Page 47 of Daddy Says

He’d sat at the kitchen table, enjoying a glass of brandy, pointing out spots she’d missed as she’d stood, bare bottom as red as the tomatoes splattered on the wall, scrubbing up the mess she’d made.

The next afternoon, she’d become real friends with Gloria West. The older woman had entered the kitchen to see Jane studiously chopping carrots, huge piles of other vegetables waiting for her to practice her knife cuts. Gloria had started a large pot of chicken stock boiling, informing Jane that vegetable soup was always a great staple to have on hand. When she’d opened several drawers and rummaged in the utensil crock, Jane had finally made her confession.

“I-I um sort of, um, got rid of the wooden spoons.”

“Ah,” Gloria had said with a grin. “I tried that too, but Richard just bought several more and demonstrated the folly of trying to hide any implement by giving me a dozen swats with every single new one.”

Jane remembered how her mouth had gaped open but when she’d giggled, Gloria had joined her and then had shown her a few tips on making perfectly sized knife cuts. Sawyer had come in, had seen the two slicing, dicing, and chatting and had smiled. That night when Jane admitted she’d discarded all the wooden utensils, assuring him that she’d replace them, he’d given her a spanking, but it had been one of the ‘funishment’ ones she had so come to love.

No matter what each day brought, he was always there, holding her close and assuring her that he was so proud of her, encouraging her every step of the way.

Tonight, she saw him seated at table twenty-three, the one that she’d always considered his since that first night of their meeting. He stood as she walked across the room and beamed as their friends who had been invited to help celebrate the completion of her first year of culinary school as well as her first solo service began to clap. She saw all the people she used to work with, Mr. Arturo and his wife, Mr. Lawson and Michelle, all smiling and clapping even harder as she passed their tables. Once she reached Sawyer, he pulled her to him.

“You did it, little one. Or should I call you Chef Knight?” he asked, brushing her hair back and running a fingertip over the embroidered name on her new chef’s jacket.

Just like that first night, she felt a jolt of electricity spark between them, her nipples tightening. “No, not yet. I still have more to learn before I earn that honor. I’m just your Janie… and your little one, Daddy.”

“But,” he said, stepping back and slowly going to one knee, “will you also be my wife?”

She didn’t even see the box he pulled from his pocket, or the ring nestled inside. All she saw was the love in his eyes a moment before her vision blurred and her heart skipped a beat.

His hand reached up to stroke along her cheek. “Breathe, Janie, just breathe.”

It took her a moment, but she finally drew in enough air to answer. “Yes, oh, God, yes. I love you so much.”

He slipped the ring on her finger and then stood, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around as everyone stood and cheered. Pulling her up his body until they were face to face, he kissed her. “Do you have any idea how happy you make me? How special you are? How very much I love you?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I do because my daddy says those things to me every single day.”

The End

---