Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Micah

She had to hand it to him. Her Daddy was very good at this game. It turned out that "shining" had nothing whatsoever to do with gold, diamonds, or any other earthly gem. Or anything else to do with the planet Earth. He'd driven way up the mountain and once she'd seen the domes and the huge radar dish, she knew they were about to have a heavenly adventure.

And while great at keeping secrets, it seemed her Daddy did have one tiny little flaw.

Laughing, she twirled in a circle, tilted her head back and opened her mouth. Not to cry out in glee, but to try to catch an actual snowflake on her tongue. Tasting one, she swallowed and then threw her arms around Stone as he stood beside the Jeep shaking his head.

"This is fabulous!"

"This is ridiculous. I mean, snow? In Texas? In March?"

"I know! That's what makes it magical! We went from being hot while climbing over rocks in Terlingua to snow! It's like taking two vacations in one!"

"True enough, but I don't think all this trembling is due to excitement. You're not exactly dressed for an Arctic exploration."

Laughing again, Micah rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The shorts thankfully had remained dry, but they were definitely not warm. Neither was the short-sleeve t-shirt she was wearing. The only plus was that her Daddy had nixed the idea of wearing sandals for their day trip and had insisted she put on a pair of socks and tennis shoes, so at least her toes wouldn't freeze.

"Maybe we should go?—"

"To the gift shop!" she interrupted before he could even suggest they go back to the house. "I'm sure they have a sweater or maybe a blanket or something." When he still looked unsure, she tugged on his hand. "We've come all this way. If I get too cold, I'll just stand close to you. You're always a furnace."

Giving in, Stone allowed her to pull him along. "It is pretty," he admitted as they walked across the parking lot toward the buildings on a slight rise.

"It's beautiful," Micah corrected, lifting her hand to catch another flake. "I wonder if you can see where snowflakes come from if you look through one of those gigantic telescopes."

"Only one way to find out," Stone said as he reached over her head to push open the door to the gift shop. "But first, let's hope we can find you something warmer."

It turned out the staff at the McDonald Observatory weren't as caught off guard as their tourists were. Micah had her choice of not only long-sleeved t-shirts and sweaters, but hoodies of all kinds as well as sweatshirts, fleece-lined pants, thick socks, gloves, mittens, hats, and jackets. She was a bit overwhelmed and stood watching choices go by as her Daddy turned the rack.

"Maybe instead of a wetsuit, you should have packed a snowsuit," he mumbled as he paused the spin long enough to look at a sweatshirt that would likely come down to her ankles.

"I don't need much," Micah said. "It's only snowing because we are so high up. Just grab something, but perhaps a bit smaller. I want to sign up for the telescope before there aren't any slots left."

"Don't fret, I've already made reservations, but you are not going back outside until I'm positive you won't catch pneumonia."

While there were definite pros being married to a doctor, there were certainly some cons as well. If she so much as coughed, he was certain she was coming down with the Bubonic plague. Feeling a sneeze threatening and wanting to ward off any such concerns, Micah stepped around a corner only to discover an alcove where neatly folded hoodies were arranged by size on shelves. She found a pink one with a patch of the observatory's domes and a beautiful photo of the night sky on the back. Glittering rhinestones depicted constellations winking across that sky as well as down the sleeves and across the front. She added a pair of pink sweatpants sporting their own glittering groups of stars.

"Daddy, I'm going to go try these on, okay?"

Stone looked a bit startled to find her standing with her choices in her arms. "Where did you find those?"

"Right around the corner," she said, nodding toward the shelves. "If I wear anything you pick out from that rack, I'll look like the marshmallow man with all the rolls it will take to make anything fit."

"Okay, I'll come with you."

Micah freed one hand to hold it up. "Um, I don't think that's a good idea. We're not alone in here." When he looked about to protest, she added, "I'll come out and show you so you can approve anything before we buy it, okay?"

Stone looked around and then gave her a nod. "That'll work. Do you have socks in that pile?"

"Daddy, I have socks on already," she said, lifting a sneakered foot to waggle it.

"That reminds me, you'll need some boots," he said, totally ignoring the fact she also already had shoes on. "You change and I'll have some ready for you to try on when you come out."

Not wanting to waste time in an argument she'd have no chance on winning, Micah agreed and joined the line of ill-dressed tourists waiting for the changing rooms. She stood behind a tall woman with a gorgeous braid the color of burnished copper hanging down her back. But it was the smile she gave Micah that turned her from pretty to stunning.

"Hi, I'm Laurie. Let me guess, you're not from around here?" she asked, nodding at the clothing Micah was clasping.

"Well, I'm Micah and I'm from Texas, but all the way across the state in Houston. I've seen it snow maybe twice in my entire life and never in March. How about you?" She nodded at the sweatsuit hanging from a hanger the woman was holding.

