Page 30 of Daddy's Little Fighter
“You don’t have to tell everyone,” Echo pointed out. “Marco is the father of the baby.”
“But he doesn’t look like the baby. I just don’t want Frankie to see Levi and wonder whether or not I cheated on Marco,” Rainey pointed out. “I don’t tell everyone that Levi isn’t Marco’s biological son. Only the people I’m really close with.”
Rainey already thought they were going to be really close to one other?
“Whenever we walk around town, I don’t tell everyone. If they want to judge me because Levi doesn’t look anything like Marco, then they can. We are happy. Marco is Levi’s dad, and that is never going to change.” Rainey sounded fierce as she talked.
“Mhmm,” Echo gave Rainey a knowing look.
Rainey’s shoulders dropped. “Okay, fine. I still get nervous when we walk around town and people give us weird looks. I don’t even know why they do that since it’s none of theirbusiness. It still makes me nervous, and Daddy always has to talk to me before and after, but it’s getting a little better. More people know our story, which has helped.”
Frankie’s mouth fell open as she stared at Rainey. She had no idea Rainey wasn’t telling the truth when she initially said everything. She would have believed Rainey if Echo hadn’t said anything.
“It’s so hard. Everyone knows I’m new, and a lot of people who come into my coffee shop know that I was pregnant before I met Marco. It’s everyone else in town who hasn’t seen us together who looks at us weird.” Rainey sighed. “But enough about that.”
Echo turned toward Frankie. “We all struggle with something. Some days are easier than others, but with our Daddies, we can do anything. With an amazing group of friends who will stick by each other, we can do anything. I’m not going to lie and say there aren’t hard days anymore after telling people I don’t want to be touched. Some people don’t understand and will never understand.”
“Some peopledon’twantto understand. It’s not our fault if they don’t want to. We aren’t going to be able to please everyone, and we have to come to terms with that,” Rainey added. “Some days, I don’t want to go into the coffee shop with Levi and have Daddy visit. I know no one in the coffee shop is going to say anything, but it’s when we walk out and Daddy takes Levi that we get weird looks, and I don’t like it.”
“So just grow thicker skin?” Frankie asked.
Echo shrugged. “Maybe a little, but you can also let your Daddy handle a lot of it. He will. For the first couple of times or even for the first year you go out of the house, don’t go anywhere without him. He will take care of you and make sure no one makes fun of you. It will still hurt, but your Daddy won’t let them get away with it. And if you happen to go by yourself and yourDaddy isn’t near or you don’t want to call him, call mine. He will do anything for the other Littles.”
Rainey winced. “Yeah, he will. Just be careful what you tell him. If you don’t want the person to go missing, don’t tell him anything. But if you are okay with it, then tell him and he will take care of it.”
“Wh-what?” Frankie was trying to wrap her brain around what they just said.
“My Daddy is in the Springfield Sinners,” Echo informed her.
“He isn’t just in the Springfield Sinners,” Rainey rolled her eyes.
“He is the president of the club. Didn’t ever think I would see him again, yet he found his way back to me, and here we are. He was obsessed with me, followed me around town for a while, and said I was his.” Echo chuckled. “Man, that was a good time. I had everyone worried about me. At times, I even worried about myself.”
“And you are with him?” Frankie hesitantly asked.
She hadn’t realized until now just how relaxed she was. When had that happened?
“Oh yeah, he is a big teddy bear when it comes to me. He would do anything and treats me like a princess.” Echo giggled. “Don’t tell him I called him a teddy bear. I don’t need to get spanked again.”
Rainey laughed, and Frankie found herself joining in. Comfortable silence filled the air around them as they all calmed down. Why had Frankie thought it was going to be bad when she met up with them? Why was she so nervous when there was nothing to be anxious about?
“I’ve got an idea, and you might hate me for it,” Rainey finally said.
Great. It was like Rainey knew what she had just thought.
“What is it?” Echo asked. “Normally, your ideas don’t bode well.”
Even better.
“I was thinking the three of us could hold hands and go outside. It can even just be one step outside the front door,” Rainey explained.
Frankie sucked in a breath of air, not expecting her to say those words. What was Rainey thinking?
“I know you haven’t been out, but I thought it would be good since we would be with you. You wouldn’t be alone, and it doesn’t even have to be that far out. Just one step to prove to yourself that you can do it.” Rainey said.
Frankie didn’t know about that. Daddy had said they weren’t going to try to push her to do anything, but Rainey had suggested this. What was she thinking?
“That is only if Frankie wants to do it. I don’t want to force you into anything, but I think it would be good. You’ll have us on either side of you, and we can help you stay strong. Plus, your Daddy isn’t far away,” Echo suggested.
