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She sighed, but nodded. “I’m sorry that—”
“Fuck, no, you didn’t,” he growled, surprising her. “That’s three, girl.”
“Hey! You don’t even know what I was going to say!”
“Were you going to say that you were sorry about what just happened?”
“Well, sort of.” She totally had been. But that probably wasn’t her smartest move. “Also, Mr. Doodle Duck wanted to say that he’s sorry for splashing you.”
“And is he really sorry?”
“Uh, not really. But he thought it might put you in a better mood if he apologized.”
“Then maybe he shouldn’t have splashed me in the first place.”
“You know, you’re right. But you really don’t need to add to my punishments, right? I mean, it was Mr. Doodle Duck who splashed you. And what was number two anyway?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Have you forgotten that you took a snickerdoodle when I said no?”
She gasped. “You can’t spank me for that, Daddy!”
“Well, I could give you lines. You could write one hundred times that you will listen to Daddy when he tells you to do something.”
“I’ll take the spanking.” Lines sounded terrible. “But they’re snickerdoodles. They’re my favorite. So I don’t think that I should have to stop at one. And it was Mr. Doodle Duck that splashed you, not me.”
He stood and carried her to the sofa. Setting her down, he unwrapped her, then turned the television on. “But you didn’t earn a punishment because I was splashed, did you?” He crouched in front of her, placing his hands on her thighs. “You earned one for saying sorry for something that wasn’t your fault.”
“I told Mr. Doodle Duck to splash you.”
“But we both know that wasn’t why you were saying sorry. And before you say something else, you need to remember that one of your rules is not to lie.”
She swallowed heavily. Darn it.
“Now, let’s get started on brushing your hair. I need to figure out your dinner too.”
“Immy will have that worked out. Hopefully she made mac and cheese.”
“For dinner?”
“It’s my favorite.”
He shook his head. “That’s not very nutritious.”
“Grumpy Bear, you can try to get me to eat less snickerdoodles and Pop-Tarts, but no one comes between me and Immy’s mac and cheese. It’s made from scratch and with love and I will fight you to the death for it.”
She pointed a finger right in his face and he leaned in to bite the tip.
“All right, brat. You can have your comfort food. But tomorrow you have to eat some fruit.”
“Deal. See that wasn’t so hard to compromise, was it? I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t push it,” he warned. “Get too sassy and I’ll decide you’re up to those spankings you’re owed.”
Right. Got it.
* * *
Two hours later,Maeve was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling as Gray got ready for bed.
