Page 72 of Daddy's Muse
Butter stretched next to the closed laptop, drawing my eyes. My lips curved, and a sudden idea sparked.
“What if we go outside?” I whispered, glancing toward the door. Pappa’s words echoed—don’t leave the house.But if I stayed close, right by the door, he wouldn’t even have to know.
Butter deserved some sun, didn’t she?
Excitement flickered in my chest as I grabbed a blanket from the hall closet. I carried it and Butter to the back door, pushing it open just enough for the warm air to spill in. My heart pounded, a little thrill buzzing under my skin as I stepped onto the porch.
“See? No big deal,” I whispered, mostly to myself. I spread the blanket on the grass and sat down, setting Butter gentlybeside me. She sniffed the air, then hopped around like she’d been waiting for this moment her whole life.
I laughed quietly, legs curled beneath me as I stroked her back. “Don’t tell Pappa, okay? This’ll be our secret.”
The sun was warmer than I expected, soaking into my skin in a way that made me want to melt right into the blanket. Butter darted from one side of the fabric to the other, her little nose twitching nonstop like she was discovering an entire new world just a few feet from our back door.
I hugged my knees, resting my chin on top. “See? This isn’t scary at all. Pappa just worries too much.” My voice dipped to a whisper, guilt tugging even as I said it. “But it’s not like weleft. The door’s just right over there. It’s safe.”
Butter froze for a second, ears pricked at some sound I couldn’t hear, then resumed exploring. I smiled, smoothing a hand down my arm. My chest loosened for the first time all morning. Maybe Icouldhandle being alone, at least for a few hours.
I lay back, staring up at the sky and the trees obscuring it. Maybe I could somehow prove to Pappa that it was okay for me to go outside.
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” I murmured to Butter, who had flopped on her side near my hip. “We could go anywhere. You, me, and Pappa. Maybe to the park, or the mountains, or… or even the ocean.” I reached over and stroked Butter’s soft back, needing the contact. “I’ll ask him someday. Maybe he’ll say yes. He seems to really like saying yes to me,” I chuckled softly.
The back door gave a faint creak as the breeze tugged it, and my heart jumped into my throat. I sat up fast, glancing toward the house, but no one was there.
I let out a shaky laugh, pressing a hand over my chest. “Scaredy-cat,” I whispered to myself. “You’re fine. We’re fine.”
Still, I shifted a little closer to the blanket’s edge, closer to the door, just in case.
Every time Butter darted into the grass, she stopped just far enough away to nibble before bounding back toward me.
I lay on my side and propped my head in my hand, grinning at her. “You’re braver than me, huh? Running off without even checking if it’s safe.” My voice softened. “Guess you trust me to keep an eye on you.”
Butter flicked her ears, utterly unbothered, and I smiled.
I stretched out, toes wiggling against the grass, and let my eyes wander. It was so nice out here.
“I think Pappa needs a fire pit for s’mores, don’t you?” I asked Butter, nodding along when she began making happy little noises. “Yes, you’resoright.”
It was hard to determine exactly what was part of Pappa’s property. There were no fences or lines in the dirt—just forest.
Lots and lots of forest.
“I could bring my coloring books out here,” I told Butter.
Butter nosed at my ankle before flopping onto her tummy in the grass. Her little body stretched long, fur catching the light like spun silk.
I chuckled, reaching to scratch between her ears. “Okay, fine. You win. Nap time it is.”
I curled on the blanket beside her, warmth soaking into me from both the sun and the earth beneath. My eyelids drooped, and before long I drifted into that hazy in-between space—half awake, half dreaming—where everything felt soft and easy.
The distant sound of a car passing snapped me halfway back. I stiffened, eyes darting around. The sound faded quickly, just someone driving by, but my pulse took longer to settle.
Butter shifted, unconcerned, and I whispered, “Don’t tell Pappa we cheated, okay?” My lips curved in a small smile. “It’ll be our secret.”
Butter squirmed a little when I picked her up, but then relaxed against my chest, her tiny heart fluttering so quickly I could feel it through my shirt.
“Come on,” I whispered, tucking my chin over her soft head. “Let’s see what else is out here. Just a quick adventure and then we’ll go back inside to wait for Pappa.”
I stepped off the blanket and padded across the grass, the blades cool and ticklish under my bare feet. It felt almost… forbidden, sneaking further into Pappa’s backyard like this, but it also made something bubble up inside me—a nervous, giddy kind of thrill. It felt like we were on a secret spy mission.
