Sheriff Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 10) by Laylah Roberts (good book club books txt) 📗

“I’m just so excited. I’ve never had an actual treasure hunt before. I wonder what’s in it. Do you think it’s gold coins? Or maybe it’s jewels. Or maybe it’s vegetables. If it’s vegetables, I’m just warning you, I might throw a tantrum.”

“And if you throw a tantrum, just warning you, I’ll put you over my knee and spank you.”

“Pirates don’t get spanked, Daddy.” Silly Daddy.

“Captain Georgie does. First Mate Daddy has a tough job, trying to keep her in line. Spanking her has become a full-time job.”

“Daddy!” she groaned. “Don’t tell any of the other pirates, or I’ll be the laughingstock around the Rusty Peg.”

“The Rusty Peg?”

“Uh-huh, it’s our watering hole, where we drink watered-down ale that tastes like horse piss and ravage buxom young lasses with our thick poles.”

He stared at her. “I don’t even know where to start with that.”

“Okay, I’m ready.” She grabbed her telescope and started looking around.

“What are you doing?” Ed asked.

“One can never be too careful when it comes to other pirates trying to steal their treasure, Daddy.”

Wasn’t that obvious?

She frowned as she caught sight of a flash of something. Unfortunately, this telescope wasn’t actually real. And by the time she lowered it, whatever she saw had gone.

She shrugged it off. “Right, Big Daddy. I’m ready now.”

He sat next to her as she turned the lock. Then popped open the top. And squealed She bounced up and down. “There’s gold! Real gold.” She picked up the gold coins in her hands and held them up.

“Well, not quite real.”

“Daddy,” she said sternly. “They are real. You just need some imagination.” She didn’t care that they were chocolate coins. That was just as good anyway. “I love chocolate.”

“Well, you aren’t eating this all at once,” he warned. “Daddy will be keeping an eye on this treasure.”

“Daddy, it’s mine.” She grabbed the treasure chest, holding it against herself protectively.

“Now, Georgie-girl, sharing is caring.”

“I’m a pirate! Pirates don’t share!” She stood with the chest in one arm and grabbed her sword from its scabbard. “We plunder and fight. You won’t get this treasure from me, Big Daddy.”

“Is that so?”

“Aaaarrrrghhhh, stay back, ye scabby mongrel lest I cut off your little stick with me mighty sword.”

“Scabby mongrel? Little stick?” He gave her an outraged look. “You’re in for it now, Captain Georgie.”

“I’d like to see you catch me, maggot face! Aaaarrrrghhhh!” Then she took off, running the chest held in one arm. She couldn’t help but giggle at the startled look on Ed’s face as she raced towards the house.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. “No! Ye fat-assed bastard! Let me down!”

“Fat-assed bastard! That’s it, Captain Georgie! You’re in trouble.” He carried her into the living room while she fought him, laughing. Then he lay her down on the sofa. She attempted to jump back up, but he held her down and started tickling her until she was screaming with laughter. The treasure chest fell to the ground, spilling gold everywhere. But she was too busy trying to free herself.

“Cry mercy, Captain Georgie!” Ed cried.

“Never! Never shall I give in! I shall fight until I die! Or pee my pants! Stop, Daddy! Stop.”

“Cry mercy or Daddy will keep going,” he warned.

“Mercy! Mercy!” she screamed, certain she really was about to pee her pants. He immediately pulled his hands away from her.

She lay there, feeling breathless and exhausted. She was dirty, messy and her cheeks hurt from smiling.

She didn’t think she’d ever been happier.

“Now, before you ran off with your bounty, I was going to show you something else.” He picked up the chest and now that some of the coins had been removed she could see a velvet box hidden underneath.

Her heart raced. Was it an engagement ring?

But no, the box was too long for that. What was it then?

He opened the blue velvet case and inside was a gorgeous rose-gold necklace with a round pendant.

“Ooh, so pretty.”

“You like it?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much. You didn’t have to buy it for me.”

“Actually, I did.” He looked pensive. “It’s not just a necklace.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s also a GPS tracker. Using an app on my phone, I can trace where you are. I know it seems like an invasion of privacy, but . . . actually, no. There’s no buts. You’re going to wear it. No arguments.”

She raised her eyebrows. “No arguments?”

A stubborn look crossed his face and he lifted the necklace from the box. “No arguments. You’ll wear it. All the time. It’s waterproof so it can be worn in the shower or bath. You take it off and you’ll be in big trouble. And I don’t care if you do think it’s an invasion of your privacy, it’s happening.”

She huffed out a breath. “You know, you could have just said please.”

“What?” He stared at her.

“You could have just said, ‘please will you wear the necklace, it will mean I can breathe easier if I know where you are.’”

“And your answer would have been?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes.”

“That simple?”

“That simple.”

“Huh.” He stared at her for a moment. “Please will you wear the necklace, it will mean I can breathe easier if I know where you are.”

“Yes.” She turned around and lifted up her hair.

“Damn, and I was geared up for an argument,” he muttered as he put her necklace on.

“Silly Daddy, you mangy maggot head.”

She took off with a scream of laughter as he chased after her.

41

“You promise to call me if anything is wrong.”

“I promise. I’ll be fine.”

“I made you some lunch and put it in the fridge. There’re also two snacks. One for in the morning and the other for the afternoon.”

“Ed, I can handle staying here by myself.”

“You leave the house then you call me.”

“I will.”

“You get lonely, upset, or hurt you call me.”

“It’s one day, Ed.”

“I still don’t like leaving you here alone.”

“You have to go. They need you. I’ll be good.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and she still had to wait for him to bend down so