Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Oh God, the mouse!
Where was that little rodent? It was a sneaky thing. If it was in here somewhere . . .
Uh-oh.
“There’s just one small, teensy problem.”
“What would that be?”
“I can’t reach the door from the toilet.”
“You’re still on the toilet?” he asked with clear alarm. “What’s wrong? Do you have a tummy ache? Are you having trouble peeing? Is it a UTI? I’ll get a doctor here immediately.”
“No, no, no.” Sheesh. Talk about jumping to conclusions. “It’s not any of that. I’m standing on the toilet.”
“Why would you stand on the toilet? Seems a strange way to pee.”
“I wasn’t peeing while standing on the toilet! I’ve already peed. I got up here because of the mouse!”
“It’s in the bathroom?”
“I don’t know!” she cried. “But it could be. So now I’m standing on the toilet. Oh wait, if I climb over the counter then swing on the top of the shower, I could reach the door with my toes.”
“Do not do that! Do you hear me? I will blister your butt if you do.”
“Daddy, there’s no reason to be mean,” she complained. “I was just trying to do what you wanted.”
“Breaking your neck is not what I want.”
“I wasn’t going to break my neck. I’m an excellent climber.”
“I doubt that.”
She frowned at his muttered words. Surely, she hadn’t heard him right. Because she was an excellent climber.
“I want you to get off the toilet, carefully, then walk over and unlock the door.”
“The mouse—”
“The mouse isn’t in there, baby,” he told her.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Are you sure you’re sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure that I’m sure that I’m sure.”
That made perfect sense. And he did seem really sure.
She held her breath because everyone knew you had to do that when you were doing something scary, right? And then she jumped off the toilet, stubbed her toe on the cabinet, hopped around in circles on one foot, and then crashed into the door, managing to turn the handle so it unlocked. It swung in on her and she cried out, falling back.
Thankfully, the Fox reached out and grabbed her before she could land on the floor. He drew her up into his arms, holding her against his chest. His arm was firmly under her ass.
“Thanks, Daddy. That was a close one.”
“Did you hurt yourself?”
She sniffled, tears entering her eyes.
Alarm filled his face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I stubbed my toe.”
“How? What happened?”
“I jumped off the toilet, then ran toward the door, but I stubbed my toe on the cabinet. Then I was spinning around because I was hopping and I fell into the door and nearly fell on my butt. There was a lot of falling. It was traumatic.”
“It sounds traumatic. And none of it would have happened if you hadn’t locked the bathroom door in the first place.”
“Daddy, that’s not the problem. It was the mouse!”
“If you hadn’t locked the door, I could have come in and picked you up off the toilet and none of that would have happened. No more locked doors between us. Unless it’s the house doors. You must always lock them.”
“Daddy, sometimes you don’t make a lot of sense.”
“Just don’t lock a door between us unless it’s for safety.”
“But I was peeing! What if you’d walked in while I was using the toilet?”
“So? I’m your Daddy. I don’t care about that. Everyone pees.”
That didn’t mean she wanted him to see her peeing. Sheesh.
He carried her out to the kitchen and settled her on the counter. He looked around with a frown. “Where did he go? I told him to stay.”
Brody came rushing in from outside. “Oh. You’ve finished in the bathroom.” He stared at them worriedly. “Everything all right? Did something happen?”
“What goes on in the bathroom stays in the bathroom,” she said loudly. “And it’s private.”
Brody’s eyes widened. “Okay. I wasn’t asking for details.”
She grumbled under her breath, while the Fox drew off one of her socks, looking over her toes.
“Where did you go?” the Fox asked.
It took her a moment to realize that he was talking to Brody.
“Oh, um, out to the entrance.” Brody held up a bag. “Remembered I had left some takeaway on the hall table.”
“Is it Indian?” she asked, bouncing on the island counter.
“Yep. Might need to heat it up a bit. What happened? Did you hurt yourself?”
“Yep. I stubbed my toe.”
“Ouch,” he said with sympathy. “Poor Tutu.”
“I need cuddles. It’s been a very traumatic day.”
“Where does it hurt?” the Fox asked as he prodded her foot. “Here? Or here? Is it numb? That’s not a good sign.”
“Um, Daddy?”
“Yes, baby girl?”
“It’s my other foot.”
He glanced up at her. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I don’t know. You seemed to be enjoying yourself.”
He just shook his head and took off her other sock, studying her foot. He lightly pressed on her toe.
“Ouch, Daddy! Owie.”
“Can you wiggle your toes?” the Fox asked.