love chicken and dumplings,” I said. “So, I really don’t have to learn to cook? That’s a relief.”

“It was for me, too,” Tristan admitted. “I’m a menace in the kitchen.”

“And in the living room, the library and most spectacularly, in the bedroom,” Daddy murmured as he reached past me to tug Tristan into a kiss.

It was a good thing we pulled up to the hotel or things might have gotten even more heated than the electrically chargedenergy that crackled around us as we got out of the cab. Tristan no longer looked tired and that gleam in his eye, as he helped me out of the cab, was filled with wicked promises.

“Get your butts upstairs before you start anything,” Daddy warned. “Or no one will have any fun tonight.”

His threat was the only warning we needed. We behaved ourselves on the ride up in the crowded elevator and all the way down the long red hall to our room. It was as creepy as the one inThe Shining. I kept expecting to step out of our room to see little girls in blue dresses walking toward me.

Inside was another story. Tristan pinned me against the wall and started kissing me, while Daddy complained about not being able to shut the door. Somehow we managed to shuffle walk, banging our hips against the edge of the dresser and our toes against the suitcase Tristan had left in the middle of the floor.

“Oofff.” I hit the bed with a bounce, then Tristan landed on top of me and squished the air from my lungs. Giggling, I tickled him in retaliation, until he clocked me in the face with a pillow, which morphed into out and out war. Squealing, we bashed one another, and the wall, and headboard until our swings were halted by Daddy, who held each of our weapons tight in one of his fists.

“Really?” Daddy muttered, shaking his head at us.

We should have known not to let go. Daddy was a trickster Daddy, and he thwacked us with those pillows and tickled us until I had to race to the bathroom before I had an accident. Talk about the best day ever. I didn’t know how I was going to turn my brain off tonight with the way it was still replaying everything we’d seen. What I did know was that I’d be goingto bed looking forward to tomorrow, and that was something I hadn’t felt in months.

13

ROWAN

“Here we are, you can leave your backpacks in the car, we’ll be getting right back in when we’re through here,” I explained as I held the door open for Zephyr and Tristan.

“Whoa, it’s so old, but it’s so beautiful,” Zephyr gushed as he stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Looking down at the awe on Zephyr’s face and the curiosity in his eyes, I knew I’d found another boy who was going to love being introduced to new wonders.

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