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“It’s what you want to happen, whether you understand or not at this point. You can’t keep your daughter safe by hiding her under the cocoon of your watchful gaze. You teach her to be safe…and make good choices. That’s parenting.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. Now go.” Madison stepped back inside and closed the door, deciding for him. She did, however, peek through the curtains just to make sure he left. This would be good for both Caleb and Joelle, his obsession with keeping her safe not healthy for either of them.
Madison sat on the floor with Joelle, joining in the fun and games. Getting paid to play was a novelty and she intended to enjoy every second.
“This is Susan, and this is Sally.Hmmm,” she added, a frown marring her expression. “Or this is Sally, and this is Susan. I’m not a good teacher cause I can’t remember their names.”
“That’s not true. With so many kids’ names to remember every year, it’s difficult to keep them straight, especially when twins are involved.”
“Twins?”
“When two kids look the same and are born at the same time from the same mommy. They’re called triplets when there’s three babies.” Madison grinned.
Joelle brightened. “Maybe daddy can get me another baby and then I’ll have triplets. When I go to school, I hope the teacher knows my name.”
Joelle was such a sweet child, and Madison couldn’t help falling in love with the little girl. Precocious yet innocent. “You have a very unusual name and you’re a bright young lady, so I’m sure the teacher will get to know you quickly.”
“Tell me about school. I see kids on TV learning fun things, and sometimes when daddy and me drive past the school, the kids are outside playing. I want to play with them, but daddy says I have to wait until kindergarten.”
“Which isn’t that far off, sweetheart. Your dad tells me you’ve got a birthday coming in November.”
“I’m going to be six,” Joelle said, holding up six fingers. “I can’t wait to go to school.”
“That’s so cool. Maybe your dad will let me take you shopping for school clothes and a bookbag and supplies. That would give us a chance to get out of the house, rain or shine.” Not that kindergartners needed much, but still…there had to be neat things they could pick up to make it special.
“I want a book bag with a princess on it,” Joelle said, hiding a yawn.
“Then that’s what you’ll get. Your first bookbag is super special. I’ll ask your dad when he gets home, but for now, it looks like it’s nap time,” Madison said, standing up and holding out her hand to Joelle.
“Do I have to? Naps are for babies,” Joelle whined, lending proof of the need for sleep.
Cranky children needed nothing more than a nap to recover their sweet spirits. Not that she’d used that word with Joelle. “Tired young children take naps. It’s always been that way.”
“Okay. I am a little sleepy. Will you tuck me in?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Sure thing.” Madison picked Joelle up and carried her to the bathroom and sat her down. “Go potty and then I’ll get you all snug as a bug in a rug.”
Joelle giggled. “I’m not a bug.”
“No, but you’re cute as a bug.”
“Not a spider, though, right?” Joelle asked, her face scrunched in displeasure.
Madison shook her head. “No, something special, like a butterfly.”
Joelle’s eyes lit up, her soft smile adorable. “I like butterflies.” Satisfied, she went into the bathroom. Minutes later, the toilet flushed, and the sink water ran before Joelle met her back in the hall. Caleb might be overly protective, but the man was a good father, and teaching Joelle basic life protocol wasn’t one of his shortcomings.
They went into the princess’ bedroom and Madison tucked Joelle in. “Sweet dreams,” she said, dropping a kiss on Joelle’s forehead before making sure the blankets were snug all around her.
“I like having you here.” The words flooded Madison’s heart with a wealth of feelings, her love blossoming for the child.
She would need to guard her heart, or she’d never want to leave. Of course, Joelle’s handsome father and her old feelings that were coming to life weren’t helping either. “Good, because I like being here.”
Madison headed down the hall and sat down on the sofa with a glass of iced tea. And in less than ten minutes, she was bored. Not one to sit around, she headed for the dining room table and looked over the ledger statements. One by one, she jotted down notes, filled out hand-written charts, and extracted key data to get a better picture of what was going on at the store. Caleb hadn’t said why he was going there, but perhaps it was to do the same thing but from a more hands-on approach.
Once she transferred all the basic data onto the chart, she moved to the couch, pen in hand. Looking for patterns or unusual entries, she circled and checked off the columns. Glancing at her watch, she couldn’t believe an hour and a half had passed by so quickly. Joelle would wake up soon, and she fully expected Caleb home at any time. She was surprised he was still gone. It was rewarding to know he trusted her with his daughter. Not that she expected it to mean anything more than it probably was…a case of Lauren’s friend would be abetter-than-mostoption.
