“Thank you. I think we can do a lot of good there,” Annika said.
“You girls ready?” Ace asked as he came into the den.
Breakfast was over. Everyone was dressed and ready for the day. Again, Samantha found herself in mostly “Big girl” clothes, though she was rocking a pull-up beneath her black leggings.
“Ready!” the Littles answered together.
“I’m driving you all over in the van. Let’s go.”
The other Daddies came out to tell their respective Littles goodbye.
“What are you going to do today?” Samantha asked Kendrick.
“A big snowstorm is on track to hit part of the state,” he said. “Not LA, obviously. But up in the mountains. We have a few Littles who might need help. We’re going to check-in with ‘em this morning and make sure everything is okay. Then, we’ll come to Auntie Athena’s when we’re through.”
Samantha wondered if she should stay back so she could talk to him about the Tonya issue. It was still burning in her mind. She’d even tossed and turned for much of the previous night.
But he had work to do. It was best to let him take care of business and then she could find a private spot to talk to him once he got to the nursery that afternoon.
They hugged and kissed goodbye.
She clung to him for an extra few seconds, not knowing why she couldn’t tear herself away easily.
Was it the guilt? Or maybe the fear that he’d break up with her once he knew the truth?
Samantha wasn’t sure. Whatever the case, it was hard to let go of Daddy right then.
Damn hard.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“What do you all want to do?” Cami asked the Littles as the Daddy Guard’s van pulled up to Auntie Athena’s place.
“I want to go to the dress-up room!” Samantha said. “The pink—” She abruptly cut herself off.
Oh crap. Her slip-up wasn’t lost on the others.
“How do you know about the dress-up room?” Cami asked.
Samantha choked down the lump in her throat. “I’ve heard y’all talk about it.”
Her mind was swimming with memories as she tried to remember if they’d ever actually mentioned that particular aspect of the nursery. They’d told her about the place, so it wasn’t unrealistic that they would have mentioned that specific room. However, she couldn’t remember for sure.
Maybe that meant they couldn’t either.
Thankfully, no one called her out on it.
“Well, it’s even better than we’ve described!” Iris said. “Just wait until you see all the pretty dresses and cool costumes Auntie has.”
“Yeah!” Lana said. “I love dressing up as the medieval maiden.” She delivered the last part in an exaggerated British accent as she gave a little bow.
The other ladies laughed just as Ace called back, “All right. Everyone out.”
Samantha opened the back door, hopped out, and held it while her friends piled onto the street and then stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the property’s gate.
“What do y’all want to?—”
Before Samantha could finish her question, an egg smashed into her face, its sticky, slimy insides dripping down from her nose and mouth.
