AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Daddy, may I please have coffee?”
“Sorry, baby, but little girls can’t have coffee.” He smirked, knowing she was testing him. He’d never seen her drink coffee before.
She huffed and tried to leave the table, but he leaned forward and caught her hand. “Finish your milk, young lady.”
“But I am finished. I just don’t want the rest of my milk.”
He arched an eyebrow and sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you trying to test me, Hanna? I suggest you be a good girl and finish your milk, unless you want to face the consequences.”
Lady barked outside, and Hanna gazed longingly out the window. She still hadn’t touched her glass.
“How about this? Finish your milk and then we’ll go on a walk with Lady.”
She lit up and nodded eagerly. Sunlight streamed through the windows, reflecting off her shiny golden hair as she reached for her cup. The last of her milk disappeared in seconds. He dabbed her face with a napkin, prompting her cheeks to redden once more.
“I have a feeling you’ll be blushing a lot today, baby girl.”
CHAPTER19
Hanna rubbedher eyes and yawned. She rolled over, glancing at the clock on the nightstand and gasped. She’d napped for two hours in the middle of the afternoon! Smiling guiltily to herself, she recalled how she’d argued with Daddy that she wasn’t sleepy. The walk through the woods with Lady must’ve tired her out more than she’d thought. She stretched and sighed as her bare legs caught the cool spots under the sheets.
A breeze blew through the window, the curtains dancing to the tune of the wind chimes. Sadness squeezed her heart. If she left with Eli, she would never wake up to the sound of those wind chimes again. Of course, it wasn’t the actual loss of the wind chimes that darkened her spirits.
Daddy.
She’d grown to love him so much she couldn’t breathe when she imagined a future without him.
Was it wrong and foolish to give up her dreams of moving so far away from the farm?
As far away as Eli had moved?
She wiped her tears and wondered about the conversation Daddy had had with Eli while she’d napped. Surely, he’d called her brother then, when she wouldn’t have been able to overhear.
Whatever plan Daddy had, she hoped he realized how much she cared for him.
She resolved to work up the courage to tell him today.
It had to be today.
She loved him with everything inside her.
The secrets of his past didn’t affect her love either. It had been an unfortunate accident, and she grieved to know he’d been hurt and alone for so many years. She grieved to know others hadn’t treated him with kindness and offered him the forgiveness he’d desperately needed. The scorn and blame of his hometown had driven him to the remote mountains of Pennsylvania, and while she was glad he lived here, she wished his reasons for moving here weren’t so dark.
The door opened and she sat up in bed, pushing the covers down.
“Hi, Daddy!” She smiled at him and laced her arms around his neck as he sat beside her. She placed a kiss on his cheek and hugged him tight.
“Did you sleep well?” The strength of his arms surrounding her made her feel safe and loved. While some of the things he’d done for her today had embarrassed her, like helping her in the bathroom and cleaning her face off after meals, a part of her liked being taken care of so thoughtfully. He made her feel treasured, and that was an emotion she wasn’t used to experiencing.
“Yes, Daddy, I can’t believe I slept so long.”
He kissed the top of her head and drew back to gaze down at her. His expression turned serious, and her tummy fluttered. “Do you remember the plan I told you I had? The surprise?”
Her throat burned, and the uncertainty of not knowing became too much. She tried to answer, but her voice cracked, so she simply nodded.
“The surprise is outside. It arrived earlier than I expected. I think you’ll like it. Let’s get you out of your pajamas and back into that cute little dress, and we’ll go outside together.”
This time, Hanna wasn’t shy about letting Daddy dress her. He laughed at her enthusiasm and grabbed her hand, leading her through the house to the front door. Lady was barking up a storm on the porch, and Hanna wondered if they had a visitor. She regarded Daddy with curiosity, but he didn’t give away any clues. If anything, he appeared nervous.
