Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 34451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“No, and I’m still not sure he’s good enough for my sweet girl.”
No surprises there. The Fox was protective of Sunny. She was like his little sister. Which meant no man would be good enough. Although Duke was a really great guy.
“What movie have you chosen, Daddy?” Autumn asked.
“Hmm? Oh, The Grinch.”
The Grinch?
“He reminds me of someone, but I just can’t put my finger on who.”
“Really?” Autumn asked. “I don’t know anyone who hates Christmas.”
“I know who it is,” the Fox said as he started the movie.
“You do?” Brody asked.
“Duke.”
“Duke?” Autumn asked. “How?”
“He’s The Grinch who stole Christmas because he refuses to come with us on a family vacation. He’s a Christmas hater.” The Fox shook his head. “I don’t know how my sweet girl can love a Christmas hater.”
Autumn opened her mouth, but Brody shook his head at her. It was better not to tackle that one.
5
SUNNY AND DUKE
8th December
“Ooh, I love The Grinch! Can I watch it this morning, Daddy?” Sunny was sitting on a fluffy blanket on the living room floor, dressed in her Alice in Wonderland pajamas. Moody, the monkey, was in her lap while Hatter lay beside her.
Duke glanced over from where he was sitting on the sofa. “The Grinch?”
“Uh-huh, it’s on this morning. Please?”
“Okay, Little Rebel.” Duke gave her a soft look, and she grinned back at him.
She loved their Saturday mornings together. Cartoons, pajamas, and playtime.
It was even better today because they’d put up the Christmas tree last weekend. It looked so good in her living room. Even if she still felt kind of bad that it had lost its life for the cause. But Duke had promised her they would go and plant lots of new young trees in the spring to make up for taking this one.
So that made her feel heaps better.
There were unicorn ornaments all over the tree, as well as pink tinsel and fairy lights.
Perfection.
“What do you want for breakfast? Oatmeal?” Duke asked.
“Daddy!” she protested, giving him a horrified look. “Saturday mornings are pancake mornings.”
“Are they? Hmm, I must have temporarily forgotten.”
She sighed, nodding. “I was worried about this.”
His eyes narrowed. “About what?”
“It’s this thing that happens . . . especially to Daddies.”
He crossed his arm over his chest. “And what’s that?”
“Forgettableness . . . it strikes all Daddies at one time or another. It’s terrible. They forget that they promised to get their Little ice cream or take their Little to the toy store to buy them anything they wanted. Or give them a get-out-of-punishment free card. Just terrible.”
He snorted. “Forgettableness?”
“Yep. It’s a real problem in the Big community. Us Littles have been concerned for a while.”
“Is that so? And what do you Littles think the cure might be?”
“It’s really very simple, Daddy. You Bigs need to listen to us more.”
“Is that so?” he drawled.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “It is so. When we tell you that we haven’t had enough sugar, you need to give us more. And when we tell you that we definitely need to stay up past our bedtime, you have to let us. Really, Daddy. It’s not that hard.”
“You are such a brat.” He pointed at her, shaking his head. “Very sassy for a girl who is still owed a punishment.”
She gasped in horror. “Who, me? What did I do?”
“Do you not remember last weekend when you gave me a heart attack, thinking that you couldn’t breathe?”
“Oh no, I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m sure this is gonna upset you, but the statue of limitations has run out on that spanking.”
He blinked. “What?”
“There’s a limited time in which you are allowed to give a spanking after a punishment is earned, and that time has run out. You have twenty-four, maybe forty-eight hours tops, to give a spanking. Then the statue of limitations runs out.”
“Do you mean statute, baby?” he asked.
“Hmm. Let me think about that. Nope. I’m pretty sure I mean statue. That lady statue knows all of this stuff.”
He ran his hand over his face. Poor Duke, he looked so tired. He’d been working long hours lately. He’d even started bringing stuff home with him, which was unusual.
It was wearing him out. The tattoo shop was so much busier than ever that he’d even had to hire a new guy. Carson Cruz. Cool name. Mysterious guy. He was always nice to her, but a bit distant, as though he didn’t want to get too close. He rode a motorbike, and she’d often wondered if he was considering joining the Iron Shadows.
After they’d hired Carson, she’d thought that things might ease up for Duke, but he seemed as busy as ever. There was something about this time of year that made people want to get tattoos. And it would get even more hectic in the New Year.
“Uh-huh. It’s a well-known law. I’m surprised you don’t know it.”