Picking Poppy Read online

  Instantly her feelings of being overwhelmed by the apparent wealth of his house evaporated. Poppy understood that walls didn’t make a home. She rushed forward to wrap her arms around his waist in a giant bear hug. “Thank you, Daddy.”

  “Let me give you a tour. First, I want to warm something up,” he said, returning her hug before stepping away to open the refrigerator. Withdrawing a bottle filled with a thick, white liquid, Tyler popped it into the microwave.

  While they waited for the seconds to count down, Poppy’s eyes roamed around the kitchen. Lying on the table was a large terrycloth bib. With widening eyes, she searched for other signs. In the corner, a large highchair sat empty. Its tray lifted up over the back of the seat as if it awaited someone. She smiled to herself, feeling thrilled that she was that someone.

  Jumping at the ding of the microwave, Poppy looked back at her daddy, only to find him watching her with an indulgent smile. She blushed and looked down at her shoes. With a firm snick, the microwave door closed, and the happy man approached to take her hand once again.

  “Come on, blossom,” he said as he began the grand tour.

  Every room was perfectly spotless and immaculate… but cold, as if no one actually lived there. Curious, she glanced up at him. She understood more and more how much that space couldn’t make you happy. It was the love that filled the rooms that mattered most. Nodding to herself, she made an instant decision to help bring the house to life.

  “Tag! You’re it!” she yelled, smacking his muscular bottom and running down the hallway giggling. She couldn’t believe that she had done that. Poppy peeked into each room as she passed. His footsteps thudded behind her on the carpet.

  “Little girl, when I catch you,” he threatened, laughing. Her giggles drifted back to him as she ran.

  “WOW!” Poppy stopped on a dime in the doorway to the most beautiful room that she had ever seen. When her daddy quickly reached her, she looked at him in amazement before quickly turning her attention back to the space before her.

  “This is your nursery, blossom. Go on in,” he encouraged with a smile.

  She walked forward into the beautiful room. It looked like you were in the middle of the morning sky. Streaks of pink and blue mixed with fluffy white patches. She turned in a circle before darting forward to the beautiful crib that stood against the wall. The front railing was lowered as if inviting her inside. Poppy ran her hand over the soft bedding before turning to look at him in amazement.

  “It’s beautiful.” Overcome, she waved a hand in a wide arc indicating the entire room. “Whoever you designed this for must have been incredible to deserve all this,” she said in awe.

  “She is incredible,” Tyler answered, holding her eyes captive with his. Slowly, he walked forward to stand in front of her. “I created this room for a dream—a figment of my imagination. Until I found her, and she is more than a dream. You are more than a dream. Come, let your daddy hold you.”

  Poppy allowed herself to be led to a large rocking chair without arms. She watched Tyler set the bottle on a small table arranged nearby. When he scooped her up to sit on his lap, she relaxed against him as he cradled her in his arms. Her eyes followed his hand as he picked up the bottle and tested it against his inner wrist to make sure it wasn’t too hot before lifting it to her lips.

  Tentatively, she opened her lips and allowed him to slide the rubber nipple inside. The rich, warm mixture dropped onto her tongue. “Mmmm!” She sucked lightly at the nipple and then again, a little stronger. Poppy looked up at Tyler to double check that she was really supposed to be drinking from the bottle.

  “Yummy, isn’t it? It’s my special formula made just for you. It’s full of all sorts of nutritious ingredients that are perfect for a Little who works too hard and doesn’t eat well,” he said pointedly as he began to rock. “While you’re drinking, let me tell you about this room. I invited one of the SANCTUM members to paint this room for my future Little. He is a very talented artist whose canvases are in great demand. When I told him what I wanted, he understood completely and threw himself into the work immediately.”

  Poppy’s eyes had roamed around the room as he spoke. She pushed the bottle back away from her mouth to talk. “It’s so beautiful. Why do the colors get darker in that corner?” she questioned as she pointed to the far corner where it looked like the dawn was just beginning to take over from the night.

