Page 18 of Sawyer (Sabre Security Daddies #6)

He crossed his arms. “Half-Pint, no way am I leaving you alone after what just happened.” Walking over to the couch, he grabbed a cushion. Grinning, he held it out to her. “Problem solved, babygirl. Now, do you want cookies or not?”

Speedy Guys Gas was a poor name choice for the gas station on the corner of Maple and Main.

Sawyer stood in line holding Lele’s hand for over an hour after he looked down for the third time and realized she had wandered off.

He’d never considered putting a bell around her neck before, but he did now.

Lele, however, was having the time of her life, chatting and giggling with a family on their way home from their vacation.

The cashier chatted and gossiped with all eight people in front of them in the line, most of whom were waiting in line for cookies.

It was a testament to the quality of nighttime entertainment in Elk Jaw that a top-five activity was lining up for cookies at almost nine o’clock at night. He kept glancing down at his girl, making sure she was still happily chatting and scanning the parking lot for anything that looked suspicious.

He'd thought about going to the all-night grocery store and buying a tube of sugar cookie dough, some frosting, and some sprinkles and cooking the damn things himself. But Lele seemed so excited, he hadn’t wanted to disappoint her.

Besides, she wasn’t really up to going inside anywhere else, and there was no way in hell he was going to leave her outside of the grocery store unprotected.

By the time they returned home with the two sugar cookie sandwiches, she was asleep. She’d moved the cushion from her rear and had used it as a pillow against the window. Back at the house, he’d lifted her out of the car. Smiling sleepily, she snuggled into his chest, never fully waking.

Damn, she was cute. Reluctant to let her go, he placed her on the couch and covered her with the throw blanket.

He watched her sleep, mesmerized by the peaceful look on her face. Setting the bag of cookies on the end table, he sat down next to her .

Her eyes fluttered open. When her eyes focused on him, her smile lit up his world.

He’d never known anyone as trusting as his Half-Pint.

He wanted to protect her from everything that might cause her pain.

The only one he couldn’t protect her from, the one who could hurt her more than anyone, was himself.

Blinking, she asked, “What time is it?” She arched her back off the couch and stretched like a cat. Did she know when she did that it pressed her tits against her thin top, allowing him to see the outline of both her nipples?

He doubted it. Lele didn’t do coy and provocative. He doubted she knew how. God help him if she ever figured it out.

Pulling her to her feet, he said, “Time for Little girls to be in bed. I’m going to stay tonight. I’ll camp out on the couch.”

She rubbed her fists in her sleepy eyes. “I thought we were having cookies.” A yawn interrupted her before she said, “I’m not sleepy.”

He arched a brow. “Half-Pint, you are the poster child for sleepy. I’ll tuck you in, and you can get some shuteye.”

“I don’t need any shuteye. Hey!”

Tired of arguing, he bent over, hooked an arm behind her thighs, and tossed her over his shoulder.

“No fair,” she cried out. Followed by a squeal when he pulled back her covers to reveal black sheets decorated with a neon cartoon kitten pattern. He lowered her gently to her bed.

She groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I know what you’re thinking. A grown woman shouldn't have neon kitty sheets, but I thought the black sheet would be easier to hide under, and the kitties’ glow-in-the-dark eyes would scare away any bad guys who broke in.”

Uh, no.

“Who told you a grown woman shouldn’t have whatever the hell sheets she wants?” Sawyer responded, then another thought hit him, “Scratch that, who’s been looking at your sheets? ”

“Nobody.” At his quirked brows, she added. “Well, nobody other than Hector. But he wasn’t being mean. He was just trying to help me fit in with people here.”

“You mean narrow-minded, judgmental people who like to stick their noses in other people’s business? Those kinds of people?”

“Maybe? I don’t know the people here. But it didn’t matter. No one ever wanted to come over to visit anyway. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather sleep in my bed with me?”

“Would I rather? Absolutely. But I want to talk to you about a few more things before I do that.”

“But why?” She looked so disappointed he’d pulled her into his arms.

“Because, Half-Pint, if I get in that bed with you, we are going to do everything you can imagine and a few you probably can’t. And I want us to take our time, so you don’t look back one day with regret if things don’t go the way I hope they will.”

She didn’t look convinced. Glancing at the bedroom door, she said, “My couch is going to be uncomfortable. There’s no way you’re going to fit.”

“Half-Pint, I’ve slept in ditches with stagnant water and alone in shacks in the Middle East with enemy bombs leveling buildings all around me. Trust me, your couch is not going to be a problem.”

