“I’d love that, too.” Brooklyn hugged him tight. Caden rubbed her back, loving how well they fit together. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect little girl. She was his.
When she leaned back, he glanced at his empty plate. “Someone stole my dinner. How about if we work on this plate now?”
He alternated feeding the adorable Little in his arms and himself until they couldn’t eat another bite. “I think you like your daddy’s cooking.”
“Even if he sneaks vegetables in under the cheese,” she said with an impish wink.
“Sounds like a perfectly Daddy thing to do.” Caden swept her up in his arms and stood. He nibbled at that sensitive curve where her neck and shoulder met before setting Brooklyn on her feet. “Alright, my temptress, want to help me bring in the delivery?”
“Yes!”
When she rushed to the door, Caden called, “Let me open the door, little girl.” He checked the area outside before waving and picking up a couple of light bags for her to carry. “Put these on the island and we’ll unpack everything.”
“What are these, Daddy? They rattle!” She set them in the kitchen and pulled the first thing out. Looking at it skeptically, she said, “I think you got someone else’s order.”
“What is it?” Caden asked, following her with the other ten bags after locking the door behind him.
“There’s several baby bottles and wipes—you know, like for baby bottoms,” she reported, waving one bottle toward him to show him.
“Nope. This is my order. Do you like the cute animals on them?”
After checking out the pattern, Brooklyn whipped her head back up to stare at him. Her surprised expression enchanted him. “Did you get these for me?”
“I did. You enjoyed the sippy cups. I thought a bottle would be good for you before bed.”
Her gaze dropped back to the bottle and then over to the wipes in her other hand. “And these?” she whispered.
Caden set down the other packages on the island and tugged her into the circle of his arms. “How much do you understand about your little side?”
She shook her head slightly as if the question was too complex to process.
“It’s okay, Brookie. How about if we experiment and see what you enjoy the most?”
“You want me to wear diapers?” she asked, looking at him as if she expected to be pranked.
“Try them and see if your Little enjoys them. If you don’t, then we know they’re not for you.”
“Are they for you? I mean… Is this something you’d like your Little to use?” She focused with laser precision on his face, trying to read his expression.
“You are the most important component in this equation. I want to take care of you to the extentyouneed.”
“You’re not answering my question,” she pointed out.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll be direct for you. I have always been drawn to very little girls. Even though it might be scary or embarrassing in the beginning, I’m asking you to be brave. If diapers aren’t for you, I’ll get rid of them and we’ll never talk about this in the future if it’s a hard no for you.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course. I think that’s a great idea. Shall we see what else is in here?” he suggested, changing the subject.
“Are those Popsicle makers?” she asked, pointing to plastic forms poking out of a bag.
“Yes. Hank, one of my teammates, suggested them.”
She froze and glanced up at him with a panicked expression. Caden could have kicked himself for spooking her.
“Do they know about these other things you ordered?” she asked, waving a hand over the items on the island.
“The food and drink items, yes. When I asked what juice they thought most people liked, Hank chimed in that he used to have these great Popsicle makers. He said grape and orange juices made the best frozen treats.”
