“You’re one lucky Little girl. Daddy wants to give you your surprise right now, but don’t think we won’t talk about this later.”
Whew! Bullet dodged. He was getting older. He’d probably forget about the clock by later. Maybe. Her bottom clenched.
Did she hope he did or didn’t forget? Before she could decide, he held out a glossy red box with a wide white bow.
“Daddy! You’ve already given me too much.”
“Well, if you think so, I can try to return it.”
He started to pull the gift back, but she snatched it out of his hand. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t take it. Thank you, Daddy. Not just for this present. For the whole day. It’s been the bestest day of my life.”
His eyes warmed. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “That was the plan. Go ahead. Open your present.”
Lifting it with both hands, she shook it. “It doesn’t make any noise.”
“It might if you keep shaking it like that,” he said with a drawl. “If you want to know what’s inside, why don’t you open it?”
Excitement sizzled through her. The box wasn’t too heavy, though it was almost too pretty to open.
Almost.
She ripped off the bow and snatched the lid from the box. “Thank you, Dad—What in the world?” The only thing in her box was another box.
Connor wore a confused expression, but she could have sworn his lips twitched at the corners. “Wow. I don’t know. That’s weird. I guess you’ll have to keep going.”
A giggle bubbled up inside her despite herself. He was always turning everything into a little game, a puzzle. A memory she’d never forget.
It could have been a mistake, she guessed. The stores were very busy this time of year. “That’s okay. Whoever wrapped the box must have made a mistake.” She tore the ribbon from the second box, only to find another. And another. And five more boxes after that.
Connor chuckled, but when she looked up, his face was blank.
She narrowed her eyes, suspicious and delighted at the same time. The man knew exactly what he was doing. This wasn’t a gifting. It was a scavenger hunt. And she was loving every second.
When she opened box nine, she was ready to hit something. The only difference was that this box was white with a red ribbon. Nothing could be inside a box that small.
But there was. A white slip of paper, folded twice, perched on the bottom of the tiniest box. Unfolding the paper, she found Connor’s familiar handwriting.
Daddy’s hiding. Come and find him.
Her gaze darted to where he’d been, only to find he no longer sat on the bed with her. How had he left the room without her notice? She’d heard of hyper-focusing, but geez!
Hopping off the bed, she wondered where to look. She’d never played… well, anything really. She definitely hadn’t played hide and seek. Her heart raced, a thrill chasing along her spine.
Mary Poppins whispered, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Miranda echoed, saying something about the house keeps on winning. And so Bliss ran, every step a beat of anticipation.
Leaving the bedroom, she entered the family room and decided that either she was very good at hide and seek, or her Daddy didn’t know how to play. Connor stood in front of the Christmas tree.
“Come here, babygirl.”
The serious expression on his face gave her pause. If he were anyone else, she’d say he was nervous. But that couldn’t be right. He’d never been nervous before. Not even at the hearing.
It was then she noticed the box he held. It was different than the ones she’d opened. This box was small. And square. Her breathing hitched. She knew what boxes like that usually held, but she didn’t dare hope the one in his hand contained that.
Without taking his eyes off her, he opened the box.
She sucked in a breath. It held the most exquisite ring she’d ever seen. She knew her mouth was hanging open, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her muscles were locked in place.
At the center of the ring, a large oval-shaped stone of sea-green sparkling fire, like an ocean in the early morning sun. It was held in place by a delicate silver branch design with smaller diamonds adorning each leaf. She’d never seen anything like it.