  “He knew that all Littles make bad choices occasionally. That is your naughty corner where you will sit if you have been bad and need time to think. The shadowy colors will help you remember that even when things look darkest, the dawn will come to bring the beauty of the day,” Tyler said evenly. His tone didn’t sound mad that she might get in trouble.

  Looking at him with wide eyes, Poppy decided right there that she would never need to sit in the naughty corner. Needing reassurance, she linked her fingers with her daddy’s hand that held the bottle. To her delight, he leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead. She smiled at him around the nipple between her pink lips and nestled back a bit closer to him. I love this, she happily thought.

  They sat together in quietness interrupted only by the faint sucking sounds of her mouth on the bottle’s nipple and creak of the rocking chair as it cradled their bodies. The heat of her daddy and the warm liquid filling her tummy made her sleepy. Poppy fought her drooping eyelids as she tried to stay awake. Before too long, she gave in to the dreams that lurked just outside her grasp as she fell asleep.

  Chapter 24

  Tyler knew the moment that his little girl fell asleep. Her head tilted slightly to the side as the bottle’s nipple slipped from her lips. He continued to rock her gently until he was sure she was sleeping deeply enough that he wouldn’t wake her. Gathering her into his arms, he carried his precious cargo to the pristine white crib.

  Enchanted by her slumbering expressions, Tyler wondered what Poppy dreamed about. He laid her gently onto the soft bedding of the bed and slipped off her shoes. After covering her with a fuzzy blanket, the proud Daddy jogged into the main area where they had left her things. He rifled through her small bag to find Hotdog. When he returned to the nursery, Poppy had rolled onto her tummy close to the edge of the bed. Berating himself for leaving her unprotected from a fall, Tyler first tucked the stuffed dog into her arms before lifting the front railing to keep her safely inside.

  He stood leaning against the crib for several long minutes. Enjoying the sweet sight of his little girl finally here in her nursery, Tyler memorized the sight of his napping Little. He forced himself to step back from the crib. His footsteps were silent on the sand-colored carpet. As he backed away, his mind memorized the sweet picture before him. He had found her.

  An hour later, he heard the rattling of the crib railing before an urgent call rang out through the baby monitor. “Daddy! Daddy, please! I need to go to the bathroom. The railing is stuck.”

  Tyler walked slowly to the nursery and paused to turn on the ballerina lamp. The bottom half was a long net skirt that illuminated the room with a faint pink light. In this soft light, he could see Poppy on her knees at the edge of the crib. Her face was pressed to the railing, and her hands gripped the slats.

  “Hi, blossom. Remember that you’re wearing your diaper. It’s time to start being Little all the time,” he said gently as he lowered the railing stepping on the only release that was deliberately at carpet level. It was safer for little boys and girls to remain in their crib until their Mommy or Daddy was there to help them out.

  “No! I can’t do that. I’ll just use the toilet,” she insisted as she tried to scramble past him.

  Calmly, Tyler set her down on the carpet and watched as she raced from the room. He followed her at a sedate rate watching her explore each room for an open bathroom. As she came out of the third guest bedroom, Poppy suddenly stopped. A distinctive hissing sound began to come from her diaper.

  “Nooo!” she cried, looking totally distraught after losing control of her bladder
. Her panicking eyes met his.

  “You’re okay, Poppy. Little girls are supposed to use their diapers. Come let me take care of you,” he said as he walked forward to pick her up so that her thighs straddled his torso and her chest was pressed against his.

  She buried her head against his shoulder. His skin became suspiciously damp. Tyler’s hands smoothed over her back to soothe her. “Blossom, it’s okay. Daddy will get you all cleaned up, and we’ll go eat a few bites of dinner. Then, bath time and bed.”

  “I don’t want to sleep in that crib,” she announced in a stubborn tone that would have sounded tough if it hadn’t been interrupted by sobs.

  “Your crib is a safe place to sleep, blossom. It’s not the crib’s fault you need to use your diaper,” he reasoned logically as Tyler entered the nursery once again and walked to the changing table.

  “Maybe it’s your fault,” she accused, sending him a mean-spirited glare.

