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Kent scowled at the other man.

“What’s the plan?” Macca asked.

“Meeting is for two nights from now. At the rest area off the main highway five minutes out of town. You all know where I mean?”

They all nodded.

“Macca and Jed, I want you there earlier, scout the area then take positions where you have the most visibility. Take your rifles.”

Both men nodded.

“Donovan and Zeke will be with me. He’ll expect me to bring people. Bain, you’ll wait in the truck in case we need a quick getaway.”

“I’m going too,” Clint said.

“Actually, I had a bigger favor to ask you. I hoped you and Charlie might take care of Abby for me.”

“You’re giving me babysitting duty?” Clint looked aghast.

“Please. She means everything to me. I’m trusting her safety to you. She’ll be comfortable with Charlie and it’s best they’re not left on their own.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “But if they try to make me watch Frozen, I’m locking them in the bedroom for the night.”

Whatever. The big softie would play it for them as many times as they wanted.

“Sure you don’t want her to go?” Zeke asked.

“No. She’s not going. That’s my final say.”

“Good call,” Clint told him. “She’s got no business there.”

23

“Time for a nap, Abby-girl.”

Abby glanced up with a pout from the glittery, messy creation on the coffee table. There was glue everywhere. She was even certain that she’d smeared some on her eyebrow.

She glared up at her daddy. “I don’t wanna nap.”

His face started to grow stern until he obviously got a look at her face. Then he burst into laughter. “Baby, you’re a mess. Did you get any glue on the picture?”

“Yes, see?” She pointed down to the picture she was making. She was finding it easier and easier to let her Little side out. It also helped her let go of a lot of the stress she was carrying. Sometimes it didn’t always work. Sometimes those worries crept back in, but for the most part she was stress-free while she was Little Abby. And it was amazing.

All she had to worry about was Daddy and his rules. And that really hard spanking hand he had.

“That’s a beautiful picture, sweet girl. But it’s time for a nap. Let’s go get you cleaned up first. You can’t go to bed like that, you’ll stick to the sheets.” He guided her upstairs with a hand at her lower back.

She dropped her bottom lip out. “I really don’t need a nap, Daddy. I just got up.”

“And I kept you awake half the night instead of letting you sleep,” he replied. “Little girls need their sleep.”

She sighed and opened her mouth to argue more as they reached the bathroom sink. He gave her a stern glare in the mirror. “Do you remember what happened yesterday when you argued too much about having a nap?”

Crap. She did. She’d ended up getting her butt roasted then had to spend ten minutes in the corner contemplating why she had been such a naughty girl.

“I hate contemplatin’,” she muttered.

“I’m sure you do when you have to do it with your bare, red bottom sticking out of the corner.”