Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“It is. Do you like Italian food?”
“I am a mozzarella fanatic. Lasagna rocks!”
“What else do you like?”
“Oh, I’ll eat anything.”
“Except carrots?” he reminded her.
“Oh, I’m not big on vegetables. Or fish. It’s too… fishy.”
Caden chuckled. “I’ll take you to my favorite fishing hole. There’s nothing like fresh fried catfish.”
Brooklyn wrinkled her nose, obviously not convinced. The beeping of the microwave interrupted their conversation. Caden poked at the lasagna and set it for ten more minutes.
“I’ll set the table,” Brooklyn volunteered.
“Thank you, little girl. The silverware is in that drawer, and the napkins are on the table.”
He poured milk into a glass for him and a sippy cup for Brooklyn as she completed her task in silence. Her expression was focused as she folded the napkins and arranged the forks on the correct side. He mentally noted the importance of including her in activities. She wanted to contribute.
When the microwave beeped for a second time, he dished up healthy sized portions for them both and carried them over to the table. Normally, he’d eat a salad with such a heavy meal, but this lasagna was his own creation. He’d tweaked the recipe to include zucchini noodles and the traditional ones and layered in veggies as well. He hadn’t anticipated serving it to his little girl, but it would provide a lot of nutrients he suspected she rarely got.
“You drink a lot of milk,” she commented, taking a big drink from her cup.
“It’s good for me and you.”
“It would be better with chocolate added to it,” she suggested.
“That would be fun for a change,” he agreed, thanking Jerico’s suggestion that he include it in his order. Koa, Jerico, and Zale had collaborated on what he should add. Hank had come up with an idea that had made everyone stop and stare at him before each daddy pulled out their phone to make a note. Caden had added those to his list as well.
Brooklyn took a small bite and chewed happily. “This is so good.” Her next bite was larger.
“I’m glad you like it,” Caden said, eating a forkful as she poked at the stacked dish. He kept his amusement from showing on his face as she discovered his additions to the traditional dish.
“What’s green in lasagna?” she asked.
“That recipe has zucchini and green peppers. It goes so well with the tomato sauce and cheese.” Caden wouldn’t try to fool her. That would only make her more hesitant to try things.
“I haven’t ever had those in this dish before.”
“What do you think?” he asked casually.
She took another bite and chewed. “Mmm. It’s good. I usually only like zucchini raw with ranch dressing as a dip, but smothered in cheese is tasty.”
“Awesome. I’m glad you like it.” Caden changed the subject to avoid a discussion of anything else she hadn’t discovered yet. “I don’t suppose you made me another picture for the refrigerator?”
“I thought about it,” she confessed.
“But the coloring books were in here,” he finished for her.
“Yes.” Brooklyn focused on her plate with a guarded look as if she were waiting for him to yell at her.
“Well, they’ll be there tomorrow while I’m at work. Would you color one for me if you have time in your play schedule?”
Her eyes flew up to meet his. The corners of her mouth curled upward as she figured out he wasn’t angry at her. “I’d love to.”
“Perfect. Tonight, I thought we’d deal with the food delivery after dinner and maybe watch a cartoon.”
“That sounds like fun. Isn’t there something you’d rather see, like the news or something?”
“I listened to the news on the way home. Are you interested in what’s going on in politics?” he asked.
Immediately, she shook her head. “No way. They just yell at each other and get angry.”
“Unfortunately, they do that a lot. We’ll stick to cartoons. Would you like Daddy to give you a bubble bath tonight?”
“Give me one?” she asked.
“Littles sometimes forget the bath part while they’re playing in the bubbles. I have some fun tub toys.”
“Oh.” She took three more bites of her lasagna before peeking up at him again. “I’ve never had a daddy before, but usually in books I’ve read…” Her voice trailed off as if she struggled to say something.
“Brookie, you can ask your daddy anything you wish.”
“You won’t laugh at me?”
“Only if you tell me a knock, knock joke,” he promised.
Caden noticed she’d stopped eating. He cut a piece of his lasagna and held it to her lips. Automatically, she opened her mouth for him to feed her. As she chewed, he tried to reassure Brooklyn.
“How about if I tell you the type of relationship I would like to have with my little girl? Then you can tell me if that matches what you’re interested in or not.”
She nodded eagerly.
“For me, being a daddy is both a nurturing emotional relationship and a physical one. I’m attracted to your little side as well as your beautiful adult body.”