  “Speak nicely to your daddy, or you’ll need to sit in the naughty chair, little girl,” Tyler warned as he laid her down on the changing table. When she wiggled to try to get down, he stretched a wide band around her waist, pinning her to the soft surface.

  “Last warning. If you don’t behave, you will find out how much you don’t want to sit in the naughty chair,” Tyler unfastened her pants and pulled them down over her feet. To his surprise, she laid passively in front of him, not moving or resisting. He glanced at her face and saw the trail of tears that streamed down her face.

  Dropping her jeans to the ground, Tyler ran his hand through her blonde hair, brushing the tousled locks from her face. He wiped away her tears. “Blossom, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

  “This is hard,” she wailed.

  “I know. Let me show you that I want to care for you completely,” he softly offered. When she nodded her head uncertainly, Tyler unfastened the sides of her diaper and lifted her hips slightly to whisk away the soaked diaper. Without delay, he removed a wipe from the warming container and began to clean the urine from her skin. He talked to her to distract her.

  “Such a pretty baby!” he complimented. Gliding the wipe over her hairless mound, he added, “So smooth, just as a little girl should be.” His fingers pressed her thighs apart so that he could wipe between her upper thighs and labia. Finally, he lifted her hips from the surface by raising her feet so that he could clean her buttocks. Within a short amount of time, she was rediapered and back in his arms.

  Tyler carried her back over to the crib. “Blossom, I think you owe the crib an apology. She kept you safe and even watched over Hotdog when you ran away.” Looking at her sternly, Tyler simply held her and waited.

  A whispered, “I’m sorry, crib,” slid from her mouth. A little louder, she complimented, “You are very pretty and so soft.”

  Picking up Hotdog, he handed the stuffie to the little girl. Instantly, she hugged his long body to hers. After a few seconds, Poppy had one more apology to make. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I was very bad and didn’t talk nicely to you.” Her fingers twisted nervously around Hotdog’s floppy ears.

  Tyler pulled her in to kiss her forehead. “Talk to me, blossom. I’m here to help you. I want you to be happy. Soon, you’ll use your diaper without hesitation.” When she looked at him very skeptically, he laughed and hugged her close. “I promise.”

  “Maybe,” she said in a voice filled with doubt.

  Chapter 25

  In three days, Poppy couldn’t believe how her life had been changed. The new hours were working very well. Although she had resisted taking a nap after lunch the first two days, the sharp spanking she had earned when she told her daddy that she needed to work on paperwork instead had convinced her that she needed to lie down in her crib. Today, she had woken up in her crib without dried tear streaks on her face. Her daddy was serious about putting her on a schedule. She hated to admit it, but she did feel better, and the paperwork was easier to complete when she was rested.

  Even wetting her diaper was getting easier. She hadn’t done the other in her diaper yet. She had begun to plan how she could get away with that by running a couple of doors down to use the restroom in the back of Samantha’s candy shop. She was sure the Little would allow her to circumvent her daddy’s plans. Poppy just couldn’t poop in her diaper. She had tried to get into her shop’s bathroom upstairs when Tyler had stepped out to run an errand earlier, but the door was locked, and she couldn’t find the key.

  The petite Little rubbed her tummy slightly as she finished a floral arrangement for a patient in the hospital. Knowing that Mrs. Wilson had a great sweet-tooth, Poppy decided to run over to the candy shop to buy a special treat to dangle from the ribbon surrounding the vase. She stuck her head into the office where Tyler sat at his computer.

  “I need to run down to Samantha’s for a sweet treat for this arrangement. I’ll be right back,” Poppy promised as she tried to keep a relaxed expression on her face.

  “Okay, blossom. Let me know if you go anywhere else,” he asked as he concentrated on the screen in front of him, only glancing up to smile at her before returning his gaze to the computer.

  Poppy skittered away before he could ask more questions. She congratulated herself on timing her visit to Samantha at a great time. Opening the door and stepping out into the fresh air, the new Little jogged to the sweet shop. When she stepped inside, ringing the bell at the door, Samantha came out of the storeroom in the back.

