Aleki stiffened and faced Caleb full on. “What do you mean she knows something is wrong?”
“She’s noticed the way you’ve been watching her kind of intently. She’s worried that she hasn’t spent much time with you since we got here. She wants to spend some time with each of us. What’s eating at you?”
Aleki wiped his face with the towel. “I just, I thought I would get over this feeling that she might disappear on me again. Like I failed her.”
“You couldn’t have known about her father. Or anything that was going on. It wasn’t your fault.”
Aleki nodded, blowing out a breath. “So she wants to spend some time alone with each of us?”
“Yeah, I told her we were going to start taking her out on dates.”
“Even Wolfe?”
“Well, I haven’t actually told him that.” He was leaving him to last. You never knew how Wolfe might react to something. He could either completely refuse or plan something so elaborate it made the rest of them look like chumps.
30
Vivi glanced up as Caleb and Aleki entered the playroom. She was sitting on the bean bag, reading a book about age play by CJ Bennett. It was an amazing story about three daddies who lived on a ranch in Texas.
“Hi,” she said a bit shyly.
“Where did Wolfe go, jelly bean?” Caleb asked.
Aleki just watched her and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.
“He got a phone call and went out to take it.” She pointed at the double doors leading outside.
“Good girl for staying in here,” Caleb told her warmly.
She blushed. “Wolfe told me I had to stay put and that if he had to come searching for me, it was five spanks for every minute he spent searching.”
“What a meanie,” Aleki said, but he was grinning.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m starting to think you like watching me get spanked.”
“I’m starting to think we need to do it more often, brat,” he countered.
“Nuh-uh.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I is a good girl.”
“Course you are.” Caleb smiled at her, running his hand over her head.
Hmm. Somehow, she thought he was humoring her.
“What are you reading?” Aleki asked, plopping down on another beanbag.
“It’s a book by CJ Bennett. About three daddies on a ranch and a Little who comes to work for them.”
“Think this book is one of Wolfe’s favorites,” Caleb told her.
“It is? Wolfe’s favorite?”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah. Think he’s read every one of her books. I think he treats them like a manual on Daddy/Little relationships.”
She giggled.
“Have you finished your painting?” Aleki asked, staring over at the picture.
“Uh-huh, can you guess what it is? Daddy is having trouble.” She sent Caleb a sly look.