Page 24 of Tiffanie

After swallowing, he looked at her with a smile. “That’s darn good if I say so myself.”

“I can’t eat all of that,” Tiffanie warned him, pointing at the bowl.

“We’ll work on it together. You’ll share with Daddy, right?” he asked as he offered her another bite.

She nodded and opened her mouth eagerly. How did Phineas make everything better? She decided not to worry about that and to enjoy their time together.

Chapter Ten

When yawns stretched Tiffanie’s jaw again in the early evening, Phineas knew she needed to go to bed. He didn’t want her to leave. This time with her was precious.

“Princess, you’re getting sleepy. Would you like to stay here tonight or shall I take you back to the carriage house?”

“I could stay here?”

“Of course. I’ll phone Ivan to tell him you’re fine and resting.”

“He’ll worry if I don’t return to the carriage house.”

Phineas brushed her hair back from her face. “You get to make decisions, Little girl. Ivan has supported you tremendously, but he’s aware you’re an adult.”

That suggestion surprised her. “You’re right. I’m an adult. I’ll call him. That is if you’re sure you’d like me to sleep here.”

“I’d keep you here permanently if I could, Princess.”

“Why?”

“Why would I want you with me?” he asked.

“Yes. I mean, I’m not a lot of fun these days,” Tiffanie said, glancing away as her mouth turned downward.

Phineas cupped her chin, raising her gaze to mesh with his. “I’ve had an amazing time with you. I’ve cherished every moment you’ve spent with me. We don’t have to play flag football in the backyard just to have fun.”

The corners of her mouth twitched upward in amusement. “Flag football?”

“Full contact seemed a bit much,” he teased.

“Let me talk to Ivan.”

“Okay. Would you like me to give you some privacy, Princess?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll go start a bubble bath for you.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely.”

Phineas grabbed her phone from the coffee table and handed the device to her. He kissed her lightly before exiting the room. Following through on his plan, he turned on the water in the tub and adjusted the temperature to be warm but not too hot. He grabbed the bubble bath he’d stocked months ago under the sink and poured some of the lavender-scented mixture into the tub before setting the bottle on the edge. If he had his way, his Little girl would soak here often.

A knock on the doorframe drew his attention to the waif-like figure who stood there. “Ivan wants to speak to you.”

“Okay. Why don’t you go potty while I talk to your brother.”

She nodded and hesitated.

He removed the phone gently from her. “Go, Princess. I’ll be back in a minute.”

When she disappeared, he walked through the bedroom into the hall to get away from the rushing water filling the tub. “Ivan, I’ll take care of her.”