Page 2 of The Captain's Little Girl

Tex nodded to acknowledge the time and followed quickly with Rosie who wiped happy tears from her eyes as they threaded through the gathering.

Jax waved Ember into the other side of the round booth before scooting in next to her to leave room for Doniphan. Ember cuddled close to her daddy and laid her head on Jax’s shoulder as if to savor his presence.

River hurried away to reclaim her empty tray and zipped back to clear away the evidence of their indulgences. Doniphan helped by placing empty shot glasses on the tray with a meaningful look.

“How many of these did you have, little girl?”

“Two,” she whispered. “We were all sad. It made us happy for a while.”

“I’m sorry we were gone so long,” he said, tugging her down for a kiss before spanking her bottom. “Go work so we can get out of here in a while.”

Smiling, she darted away with a full tray. “Thanks, Daddy.”

With a sneeze, Ember sat up suddenly. “How long has it been since you’ve had a shower?”

“Too long,” Jax groaned, obviously imagining the delight of being clean.

“Go home,” Mark ordered. “I don’t need any babysitters.”

“Not happening,” Ember refused with an emphatic shake of her head.

“Captain, we’re hanging with you and Doniphan until Cricket and River get off. No man left behind and all that,” Jax reminded him.

“Not necessary,” Mark reminded him.

“But we’re staying anyway.” Jax closed that line of discussion.

“Damn, I should have asked River to bring us some beers,” Doniphan remarked.

“Anyone thirsty?” Cricket chirped, drawing cheers from the men a few seconds later when the petite blonde approached on cue with three longneck bottles in her hands.

“I think I love you, Cricket,” Doniphan thanked her.

“Sweet talker,” she teased, carefully distributing the drinks.

The men clinked their bottles together before taking a large swig. Two moans of enjoyment clashed against Mark’s protest of “What is this?”

He rotated his bottle to read, ‘Root Beer.’ The other team members and Ember tried to cover their laughter as he met Cricket’s dancing gaze. “Explain this, baby girl.”

She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “I don’t want you to forget I’m yours.”

“I’ll never forget that.”

“I’m making sure alcohol doesn’t erase your decision. At least until tomorrow morning,” she informed him in total seriousness.

“Little girl…” he warned. When she darted away, Mark resigned himself to sipping on the sweet soda.

“She’s got you,” Tex laughed.

“Bad,” Jax added with a grin.

“Be careful. Jealous men have to run extra laps,” Mark cautioned.

He relaxed against his seat as the men tried to rein in their amusement and failed miserably as Ember slapped a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles. Mark’s eyes followed Cricket around the bar. How had he kept her at arm’s distance for so long?

Thick hamburgers arrived next with piles of French fries. With a groan, the men leaned in to devour the food. When Cricket stopped by to check on them and bring another round of drinks, Mark made sure his Little ate some of the food just as Ember and River shared nibbles of their daddies’ meals.

Lounging back in his chair, Mark forced himself to relax and enjoy the companionship of the group. Each relationship had blossomed into something special. He glanced down at his watch to check the time for what seemed like the fortieth time and groaned inwardly. While he loved spending time with the other couples, he couldn’t wait to get his Little alone. The wait until her shift ended seemed endless.

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