Page 29 of Run the Play
“Look at you, taking care of all of us,” I tease.
“I mean, Knox and I get leftovers, too, so you could call me selfish.” Corie giggles.
“Not a selfish bone in your body, sis,” Sloane quips.
We’re all laughing, and that’s how the guys find us. “What’s going on?” Baker asks.
“Damn, I wanted to yell ‘surprise.’” Corie pouts as Knox pulls her into his arms and presses a kiss to her temple. “Surprise!” She grins.
“This is your baby shower,” Sloane explains.
“My what?” Baker asks, lifting his hat off his head and running his hands through his hair.
“It's your baby shower. Usually, it’s for the mom and often both parents. I’m sure Natasha will be having one. You’re going to need lots of items for baby Sinclair, and that’s what this is.”
“What smells so good?” Landry asks.
“That’s lunch.” Corie grins at her brother. “Baker, you go first. That’s the rules of the baby shower. Daddy first.”
“Daddy Sin.” Landry smiles. “Get your ass in there and make a plate. I’m starving.”
“Did you all know about that?”
The guys nod, and Baker just shakes his head. “Thank you. Really. I’m so out of my element, and I know the baby will be here in just a couple of months, and I have no idea where to start.”
“When you asked me to go shopping with you, I talked with the girls, and we thought this was a good idea to get you started. You and I will still need to go shopping for the nursery furniture, but—” Corie looks over at the pile of gifts “—we all might have gone a little wild with our purchases.”
“It’s all so cute,” I chime in. “The little outfits, the toys, the books, it’s fun to baby shop.”
“Right?” Corie agrees. “It’s so much fun.”
“I appreciate you ladies, really,” Baker says. He dips his head and swallows hard, trying to fight back his emotions.
“Hey,” Reid says, “I’ll have you know, I gave them my card and told them to buy you gifts too.”
“Me too,” Foster says.
“Yep.” Landry nods.
“And she’s my wife, so our gifts are from both of us,” Knox chimes in.
“What we’re trying to say is all this stuff you get to take home with you.” Foster points to the table full of gifts. “We’re about to be uncles. We take that shit seriously.”
“And aunts,” Corie adds.
“What she said.” Sloane points to Corie.
“We’re all here for you, Baker,” I say softly. “I’m not a parent, but as a child growing up in foster care, I know the kind of person it takes to be a great one. You are one of those people.” It’s true. I’ve been in enough foster homes to know that not everyone is cut out for parenting. I’m sure it’s a hard job, having a tiny human’s life in your hands, but cruelty is not something that should be associated with kids. I learned that at a young age, and I know for certain Baker’s baby will never know what that feels like.
“Careful,” Landry says, tossing his arm over my shoulder, making my heart skip a beat at his nearness. “You’ll make him think we care about him or something.” He winks at me, then turns his gaze to Baker. “We do. You know we do, and this shit you’re going through, man, it’s tough as hell, but we’ve got you. I’m not sure how I’ll do with diapers, but I’ll do my best.”
That makes everyone laugh, including Baker.
“Come on, let’s eat,” I tell them. Landry turns us, with his arm still wrapped around my shoulder, and leads us into the kitchen.
“Run that past me again,” Baker says, brow furrowed.
“It’s a nose sucker. When babies get congested, you use that to clean their nose since they can’t blow their own.”
