22. Luke

Luke's heart ached as he held Ally against him. He wanted to kill whoever or whatever made her feel like she wasn't perfect enough. He would show her how truly wonderful she was.

"Do I have to sleep in here?"

He smiled, glad that her mind had moved on from feeling bad about herself.

"Do you want to sleep in here, baby?"

Her shoulders went up in uncertainty.

"I don't know. I want to sleep with you."

Nodding in understanding, Luke smiled down at her.

"How about at bedtime you sleep with Daddy, but for naptime you sleep in your crib?"

She nodded, smiling up at him. "Okay, I like that idea, Daddy."

His heart swelled hearing her call him Daddy. She said it in such an innocent and natural way.

"Another rule is about asking permission. You need to ask permission to touch yourself. I'd also like you to ask for permission when you go hang out with your friends or go shopping. I would never stop you from doing those things, but I'd want you to ask me so I know where you are in case something were to ever happen. Basically, anything that you want to do in big girl mode, I want you to ask permission. Even when you aren't in Little mode, I am always Daddy and I am always in charge. Okay?"

He stared into her beautiful green eyes while she thought about what he said.

"Okay, Daddy."

"There are other rules that will be set for you. Some rules will be added as we get to know each other, and I learn what your needs are, and what needs to be put into place so you are happy and healthy. For now, those are the most important rules. Can you think of any rules that need to be set for you that I might be forgetting?"

Ally thought for several minutes before shaking her head.

"No, not that I can think of."

Luke smiled down at her and booped her nose with his index finger.

"Good girl," he praised her.

Ally beamed up at him.

A while later, Luke stood at the stove cooking dinner for them while Ally sat on the thick carpeted living room floor playing with some dolls that she found in the living room toy box. She seemed to genuinely enjoy playing with the dolls. The pacifier in her mouth moved rapidly as she sucked on the nipple.

Stirring the boiling pasta, Luke reflected on the earlier conversation they had when he was setting her rules for her. She didn't object about very many things, and it made him wonder if she enjoyed him giving her boundaries. Some women loved it, and some hated it. He had the feeling that Ally liked him being in control.

Filling a bottle with cranberry juice, he walked out to the living room and held the bottle out for her. Ally made a face at the bottle but reached out for it. Luke pulled it away and reached over to tug her pacifier out with his free hand.

"Daddy will hold it," he said, holding the large nipple of the bottle up to her lips.

Tilting her head up towards him, Ally opened her mouth obediently and began to suck the dark liquid out of the bottle, staring at him as she sucked. Luke held it for her until she drank nearly the entire bottle. When he pulled the bottle from her mouth, she let out a small whine. Her bottom lip pouted slightly.

"Was that yummy, baby girl?"

Ally nodded and reached her hand out towards the bottle. When he didn't hand it to her, she whined again. Instead, he held the bottle to her lips again and held it while she drank the rest of the liquid.

"Good girl. I'll get you some more to go with your dinner. It's almost done."

Luke carried Ally to the adult-sized highchair he had purchased and locked her into the seat with the tray that it came with. She watched him move around the kitchen, gathering everything they needed for dinner. When he came to the table, he set down everything and sat next to her. He placed a sippy cup of cranberry juice on the tray for her and arranged both of their plates in front of him. When he offered her a plastic fork full of noodles, Ally opened her mouth obediently, taking the bite and chewing.

"This is soooo yummy," she said, her mouth full of noodles.

Luke chuckled. "No talking with your mouth full, little girl."

He patiently held another forkful up to her mouth. She happily ate each bite he offered her, taking drinks of her cranberry juice from her sippy cup in between. Taking bites of his own dinner while Ally chewed, Luke felt whole for the first time in a long time. He felt like he finally had a purpose besides just being a sheriff. He was finally a Daddy again, and it was a feeling he knew he would never take for granted.