Big Daddy Sheriff (Big Cedar Daddies #1)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The following day brought bright sunshine and fun times.

Theo and Grace showed up in town, meeting up with some of the other residents in front of the marshal’s office.

Theo was a tall, strong Black man with close-cropped hair still cut in the style of the Marines he’d spent twenty years serving. He was maybe the tallest, most muscular man Alyssa had ever met. But he was also one of the sweetest. One would never guess he’d gone around the world, hunting terrorists, and rescuing hostages. He had the memories and scars to show for it, but that wasn’t something he really talked about.

Grace was his polar opposite.

She was petite—so petite that people often found her and Theo an odd pairing.

She had short, blonde hair. Mesmerizing blue eyes. And a constantly chipper attitude. She was about the same age as Alyssa, and even meeting online, the two had hit it off, becoming instant friends.

They hugged each other for a full minute, giggling and even spinning a couple of circles.

“So,” Grace said with a knowing, mischievous gleam in her eyes, “you don’t want to stay with us?”

“I always enjoy hanging out,” Alyssa said. “But…” She blushed and giggled.

“Plans have changed,” Grace said for her.

“In the best of ways.”

The women hugged again.

“I’m so happy for you!” Grace said.

A few feet away, Theo finished shaking Quinn’s hand. “You need any help?”

“I think I’m all good now.”

“I guess Alyssa filled Grace in and she told me all about it. Sounds like it’s been an eventful couple of days.”

“You can say that again. But not all bad. Far from it.” Quinn looked over at Alyssa and then back at his friend. “I found my Little girl.”

“I’m happy for you, man,” Theo said. He looked over at the women. They were clearly brimming with excitement. “Speaking of the Little girls, I guess we need to roll out the surprise for them. But just know that if you need help, and I need to back your play, you know you can always count on me.”

“I know it. And I’m much obliged,” Quinn said.

Standing close by, Doc and Joe nodded, too. “That goes for us as well. The firefighters have offered, too,” Joe said.

“Oh, Lord help us. We don’t need those knuckleheads getting in the mix,” Quinn said with a grin.

He only wished the three men were around to hear the ribbing. It’s what they did. They wouldn’t take any offense to it. It wasn’t as if Quinn meant it, anyway.

“What’s our big surprise?” Janie asked, bouncing. “I can’t wait any longer, Daddy!”

Doc laughed. “I guess we’ve kept y’all waiting long enough. Come over here, girls.”

He led the way beyond the few buildings of Main Street, past the park, and to a small, grassy hill that was well-maintained and mowed. Quinn and the fireman kept up with the town property, often not having much to do as far as first responding went. Which was a good thing, of course.

This particular day, a giant, adult-sized Slip ‘N Slide had been rolled out, flowing downward with the earth’s natural slope. At the end, on level ground, was a large inflatable pool. The crystal-clear water shimmered in the morning sun.

Walker, Cane, and Austin were there, hooking up a hose to the slide.

“You cuties ready to have some fun?” Austin said.

The Littles cheered.

“Well, then I reckon all that’s left to do is to put on your bathing suits and then get to it,” Walker said.

The Littles cheered again. But when they all started to disperse, ready to change, Alyssa stayed behind.

“What’s up, honey?” Quinn asked.

“I’m just going to watch,” she said. She was trying to act as nonchalantly as possible, but it was evident something was bothering her.

“Why?” Quinn said. Though he suspected he already knew the answer. He’d seen the look on her face when Walker had mentioned bathing suits.

“I don’t have a bathing suit,” she whispered.

“No worries. Joe has you all fixed up over at the store.”

Another moment passed. She finally said, “I’m really all good. Thanks, though.”

He cocked his head to one side and arched an eyebrow. “Honey, tell Daddy what’s actually going on here.”

He wrapped his arms around her. The embrace gave her a bit of courage, but her voice was still trembling when she said, “I don’t want to wear a bathing suit in front of everyone. I’m too fat.”

He nodded, indicating that’s what he thought she’d say. He looked into her eyes as he brushed a strand of her hair back, tucking it behind her ear.

“Is that okay, Daddy?” she said.

“Honey, your body is your body. If you’re not comfortable wearing a bathing suit, then that is your business. We have other options, though. You could do shorts and a t-shirt.”

“You wouldn’t be upset with me?” she asked.

“Babydoll, I’ll never be upset with you over something like that. I want you to feel comfortable. I’ll always support you. At the same time, though, I don’t want you to miss out on the fun.”

By now, Janie was already out, wearing a tankini. She giddily ran toward the slide, grabbed one of the innertubes stacked at the entrance, did a belly flop onto it, and soared down the hill. She laughed the entire way, even as she splashed into the pool, walls of water on both sides of her cascading down.

Alyssa smiled. “That does look pretty fun.”

From the bottom, Janie yelled up, “Hey, Alyssa. You gonna do it?”

Alyssa sucked in her bottom lip as she thought it over. A moment later, she gave a relenting smile. “I’ll wear a bathing suit, Daddy.”

“You sure you’re comfortable, honey? I want you to be completely at ease.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I hope no one throws up, though. I almost barf every time I see my fat body. I’m sure everyone else will, too.”

“Whoa there, little missy,” Quinn said, shaking his head. His eyes held an intensity as he said, “That’s the kind of talk that will earn you a spanking. I’d never spank you for having a negative self-image. I don’t like it, but you don’t need to be disciplined over it. But you can control your tongue. And I won’t tolerate you saying such nasty things about yourself. Am I clear, little girl?”

She gulped. “Yes, Daddy.”

He relented with a smile. “Good. Now come on. Let’s go get you outfitted so you can hit up that slide.”

He kissed her forehead, took her hand, and led her toward the store.

His words were still ringing in her ears. She made a mental note not to cross the line.

Because it was clear that Daddy meant business.