“I know, but it’s all new to me, and I want to be able to make up for the time that I missed.”
She studied him and then nodded.
Her head jerked toward a swinging door between them and the kitchen, and two maids came out with plates—one of them set two plates in front of King and three in front of her. One had mac and cheese and cut-up fruit, and the other had the same food that was on King’s.
“May I have a small plate, plastic if you have one.”
The maid smiled. “I’ll see what we have right now, but Mrs. Pinkerson has already ordered things she thought we might need.”
Cat’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”
King reached out and grasped her hand. “Baby, I’m guessing they’re all having a blast with this. We’ve never had a child here. So, let them have their fun.”
She snorted but nodded as she tied a napkin around Corey’s neck. The lunch was wonderful, and she laughed more than she had in a long time at the antics between father and son.
When they finished, she cleaned him up before King lifted him from his highchair.
“He needs to lie down for a nap,” she said.
“It looks like all of us could use a nap,” King said.
She silently agreed. “I was going to lie down by him because I don’t want him getting scared in a new place.”
“I have an idea,” he told her.
She followed him up the stairs. “What?”
“How about the three of us lie down in my bed. We can put him in the middle between us. We’ve got the movers coming with your things, so you can’t sleep in your room.”
Cat knew she should probably say no, but it sounded too good to pass up. “All right.” She knew she made the right decision when his expression brightened, and he smiled.
This was the first time she saw his bedroom. “This is beautiful.” It looked like several rooms put together. The main one that held the bed was huge. Then she saw a desk and chair in another room attached to their room and glanced at the bathroom.
“Thank you, although I had very little to do with it,” he said. He pulled back the comforter and the top blanket and set Corey down. “Do you have to go potty, son?”
Corey shook his head.
Her son immediately came to her with a scared look in his eyes. “Hey, baby, everything’s okay. We’re going to be here the whole time. Just let me get you a diaper.”
“I’m going to get you a few things in the bathroom, and I’ll be right back.” She hurried into her room and grabbed the things she’d need, and was back within a minute.
“What’s this?” King asked.
“This is a pull-up. I’m afraid he will have an accident since everything’s so new to him. So I’ll put him in this and a piece of cloth under us so he doesn’t ruin the mattress.”
After she dressed him, she helped him to sit. “Okay, sweetheart. Go ahead and lie down.”
He nodded and lay down on his side with his back against her chest, and King lay on the other side of Corey and pulled the blanket up.
The drapes were mostly closed, but enough light came in so Corey wouldn’t get afraid, and they could see each other.
Cat felt Corey relax against her and then heard his breathing even out. After such an eventful day, the little guy was tired, and it wasn’t over.
She would have to watch him carefully until he adapted to the new surroundings. Hell, they both had a lot to get used to, but she was willing to do it for Corey’s sake, and she knew inside herself she wanted to be with King, too.