Be My Baby (18 page)

"Trey, we can't leave her in there crying,"
I whispered loudly to him. "Bring her in here with us."

"Tylar honey we've had this discussion
before; she needs to be in her own bed in her own room. Besides, we
weren't finished yet baby."

"But Trey," I whined, "I cannot focus on
that while she is crying. Besides what if what she saw freaked her
out? I feel horrible."

"She doesn't know what she saw Tylar. You
heard her; she thought we were playing 'horsey'," he chuckled.

We waited it out for a few more agonizing
minutes - which seemed like an eternity to me - before she stopped
her fussing and settled down falling asleep.

"Now where were we, Mrs. Sinclair?" Trey
asked with a devilish grin on his face.

CHAPTER 14

My father saw us to the airport the
following afternoon. I gave him a hug and a kiss, telling him that
we would be back next week. He had a particularly difficult time
saying good-bye to Preston.

"She changes almost daily," he said sadly.
"I hate to miss any of it since I missed all of it with you. She
reminds me of Marley."

"Dad you know you don't have to wait until
we visit you. You are welcome to visit us anytime you choose. Don't
you get vacation?"

"A judge's vacation has to be worked out in
advance to accommodate the court docket. And then, of course, you
have to find another judge or three that might be willing to handle
the additional case load."

"Why don't you think about retiring,
Dad?"

"Good gracious Tylar, I'm only fifty years
old. I think I might have a few good years left on the bench."

"That's not what I meant, Dad; I meant, you
have the financial means to retire and spend more time with the
horses and with us."

He pulled me to him giving me another
fatherly hug.

"I'll see what I can work out okay,
daughter?"

"Okay Dad," I replied, giving him another
kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for putting up with me."

Preston leaned into him giving him a sloppy
wet kiss on his cheek.

"Trey," my father said, holding his hand out
to him, "Take care of both my girls."

"I will, Sir," Trey replied giving him a
smile, "But they can be a handful, just so you know."

"Understood," my father replied, brushing a
tear from the corner of his eye. He turned and hurried out of the
terminal with his quick stride. I was reminded of the day we
collided in the hallway of the courthouse. He had that same quick
stride then as he hurried off.

Once back home, things seemed to settle back
to normal. Jean was ecstatic to see both Preston and me; though she
didn't make reference to the reason I had been gone, I suspected
she had gotten wind of at least some of it.

I scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Karla
Hunter later in the week. I wanted an individual appointment first
to discuss what had transpired. I wasn't sure if Karla did couples
therapy. If she didn't, I was certain that she could refer us to a
therapist who did.

Trey, Preston and I went to visit Tristan,
Gina and Reese the following evening after our return.

Tristan's birthday was this coming weekend.
Gina asked if Trey and I wanted to join them for dinner at a new
club that had recently opened in downtown Atlanta. Gina said it
would serve two purposes: celebrate Tristan's birthday and check
out the competition of the new club.

"Who will watch Reese?" I asked as I held
him in my arms cooing to him. We were sitting at the breakfast bar
in the kitchen.

"I found a babysitter through one of the
employees at our club," Gina replied bringing a bottle to me so
that I could feed him.

"Aren't you nursing any longer, Gina?"

"No," she said sounding a little bit sad, "I
had to wean him a couple of weeks ago. I just couldn't produce
enough milk through pumping and I needed to get back to work."

Tristan piped up then from the living room
where he and Trey had been watching something on the flat
screen.

"She didn't have to return to work that
early. I told her that repeatedly, Tylar. You know Gina though; she
thought the club would crash and burn without her."

"Quit eavesdropping on our girl talk,
Tristan," Gina hollered out to him.

"Men," she said, "Half the
time he is
pure
deaf when the trash needs to be taken out or the baby's
diaper needs to be changed. The minute you and I get together to
chit-chat he is suddenly
all
ears."

"So how
are
things with you and your man?" I
asked watching Reese as his little fingers gripped mine on the
bottle.

