“I know. But Ilikehaving them around. And I’d really like to do Marie a favour tonight too.”
She bit her lip. “Well I suppose, but it’s just … well … I really don’t have a clue – I won’t have to breastfeed them or anything, will I?” She had seen Marie do this once and it had terrified her.
Shane’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “You really don’t know anything about kids atall,do you? They won’t bite.”
Karen smiled weakly. “Are you sure – the boy looks dangerous.”
Shane put an arm around her shoulders. “Go on back into the kitchen and I’ll make you a cuppa. And Marie can pass on a few tips,” he added devilishly.
Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad, Karen conceded;surely the kids would be worn out from running around already. Maybe she wouldn’t have todoanything.
Back in the kitchen, she smiled faintly at Marie, who offered her the baby to hold.
“Say hello to Auntie Karen,” Shane’s sister sang.
Karen’s hands shook as she held the infant in her arms. Was she holding her the right way? She did seem to be squirming an awful lot – maybe she was hurting her. She sat down and awkwardly laid the child on her lap, then looked up to see Shane watching her. He nodded gratefully and her heart melted.
Regardless, she’d suffer through tonight, Karen decided. Purely for her fiance’s sake.
29
“Iwas scared witless,” she grumbled to Tessa the following evening, “Didn’t have a notion what what to do.”
“What do you mean, scared? They’re only toddlers, for goodness sake.”
The two were sitting on Tessa’s sofa, three-quarter ways through a bottle of wine and most of the way through her bridal magazines.
“I’m an only child remember? They’re like a foreign species. I dunno – it’s hard to explain. I just – I just don’t have a clue what to say to them – or even how tospeakto them. That baby voice people use - with me, it doesn’t come out right and I just feel stupid – like they know I’m faking it.”
Tessa laughed. “Not planning to have any of your own anytime soon then, I take it?”
“Honestly? I think I’d be a terrible mother. I’m kindascared too – not so much of the kids, more the idea of them.”
Tessa waved her away. “Don’t be silly, everyone’s different with their own. And from what you said before, Shane’s crowd aren’t exactly little angels.”
“No, but,” Karen exhaled deeply, “to be perfectly honest, the thought of having kids has always petrified me and I don’t know if that’s ever going to change.” She made a face. “And the way his family are always going on dropping hints about our starting a family, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“What does Shane think?”
“I’m not sure. He knows that I don’t exactly fall all over them whenever they visit but …” She shrugged.
“You said his family are always dropping hints?”
“Yup. Particularly his mother.”
“And do you get on well with her – enough to maybe tell her to back off a little?”
“Ah, Nellie annoys me sometimes when she visits the house, in fact,everytime she visits. She always seems to find some fault with the place.”
“How so?”
“Well, one day for instance, she picked up the sweeping brush and started poking around at the ceiling. Told me that she had spotted a few cobwebs up there.”
“Cheek.” Tessa arched an eyebrow.
“That’s what I thought. Another time, she came out of the bathroom and announced that the towels were damp. I wouldn’t mind, but earlier I had been nagging Shane to pick up after his shower. And sure enough,Mammy Dearest had to spot them. I don’t think she means anything by it – probably just trying to help.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think I’d put up with Gerry’s mother telling me what to do under my own roof – if we ever get one, that is.”
