Page 5 of Daddy’s Naughty List (Dirty Daddies 2024 Anthology #4)

Chapter Five

Walt

Sweaty and sore after loading the box trailer with donations for the Caroline, Walt grabbed a shower in the dungeon’s communal bathroom, then made his way to Kendra’s office to collect his pretty elf.

“Hey, Kendra, this place does sleigh rides. Can we squeeze it into the budget? It’s not too far from Snow Park.”

“I don’t know.” Kendra looked over Susan’s head and winked at him. “Can we?”

“I think so.” Susan dragged Kendra’s laptop closer and typed a few numbers into a spreadsheet, then woke up her phone. “Let’s see if they’ll give us a discount.”

“Ah, Eliza. By George, I think you’ve got it!”

“Who’s Eliza?” Susan didn’t wait for Kendra’s reply and entered a number into her phone. When it was answered, her wide smile communicated itself through the device, and Walt was sure she’d get what she wanted.

That brilliant grin was a fucking superpower. He just hoped Susan would use it for good, because he sure as hell wasn’t immune to it.

Leaving her to it, Kendra rose to her feet and went out into the corridor to join Walt. After closing the door behind her, she said, “Seriously, Santa. Thank you. Susan is perfect.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And now I want to put Jake on a cross and punish him.”

“Why are we punishing Jake?” Olivia asked as she poked her head out of her office across the hall. “Sierra will probably help.”

Walt hid a smirk, and his satisfaction. It was about time someone other than him recognized Susan’s gifts.

“He kept Susan from me,” Kendra replied. “All this time, he’s been hiding my assistant in the kitchen.”

“Well…” Olivia glanced both ways as if to make sure no one heard her. “That’s not entirely his fault, considering neither of us knew she wanted something different.”

“Spoilsport.” Kendra glanced at her watch and frowned at Walt. “Shouldn’t you be at the Caroline by now?”

“I’m waiting for my elf’s slavedriver boss to let her go.”

“Then you need to take her phone away and make her think of something else,” Kendra countered. “She’s already got the whole thing planned and budgeted but keeps adding to it.”

“Good for her. I?—”

The door to Kendra’s office opened, revealing Susan. “Kendra… Oh, Walt, I was just going to look for you. We’re going to be late to the Caroline if we don’t hurry. Kendra, I got us a fifty percent discount on the sleigh rides, and they include supper. I have six confirmed volunteers, and Dr. Lopez and Mr. Paxton are donating snow pants, hats, and gloves to make up for what the Caroline doesn’t have. Dr. Knox will cover the sleigh rides as long as she gets one too. We could add more activities, but I think I’ve filled the day already.”

“Wow. I—” Kendra shook her head. “How the fuck did you do that?”

“You said I should tell people what I want to do for the kids when I asked for donations, so I did. We’re way under budget, so I asked Jake to do a fancy buffet breakfast at the Caroline before we go to the park. I also added the sleigh rides to the itinerary and texted the bus company with the change. Oh, I’ll be off this weekend, but text me if anything you can’t handle comes up.”

“Um… okay?”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Susan buttoned her coat and turned to Walt. “Ready?”

“Boots on the ground, baby,” Kendra whispered. “Love her. So, so much.”

Kendra isn’t the only one.

Susan was just that fucking loveable. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

“Yes, Walt… I mean, Sir. I’m ready.”

And… Cue the fist-pump.

He loved hearing his name in her soft, husky voice, but couldn’t wait to hear her call him Daddy.

“Oh, shoot.” He scowled as they walked to the front entrance.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really. I just forgot to move my truck from the handicap spot. It’s rude to park in one if you don’t need it.”

Actually, maybe forgetting to move his truck wasn’t such a bad thing. It was the perfect opportunity for her to see that everyone made mistakes.

“Well, the club is closed, and there are several accessible spots, so we probably don’t have to worry.” Susan smiled as she reached for the passenger side door handle. “Besides, we’ll get to the Caroline that much quicker.”

“Actually… Come here, please.” Smirking, he escorted her to the driver’s side and opened the door. “It’s time for driving practice.”

“Oh, Sir!” She paled and took a step backward. “I c?—”

“Ah, ah.” Walt tapped her nose. “What did I tell you about that word?”

“But… It’s so big!”

He grasped her around the waist and lifted her into the truck. “You have your permit, and I’m a licensed driver. It’s completely legal, and we’re only going ten miles or so on a quiet road.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl. Now, put your hand down by your left hip.” When she obeyed, he moved her fingers to the seat control. “Use this button to move your seat forward enough to reach the pedals, then adjust your mirrors like Carrie taught you.”

“Like this?” She moved the seat several inches and repositioned her mirrors.

“Perfect.” Once she was settled, he strode around the hood and climbed into the passenger seat. “Are you ready?”

“I’m so nervous, but…” Her chest expanded with a deep breath, and she put her foot on the brake before pressing the starter button. “I think I can do this.”

“I know you can.” After making sure her seatbelt was fastened, he took care of his own. “And you even have a backup camera, plus lane keeping, and all the fancy doodads to help you.”

“That’s a relief.” She straightened her shoulders and put the truck into reverse, then backed from the spot. Slowly, she drove across the parking lot, then stopped at the road. “Here goes nothing.”