  After glancing around the shop to make sure no one else was there, Poppy said, “Hi, Samantha. I hoped you could do me a big favor and let me use your bathroom. I’m trying to get used to my diaper, but I can’t… you know, in it.”

  Samantha had begun shaking her hands in front of her body as soon as Poppy started talking. In the new Little’s nervousness to ask this personal question, she didn’t catch the candy store owner’s warning. Poppy froze when a deep male’s voice came through the curtain, dividing the front from the back storage area.

  “Little girl, you have no idea how much big trouble you are in now. Thank goodness I was here. If Samantha had allowed you to skirt your daddy’s directions, her bottom would have been as red as the ribbon she ties around her boxes of chocolate,” the sheriff announced as he stepped through the curtain to look sternly at her.

  Poppy turned and fled from the candy shop. She ran full speed back to her shop and darted through the door. Stopping to catch her breath, Poppy leaned against the door. Her daddy’s deep voice sounded from the office. As she listened in horror, the chair creaked, and she knew he was now standing, and as his voice grew louder, she knew he was coming toward her.

  When he stepped into the public area of the floral shop, his eyes pinned her in place as he finished his conversation on the cellphone held to his ear. “Thank you, Ben. I appreciate you calling. My apologies to you that my poorly behaved Little tried to involve Samantha in her deceit. She will be punished,” Tyler promised as he walked forward to turn the sign to closed.

  Taking her hand without a word, Tyler led her back to the office. He unfastened her pants and pushed them down to the floor. After unfastening and removing her diaper, he instructed in a tone that brooked no refusal, “Bend over the desk, Poppy.”

  That order broke her shocked silence. Quickly, Poppy tried to explain, “Daddy! Daddy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  He brusquely interrupted her. “You didn’t mean to make up an excuse to run over to a friend’s shop to use the bathroom? You didn’t mean to lie to your Daddy? You didn’t mean to not follow your Daddy’s instructions? Or, you didn’t mean to ask a friend to get in trouble with her daddy by allowing you to do something you both knew was wrong?”

  Her eyes filling with tears, the Little nodded her head. “I did all those things. I’m sorry, Daddy,” she whispered. Standing there half-naked, she felt ashamed of what had seemed like a great idea to get around what her daddy expected. She rubbed her tummy again, unconsciously.

  “I was planning to treat your tummy when we closed f
or the evening. We’ll do that now. Lean over the desk, Poppy.” He pointed to the top of the desk.

  Poppy shuffled over to stand in front of the desk. Peeking over her shoulder, she double checked that he really wanted her to lie over the desk. His face said yes. Slowly, she leaned down until her small breasts touched the desk. She closed her eyes as she heard him walk to stand next to her. His large, warm hand pressed her firmly against the desk before he moved slightly.

  A loud, scraping noise filled the office as he opened the bottom desk drawer. From her position, she couldn’t see what was in that drawer, but she heard the crinkle of the plastic sack that he pulled from inside. He placed the bag on the desk a short distance from her face. Opening it, he withdrew a large jar filled with slightly translucent objects shaped like thick bullets.

  “This is medicine to help your tummy. I know that it is starting to bother you because you are resisting using your diaper. Now, you’ve given yourself a tummy ache. A normal dose would be one capsule. Because you have made so many poor choices, I am going to place three capsules in your bottom,” he informed her.

  “In my bottom,” she blurted out loud in shock as she started to lift up from the desk.

  “Hold right there, little girl.” He said in a gruff voice as his hand once again pressed her down to the top of the desk. “If you give me any problem, you will receive four capsules.”

  Instantly, she froze in place. “What’s the medicine going to do?” she nervously asked. Her eyes were frozen on the menacing capsules. They looked huge.

  “They are going to help you go to the bathroom and get rid of that stomachache that has been bothering you. Stay right there while I go upstairs to get the lubricant from your nursery.”

  Poppy listened to his footsteps leave the office and climb the stairs to the nursery. She wanted to run away, but she knew that she’d just make the situation worse. Her hand slid between her body and the hard desk surface to rub against her aching tummy. It didn’t feel very good. She dropped her forehead to the desk as she realized how much she had messed up.