Brooklyn stepped into the middle of the room and turned in a circle as she wrapped her arms around her chest. He watched her gaze rest on different items in the room: the adult-size crib, the changing table with the padded top, the rocker, the toy chest, and the colorful decorations. When she stopped, facing him, she whispered, “Youarea daddy.”
“I am. I put this room together a few months ago when I thought I’d found my little girl. She was a neighbor of one ofmy teammate’s Little. We went out on three dates, but we both agreed almost immediately that she wasn’t mine and I wasn’t right for her.”
“I’m sorry. You put this room together for her, and she left?”
“She never saw this room, Brooklyn,” Caden told her. “I was confident I’d find the right little girl some time. Turns out she raced into my life without warning. Good thing I was ready for you.”
“Are you sure you want me to stay in here? I could sleep on the couch.”
“It would make me happy for you to enjoy this room. Shall we bring your things in here?” he suggested and saw her emotions flash across her face. Would she take a chance?
“Maybe my suitcase?”
“Let’s grab it. I think there was a small case from your bathroom. Would you like that as well?”
“Oh, yeah. I have my body wash and my cosmetics in there. I haven’t worn makeup for a while since no one saw me. I can spruce myself up.”
“I haven’t worn makeup for a while either,” he teased. “I think you are perfect, just as you are. Let’s see if we can find everything in your trunk.”
She paused in the doorway to glance back at the bedroom one more time. When she turned with a big smile, Caden knew she loved the room. “Come on, little girl,” he invited and held out his hand. To his delight, she linked her fingers with his and almost skipped next to him as they returned to the garage.
A few minutes later, Caden had pulled out her two cases. When he put a hand on the lid of the trunk to close it, she blurted, “There’s one more thing I need.”
“Of course. We can take everything inside if you’d like.”
“Let me grab…” When Brooklyn leaned into the trunk, Caden attempted not to focus on her gently rounded bottom and failed.His little girl attracted not only his protective side, but his desire as well.
Her derriere wiggled as she slid things around to grab a pillowcase wedged in the back. “Oh, no! It’s stuck.” Brooklyn stood, her face drawn with worry. “I can’t get it out.”
“Let’s clear a path,” Caden told her. He started pulling her things out of the trunk and stacking the small parcels to the side. “Good thing you had these boxes ready to pack.”
“I keep them handy. It’s hard to find one that I can carry,” she explained.
Caden turned back toward the car to remove the next box and barely shook his head. No one should have to live planning to flee at a moment’s notice. He fought down his anger at her ex, not wishing to scare Brooklyn. He vowed to make sure that this danger stopped now. One way or another.
As he moved the carton, the pillowcase popped free. A small, fuzzy paw emerged through the opening. Her stuffie. Caden grabbed the material and lifted it from the small space it had occupied. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Caden!” Brooklyn wrapped her arms around the bundle and hugged it close. To his absolute delight, she seemed to drift into Little space. Her body softened and relaxed as she twisted gently to rock her stuffie.
“Would you introduce me to your friend?”
Her cheeks turned rosy pink as her gaze focused on her ragged sneakers. She enchanted him as she stubbed her toe on the concrete while considering his request. “He’s really shy.”
“I promise I’ll be nice and won’t scare him. Could you vouch for me?”
Brooklyn studied him for a moment before ducking her head to whisper, “It’s okay, Fluffikins. Caden kept me safe from You Know Who. I think we can trust him.”
She reached inside and pulled out an adorable caramel-colored bunny with long floppy ears with a tattered pink ribbon around its neck. Caden guessed immediately that Brooklyn had loved this stuffie for many years. He smiled at the picture they created together as she hugged her bunny to her chest.
“Hi, Fluffikins. I’m very glad to meet you. I bet you’ll love bouncing around the nursery.”
“Caden’s going to let us stay with him for a while. Isn’t that nice of him?” Brooklyn said in a bubbly voice.
“You carry Fluffikins inside. I’ll bring the boring stuff,” Caden told her.
“I could help.”
“You are very sweet, but a daddy would never let a little girl carry something heavy. You lead the way and show your stuffie around.”
