Page 15 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Fifteen

“I can help with that!” Iris said as she hurried toward the stack of dishes Auntie Athena was carrying into the kitchen.

Dinner had just ended. Six other Littles were visiting the nursery today.

They’d all feasted on the lasagna Auntie Caroline had baked.

After that, homemade white cake was enjoyed.

Iris only ate a tiny sliver of that, wanting to save room for the ice cream.

Really, she could have eaten half that cake, as hungry as she still was, but she was trying to restrain herself just a bit.

It had been a long while since she’d eaten this good, though. It was hard not to scarf down every bite and then lick the plate clean.

Now, while the other Littles had gone outside, she was in the kitchen, eager to pitch in with cleanup duty.

“Honey, you don’t have to help. I’ve got this,” Auntie Athena told her.

“But… I don’t mind.”

The woman sat the dishes in the sink and looked at the Little. “But you’re missing playtime.”

“It’s okay. I played all day,” Iris pointed out. “And Jack Daddy is coming soon.”

“Oh, that’s right. You two have an ice-cream date,” Athena said.

She put the stopper in the sink, filled it with warm water, and then put on a pair of blue rubber gloves.

“You can help if you really want to. But sweetie, you don’t have to earn your keep around here.

You don’t owe us anything. We’re just glad to have you. ”

Iris blushed upon the realization that Auntie knew what she was trying to do. “The other Littles pay to be here, ma’am. And they don’t even live here! I’m just hanging out for free. I feel… bad.”

“You hush right now with that kind of talk,” Athena said. “There’s not a reason in the world why you should feel bad. But if you want to help then I appreciate it. Some of those you can rinse off and put in the dishwasher. The pots and pans need to be washed though.”

“I’m on it,” Iris said, using the other side of the sink and its sprayer to knock loose any food remnants from the plates and salad bowls.

She loaded the dishwasher while talking to Auntie.

“I’m nervous about tonight.”

“Why?”

She giggled while dropping a plate in one of the slots. “Because Jack Daddy is so hot!”

Normally she didn’t open up like this. Really, there hadn’t been anyone in her life to open up to. But she was surprised with how comfortable she felt around Auntie Athena. It seemed as if she could bare her soul.

“You’re a beautiful girl,” Auntie said. “He’s probably nervous to take you out!”

Iris dropped the last bowl into the dishwasher and turned around to look at Auntie. Still washing the dishes, Athena angled her head around to make eye contact.

“You don’t really believe that,” Iris told her.

“That you’re beautiful?”

“No. I believe you believe that . But you don’t really think Jack Daddy is afraid. Because he’s not afraid of anything.”

Athena threw her head back as she laughed.

After recovering, she said, “Touché. He’s pretty tough.

” A few seconds passed while the only sound was that of the sprayer sending jets of water against the glass baking dish Athena held.

She passed it to Iris who grabbed a clean towel and started drying it.

“But I can guarantee you Jack has thought about this a lot today. Trust me, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.

And he stopped by on his way to work this morning. He’s never done that before.”

Iris finished drying the dish. “Really?”

“Yep.” Athena flicked her nose to one of the long drawers set in the cabinets across from the island where the sink and dishwasher were. “It goes in that middle one, sweetheart.”

While putting it away, Iris considered Auntie’s words.

Was Jack really as excited about their date as she was? And was it actually a date? Surely not.

“You have something you want to ask,” Athena said. “Go for it.”

After sliding the drawer back in, Iris turned and leaned up against the counter while she looked Athena in the eyes. “Do you think tonight is… you know… a date?”

“I do. Again, I’ve never seen Jack take any other Little out for ice cream.”

“But he doesn’t want to take me out on a date. He’s just being nice,” Iris countered.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I’m, you know, the poor, homeless girl.”

“You’re not homeless. You live here. And do you think the amount of money you have determines your worth?”

A lump formed in Iris’s throat, and she did her best to choke it down before answering. “I don’t know. I guess I figured that he—or any man—would think I’m not worth it. No one wants a project or a fixer-upper.”

Auntie shook her head. “You’re not a house, honey.”

“I know. But Jack won’t want to?—”

“I won't want to what?” he asked.

Iris jumped, yelping as she looked across the kitchen to see Jack had walked in. Instead of using the back door as he had that morning, he must have entered through the mansion’s main entrance.

How much of their conversation had he heard?

Based on his question, not too much. Or was he just pretending? Either way, Iris felt more than a tad embarrassed.

“You won’t want to stay out too late tonight,” Auntie Athena said without missing a beat. “Not with work tomorrow and all.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. But I can’t go to bed very early. I’d much rather be around a cutie, eating ice cream, than laying by myself, tossing and turning.”

Iris blushed, averting her eyes and fighting a giggle.

She’d love to lay in bed with him. They wouldn’t be tossing and turning, either. Or sleeping.

She kept that desire to herself. But still, she couldn’t stop grinning at the thought.

“That reminds me,” Jack said. “Do you know of any cuties wanting to eat ice cream tonight?” He made a show of looking around.

Now Iris was in the throes of a giggling fit.

“Hmm. Seems like I’ve seen one around here somewhere,” Athena replied, tapping her chin. “But where is she…” She gasped and leveled a finger. “There she is! Right there!”

“Perfect,” Jack said. “Because I think she’s the cutest cutie around.” After looking her up and down, he said, “Sweetie, as much as I love seeing you in that short dress and that bulky diaper, you should probably change into some big girl clothes since we’re going out into the boring real world .”

Auntie Athena looped the dishtowel she’d been holding through a drawer handle nearby and then looked at Iris. “Come on, cute stuff. Auntie will help you get changed.”

“Do I need to take my diaper off?” Iris asked, her voice sounding oh so Little.

“Nope. No one will notice what you have on under your clothes and I don’t want you having an accident tonight.” She chuckled. “I know how you Littles can be when you get excited.”

Iris blushed again. Chancing a glance at Jack, she saw that he was grinning, clearly enjoying the thought of her wearing that bulky nappy during their date.

If that’s what Jack wanted, then that’s what Jack would get, she thought.

Because Iris was eager to please Daddy.