Baby Love (Baby #2)(52)

"Caroline actually seems happy too now so perhaps everything did work out for the best," she said interrupting my thoughts.

"Why does she hate me?" I asked, hoping that Tess was privy to the reason.

"I don't think that she hates you at all Tylar. I think she was simply jealous of the relationship and love that she saw you and Trey had. I mean it was so obvious to everyone. She had always wanted a baby and there you were all in love and pregnant. She couldn't be happy for you. She was in a bad place then. We all were."

"Did Nigel not want children?" I asked.

"Oh I think Nigel would have liked to have had child or two but that's not in the cards."

"I know," I replied with compassion. "I heard about the accident with Derringer."

"Oh - it's not that. I mean it wasn't in the cards for Nigel with anyone. He's been tested and has an extremely low sperm count."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, "Tess I didn't mean to pry."

"No it's fine," she assured me. "You see I can conceive but I would never be able to carry a baby to term. Before we married Nigel got tested simply because Caroline had never conceived and we didn't know how we would handle birth control. As it turns out, there is no need to use it."

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"But we sure enjoy spoiling our niece if that's okay with you," she said happily.

As if on cue Clive walked in carrying Preston who saw me and immediately smiled, reaching for me.

"I think it's that time," I said, taking leave to go upstairs to our suite.

We had nearly everything finished for the party. The caterers would be arriving soon to set up. The weather was mild enough that a band was going to be playing outside. There was a fire pit set up to take the chill off out on the patio. We had helped Susan hang Halloween party lights around the large wooden deck where tables and chairs had been set up already.

Up in the suite I stretched out on our bed, switching on the television while Preston curled up against me and nursed. She had nearly dozed off when Trey came into the room having just returned from the winery with his brothers.

"You guys did a fantastic job on the house," he commented, taking his place on the bed beside us. Preston's eyes fluttered open hearing his voice and she smiled up at him.

"Hey there baby girl," he cooed smiling down at her. He put his hands out towards her beckoning for her to come towards him.

"Come over here to daddy 'apple dumpling'," he encouraged.

She rolled over onto her stomach and crawled over to where he was laying. He scooped her up and held her up in the air above him, bouncing her up and down. She squealed and laughed.

"Better watch it," I warned, "She just got finished eating."

I fastened my nursing bra back up and got up from the bed to start my bubble bath. I was going to indulge myself and leave her to Trey's care for the time being.

"So what did you think of the winery?" I asked, coming back out to the bedroom for clean underwear.

"Baby you should see it. You won't recognize it when you go over there next. He has a whole new building under construction that is totally automated. Once he gets it in operation, there will be very little for him to do except count his money. He's planning on expanding his market through a distribution channel that would cover the east coast at a minimum. I'm thinking about buying some shares. What do you think?"

"Honey I leave that to you, okay. It's your money."

"It's our money," he corrected me, lowering Preston down so that he could sniff her diaper.

"Pee-yew!! he said making a face.

"I think she wants her mommy to change her."

"The diapers are next to the bed Trey. The baby wipes are on the nightstand. She's on your watch while I get my bath sweetie."

I went into the bathroom leaving the door open as I undressed for my bath. I could hear Trey rustling around for the baby wipes and diapers; I chuckled when I heard him gag as he unfastened her dirty diaper.

"No, no Preston, sweetie. Lay still for daddy --"

I relaxed in my bubble bath glad that Trey was spending some quality time with his daughter.

My relaxation was interrupted when I heard Trey holler from the bedroom at me.

"Jesus Christ Tylar, she's had a major shit explosion in this diaper!"

"Don’t blame me," I called out from the tub. "You were the one that fed her applesauce last night at Morelli's saying that she was ready for solids."

I heard him gag a couple of more times before he finally had her cleaned up and diapered. He must have taken the toxic diaper out of the room instead of putting it in the trash can. Several moments later Preston crawled into the bathroom spying me in the tub.

Trey appeared in the doorway just then relieved to see that she hadn't wandered down the hall.

"Man she scared me," he said. "That little shit can crawl fast."

"That's why you are supposed to be keeping an eye on her Trey."

He gave me his dimpled grin, scooping her back up into his arms and leaving me to my bath.

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Tristan's 40th birthday party was in full swing. The guests had arrived; the band was playing outside. Tristan and Libby had not yet made their entrance.