“Lean on me, sweet girl. I am here for you.”
“I love you, Daddy.” And she was going to do better. She swore it.
“Love you too. Now, I want you to go and get your hair brush and bring it back here.”
“What?” She jumped off his lap. “You’re punishing me because I couldn’t write in the journal?”
He frowned. “I wouldn’t punish you for that.”
Oh. So maybe he actually wanted to brush her hair? That would be nice. That thought was firmly squashed when his face grew stern, though. “But when I asked you each night if you’d written in the journal, how did you reply?”
Well, shit. “I said yes.”
“You lied to me, didn’t you, baby girl?”
“Yes.”
“So now go and get your hairbrush so we can get this over with and you can get some sleep.”
Her bottom was already tingling in anticipation of the stinging smacks to come. He lost no time in taking hold of the wooden hairbrush and placing it on the bed beside him. Then he patted his lap.
“Over you go, little one.”
With great reluctance, Abby climbed onto the bed and lay herself across his legs.
“Hands.”
With a small sob, she placed her hands behind her. He grasped hold of both of them in one of his. Shoot, the fact the was holding her hands meant she was in for one hell of a walloping.
“I’m sorry for lying, Daddy,” she sobbed, already crying.
“I know, baby girl. And I’m sorry I have to spank you. But we need the truth between us, don’t we? I need you to know you can tell me anything. If you’d just let me know you were struggling, I could have helped you.”
She kept failing at letting him do that. And she felt terrible.
“I’m going try and let you help me more.”
The tension eased out of his body. “That’s all I ask for, baby.”
And then the hairbrush landed on her ass. And she couldn’t think anymore. Could barely breathe as he roasted her poor bottom until she was a hot mess, tears soaking the sheets beneath her, her nose clogged, her butt cheeks raw.
Finally, he stopped and maneuvered them both so that they were lying on the bed, him on his back, her over his chest.
“I’m s-sorry,” she told him.
He tightened his hold on her. “Shh, baby. Shh, now. It’s all over. All is forgiven.”
“I-I’ll try b-better.”
“I know you will. Hush, now. You’re my sweet girl. I love you so much. Shh. Everything is all right.”
She lay there until her sobs dried up. Then he shifted from beneath her and she whimpered, holding on tight.
“Just gonna get a washcloth to clean your face,” he reassured her. “Be right back, baby girl.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
True to his word, he returned quickly. He washed her face gently, making her blow into a tissue. Then he brushed her hair back off her face and kissed her lightly. “My beautiful baby. Come on, let’s go to sleep.”