“Not with that, princess.” Jasper plucks the cane from her hand. “That’s for grown-ups only.”
“No fair!” Crossing her arms, Juliet pouts up at him. “I thought we could pick anything from the table!”
“If you hit her too hard with this, you could cut her. If you really want to use the cane, I will do it for you. Otherwise, pick something else.”
Gratitude overwhelms me as I meet Jasper’s gaze across the table. I wouldn’t have let Juliet anywhere near my baby with that cane, but I’m glad I didn’t have to be the one to step in.
“Nobody ever lets me do anything,” Juliet mutters as she scans the rest of the implements and reaches for the brush. “I know from experience this thing hurts like hell when Auntie Cat uses it, so I guess this will have to do.”
“Six swats and then you're done, princess.”
Taking her place behind Natalie, Juliet taps the wooden back against the bright red target in front of her before bringing her arm back and swinging it forward. Natalie yelps as the brush makes contact once, twice, three times.
“I’m sorry, Juju, I’m sorry!”
Frowning, Juliet looks up at her Daddy, tears sparkling in her clear blue eyes. “Can I be done, Daddy? That didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.”
“Of course, princess. But do you think maybe Nelly would like some cuddles and for you to let her know you forgive her?”
To everyone’s surprise, Juliet does exactly that, throwing herself at Natalie and giving her a long hug. “I forgive you, Nelly. No more telling people our secrets though, okay?”
“I won’t, I p-promise.”
It takes some coaxing, but Isabella and Victoria both choose the wooden spoon, giving Natalie three light swats each before telling her they forgive her. When they’ve finally finished, I once again scoop my sobbing Little girl up in my arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“There we go, baby. It’s all over. My sweet little kitten.”
Bending down to pick her bag up from the floor, Cat pulls out a bottle of milk and hands it to me. “Freshly pumped this evening. When I got Lucas’s call, I had a feeling our little Nelly was going to need a treat.”
Once again, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude as I take the bottle. “Thanks, Cat. I appreciate you.”
“No need to thank me. I know when I have a Little one of my own, you’ll all be there for me. That’s just what families do.”
One by one, they all rise from the table, stopping to tell my kitten how loved she is as they all make their way toward the front door. When they’ve gone and it’s just me and Natalie and Lucas, I look up, into the eyes of the man I’ve considered a father nearly my entire life.
“You should get her to bed,” Lucas says, his eyes full of more emotion than I think I’ve ever seen in them. “I’ll clean up down here and see you both in the morning.”
“Thank you, Lucas. I don’t know how I would do this without you.”
He smiles, and some of the clouds clear from his eyes. “You’d manage. But I’m happy to be here. I love her too, you know.”
“I know.” And because I know, my heart is light as I carry her upstairs to my bedroom.
Stretching out on the bed with Natalie beside me, I bring the bottle to her lips, and that same heart trips in my chest as she sucks greedily at the rubber nipple. Poor little kitten.
In no time at all, she’s finished the bottle. Pulling the tip from between her lips, I set it aside, wrapping my arms tightly around her as she whimpers and sniffles softly.
After several long minutes, her whimpers fade and the sound of her deep breathing reaches my ears. She’s asleep, finally, so I slip from the bed to get a fresh diaper, swaddling her in the soft cotton before slipping beneath the covers with her once more. With my babygirl safe in my arms, I slide deep into sleep alongside her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Natalie
For the first time in all my weeks on the island, I wake on my own without Daddy coaxing me out of sleep. Confused, I blink at the empty bed beside me, but when I roll onto my back I’m very quickly reminded of the events from last night.
My butthurts. Like a whole lot. But it was worth it if it means my family doesn’t hate me anymore.
“Daddy?” Pushing up to a sitting position, I wince as my bottom presses into the bed.
