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BRADEN
“I don’t wanna.”
Forcing himself not to laugh at how adorably put out she looked, Braden folded his arms and stared down at her. “You can either do it now, or you can do it sitting on a sore bottom. The choice is yours.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a choice,” she grumbled, her pouty lip puffing out even further.
“Maybe not. But I bet a spanking would improve your mood. Come here.”
“Daddy, no!” Squealing with faux terror, she jumped up from the couch and danced out of reach. “I’ll call him, I’ll call him!”
“Use video.”
“Bossy britches.” Despite her grumbling, she had a smile on her face as she held the phone up and waited for her father to answer.
“Hi, pumpkin. I was hoping you’d call.”
Tears welled in Lottie’s eyes, breaking Braden’s heart. “I didn’t know if you’d wanna talk to me. Do you hate me?”
“Oh, honey. I could never ever hate you. I love you more than anything in this whole entire world.”
“I love you, too, Dad. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about me and Braden.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the gambling. And I’m so fucking sorry you felt like you had to…” Emmett trailed off, then cleared his throat. “To do what you did to rescue my sorry ass.”
“Will you go to therapy with me?” The question seemed to burst out of Lottie’s mouth, like she couldn’t hold the words back any longer. And Braden couldn’t have been more fucking proud of her than he was in that moment.
“I don’t know…”
“Please? You don’t have to go with me, but I want you to go. Actually, no, I need you to go, Dad. Not just for the gambling, but for everything. I need you to get better, because I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, too.”
There was a long, strained silence, and Braden was just about to step in when Emmett’s sigh came through the speaker. “All right. I’ll go. Just for you, pumpkin.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
They spoke a while longer, with Braden keeping an eye on his little girl off camera. But she seemed lighter, happier by the time she hung up the phone and settled herself on Braden’s lap.
“Thank you for making me call him.”
“Of course, Lottie-bug. Feel better?”
“Much. I’m still kind of mad at him, I think, but not as much as I was. Therapy will help.”
“I think so, too. And I’m so proud of you for bringing it up all on your own.”
“Yeah?” Eyes sparkling, she shifted so she was straddling him on the couch. “I bet I can make you even more proud, Daddy.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
And she absolutely did.
* * *
LOTTIE
Three days after losing her virginity, she was back at the restaurant where it had all started. Only this time, she had Braden’s credit card tucked away in her wallet and a very sore bottom to sit on. Apparently arguing with Daddy once he’d made up his mind about something was a surefire way to get her ass lit up with her own hairbrush.
