Daring Daddy (Montana Daddies 5)

She stared up at him, blinking. No expression on her face. Shit. He couldn’t strip her off when she was like this. That would be taking advantage of her. Just as he was preparing to figure something else out, she gave him a small nod.

“Okay, Daddy.”

Relief flooded through him. Shit.

“That’s Daddy’s good girl.” He gave her a gentle look. Then he turned to the chest at the end of the bed and opened it, searching through the blankets stored there.

He pulled out the weighted blanket. It didn’t look like she’d been sleeping much and this might help. It was nice and soft yet with enough weight to make her feel more secure.

He placed it over her on the bed.

“What’s this?” She pulled the blanket off her with a frown.

“It’s a weighted blanket. You’ll leave it on you while I get everything ready,” he told her sternly.

“I don’t likes it,” she said in a childish voice.

Normally, her sulky pout might get her a stern word or smack to her bottom, but he was too happy that her Little was making an appearance to tell her off.

“I think you will if you give it a chance.” He stared down at her until she sighed.

“Fine. I’ll tries it, Daddy. But I don’t likes pink.” She glared at the blanket as though it’s color mortally offended her.

“Noted.” He moved over to the toy box. “What would you rather cuddle? There’s a bunny or a cat or teddy or dinosaur?”

“Whose toys are they?” she asked suspici

ously.

“They belonged to my friend’s wife, she kept them here for everyone to use. They often brought friends here to play.”

“Where is she now?”

He gave her a sad look. “She died, baby. But I know she would like you playing with them.” He wished he could give her something of her own.

She stared at the stuffed toys, biting her lip.

He searched around for something else that might set her at ease. Suddenly, he remembered a photo he’d spotted hanging on the wall in the hall outside her bedroom. It had been of her parents, Clint, Kent and a tiny Eden. In it, she’d looked about six or seven and she’d been holding a rag doll.

He searched around in the basket of dolls until he found one. “What about this?” He held the rag doll up. It looked a little worse for wear, as though it had been well loved.

She gave the doll a wary look.

“I’ll just set it beside you. Why don’t you give it the hug test?”

“Hug test?” she asked.

“Make sure it’s nice and snuggly.”

“Snuggly?” She was looking at him as though he was an alien. He couldn’t blame her.

He set it on the bed. She didn’t reach for it. “I’ll go run you a bath. Be right back.”

She nodded, looking so small and alone on the bed.

He filled the bath, putting in plenty of bubbles. When he returned to get Eden, her eyes were half closed and she was rubbing the foot of the doll against her nose. A gesture to comfort herself. She froze when she saw him.

“It’s all right. I’m glad you like the dolly.”