Saved by Daddy (MxM DDLB) | Completed

Chapter 23

I nervously poked my head out from behind my daddy dominant, watching the almost ninety-year-old woman manhandle the eighth hay bale into the back of a pickup truck. I was honestly stunned by her strength and speed. Dallas ruffled my hair and clapped his son's shoulder, then ushered us closer to the woman named Rita.

I clung to the back of Daddy's shirt and followed him, which made him glance down as he moved his arm. "Baby?"

"Mm?" I tilted my head, then beamed when his hand cupped my head. "What is it, Daddy?"

His ice-blue eyes sparkled. "Goodness, you are just too adorable for words."

My soft giggle made him grin. He held out his right hand and I took hold of it, trying my best to match his stride. He had shortened it, but I still couldn't quite keep up. Dallas chuckled when he noticed, but he smiled and motioned for us to come to his side. Rita used a rag to wipe the sweat off her face as she approached Dallas.

"Lass, is that Denver? Geez, he looks even more like ya!" exclaimed Rita, marching over to my daddy and slapping his arm.

"Lass?" I wondered aloud, and Rita's brown-eyed gaze dropped to my green-eyed one.

"And who is this little one?"

Daddy hugged my shoulders. "This is Emil, Ms. Rita." he stared proudly, then gestured to the much older woman. "Emil, this is Ms. Rita."

Rita held out her wrinkled but calloused hand, so I noticed part of her middle finger was missing down to the second joint. She even had a very crooked left thumb.

I met her right hand with a bright smile on my face. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rita!"

She smiled warmly and squeezed my smaller hand. "It's ma pleasure, Emil."

I grinned and then hugged my daddy's arm, rubbing my face on his side. I heard him chuckle, then Rita turned to pay attention to Dallas while he talked to her about where we should eat.

Daddy bent his knees a bit and held out his hands. "C'mere, baby boy."

I beamed and leapt into his arms, curling mine around his neck and shoulders as he lifted me. I was higher this time, so I hugged my daddy's head and kissed it. Daddy chuckled and moved my body lower so I could rest my head on his left shoulder.

"Did Ms. Rita choose Dally's nickname as 'Lass'?"

Daddy pressed his lips on my fingers after he grasped my left hand and lifted it. My soft giggles made my daddy very happy.

"Mhm. She got tired of other workers getting confused with the destination and my dad, so he had to pick either 'doll' or 'lass' as his nickname."

"But 'doll' isn't in his name."

"Exactly." Daddy chuckled. "Rita wanted to call him the second one and chose another nickname that was close to my dad's name, knowing that he'd choose the second one because he's a stickler that way."

"Ooh, so he likes his nickname Dally 'cause it has the first four letters of his name in it."

Daddy cupped my face with one hand. "Yes, sweetheart. That is exactly why he likes it."

Dallas shouted for us to follow, so Daddy jogged to his dad's truck and climbed into the backseat with me. Rita had taken the passenger seat while Dallas had settled himself into the driver's seat.

"Let's get to that brewery, Lass." remarked Rita, rubbing her hands together. "I've been hankerin' for one of them prison birds."

My head turned and Denver chuckled at my bewildered expression. "There is a plate at the brewery called 'County Jailbird,' but Ms. Rita always says 'prison bird'."