Fingers tight on the wheel, she signaled her turn, then looked both ways before exiting the parking lot. Within moments, she accelerated to match the speed limit.

“You’re doing really well,” he murmured after she’d gone a few miles. “Still nervous?”

“A little.” She glanced at him quickly, then smiled as she focused on the road. “But I like driving your truck. It’s nice to be up so high because I can see more.”

“I bet you’re ready to take your driving test.”

“Not quite.” Her smile faded and she shrugged. “I can’t… I mean, I need more practice with the maneuverability part.”

“Good save, sweetheart.” He reached over the console and squeezed her knee. “I’m proud of you for catching yourself.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Susan

Kendra’s delighted reaction to Susan’s party plans felt wonderful, but it could never compare to Walt’s praise. Her knee tingled from his touch, and giddy warmth filled her from head to toe.

She was even driving his huge truck, and her nerves faded more with each mile, until she found herself wanting to drive all the way to…

Well, somewhere. Susan couldn’t imagine driving three days to Disney World. It was one thing to see it on a map, and something else entirely to actually do it. Maybe it would be better to take a plane.

Disneyland in California was much closer, but she definitely wasn’t ready for Los Angeles traffic.

“What are you thinking about?” Walt asked, surprising her.

“Driving to Disney World. It’s just so far.”

“Well, one benefit to driving is that you’d get to see all sorts of things on the way, but it’s probably cheaper to fly.”

“I thought flying was expensive.”

“It can be, but after you pay for gas, food, and at least two nights at a hotel…” He chuckled softly, then added, “Don’t forget the extra vacation days.”

“Yes, Sir. I did forget that.” She sighed and slowed, then signaled her turn into the Caroline’s parking lot. “I’ll need to save for the trip, but I think I want to fly.”

“Good choice.” He pointed at a spot some distance from the entrance. “I want you to back into that parking place. Let’s see how you do.”

“I’m good at backing.” She lined up and slowly eased the truck into the parking spot. “I just need to practice parallel parking.”

To her surprise, the c-word didn’t even try to come out, and she silently thanked Walt for helping her learn a different mindset. She’d spent too long using the c-word for everything she didn’t know how to do, and it wasn’t correct.

In fact, she could only think of one thing she’d never be able to do. It was fun to imagine, but morphing into a big cat—like in the Minette Moreau paranormal romances Dr. Lopez used to teach Susan to read—was a definite can’t.

Well, not in real life anyway. She could always dream about being a beautiful white tiger with blue eyes, a mystical snow leopard, or a fierce jaguar. Susan laughed inwardly, remembering how hard reading had been until she found stories she couldn’t wait to devour.

Thinking of her books reminded her to finish reading her new Golden Angel and Stella Moore books. They wrote the best Daddies.

“You’ll get it,” he promised. “Heck, I failed it twice when I was a teenager, until the woman who administered my driving test finally took pity on me and taught me a trick.”

“Will you teach me? I could use something like that.”

“Sure.” He reached over and tapped the button to turn off his truck. “But later. The kiddos are expecting Santa and his pretty elf.”

“Oh!” Without waiting for him to help her down, Susan hopped from the truck, then scrambled to collect their costumes from the back seat. “If we hurry, we’ll be right on time.”

Carrying their costumes, she jogged to the entrance, leaving Walt to follow, then smiled at the waiting guard.

“Hi, Kate! We’re here for the party.”

“It’s good to see you again.” Kate held out her tablet for Susan and Walt to sign in, then scanned their identification into the device. “You too, Walt. How’s retirement treating you?”

“Not bad. It gives me plenty of time to play Santa.”

“Thanks for doing it for us. Everyone is so excited.” Kate tossed her brown ponytail over one shoulder and cocked a hip bearing a holstered sidearm. “We have Ian Paxton coming later with his mare to give everyone reindeer rides too.”

“Reindeer rides?” Susan asked, grinning hard enough to make her face hurt. She couldn’t wait to see the children celebrating.

“I guess he’s putting antlers on her. We haven’t told the kids yet because there was almost a riot the last time, and we’re holding off on the snacks to prevent unauthorized sugar highs.” Kate tapped a code into the security panel, then held the door for them. “You can change in the staff restroom at the end of the corridor.”

“Thanks.” Walt eased the heavy costumes from Susan’s arms, then waited until she walked inside. “Give us about ten minutes, and we’ll be ready to hand out presents.”

“Perfect. We’re doing the Santa thing in the gym. It’s already set up, but we’ll wait until you’re in position before we let the kids in.”

“Got it.”

Too excited to wait, Susan got her costume from Walt and hurried to the restroom. “I’ll be quick, then I’ll help you with the pillow.”

“No worries. Take your time.”

The door was barely closed before she yanked her shirt and jeans off. As quickly as she could, she put on her striped tights and fur-trimmed dress, then slid her feet into the matching sparkly slippers.

“Your turn,” she said as she opened the door for Walt. “Just yell when you’re ready for me to help.”

Instead of going into the restroom, Walt kissed her forehead, making her skin tingle. “You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you so happy, little one.”

Her stomach butterflies whirled madly, and she barely managed to keep her knees from knocking together. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re welcome.” His blue eyes twinkling, he added, “Oh, and Susan?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Don’t forget your hat.”