Page 34 of Daddy’s Protecting

“Come here, sweetheart. Let me hold you.”

Dirk pushed his chair away from the table and held out his arms. Without hesitating, Cynthia catapulted herself onto his lap. He squeezed her close and rocked her gently back and forth.

When she relaxed against him, Dirk reminded her, “Your story isn’t finished yet, sweetheart. You have to remain positivethat everything is going to work out. Will you try to do that for me?”

Cynthia closed her eyes and inhaled the masculine scent that belonged only to him. His solid body underneath her and his powerful arms wrapped around her body reassured her. It seemed like he could do anything. Finally, she nodded.

“I’ll try.”

“That’s my girl,” he praised her. “Turn around on Daddy’s lap and let me feed you.”

She moved to scramble off his lap so he could eat his meal, but his hands held her tightly to him. When she relaxed in his arms, Dirk kissed the top of her head.

“Let me take care of you, Little girl.”

Nodding again, she whispered, “Okay,” and turned sideways on his lap.

Dirk forked a bite of his salad, getting a perfect combination of chicken, romaine lettuce, cheese, and dressing. He held it to her lips and placed it in her mouth when she opened them. As she chewed, he helped himself.

When he could, Dirk asked her, “What’s your favorite number?”

“Thirteen.”

“Why thirteen?”

“No one else likes it. I don’t want it to be lonely,” she explained. “It’s not really unlucky.”

“That’s very sweet, Little girl. You have a big heart.”

“That slasher guy on TV didn’t have a bit of good inside him.”

“No more scary movies for you.”

“Uh-uh!” she agreed emphatically before a thought distracted her.

“Hey, you never did a magic trick for me.”

“Hmm,” he hummed as he thought. “This one Bullyboo loved and couldn’t ever figure out.”

Tenderly, he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “What is this?” he asked, pulling his hand away and revealing a shiny silver dollar between his fingers.

She stared at him in amazement. He couldn’t have been prepared with a trick coin.

He was magic.

CHAPTER 12

Yawning widely, Cynthia struggled to stay awake as her Daddy put their plates in the dishwasher and straightened the kitchen. She didn’t want to miss a minute of being with him. “What are we going to do now, Daddy?”

“I think you’re ready to go to bed, sweetheart.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Don’t lie to Daddy. You can’t keep your eyes open.”

“What do you usually do after dinner?”

“I work out in my gym.”

---