“They seem to disagree. Are you saying their opinions, their wants and needs don’t matter?”
Shock had her staring up at him. “Of course not!”
“Okay. So give them what they want, Addison. Be the Mommy they need instead of breaking their hearts. Because they deserve that kind of love. And so do you.”
“But what happens when I break them again, Derek? They don’t deserve that.”
With another sigh, he straightened and moved to the door. “Danny, Kylie, come in here please.”
Her heart tripped in her chest when her Little loves hurried into the room. Kylie’s mouth was ringed with powdered sugar, making her look even more like the sweet Little girl she was. Danny’s face was clean, but his expression was uncertain, like he wasn’t quite sure what was going to come next, and she was surprised by how strong the urge was to wrap her arms around him, to assure him everything would be fine.
“Kylie. Yesterday morning at the hotel, how were you feeling after your talk with Addison?” Derek asked.
“Um.” Cheeks reddening, Kylie shifted from foot to foot. “Sad, mostly.”
“Why were you sad, sweetheart?”
“Because I knew we’d messed up really bad and I knew Mo—Addison was upset we broke the rules.” Tears glimmered on her lashes. “We’re really sorry, Ma’am. I wish you would have let us tell you how sorry we were instead of leaving.”
Confused, Addison looked from Kylie to Danny and back again. “You weren’t angry with me?”
“No.” Kylie’s sugar-coated mouth dipped down into a frown. “Why would I be angry with you when we were the ones who broke the rules?”
“Because I wouldn’t let you explain. I didn’t… You needed me, and I just sent you to take a shower.”
“Well, yeah, but you didn’t know that. We should have called or texted or something so you’d know the full story. But we didn’t and that was on us.”
“But… Danny…”
“I was mad because Kylie was sad,” Danny said softly. “And if we’re being honest, I’m probably always going to be that way. Kylie’s my best friend, and I’m always going to be a bit overprotective of her. That doesn’t mean I wanted you to go away.”
“You said I broke her. Like I broke Deanna.”
Understanding dawned on his face. And then he was on his knees in front of her, his expression so earnest it made her ache. “No. No, that’s not what I meantat all. I’m so sorry, Addison, that was a horribly thoughtless thing for me to say. Can you forgive me?”
“Oh, my sweet boy. There’s nothing to forgive. I’m the one who owes you both an apology for not giving you a chance to explain, for not sticking when things got uncomfortable. I’m so, so sorry, my loves.”
Rising up on his knees, Danny threw his arms around her, his entire body shaking as he pressed himself against her. Still pressed against the wall, Kylie was watching them, uncertainty stamped all over her gorgeous face.
“Does this mean you wanna be our Mommy again?”
“I don’t think I ever truly stopped, little dove. Come here.”
And then both her loves were in her arms again, tearful apologies and promises for better behavior filling the air.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat, and they all looked up at the stern-faced owner of Rawhide. “I’m very glad you’ve all made up. And since Addison has taken her rightful place as your Mommy again, I’m going to trust her to give you the punishment you deserve, Ms. Nichols. But if you ever put your hands on anyone else while you are on my Ranch, you will be feeling the sting of my paddle on your bare bottom on top of whatever punishment your Mommy sees fit to give you. Am I making myself completely clear, Kylie Anne?”
“Y-yes, Sir.” Sniffling, eyes watery, Kylie nodded miserably. “I’m really sorry about the swan.”
“Ah, yes, the swan. I will be speaking with Chef Angel about an appropriate punishment. He and his Little girl have a shop up on the Ridge and they could always use more help. And the kitchen here is always in need of extra hands. I will let your Mommy know what we decide.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“All right. You’re all dismissed.”
Mind racing, Addison ushered her boy and her girl out of the office back into the lobby. The mess from earlier had been cleaned up already, and if she hadn’t been there she would have been shocked to learn anything had even happened.
But it had, and it was her job to teach her naughty Littles the errors of their ways. So even though all she really wanted to do was take them back to her apartment and spend the day loving on them, she forced her expression into stern lines.
