Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,52
them?”
Shelley looked around Bailey’s living room. “Let’s leave them in here. It’s not as warm outside as I thought it would be.”
It was four weeks exactly until Sam’s baby was due to be born. Instead of waiting another couple of weeks for the baby shower, Sam and Caleb wanted to gather their families together now.
This year had been such a roller-coaster of emotions. Shelley didn’t know about everyone else, but she was looking forward to celebrating the upcoming arrival of a new addition to their family. It was a lot better than worrying about her mom.
“Have Megan, Nora, and William arrived?” John asked as he placed another four chairs in the room.
“Not yet, but they won’t be far away.” Every time Shelley thought of Caleb’s childhood, she felt sad. From what Sam had said, his dad was an alcoholic and his mom had died when he was a teenager. It wasn’t until he’d met Sam that he discovered he had a sister.
Not wanting to waste another precious moment, his sister Megan had moved to Sapphire Bay with Nora, her young niece. Within a short space of time, she’d started making delicious cakes at Sweet Treats and became a wonderful addition to the community.
“How does that look?” John asked.
Shelley pulled her mind away from Caleb’s family and studied the room. “It looks great.” She pulled the coffee table closer to where Sam would sit. Even though her sister was feeling great, her baby bump made it difficult to bend over. The closer the present table was to her, the easier it would be.
Before John left the room, she walked across to him, looking over her shoulder. The last thing she wanted was for Sam or Caleb to hear what she was saying. “Has Dad brought his present inside?”
“It’s in the spare bedroom with a blanket over it,” John whispered. “We hung a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door handle. Hopefully, it will keep Sam away.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Each Christmas, she was awake before everyone else, squeezing the presents and trying to work out what they were.”
An amused gleam filled John’s eyes. “And you never did that?”
Shelley smiled. “Only once. Sam always got to the tree before me.”
A very pregnant sister walked through the living room doors. Her gaze traveled over the pretty blue and pink balloons, the streamers draped between the pendant light in the center of the room and the walls. “This looks lovely. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Shelley studied her sister’s face. “We’re okay for now. Mom’s helping Bailey in the kitchen and Steven and Dad are setting up the barbecue. You look different. Is everything all right?”
Sam rubbed the small of her back. “I’m just a little sore and tired. Our baby keeps jumping around like a jack-in-the-box.”
“I’m surprised you’ve still got room for the baby to move.”
“So am I,” Sam said. “But Zac said he’d be more worried if the baby wasn’t moving.”
And they definitely didn’t want that to happen. Shelley handed Sam a tablecloth. “If you could put this on the dining room table, I’d appreciate it.”
“Okay.” Before Sam left, she looked around the room again and sighed. “I still can’t believe Caleb and I are having a baby soon.”
Shelley wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist. Sam looked more than tired. She was exhausted. “How do you feel about being a mom?”
“Scared. I’ve never looked after a baby. Apart from Mila, I haven’t even looked after any children. What if I mess everything up?”
“Mom and Dad are here, and Caleb knows how to change diapers. And if all else fails, you can bring your baby around to me—although I can’t guarantee I won’t teach your son or daughter some bad habits.”
Sam’s lips twitched. “If our baby turns out half as good as their Aunt Shelley, I’ll be happy.”
Shelley grinned. “That’s so sweet. You can have double the babysitting time that I’ll give Bailey when she has children.”
“I heard that,” Bailey said from the doorway. “Just remember who makes the best pecan pie in our family.”
Sam’s smile widened. “I never thought you’d hold your pecan pie to ransom.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. I might need lots of Aunt Shelley’s babysitting time when we have children.”
John brought in more chairs. “Suits me. Everyone can bring their children to our house. They’ll be good company for our six.”
Shelley’s eyes widened. “Children?”
John grinned. “I thought that would get your attention.”
With her sisters’ laughter following her outside, Shelley caught up with her husband.