Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Essie allowed herself to relax and just be real. She didn’t need to suck in her stomach or take three bites and say she was too full to eat anymore. Zander didn’t pay attention to what she consumed other than to offer her another taste. When she said she was full, he continued to feed himself, holding an extra forkful to her lips to see if she wanted more without pressure.
Hanging out with Zander made Essie happy. She supposed that was the biggest clue that he was what she needed. With him, everything seemed better, easier, and less stressful—even when things went wrong. His presence calmed her because she could rely on him to be in her corner.
The simmering heat that always connected them fascinated Essie. Who knew that she could be a femme fatale? Flirting with Zander had delicious consequences. She didn’t worry if she looked silly or if her butt was too big. Zander showed her every day how attractive he found her.
“Daddy? How did we get so lucky?”
“To find each other?” he asked. His eyebrows drew together slightly as he focused totally on her.
“Yes. And….” She waved a hand between herself and Zander. “You know the Daddy thing.”
Zander wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I’m a very blessed Daddy to have found my special Little girl. Many people search all their lives to meet the one person who checks their boxes.”
“Would you have settled for someone who didn’t enjoy being a Little girl?”
“Truthfully? Who knows, Essie? I can’t predict what I would have done if I’d totally lost hope. Thank goodness you kept searching as well.”
They stared at each other for a few long seconds, and she got lost in the thought of what could have been. Zander drew her forward to press a soft kiss on her lips. That gentle touch reverberated inside her. He absolutely meant the world to her.
When his lips lifted from hers, Essie relaxed with her head on his shoulder. She wanted to ask what he saw happening for them in the future, but that question seemed too much like she was hinting at an engagement. Was he considering marriage? Was that what she wanted?
Everything had happened so fast. She didn’t want to rush him or herself. Essie decided to wait until Zander brought up the topic of the future. Until then, she planned to enjoy being his Little girl.
Chapter Eighteen
The next day in her office, Essie smiled at the handsome man sitting in the chair on the other side of her desk. “Thank you for thinking of Ferguson’s Folly for your event, Mr. Cunningham. Is this a celebration? A meeting? How can I help you?”
“Call me Mark, Essie. I’m here to schedule a surprise engagement party. Special and memorable. I attended the fairy ball, and the twinkling lights in the ballroom were phenomenal. I wanted something that magical for this night.”
“Congratulations. That is a special event. Can I assume your future fiancée doesn’t know you plan to ask her soon?” Essie maintained her smile even though her gut twisted inside her. She was happy for the couple, but the engagement seemed too close to her thoughts last night. She couldn’t help but be a tad jealous she wasn’t the one getting a gorgeous ring and a life partner.
“I’m confident she’s thinking about marrying me, too, but I’d like to catch her off-guard. So, I’ll have to get her here under the pretense of another event. I thought perhaps this could be a fundraiser for the local library. Jill spent hours there as a child and still visits regularly to check out books. Her best friend is a librarian.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. And you could gather your family and friends at that type of event because a library fundraiser is an event your circle would support normally. How many are you planning to invite?”
“What’s the maximum the ballroom could handle?” Mark asked.
Essie controlled her excitement at the prospect of another large event. Ferguson’s Folly would definitely be profitable if she could continue to schedule gatherings like this. “The ballroom will hold one hundred and fifty. Are you thinking of a party that large?”
“Let’s plan for one hundred. Could I still use the ballroom?” he asked.
“Definitely. That’s a great number in that beautiful room. That will give us space to set up refreshments and maybe a champagne fountain, if that’s something you’re interested in?” Essie suggested.
“You’re reading my mind. Can we check for dates?”
“Let’s look at the calendar. When were you planning to ask her?”
“The ring will be ready in two weeks. Maybe three weeks from now, just in case the jeweler can’t size the ring quickly?” Mark said.
“That’s totally doable. I have Saturday night open in three weeks. Does that work for you?” Essie said.
“That’s exactly the day I wanted. This will be perfect. Can you figure out decorations that would have both a love and a book theme?”