Free Girl's by Darla Phelps Page A

in the orange glow of the rising sun, she hugged Bear close, tucking him right up under her chin. "Nanna was his mother. When she took me away from Holly, that's when he and his girlfriend ran off to Florida. He couldn't even stand to be in the same state with me."
    "It's not your fault that he's a fool."
    She stared out across the now empty meadow; the deer having vanished into the woods on the far side. "No, but because of me he stopped talking to Nanna. He never called or wrote her. Holly said he wouldn't come to her funeral because he didn't want to run into me."
    David was glad that she wasn't watching him at that moment to see the pained expression that flit across his face. Briefly, he closed his eyes.
    "He's got four kids," she said softly. "The oldest is fifteen, and they all live with him."
    His arms tightened around her. Though her hurt was carefully masked by the stark neutrality of her tone, he heard it anyway.
    "Holly says he loves them. I was just a bad part of his life that he wanted to forget, I guess."
    "You call your mother by her first name?"
    "After Nanna took me from her, she asked me to. Said it made us seem more like sisters, and folks would think it less odd since I lived with Nanna and not her."
    "Sounds as though Nanna was the best possible thing for you."
    Meg smiled and her eyes softened. "She was a first class lady. She would have liked you."
    "Think so?"
    She tipped her face up to him again. "She always said the only man worth loving was one who knew how to take proper care of a girl. Except for the spankings, I think you've taken care of me pretty good so far."
    The corners of his mouth turned lazily upward. "Spanking is every bit as important in caring for a little girl, as are hugging, loving, feeding and changing. Speaking of which..." He ran a hand down to her hip, over her thigh to slip between her skin and the elastic band. He checked the front of her diaper. "You're still dry."
    "I do need to use the bathroom," she shyly admitted. "I just didn't want to get up because you're so warm."
    "I should have put you in your pajamas, but I was afraid we'd miss this." He sipped his coffee, making no effort to let her up.
    She squirmed. Just mentioning the bathroom had brought her need to go there quite firmly to her mind, and the urge was getting much, much stronger. And after just waking up, too...Oh, she wished she hadn't drunk that hot chocolate! She started to sit up, but rather than letting her go, he only held her closer. "Um, Daddy? I really hafta go."
    "I know." He stroked her shoulder and arm. "I think you should use your diaper from now on."
    Meg blanched. Oh, she couldn't! She just, just couldn't! "I'll wear the diaper, but I won't-I-I wanna use the, um...the big girl potty."
    She fidgeted nervously when his look turned stern and focused hard on her. "Little girl, that sounded suspiciously as though you were telling me what you would and would not be doing. I am not bargaining with you; I'm telling you, you will use your diaper like a good baby girl until I say otherwise."
    "All the time?"
    "Upon occasion I might allow you to use the big girl potty, but you'll have to ask my permission. And I'll tell you right now, it doesn't matter how nicely you ask, I'm not going to allow it at any time today."
    "But why?" she whined.
    "Because you need to understand that you'll be taken care of, in all aspects, both the pleasant and the unpleasant, for as long as you are with me. And you don't know that yet. If you did, you wouldn't think I'm constantly on the verge of wanting to get rid of you."
    "I don't think that." She half-laughed, but the look on her face was anything but amused. "I-"
    "Yesterday you were afraid I'd send you home because you told that little lie. You didn't want to drive down to begin with because you'd all but convinced yourself that I wouldn't want you, despite all I've said to the contrary. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least two occasions during our