Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
“Listen to me,” he ordered, cupping her chin in his hand. “He was lying to you. You’re an amazing artist and this picture should never be ripped up. None of them should. Doesn’t matter how good or bad they are.”
Shoot.
How had she not seen what her father was doing to her? How he was trying to undermine her confidence?
“I never saw what he was doing.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to see it while you’re living it. But when you’re away from it, then you can have some more perspective.”
Yeah, she guessed he was right.
“Perhaps you can draw another picture after your snack,” he said. “And your punishment.”
“My punishment? Why? I haven’t been naughty!”
“Did you forget about yesterday?” he asked.
Well. Hell.
She kind of had.
“I think we could forget about that, don’t you, Daddy?” she asked.
“Not happening, little girl. You need to eat your snack and then we can get that punishment over and done with. Then you can draw some more before lunch and a nap.”
Yikes.
He had everything planned out. Casey wasn’t really a planner. She preferred to go with the flow.
“I really don’t feel like being spanked today, though, Daddy,” she told him. “Perhaps we could schedule that on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? In a few days?”
“No, next year.”
He snorted. “Nice try, little girl. Not happening. You’re getting punished today.” He grabbed the plate of food from the tray and set it down in front of her.
Casey wrinkled her nose. “Uh, Daddy, what is this?”
“This is your snack.”
“But . . . but it’s vegetables! Vegetables aren’t a snack! They’re the thing that you try to avoid eating at dinner. A snack is cookies and milk. Or doughnuts. They’re a great snack.”
Poor Daddy. He really needed her help if he thought that this was a snack. He’d taken away her candy stash so she was dying for a sugar hit. And the carrot and cucumber slices with ranch dipping sauce just weren’t going to help her with her cravings.
“Those things aren’t good for you.”
“Food doesn’t always have to be good for you, Daddy,” she complained. “It can be sugar and carbs, you know.”
“I know. In moderation. But you seem to live on sugar and not much else. I’m worried about the state of your teeth.”
“I am not going to the dentist.”
Not. Happening.
And she didn’t care about her disintegrating tooth.
He just gave her a stern look.
“I want a lollipop.”
“Excuse me?” he said.
Oops. It seems that she might have forgotten her manners due to the lack of sugar in her blood.
“Please may I have a lollipop?” she asked.
There. Now she’d get some sugary goodness.
“No.”
She gasped so much that she actually slid onto her back. “What?”
He loomed over her, shaking his head. “That’s very dramatic. Sit up.”
“I can’t. I think I’m stuck. You said that I had to ask for a lollipop when I wanted one.”
“I did.”
“Then why isn’t there one in my mouth?” She pointed at her mouth for emphasis before he helped her up.
“Because you don’t need more sugar. You need some healthy food. If you’re a good girl you might get something later.”
“I have to be a good girl?” she wailed. “This sucks. I’ve been duped.”
“You’re being very dramatic, little girl. And if you don’t want to find yourself standing in the corner, then you’ll eat your veggies.”
“Nope. Not happening. And I’m not standing in the corner.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Corner time sucked.
It really, really sucked.
Nobody ever told you how boring it was. All right, so she’d never met an adult who had been given corner time as a punishment. She guessed that if she had they would likely tell her it was boring.
Because there was no way that anyone would find this interesting.
She sighed. Loudly.
“Little girl, you need to be quiet while in the corner. Your time will now start over again.”
Drat.
Finally, about twenty hours later, she was let out of the corner. She was so hungry and thirsty that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk over to Daddy.
Stumbling, she headed toward him.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you in pain? Is it your foot?” he asked worriedly.
“No, I was standing there for a thousand years without any food or water. I’m dying.”
He snorted and then picked her up, putting her on his hip. “I suppose you best have a nap, then, if you’re so exhausted.”
“What? Noooo. I’m not tired, Daddy.” She plastered a wide smile on her face. “I just need a drink and some yummy veggie snacks.”
He set her down in front of the plate of snacks and she picked up a piece of carrot, dipping it into the ranch.
Actually, that wasn’t that bad.
Who knew?
Jeb was surprised by how relaxed he felt.
There were always a million things that needed doing on the ranch. Normally, his mind was always on his to-do list.
But it felt quiet in his brain today.
And it was because of her. Because of how she made him feel.