Trained By Her Daddy by Shelly Douglas
Chapter 16
“Tell me about your visits to the pumpkin patch, Jake. I’ve never been to one, and I can hardly wait to go.”
“When I was growing up, it was our family’s favorite fall field trip. I always loved trying to find the roundest pumpkin, or at least one attached to a vine—which meant I could watch Dad cut it loose in front of us. He had the neatest jackknife that he carried in a holster when we went to the farm.”
“Well, I owned it until my errant child took it from my drawer to show his friends.”
“Yeah, well that’s not a memory I care to relive right now.”
I knew there wouldn’t be details forthcoming about his spanking, but I bravely egged him on anyway. “I’ll bet someone didn’t sit comfortably for a while.”
Jake cleared his throat and totally ignored my comment. “After finding the perfect pumpkin, we’d venture into a large store to buy caramel apples, homemade apple pies, and apple cider.”
“I tasted a red candy apple once, but I’ve never eaten one covered in caramel. Could we make them?”
John’s smile widened. “I’m certain your dentist wouldn’t approve, but I’ll think about it. What else do you remember about the farm, Jake?”
“We would stay for a couple of hours, and then we’d jump into the car and head for home. Dad would always promise to bring me back for the haunted house tour before Halloween.”
“Yes, I already know about him keeping promises.”
John’s nod was slow but sure. “Indeed, she does.”
“Depending on what farm you go to, there are tons of activities like hay bales to climb, zip lines, pony rides, and corn mazes. So, my clothing tip would be to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to help prevent cuts and scrapes. As for shoes, you should wear the closed-toe variety, since working farms usually have fields, gravel paths and uneven ground. In other words, sandals or flip flops are probably a bad idea.”
“Good advice for my shoe maven,” John said, throwing me a wink.
“Tell me about your first amusement park experience, Lori. Dad mentioned it, but he never got into the details.”
“Oh my God, we had a blast at Six Flags in San Antonio! I think we rode a total of five rollercoasters, and my favorite one was the Iron Rattler. It has a drop of 171 feet and a top speed of 70 mph.”
John’s eyebrow lifted slowly at the obvious memory. “We rode that one four times.”
“And you can even do some shopping at the park,” I said without missing a beat. “Your dad bought me the cutest pink bunny with floppy ears, and I named her Pinkie. I’d never had a stuffed animal before.”
Jake’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t own a stuffed toy when you were a child?”
“No. My parents didn’t like to waste their money on that type of unnecessary item.”
“What about Christmas… I-I mean Chanukah?” He stumbled a bit, but then corrected his error immediately.
“We lit a menorah, of course. But there were no gifts. My dad said the holiday was about the oil lasting for eight days, not about giving gifts to each other. He also mentioned that Christmas wasn’t supposed to be about monetary offerings either.”
“It isn’t,” John noted, crossing his arms. “But just the same, you will still have presents to open on Christmas morning, young lady.”
Jake’s eyes bugged out as he tilted his head. “Young lady?”
“I loved playing Santa Claus when Jake was a kid,” John continued, clearly ignoring his son’s reaction.
“Wow. I always thought it would be so much fun to celebrate Christmas because it seems to put people in such a good mood that time of year. The lights on the houses, all the commercials about baking and the family sitting together around the table—who wouldn’t love to celebrate that holiday? And I adore the notion of children believing in Santa. When did you find out he wasn’t real, Jake?”
John playfully put one finger to his lips. “Who said Santa isn’t real?”
“Your dad promised we’d see him and his helpers at Holiday in the Park this winter. Did you know from Thanksgiving to New Years, Six Flags is transformed into a cool winter wonderland with millions of colorful twinkling lights and musical shows? Do you want to join us, Jake?”
Leaning back in the recliner, he threaded his fingers together behind his head. “Dad, we all know my original intention of getting you two together was purely a business decision. But now I can see how perfect you are for each other. No one could’ve made a better match if they’d tried.”
