Page 11 of Laying His Claim
There was a sound behind them and both spun around to see Lorena standing there with the baby in her arms. He was wearing a fresh new onesie and rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Thanks, Lorena,” Justin said, taking his son from her.
The woman just stood there, as if waiting for something. Again, Jalissa felt that warning prickle at the back of the neck. Why did she get the impression that the nanny didn’t like her?
“That will be all for now, Lorena.”
A shadow crossed the woman’s face before she spun about and walked off. By now, Jalissa’s curiosity levels were boiling over, but Justin was striding off again. She followed him to the most gorgeous nursery she’d ever seen. She didn’t want to think about how much all those fancy toys and decorations cost!
Jalissa stood just inside the doorway, mesmerized by the scene before her. Justin, this tall, masculine, gray-eyed man, could also be someone who rocked a little boy to sleep, crooning nursery rhymes into his hair, kissing the smooth little forehead, and then patting him on the back as one tiny thumb found its way into his mouth. The love filling the room was palpable.
Justin straightened and smiled. “Hungry?”
“Now that you mention it…” she smiled back.
Together, they walked to the kitchen, and Jalissa marveled that she instinctively knew where it was. It was as if the house were whispering to her. She watched as Justin quickly put together a light meal, complete with fresh salad and homemade vinaigrette. They then walked out to the patio which looked out onto the expansive lawn.
They sat at the table in comfortable silence, enjoying every morsel and appreciating each other’s company. As the empty plates were pushed away, Jalissa had to ask, “How long have you had Lorena working for you?”
Justin thought for a second. “Since Seb was two months old. I’d taken some time off to be with him, but eventually I had to go back to work.”
“And you’re… happy with her?”
He quirked a brow. “She came from a reputable agency and she seems to love Seb. Why?”
“Nothing,” she responded with a shake of her head. Reaching out, she put her hand on his arm and wondered when was the last time she’d touched him like that of her own volition. “Justin…” she paused to lick her lips. Just the feel of him against her fingertips tingled and her mouth suddenly felt dry. “I want you to know how much I appreciate all that you’ve done for me…”
He gifted her with that slow, lazy smile of his. “I know everything you’ve gone through has been a shock, especially finding out about Seb, but I want you to know I’m here for you. Both of us are.”
* * *
Justin sent Lorena home earlier than usual. It had been a good day, and he was sure he and Jalissa would be able to handle the baby for the rest of the evening. Besides, he wanted to be alone with her. There were so many influences acting on her emotions, so much pulling and tugging, that he was grateful for the chance to bring her some peace.
They ordered in for dinner and he was glad to see Jalissa eat with gusto. During her time in the coma, she’d become so thin that he was determined to get the meat back on her bones by tempting her with all of her favorites. Her favorites were realized by bringing her multiple cuisines, desserts and snacks when she woke up from the coma and got sick of hospital food. Unsurprisingly, she still preferred gourmet meals over fast food. She was a chef before the accident.
The three of them ate dinner in the informal dining room. Seb was seated in his highchair with his own bowl of mashed potatoes and squash and, though his eyebrows ate most of it, he managed to get quite a bit into his mouth.
“He’s not going to bed like that, is he?” Jalissa asked, half joking.
“Of course not. Let’s give the old man a bath, shall we?”
She got to her feet eagerly and the three of them headed into the bathroom where Justin ran a tepid bath and laid out everything they would need: calming lavender soap, bath sponge, towel, baby powder, diaper and pajamas. As he stripped the baby off and set him gently into the water, Jalissa stepped forward. “May I?”
Justin tried not to show it, but inside he was elated. The Jalissa he knew would never have volunteered to bathe a baby. “You sure you know how?” he teased.
“I have no idea,” she grinned. “You’re gonna have to teach me.”
They knelt side by side at the edge of the tub as he gave her soft instructions. “It’s all about common sense, really,” he said finally.
“You’re assuming I’ve got that,” she joked.
“You’ve got common sense in abundance,” he said softly, looking into her eyes.
Once the baby was clean, leaving them both damp, they dried Seb and moved him to the changing station where Justin watched Jalissa sprinkle him liberally with baby powder. Then she tried to put his diaper on.
“The design goes infront,”Justin pointed out.
“Oh, shut up,” she quipped. When she got it on correctly, they helped Seb into his pajamas, and then—there really was a God—she took the boy into her arms and cuddled him. Justin was so afraid to ruin the sanctity of the moment that he said nothing. Just looking at them was enough proof that everything he had done to ensure Sebastian’s welfare, every lie he’d told, was all worth it.
“Do we put him in his crib now?” Jalissa asked.
