Discovering Daisy (Little Star Cruises #2)

Chapter Eight

It felt strange for Daisy to be dressed so Little in public like that.

She wore a pink tankini. The bottoms weren’t big enough to cover the bulky swim diaper she had on beneath them, and she was pretty sure she’d caught Wyatt taking a peek at her padded bottom a few times.

She didn’t mind one bit. She even played it up, making sure he had a good view. She knew what Daddies liked. She might as well give him a show, she figured.

But that was as far as her bravado went.

On their way to the pool, they passed a Daddy pushing an adult-sized stroller that held a smiling woman of about forty years old. She waved at them, the smile behind her pacifier evident.

Daisy and Wyatt waved back.

A few moments later, they passed another Daddy who was applying sunscreen to his Little. That woman wore only a swim diaper and a bikini top. Her Daddy was lecturing her vigorously about the rules of the pool, ending the discussion by saying he’d spank her bottom if she did anything dangerous.

Daisy admired how open they all were.

Could she get to that point? Could she admit her desires—and needs—to Wyatt? It might be tough. They didn’t know each other well, she admitted.

Or did they?

It sure felt as if they did.

Despite having only met the day before, it seemed as if they’d known each other their whole lives.

Like they were made for one another.

“Daisy!” Nelly said, running along the pool’s deck toward her new friend.

Daisy ran, too, and the Littles hugged amidst the deck chairs and chaise lounges that lined the swimming area. Wyatt let them have their moment, but then he cleared his throat and said, “Girls. Running is dangerous. There’s a lot of water on the ground here.” He eyed Nelly first. “Do you want me to tell your Daddy what I saw?”

She gulped and hung her head. “No, sir.”

He nodded. “It can be our little secret. But if you do it again, I’ll be forced to tell him. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

He then looked at Daisy. “Honey, I’ve been charged with looking after you. It’s my job to keep you safe. That means, if you force me to, I’ll pull that little diaper down and spank that cute little bottom of yours until you’ve learned a lesson. Do you understand?”

Her eyes went wide. She choked down the lump in her throat and said, “Yes, sir.”

“So what are you not going to do?” he prompted.

“Run on the deck, sir.”

He nodded with a smile. “Good girl. Now go have fun. Just stay safe.”

The women held hands, their smiles having returned, and happily skipped off toward the pool and the water slides.

Wyatt chuckled as he sat down in one of the chairs and watched the happy Littles.

His heart was full.

That sweet little girl had captured it.

***

The women played for quite a while, and by the time they said goodbye for the evening, Daisy was hungry and tired.

She ran to her room and changed while Wyatt went back to his cabin and did the same. They met up in the main dining room.

“They have dino nuggets!” Daisy said, looking at the food she’d pulled from the buffet. “My favorite.”

She sat at the table across from Wyatt.

“I didn’t know they had dinosaur meat. Huh,” he said wryly.

She rolled her eyes but chuckled.

“At least you gave me a courtesy laugh,” he said.

She grinned. “It was mildly amusing. At best.”

“Hey!” He acted as if he was going to throw a roll at her.

She laughed and stuck out her tongue.

They ate for a few minutes before she said, “I should have known you were headed to Florida to board the Little Star. You gave off so many Daddy vibes back in Georgia.”

“And I should’ve known you were coming here, too, with all those Little vibes,” he said.

“It’s that obvious?”

“Your stuffie was buckled in the front seat.”

She giggled and nodded. “Hedy is my best friend.”

“That’s a pretty name. Is there a story behind it?”

Her mind flashed back to when Evan had asked a similar question. The difference now was that she didn’t mind telling Wyatt one bit. She wanted him to know everything about her.

“Do you know who Hedy Lamarr was?”

“An actress, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Daisy said with a nod. “I love old movies and she’s one of my favorite actresses. I grew up in foster care. Times could be…tough. You know?”

He nodded, encouraging her to go on.

“I’d watch old movies and dream I knew those stars.” She laughed. “I always wanted to hangout with Hedy Lamarr the most. She was so classy and elegant! The local library had a biography and I read and re-read that thing a dozen times. I learned that besides being in some classic films, she also invented things. She even invented a system during World War Two that jammed up the Nazi submarines, so they couldn’t torpedo the Allies.” She shrugged. “She’s kind of my hero.”

“Really? I didn’t know that about her,” Wyatt said.

Daisy bobbed her head again. “I invent things, too. Nothing as important as what Hedy Lamarr did. Just toys and stuff. But I’m always coming up with designs and plans. And now that Captain Reagan invited me to be on the Little Star, I’m making a career out of it. It’s a dream come true!”

Wyatt smiled across the table, his eyes shining with unbridled affection, as he listened to Daisy. Finally, after a moment of letting her words sink in, he said, “I’m so happy for you, Daisy.”

“Thank you,” she said.

They ate some more. A moment later, she said, “What brings you to the Little Star? Are you looking for a Little?”

He chuckled. “Oh, I found my Little before I even got here,” he said, giving her a knowing smile and a wink.

She sank a little in her chair, a grin splitting her cute, angelic face.

Wyatt continued. “But I actually came here to talk business with Captain Reagan. You know that farm I mentioned back in Georgia?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I own it with two other guys. They’re Daddies, too. And we’ve dreamed of opening it as a tourist attraction for Littles. Captain Reagan wanted to hear our proposal. He’s coming onboard the project as a partner. If all goes according to plan, Little Star Farms will open next year.”

“That’s amazing!” Daisy said. “I’m so happy for you! Hey, we’re both getting to live our dreams.”

“That’s right,” Wyatt said. “And I have a feeling our dreams are going to intersect even more, Little Daisy.” He raised his glass of wine and said, “To dreams.”

She raised her glass, too, and clinked it against his—just like the toast back at the mechanic’s shop. “To dreams,” she said.

At that moment, she saw past Wyatt, across the room, and noticed Evan was watching her from his own table.

That uneasiness roiled in the pit of her stomach. It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. Wyatt was there now.

She had nothing to fear.

Ever again.