Corporate Daddy by Arlene James Page A

day must be a real pain,” he said, starting with the left foot. He dug his thumbs into the arch and rubbed them outward in smooth, even strokes.
    “You wear dress shoes every day,” she pointed out, her breath catching a little as he massaged her instep.
    “But they don’t have high heels.”
    “Aah.” Her eyelids fluttered, and she murmured, “Good point.”
    He lengthened his strokes to include the ball of her foot.
    “Oh, my.”
    “Feel good?”
    “Heavenly.” She sighed and closed her eyes, smiling.
    He moved to the right foot. Long before he finished she was as loose as a rag doll and purring as surely as the cat,a fact not lost on Amanda Sue, who immediately demanded such attention for herself. Literally scooting down Emily’s body, she lay back atop Emily’s legs and lifted a little foot for her father’s attention. He and Emily both got a good laugh out of that, but it was nothing compared to the attack of outright glee that Amanda Sue demonstrated when Logan tickled the soles of her feet.
    Emily sat up and got in on the act, kissing Amanda Sue everywhere that Logan tickled, knees, ribs, chin, behind the ear and so on. Then Amanda Sue decided to turn the tables and tickle Daddy, beginning with the bend of his elbow. He pretended to laugh, much to her delight, and then it was Emily’s turn to play her part.
    Emily balked.
    Amanda Sue poked her sharp little fingernail into the tender inside of Logan’s elbow and commanded Emily, “Tiss!”
    Logan looked a challenge at Emily, who flushed, but then bent and quickly brushed a dry kiss over the spot. Amanda Sue went for the underside of his chin then, and panic flashed in Emily’s golden eyes. Quickly, she turned on the cat. “What about Goody? Are Goody’s paws ticklish, do you think?”
    Amanda Sue promptly plopped over and tried to tickle the bottoms of Goody’s paws. Logan stared a steady rebuke at Emily over the top of the child’s head, but Emily would not even meet his eyes. He knew that she got the message, though. It wasn’t going to be that easy. What was flowing between them would eventually back up and flood them both. He could wait.
    When the cat grew tired of the game, it simply got up and went away, leaving behind a yawning Amanda Sue.
    “It’s somebody’s bedtime,” Logan said pointedly, expecting Emily to once more talk him through the process of getting his stubborn daughter to sleep. When Emily rose, he scooped up Amanda Sue and headed for the stairs.
    “I’ll see you Monday morning,” Emily said, halting him in his tracks.
    “What?”
    “I have to go,” she said, stepping into her shoes.
    “Go?” He frowned, knowing he sounded like a perfect idiot.
    “Logan, I’m going home,” she said firmly. “It’s the weekend. I want to sleep in my own bed, clean my house, relax. You’re fine here on your own with Amanda Sue. You know what you’re doing now.”
    “With the normal stuff,” he protested, wrenching out of Amanda Sue’s way as she reached for his nose. “What if something unusual happens?”
    Emily gave him a look that clearly said he wasn’t pulling anything on her tonight. “If something comes up that you really can’t handle, just call me.”
    Bitterly disappointed, he cast around in his mind for some argument to sway her. Unfortunately, he found none. All that was left for him was graceful capitulation. “Okay. You’re right. She’s my responsibility, after all. You go on home. We’ll be fine.”
    She turned away without another word and started looking for her cat, which had disappeared. “Goody! Come on, Goody. Let’s go for a ride. Goody, Goody, Goody.”
    Amanda Sue put her head back and shouted, “Gooey!”
    “Did she go upstairs?” Emily asked.
    Logan shook his head. “Don’t think so.”
    Emily looked around a few minutes more, but came up empty. “I’ll check the laundry room. I put out a temporary litter box in there.”
    “If she’s not there I’ll help you look for