Daddy's Angel (Montana Daddies 7)

“Don’t think Rugger wants her going down the stairs.”

“She’s not used to stairs.” And she could have fucking hurt herself if she’d taken a stumble.

His heart raced with fear just thinking about it. Fuck. Somehow, she’d gotten under his thick skin, slipping through the barriers he’d erected.

And all the snarling and snapping in the world wasn’t going to make these feelings for her disappear.

“Shouldn’t we try to get her back to bed?” Tom asked.

“Angel, you need to go back to bed now.” He gently grasped hold of her shoulders and turned her towards her room.

As soon as he let her go, she turned back.

“No.” She stomped her foot on the floor.

“Okay, seems she doesn’t want to go to bed,” Tom said with amusement.

They both watched as Arianna stuck her thumb in her mouth.

“Shit,” Tom said. “She regresses when she sleepwalks?”

“You never saw this,” Bain growled at his oldest friend.

“Jesus, you shithead, like I’d ever tell anyone this.”

“Sorry. It’s just. . .I don’t even know if she knows. . .”

“Fuck. You haven’t told her?”

“How the hell do I tell her?” Bain snapped.

Tom ran his hand over his face. “Yeah, I can see the problem. But man. . .”

“I know, all right,” he snapped. “I know how it fucking looks. I’ll tell her. Just let’s get through tonight. She’s been through enough today.”

“Yeah. Agreed. Everyone has their breaking point. All right, what do you need?”

“Ice cream and a stuffed toy if you have one.”

“Yeah, Jen has a teddy bear Mac gave her one year for Valentine’s Day. How are you going to get her downstairs? Should she walk down them?”

He stepped around the other side of Arianna. He positioned himself in front of her, so if she did try to step forward, he’d be able to catch her. He looked back down the staircase with a shudder. Long way to fall. His stomach dropped at the thought. Reaching out, he patted the dog’s head. “Good job keeping our girl safe.”

Our girl. He was fucked.

Tom returned with the soft toy and Bain took it with a nod of thanks.

“Angel, it’s me. Bain.” He wanted to say Daddy. But he didn’t dare.

“Got a teddy for you. You wanna hold him?”

She looked down at the toy and for a moment he wondered if she was awake but then she grabbed the huge, stuffed bear by the paw. She hugged it with one arm and stuck the thumb of her other hand in her mouth.

“Want some ice cream?”

Ari nodded.

“There’s stairs. You can’t walk down them.”