"Louisiana, and I can't even remember it ever snowing there. It's pretty cool if you ask me."

"Definitely! I'll probably only wear this a few times, but my Dad… um, husband, is a bit of a hypochondriac. "

"Mine too, and I'm the one who's the nurse," Laurie said, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously? I'm a nurse too!"

"Small world," Laurie said and smiled as she held up the suit she was waiting to try on. "Speaking of small, you're pretty lucky being little."

When Micah gasped, Laurie giggled. "I don't mean that kind of Little , I mean petite. I'm almost as tall as my Dom and they don't have cute sweatsuits in my size."

Pretty shocked at understanding the woman not only knew about the kinkier definition of "Little" but spoke about her own "Dom," it took Micah a moment to react. The line moving forward helped galvanize her into action.

"Sure they do if you look in the right place. If you'll hold these for me and keep my place in line, I'll get you one."

"Really? You've got a deal!" Laurie said, opening her arms to accept Micah's choices. "If they have one in purple, I'll be your best friend for life!"

Micah laughed and excused herself as she ducked past the others in line and headed back toward the alcove to make another selection only to run smack dab into the brick wall of her Daddy's chest.

"Whoa, and where do you think you're going and what happened to the clothes you were supposed to change into? Didn't they fit?"

"I haven't tried yet. Laurie is holding them. I'm just getting her a different sweatsuit. Evidently her Daddy was shopping on the same rack you did. She's holding my place in line." About to step past him, she saw the items he was holding. "Oh, you already found boots?"

"And socks."

A pair of thick socks was held up. "Thanks, you're the best. I'll get them on my way back." Before he could respond, she had ducked under his arm and disappeared between another couple looking for warmer clothing. It didn't take her long to find a set, grabbing another just in case. As a nurse, she was pretty good at judging sizes, but was questioning the length of the pants as most of the patients she saw were lying on beds and not standing. She found Stone waiting outside the dressing room, speaking with another man.

"Thanks, Daddy, I'll be as quick as I can," Micah said, not even realizing she'd addressed him as such until she was back in line. Figuring it was too late to worry about it, she held up the hangers as best she could while not dropping the shoe box.

"Those look perfect! Thanks!" Laurie said. "I'm glad you found something better than plain old black, though the photo shows up pretty good on this one."

"But does it glitter?" Micah said, twirling the hanger around so Laurie could see the rhinestone constellations across the back.

Laurie's squeal reminded Micah of her own and had a few of the others in line laughing and several leaving after asking her where she'd found them.

When Laurie asked if she wanted to share a dressing room, Micah instantly agreed. They'd already been in line for several minutes and she wanted to get back outside. They were soon changed and admiring each other.

"We're twinsies," Laurie said, causing Micah to giggle.

"Well, we're definitely not identical, but we sure are cute! Let's just hope my Daddy gives his seal of approval."

"So you do have a Daddy," Laurie said with a knowing smile.

"Yes, and if I'm right, I think he's talking to your Dom just outside?"

After confirming the fact when Laurie described her Dom, the two left the changing room, telling the attendant they'd be right back. Exiting the dressing room area, they modeled their new ensembles for two very tall, very happy looking men.

"Do I pass?" Micah asked as she struck a pose.

"Not only do you pass, you've probably sold more of those hoodies in the last hour than the gift shop has all year," Stone said as he gestured to another woman carrying not one but two of the pastel hoodies.

"Maybe they'll give you a discount," Laurie said before looking up at her Dom. "Oh, this is my new friend Micah."

"Hello, Micah, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Brody."

"Oops, guess I forgot that part," Laurie said. "Okay, we better get back. The line looks even longer now and they're going to need our room."

"Just grab your other clothes and wear what you have on," Stone said.

"Um, we need to pay for them," Micah said.

"No worries, I'll just plop you on the counter and they can scan you," Stone said.

Micah hoped he was kidding because she could actually see him doing so just to be funny. Laurie helped solve that problem when they both asked the attendant if it would be okay to wear the clothing out of the store.

"Sure, give me your names and I'll just scan the tags and then I can cut them off. They'll have the total once you go to the front to check out."

It turned out Micah's total was added to the other items her Daddy declared she needed. By the time they walked outside, she had a knit hat with a pom-pom on top, as well as a pair of fuzzy pink gloves. When she mentioned she already had gloves, Stone shrugged and said, "Now you have a spare pair."

It wasn't too much later when the four of them were again in a line, this one much shorter as they bought cups of hot chocolate while waiting for their names to be called for the telescopes. When an announcement was made, the four of them moved to join a group gathering by a large model. Micah had to put her new glove over her mouth to stifle a giggle as she thought of the dichotomy of first listening to Laurie and Brody extend an invitation to visit them in New Orleans and play at Plaisir, a BDSM club co-owned by Brody followed by the park ranger speaking about the history of the observatory and about what planets they could expect to see.

