Discovering Daisy (Little Star Cruises #2)

Chapter Six

The shop closed about three that afternoon.

Daisy made her way to the top deck and spotted Captain Reagan and Nelly as they walked around, greeting passengers.

“Good afternoon, Little Daisy. How was your first day?”

“It was wonderful, sir! Thank you so much for inviting me!”

“I’m so glad it’s been good. And thank you for coming. When my Little Nelly saw your toys and showed me, we knew you belonged right here on the Little Star.”

“Sir?”

“Yes, honey?”

“I feel guilty about closing the shop so early.”

“Don’t,” the captain said. “Remember? Part of the stipulation of being here is that you take some time to have fun. Staying open until three gives everyone plenty of time to shop. And it still gives you plenty of time to enjoy yourself each day. This is a big ship. There’s lots to do. Go explore.”

She giggled. “Thank you, sir.”

“What do you want to do first?” Nelly asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been on a cruise ship before.” Daisy looked around and grinned at the sight of one of the pools. There were big, twisting waterslides, too. Littles were laughing as they zoomed off them and into the water. “That looks pretty fun.”

“Want to play in a little bit?” Nelly asked. “I’ll do some slides with you.”

“I’d love that!” Daisy said. “I need to drop by the store and get some Little clothes.” She giggled. She would be buying diapers, too, but she was still a little embarrassed to acknowledge that aloud.

“That’s a good place to start,” Captain Reagan said. “Remember, as an employee, you get a monthly allowance at the store. So don’t worry about spending your own money if you stay within that budget.”

“Thank you again, sir. For everything. This is a dream come true!”

“We’re just glad you’re a part of the Little Star family,” he said.

She solidified the plans to meet up with Nelly later, told them goodbye, and then happily skipped toward the ship’s main store. Once there, she found it sold a little bit of everything. Well, everything a Little could need.

At first, she was hesitant to be so openly shopping for such items. But she quickly realized she needn’t worry. Other Littles were doing the exact same thing. She fit right in around there. It was quite refreshing.

So, she loaded her shopping cart with diapers, some outfits, and a new pacifier. She stayed within her monthly allowance, so nothing came out of pocket and she even had some leftover. She’d come back later on, when she ran low on diapers, wipes, and that sort of thing. For now, she was stocked up.

“Looks like you picked up some cute stuff,” a familiar voice said.

She looked up to see the man who’d come into her shop earlier. Was he following her? Or was this just a coincidence?

“They have a great selection here,” she said meekly.

“I just realized I never introduced myself. My name is Evan Clark.”

“Daisy,” she said, not offering any more of her name than that which was polite. Of course, he’d already seen it on her store’s sign earlier.

That apprehension was back, roiling in the pit of her stomach. For some reason, this guy was just rubbing her the wrong way.

“Do you have a Daddy to put those diapers on you?” he asked.

She was taken aback by the question. She knew a lot of people booked this cruise in the hope of finding a partner, but this guy was being quite forward and very soon. They didn’t even know each other.

“No,” she said.

She didn’t really want to answer but felt obligated.

“As I said earlier, maybe we could have dinner. How about tonight?”

She thought it over for a moment.

What’s wrong with you, Daisy? He’s hot! You’ve been wanting to meet a Daddy. What if he’s the one?

But despite what her brain was saying, her gut was saying something else. And Wyatt had told her to trust her gut.

“I already have plans with a friend,” she said, thankful that it wasn’t a lie. True, she and Nelly didn’t have dinner plans, but that wasn’t any of this guy’s business. She didn’t owe him an explanation.

He gave a conciliatory nod. “Perhaps another time.”

She nodded, too, forced a smile, and then moved on.

She took her purchases out onto the deck and back toward her cabin. A chill that started on the back of her neck and spread down into her shoulder blades and back told her she was being watched.

She glanced behind her and saw Evan. He was acting nonchalantly. And perhaps he wasn’t actually spying on her. But it sure felt like he was.

She kept walking, trying to forget about him, when she ran into Captain Reagan and Nelly again.

“Is everything okay?” the captain asked.

Daisy realized the nervousness she felt must be written all over her face. What should she tell Captain Reagan? Evan hadn’t done anything to her. It was merely a feeling she had. That feeling was growing, but it was still just a hunch. She had nothing concrete to base it on.

After a moment of reflection, she said, “Yeah. There’s a guy that’s…coming on a little strong. I think he really wants to find a Little.”

The captain sighed. “We get that sometimes. Bigs wanting so badly to find a Little that they are overbearing. Rarely happens with Mommies. Sometimes we have Littles pursuing Bigs really hard, but more often than not, it’s a Daddy wanting a little girl.” He paused for a moment before saying, “Do you feel safe?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you sure? We take this sort of thing very seriously. In fact, we have a large security force right here on the ship. Some wear uniforms. Others you’ve seen but didn’t even recognize that they are cops. They’re our plain clothes unit and they mingle, blending in with the passengers. But they’re always around. And they have arresting authority on this ship when we’re out to sea.”

“Oh, no, sir” Daisy said. “This man hasn’t done anything like that . Nothing to get arrested over. He’s just…pushy.”

“I understand,” Captain Reagan said. “Still, I’d feel better if you’d point him out to me. I want to keep an eye on things.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, before casually glancing around and indicating Evan.

“Thank you, honey. I’d also feel better if you had a sponsor. Just for this week. I know the Little Star will be your home for a while, but it’s all new to you. So, we often pair unaccompanied Littles with Bigs. This isn’t a matchmaking thing. Just giving you a point of contact in case you need anything. Someone to check on you. And I know the perfect guy. He’s a good man and I’d trust him with my Little Nelly.”

Daisy nearly giggled. Was she being assigned a Daddy? It was only for a few days, sure, but still! A Daddy. And if Captain Reagan selected this man, she knew he’d be safe.

“In fact, there he is now,” the captain said, raising his arm and waving at a man who was coming up out of the pool.

His muscular shoulders bulged as he put his palms on the mouth of the swimming area and hoisted himself up and out of the water. Some of that water clung to him in the form of little beads that shimmered in the sun as they stayed planted on his tight, washboard abs.

Daisy nearly licked her lips.

She forgot all about that luscious body, however, when her eyes got to his face. She almost staggered backwards in shock.

There, walking toward them, was her Daddy for the week.

There was Wyatt McCall.