Page 19 of Koa's Little Girl
“Let’s take a few minutes at your place to grab some clothes for a few days. We’ll need your other stuffie, too.”
Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped. Pulling herself together, Giana asked, “How do you know I have another stuffie?”
“You talked in your sleep earlier. By the third time you whispered Tiger, I’d eliminated another boyfriend and figured he was your stuffie, too.”
“Oh!” she said and looked down at the table. “Do you think I’m silly?”
“Let’s see. We’ve already established that you’re a little girl, and that I want to be your daddy. Why would you think having two stuffies would make you silly? Unless that other stuffie is a giraffe named Tiger?” he guessed, teasing her.
Giana’s gaze flew up to meet his as her mouth rounded in an astonished O. “How did you know?”
“That one cracker is precious to you. Elephants, horses, lions met a munchy death at your hands—legs, heads, butts chewed off without a care. The giraffe you couldn’t eat. And a giraffe is the same colors as a tiger. It makes perfect sense.”
“Of course it does!” blasted from her lips as she raised her arms in a victory sign. “Why can no one else understand that?”
She lowered her hands to the table as she stared at him. “You do though, don’t you? You understand me.”
“I hope so, little girl. If I miss something, you’ll clue me in, won’t you? Even daddies need some help sometimes. Now, give me five minutes and we’ll go get Tiger.”
“And some underwear,” she quickly added.
“Whatever you want to bring,” he assured her and stood. Koa dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Thank goodness he’d ordered those animal crackers.
CHAPTER 8
The complex was quiet when they pulled into the parking lot. Koa parked his car in her spot. Light still shone from a couple of windows, but most were dark. He scanned the area as they walked to the building. Neatly trimmed bushes and trees sat away from the locked entrance.
Giana grabbed her mail from her box in the small lobby before leading him up the stairs to her third-floor apartment. He took her keys to open the door and deadbolt. So far, he was pleased with her choice of living space. Koa ushered his little girl inside. Her apartment had revealed a lot. Sparsely decorated, the living room area looked like anyone could live there.
“How long have you lived here, Flame?”
“About five years. I’ll go grab a bag and Tiger.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No. I mean, that’s not necessary. I’ll just be a couple of minutes. Could you check the fridge for anything that will go bad in a few days?” Giana requested, obviously coming up with something to occupy him.
“Of course.” Koa headed for the small kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he stared at the glare of the light on the emptyshelves. One lone withered apple sat in a bin. Shaking his head, he closed the door.
He walked down the hall to her bedroom. Koa scanned the room in amazement. Here was where his little girl lived. Her queen-size bed had a pink upholstered headboard in the shape of a crown, complete with jewels at the elevated points. Giana crammed clothes into a suitcase open on the mattress, obviously rushing.
“Let’s fold those clothes, little girl,” he suggested, walking forward.
“Oh! You can wait for me out there.”
“Not happening.” Koa pulled a wad of clothes out of the suitcase and selected a pair of jeans to straighten.
“I can get these. I didn’t want to delay you,” Giana said quickly, grabbing the jeans from his hands.
“I’m a competent packer, Giana. What are you afraid of?” he asked.
“Um, I’m not afraid of anything. It’s just these are my private things—my private space.”
“I don’t think there are many secrets between us now, little girl. What’s going on?”
Her mouth opened and closed several times. Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know.”
Koa stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. He held her close, rubbing her back. Under his hands, he could feel her heart beating quickly. “You’re safe with me, Flame. I would rather cut off my own arm than hurt you. Take a deep breath with me,” Koa instructed. He inhaled audibly and felt her follow his lead.
