“You doing okay, Sweets?”
“I’m okay, Daddy. Just a little sleepy.”
“Okay, babygirl. We are almost done here, and then we can go to bed.”
I nodded, watching the game in front of me. I looked at Daddy’s hand, but I wasn’t sure if his cards were good ones. If they weren’t, Daddy was really good at bluffing.
There was silence around the table as each guy focused on the cards in his hands. I couldn’t resist the urge any longer, so I closed my eyes and lay my head against Daddy’s chest. The beating of his heart lured me into a peaceful rest as the game continued around me.
“That’s game,” I heard someone whisper above me.
“Good game, everyone! Eric, you can contact the animal shelter on Monday and let them know of the donation that’s coming their way,” someone else said. I couldn’t make out who was talking as sleep continued to pull me deeper in.
“Do you need any help, Boss?”
“Nah, just leave everything where it is. I’ll deal with it once I get Lil’ Miss settled into my bed,” the chest under my cheek rumbled.
One after another, I heard guys whisper their goodbyes.
“For what it’s worth, Boss, you look real happy. I’m glad you both found each other.”
“Me too, Josh, me too.”
I felt my body floating as Daddy shifted me in his arms. Before long, there was softness at my back, and my blanket was tucked around me again. “I need Ophelia and my other blankie, Daddy.”
“Okay, Sweets, are they at your house?”
“Yep. On my bed,” I mumbled back.
“I’ll be back, so go to sleep, babygirl.”
I bobbed my head and rolled on my side, knowing that Daddy would get them for me. I closed my eyes and finally drifted off into lalaland.
I never heardDaddy return with my stuff, but when I woke up this morning, both my blankets and Ophelia were tucked around me. Daddy had us all wrapped up in his arms, a soft snore leaving his nose each time he let out a breath.
I bit back my giggle, careful not to wake him up. After slipping out from under his grip, I quickly dashed into the bathroom before I peed on myself. I redid my bun and washed my hands before I stepped back into the bedroom, expecting Daddy to be awake and waiting for me.
That wasn’t what I found, though. Daddy hadn’t moved a muscle, so, deciding to continue to let him rest, I tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.
In the fridge, I poked around, seeing what he had to make breakfast. I found all the ingredients for an omelet and dropped them on the counter before starting a pan to warm.
The sound of a key twisting in the lock caused my heart rate to skyrocket. Turning around, I was face-to-face with the sweetest-looking elderly lady. She looked just as shocked to see me standing there as I was to see her.
“Uh… hi?”
“¡Buenos días! You must be Rebekah.” Her heavy Spanish accent floated to my ears.
“Wait, do I know you?”
It was possible I had met her before, but I would have remembered someone who reminded me of my grandma.
“No, but I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Gloria, Beau’s housekeeper.”
Daddy was in so much trouble when he woke up! He never told me he had a housekeeper. He definitely didn’t tell me there was a chance that I would be caught in nothing but his T-shirt that barely covered my ass.
“I wish I could say the same. Uh, Daddy, I mean Beau, is still asleep. Would you like me to go wake him?”
“No, no, no. Let the poor man sleep. You go back to whatever you were doing. I’m going to start working. You’ll hardly know that I’m here.”
