Page 13 of Tilly's Tutus
“Have a wonderful day. I’ll be around,” he said after dropping one last kiss on her nose.
“Be safe,” Tilly whispered.
“Always,” he responded before walking away.
Carter was surprised to find himself whistling as he headed to the front of the building and the security office. He had never been one to whistle before, but today his heart was happy knowing his Little girl was safe in the building where he could keep an eye on her.
Chapter Eight
By the end of the day, Tilly was not sure if she was more exasperated or amused by her new Papa. He found a reason to stop by at least once every hour. He alternated bringing her small bottles of water and snacks then waited and watched while she consumed them.
Then he would ask another question, obviously intending to get to know her better. Some were silly like, “Cartoon princes or superheroes?” while others were more serious like, “What do you see yourself doing in five years?”
It would take her a minute to form an answer to most of his questions because they came out of the blue, no matter how prepared she thought she might be. During the time she was thinking, he would step close and give her a cuddle until she answered.
Once she whispered an answer, he would respond with his own. His last statement was for her to think about going out to dinner with him once the convention ended. Before she could respond, he would drop a quick kiss on her forehead or nose or top of her head before walking away again. Every time he left, her Big and Little sides fought for control.
Unfortunately, that left her feeling more and more flustered after each visit. By the time they announced the ballroom would be closing in ten minutes, she was ready to jump the man without care of who might see.
As the last of the day’s customers filed out, he showed up, looking not happy.
“What’s wrong?” she asked before he could say anything.
“I’m going to have to back out on dinner tonight, little dancer. Something’s come up and I have to hang around and help deal with it.”
She took a breath and closed her eyes, savoring the scent of man and the last traces of his cologne. “That’s okay. I’ll talk to you later?”
“Definitely,” he said, stepping back and giving her a quick kiss on the lips this time. “Plan on tomorrow night no matter what, okay?”
“Yes, Papa,” Tilly whispered to his back as he walked away.
Once he was out of sight, she turned and joined her sisters in Carri’s booth.
“What do you mean you’re going home with Rooker tonight?” Lottie asked Carri, her accusing tone causing Tilly to flinch in sympathy for her sister.
Ever the peacemaker, Tilly looked at Carri who took a deep breath and slowly released it.
“She’s only worried that you don’t know much about him.” Tilly tried to smooth the ruffled feathers. “She doesn’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“Yeah, you’ve only known him for a day,” Lottie pointed out. “You should come back to the hotel with us.”
Finally, Carri hit her breaking point. Tilly was shocked when she yelled, “Enough. I’m old enough to make my own decisions, and I will be with Rooker, just like I was last night. I’ll see you back here in the morning.”
With that, she turned and rushed away. Tilly looked at Lottie and then to where Carri had disappeared out of the ballroom. “I guess she told us.”
Lottie did not respond. It was always hard for the oldest triplet to admit she might be wrong.
Rooker stepped into view and pulled two business cards from his pocket. “She is safe with me, I promise. Here’s my cell number and information, just in case.”
“If you hurt her, you’ll have us to deal with,” Lottie said with a frown. She took both cards from Rooker then handed one to Tilly.
“That’s fine. I don’t plan on hurting her. I’m hoping to love her for the rest of our lives.”
With that, Rooker followed Carri into the hallway that ran down the side of the building.
Tilly returned to her booth and spent a few minutes getting ready for the next day. Sales had been good and she hoped that Saturday would be even better.
By the time she was ready to leave, Carri and Rooker had returned. The three sisters hugged and Lottie apologized for her harsh tone while Carri apologized for yelling at them.
