“There, sweetheart, were you lonely?” She walked him, as much to pleasure herself as to soothe. She’d wanted more children. She knew it was selfish when she had two such beautiful daughters. But, oh, she’d wanted more children.

Now she had a nephew to spoil. And she intended to do so, lavishly. Kate and Byron would have children, Laura mused as she laid J. T. on the changing table. There would be more babies to cuddle.

She changed him, powdered him, tickled him to make him giggle and kick his legs. He grinned at her, wrapped a fist around a curl and tugged. Laura went with the pull to nuzzle his neck.

“Bring back memories?” Josh asked as he stepped inside the nursery.

“Does it ever! When Annie and I were putting this room together for his visits, we wallowed in memories.” She lifted J. T. high over her head, where he could gurgle in delight. “Both my babies slept in that crib.”

“So did you and I.” He ran a hand over the curved rungs before moving to his son. Josh’s fingers itched to hold him, but he held back, allowed Laura to cuddle the baby.

“Everyone who’s been there says it, but I can’t stop myself. The years go so fast, Josh. Treasure every second of it.”

“You did.” He touched her hair. “You are, and have been, the most incredible mother. I’ve admired you for that.”

“You’re going to make me sloppy,” she murmured, and buried her face in the sweet curve of J. T.’s neck.

“I figure you and I had the best possible examples to follow. We’ve been lucky, Laura, to have people like Mom and Dad for parents.”

“Don’t I know it. I know they’re in the middle of negotiating the construction of the new hotel on Bimini, but they called today just to wish me happy birthday.”

“And Dad told the story of how he drove Mom through the worst winter storm in the history of central California when she went into labor with you.”

“Of course.” She lifted her head and grinned. “He loves telling that story. Rain, floods, mud slides, lightning. All but an appearance of the Angel of Doom and the seven plagues of Egypt.”

“ ‘But I got her there,’ ” Josh quoted his father. “ ‘With forty-five minutes to spare.’ ” He stroked his son’s hair. “Not everybody’s as lucky. Do you remember Michael Fury?”

Images of a dark, dangerous man with hot eyes. Who could forget Michael Fury? “Yes, you used to hang around with him and look for girls and trouble. He went into the merchant marines or something.”