But his Little girl was stubborn when it came to putting everyone else first. Who had taught her that was her role in life?

To be the least important and always the one excluded and left out.

He had a feeling he knew, and if he was right, that man, or men, were going to disappear and never be heard from again.

“If we can’t share the bed, then I should sleep on the couch. I’m smaller.”

Oh yeah. This was something he was going to have to work on with his babygirl. Looked like bedtime would have to wait. Taking her by the hand, he led her to one of the empty corners in her room.

“Wait, what are we doing?”

“We aren’t doing anything. You are going to stand with your nose in this corner, hand clasped on the top of your head.”

“But Daddy! Why?”

“Because when I told you who was sleeping where, you kept arguing with me. Now do what I told you to do.”

With the most adorable scowl on her face, she settled into the corner as he instructed. “I was just trying to be nice, Daddy. What's wrong with that? I thought I was supposed to be nice. Wait, stop!” She dropped her hands to grab the waistband of her pajama bottoms.

“Put your hands back on your head, naughty girl, before this shift from corner time to another spanking.”

With her pajama pants now bunched around her ankle, her top rose when she put her hands on her head, leaving her bottom, still a light blushing pink, on display.

“All right, new rules. No arguing with Daddy when he tells you to do something. And no, you do not have to be nice. You have to be kind.”

“What’s the difference?”

“We’ll talk about that another time. Right now, the thing you need to know is the very first person you have to be kind to is yourself. I want you to be helpful and accommodating when you can, but when doing it means you are being unkind to yourself, that is not okay.”

She turned her head toward him. “How do I know the difference?”

“That’s a good question. If what you are doing for someone else causes you to do something you would not ask someone else to do, then you are being unkind to yourself.

Have you heard the phrase, ‘treat others the way you want to be treated?’ Well, I want you to flip that.

Stop asking yourself to do things for others you wouldn’t ask others to do for you.

If you were at a friend’s house, would you ask them to sleep on the couch so you could sleep in their bed? ”

“Of course not, Daddy. I wouldn’t ask them to give up their bed!”

“Right. But you are asking yourself to give up your bed, when there is no good reason for me not to sleep on the couch. That is being unkind… to you. Your second new rule is you cannot be unkind to yourself. Understand?”

He hated the look of pained confusion on her face. “Yes, Daddy. I’ll try.”

“That’s my good girl. I’ll be here to remind you when you forget. Now put your nose back in the corner.”

After she’d done as he said, he sat on the side of the bed. “Now, I want you to say your new rules, twenty-five times, loud enough for me to hear. Say, I will not argue with Daddy, and I will be kind to myself first.”

He waited as she repeated her new rules, hands on her head and PJ bottoms around her ankles. When she finished, she tugged up her pants and turned to face him. He held his hand wide open, and she ran to him, throwing herself into his embrace.

“I’m very proud of you. Now, let’s get you into bed.”

Once he had her tucked in and settled, she asked. “Do you know the five kisses rule, Daddy?”

“No, Half-Pint. I can’t say I do. Tell me about it.”

Sitting on the side of the bed, he listened. “When Daddies kiss their Little girls goodnight, they give them five kisses, one each on their forehead, their eyes, the tip of their nose, and their lips. That’s the way Daddies do it.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me, babygirl. I don’t want to get it wrong.” Standing, he followed her instructions and pressed kisses on each spot. Once he was finished, he said, “Okay, I want you to go straight to sleep. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning. ”

When he reached the door, she asked, “Daddy, do you think the shooters will come back tonight?”

It cost him, but he kept the smile on his face. “No, darlin’, I don’t. They are not going to shoot at your windows while you sleep. And if they are foolish enough to try, Daddy’s here. Trust me, I will protect you.”

With a smile much dimmer than the ones he was used to seeing on her face, she nodded. “Goodnight, Daddy.”

“Good night, Half-Pint. I’m turning out the light, but I’m right outside on the couch.”

With a nod, she rolled onto her side, tucked Lucky under her chin, and closed her eyes.

Sawyer kept vigil all night. He walked around checking the windows and, while he was at it, cleaning up the glass that had splattered into the house.

Every time he went by Lele’s bedroom, he stopped and watched her sleeping.

The gentle breathing, the sleepy smile, the peace on her face that no one who’d just had their windows shot out should reasonably have.

He hoped that peace was possible because she knew that he was there watching over her.

How she would feel when it was time to tell her the truth, he didn’t know.

Tonight, he knew only one thing.

No one was hurting her while he had breath in his body. No one.