Daddy’s Shy Little Girl by Jess Winters

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janna

I stare at the letter for a moment, completely overwhelmed and finally I can’t contain myself. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” I shout. I run from the guest bedroom, which has become my office, and rush down the hallway to where Donnie sits with a cup of coffee at the breakfast nook. “Daddy! You were right, Daddy! You were right! You were right!”

He smiles at me and can’t help but laugh. As for me, I’m shaking and practically buzzing with excitement. “What is it, little girl?”

“You were right! You….” I can’t find a way to actually tell him.

He reaches forward and puts his hand on my cheek, which instantly sends a wave of comfort and relaxation through me. “Use your words, Princess,” he says.

I swallow hard, take a deep breath, and say, “You were right about facing things and I opened the letter from Belgium and the Mertens family is thrilled with me. They’re really happy. They can’t believe how well I’m…” I start to almost hyperventilate and he speaks sharply.

“Calm down now, little girl!”

I feel my breathing return to my control and take another deep breath. “They were so happy with how quickly I sold the inventory they sent they want to put a thousand toys on consignment with me. The CEO’s son, Valentijn Mertens, is going to fly in along with a few other people to meet me and to personally deliver the inventory.”

I smile at her and shake my head in wonder. “You’re just amazing, little girl. I’m so proud of you.”

“But Daddy!” I say, “if you hadn’t given me the strength to make that first phone call and talk to them, I never would have gotten the first shipment.”

“I didn’t give you the strength,” I say. “I just showed you that you already had it.”

“Potatoes, poh-tah-toes, Daddy,” I say and lean forward to give him a kiss. The kiss turns into a half hour on the couch, a half hour I’m thrilled with. We shower together and after, he stays with me while I call and make arrangements with the toy company in Holland. The visit and delivery will happen in a month, and I’m excited as can be.

And terrified.

“Daddy,” I say after the call ends, “I’m going to have to entertain them for five days.”

“Yes, you will,” he says, “and business will only take a small part of that, so you should start thinking about where they might want to go. The amusement park, of course, and also people from other countries tend to like to visit shopping malls for souvenirs.”

“Daddy,” I say softly, “I don’t mean I don’t know what to do. I mean… I will have to entertain three strangers and I don’t think you’ll be able to be with me all the time.”

“It’s like I said before, princess,” he says, “I didn’t give you the strength. I just showed you that you already have it.” I nod solemnly but I’m not confident at all. “You can make all of this happen, little girl,” he says, “but the key is believing in yourself. That’s something I can’t give you. You’ve got to figure that out for yourself.”

I look at him for a moment and then say, “I understand that Daddy but it’s…” I can’t finish.

“It’s not easy.”

“No. It’s not.” I’m afraid he’s going to be upset with me but there’s no reason for me to be afraid. He smiles and then leans forward and kisses me softly.

“But no matter how hard it is,” he says, “my little girl is stronger.”

I feel warmth flood my body and I feel a great deal more confidence about the situation than I might imagine otherwise. His hands are soft on my cheeks and I realize two things. First, I realize he’s not letting me get away with treating my business like anything other than business. Second, I realize he really has confidence in me. He knows it will be difficult for me but he also knows I’ll do what I need to do to make things work.

When the kiss ends, he says, “I think you should probably do what we’ve talked about. I mean, you probably need to hire someone to help you with your business.”

I nod. “I’m going to call Lydia and see if she knows anyone. I’m sure one of the little girls knows somebody.”

“That’s a good idea,” he says, “but remember it’s okay to hire someone who isn’t part of the lifestyle at all. Not everybody is going to feel the same way we do about relationships. That doesn’t mean they’re not good employees and it doesn’t mean they aren’t good people.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I say. A few months ago, I might not have thought I could talk to someone about working with me if there wasn’t something really significant we shared, like the lifestyle. Now, though, I feel confident, like we can actually make things happen just as Daddy says. “I’ll tell Lydia it doesn’t have to be a little girl.”

“And if she doesn’t know anyone, you could always advertise for someone in the classifieds, either in the paper or online,” he says.

That’s terrifying. A complete stranger! Somehow, I feel like I can manage it, though. “That’s a good idea, Daddy,” I say. God! I feel like I’m a completely different person now, like my life has changed entirely. I don’t understand it at all but it feels like…

It feels like everything is going to be okay.

I’m not sure if there is any time in my life that I have felt like everything is going to be okay.

But I do now.

“Daddy,” I say, “I need to tell you something.”

“What’s that, princess?” he asks.

“I… I’m happy, Daddy,” I say. “You make me happy, and I want you to know that.”

He stares at me for a second as though he just doesn’t know how to respond. Finally, he says, “I don’t think I knew what happiness was before I met you, princess.”

“Oh, Daddy,” I whisper.

He leans forward and kisses me softly. Then, with a look on his face that can only be described as adoration, he says, “Little girl, I love you.”

It isn’t the first time he’s told me he loves me.

It hits me harder now than it has it in the past.

“I love you, too, Daddy,” I say.

And I do.

I love this man more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.