Page 277 of Santa Daddies

“He’s mad at me.”

“Not for the broken decoration,” Joey told her. “Never that. You might get your butt spanked for climbing a ladder without someone here to watch you, but he’s not mad over this. Right, big bro?”

“Right,” Anson said. “I’m not upset over the decoration breaking, baby.”

“But it was so pretty. Was it an old one? It was, wasn’t it? And I broke it because I’m so fucking stupid.” She smacked her hand into her forehead.

Then suddenly she found herself pulled up onto her feet and drawn against a wide chest. She buried her face in Anson’s chest and let him hug her tight.

“Everything is fine. No one is mad. No one is upset.”

“I’m stupid,” she sobbed.

“No, that’s George talking,” he told her fiercely. “And he’s not allowed to talk to you anymore. You hear his voice, then you come and tell me. I’ll set you straight. You are not stupid or anything else he tells you. Do you understand me? You are perfect.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You shouldn’t have climbed the ladder, no. But dropping the decoration was an accident.”

“M-made a mess.”

“So?” Joey said in a strange voice. “Takes two seconds to clean up. I’m always making a mess.”

“And he never cleans it up,” a strange voice said.

There were a few beats of silence and she leaned back to peer around at the guy who must be Lochlan.

“Be nice,” she told him.

He blinked at her. “What?”

She remembered what Joey had just called her. “Joey is my brother. No one is allowed to be mean to my brother.” She didn’t know what had happened to cause their argument but she was on Joey’s side.

Littles had to stick together, after all.

Joey let out a strange noise and she glanced over to find him smiling. He winked at her. “And no one is allowed to be mean to you, either, little sister.”

“And that includes you,” Anson added, then he glanced over at Lochlan. “You see why now?”

Lochlan’s gaze narrowed in on her. “Oh yeah, luckily, that bastard is going down.”

She had no idea what they were talking about, but she decided she was done for the day. She was tired and emotionally wrung out.

“Right, I’m going to get Alice settled on the couch. Lochlan, you’re on Christmas lights. Joey, can you clean this up? Come on, baby.” He took her over to the couch and she sat as he tucked her blanket around her.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” she told him quietly.

“Alice,” he warned.

“This time it was my fault, though. So I am allowed to apologize.”

“I’ll give you that. But no more. The broken ornament is not a big deal. Climbing the ladder, well, we’ll discuss that later. With you over my knee.” He winked at her and she felt herself relax.

Sure, she might get her bottom spanked later. But no one was mad at her.

Maybe one day she could do something wrong and not end up in tears. Today was not that day. But with Anson’s love and support she was starting to feel that would happen one day.

“Love you,” she told him.