As if Laurie could read her mind, she bent down to whisper, "I'm wondering which causes more shocked gasps of surprise. Seeing a ring around Saturn or a ring around a submissive's penis."

Laurie's giggle joined Micah's, the two women earning some disapproving glances from other visitors and warning looks from their husbands.

By the time Stone led her to their assigned telescope, the snow had stopped and the skies were clear. "The sky looks like black velvet," Micah said as she adjusted the dial to take a look. "Oh, Daddy, there really are diamonds in the sky. Look!"

They took turns looking through the eyepiece as another staff member helped them locate the groups of stars after showing them a chart of what shapes to look for.

"I feel so small," Micah whispered as she looked at a band of glitter that she learned was the actual Milky Way.

"You are small," Stone teased.

"You know what I mean. We're down here but up there is a universe so vast I can't even fathom the enormity of it all. Thanks, Daddy. I will never ever forget this moment. It is truly beautiful."

"You're welcome, Micah. And, yes, I get it. Sort of makes me wish I'd decided to become an astronaut. Can you imagine how it must look when actually up there?"

Too awed to answer, Micah remained silent, returning her eyes to the sky. They spent another half hour picking out stars and planets. Micah learned how to find the "M" in the sky slightly higher than the North Star. "I think Cassiopeia is my favorite constellation. It reminds me of the rocking chairs at our house, the ones on the porch at Lydia's house and in Terlingua. I like imagining sitting in the rocking chair in the sky and looking down on Earth. Which one is your favorite, Daddy?"

"I'm rather fond of Draco," Stone said, wrapping his arms around her when she straightened and looked up into the sky. "I like imagining standing guard over you in the heavens."

"Just like you do down here," Micah said, smiling when he bent down to kiss her softly.

Leaving their telescope to the next couple, they walked around the observatory, listening to various staff giving lectures and looking through the lenses of a few other, lower-powered telescopes. Though she desperately tried to stifle a yawn, Stone caught her and smiled.

"Some Little girl is sleepy."

"But I don't want to go, it's just so magical up here," Micah said.

"Yes, but you're taking some of that magic with you," Stone said, brushing a fingertip over a group of rhinestones on her sleeve that made up Orion. "And in case that's not enough, perhaps this will do?"

Micah watched a box appear from her Daddy's pocket and her mouth dropped open when he lifted the lid. Nestled on a bed of velvet as black as the sky above them was the very rocking chair she'd said was her favorite.

"How did you know?" she asked, a fingertip running over the small stones set in gold.

"I can't imagine you choosing another," Stone said. "After all, your name starts with the letter "M" and you're not the only one who has a fondness for rocking chairs. Some of my most treasured moments are sitting in them with you on my lap, just watching the world go by."

Touched beyond words, Micah blinked back tears as he lifted the necklace from the box. "It even glitters," she said softly as the stones caught the light.

"Yes, but not as brightly as my babygirl," Stone said as he undid the clasp while she gathered her curls in her hand and held them out of his way. Bending down after fastening it securely, he kissed the nape of her neck. "Did I forget to mention another reason I chose it was because these diamonds remind me of the ones I see every single time I hold you close?"

When his hand went to cup a breast, brushing his fingertips over the rounded globe, Micah instantly knew what diamonds he was referring to. Even through the hoodie and her bra, Micah felt her nipples swelling, hardening as they never failed to do when she was with this man. She touched the pendant that sat perfectly in the hollow of her throat. "Your touch is all I need, Daddy. You didn't need to buy me diamonds."

"I most certainly did, babygirl, you're not only the most brilliant jewel here on Earth, you've bought the glitter into my life and made me see everything in a different light."

"You are the most romantic man I've ever known," Micah said, turning and lifting onto her tiptoes to kiss him. "Thank you for being my husband and my Daddy."

Stone kissed her back and then stated it was time to go. Though she still wished they could stay forever, Micah knew he was right. She and Laurie had already exchanged information and she knew they'd see each other again. Just before they reached the Jeep, she gasped. They stood hand in hand and watched a star shoot across the expanse of sky.

"Did you make a wish?"

"No, Daddy, I have everything I could ever want right here," she said, squeezing his hand. "Did you?"

Her Daddy's laughter echoed around them. "You granted my wish the moment you stepped into the ER."

The ride home was quieter than the one up the mountain, but neither seemed to be bothered by the silence. Micah was content to simply look out the window and replay every moment of the incredible day they'd shared, her fingers tracing the diamonds at her throat.