The Deception (49 page)

"Well?" Jonathan finally asked.

"It's a girl." She walked up to embrace him. "I guess this means we're grandparents now."

Allison soon joined them, and a short time later Alex brought his newborn daughter into the room. She was dressed in her white outfit, with a little pink hat, and wrapped in a little pink blanket. His face was beaming.

"I'd like to introduce all of you to my daughter, Alexis Penelope Montoya. She came in at twenty inches long, seven pounds, three ounces, and no bullet burn."

Everyone gathered around to see the baby and to congratulate him as they took pictures with their cell phones. Alex handed the baby over to Jonathan to let him hold her while he got his phone and snapped a few photos. When he was finished he handed the phone to Julia. He stood next to Jonathan and they held the baby together as she snapped a few more photos. Afterwards, he handed the baby back to her grandfather while he sent the pictures to his parents and brother. Once he was done, he took the baby back so Steve would have a chance to see her. A few minutes later one of the nurses came into the room.

"Mom says to bring her back, right now, or else she's coming out to get her."

"I take it she's ready for visitors," said Alex.

"Ready and waiting."

Alex led the troupe into Carrie's room. She'd had a chance to freshen up and change into a pair of pajamas, and she was now comfortably relaxed in her bed. Her face was also beaming as she reached for the baby. Alex handed her over as he greeted her with a kiss and took a chair next to her.

"So, how are you feeling, Carrie?" asked Allison.

"Relieved." Everyone had a laugh. "And I'm looking forward to finally being able to see my feet again."

The nurses stepped out, giving Carrie and Alex some time to bond with their daughter and share the moment with their family and closest friends. Before long, Alex's phone started ringing. His parents and brother had just received their first pictures of Alexis and were calling to congratulate him. In a family with a propensity for having boys, a girl was a welcome surprise.

"Of course you know the next one will be a boy," he said to Carrie once he ended the calls.

"I know that, Alex, but let me recover from having this one before we start working on the next one, okay?" She watched as the baby yawned and fell asleep. Alex took her and gently laid her down in the bassinette.

"Then I guess that's our cue," said Jonathan. "Come on everyone, dinner's on Grandpa."

"No, it's on Dad," argued Alex. He stopped to kiss Carrie goodbye, telling her he'd be back soon. The others stopped to give her a hug and a kiss as well. The two men were still arguing over who would pick up the dinner tab as they all began to exit.

"Julia, I really want to thank you for being here," said Carrie as she reached for her stepmother's hand. "Today's been one of those days when I've missed my mother terribly, and I'm so glad you're here with me."

"My pleasure, Carrie. You get some rest. We'll be back to check on you later." She bent down to kiss Carrie on the forehead before she stepped away.

The following morning Alex took his wife and daughter home. Julia would stay with them for a few days, and Alex's parents would come the following week. Once Alexis was taken to the nursery, fed, changed and settled into her crib, Carrie went into the kitchen. She found a bottle of fruit juice in the refrigerator, and after she poured herself a glass she gazed out the kitchen window. A technician was installing an alarm on the pool fence while a landscaper was starting to work on the backyard. As she watched, she began to reminisce. It was a year to the day since she'd sat on the patio watching Alex as he took an evening swim. That was the time when she'd wondered who the future mother of his children would be, thinking the day would come when she'd have to step aside for her. She smiled to herself as she lifted her glass and took a drink, relieved in knowing that day would never come. She and Alex would be best friends forever.

2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained

2 ½  cups milk

1 cup sour cream

2 ½ cups grated Mexican cheese blend (or 2 ½ cups cheddar)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon paprika

1
/
3
cup breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 350° and cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain. While pasta is cooking whisk milk and sour cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add seasonings. Set aside. Chop two tablespoons of butter into small pieces. Chill in refrigerator until needed. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, blend thoroughly and set aside.

Layer half of the cooked and drained macaroni, chopped butter, and cheese into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Top with remaining macaroni, butter and cheese. Pour milk mixture over the top and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on t
op
. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the top is crispy and brown.

If desired, ham or sausage may be added to the macaroni mixture.

Just like Gillian Matthews, the heroine in her debut romance novel,
The Reunion
, Marina Martindale began her career as a graphic designer and artist. After submitting a few articles to trade publications she discovered that writing was her true calling. Her life experiences, and those of the people around her, are the inspiration for her novels.

Marina Martindale is currently working on her third romance novel,
The Journey.
She resides in Tucson, Arizona, and in her spare time she enjoys traveling, photography, quilt making, and cooking.

For more information about Marina Martind
ale please visit her website at
www.marinamartindale.com
, or her blog at
www.marinamartindale.net
.  A print version of
The Deception
is also available. Please visit
www.marinamartindale.com
for more information, as well as for more information about other Marina Martindale books.