twice, but quit when his look turned disapproving.
"No jumping on the bed."
Grinning, she crawled under the blankets and pulled them up to her chin as she watched him come to her. Already his shoes were discarded at the foot of the bed and he was pulling the tails of his flannel shirt out of his jeans. As he unbuttoned the front, he saw her eyes slide to something behind him. She cleared her throat. "Daddy?"
His hands paused on the third button.
She lowered the blankets a little to point. "Would...um, would you mind...?"
He glanced back over his shoulder to the wide open closet. Without cracking so much a smile, he closed the door. Dropping his shirt on the floor, he unfastened his belt and the front of his jeans. And when he crawled into bed beside her, she came willingly into his embrace.
"Thank you," she said.
"Hey, you can never be too careful with those closet monsters." He kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her close.
Chapter Four
It was 6:30 a.m. and, although still quite dark outside, already Daddy David was fully dressed. There was a fresh pot of coffee brewing downstairs and hot chocolate cooling in Meg's sippy cup, ready and waiting for her. In approximately twenty or so minutes, the sun would begin painting the sky. On such a clear and chilly morning, it promised to be a magnificent display of nature, one they would have a prime view of from the front porch swing. If, that is, he could get his night-owl of a little girl to open her eyes.
He shook her shoulder. "Wake up, baby."
Meg rolled from her side to her back, breathing deeply as she stretched her arms over her head and grudgingly opened her eyes. She blinked up at him, glanced once around the room, awash in the grey-blue light of pre-dawn, and then rolled back onto her side away from him. She sighed and tried to go back to sleep.
Above and behind her, Daddy chuckled and shook her again. "No-no, sweetheart. Rise and shine."
She pulled the pillow over her head to help block him out, but he only peeled the blankets back and her comfortable cocoon of warmth vanished with the cool air that suddenly enveloped her. She whined and kicked the bed, then jumped, her eyes flying wide open when his palm clapped sharply against her diaper-padded bottom.
"You are not going to throw a fit in my bed, little girl," he stated firmly. "Come on. I want you up right now, or we're going to miss it."
He checked her diaper, though he wasn't surprised that she hadn't used it in the night, and helped her to sit up. Catching her thumb before it got halfway to her mouth, despite her instant whining, he pressed her binky to her lips. She grudgingly opened to take it in substitute, but her eyes closed again and she began to sag back towards her pillow.
Not a morning person didn't even begin to cover it. David shook his head, unable to help but laugh a little as he pulled her upright and gave her a little shake. "Up up up! On your feet, sleepy head."
"Ithh the mi-le huv the nigh," she whined, too sleepy even to take the pacifier from her mouth.
"It's not either the middle of the night; it's almost seven and you're a slugabed." He patted her bottom and she huffed as she stood up. He could force her to get up, but he couldn't force her to be sweet about it.
She popped the binky from her mouth. "I want my bear."
He made a dutiful search of the tussled bedclothes, finding the elusive teddy bear hidden under a fold of the quilts at the foot of the bed. When he handed it to her, she hugged it to her bare breasts, glared at the binky in her hand, and with the most darling of pouts, said, "I wanna go back to bed?"
She sounded so hopeful that he almost laughed, but kissed her on the tip of her little nose instead. "Come see what I have to show you."
She made no other protests as he took her by the hand and led her downstairs, taking the steps slowly when she proved to be, first thing in the morning, not very graceful. Particularly not when yawning and rubbing her eyes at the
"No jumping on the bed."
Grinning, she crawled under the blankets and pulled them up to her chin as she watched him come to her. Already his shoes were discarded at the foot of the bed and he was pulling the tails of his flannel shirt out of his jeans. As he unbuttoned the front, he saw her eyes slide to something behind him. She cleared her throat. "Daddy?"
His hands paused on the third button.
She lowered the blankets a little to point. "Would...um, would you mind...?"
He glanced back over his shoulder to the wide open closet. Without cracking so much a smile, he closed the door. Dropping his shirt on the floor, he unfastened his belt and the front of his jeans. And when he crawled into bed beside her, she came willingly into his embrace.
"Thank you," she said.
"Hey, you can never be too careful with those closet monsters." He kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her close.
Chapter Four
It was 6:30 a.m. and, although still quite dark outside, already Daddy David was fully dressed. There was a fresh pot of coffee brewing downstairs and hot chocolate cooling in Meg's sippy cup, ready and waiting for her. In approximately twenty or so minutes, the sun would begin painting the sky. On such a clear and chilly morning, it promised to be a magnificent display of nature, one they would have a prime view of from the front porch swing. If, that is, he could get his night-owl of a little girl to open her eyes.
He shook her shoulder. "Wake up, baby."
Meg rolled from her side to her back, breathing deeply as she stretched her arms over her head and grudgingly opened her eyes. She blinked up at him, glanced once around the room, awash in the grey-blue light of pre-dawn, and then rolled back onto her side away from him. She sighed and tried to go back to sleep.
Above and behind her, Daddy chuckled and shook her again. "No-no, sweetheart. Rise and shine."
She pulled the pillow over her head to help block him out, but he only peeled the blankets back and her comfortable cocoon of warmth vanished with the cool air that suddenly enveloped her. She whined and kicked the bed, then jumped, her eyes flying wide open when his palm clapped sharply against her diaper-padded bottom.
"You are not going to throw a fit in my bed, little girl," he stated firmly. "Come on. I want you up right now, or we're going to miss it."
He checked her diaper, though he wasn't surprised that she hadn't used it in the night, and helped her to sit up. Catching her thumb before it got halfway to her mouth, despite her instant whining, he pressed her binky to her lips. She grudgingly opened to take it in substitute, but her eyes closed again and she began to sag back towards her pillow.
Not a morning person didn't even begin to cover it. David shook his head, unable to help but laugh a little as he pulled her upright and gave her a little shake. "Up up up! On your feet, sleepy head."
"Ithh the mi-le huv the nigh," she whined, too sleepy even to take the pacifier from her mouth.
"It's not either the middle of the night; it's almost seven and you're a slugabed." He patted her bottom and she huffed as she stood up. He could force her to get up, but he couldn't force her to be sweet about it.
She popped the binky from her mouth. "I want my bear."
He made a dutiful search of the tussled bedclothes, finding the elusive teddy bear hidden under a fold of the quilts at the foot of the bed. When he handed it to her, she hugged it to her bare breasts, glared at the binky in her hand, and with the most darling of pouts, said, "I wanna go back to bed?"
She sounded so hopeful that he almost laughed, but kissed her on the tip of her little nose instead. "Come see what I have to show you."
She made no other protests as he took her by the hand and led her downstairs, taking the steps slowly when she proved to be, first thing in the morning, not very graceful. Particularly not when yawning and rubbing her eyes at the
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