I felt a sense of relief wash over me that Jake was finally comfortable with us living together. “I’m so glad you came to help us celebrate Memorial Day. I know some people think the holiday is only about picnics and food gatherings, but your dad said it really should be about remembering the people who gave up their lives so we could have freedom in the United States.”
John’s eyes shot upward. “Who can tell me the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day?”
“Ooh, ooh, I know, I know,” I said waving my hand in the air proudly.
“Go ahead, tell me sweetie.”
Jake stifled a chuckle as he leaned forward. “Yes, and I’d like to hear the answer as well.”
“Memorial Day was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service. On Veterans’ day, we honor all military veterans, living and dead.”
“I must’ve missed that class,” Jake mumbled sarcastically to John, shaking his head.
“It goes to show we never stop learning.” As my words spilled in a matter of fact tone, I crossed one arm over the other. “But we’re still grilling hamburgers and hot dogs tonight, right, Daddy… I mean, John?” Fuck. At that point, there was no way to erase my mistake. The kitty had just leapt out of the damn proverbial bag, and my cheeks heated instantly.
One of Jake’s eyebrows arched higher than the other. “Come on, Lori, I’m the last person you need to hide your secret from. But what I really want to know—is if there’s a manuscript on the horizon for me to publish. Because if I remember correctly, you originally agreed to be trained in this Daddy/Little girl lifestyle, so you could write intelligently about it. So, it only makes sense that you’d be sending me a story by now. Honestly, you’ve been living here for quite a while, so you must be ready for your document to be edited, right? I can hardly wait to read it—I’ll bet it’s exactly the kind of scorching hot novel my target audience would enjoy.”
My anxious eyes darted from Jake to John, and then I lowered my head. Jesus. I knew we’d eventually have to give him the news—and I’d been worried how he’d take it. “I am working on a manuscript, but it’s a new murder mystery for a series I’ve published.”
“I see,” Jake said with disappointment, pushing himself backward on the black leather recliner. “Is there a reason you aren’t writing an erotic spanking story? You know, like the one I was promised?”
John pointed one finger in the air. “If you’re looking for someone to blame—the buck stops here. Originally, Lori intended for her next novel to mirror our new relationship—but I discouraged her. There’s no doubt that a twenty-four-year old woman trained in the D/s lifestyle so she could write about it from experience would be the perfect narrative for your readers. But when our relationship became personal, I decided our story shouldn’t go public. Lori respected my feelings, and she’s acted accordingly.”
“Things were going so well for me and your dad,” I added nervously, wringing my hands. “I-I didn’t want to cause a problem. After all, John is…”
“Yeah, yeah. He’s the head of this house. I get it, I get it,” Jake said, rubbing the base of his neck. “But with all this new knowledge—you couldn’t conjure up a fantasy that didn’t reflect your present living situation? Come on, I’m sure it’s done all the time.”
Okay. He had a valid point, so I needed to search my brain quickly for a sound explanation. “Having someone really care for me has turned my life upside down, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. To tell you the truth, Jake, I tried to come up with a completely new storyline, but nothing was gelling for me. So, I decided instead of struggling with it, I’d create the type of fiction which does come easy to me.”
John winked at his son. “Murder mysteries, of course.”
“Murder mysteries,” Jake mouthed while closing his eyes tight.
“This lifestyle is still new to her, Jake. For God’s sake, she’s only been living here for a few months and her priorities have changed.”
He exhaled a frustrated sigh. “I’m obviously disappointed, but it looks like you two are happy together, and in the end, I suppose it’s all that matters. You won’t have any trouble from me—all I’m asking is to be kept in the loop. Can you do that please?”
“No more secrets,” I assured, throwing an eye to John.
“If my son wants to stay in the loop, it might be a good idea for him to visit a bit more often.”
“I’m all in, Dad. All either of you need to do is call.”