"I have no complaints," she said, smiling.
"We are planning a spring wedding."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, check this out," she said splaying
her fingers in front of my face. Gina had a beautiful engagement
ring on her finger that I hadn't even noticed before.

"Oh Gina," I said admiring it. "Wait a
minute. . .isn't that the one he gave to Libby?"

I watched in amusement as a stricken look
came across her face. The realization that I was yanking her chain
finally seeped in.

"You Beotch," she said laughing. "As if
Tristan would dare to give me some recycled engagement ring."

"I've got to tell you, Gina, Reese is the
picture of Tristan and you; a perfect combination."

The baby had blue eyes for now; he had
Tristan's dark hair. He was beautiful.

"Yeah," she said proudly. "He's such a good
baby, too."

"You know," I replied, "I knew from the
moment I saw him that he was Tristan's. Didn't you see that?"

"Of course I did, Ty."

"Then why the paternity test? Tristan
certainly didn't want one so why did you?"

"I don't know Ty. I guess with the impending
birth of Tess and 'whomever's' baby it was important to me that I
establish my baby was Tristan's for me."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"Well it's kind of like this; you have
Preston and she is Trey's; I have Reese and I know for certain now
that he is Tristan's. So I guess when that surrogate mother
delivers Tess and Nigel's baby neither one of us has to feel
insecure that she had one of their offspring before we did."

"Geez Gina; you are kind of complicated
sometimes but I think I get it."

I pulled the bottle from Reese's little
mouth and put him up to my shoulder to burp him.

Preston came running into the kitchen then
with one of Reese's stuffed animals she had taken from his nursery.
It was a panda bear and it was nearly as large as she was.

"Mommie . . .horsey," she said.

"No honey, that's a panda bear," I remarked
rubbing Reese's back. She was distracted by Reese and dropped the
bear onto the kitchen floor.

"Take that bear into the living room and
show Daddy."

"Kay," she said reaching down for it and
dragging it behind her to the living room.

"I'm sure glad you're back girlfriend," Gina
said smiling after Preston. "Things just weren't the same without
you nearby."

I got a nice big burp from Reese. I pulled
him from me and he gave me a big, drooled grin.

"You are just too cute," I crooned to him.
He gave me a baby giggle and suddenly I got a whiff.

"Somebody needs a diaper change," I said,
wrinkling my nose.

Gina reached for him.

"Hey," I said raising him up to me as I
stood. "You did your share of changing Preston's crappy diapers.
This one is on me."

"I appreciate that Ty," Gina said, "But
remember little boys need to be cleaned up under their sack and
all."

"I think I can handle it Gina," I laughed,
rolling my eyes as I headed to the nursery with him.

Preston was back in his nursery tearing
through his toy box when I got there. I placed him on his changing
table and got a clean diaper and the baby wipes. Suddenly Preston
was enthralled with watching me change him.

"Baabby,"she giggled pointing to him.

"Yes. This is your cousin, Reese," I
explained unsnapping his overalls and removing the soiled
diaper.

She stood next to the changing table on her
tiptoes watching me. I cleaned him up with the baby wipe. Gina was
right. There was crap everywhere. I went through three baby wipes
before I felt that I had gotten it all.

“Doodee, Mommie,” she remarked.

“Yes sweetie. He’s a baby and it’s okay for
babies to go in their diaper. You’re a big girl though.”

“Uh huh,” she said smiling up at me.

I placed the clean diaper under Reese’s
bottom. Preston pointed to his plumbing noticing that it was
different than hers.

"What Mommie?" she asked looking at me for
an answer.

"That's what little boys have," I answered
quickly fastening his diaper up over it. I didn't feel it was time
for a detailed anatomy lesson just yet.

"What that?" she repeated frowning. She was
evidently not satisfied with my answer.

"Come on Preston. Let's go find that big
panda bear. Show Mommy and Reese where you put him."

She trotted in front of me out to the living
room pointing to the big panda bear on the living room rug. Tristan
held his arms out to take Reese from me.

