Page 40 of A Daddy of the Heart
“Yeppers.” Eli rubbed his cheek against the hair on Willem’s chest. “Thank you, Daddy.” Then he yawned. “But I’m sleepy now.”
“Once we clean up…” Willem promised, as he rolled them to their sides.
The slide of a drawer, followed by a crinkle of plastic, reached Eli just before the cool, damp wipe whisked over his chest and belly, heading straight for…
“Yikes!” Eli hissed through clenched teeth, as his Daddy cleaned his dick up as well as his bottom. “That’s cold, Daddy.”
Willem chuckled tiredly. “Maybe Santa will bring you a wipe warmer for Christmas.”
Eli was about to protest when a loud thud, followed by a shrill scream echoed through the house.
Raelynn!
* * *
“It’s okay, snickle-fritz.” Willem sat down on the edge of the coffee table, pressing a washcloth against the cut on Raelynn’s forehead. After throwing on sleep pants, both he and Eli had run downstairs to find their niece crying on the floor next to the coffee table with blood running down her face.
“It hurts, Daddy Will.” She whined, tears streaking over her cheeks. A continuing trickle of blood had left its mark as well.
“I know. Your uncle will be back in a second with the first aid kit. Once we get this cleaned up, we’ll see what the verdict is.”
“Here it is.” Eli appeared next to him, holding the familiar red and white box.
“Thanks, babe.” Willem pressed Raelynn’s hand to the washcloth. “Hold it there, Raelynn.”
“What were you doing up, honey? It’s almost midnight.” Eli sank down next to his niece as Willem opened the box and took out the supplies to tend her wound.
“I had to go potty.” Raelynn winced, as he pulled the washcloth away. “Then I decided I wanted a drink and remembered the juice pouches in the fridge, but it was so dark in here and…”
“And you tripped over something and hit your head on the coffee table?” Eli finished for her.
“Yeah.” She flinched a bit, as Willem dabbed at the cut just a few inches below her hairline.
“Damn.” He hissed. Through the torn edges of flesh, there was a hint of white. This would not be fixed by just a butterfly bandage, as Willem had hoped.
Eli looked over at him with concern.
“Sweetie, we’re gonna need to take you to the hospital. Your head needs a couple of stitches and…Uncle Eli will be with you the whole time. It won’t hurt too much, I promise.”
“Nooo!!!” Raelynn’s face scrunched up. “I’m not going! You can’t make me!”
Shock hit him hard, as she jerked away from him and ran down the hall to her room. Her door slammed shut. He looked over at Eli. “What was that all about?”
Eli seemed just as confused as him. “Evidently she doesn’t want to go.”
Willem shut the first aid kit. “It’ll scar if we leave it untreated Eli. If it wasn’t on her face, maybe…but kids can be cruel. Stitches will minimize the damage.”
“I know.” Eli sighed, then rose to his feet. “Let’s go talk to her.” He held his hand out to Willem.
Taking it, Willem allowed his man to pull him to his feet and together they walked down the hall. Coming to a stop, Eli lifted his hand and knocked. “Raelynn?”
“Go away!” Came the muffled shout.
Eli sighed, then reached for the door, only to find it locked. He jiggled the handle, then glanced at Willem.
“It’s locked.” Willem rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a key somewhere around here, but I’m not sure where it is. Maybe the junk drawer?”
Eli bit his lip. “Go look. I’ll see if I can get her to open it. I’m worried. If it’s serious enough to need stitches…
