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Jack squatted down. “Are you going somewhere?”
The little boy shook his head and quickly grabbed the stroller handle again with his wayward hand.
A smile on his face, Jack nodded. “I bet you’re a good big brother. You help your mom with your little brother and sister, don’t you?”
The silent child nodded and a second later decided he wasn’t in trouble and smiled. By now the mom had retrieved the baby, latched her into the front of the stroller, and taking her place behind the older boy, smiled up at them. “I cannot thank both of you enough. Y’all are going to be great parents someday.”
“Oh, we’re not…” Jack started, but the woman was already making her way to the mall exit.
“Back to your mother’s gift.” She turned and looked at Jack who to her surprise was studying her much like he’d done last night when she thought she might have something on her face.
Blinking, Jack nodded. “Right.”
Siobhan marched toward his mother’s favorite store, her mind lingering on the sweet baby smell. Why were all babies so cute? This one was cuter than a baby had a right to be. And the way Jack got down on his haunches to meet the little boy at eye level, that surprised the heck out of her. She couldn’t help but wonder, what other surprises might Jack Preston have in store for her?
The image of Siobhan smiling and cooing and playing with that baby until the little girl grinned back at her would not stop replaying in his mind. The sight of her with the baby in her arms had done something to Jack. Something he couldn’t explain, and didn’t quite fully understand. Children were not his thing. He was an only child and the Baron clan was the closest thing to siblings and extended family for him. None of them had kids so he had limited experience with short people. And yet, somehow, watching Siobhan, he’d known that helping the mom with her wayward son meant getting down to his level.
“That was nice of you to offer to help.” What he really wanted to say was she looked amazing smiling at the baby.
Walking, Siobhan shrugged. “It was the decent thing to do. Poor woman was clearly frazzled.”
Decent thing to do. That’s how his mama had raised him: open doors for ladies, pull out chairs for them, help them on with their jackets or cover-ups. And yet, actually doing something to help an overwhelmed mother had not occurred to him until Siobhan so seamlessly stepped in.
Her arm shot up and she pointed straight ahead. “Chico’s is at the other end of the mall.”
It took him a long moment to shift from the images of her and the baby to what she was saying, and another minute still to remember why they were here.
“Your mother’s present. Remember?”
“Yes, sorry, my mind wandered.”
“After that, we can hit the photography store. What I need will only take a minute.”
To his surprise, and relief, it had taken all of ten minutes, fifteen tops, to pick out a dress that he was positive his mom would love, along with a few pieces of matching jewelry. Siobhan had headed straight for the dress on the mannequin. “This looks like your mom.”
His mother was always in sleeveless dresses like that, so he had to agree. “I think you’re right. She often says dresses like this are more comfortable than her pajamas.”
“There you go.” Siobhan picked out some subtle but substantial jewelry pieces.
He’d been less sure his mom would wear the large pieces, but Siobhan seemed convinced, and just like that, he was done shopping for his mother.
Out the door, a tie store across the way caught his eye. There were two things his dad had taught him from an early age; the best deals in life will be made on the golf course, and a man’s tie says a great deal more about him than his handshake. To his father’s delight, Jack had taken to both the game of golf and to ties.
Siobhan stopped in her tracks beside him. “What?”
He blinked and turned to face her. “Sorry, you might say my kryptonite is ties. I’m probably the last guy in the world under forty who loves ties. I still wear them to the office.”
She cocked her head. “I have time. Let’s go in.”
“That won’t be necessary. I need another tie like I need a hole in my head.”
“Ah.” Her face lit up. “It’s way more fun buying something you like and don’t need.” Before he could stop her, she’d turned away and marched off in that direction.
Once again she had him smiling. He guessed he was buying a tie today.
A crisp and classic tie caught his attention first. Hermes, of course. Tried and true.
Siobhan looked from the tie to him and frowned. “Seriously, Jack? Could your choice be more boring?”
