Bonded and Bred Ch. 07-08

"Sleep well my lovely girl, and later we will talk."

Her eyes were already closed and she did not see her father stagger from the room, his face grey and lined with fatigue.

Laurie was walking slowly up the stairs and she saw her father all too well.

"Daddy?" she whispered in horror.

"Later, child; I'm exhausted now and must rest - as does your sister... as do you."

"But daddy..."

"Later, baby girl," He smiled at her tiredly, and his shadowed eyes begged her not to delay him any longer from his bed.

"Rest well, daddy... we will talk later." And even though she was normally a fairly timid young woman, her eyes at that moment were determined, and steely, even though her worry for him softened them somewhat.

He knew that he would have to talk to both of his daughters later, that Laurie would not keep silent if she was worried for him.

He crawled wearily into his bed; he knew that he would have to come up with something good for his daughters; something to satisfy their concerns. Hopefully they would accept his story, and maybe they would be a little more amenable to his requests? Maybe this James could be the answer to all of their concerns?

He was almost asleep as a tear trickled down his cheek. "Oh Belle, how I miss you, my love!" he whispered as he succumbed to the much needed sleep.