Page 48 of Daddy’s Hunted Bride

Okay, well, that actually sounds like a lot of freaking fun. “What kind of movies? Can we pick?”

“Auntie Gray picks the movie,” she says firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We learned the hard way that anything else just causes lots of fighting and tears and sore bottoms.”

“Oh.” Having seen my friends in action, I can easily believe that asking them to all agree on a movie would be… an experience. “What did you pick for tonight?”

Head tilted to the side, she studies me. For a moment, I’m sure she’s going to tell me to get my butt upstairs or threaten my sitting privileges.

But neither of those things happen.

“Well, we’re working our way through the princesses. I think we’re up to Ariel now, and after that I was thinking we’d watch this cute robot movie I found.”

Ugh. I should have known we’d be stuck watching little kid movies. “Can’t we watch something more grown up? Maybe a scary movie?”

“Absolutely not, little girl. I will not be responsible for you all having nightmares.”

Insult pricks at the base of my spine. “I won’t have nightmares. I love scary movies.”

“Little girls do not need to be watching those kinds of movies, Vanessa Dawn.”

Crossing my arms, I stomp my foot, well aware the movement makes me seem exactly like the Little girl they’ve declared me to be. “You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my Daddy!”

“What’s going on in here?”

Uh-oh. Instinctively, my hands fly behind me to protect my bottom. But even under the threat of a spanking, I’m not willing to give up my position. “Auntie Gray says I can’t watch scary movies anymore.”

Dane’s mouth dips down into a frown as he looks over at his sister. “Did you tell her that?”

For the first time since I’ve met her, Gray looks uncertain of herself. “Well, yeah. She’s only a Little girl, Dane.”

“She’s my Little girl. And I’ve already discussed this with her. We’re going to give one scary movie a try, and as long as she doesn’t have any nightmares, I’m fine with her continuing to watch them.”

Ha. Take that, Auntie Gray.

Now it’s Gray who crosses her arms, her chin jerking up as she stares down her brother. “Fine. But not with the others. I’m not going to be up all night with a bunch of crying Little girls because a scary movie gave them all nightmares.”

Seemingly giving Gray’s stance serious consideration, Dane nods slowly. “That’s understandable.” Turning, he crouches in front of me, his dark eyes full of such compassion it forms a lump in my throat. “How about this? You go upstairs with your Auntie and your cousins, enjoy some silly movies, and one night soon we’ll have our own movie night with whatever monster or serial killer or ghostie you want to watch. Deal?”

His deal still requires me to go watch movies I have absolutely zero desire to see. But I know a compromise when I hear one, and I also know the Thorne siblings aren’t big on compromise.

So maybe I can play along with the whole “Little girl” thing just a while longer.

“Deal.”

A wide grin spreads across his face. “That’s my girl. Run on upstairs and help your cousins set up your fort, and Auntie Gray will be up in a bit.”

“Okay, Daddy!”

Hurrying away—but not actually running, because I know all too well how that will end for me—I make my way up to the second floor, where my friends are busy hauling every single blanket out of a linen closet in the hallway.

“Nessie!” Josie squeals when she spots me. “We were worried you weren’t coming! I know you’re not really into animated movies and stuff.”

“Josie says you like really scary movies.” Eyes wide, Tabby stares at me over an armful of blankets and pillows. “I don’t know how you can like those. I’d have nightmares forever.”

“Not me!” As if to punctuate her declaration of fearlessness, Lanie drops her stack of blankets and leaps into something approximating a karate stance, her hands held up like she’s about to chop someone. “I’d fight off any monster that tried to attack us.”

I can’t help but giggle at how fierce she looks. “And then your Daddy would spank your butt for doing something dangerous.”

Straightening, she grins and shrugs, as if it doesn’t bother her in the least. “Yeah, probably. But it would be fun until then!”