“I want to stay.”
All around the table, everyone goes silent, almost as if they’re holding their breath, waiting for me to change my mind.
“You’re sure?”
Twisting on Daddy’s lap, I smile up at him. “I belong here. With my husband.” I turn back to the others, letting my gaze travel over these people I’ve come to love so fiercely. “And my family.”
Again I lock eyes with Uncle Ford, silently daring him to argue. But he doesn’t. He just smiles and raises his coffee mug as if toasting my decision, and winks.
Okay, then.
“Any further objections?” Daddy asks, though his tone makes it clear he’s ready to wring the neck of the next person whodoesobject.
When everyone shakes their heads, he rises from his seat with me in his arms and grabs the bottle Uncle Eli prepared for me. “In that case, I’m taking my babygirl back to bed. We can talk more in the morning about what to do if Sheriff Donnelly comes nosing around.”
Everyone wishes us a goodnight and Daddy turns to head for the stairs. All at once, it feels as though every ounce of energy in my body has been drained from me and I let my head fall to his shoulder. “Am I getting a spankin’?”
“You certainly deserve one for sneaking out of bed like that,” he growls. “But no. You were right about being included in family decisions and I’m sorry for trying to leave you out.”
A smile curves my lips as my eyes drift closed. “Thank you.”
Back in his bedroom, Daddy settles in the oversized glider, shifting me so I’m cradled in his arms. He lifts the rubber tip of the bottle to my lips and I instinctively suck at the nipple, sighing softly as sweet, cold milk fills my mouth.
And as I drift off to sleep, I feel the bristly hairs of his beard brush my skin as he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Sleep, little runaway. Daddy’s got you. And I’m not going to let anyone take you from me. That’s a promise.”
CHAPTER 23
LANIE
To say everyone is on edge after our big family meeting is putting things lightly.Stressed to the absolute maxis more like it. Auntie Gray seems determined to pick a fight with everyone, and I can’t seem to go more than a day without ending up over someone’s knee.
Two weeks after our first run-in with Sheriff Donnelly, the only person who hasn’t spanked me yet is Uncle Ford. And that’s only because he hasn’t yet noticed that I replaced all of his cotton balls with marshmallows.
What can I say? Apparently being on the verge of a nervous breakdown makes me extra bratty.
“You can come out of the corner now, Little Lanie.”
Turning away from the wall, I rush into Uncle Eli’s open arms. “I’m sorry, I won’t be naughty again, I promise!”
Picking me up to settle on his hip, Uncle Eli raises a bushy brow. “You promise that every time you get in trouble and somehow you never quite manage to keep that promise. But I do want you to promise me that when I tell you something is hot you’ll stay away. Deal?”
Sniffling against the tears still streaming down my cheeks after my run-in with Uncle Eli’s wooden spoon, I nod. “Uh-huh.”
“Good girl. Go find your Daddy and tell him you need a new diaper.”
“Couldn’t you get me one, Uncle Eli? If I go to Daddy, he’ll know I got in trouble and then I’ll get a whole ‘nother spanking.”
“Then you should have thought about that before you tried to grab cookies off a metal tray right out of the oven.” He leans down to set me on my feet and sends me off with a heavy swat to my bare bottom. The sting from his hand reignites the burn of my punishment and I hurry out of the kitchen to look for Daddy.
It’s still kind of embarrassing to have so many people see me in various states of undress, but I’m pretty used to it by now. So much so that when the doorbell rings, I don’t even think twice about the fact that all I’m wearing is a sweater.
“I’ll get it!”
“Don’t you dare!” three separate voices yell back.
Ignoring them, I run straight for the front door to yank it open.
