T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,90
to.”
She carried him over to the sofa and sat down, then cradled JT close to her chest as she stared down at him with the biggest smile. When Clay walked in, he went straight over to Landry and sat down next to her, peering over at JT. “Boy, he’s really something, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Landry replied. “He makes me want to have a baby.”
“I’d be good with that.”
Surprise crossed Landry’s face as she asked, “Really?”
“Absolutely.” Clay ran his hand over JT’s little head. “Bet the big guy here would like to have some cousins to play with it.”
“I’m sure he would.” I smiled as I added, “And I would love to have a couple of nieces and nephews running around.”
“Well, it’s definitely something to think about.” Landry turned her attention to me as she said, “The girls and I were talking, and we’d really like to have a baby shower for you and JT next week. We could do it over at the clubhouse so we’d have enough room for the guys to be there too.”
“That’s really sweet, but you don’t have to do that.”
“We want to, and I know the guys would love to meet JT.”
It meant so much to me that she’d even thought about having a baby shower for us, especially after the way I’d behaved, but I was still in that overprotective mother mode and wasn’t sure that it was a good idea to have him around so many people. Sensing my concern, Clay looked over to me and said, “I’m sure you’re worried about JT just getting out of the NICU and all, but Mom’s supposed to be coming down this weekend for a few days. Think of it this way…she’d be an extra set of hands while you’re opening gifts, or she could take him down to one of the spare rooms and watch him if it gets to be too much and he starts to fuss.”
“Umm ... well.” I turned to Beckett as I asked, “What do you think?”
“I think it’d be okay.” He brought me a cup of coffee as he continued, “But it’s completely up to you.”
“Come on, Alyssa,” Clay pushed. “It’ll be fine. Besides, it will be good for you to get out of the house for a bit.”
“Okay, I’m in.” I smiled as I told them both, “I really appreciate you guys going to the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble, Alyssa.” Landry looked down at JT with a smile. “We’ll use just about any excuse to have a gathering, and there couldn’t be a better one than for this little guy right here.”
Clay and Landry stayed for a cup of coffee and doted on JT for just over an hour, then headed home.
Over the next couple of days, Beckett and I slipped into a manageable routine. In the morning, he’d get up and take care of changing JT and giving him his bottle before he headed into work, and while he was gone, I took over. JT was a good napper, so I was able to get a few things done around the house while he slept. I even had time to get a little cooking done. Being in the kitchen made me miss working at the restaurant but not enough to make me want to go back. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after my maternity leave was over. I was tempted to just stay home with JT, but I’d really worked hard to secure my spot on the line. It was a thought that made me think back on the day I’d presented my dish to Boucher and Bisset. I’d spent hours making the perfect Coq au vin, which was basically chicken braised with wine, mushrooms, pork, and a drop of brandy. To my surprise, they were both so impressed that they offered me a full-time position on the line. I couldn’t have been more proud of myself,
But now, I was really enjoying my time at home with JT. I had a tough decision ahead of me, but thankfully, I had plenty of time to think it over.
When the day came for the shower, I was still feeling a little apprehensive about taking JT out and about, especially when we pulled up to the clubhouse and I saw how many people were there. Thankfully, having my mother with me helped set my mind at ease. A warm smile crossed her face as she said, “It’s going to be fine. Let’s let everyone meet him, and if he