"There's my boy," he said proudly smiling at
his son. Gina was busy getting some snacks ready in the kitchen. I
sat on the couch next to Trey. He put his arm around me pulling me
close. His lips brushed across my cheek softly.

Preston was watching us with her finger in
her mouth as if she was making some connection. She giggled and
turned her attention back to the big panda bear. She looked so cute
in her little skirt and tights. Trey and I watched as she went over
to where the bear was on his back on the floor. She straddled the
bear, sitting down on his torso. She started rocking back and forth
on him.

(Oh dear Lord!)

I quickly turned to look at Trey to see if I
was reading too much into it. I realized that I was not.

Gina had just come out from the kitchen
carrying a tray of cheese and crackers. She stopped dead in her
tracks as a slow grin spread across her face. Tristan looked up
from the baby and saw Preston riding the bear.

I elbowed Trey.

"Preston," he said rising up from the couch
and lifting her off of the bear, "Let's find something else to play
with okay?"

"Horsey Daddy," she whined leaning back over
in his arms, kicking her legs as she tried to get back to the bear.
"Horsey," she continued; fussing and squirming as he headed off to
the nursery with her.

I leapt off of the couch. My checks were
warm and rosy I could tell. I grabbed the bear up from the floor
and shoved him into the guest closet in the entrance hall. When I
looked up both Tristan and Gina were watching me with amused
expressions.

"What the hell was that?" Gina said unable
to hold her laughter back.

"That," I replied in a
rather irritated tone, "Is what happens when
someone
doesn't properly raise the
crib rail and lock it into place in the nursery."

I sat back down on the couch totally
embarrassed by what they had just observed. "Let that be a warning
to both of you."

"C'mon Ty; it is kind of funny. What? So she
walked in on you and Trey? It happens."

"Not to me, Gina. That totally should not
have happened. I thought she would have forgotten it by now. All it
has done is piqued her curiosity. You should have seen her asking
me about Reese when I was changing his diaper."

"That is just natural curiosity, Tylar,"
Tristan said, shifting Reese up against his shoulder. "She is at
the age where she is starting to notice differences."

"Well I don't want her to
dwell on those
differences
just yet."

Trey returned with her a few minutes later
having found some blocks to play with. It was if she had totally
forgotten about the bear.

Preston fell asleep on the way home. Trey
carried her up to the nursery and got her ready for bed. I decided
to allow myself one of my guilty pleasures - a nice warm bubble
bath.

I relaxed in the tub letting the warmth of
it sink in. I closed my eyes leaning my head back against my tub
pillow that Trey had bought me for Christmas. When I opened my
eyes, Trey was sitting next to the sunken tub watching me. I
jumped.

"I'm sorry, sweetie; I didn't mean to scare
you. I was just enjoying watching you enjoy your bath."

"Would you like to join me, Trey?"

He smiled at me with full dimple and started
peeling his clothes off. God he was so gorgeous. I could watch him
all day long - naked.

He slipped into the water beside me. We
explored each other as if it were the first time. He lathered his
hands up with the liquid soap and thoroughly massaged it all over
my body. I did the same for him taking special care to massage his
male parts tenderly. He drew in a breath as my fingers lingered on
his very stiff manhood; my fingers circled the tip and gently
flexed him in and out.

His mouth was on my lips; his tongue parted
my lips and found mine. We kissed playfully and passionately. His
hands teased my nipples as he dropped to take one into his mouth
where he suckled gently from it. I moaned with pleasure. He moved
to the next one and took his time bringing the rosy peak to full
attention.

"Did he touch you here?"

(Oh My God! He did not just ask me
that!)

I froze immediately. I felt like a statue.
It was if Trey hadn't noticed. He continued touching and kissing my
breasts; his hand had moved to the soft folds of my sex and he
gently pressed his fingers inside.

He suddenly straightened up and lifted me
from the water. He wrapped a towel around me and took me into our
bedroom. I wasn't sure I had heard him right. Perhaps he hadn't
asked that question at all. Perhaps I had only imagined that he
had.