Page 12 of Tizzy's Little Thanksgiving

“We’re on our way to the playground,” Hayleigh offered, pointing at the door to their escape route at the end of the hall.

Nanny J nodded. “A far more appropriate place and I’m assuming one of your Daddies will be accompanying you?”

The girls looked around at each other while Teresa’s gaze darted down the hall. She had a good idea that admitting they were actively trying to avoid that very thing wouldn’t earn her another “good girl”. Before she could tell a flat-out fib, Sadie came to her rescue.

“No, ma’am. My Daddy is talking to Georgie and Teresa’s Daddies. But if there’s no playground monitor, we promise we’ll just go to Georgie’s office.”

“And talk in our indoor voices,” Georgie popped up to add.

With a final glance around the circle, Nanny J nodded again, wished them a good day, and returned to her room. The moment her black boots stepped over the threshold, the four Ranch Littles released pent-up breaths while Teresa shook her head.

“Wow, she’s amazing!” she said, truly impressed by the very regal air emanating from the woman.

“Come on before she decides to demonstrate her amazing talent with that paddle in her pocket,” Georgie warned, tugging on Teresa’s hand.

The group took off and were almost at the door when “No running!” was declared in a voice that Teresa could argue had been just as loud as the Littles’ shout. However, a glance at the nanny’s doorway showed the woman had stepped outside her room again. It was as if she had a sixth sense or something. Teresa had a sneaky feeling that warning she’d been offered had been her one and only. That conclusion had her thinking of spankings, which instantly had her thoughts going to the man she’d left at the other end of the hall.

Shooting another glance down the long white expanse, she wasn’t all that shocked to see Eddie still standing there. When he caught her eye, his lips turned up and the dimples she so adored appeared.

“You can run, but you can’t hide, little girl,” he called only to have Nanny’s head whipping toward him.

“See! He’s doing it again,” Teresa hissed to the other girls.

“Yep, and he’s definitely using a Daddy voice,” Hayleigh supplied.

“Meeting time,” Georgie reminded.

A nanosecond before she was tugged through and the door closed behind her, Teresa hedged her bets with both Nanny J and Eddie by calling out a generic, “Sorry!”

Chapter 4

Eddie

“Why doI get the feeling this week is going to involve far more than a wedding?” Derek asked.

“Well, there is that whole roasting a turkey and stuffing oneself to the point of unconsciousness,” Eddie offered.

Derek chuckled. “Yes, there is that. However, unless I’m wrong, I was talking about the fact it appears you’ve found the Little you were missing when you were here last.”

“You’re not wrong,” Eddie confirmed.

“I’ll leave you in Lucas’ capable hands, then. I’ll have Erika follow-up on the things we discussed.”

“Thanks, Derek, I appreciate your help.”

“Welcome back to Rawhide. Have a good day.” Derek tipped his Stetson and left him and Lucas standing in what was now a completely empty, totally silent corridor.

“Shall we go after them?” Lucas asked.

“Nope. Tizzy may have run, but she’ll be back.”

“I don’t know,” Lucas countered. “She seemed a little spooked when you fell out of the cab.”

“She was spooked well before then.” Eddie chuckled. “A little longer is only going to make the coming reckoning all the sweeter. How about we grab a beer and you can catch me up with everything that’s happened since your birthday to the phone call announcing you’re marrying my kid sister.”

“And you can catch me up on when you decided to become a Daddy,” Lucas countered.

They settled on the Mexican restaurant and once seated in a chair with a beer in his hand, Eddie listened as Lucas waxed poetic about how his life couldn’t be more perfect. He took another swig and hid his grin at the thought that the catalyst of all the change he could see in his best friend, was none other than his very own little sister.

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