Rhett
Every time I close my eyes for the rest of eternity, I’m going to be picturing my baby girl bent over that shower seat, ass up, pussy gripping me tight. It’s all I dreamt about during the four-hour nap we took. Truthfully, we probably could’ve laid there for a lifetime. I know I could’ve without hesitation.
When she’s here next to me, everything inside of me settles. Every project I have to finish, all this shit with Nathan, the missing ring, it all disappears, and I turn into this primitive creature that’s content knowing my girl is safe and warm against my chest.
That’s the reason it’s after four in the afternoon by the time we get on the road to her mom’s house. I’m a disciplined man, I pride myself on that, but there’s something about the way that girl fits against me that shuts down every responsible thought in my head.
She slides up against me, and I wrap my arm around her as I shift the old truck into gear. It’s not a move I’m skilled at yet, driving stick with only one hand, but from here on out, I won’t have it any other way. My baby girl belongs right here beside her daddy.
“Which way is your farmhouse?”
“It’s up on the west side of the mountain. I can take you there tonight if you want. I should probably go check everything,anyway. It’s nice of the neighbors to stop by, but you form a bond with the animals, and they get stressed when they don’t see you.”
“Like when you leave town and your dog won’t eat until you get back?”
“Something like that.” I nod and squeeze her thigh. “You ever ridden horses?”
She turns her head toward me and shakes it as I pull into the ice cream shop on Route Three. It’s a cute place set next to the mouth of the river with big willows lined against the banks. “Not once. Weird, right? I live up here in horse country, and I’ve never ridden one. I’ve ridden a pig, though. Does that count?”
I grin as I hop down out of the truck and hold my arms out for her to slide out my side.“A pig?”
“A pig!”
“And why were you riding a pig?”
“County fair,” she says, as I lift her down from the truck. “I was three. For some reason, my parents put me on a pig.” She shrugs. “It was like a race or something.”
“A pig race, when you were three?” I narrow my brows and tap her arm playfully. “I’m going to have to have a talk with your parents about that one, though… the real trouble comes from riding goats. They’re wilder than a bull ride. People think they’re cute little lawnmowers, but they’re live grenades. My buddies and I called them buckin’ bucktooth ponies, and we rode them all over town.”
She laughs and shakes her head, tucking her tiny hand into mine as we crunch over the gravel toward the little ice cream stand at the river’s edge. “Well, my kids won’t be riding goats, or pigs, or anything that bucks.”
“What? How are they gonna toughin’ up if they don’t fall and get hurt every once in a while?”
She rolls her eyes and stares up at the pegboard above the little ice cream stand. “I don’t know about the kids, but I’mthinking that brownie explosion sundae will toughenmeup.” Her gaze tracks mine. “What do you think, Daddy? We could share it.”
God, I love this girl.
“No way. If this is to toughen you up, you need to eat it on your own.” I step toward the counter and order two brownie explosion sundaes from the gray-haired woman at the window who can’t help herself from glancing toward Pepper and I every other second. I gather she’s confused by the relationship. An older man with a young, beautiful girl, and my hand tucked in hers, our arms wrapped together.
I don’t give a shit what people think, but I hadn’t thought about how it would affect Pepper until now.
“That woman really can’t stop staring.” Pepper tips up onto her toes as she whispers, “Is there something on my face?”
“No, baby girl, you’re gorgeous. It’s because Daddy is here with you. People are going to stare.”
“They don’t know you’re my daddy.”
“No, but they see our age difference.”
“Well, that’s dumb,” Pepper says, taking the first plastic bowl of ice cream from the window. “I don’t even notice.” She hands the bowl back toward me, but I shake my head and step forward, handing the woman a twenty for our sundaes, before taking my own from the window. “I mean, I notice you’re older, but… I like it.”
I kiss the top of Pepper’s head as we turn away from the woman in the window. I’ve been in the world long enough that I can tell the woman wants to ask questions, or at the very least she wants to make a comment, but I toss her a smile and walk away before she gets the chance. If people’s judgment is the worst thing that happens out of my life with Pepper, I’ll take it. Besides, it’s pretty hard to be upset about anything when you’re holding two big bowls of vanilla ice cream stacked on top of abrownie with hot fudge, whipped cream, and cherries. Put my baby girl next to me and I’m in heaven.
We sit at a picnic table on the other side of the ice cream stand. It’s a sunny spot next to the river’s edge where a few folks have set up shop with their poles. I haven’t been out this way in a long damn time. I’ve had no reason to given most of my jobs come from town and my farmhouse is set on the other side of the mountain, but it’s peaceful out here.
Pepper’s eyes go wide as she digs her spoon into the treat and slides the first bite into her mouth. My heart warms instantly. I love how simplicity makes her so happy. I love the way she feels in my arms. I love the way she sounds when I’m pressing inside of her. I love the sarcastic way she jokes, and the longer I sit here, I know without a doubt that I love her.
“If we bought Moo’s, what would you want to do with it?”
