“First, once you get reacquainted with your father and if you want to have him in your life, will you have him come visit us? If you want to go see him again by yourself first, I would understand, but I’d really like to meet him. And you’re right about the flying thing. I don’t want to puke on your dad. That would not be a good first impression.”

“I would love that, sweetheart, so much. I’d want to get to know him better again, and make sure he would be respectful of our relationship, our home, and our family here, but if he’s good enough, I’d love to introduce him to you.”

He loved Cricket’s big, joyful grins, but there was something special about her shy smiles that touched his heart.

“Okay, Daddy.”

“What’s the second thing?”

“The girls want a playground.”

“Okay. I’m sure Mister Taj would be fine with that if there’s a good space for one on or near the compound.”

“He is fine with it, but he keeps saying they’re too busy to plan it and build it and they should spend that money on something higher on the priorities list, like a runway.” She rolled her eyes as if prioritizing something that would help them bring in more supplies was ridiculous. It probably was to her, and that’s why Little girls weren’t in charge of that level of planning. “It’s unfair that the chickens have a playground and we don’t.”

“All of Mister Taj’s points sound reasonable, so I’m not sure what you want me to do about it. I’m not going to argue with the boss man. He’s already done a lot for me, for us, and I don’t want to pay him back by undermining him or being a dick.”

“Language, Daddy,” she tutted and he stuck out his tongue which made her cackle. “I don’t want you to argue. Mister Taj is kind of scary. But you have money saved up from being a doctor. Can you use some of it to buy the supplies we can’t harvest on Enclave? And can you and Uncle Linc help us make a plan? You can make sure it’s safe, and Uncle Linc is a really good drawer and builder.”

“I’m not sure how Uncle Linc got roped into my punishment, but I’m not going to argue about that. He, unlike Mister Taj, definitely owes me so I’ll volun-tell him his drafting and construction services are required. And yes, I’ll come up with a budget, but I’d love to buy some playground equipment for you girls.”

Cricket beamed at him and he knew that even in the depths of dark winter, he’d always have sunshine in his life.

“What’s the third thing?”

“I want a donkey. A guard donkey. He’s going to be kind of useless because he can’t really guard the animals against wolves and wolverines and stuff. But he’ll be cute and I’ll love him and I’ve always wanted a donkey. Please, Daddy? Please can I have a donkey on my farm?”

“A donkey, huh? We’ll have to clear it with Mister Taj, but I don’t see why not. Especially because I feel like I’m getting off pretty easy with these punishments. They kind of sound like things I’d like to do for my babygirl anyway.”

“Mmm, yes,” Cricket pronounced, looking very pleased with herself. “But this way I get them now.”

“I didn’t say—”

“Now, Daddy! Now, now, now! Little Cricket had a farm, E-I, E-I-O! And on that farm she had a donkey. E-I, E-I-O! With a hee-haw here and a hee-haw there. Here a hee, there a haw, everywhere a hee-haw! Little Cricket had a farm, E-I, E-I-O!”

“Daddy’s going to have his own farm, and there are going to be lots of tickles and spanks,” he teased, tickling her ribs before manhandling her over his knee and turning up her skirt to spank her bottom over her diaper.

Chapter Forty-Nine

It was true that Cricket pretty much always wanted to be spanked, but she hadn’t realized how much she needed it right now until Daddy put her over his lap. Over her thick diaper she could barely feel the swats but they were enough to whet her appetite for more.

She sighed and let herself go limp, closing her eyes and resting her head on her folded arms.

“Oh, is that how it is, love bug? Is someone in the mood for a spanking?”

“Yes, Daddy. Please.”

“That could be arranged.”

In fact, Daddy did arrange her to pull her closer against his torso, and she hummed her pleasure. She loved it when he did that. It made her feel held both in her body and in her feelings.

He spanked her some more over her diaper which she thought was kinda boring at first, but as he went on, she liked it more and more. His swats were getting harder but with the thick cotton between his palm and her bottom it didn’t sting, and her body reacted differently to the muted thud. Plus it made her more conscious of her diaper. How bulky it was between her thighs and over her belly, and how Little it made her feel to have it on while she was turned ass up over Daddy’s knee.

Cricket let herself float off into Littlespace while her Daddy worked over her backside but was with it enough to obey when he demanded, “Spread your legs.” Those were three of her favorite words in the English language.

Daddy wasn’t satisfied with how wide apart her thighs were though, and pushed and pulled at the inside of her knees to spread her out more. Then he started to spank between her legs, and she could feel the impact of his big hand over her clit, her entrance, and the base of the plug that was lodged in her bottom.

Every so often he would land a slap on the inside of one of her thighs and she would gasp, sucking air into her lungs and making squeaks of surprise because the sharp sting on the sensitive skin was a jarring contrast to the swats over her diaper. Even though she would’ve said she didn’t like them, arousal built in her as he continued, and she began to squirm in earnest.